#NetGalleyreviewer – Rosepoint Publishing

Secrets of the Artis Zoo by Paulette Mahurin – #BookReview #HistoricalWorldWarIIFiction #NetGalley

An Unforgettable Story of Love, Grief, and Found Family in the Shadow of War

Book Blurb:

During the dark days of World War II, amid Nazi domination and the deportation of Jews, the light of hope shines, often from the most ordinary of people. Such is the case in occupied Holland, where neighbors support one another and where unlikely friendships blossom.

After the death of his wife leaves Karl alone and bereft, the elephant Vrij at Amsterdam’s Artis Zoo, where Karl is employed, becomes his closest companion. Soon, he strikes up a friendship with a Jewish family named Wolff, who have a little boy named Daniel. Karl is touched by the plight of the family, and he fears for the future of the little boy. But dark clouds loom on the horizon, and the family is threatened. Because of his close bond with the Wolffs, Karl too is in danger. There seems no way of escape, until fate takes over.

Based on the remarkable true story of the role the Artis Zoo played in helping refugees during World War II, Secrets of the Artis Zoo is a testament to the power of ordinary people to perform extraordinary acts of courage. In the worst of times, love and loyalty transcend all boundaries-even between species.

His Review:

Nazi Germany held no safe places for Jews. The maniacs in leadership followed the hatred of their leader for these individuals everywhere. There were no places for Jews to hide and if they were caught both the person or family hiding the individual were killed. The zoo seemed to be an answer because there were places in the zoo that had openings where the fugitives could be hidden.

The zoo was also a place loved by Hitler and enjoyed by his chief followers. Visitations were scheduled around the needs of the habitats for the animals. Large boulders and other structures were hollow and in some cases whole families would hide within these enclosures. Many of the staff were helping to hide these unfortunates and if caught were sent to the gas chambers along with their friends.

A quick bullet in the head was considered too expensive and a waste of ammunition. Therefore, elaborate alternatives were developed. This author captures the terror and desperation of these times. Well written and very suspenseful. C E Williams I recommend it as an empathetic and well-researched and written narrative. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ebook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical World War II Fiction, Historical World War II & Holocaust Fiction
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Publication Date: October 22, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

Paulette Mahurin - author — Bio photo courtesy Goodreads

The Author: Paulette Mahurin is an award winning international best selling literary fiction and historical fiction novelist. She lives with her husband Terry and two dogs, Max and Bella, in Ventura County, California. She grew up in West Los Angeles and attended UCLA, where she received a Master’s Degree in Science. [Amazon]

Her first novel, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, made it to Amazon bestseller lists and won awards, including best historical fiction 2012 in Turning the Pages Magazine. Her second novel, His Name Was Ben, originally written as an award winning short story while she was in college and later expanded into a novel, rose to bestseller lists its second week out. Her third novel, To Live Out Loud, won international critical acclaim and made it to multiple sites as favorite read book of 2015. Her fourth book, The Seven Year Dress, made it to the top ten bestseller lists on Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K. and Amazon Australia. Her fifth book, The Day I Saw The Hummingbird, was released in 2017 to rave reviews. Her sixth book, A Different Kind of Angel, was released in August, 2018.

Semi-retired, she continues to work part-time as a Nurse Practitioner in Ventura County. When she’s not writing, she does pro-bono consultation work with women with cancer, works in the Westminster Free Clinic as a volunteer provider, volunteers as a mediator in the Ventura County Courthouse for small claims cases, and involves herself, along with her husband, in dog rescue. Profits from her books go to help rescue dogs from kill shelters. [Goodreads]

Reading couple

Every Secret Thing by Susanna Kearsley #BookReview #HistoricalWWIIFiction

Book Blurb:

Some secrets refuse to die.

When journalist Kate Murray is approached by a stranger desperate to reveal the truth about a long-buried crime, her life is upended, and a dangerous journey begins. A tangled web of betrayal, loyalty, and courage draws Kate in as she follows the trail from present-day London to the shadowy alleys of wartime Europe. The answers lie in her own family’s hidden past, but with every step, she awakens powerful enemies. To bring a killer to justice, Kate must risk not only her career—but her life.

My Review:

When Andrew Deacon is killed right in front of Canadian journalist Kate Murray, she is drawn into who and why. Kate is in London covering a murder trial when an elderly British gentleman approaches and engages her in a quick invitation to meet regarding a murder story that never saw justice. He is killed by a hit and run driver as he’s walking away.

