The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

“Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine,
he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself;
he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never
opened.”

I found this book during one of my many late night Barnes and Noble night trips. I’m absolutely obsessed with
everything having to do with Paris and Parisian life.When Monsieur Perdu opens the letter, he immediately embarks
on a journey in which will change not only his, but everyone he meets on his journey. Through several countries,
villages, and characters picked up along the way-you learn the different type of love. The meaning of life being
fulfilled and the questions you’ve always wondered finally being answered.

It’s a lovely book which  made me emotional over lost love. It truly goes through the entire process of falling in love,
the grieving process, and finding new love. The only thing I disagree with during this book is that this love was on
the basis of adultery. I wish there was a prequel or sequel. At the end you just want to have a little more time with
the characters, but are 100% satisfied with the ending.

See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

“Sarah Schmidt recasts one of the most fascinating murder cases of all time into an intimate story of a volatile
household and a family devoid of love”   

I was interested in the topic of Lizzie Borden after watching Ghost Adventures and the Tennessee Wraith Chasers
visiting the Borden House Bed and Breakfast. On one of my many late night Barnes and Noble runs that happen
during the week, I quickly researched Lizzie Borden books and this one came up.

It’s a historical retelling of the Lizzie Borden story that falls within Fiction and Nonfiction. I’ve since found out that
a lot of this story is more real than it is fake. Overall the book made me more interested in the Borden murder mystery
and I’ll be looking into more books about it.

The book was a good fast read, the characters are extremely fleshed out, and you get a feel for the entire house/area
/time period.  The only thing that may be confusing is that the chapters jump back and forth between time periods
and characters. There is a timeline and character list in the back of the book so use it for reference if needed!

The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

“A remarkable novel about secrets, desire, memory, passion, and possibility”

A few times I’ve picked up this book, but I’ve never been able to sit down and finish it. It’s an amazing story, going between the years 1925 and 1955, as well as a few years in between.

Personally, I thought the storyline of Eva was more interesting and captivating more than Grace’s.

It had a few plot twists, there were a few fun surprises along the way, but mainly you knew the biggest one from the start. This book also showed the hidden demons and past lives people hide and hold close to their chests. Throughout the novel it showed personal growth, truly finding oneself, as well as being confident in your own skin. Most of the characters have this inward growth and character development

There are also a lot of darker topics that came from the book and I was surprised, for example finding out Grace’s adopted father's death wasn’t an accident and that Grace was conceived by an act of hate, the darker topics kept coming and it kept me morbidly intrigued.

This book really had it all. Truly I simply could not put it down. Definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.