Tag: travel

The Castaways by Lucy Clarke

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The Castaways is an epic thriller which you will not be able to put down. It will be both your obsession and worst nightmare. The story told by two sisters, Erin and Lori, takes you on a mysterious two-year journey when a plane heading to Fiji goes missing without a trace. One of the sisters on the plane, the other by chance never made it to the airport.

Lori has just come out of a horrible marriage and has been living with her sister Erin. She decides she needs a vacation and plans a trip for herself and Erin to Fiji.

That was two years ago.

Erin never got on the plane. Lori who had a fear of flying did. The plane disappears. All the passengers presumed dead. But Erin has never given up hope. Could it be her guilt for not getting on the plane with Lori? Their last conversation a fight? Or something else that happened.

Then one day the pilot of the plane appears in Fiji. He says he has no memory of what happened…or does he? Erin flies to Fiji to see him for herself. He answers just one question which sends shivers down Erin’s spine.

It’s now up to Erin to find out what really happened the day she lost her sister forever.

The Castaways is mind-boggling with so many twists and jaw-dropping turns. Each page more explosive (no pun intended) than the next. The only advice I would give to the reader, and I do highly recommend this book, is don’t take this one to read on a plane!

Thank you #NetGalley #AtlanticCrime #LucyClarke #TheCastaways for the advanced copy.

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The Dogs of Venice by Steven Rowley

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The Dogs of Venice is a beautiful story about love, loss and finding yourself again. It’s a novella so it is a very quick read, even though you don’t ever want it to end. It transports you to Venice, Italy and all its beauty where dogs are allowed to run wild. It’s where one man who is mourning the loss of his marriage will meet a dog which will change his life forever. Written by the author of The Editor and The Guncle, Steven Rowley, it has his humor, charm and life lessons all bundled into an uplifting tale.

When Paul’s marriage of five years ends in a shocking divorce which he never saw coming, he becomes a shell of himself. Not really understanding what he did wrong, he decides to go on a planned Christmas trip they were both going on to Venice by himself. Although nervous as he had never done something like this, he begins the journey alone to basically spite his soon to be ex.

But when he gets there and sees the magical city in front of him, he tries to make the most of his time there. Not everything goes his way, and he feels extremely awkward. But he suddenly sees dogs roaming around the city relaxed and unharmed and enjoying themselves. He particularly discovers one dog who has a routine and confidence as he interacts with people. Paul begins looking forward to seeing him.

At one point he loses track of the dog and is unable to find him. Desperate, he looks for him. While looking he meets a few funny, quirky characters, has experiences and some uncomfortable encounters he’s not sure how to handle, but through it all he begins to find himself and a strength he never knew existed.

Rowley’s story, The Dogs of Venice, although short is pact with wisdom, strength, emotion and evolution. As for the dog? Well, you’ll just have to find out what happens!

Thank you #NetGalley #G.P.Putman’sSons #StevenRowley #TheDogsofVenice for the advanced copy.

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Tart by Slutty Cheff

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First and foremost, don’t let the author’s name, Slutty Cheff make you believe this is some kind of very smutty read…it is not, and neither is she. That is her Instagram name, and she has kept herself anonymous for some time. Her posts of food and restaurants never include her face. And her posts as well as her personal story are delectable!

Tart is her autobiography of sorts. She decided to make a transition from her 9-to-5 corporate job which she hated to something in the food industry because she loved food. As she was taking a course on cooking, she got her first job as the lowest cook in a restaurant and has not looked back since. Well, she did take a few mental illness, need to figure things out “vacations”.

As she began her restaurant jobs, she fell in love with the hustle and bustle, but so much more. The cooking, the comradery between employees, the after-service drinks at the bar…and yes, even falling for a bartender and a few chefs!

As she takes the reader into the kitchens where she is working, we see not everything is exciting. When she was starting out, she was basically the only woman in the kitchen and unfortunately was looked down on a bit. As the male chefs stripped off their clothes to get into their cooking outfits, she would just stand there awkwardly and wait so she would be able to change. Many chefs who for whatever reason could not fathom a woman in the kitchen, made sure she knew how they felt. And let’s not get into the bullying which would have any human resource department’s head spinning! But she got used to this and she endured.

She loved the work and the long hours and the food. She also explains in the book how she fell in love with a couple of chefs, and this is a part of her story as well. Parts which would break anybody’s heart and have them retreat and never want to step foot in a restaurant again. And she does give herself a break, only to realize cooking and food are in her blood and no matter what she knows this is where she truly belongs.

Tart will amusingly immerse you into the world of a woman chef who through her wit explains her loves of food, hard work, loss and bravery. It will also make and keep you very, very hungry!

