Book Review: The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by M.J. Rose

 Book Review

The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams

M.J. Rose

 

Book Description:

A captivating tale of two passionate women separated by decades but united by a shared vision. One, the famous jeweler Suzanne Belperron, fighting to protect her company and rescue the man she loves. The other, a young auctioneer whose exceptional gifts reveal a secret that endangers her very life.

“Only one thing saves you, and that is not losing sight of beauty.”

Paris, 1942. Suzanne Belperron is known as one of the most innovative jewelers of her time. Elsa Schiaparelli and the Duchess of Windsor are just two of her many illustrious clients. What no one knows is that Suzanne and her dear friend, American socialite Dixie Osgood, have been helping transport hundreds of Jewish families out of France since the war began. But now, the war has come to Suzanne’s front door—the Nazis have arrested her business partner and longtime lover, Bernard Herz.

New York, 1986. Violine Duplessi, an appraiser for a boutique auction house, is summoned to visit the home of Paul Osgood, a scholarly lawyer and political candidate who aspires to take over the Senate seat of his recently deceased father. Paul has inherited everything inside Osgood Manor, from the eighteenth-century furniture to the nineteenth-century Limoges china. But a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk is what calls to Violine, with the surprising but undeniable thrum of energy that can only be one thing: the gift passed down to her by La Lune, the sixteenth-century courtesan.

Since childhood, Violine has been able to read an object’s history and learn the secrets of its owners by merely touching it, but she silenced her psychometry when it destroyed her last relationship. Why has it returned now?

While inspecting the trunk, she senses it holds a hidden treasure and finds a hoard of precious jewels that provoke nightmarish visions and raise a multitude of questions. Who owned these pieces? Why were they hidden inside the trunk? Were they stolen? Could their discovery derail Paul’s campaign and their burgeoning attraction to each other?

So begins a search that takes Violine to Paris to work with the Midas Society, a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners. There, Violine will discover both her and Paul’s surprising connections to the trunk—and to Suzanne Belperron, who silently and heroically hid an amazing truth in plain sight.

Told through Violine’s first-person account and Suzanne’s diary entries, The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams is a riveting story of magick, mystery, romance, and revenge. Inspired by the real-life legend Suzanne Belperron, it marks yet another masterpiece by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author M.J. Rose.

Release Date: February 7, 2023

 

Preorder:

Amazon Kindle

 

My 5-Star Review:

I fell in love with M.J. Rose’s books when I first read The Last Tiara, and I was so happy to have a chance to read an early copy of The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams.

A dual-timeline novel set in 1942 and 1986, The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams is a beautifully written story of two women with special gifts who are both connected through time by their love of beautiful things. A mixture of magic, romance, and mystery, this story has it all. The historical story is very well researched and draws your interest immediately as does the contemporary side of the story. And if you love jewelry – well, there’s no question you’ll enjoy the descriptions of lovely jewels in this book.

I highly recommend this novel to those who love a historical story steeped in magic and fantastic writing.

 

 

About the Author:

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall St. Journal bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice... books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.

Rose's work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah Magazine and The Adventurine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, WSJ, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio.

Rose graduated from Syracuse University, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors - Authorbuzz.com. Rose is also the co-founder of 1001DarkNights.com and TheBlueBoxPress.com

The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels in the Reincarnationist series.

Book Review: City of Time and Magic by Paula Brackston

 Book Review

City of Time and Magic

Found Things Series, Book Four

Paula Brackston

 

Book Description:

Xanthe meets Brackston's most famous heroine, Elizabeth Hawksmith from The Witch's Daughter, in this crossover story with all the "historical detail, village charm, and twisty plotting" of the Found Things series (Publishers Weekly).

City of Time and Magic sees Xanthe face her greatest challenges yet. She must choose from three treasures that sing to her; a beautiful writing slope, a mourning brooch of heartbreaking detail, and a gorgeous gem-set hat pin. All call her, but the wrong one could take her on a mission other than that which she must address first, and the stakes could not be higher. While her earlier mission to Regency England had been a success, the journey home resulted in Liam being taken from her, spirited away to another time and place. Xanthe must follow the treasure that will take her to him if he is not to be lost forever.

