The Sound Of Light.

 

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 *Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review* 

When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden. 

American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research--her life's dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she hears stories of the movement's legendary Havmand--the merman--and wonders if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide. 

When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence. Bestselling author of more than a dozen WWII novels, Sarah Sundin offers pens another story of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances with faith, fortitude, and hope for a brighter future.

 

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Heartbreaking, memorable story. 

I read the first book by Sarah Sundin back in 2019, A Distant Melody. I don’t think there was a book I didn’t fall in love with since then. So when I got approved for an early copy of her newest book, The Sound Of Light, on Netgalley, I was so excited and couldn’t wait to read the book. I have loved all of her books that I have read; however, The Sound Of Light has become my favorite book of hers. I couldn’t seem to get enough of this book, and just when you think you've reached an area where you could put the book down, you find yourself reading for hours. The Sound of Light you learn much about Denmark and WWII during that time. Another thing that I love about Sarah Sundin’s books is the history, and you learn through her books. You can tell how much research the author has done to write this book. 

Henrick & Else. I loved their relationship from the start. I could tell there was a connection between the two, even before they did. Henrick gave her the courage to stand up for herself. I don’t think I saw them happier than when they were with each other. I hoped they would stay the same once Else discovered the truth about who Henrick was. I felt that, at some point, she would find out the truth about him. I thought that the characters that changed the most through the book were Else and Henrick, but then the two went through so much. I can’t even imagine going through what they did during WWII. The descriptions were breathtaking, and I felt there, enduring everything the characters were facing. The Sound Of Light is a book I highly recommend to history fans. This story will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

Dear Medusa.

 

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*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review* 
 

Sixteen-year-old Alicia Rivers has a reputation that precedes her. But there's more to her story than the whispers that follow her throughout the hallways at school--whispers that splinter into a million different insults that really mean: a girl who has had sex. But what her classmates don't know is that Alicia was sexually abused by a popular teacher, and that trauma has rewritten every cell in her body into someone she doesn't recognize. To the world around her, she's been cast, like the mythical Medusa, as not the victim but the monster of her own story: the slut who asked for it. 

Alicia was abandoned by her best friend, quit the track team, and now spends her days in detention feeling isolated and invisible. When mysterious letters left in her locker hint at another victim, Alicia struggles to keep up the walls she's built around her trauma. At the same time, her growing attraction to a new girl in school makes her question what those walls are really keeping out. 

 

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Heartbreaking. Cherished. 

Many more words describe this book, but that would take me all night to write. I am unsure if I can find all the words to describe how I felt about this book. Dear Medusa I had my emotions everywhere while reading the book. It was also the story I couldn’t get out of my head. I have read books written in poetic verse, but nothing like this book. Dear Medusa was filled with so many powerful emotions; they were raw, real. I cannot imagine what Alicia must feel like to go through such horrifying events. It made me angry at the teacher; they are supposed to make the students feel safe. I was angry with other students for spreading rumors about her. I was scared for Alicia that it would be too much for her one day. 

I loved the way that Alicia’s emotions were portrayed in this book. I might now know what it felt like, but reading the book, I felt like I did. I was hoping that, eventually, Alicia would tell someone, like her mother or even her brother. The teacher needed to be reported before he did it to someone else. The cover and the title captured my attention when I was on Netgalley , and I couldn’t help but be curious about the story. Dear Medusa was a hard book to read at times, yet it took your breath away so that you couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t get enough of Alicia’s story, and I rooted for her to get a happy ending. Dear Medusa was one of the books I ended up reading multiple times late into the night. I needed to see how it was going to come to an end. 

An incredible, inspiring story. This is my first book by Olivia A.Cole , and I am so happy that I got a chance to read an early copy of her newest book. I am eager to see what else she has in store for us.

The Widow.

 

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CONTAINS SPOILERS

 

A husband with secrets. A wife with no limits. A riveting novel of marriage, privilege, and lies by Kaira Rouda, the USA Today bestselling author of The Next Wife. 

Jody Asher had a plan. Her charismatic husband, Martin, would be a political icon. She, the charming wife, would fuel his success. For fifteen congressional terms, they were the golden couple on the Hill. Life was good. Until he wasn’t. 

Martin’s secret affair with a young staffer doesn’t bother Jody personally. But professionally? It’s a legacy killer. Soon a reporter gets word of this scandal in the making, and Martin’s indiscretions threaten to ruin everything Jody has accomplished. 

When Martin suddenly dies, it’s a chance to change the narrative—but the reporter won’t let go of his lead. As the balance of power shifts in the Asher house and on the Hill, it’s time for Jody to take control. And there’s nothing the ruthless widow won’t do to secure the future she’s entitled to. Even if she has a secret of her own. 

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I haven’t read many books that feature politics because it’s not something I have too much interest in or understand very well. However, I decided to give this book a chance. I read the summary for The Widow and saw that it had some mystery surrounding the book. I didn’t know what to think about this book when I first picked it up, especially since I haven’t read any books by Kaira Rouda . This book took me by surprise, and it’s one of the best books I read; those featured politics; I couldn’t get enough of the story, and the characters, especially Jody. I was in love only a few pages into the book, and if it weren’t for all the tests and finals, I would have finished the book within a few days. I felt like the mystery surrounding Asher’s started from the first page. I knew that Martin would die at some point, and I expected him to drop dead on every page. However, I loved that the writer gave us readers a chance to get to know Martin better. I think he could survive if he had seen a doctor when Jody told him to. Sadly, it had to happen at his daughter’s wedding. 

I love books that are told from multiple characters’ points of view. Even as she helped Jody take Martin’s seat, I had a bad feeling about Mimi. I had a bad feeling about her and felt she only helped her because she had something up her sleeve. I loved the little advice that was between each chapter. Of course, I loved that it took place in DC; I lived there to picture it. There was always something that happened on every page. I had to force myself to reach a stopping point, or I knew I would end up reading late into the night. Every page, every chapter, had me rooting for more. 

While reading The Widow, I felt I learned much more about politics than I knew before starting the book. I knew it was hard work, but I had no idea how much hard work went into it and how many people were involved in the process. There are no words for how I felt about this book. It was…breathtaking. I cannot wait to check out the rest of Kaira Rouda works and see what other journey she will take me on.