Thank you #NetGalley #S&S/MarysueRucciBooks #SluttyCheff #Tart for the advanced copy.

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day

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Put a lifejacket on before diving into Jamie Day’s new thriller, The Lake Escape! It’s a haunting story of loss, mystery and murder which spans decades. Follow a trio of best friends from childhood now adults with their own children who take their annual vacation together at their lake houses which have been passed on to them from their parents. But when something unexpectedly happens which will reek havoc on all their lives forever, what can they do to save themselves? The lake knows…

Julia, David and Erika grew up coming to their family’s vacation houses on a lake in Vermont since childhood. They have kept that tradition alive with their own families. Over the years their lives have changed both for the good and bad. They have also all grown up with secrets not shared with each other. That is about to change.

This vacation is different right from the start because David who has come into money has decided to expand his lake house and unfortunately Julia and her husband’s view of the lake is impeded. Erika, a lawyer decides to stay out of this fight.

Joining the friends are their children and David’s new nanny, Izzy who was extremely eager to get the position and come to the lake. Also, there is David’s new girlfriend, Fiona a young spitfire no one can figure out.

But after a night of heavy drinking (and other things) they awake to find Fiona missing. David is not too concerned but the others know the secrets of the lake. For the past thirty years every ten years someone has disappeared with no trace. Folklore is that the lake who hungers satisfies itself by taking someone. Is it a coincidence it is exactly 10 years since the last victim?

As the search begins for Fiona, we see the real personalities of the friends who all have secrets, some dark. Their facades and relationships begin to explode in front of our very eyes.

Once the pieces of the puzzles begin to surface like sludge from the deep lake they have always enjoyed, they begin to discover no one really knew the other and the one thing they all seem to have in common is death.

The Lake Escape is as exhausting as swimming in the water for a long period of time, but as exhilarating as well as the shocking outcome will roll over the reader like a wave!

Thank you #Netgalley #St.Martin’sPress # JamieDay #TheLakeEscape for the advanced copy.

Saving Vincent by Joan Fernandez

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Saving Vincent is a beautifully touching and very empowering story about Jo van Gogh who was married to Vincent van Gogh’s brother Theo and how she worked tirelessly after her husband’s death to try and break into the male dominated art world to get her brother-in-law’s name and artwork out not only in his Dutch country but also into Paris and the world. The story shows her courageousness and fight as she battles these men who felt she had nothing to contribute because she was a woman. At the time, in the 1890’s there was no such word as feminism., but that too was about to change.

When Jo’s husband Theo dies suddenly leaving her with an infant son and barely any money to survive, she decides rather than go home to her parents she would start a boarding house to make some money. She also chooses to try and figure out how to sell the Van Gogh artwork she has in order to protect her son’s inheritance. The more she learns about Van Gogh through his letters, the more she begins to admire and appreciate his life prior to his death.

The story paints the men who worked in the art industry at the time as stubborn, petty, greedy and certainly not acceptable to women with ideas. It took years for Jo with an incredible amount of determination and failures before she was able to open the door for woman to become welcomed into this world.

The story also gives a glimpse into the emerging feminism as well as the barriers which women faced back then and how they were looked upon by men. But the heart of the story is the love Jo had for her son, late husband and especially for Van Gogh to make sure he is never forgotten in the world of art. The story also delves into her fear that mental illness perhaps ran in the van Gogh family and her anxiety over her son’s health.

Saving Vincent, with its stunning cover is an uplifting wonderful read which will have you clamor to an Art Museum to view some of these now famous masterpieces which are talked about in this wonderful heart-felt love story.

Thank you #SheWritesPress #JackieKarneth #JoanFernandez for the advanced copy.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai

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The Restaurant of Lost Recipes is the delicious second book of the translated into English Japanese series which revolves around a father and daughter (and their cat Drowsy) who own a diner called The Kamogawa Diner but are also known to be food detectives for people who have somehow learned about them and come to them to try and recapture a food dish with a memory, sometimes good and sometimes bad attached. It is up to Chef Nagare and his daughter Koishi to work their magic and try to discover and then cook the dish which their clients sometimes desperately need to continue on their journey or make peace with their past.

The stories are lovely and beautiful and are filled with delicious delicacies and mysteries. Nagare will scour the earth to help anyone who needs his special service and Koishi will take care of all the paperwork. And of course, Drowsy their beloved cat will always make their guests feel better.

Some of the stories in this book include Fried Rice in which a model who is engaged is desperately searching for a Fried Rice she remembers from years ago so she can present it to her fiancé and be proud.

Another is an Olympic Swimmer who is looking for the special Beto Box his father who he is estranged from use to make for him daily.