Every Secret Thing by Susanna Kearsley — Every Secret Thing – US cover

Perhaps she would not have given the man the time she did except that he asked after her grandmother.

It devolves into a split time line—that of WWII involving her grandmother—and a more recent somewhat hazy decade. Complexity ramps up with the sense of time and multiple locations and the transition is not always as smooth as it might be. How does a journalist afford to traipse all over the world, chasing clues, entirely on her own?

There is a mystery that works hard on suspense, with a side helping of a small but impactful romance. Oh, and I enjoyed that part, very poignant. For his very short appearance in the book, I grew to love Deacon.

Suddenly we are in a complicated novel of espionage spilling out of a WWII British embassy in Lisbon. There were occasions of disbelief—okay—just go with it. Decades after the war, suddenly Kate becomes the hunted and those around her at risk, including her grandmother. Hers was just the first of the body count. Still, that wasn’t Kate’s clue to stop interviewing people possibly associated with either the present or the murder never brought to justice.

The good guys and the bad guys, neither of whom could be wholly explained or examined as it was all national security, hush-hush. Parts I liked (the romance—yeah, me, liked that part—and parts I didn’t. Why the extensive confession—the long explanation—which still didn’t cover all the unexplained threads?

I think I was supposed to love this novel more than I actually did. Sorry about that but when you catch yourself dosing between chapters, there is bound to be something missing. Hard to know the bad guys; seems like all have an agenda and difficult to decipher which one was a positive.

Not just themes of war, but of disease, suicide, theft, and loss. Profound loss. If you love historical fiction and appreciate the spy game, you may very well enjoy this more so than I.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical World War II Fiction, World War II Historical Fiction, Historical World War II & Holocaust Fiction
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: November 17, 2026

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Susanna Kearsley - author — Susanna Kearsley – author

The Author: I’m a former museum curator, avid amateur genealogist, and writer of modern gothic novels that interweave contemporary suspense and romance with historical adventure, meaning they don’t fit neatly into any category and are therefore a marketer’s nightmare.

The Bookseller once said of me, in a review, “She has a poetic sensibility and a sense of mystery; she could write the modern Rebecca.”

So that’s what I strive for.

Rosepoint Reviews – August Recap – Hello September! Wait. Already?

Rosepoint Reviews - August Recap

The CE was seen at the VA Medical Hospital in August by a device technician to check out how well his pacemaker is functioning. He was seen in the ER at a non-profit hospital locally (although the bills don’t reflect that), so now is trying to get his care transferred back to the VA. His local ER doc was excellent and his VA doc commented on his good stats. He can go back to the YMCA with me now and resume (to the extent that he can) our exercise classes. I tried the chair yoga class and thought that might be good for him and believe he’ll want to continue with our Tai Chi class. However, they will be starting a new medication for him shortly and that will necessitate close monitoring for awhile and multiple trips to Chicago.

Also, during August, our area and proximity to Illinois was hit with a major storm that caused flooding and widespread power outages, some for as long as two weeks. We weren’t without power for more than a few days but taught us we’d need to be better prepared if this is going to be the new norm as weather patterns will continue to evolve. Without investing in an expensive generator, we found a compact, almost budget friendly power bank. At least it will charge the cell phones and power the TV and coffee maker. (Been a while since I’ve made “cowboy coffee” but it wasn’t too bad.)

We did manage to read and listen to our library and NetGalleybooks—fifteen of them (many from July). Ive gotten so far behind with reviews and blogging buddies it’s shameful, but still trying to play catch up while accompanying the CE on medical visits and taking care of everything else. There is never enough time. As always, the purchase info is included with my reviews.

#RosepoinReviews #AugustRecap

EBooks

The Gatekeeper by James Byrne (CE review)
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (bookclub selection)
Deserters by Jerry Gabriel (CE review)
Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima

Audiobooks

The Final Target, The Keeper, Yesteryear, Buckeye (mini-reviews)
Broken Country, Whistler, Nothing Ventured, Surviving Savannah (mini-reviews)
It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica
Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr
The Wedding People by Alison Espach

The favorite book for August:

I always enjoy the books by Margaret Mizushima and the CE had a favorite as well, but that unique plot and engaging writing style of Alison Espach in The Wedding People won me over. A hard and emotional, serious topic handled well in an entertaining and heart-warming novel.

Favorite for August –The Wedding People by Alison Espach

My Reading Challenges page…I’ve been lucky to turn on the computer. My Goodreads opening page now shows 94 books (five behind schedule). I edited the goal to 150. Also, I still have several audiobooks finished but not posted.

