The Lincoln Highway

Author: Amor Towles
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 2023
Pages: 592
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, this father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett's intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden's car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett's future, one that will take them all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction - to the City of New York.

Review: The title of this book piqued my interest and was right up my alley, but it's deceptive too. While The Lincoln Highway was a part of this book, it wasn't the focus, which was disappointing. Over the course of this novel, I learned one important thing - epic journeys/odyssey's/coming-of-age novels annoy me. Stop making one bad decision after another. Stop letting the characters around you make bad decisions. I just can't.

Telling myself that this was 1954 didn't do anything to ease my frustration.

Woolly's brother-in-law should have read the riot act to all of the participants in this ridiculous novel, but at least someone in this novel had a modicum of common sense.

The Lincoln Highway was superior to This Tender Land, which I did not enjoy at all, but I'll be avoiding this subgenre in the future. I feel like I miss the point and I need to ask someone who loves this genre, what exactly they like about it. I just end up completely unsatisfied.

Meet Me in Paris

Author: Kristin Harmel
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Gallery Books, 2026
Pages: 368
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: Julia Glover has brought her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Piper, to Paris for the first time - but they know it will also be their last trip here together. Julia is dying, and as the mother and daughter desperately try to make memories together as the clock ticks down, the world opens up around them. Piper meets a cute French waiter, who might just understand her better than anyone she's ever met, and Julia meets a man at a dive bar and struggles with how to tell him the truth about her future.

Rock star Jackson Quick's glory days are behind him. He had a handful of hit songs thirty years ago, but he hasn't toured in a decade. This week, he'll launch his reunion tour in Paris, the city where it all began. But he wants more out of life than being defined by fame. When he meets a woman who finally sees him for who is as at his core, the ground shifts beneath his feet.

Henry McGee has been writing hit songs for decades - including Jackson Quick's biggest hit, City of Light. But his secret is that every love song he's ever written is for a woman named Celeste, whom he loved a lifetime ago, when they were both teenagers in Paris during World War II. He has spent eighty years believing she died - but when a letter arrives telling him the opposite, he's on the first flight to France. Can he break through the haze of her dementia, using the songs he's written all these years, to remind her of who they once were to each other - and to tell her he came back for her.

Henry's granddaughter, Melanie, has just discovered that her husband of twenty years, Gilles, a French cosmetics executive, is having an affair. When she confronts him, he tearfully apologizes and begs her to forgive him. But can she? And, perhaps even more importantly, does she want to? Or is there a different kind of life out there for her if she chooses to be alone.

These intertwining stories - plus several others - unfold over a few breathtaking spring days, as an unforgettable group of Americans in Paris must find their way to their own versions of happily ever after in the City of Light.

Review: Kristin Harmel was an author of fiction prior to falling into historical fiction. I like her as a fiction author, and I enjoyed my armchair getaway to Paris. Fiction doesn't have to be fluff, and I wish she would have given us more depth. That said, highly recommend.

Kristin Harmel Novels
The Paris Daughter
The Sweetness of Forgetting
The Winemaker's Wife

Stars over Sunset Boulevard

Author: Susan Meissner
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 2016
Pages: 400
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: Los Angeles, Present Day. When an iconic hat worn by Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind ends up in Christine McAllister's vintage clothing boutique by mistake, her efforts to return it to its owner take her on a journey more enchanting than any classic movie. . .

Los Angeles, 1938. Violet Mayfield sets out to reinvent herself in Hollywood after her dream of becoming a wife and mother falls apart, and lands a job on the film-set of Gone With the Wind. There, she meets enigmatic Audrey Duvall, a once-rising film star who is now a fellow secretary. Audrey's zest for life and their adventures together among Hollywood's glitterati enthrall Violet. . .until each woman's deepest desires collide.

Review: Susan Meissner wrote a novel against the backdrop of the filming of Gone With the Wind and the Golden Age of Hollywood. There isn't any book that she's written, that I won't read. I loved the setting, the characters, and the plot. This novel was a treat.

Nellie's Promise

Author: Valerie Tripp
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Pleasant Company Publications, 2004
Pages: 85
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Nellie O'Malley has a home again. She and her little sisters, Bridget and Jenny, are happily settling in with Samantha's family in New York City. Best of all, Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia want to adopt the girls. Now Nellie's best friend Samantha will be her sister, and Bridget and Jenny will be protected and cared for, just as Nellie promised her mother. Then Uncle Mike shows up again and threatens to ruin everything-including Nellie's friendship with Samantha!

