This Week At Silver's Reviews

I don't think you will want to miss stopping by this week.  :)

I hope to see you.

Books with FLOWER In The Title

Thanks to these Litsy folks for today’s prompt:

#REALLYRANDOMFEBRUARY

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

@OriginalCyn620

Today’s Prompt:  FLOWER

Beautiful books with FLOWER in the title.

Any you have read?

FEATURING: BOOKS I’VE READ BY HOLLY BROWN

I have read and enjoyed these two books by Holly Brown.

Which of Holly Brown’s books have YOU read?

A NECESSARY END REVIEW HERE

DON’T TRY TO FIND ME REVIEW HERE 

 

FEATURING TAHOE DARK by Todd Borg

TAHOE DARK includes a kidnapping, a murder of the father of the kidnapped son, a robbery of an armored truck, and old grudges coming to the surface. 

All of Mr. Borg’s books are VERY read worthy.

FULL REVIEW HERE

 

TREE In The Title

What books with “tree” in the title can YOU add? 

All four books are reviewed on this blog.

The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo

It is 1492 and we meet Rodrigo Borgia - Pope Alexander VI who has four children and a mistress.

The children must do what their father says so the Borgia family can become more powerful.

His son, Cesare, must become a cardinal when he really wants to be in the military.

His son, Juan, must go to the military when he really isn't suited for it.

His daughter, Lucrezia, is thirteen and must marry a man 20 years older than she is so two powerful families can advance together.

The fourth child, Jofre, was too young to even consider for anything to help his powerful reign increase until he decided it would be in the family's best interest to find a marriage partner for him at the age of 12.

It seems as if marrying into another powerful family would make your family more powerful, and that seemed to be the Pope’s main concern.

Ms. Palombo did extensive, amazing research for THE BORGIA CONFESSIONS and gave us a detailed account of the activities at this time.  What a wonderful history lesson with information that was new to me.

Learning how life in the Vatican was in the 1400’s was quite interesting especially how they married off their children at such a young age and did everything for gaining status and power.

I enjoyed the family interaction, but the military planning and political undertakings were not of much interest even though these facts were the gist of the story line and marvelously told. 

Also be aware that there are some graphic romantic scenes.

Did the public really know what went on in the castles with these holy men?  

What a time to live, and what a family.

It seems that there was a lot of greed, scheming, murders at their whim, and other sins to confess. :) 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Mercy House by Alena Dillon

Evelyn was never wanted.  Her father even bargained with God to bring his son home from the war, and he would put Evelyn in a convent.  Evelyn's brother did come home, and she did go to the convent.

Her time in the convent wasn't pleasant.  Evelyn saw and endured unpleasant things.

After a few years, she and a few of her fellow nuns opened a shelter in Brooklyn that housed girls suffering from domestic abuse and abandonment.  

The red door with the angel knocker was a welcome refuge for these girls.

This refuge is threatened when one of the bishops from Evelyn's past who holds a grudge against her arrives to see exactly what they do at the women's shelter and threatens to shut it down.

We follow Evelyn as she worries about the fate of the house and about the girls inside....what if they say the wrong thing while Father Hawkins is interviewing them?  How will she keep them safe and keep Mercy House open if he finds damning evidence whether real or made up?

Evelyn was a very strong, feisty, but sad woman who would do or say anything to protect the girls she was helping. I really liked her.

Sister Maria and Sister Josephine were very likeable.

The girls at the home were rough but likeable.

Bishop Hawkins was despicable.

Be aware that there are some upsetting and coarse situations addressed in MERCY HOUSE, but it was an educational read and one that will be enjoyed by women's fiction fans.  Historical fiction fans will also enjoy this book.  

Well written with authentic characters. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.