To my readers and fellow bloggers, I appreciate every view and like and appreciate so much your taking the time to check out my posts and leave your comments.

Rosepoint Recap

Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima #BookReview #policeprocedurals #TuesdayBookBlog

A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery

Book Blurb:

Major crimes intersect in this nail-biting installment of the Timber Creek K-9 mysteries by award-winning author Margaret Mizushima.

A routine welfare check becomes a nightmare when Deputy Mattie Walker finds a young mother dead and a hysterical toddler, possibly the only witness to a brutal crime. Before the investigative team can start piecing together what happened, Mattie discovers another criminal act in Timber Creek.

During a traffic stop for speeding, Mattie observes a nervous driver and a teenage passenger frozen with fear. A quick sweep of the car with her K-9 partner, Robo, reveals a dangerous mix of drugs and suspected human trafficking, providing Mattie with grounds to arrest the driver. After she places the teenager in protective custody, the sheriff’s department hands the case over to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

As the team gathers evidence and information, Mattie’s husband, veterinarian Cole Walker, notices suspicious activity during ambulatory calls at dog kennels, indicating yet a third crime lurking in the shadows. What begins as isolated incidents quickly reveals a chilling truth: Organized crime has infiltrated their rural mountain community.

Every clue leads to more questions, and each answer brings them closer to greater danger. Do Mattie and her law enforcement partners have what it takes to shut down this criminal ring before it claims more victims? And could its next victim be someone Mattie loves?

My Review:

I don’t miss a chance to read the latest Timber Creek K-9 Mystery by Ms. Mizushima. I love the characters and have watched their growth almost from Book 1. The protagonist is Deputy Mattie Walker, of course, but the star (at least for me) is Robo, the German Shepherd.

This installment starts right off with a welfare check of a young mother who is found dead with her toddler crying nearby. As always, however, these K-9 stories are layered in between Mattie’s home life. She and the local veterinarian Cole Walker married and created a ready-made family with her step-daughters Sophie and Angie. Sophie is the youngest and easiest as Angie has progressed to sullen teen. The family recently underwent a collective trauma for which they are now consulting a therapist. Maddie’s job creates a bit of tension by duties that keep her from family sessions.

I love the parts where not only Robo, but Cole are used in her police investigations and procedures are often explained. It’s interesting how Mattie gets Robo psyched up for a pursuit, but usually just the Kevlar vest means that Robo is going to work. His demeanor changes instantly and he’s all business. Serious business.

The author has a talent for storytelling, describing her well-developed characters and tackling topical issues such as human trafficking as well as domestic issues. The people seem real—we’ve watched them grow and meld. The pacing doesn’t waver or slow and the plot builds tension and suspense as each episode thread is tackled.

It’s a series where each book can be read as a standalone, but also as an old friend when read from the beginning

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals, Women Sleuths
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: September 8, 2026

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Margaret Mizushima writes the internationally published Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries. She served as a past president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and was elected Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. She is the recipient of a Colorado Authors League Award, a Benjamin Franklin Book Award, a CIBA CLUE Award, and two Willa Literary Awards by Women Writing the West. Her books have been finalists for a SPUR Award by Western Writers of America, a Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award, and the Colorado Book Award. She and her husband recently moved from Colorado, where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals, to a home in the Pacific Northwest. Find her on her website, Facebook, X, BlueSky, and Instagram.

Rosepoint Publishing--book haul — Graphic courtesy ChatGPT

Deserters: A Novel by Jerry Gabriel – #BookReview #TravelAdventureFiction #NetGalley #AcreBooks

Book Blurb:

An immersive adventure story set during the American Civil War follows four travelers as they escape toward the Western territories.

It is fall 1864, and Robert Riley has deserted his Army of the Potomac unit outside Petersburg, Virginia. Exhausted from years of war and worried about his motherless sons in Ohio, he returns to collect thirteen-year-old Michael and Sean, three years older, and flees to the Western territories. Along the way, he encounters Janey, an orphan at sixteen, who is also eager to go West. When Riley sees in her a quickness of mind, a brand of cunning that mirrors his own, he is persuaded to take her along.

Crossing the lower Midwest on horseback with little money and few possessions, the four are pursued by a wily private detective after the reward for turning in Riley. He manages to thwart the ragtag group, who abandon their plan of crossing the plains. They slip away by train to Chicago, and there, in that cold, stinking, dangerous metropolis, just before the 1864 election, they meet with problems beyond Riley’s ability to resolve. All four find themselves alone, at the mercy of fortune . . . and the fortune hunter, who finally gets the chance to face down his nemesis.