Review: This book was written years after the Samantha series, but since I'm reading up on all things Samantha, I decided to read it for the first time. I'm glad they included a book about Nellie, especially since this is juvenile historical fiction. It may introduce that age group to a time/circumstances of which they know very little.

My Husband's Wife

Author: Alice Feeney
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Flatiron Books, 2026
Pages: 320
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: Eden Fox, an artist on the brink of her big break, sets off for a run before her first exhibition. When she returns to the home she recently moved into, Spyglass, an enchanting old house in Hope Falls, nothing is as it should be. Her key doesn't fit. A woman, eerily similar to her, answers the door. And her husband insists that the stranger is his wife.

One house. One husband. Two women. Someone is lying.

Six months earlier, a reclusive Londoner called Birdy, reeling from a life-changing diagnosis, inherits Spyglass. This unexpected gift from a long-lost grandmother brings her to the pretty seaside village of Hope Falls. But then Birdy stumbles upon a shadowy London clinic that claims to be able to predict a person's date of death, including her own. Secrets start to unravel, and as the line between truth and lies blurs, Birdy feels compelled to right some old wrongs.

Review: This is the first Alice Feeney novel that I've read. It started out slow, but once I was in, I was all in. Very quickly I realized that I was going to have to "let go" of trying to figure this out if I was going to enjoy the story. What a ride.

Changes for Samantha

Author: Valerie Tripp
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: American Girl Publishing, Inc., 1988
Pages: 61
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Samantha Parkington is a bright Victorian beauty being raised by her wealthy grandmother in 1904. Samantha's stories describe her life during this important period of change. Her own world is filled with frills and finery, parties and play. But Samantha sees that times are not good for everybody. That's why she tries to make a difference in the life of her friend, Nellie, a servant girl whose world is nothing like Samantha's. 

Review: This book may seem like a copout, but I promise that it isn't. Fiona Davis has a new book coming out on October 13, 2026 called Samantha: The Next Chapter. Written for adult fans in honor of the 40th anniversary of the American Girl dolls debut. Should Kiersten and Molly's stories also be continued, I'm here for them.

In preparation for the book launch, I wanted to reacquaint myself with Samantha. I was aging out of dolls in 1986, but the historical fiction nature of the series captured my imagination. My sister and I used to browse the catalogs, but neither of us ever received a doll.

Samantha Saves the Day

Author: Valerie Tripp
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: American Girl Publishing, Inc., 1988
Pages: 61
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Samantha Parkington is a bright Victorian beauty being raised by her wealthy grandmother in 1904. Samantha's stories describe her life during this important period of change. Her own world is filled with frills and finery, parties and play. But Samantha sees that times are not good for everybody. That's why she tries to make a difference in the life of her friend, Nellie, a servant girl whose world is nothing like Samantha's. 

Review: This book may seem like a copout, but I promise that it isn't. Fiona Davis has a new book coming out on October 13, 2026 called Samantha: The Next Chapter. Written for adult fans in honor of the 40th anniversary of the American Girl dolls debut. Should Kiersten and Molly's stories also be continued, I'm here for them.

In preparation for the book launch, I wanted to reacquaint myself with Samantha. I was aging out of dolls in 1986, but the historical fiction nature of the series captured my imagination. My sister and I used to browse the catalogs, but neither of us ever received a doll.

Happy Birthday, Samantha!

Author: Valerie Tripp
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: American Girl Publishing, Inc., 1987
Pages: 61
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Samantha Parkington is a bright Victorian beauty being raised by her wealthy grandmother in 1904. Samantha's stories describe her life during this important period of change. Her own world is filled with frills and finery, parties and play. But Samantha sees that times are not good for everybody. That's why she tries to make a difference in the life of her friend, Nellie, a servant girl whose world is nothing like Samantha's. 

Review: This book may seem like a copout, but I promise that it isn't. Fiona Davis has a new book coming out on October 13, 2026 called Samantha: The Next Chapter. Written for adult fans in honor of the 40th anniversary of the American Girl dolls debut. Should Kiersten and Molly's stories also be continued, I'm here for them.

