Welcome to Mailbox Monday, the weekly meme created by Marcia, formerly from The Printed Page, where book lovers share the titles they received for review, purchased, or otherwise obtained over the past week. Mailbox Monday currently is on tour, and this month’s host is MariReads.
Here’s what I received over the past couple of weeks:
The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs — from Book It Northwest for review (Amazon/IndieBound)
Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners. People like Annelise Winther, who refuses to sell her long-gone mother’s beloved necklace — despite Tess’s advice. To Annelise, the jewel’s value is in its memories.
But Tess’s own history is filled with gaps: a father she never met, a mother who spent more time traveling than with her daughter. So Tess is shocked when she discovers the grandfather she never knew is in a coma. And that she has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a hundred-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel.
The rest is willed to Isabel Johansen. A half sister she’s never heard of.
Against the rich landscape of Bella Vista, Tess begins to discover a world filled with the simple pleasures of food and family, of the warm earth beneath her bare feet. A world where family comes first and the roots of history run deep. A place where falling in love is not only possible, but inevitable.
And in a season filled with new experiences, Tess begins to see the truth in something Annelise once told her: if you don’t believe memories are worth more than money, then perhaps you’ve not made the right kind of memories. (publisher’s summary)
The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley — from Atria for review (Amazon/IndieBound)
La Côte d’Azur, 1998: In the sun-dappled south of France, Emilie de la Martinieres, the last of her gilded line, finds herself sole inheritor of her childhood home, a magnificent chateau and vineyard. With the house comes a mountain of debt — and almost as many questions.
Paris, 1944: A bright, young British office clerk, Constance Carruthers, is sent to Paris to be part of Churchill’s Special Operations Executive during the climax of the Nazi occupation. Separated from her contacts in the Resistance, she stumbles into the heart of a prominent family who regularly entertain members of the German elite even as they plot to liberate France. In a city rife with collaborators and brave members of the Resistance, Constance’s most difficult decision may be determining whom to trust with her heart.
As Emilie discovers what really happened to her family during the war and finds a connection to Constance much closer than she suspects, the chateau itself may provide clues that can unlock the mysteries of her past, present, and future. (publisher’s summary)
The Gods of Heavenly Punishment by Jennifer Cody Epstein — from W.W. Norton & Company for review (Amazon/IndieBound)
In this evocative and thrilling epic novel, fifteen-year-old Yoshi Kobayashi, child of Japan’s New Empire, daughter of an ardent expansionist and a mother with a haunting past, is on her way home on a March night when American bombers shower her city with napalm — an attack that leaves one hundred thousand dead within hours and half the city in ashen ruins. In the days that follow, Yoshi’s old life will blur beyond recognition, leading her to a new world marked by destruction and shaped by those considered the enemy: Cam, a downed bomber pilot taken prisoner by the Imperial Japanese Army; Anton, a gifted architect who helped modernize Tokyo’s prewar skyline but is now charged with destroying it; and Billy, an Occupation soldier who arrives in the blackened city with a dark secret of his own. Directly or indirectly, each with shape Yoshi’s journey as she seeks safety, love, and redemption. (publisher’s summary)
The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy by Regina Jeffers — from Ulysses Press for review (Amazon/IndieBound)
Fitzwilliam Darcy is devastated. The joy of his recent wedding has been cut short by the news of the sudden death of his father’s beloved cousin, Samuel Darcy. Elizabeth and Darcy travel to Dorset, a popular Regency resort area, to pay their respects to the well-traveled and eccentric Samuel. But this is no summer holiday. Danger bubbles beneath Dorset’s peaceful surface as strange and foreboding events begin to occur. Several of Samuel’s ancient treasures go missing, and then his body itself disappears.
As Darcy and Elizabeth investigate the mysteries and unravel their tangled ties to the haunting legends of dark Dorset, the legendary couple’s love is put to the test by sinister forces striking close to home. Some secrets should remain secrets, but Darcy will do all he can to find answers — even if it means meeting his own end in the damp depths of a newly dug grave. (publisher’s summary)
All the Appearance of Goodness (Given Good Principles Volume III) by Maria Grace — from the author for review (Amazon)
What is a young woman to do? One handsome young man has all the goodness, while the other the appearance of it. How is she to separate the gentleman from the cad?
When Darcy joins his friend, Bingley, on a trip to Meryton, the last thing on his mind is finding a wife. Meeting Elizabeth Bennet changes all that, but a rival for his affections appears from an unlikely quarter. He must overcome his naturally reticent disposition if he is to have a chance of winning her favor.
Elizabeth’s thoughts turn to love and marriage after her sister Mary’s engagement. In a few short weeks, she goes from knowing no eligible young men, to being courted by two. Both are handsome gentlemen, but one conceals secrets and the other conceals his regard. Will she determine which is which before she commits to the wrong one? (publisher’s summary)
What books did you add to your shelves recently?
Disclosure: I am an IndieBound affiliate and an Amazon associate.
© 2013 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
Happy reading, the 2nd one sounds thrilling
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Love the apple and lavender covers!
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Lavender Gardens and Mysterious Death of Darcy are the ones that caught my eye. Happy Earth Day
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Both The Apple Orchard and The Lavender Garden sound soooo good. I can’t wait to read your thoughts on them.
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Oh man The Lavender Garden REALLY sounds good. I’ll never get caught up!
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These all look very enticing….enjoy! And have a great week….here’s MY MONDAY MEMES POST
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I really like Susan Wiggs’ writing so will be watching to see what you think of The Apple Orchard.
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The Lavender Garden is going on my list. Hadn’t heard of it before seeing your post. Have a great week.
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I’m really looking forward to both The Lavender Garden and The Gods of Heavenly Punishment.
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I’m curious about The Apple Orchard and The Lavender Garden! Both of the covers drew me in and made my spring fever and longing to work in the garden even worse! LOL
Happy reading, Anna!
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Great selection. I tweeted.
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The Lavender Garden sounds particularly interesting. Happy reading!
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Wonderful mailbox, Anna! The Lavender Garden, The Gods of Heavenly Punishment and the Darcy book most appeal to me at this moment.
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I’m reading The Apple Orchard now and enjoying it.
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I just picked up The Apple Orchard as well! And while I haven’t seen it before now, The Lavender Garden looks really interesting. Definitely one I’m going to need to look into.
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I nabbed copies of the first three too!!! Enjoy!
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Both The Apple Orchard and The Lavender Garden look good. I read The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley and enjoyed it so I will have to read The Lavender Garden. Enjoy your new reads!
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I really like Lucinda Riley’s books. I read the Orchid House and The Girl on the Cliff. I will definitely have to get The Lavender Garden.
THANKS for sharing your books, and ENJOY them all.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Mailbox Monday
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Thank you all for stopping by to check out my new books. Happy reading!
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