"I have no idea why I picked up this book at the library.............I should have left it on the shelf. I almost gave it one star but there were a few interesting parts, very few.

*I didn't like the author's writing style and she needed a little better editor to correct some of the errors of omission and grammar.

*Too many characters who really didn't have any part in the story.

*Repetitive descriptions of what people were wearing.

And that is just the beginning. Guess what? I didn't like it."

"3.5 stars

After a very long and exhausting work week my brain felt like its own Chernobyl ready to melt down.

This novella was just the right length to entertain me when I really needed a distraction, without having to fully commit to a novel.

The story of Charlotte and Seth seamlessly blends humor, romance, and meaningful themes. Their paths cross when a construction crew accidentally removes their apartment building stairs, trapping both on the upper floor during Valentine's Day weekend.
"

"1917 The hero of Verdun, a Marshal of France, adored by the people of France
1940 The head of the Vichy Government of France
1945 On trial as a traitor to France

This was Phillipe Petain, a man had won almost every conceivable honor that France could bestow and how he became the center of one of the most controversial trials in French history. The questions arise if this was (1) a senile man (he was 89 at the time of the trial) who was being manipulated, (2) an honorable Frenchman who wanted to save his country, or (3) a collaborator and traitor.

This book begins with a short background of Petain's life but concentrates on the trial and those who participated. It should be understood that the French legal system was (or is) much different from that of the UK and US and the author explains the processes and procedures which is necessary to follow the flow of the trial. We learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the prosecution and defense but very little about Petain's reactions. This makes sense as he did not testify and spoke very little during the trial. The public reaction was mixed, as expected.

This is a beautifully written, fact based history of a very troubled time in France at the end of WWII. If you are unfamiliar with the court's decision and Petain's fate, this review will not contain spoilers. If, however, you are familiar with the outcome, you might be surprised at some of the additional information which throws some new light on the trial.

I highly recommend this book."

"Meh. The Paris Apartment feels mostly like melodramatic dithering, but I guess I was somewhat entertained.

Jess needs a place to stay, so she hits up her half brother. When she arrives at his residence, she finds a fancy building with questionable tenants, but no sign of Ben. As she digs deeper and asks around, she starts to realize that all is not as it seems at this apartment building. Dun dun dun!

Having read a few of Lucy Foley's books, I feel like she's really good at building up anticipation. Every moment in this book is so dramatic, with dark shadows and scary sounds at every turn. That's all good, but after a while, it gets to be a bit much, you know? There's no natural ebb and flow in the tone. It's just all high anticipation, all the time.

It doesn't help that every character acts so high-strung and paranoid, even when nothing is happening.

I watched as Nick's friend plucked a sprig of rosemary from one of the bushes, tearing hard to wrench it free. How he crushed it to his nose, inhaled. There was something presumptuous about the gesture. It felt like an act of vandalism.

What the heck. Who attacks a bush just to smell it? And who watches someone do that and calls it "presumptuous"? Reader, if you're able to keep from rolling your eyes, you're a better person than I am.

For a book advertised as a mystery, it sure doesn't feel like one. Jess doesn't so much suss out clues as she bumbles around, pilfering stuff, sticking her foot in her mouth, and just generally acts like an incompetent idiot. The other characters are all unlikable too, though each in their own way. And everyone is smelly, with stale breath and excessive sweat.

After all that exaggerated writing, do the twists deliver? Eh, they seem pretty standard to me for the genre. I wasn't really surprised or shocked. In fact, it feels more ridiculous than anything else.

Still, I was compelled to turn the pages, so I must've been somewhat entertained by all the antics.

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