In preparation for the book launch, I wanted to reacquaint myself with Samantha. I was aging out of dolls in 1986, but the historical fiction nature of the series captured my imagination. My sister and I used to browse the catalogs, but neither of us ever received a doll.

Samantha's Surprise

Author: Maxine Rose Schur
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: American Girl Publishing, Inc., 1986
Pages: 61
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Samantha Parkington is a bright Victorian beauty being raised by her wealthy grandmother in 1904. Samantha's stories describe her life during this important period of change. Her own world is filled with frills and finery, parties and play. But Samantha sees that times are not good for everybody. That's why she tries to make a difference in the life of her friend, Nellie, a servant girl whose world is nothing like Samantha's. 

Review: This book may seem like a copout, but I promise that it isn't. Fiona Davis has a new book coming out on October 13, 2026 called Samantha: The Next Chapter. Written for adult fans in honor of the 40th anniversary of the American Girl dolls debut. Should Kiersten and Molly's stories also be continued, I'm here for them.

In preparation for the book launch, I wanted to reacquaint myself with Samantha. I was aging out of dolls in 1986, but the historical fiction nature of the series captured my imagination. My sister and I used to browse the catalogs, but neither of us ever received a doll.

Samantha Learns a Lesson

Author: Susan Adler
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: American Girl Publishing, Inc., 1986
Pages: 61
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Samantha Parkington is a bright Victorian beauty being raised by her wealthy grandmother in 1904. Samantha's stories describe her life during this important period of change. Her own world is filled with frills and finery, parties and play. But Samantha sees that times are not good for everybody. That's why she tries to make a difference in the life of her friend, Nellie, a servant girl whose world is nothing like Samantha's. 

Review: This book may seem like a copout, but I promise that it isn't. Fiona Davis has a new book coming out on October 13, 2026 called Samantha: The Next Chapter. Written for adult fans in honor of the 40th anniversary of the American Girl dolls debut. Should Kiersten and Molly's stories also be continued, I'm here for them.

In preparation for the book launch, I wanted to reacquaint myself with Samantha. I was aging out of dolls in 1986, but the historical fiction nature of the series captured my imagination. My sister and I used to browse the catalogs, but neither of us ever received a doll.

Meet Samantha

Author: Susan Adler
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: American Girl Publishing, Inc., 1986
Pages: 61
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Samantha Parkington is a bright Victorian beauty being raised by her wealthy grandmother in 1904. Samantha's stories describe her life during this important period of change. Her own world is filled with frills and finery, parties and play. But Samantha sees that times are not good for everybody. That's why she tries to make a difference in the life of her friend, Nellie, a servant girl whose world is nothing like Samantha's. 

Review: This book may seem like a copout, but I promise that it isn't. Fiona Davis has a new book coming out on October 13, 2026 called Samantha: The Next Chapter. Written for adult fans in honor of the 40th anniversary of the American Girl dolls debut. Should Kiersten and Molly's stories also be continued, I'm here for them.

In preparation for the book launch, I wanted to reacquaint myself with Samantha. I was aging out of dolls in 1986, but the historical fiction nature of the series captured my imagination. My sister and I used to browse the catalogs, but neither of us ever received a doll.

The Girl in the Glass

Author: Susan Meissner
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: PRH Christian Publishing, 2012
Pages: 352
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Since she was a child, Meg has dreamed of taking a promised trip to Florence, Italy and being abler to finally step into the place captured in a picture at her grandmother's house. But after her grandmother passes away and it falls to her less-than-reliable father to take her instead, Meg's long-anticipated travel plans seem permanently on hold.

When her dad finally tells Meg to book the trip, she prays that the experience will heal the fissures left on her life by her parents' divorce. But when Meg arrives in Florence, her father is nowhere to be found, leaving aspiring memoir-writer Sofia Borelli to introduce Meg to the rich beauty of the ancient city. Sofia claims to be one of the last surviving members of the Medici family and that a long-ago Medici princess, Nora Orsini, communicates with her from within the great masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance.

Review: Susan Meissner is one of my favorite historical fiction authors so I decided to give one of her older books a try. I have to say that I'm happy she found a home (and her groove) with historical fiction. This was good, not great. In fact, it seemed Meissner struggled to advance the story at times. That said, I want to travel to Florence, so she did something right. If you're reading Meissner for the first time, start with her historical fiction novels.

