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Mini Reviews (24)



I will read anything about Anastasia.  She was my gateway drug into Russian history and I'm kind of obsessed.  I Was Anastasia is one of my new favorite fictional books about her and a possible escape.  I loved the story; it went back and forth between Anastasia experiencing the revolution and captivity and Anna Anderson trying to bolster her claim that she was the Grand Duchess.  Both periods were super intriguing and I was completely sucked into the story, never sure where things would end up.  The end was so good and not what I expected at all.  The fact that it was a surprise was awesome and just solidified my feelings towards this book.  I would highly recommend it! 4 stars.




It looks like The Pines of Winder Ranch contains two RaeAnne Thayne novellas but my review copy only had a A Cold Creek Reunion so that's what  I am reviewing.  This was classic RaeAnne Thayne in that everyone lives happily ever after which is exactly what I was looking for.  Her cowboy, Taft Bowman, was tough but so sweet and I loved seeing his relationship with his family, the townspeople and Laura's kids.  Laura was a little irritating for my taste but I appreciated the reasons why she irritated me.  The romance was great and I thought Laura's kids provided some good comedic moments in addition to being the climax of the story.  Cute story! 4 stars.



Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict

I don't read much about US history but this one had such an interesting premise that I couldn't resist.  The author creates a fictional maid, Clara Kelly, who instills in Andrew Carnegie the idea that he should engage in philanthropic endeavors.  It was a really nice concept that this woman he loved was the reason behind Carnegie's generosity.  Clara was an awesome character; she was intelligent and tenacious and I enjoyed seeing her strive to improve her position in life.  Overall, I really enjoyed the story but I so wished it could have ended in a different way.  The ending felt too rushed and while realistic, I just wished it could have been happier.  3 1/2 stars.

I received these books from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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