Book Review : Shadow of Death by Miranda Stauffer

Shadow of Death by Miranda Stauffer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As far as I remember, I haven't read a WWII related book in a long time so when the author Miranda asked me to review her book, I was more than happy.

The war always reminds me of the movie 'Schindler's List' & instantly makes me sad. It isn't an easy subject & I always feel that historical stories are far more difficult to handle than regular fiction. I believe Miranda has a done a beautiful job.

Shadow of Death is a WWII saga of betrayal, doubts & love. Derek Lorenz is a young lieutenant, a strong leader but not cruel. All the massacre & destruction starts taking a toll on his sanity. Analaise is partly Jewish, has lost her parents to the war & turned into a resistance fighter. When she lands in Neustadt, she finds an unexpected friendship in Katya & a strong attraction towards Derek. The attraction is mutual but they both know the consequences hence can't act on it. Love can be found in very unusual circumstances & can make you do things you wouldn't generally think of doing but then loyalty & authority is also very strong. This is story of finding love, loyalty & heart in difficult circumstances.

The characters are built well & the story-line is gripping. Some of the scenes are mind-numbing and truly depict the grim situation. The only weak point would be the book's length, I feel it could do with a bit of more editing.

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Book review : Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir

Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir by Eliza Watson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paris! Just the name is enough to awaken snoozing butterflies in my stomach. If there's one place I'd rather be now, it is Paris. After reading countless expat blogs, Lonely Planet's guide to Paris, watching 'Midnight in Paris', in fact visiting Paris itself; the charm of the 'City of Lights' never ceases.

About a year ago, I planned a Euro trip with the major halt in Paris. Then I was living in London since 6 months; my hubby was in India and we were supposed to take this trip together after being apart for six months. Now you can imagine, how excited I was. But last minute visa problems for DH meant the trip was cancelled. I spent the entire weekend soaking all the available tissues and threatening to flood the Thames. It must've been my non-stop bawling that even my roomies prayed for the trip to somehow workout. And surprise, surprise, the Visa was granted on Monday; hubs took an immediate(read expensive) flight to UK and the trip was ON!! But unfortunately, this also meant we had to cut short out time in Paris. With just one day, we tried to make most of Paris but till this date, I mourn the loss of those 4 days.

Oh but why have I been rambling about Paris so much; it is since I happened to read this lovely book "Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir" by Eliza Watson this weekend. It brought back lovely memories! I've read many more novels with Paris as backdrop just to virtually be there but this is one of the very few which actually introduces you the the places, the people, their lives & their passion.

Samantha is an event planner, works 60+ hours a week, manages to fulfill all the demands(however irritating they are) her clients make, financial security is of utmost importance to her and is expecting a promotion very soon. She arrives in Paris for a job and decides to stay with her carefree little sister Libby for a day, what she doesn't know is that Libby is very much pregnant. When she isn't offered the well deserved promotion and Libby goes missing; Samantha's life goes berserk. Throw in a sexy puppeteer, funeral crashing psychic and you are set for a lazy weekend.

What I really loved about this book is that it isn't another brainless chick lit, it is far more than that. You grow with the characters, relax to the life and adjust to the surroundings. This is one of the stories where you long for a happy ending! I'd definitely recommend it for an easy read!
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Book Review : Gina & Mike

Gina & Mike by Buffy Andrews
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Gina & Mike is story of 2 high-school sweethearts. They're made for each other & intend to spend their lives together. Unfortunately Gina gets raped by her teacher and in order not to spoil her boyfriend's career doesn't tell anyone about it. But the mental pressure takes a toll on their relationship.
20 years down the line, she meets Mike again at their school reunion.

To be honest, the book was just okay; nothing great. In the beginning of the book, I felt the narration was a bit immature but considering it was supposed to written by a teenager, I thought this was done purposely. However when the story moves on and even a hotshot attorney uses the similar style. Considering the author is already a Journalist & has her own blog, I expected more. Unless you are a teenager & like very easy read, I wouldn't recommend it.



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