Susan Meissner Novels
A Bridge Across the Ocean
As Bright as Heaven
Map to Paradise
Only the Beautiful

A Bridge Across the Ocean

Author: Susan Meissner
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 2017
Pages: 384
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: February, 1946. World War II is over, but the recovery from the most intimate of its horrors have only just begun for Annaliese Lange, a German ballerina desperate to escape her past, and Simone Deveraux, the wronged daughter of a French Resistance spy.

Now the two women are joining hundreds of other European war brides aboard the renowned RMS Queen Mary to cross the Atlantic and be reunited with their American husbands. Their new lives in the United States brightly beckon until their tightly-held secrets are laid bare in their shared stateroom. When the voyage ends at New York Harbor, only one of them will disembark.

Present Day. Facing a crossroads in her own life, Brette Caslake visits the famously haunted Queen Mary at the request of an old friend. What she finds will set her on a course to solve a seventy-year-old tragedy that will draw her into the heartaches and triumphs of the courageous war brides - and will ultimately lead her to reconsider what she has to sacrifice to achieve her own deepest longings.

Review: Meissner is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. Her characters speak to me and the time period comes alive. There's a supernatural element in this novel, but I bought into it. I picked this novel up intending to read a few chapters before I took a shower, and ended up finishing it one night.

My grandparents were the Greatest Generation and I often think of my grandmothers when I read books set during this time period. The 1940s was a decade of both the worst of humanity and the best.

Susan Meissner Novels
As Bright as Heaven
Map to Paradise
Only the Beautiful
The Girl in the Glass

It's Not Her

Author: Mary Kubica
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Park Row Books, 2026
Pages: 352
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: A scream shatters the silence. . .Courtney Gray's peaceful vacation turns into a nightmare when she discovers her brother and sister-in-law dead in their lakeside cottage. Her niece Reese is missing. Her nephew Wyatt is asleep upstairs - unharmed. A town full of secrets. . .As police swarm the quiet resort, dark truths about Courtney's family-and the town itself-begin to surface. Is Reese a victim. . .or the killer. A truth no one saw coming. . .When everyone is hiding something, Courtney races to uncover the terrible mystery. But the closer she gets, the harder it is to know who-or what-to trust.

Review: I have found Mary Kubica's thrillers to be fast paced and quick reads. I struggled a bit with this one. I'd still recommend it, particularly if you're a fan of Kubica. However, if you're wanting to read her for the first time, this is not the book with which to start. You may be underwhelmed or wonder why some readers love this author.

I find the best thrillers are the ones where, as a reader, I'm trying to figure out whodunnit. In this novel, I felt I was being pushed to believe this person was the killer, and then no, it's this person over here. Let me try to solve it without making me feel that I'm being led to one person or another. 

It's Not Her was not the fun thriller that I've come to expect from Kubica. 

Memory Man

Author: David Baldacci
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2015
Pages: 432
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: Amos Decker's life changed forever - twice. The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington to ever play in the NFL. But, his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked him off the field forever, and left him with an improbable side effect - he can forget nothing.

The second time was at home nearly two decades later. Now a police detective, Decker returned from a stakeout one evening and entered a nightmare - his wife, young daughter, and brother-in-law had been murdered.

His family destroyed, their killer's identity as mysterious as the motive behind the crime, and unable to forget a single detail from that horrible night, Decker finds his world collapsing around him. He leaves the police force, loses his home, and winds up on the street, taking piecemeal jobs as a private investigator when we can.

But over a year later, a man turns himself in to the police and confesses to the murders. At the same time a horrific event nearly brings Burlington to its knees, and Decker is called back in to help with this investigation. Decker also seizes his chance to learn what really happened to his family that night. To uncover the stunning truth, he must use his remarkable gifts and confront the burdens that go along with them. he must endure memories he'd rather forget. And he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review: My coworker and friend gifted me this book for my birthday. Baldacci is her favorite author and she was surprised that I've never read him. Subconsciously I don't read many male authors, I read even fewer serial authors, and I don't gravitate to mysteries. I have to say, I loved this book. It's intense. I had to set it down and walk away at different times to pull myself out of the story.