Xanthe is certain that Mistress Flyte has Liam and determined to find them both. But when she discovers Lydia Flyte has been tracking the actions of the Visionary Society, a group of ruthless and unscrupulous Spinners who have been selling their talents to a club of wealthy clients, Xanthe realizes her work as a Spinner must come before her personal wishes. The Visionary Society is highly dangerous and directly opposed to the creed of the Spinners. Their actions could have disastrous consequences as they alter the authentic order of things and change the future. Xanthe knows she must take on the Society. It will require the skills of all her friends, old and new, to attempt such a thing, and not all of them will survive the confrontation that follows.

 

Releases November 23, 2021

Buy now:

Amazon Kindle

My 5-Star Review:

For a reader like me who has read all of Paula Brackston books, if you say you’re bringing in a character from another series, I’m there! Xanthe has defeated one evil time spinner but in the process, her dear friend Liam was pulled away from her into another time. Frantic to find him, she begins her search where she believes he must be – with her one-time friend, Mistress Flythe. What Xanthe doesn’t realize is she will need all of her strength as a Spinner and all her friends to help her fight evil once more in order to save Liam. And lucky for her, a very talented witch is on her side.

I love the way Ms. Brackston spins a story. The characters and scenery come alive in your mind. You don’t want to put down a Paula Brackston book once you’ve started it – so sit back, relax, and enjoy. I highly recommend this fourth book in the Found Things series as well as everything else she has written!

 

About the Author:

Paula Brackston lives in the historic city of Hereford on the Welsh border. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, and has been a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Wales, Newport. Before becoming a writer, Paula tried her hand at various career paths, with mixed success. These included working as a groom on a racing yard, a travel agent, a secretary, an English teacher, a script reader, and a goat herd. Everyone involved (particularly the goats) is very relieved that she has now found a job she is actually able to do properly.

In 2007 Paula was shortlisted in the Creme de la Crime search for new writers. In 2010 her book 'Nutters' (writing as PJ Davy) was shortlisted for the Mind Book Award. The following year she was selected by the BBC under their New Welsh Writers scheme. 'The Witch's Daughter' became a New York Times bestseller. Her books are translated into five languages and sold around the world.

Paula Brackston is always sharing interesting tidbits of her life and writing, so be sure to follow her on Facebook.

Book Review: Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

 Book Review

Magic Lessons

Alice Hoffman

 

Book Description:

In an unforgettable novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.

Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Unnamed Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back.

When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family. And it’s here that she learns the rules of magic and the lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Love is the only thing that matters.

Release Date: October 6, 2020

Buy on:

Amazon Kindle

 

My 5-Star Review:

If you are a Practical Magic fan and have always wondered about Maria Owens’ story, you no longer have to wait. Alice Hoffman has graced us with another amazing story about the Owens’ women starting with the very first one.

Magic Lessons begins when Maria is left in a snowy field as a newborn and Hannah Owens finds her and takes her into her cottage. She raises the girl as her own, teaching her the art of magic. Tragedy marks Maria as a young girl many times, leaving her vulnerable and alone. But when she falls in love with a man who makes promises he doesn’t keep; Maria places the curse that will follow the Owens’ women for centuries.

Magic Lessons has everything you’d expect from a novel by Alice Hoffman. Maria’s story is filled with all you’d expect and so much more. It’s a beautifully written tale that will satisfy your desire for the complete story of the Owens’ women. Another wonderful novel by the talented Alice Hoffman.

 

About the Author:

Alice Hoffman was born in New York City on March 16, 1952 and grew up on Long Island. After graduating from high school in 1969, she attended Adelphi University, from which she received a BA, and then received a Mirrellees Fellowship to the Stanford University Creative Writing Center, which she attended in 1973 and 74, receiving an MA in creative writing. She currently lives in Boston and New York.

Hoffman's first novel, Property Of, was written at the age of twenty-one, while she was studying at Stanford, and published shortly thereafter by Farrar Straus and Giroux. She credits her mentor, professor and writer Albert J. Guerard, and his wife, the writer Maclin Bocock Guerard, for helping her to publish her first short story in the magazine Fiction. Editor Ted Solotaroff then contacted her to ask if she had a novel, at which point she quickly began to write what was to become Property Of, a section of which was published in Mr. Solotaroff's magazine, American Review.