The most poignant story to me was Christmas Cake in which a married couple comes to the diner to look for a particular cake their late son used to love, but they never tasted as it was given as an offering at the time of his death and neither wanted to try it. This story shows the love of the parents for their lost son, but it also shows the love of the young son to his parents as past and present collide.

Every story has a beginning, middle, and moving ending the last few sentences always an homage to Nagare and Koishi’s late wife and mother.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes is a feel good, gloriously happy read with mouthwatering delicacies and mysteries to be solved for those seeking answers through food.

Thank you #NetGalley #G.P.Putnam’sSons #HisashiKashiwai #TheRestaurantofLostRecipes for the advanced copy.

The Paris Cooking School by Sophie Beaumont

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The Paris Cooking School is a wonderful unexpected romantic story with wounded characters who meet at an exclusive cooking school in hopes of taking their minds off of their problems by learning to cook. Never expecting anything other than trying to make sense of their problems, what happens is a bit of romance, fun and also a mystery to try and solve. The theme of the story…love…which happens in so many different ways.

Sylvie is the owner of The Paris Cooking School. She has a partner and a son who assist. The school itself has been a favorite for years with people traveling from all over the world to be taught by Sylvie. But suddenly, Sylvie discovers she has a problem. Someone is trying to shut her down. They have left bad reviews and put in a complaint with the food police. How and why can this be? This school is her life!

Kate is just coming out of a terrible marriage, although she had no idea how terrible until she found out her husband/business partner had been cheating on her. Heartbroken, she comes to the school to take her mind off of her problems, try something different and hope perhaps some of that Paris magic would come her way, never imagining what would become a life changing experience.

Gabi is an artist who created what everybody (but herself) calls a masterpiece! But Gabi has a terrible secret. She has been unable to paint or create for quite a while, always giving one excuse or another. As she tries to digest the inevitable loss of her career, she comes to The Paris Cooking School in the hopes of finding some sort of creativeness in order to move through this artistic block. But what Gabi discovers about herself will change her perspective on everything.

These three women will have extraordinary experiences during this session of The Paris Cooking School. They will learn valuable lessons which will change them as they move on in their lives but most importantly will discover in themselves the strengths and friendships which they will take with them forever.

The Paris Cooking School is a lovely story with characters who are strong and resilient but will discover who they really are and what they really want out of life through a remarkable change of events.

Thank you #NetGalley #AlcovePress #SophieBeaumont #TheParisCookingSchool for the advanced copy.

The Vacation by John Marrs

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The Vacation is a mind-blowing novel which seems to have jaw-dropping secrets and shocking information in every single chapter. This, combined with the imaginative plot is not only an amazing set up for an unexpected ending…as if you could be anymore shocked by the ending, but will have you catching your breath as the secrets are revealed.

Eight people check into a hostel in Venice Beach, California. Near the ocean, they try to find peace and perhaps friendship during their stay. But, as we immediately find out from the get-go each person has a secret agenda, something they are hiding or running from. Dark burdens from their pasts. And through the passages which take you back to their pasts to their present, you will begin to glimpse what or why they are running and what they are trying to do in the present.

Those who check in are:

Eric and Nicole who have left their jobs in a hospital in England and seem to have no set plans as to where to go next until Nicole hears a song on the radio…

Savannah is on the run. She’s trying to escape her father but finds herself working at a job her father would never approve. She discovers that being sheltered all her young life has gotten her embroiled in things she knows nothing about. Then she meets someone who takes her under their wing.

Declan and his friend Matty are on the run for something they did back in Ireland. Two troublemakers who want to live it up in America and forget all their troubles. Then someone discovers their secret…at least one of the secrets!

Ruth is from Australia and has come to America because she won a contest to meet superstar Zak Stanley. She knows once she meets him her life will change forever, and she can put her difficult past behind her. She is so excited for their lunch!

Tommy is also from England. He and a friend left there to travel to get away from a tragedy. Then they decided to split up in America and Tommy came to the hostel and his friend stayed at a camp. Unfortunately, they have not been able to connect so Tommy decided to wait at the hostel and was lucky enough to get a job there. But being on his own is hard. He can’t stop the memories.

Jake seems like a drifter. His past is a mystery. He doesn’t give out much information about himself. But unfortunately, he hates who he was and what he did and just wants to find some companionship.

So, come along for the ride as these poor souls try to break free from where they came from and try to begin a new life. Unfortunately, fate will not allow this, and we begin to watch one train wreck after another with shock and horror.

The Vacation is everything you need in a story, tragedy, love, sorrow, suspense, hope and resolution. But reader beware! You will need a vacation after reading this incredible story!

Thank you #NetGalley #HanoverSquarePress #JohnMarrs #TheVacation for the advanced copy.