Deserters alternates between the perspectives of the four major characters as their relationships grow and shift, and as each of them strives to forge their way forward in the late war’s murky upheaval. A book whose antecedents include Charles Portis’s True Grit and Paulette Jiles’s News of the World, Gabriel’s immersive novel is an adventure story with psychological intricacy, emotional intensity, and historical heft.

His Review:

The tragedy that was the American Civil War took more American lives than any other conflict in history. The issue was the northern states fighting a group of southern states. Sometimes even brothers within a family were split between their loyalties to the area they were born and the flag they chose.

This book concentrates on the misery that was felt on both sides and the young people who decided that they did not want to fight in that war. One of the facts of this conflict was that it was illegal to avoid conscription into this war. Either on the side of the north or the south, avoiding being conscripted was punishable by death or immediately being sent back to the front, sometimes without a weapon.

Jerry Gabriel explores the paranoia and fear that any deserter had. Escaping this turmoil was fraught with danger. Even young children were employed to help find the deserters. Bounty hunters made a living capturing these individuals and getting them back to their respective armies.

The time was brutal and vicious and avoiding capture meant never going into a town if it could be avoided. Bounties being paid during times of economic tragedy resulted in hundreds of thousands of people being put back into inhumane prisons with no future. Read this story and witness the many facets of the Civil War not taught in schools. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ebook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Travel Adventure Fiction, Action & Adventure Literary Fiction, Literary Fiction
Publisher: Acre Books
Publication Date: May 15, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Jerry Gabriel is the author of two books of fiction, Drowned Boy and The Let Go. His first book, Drowned Boy, won the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction and the Towson Prize for Literature. He lives in Maryland with his wife and children, where he teaches writing at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Reading couple — Graphic courtesy ChatGPT

Captain Hope and The Battle of Attu by Neil Perry Gordon – #BookReview #MilitaryHistoricalFiction #NetGalley

The Alaskan Adventures of Percy Hope

Book Blurb:

At the edge of the world, where the North Pacific collides with the Aleutian Islands, one of the least remembered—and most brutal—battles of the Second World War unfolded.

Captain Hope & The Battle of Attu, the fifth installment in The Alaskan Adventures of Percy Hope series, brings readers into the frozen fog of the Aleutian campaign through the eyes of a father and son drawn into the same war.

When Percy Hope, a seasoned journalist and Alaskan pioneer, receives a telegram informing him that his son Walter has been deployed to the remote island of Attu, he refuses to remain a distant observer. Securing a place as a war correspondent, Percy travels west into the harshest battlefield imaginable—where wind, ice, and volcanic rock are as deadly as the enemy.

Captain Walter Hope, now leading American soldiers in one of the most unforgiving environments on earth, must guide his men through terrain designed for ambush and survival measured in seconds. On Attu, there are no clear front lines—only fog-covered ridges, frozen ground, and an enemy determined to fight to the last man.

As Percy witnesses the invasion firsthand, father and son move through the same battlefield from different directions—one documenting history, the other shaping it. Between them lies a legacy carried through generations: resilience, leadership, and the quiet weight of hope itself.

Blending meticulously researched history with vivid storytelling, this novel captures the human experience of war in a place where nature and combat merge into a single relentless force.

Captain Hope & The Battle of Attu is a story of endurance, sacrifice, and the bond between father and son—set against one of the most overlooked battles of World War II, where courage was measured not by glory, but by the simple act of continuing forward into the storm.

His Review:

The Aleutian Island chain stretches across the north Pacific Ocean to within sight of the Russian Coastline. The Japanese figured out that the islands’ remote location and nearly zero population made it a perfect location for covert listening posts. The Japanese army took extensive measures to insure that their base was well fortified and entrenched.

Attu Island is a jagged island of volcanic rock and ash often shrouded in fog and icy mist. Retaking this position was not going to be easy. At times men walking on this forbidding landscape could not see someone five feet in front of them. The surface was ash and sand with sharp edges of solid magma poised to destroy the equipment utilized by the unwary.

The Japanese are a proud people with the attitude of the offspring of the proud Samari warriors. They were not going to be removed easily. However, the United States could simply not have that listening post on U.S. territory. Author Neil Perry Gordon paints a horrible picture of the sacrifice and courage it took to wrestle this island back from Japanese hands. The unforgiving landscape and conditions are abysmal and creates an extreme atmospheric picture.

