The Alentejo, Portugal 1934
I am Inês Bretão and I am 18 years old. Now that I am finally an adult and soon to be married, I feel like my real life is about to begin. I have decided to document everything that happens to me, for my children and my grandchildren…

As Sarah Lacey reads the scrawled handwriting in her great-aunt's journal on a trip to Portugal, she discovers a life filled with great passion, missed chances and lost loves – memories that echo Sarah's own life. Because Sarah's marriage is crumbling, her love for her husband ebbing away, and she fears the one man she truly loves was lost to her many years ago…

But hidden within the faded pages of the journal is a secret Inês has kept locked away her entire life, and one final message for her beloved niece – a chance for Sarah to change her life, if she is brave enough to take it.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

I have to admit that the cover for Garden of Stars by Rose Alexander was probably a large reason for me to accept and read this book. That and my weakness for dual storylines. I just love books with two different timelines.

Garden of Stars is about two women, not related through blood, but they share a deep bond through love. Sarah Lacey is at a crossroad in life, she has for the last twenty years never gotten over the man she met in Portugal when she was young. Now, she is for the first time going back to Portugal and there he will be. But what about her marriage? She doesn't even know if she loves her husband anymore, but they have built a life together and have two daughters. Sarah's great-aunt Inês gives Sarah her diary and through it, she learns more about Inês, but she also learns that Inês has kept a secret for decades...

Sarah and Inês life stories may be quite different, but they both faced difficult decisions in life and I loved how some things felt parallel, how they both have to make sacrifices and that sometimes you have to stop looking backward and look forward instead. Garden of Stars is a book that stayed with me after I turned the last page. I felt enriched after finishing the book. Like Inês last advice in the book not only was for Sarah, but for me as a reader as well.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

I received an ARC of "Zenko" from the author, in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness, 'Zenko' is the first book I've read by J. Rose Alexander, not knowing what I was in for I started this book. Just the prologue alone had me HOOKED. 'Zenko' is J. Rose's installment for the "Woodland Creek" collection, a collaboration of 30 authors all writing about 1 little town in Indiana USA, I was intrigued with the concept behind this collection.

As I previously stated just by reading the prologue I was HOOKED, it intrigued me, I HAD to find out just how the Tsukino family make it to Woodland Creek present time... as this story starts off 70 odd years in the past. Filled with history, old world beliefs, customs, sadness, steamy scenes, action... a couple of strong leading females.... then add in mini gods, shifters, magic & a mystery. That ending was bitter sweet, filled with happiness & sadness.

Totally FLOVED this story, I want to read some more from J. Rose Alexander. Also I can't wait to read what the others have written for the "Woodland Creek" collection.

I feel like this took me far longer to read than it should have. That isn't necessarily a comment on my interest in the book as I have been extremely busy at work recently so I've had less time to read. I have been interested in reading this book since the tv show Turn first premiered. I have yet to ever watch an episode of Turn but now I can say I have at least read this.

 

I can't really say that the Revolutionary War knocks my socks off. However, I do enjoy reading about spying during wars so I felt like this would be something of interest to me. This was a very informative, at times a bit dry, look at spying during the Revolutionary War. While it mainly focuses on American spying it does also cover spying by Britain.

 

I really enjoyed that the author introduced the main players in the Culper spy ring and manages to follow them during the war and show all they managed to do. I especially enjoyed the discussion regarding the code they used to communicate. I did feel that this could be especially dry at times and that sometimes made it a bit hard for me to motivate myself pick this up.

 

I would definitely recommend this to someone who is really fascinated with the Revolutionary War and would like to know more about spying during that time. 

Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring by Alexander Rose. After the last disastrous pick I am excited to start something that I know I am going to like. I do love fiction but at heart I am a non-fiction girl. I put this book in my tbr pile back when the show Turn premiered. I never ended up watching the show but I always knew I wanted to read the book.