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Kim Tierney (5309 KP) rated Cartier's Hope in Books

Jan 5, 2020

Cartier's Hope

M. J. Rose | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Cartier's Hope is set within the gilded age of New York City during the year that Mr. Cartier and his infamous diamond were making headlines all over the city. However, despite the name, the diamond is a background character to Vera Garland, her journalist alter ego Vee and all of the drama that surrounds Vera's life.
Vera is a society girl turned journalist in 1910, which means she has ruffled feathers amongst all of her peers and her family. While trying to prove her worth as a journalist to her mother and the men in her field, she stumbles over a chance to get her big break and perhaps finally have a mother who is proud of her. But this means using Mr. Cartier, without his knowledge, to get her scoop.
There is a lot of hype around this book. And I fell into it, but the book did not live up to it. Overall it is a decent story. But there is so much in the way of background storytelling that readers can easily get lost in the noise. And while the diamond was a key part of the last third of the book, I feel we were oversold on the idea of the book centering around the diamond.

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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Keep Him Close in Books

Mar 15, 2020

Keep Him Close

Emily Koch | 2020 | Crime, Mystery

7.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

A slow-burner

From the author of a who-dunnit story with a difference, If I Die Before I Wake, comes a dark, family drama about the search for the truth behind the death of a young teenager.

Lou is dead ... did he fall, did he jump or was he pushed? His mother, Alice, wants to know why. The police think he was pushed and have arrested Kane. Kane's mother, Indigo, is convinced her son is innocent and so it begins.

This is a slow burner that delves into the psyche of a mother's love for her child. There is tension and heart-rending emotion as you would expect with the subject matter being as it is. The writing is easy to read, the language used is natural and the characters well developed and flawed making them believable.

As I said, this is a slow burner and I do admit to becoming a little impatient at times but I was pretty satisfied with how everything came together at the end.

Another successful book from this author and one which I look forward to reading more from and I want to thank, once again, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.