C E Williams The author recreates the dynamic and nail-biting struggle fought in deplorable and often times blinding conditions. Perfect for fans of US military war fiction. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ebook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Military Historical Fiction, War Fiction, US Historical Fiction
Publication Date: April 14, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Neil Perry Gordon approaches storytelling as more than a craft—it is both his passion and his calling, a way to explore the extraordinary and render it vividly real. Through his work, he seamlessly intertwines history, metaphysics, and speculative inquiry, creating immersive narratives that reveal hidden truths and resonate deeply on a human level.

The author of eighteen novels, Neil is best known for his acclaimed The Alaskan Adventures of Percy Hope series, including The Wizard of Hope and his latest installment, Captain Hope and The Battle of Attu. In that powerful work, he brings readers into the stark, unforgiving landscape of World War II’s Aleutian campaign, where courage, sacrifice, and destiny converge at the edge of the known world.

With his newest novel, The Lemurians: A New Testament for the Soul, Neil expands his literary reach into bold new territory—exploring the origins of consciousness, the continuity of the soul, and humanity’s forgotten past. Blending narrative storytelling with philosophical depth, the novel challenges conventional ideas of identity, memory, and creation, inviting readers into a story that feels as much remembered as it is imagined.

Neil’s writing bridges historical fiction and metaphysical exploration, grounded in meticulous research yet elevated by a visionary imagination. His stories do more than recount events—they reawaken them, drawing readers into moments where history and mystery converge.

At the heart of his work is a deep belief in the power of narrative to connect, transform, and illuminate. His novels unfold as rich tapestries where myth, memory, and “what if” possibilities intertwine, opening doors to alternate realities and deeper dimensions of human existence.

For Neil, writing is an act of discovery. Each book becomes a living canvas where the seen and unseen, the temporal and the eternal, meet. His prose carries both intellectual depth and emotional clarity, offering stories that are as thought-provoking as they are deeply felt.

Whether exploring the nature of consciousness, uncovering hidden forces shaping history, or tracing the invisible threads that bind past and present, Neil’s work invites readers to see the world—and themselves—with fresh eyes.

Relax, it's Sunday

Mayhem in the Mountains by Jane Loeb Rubin #BookReview #historicalfiction

A Gilded City Series Book 4

Book Blurb:

1924 in the Catskills sizzled with chaos. The region’s turbulent history during that era could easily have erased any trace of the Borscht Belt’s grand hotels. Prohibition fueled bootleggers and whiskey stills—Dutch Schultz ran an underground distillery in nearby Ulster County. Meanwhile, the Ku Klux Klan stormed north after WWI, targeting new immigrants they viewed as threats to the American way of life. Amid the turmoil, the Isaacson family stood their ground, fiercely defending their land, livelihoods, and each other.

My Review:

As if WWI wasn’t hard enough, the 20s and 30s were fraught with poor laws, the American way of life was changing radically, prohibition fueled mobsters and bootleggers, and the return of soldiers were looking for a gentle return to society amid flooded employment.

Deep in the heart of the Catskill Mountains of New York, chaos reigned supreme and gave rise to the influx of the Ku Klux Klan looking to target the mass of immigrants fleeing massive destruction of Europe.

It was the Isaacson family who put down roots, determined to make a go of their little farm, defend the land, and watch each other’s backs. The Jews moved their chickens out of Harlem, but Papa managed to supplement their meager income with his side hussle—the best whiskey east of the Mississippi.

But, it would appear, he’s not the only one vying for that distinction. Still, when Dutch Schultz needs a way to hide and move his inventory, he’s discovered the perfect way to do so.

The Isaacson family has stayed tight and careful and it’s discovered that it’s the youngest, a girl, not the sons, who show the greatest propensity for carrying on the fine family recipe. She’s even discovered how to make it her own and has become quite popular among the population. Still, as careful as they are, the revenuers find their hidey-hole and a shoot out does not go well for Papa.

I loved the relationship between Ella and her Papa; there is genuine affection. The other children all have their separate interests, but it’s Ella who is the obvious heir apparent. Smart, brazen, she can work out transport details and negotiate well with Dutch. Each of the main characters gets their own chapters, so they are well developed and easy to engage.

There were several passages, however, that lagged the dynamic storytelling and slowed the tension building a bit. I suspected a fox in the hen house from the beginning, however, and the twist following a strong climax was not wholly unsuspected.