Since that remarkable beginning, Alice Hoffman has become one of our most distinguished novelists. She has published a total of eighteen novels, two books of short fiction, and eight books for children and young adults. Her novel, Here on Earth, an Oprah Book Club choice, was a modern reworking of some of the themes of Emily Bronte's masterpiece Wuthering Heights. Practical Magic was made into a Warner film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Her novel, At Risk, which concerns a family dealing with AIDS, can be found on the reading lists of many universities, colleges and secondary schools. Her advance from Local Girls, a collection of inter-related fictions about love and loss on Long Island, was donated to help create the Hoffman (Women's Cancer) Center at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA. Blackbird House is a book of stories centering around an old farm on Cape Cod. Hoffman's recent books include Aquamarine and Indigo, novels for pre-teens, and The New York Times bestsellers The River King, Blue Diary, The Probable Future, and The Ice Queen. Green Angel, a post-apocalyptic fairy tale about loss and love, was published by Scholastic and The Foretelling, a book about an Amazon girl in the Bronze Age, was published by Little Brown. In 2007 Little Brown published the teen novel Incantation, a story about hidden Jews during the Spanish Inquisition, which Publishers Weekly has chosen as one of the best books of the year. In January 2007, Skylight Confessions, a novel about one family's secret history, was released on the 30th anniversary of the publication of Her first novel. Her most recent novel is The Story Sisters (2009), published by Shaye Areheart Books.

Hoffman's work has been published in more than twenty translations and more than one hundred foreign editions. Her novels have received mention as notable books of the year by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, Library Journal, and People Magazine. She has also worked as a screenwriter and is the author of the original screenplay "Independence Day" a film starring Kathleen Quinlan and Diane Wiest. Her short fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe Magazine, Kenyon Review, Redbook, Architectural Digest, Gourmet, Self, and other magazines. Her teen novel Aquamarine was recently made into a film starring Emma Roberts.

Book Review: Everwud – The Tree, The Boy & The Dog by Marilyn Dieckmann

Hi all,

I first met Marilyn Dieckmann, the author of Everwud, online on Twitter and Facebook, and was surprised to learn she lives not too far from me up here in the North Country. Although we have never met, I feel as if I know her like a friend, and I couldn't resist reading her novel. I'm so happy I did, it is as enchanting as I hoped it would be. Here is more about her novel and my review.

 

 Everwud - The Tree, The Boy & The Dog

Marilyn Dieckmann

 

Book Description:

Life isn't always fair, and if you're an orphan it’s probably worse.

Well, Joey is an orphan. His world is totally turned upside down the moment he sees a shaggy dog in the window at the animal shelter and exchanges a wagon-load of pop bottles for the dog.

But life is never that simple. Dogs are not allowed at the orphanage and a deal is made with Mister Tim, the kind man at the animal shelter that ultimately changes his life.

With his new friends, Joey rescues a fellow orphan from scoundrels who use an adoption scheme to gain cheap labor. and unlocks the secret to his birth. He discovers his mom is in fact a wood elf, and she was sucked back into her world the day he was born.

But that’s not all… there's magic too. Joey is the direct descendant of the mage of EVERWUD and will inherit pure magic one day.

Life couldn’t possibly have more surprises in store for Joey… or could it?

EVERWUD… where adventure begins.

 

Buy Everwud – The Tree, The Boy & The Dog on:

Amazon Kindle $0.99

 

Buy Everwud – Book Two – Castles, Clowns & Potions:

Amazon Kindle $1.99

 

My 5 Star Review:

I decided to read Everwud – The Tree, The Boy & The Dog by Marilyn Dieckmann, even though I knew it was geared toward children, because of all the intriguing Tweets Marilyn passed along on Twitter. She made it sound enchanting, magical, and lovely. And it is. From the very first paragraph, Marilyn had me hooked. She drew me into the story before I even realized what was happening. I had to know what happened next, and next, and next.

Everwud is not only a magical story, it is also fun and full of adventure. You can't help but like the main character, Joey, right away. He's such a typical boy, yet he really isn't, we soon learn. When Joey befriends a furry companion his life changes. He is caught up in an adventure he can hardly believe is happening to him. And he soon learns more about the parents he has never known and that he wasn't completely abandoned after all.

I would recommend Everwud to children ages eight and up. It's perfect for reading to your child at bedtime, for older children to read to themselves, or for adults looking for a little magic. And the best part about Everwud is it doesn't end with the first book. There are two more in the series.