Yes, there is the romance circling the main plot, but then that is no mystery. The narrative turns atmospheric, highlights medical practices back then, and manages a strong and satisfying finish. If you enjoy historical fiction, or learning about the distillation of spirits, and the migration of the KKK north, this will be of interest.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Jewish Literature, Jewish Literature & Fiction, Women’s Crime Fiction
Publisher: Level Best Books – Historia
Publication Date: June 9, 2026 – Happy Release Day!

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: A cancer diagnosis unveiling a genetic defect, together with a lifelong fascination with the history of medicine, propelled Jane Loeb Rubin to put pen to paper. In 2009, Jane, then a healthcare executive, first poured her energy into raising research dollars for ovarian cancer while learning more about her familial roots. Her research led her to Mathilda (Tillie), her great-grandmother, who arrived in New York City in 1866 at sixteen, married a man twelve years her senior, and later died of ‘a woman’s disease.’ Then, the trail ran cold. With limited facts, she was determined to give Tillie an exciting fictional life of her own. Jane was left imagining Tillie’s life, her fight with terminal disease, and the circumstances surrounding her death.

Her research of the history of New York City, its ultra-conservative reproductive laws, and the state of medicine during that era has culminated in a suspenseful, fast-paced, award-winning three-book historical series. Her engaging characters are confronted with the shifting role of midwives, the dangers of pregnancy, the infamous Blackwell’s Workhouse, and the perilous road to financial success. In the Hands of Women, 5/23 (Level Best Books) and its prequel, Threadbare, 5/24 (Level Best Books), have been enjoyed by fans of historical fiction. Over There, the third in the trilogy (6/25 Level Best Books), will transport members of the Isaacson family into the hospitals of France in World War 1, challenging the family values they dearly cherish.

Jane’s other publications include an essay memoir, Almost a Princess, My Life as a Two-Time Cancer Survivor (2009 Next Generation – Finalist), and multiple magazine articles. She writes a monthly blog, Musings, reflecting on her post-healthcare career experiences and writing journey.

Jane lives with her husband, David, an attorney, in Northern New Jersey. Between them, they have five adult children and seven grandchildren.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Reviews – May Recap – It’s June – Let the Celebrations Begin!

Rosepoint Reviews-May Recap

May proved to be very busy and confirmed that once again, I’ve overwhelmed my schedule. June will be busy with both the CE’s and our son’s birthdays celebrations near the end of the month. We’ve tossed some ideas around and, like everyone, antsy to hit the road. This year with the country celebrating 250 years, there are a lot of stories about historic sights within the state. Do you do Airbnb?

The water garden in a 26" bowl.

My little water garden still looks anemic, waiting for the plants to fill in. Decided in order to kill any population of mosquito larvae, I needed mosquito fish and a couple snails, so that’s been added along with a solar fountain, and discovered something called Rosy Red Minnows (they aren’t goldfish). They are handling the less-than-desirable container conditions as well as temperature fluctuations.

It’s taken us awhile to get the front and back yards cleaned up—still burning twigs and small branches yesterday (low wind)—trying to keep up with the grass growing inches within a week. The critters discovered the seedlings and started trying to get to them. Lots of bunnies this time of year and they are all hungry. The construction in the neighborhood behind us has pushed the deer looking for greener pastures and better hiding places.

The CE and I read or listened to a total of twelve books in May. Our major source of books is the library (audiobooks and ebooks), although we obtain ARCs from NetGalley and author and publisher requests.) The links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase information.

Rosepoint Publishing - May Recap

eBooks

The Colonel’s Revenge by Jeffrey K Schmoll (CE review-5 stars)
If Walls Could Talk by Jean Grainger
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer (CE review)
Christophber Hawkins and His Daring Escapes by Jeanne Brownlee Becijos (CE review -5 stars)

Audiobooks

Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum
Trust No One by James Rollins
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (book club book)
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden
The Moonshine Women by Michelle Collins
Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci

Favorite Book of the Month

The CE is always generous with his stars and I had one five-star read in May. It was unique and fun. The favorite book for May:

Favorite for May – Mad Mable

My Reading Challenges page…I’ve not caught up. My Goodreads count will never be right now. The landing page shows 67 of a challenge of 175 with three books owing a review from May and five books behind schedule. Oops. Obviously, someone is having too much fun.

To all my dear readers and fellow bloggers, thank you so much for taking the time to check out my posts and leave your comments. Blog hopping is on my priority list.