 

 

About Marilyn Dieckmann:

To give credit where credit is due... I would say it was my husband's idea for me to write a book. I absolutely LOVE to read, and devour books every chance I get. The fact that I create magical fairy houses and make up stories for the inhabitants... well, it seemed like a natural step to take. I've made over 78 fairy houses and writing has now become a passion.
http://www.weetreehome.com

I'm a wife, mom, grandma and chocolate lover. Chocolate covered cherries are my all-time favorite candy, but any chocolate will do in a pinch!
Wine taster fits in here too!
I dream in full color and never ever think inside the box. As a matter of fact I don't think I own one of those box thingies.

We live in northern Minnesota where the seasons are well defined... winter and summer, with a brief glimpse of spring and fall in between. Our garden is spectacular even though the season is so short.

I've been a student, house painter, waitress, teacher (2 degrees), care-giver and worked in a lumber mill. However, like I told my sons... it's not necessarily what you do for a living (the job that pays the bills) that defines who you are.
It's what you do that brings you JOY.

My epitaph will read... she LOVED her family well!

 

Connect with Marilyn on:

 

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

 

I hope you will read Everwud to your favorite little adventurer!

 

Cheers,

Deanna

Book Review: The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston

Hi all,

As tired as I am of all the young adult vampire, witch and wizard novels that have come out over the past few years, I was at once intrigued by The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston. The cover immediately brought me in to look at the description. After reading the description, I realized that this wasn't your ordinary witch novel and it might actually be written for a mature audience. This novel was offered on Amazon Kindle for FREE a couple of weeks ago, so I had nothing to lose by trying it. Oh am I ever happy I did. I loved it so much, I have actually paid the high fee for Ms. Brackston's latest novel TheWinter Witch. After all, isn't that the point of offering a book for free – to get you to buy their other books? Well, it worked for me. Below I am sharing the book description of this novel and my 5 star review.

The Witch's Daughter
Paula Brackston


Book Description:

My name is Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith, and my age is three hundred and eighty-four years. Each new settlement asks for a new journal, and so this Book of Shadows begins…

In the spring of 1628, the Witchfinder of Wessex finds himself a true Witch. As Bess Hawksmith watches her mother swing from the Hanging Tree she knows that only one man can save her from the same fate at the hands of the panicked mob: the Warlock Gideon Masters, and his Book of Shadows. Secluded at his cottage in the woods, Gideon instructs Bess in the Craft, awakening formidable powers she didn’t know she had and making her immortal. She couldn't have foreseen that even now, centuries later, he would be hunting her across time, determined to claim payment for saving her life.

In present-day England, Elizabeth has built a quiet life for herself, tending her garden and selling herbs and oils at the local farmers' market. But her solitude abruptly ends when a teenage girl called Tegan starts hanging around. Against her better judgment, Elizabeth begins teaching Tegan the ways of the Hedge Witch, in the process awakening memories--and demons—long thought forgotten.

Part historical romance, part modern fantasy, The Witch’s Daughter is a fresh, compelling take on the magical, yet dangerous world of Witches. Readers will long remember the fiercely independent heroine who survives plagues, wars, and the heartbreak that comes with immortality to remain true to herself, and protect the protégé she comes to love.

Buy on Amazon Kindle

My 5 Star Review

In 1628, Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith (Bess) is a young woman when she loses her family to the plague and then watches her mother swing from The Hanging Tree, accused of being a witch. Scared and alone, she reluctantly follows her mother's wishes and goes to Gideon Masters' cottage in the woods to seek his protection and become his student. What Bess soon learns is that Gideon is a warlock—one who practices dark magic. Soon, a mob comes after Bess, proclaiming her to be a witch like her mother. She has two choices—let the mob kill her or run away with Gideon and be drawn into the world of dark magic. She chooses neither which leaves her running away for centuries from the one man who can take her down to the depths of hell.

The Witch's Daughter is a truly amazing novel from the first page to the last. Not only does it bring you into the life a magic, but is also filled with descriptive settings from different times in history. From the simple yet superstitious days of the 1600s to the war-torn English landscape during World War I and on to a quiet town in England in present day where natural healing is considered in vogue, you experience it all through Bess' eyes. Ms. Brackston is a talented storyteller and wordsmith. Her lovely writing style draws the reader in and lulls them through the story. You don't just read this novel—you experience it. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys fantasy at its best and loves reading the work of an artist in command of the English language.

***

I hope you will try The Witch's Daughter. It is truly worth your time and your money.

And be sure to read The Return of the Witch by Paula Brackston too!

Cheers,

Deanna