Book Review - Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

 

Nitta Sayuri tells her story of her life as a geisha as she reminisces in her old age. Her story began in 1929 in a small poverty filled fishing village. She was nine-year-old girl with beautiful unusual colored eyes. Her father made the decision to sell her and her sister into slavery to a geisha house. There she transforms from a young girl into a young woman learning the rigorous arts of being a geisha.  She learns the art of dance and music while entertaining her clients. While at the geisha house she has to learn to deal with a dangerous rival who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

The book was an enchanting read and it felt like we were getting a glimpse of a previously unknown world. The novel did move a bit slowly in the beginning and it felt a bit rushed in the end but, I thought it was an enjoyable read. I liked reading about Sayuri's journey but, towards the end of the novel I didn't care for her. I understand that she was trying to take control of her life but, I felt like she treated people like pawns. Overall, I can see why this book is a fan favorite.

Book Review - Driftwood Bay (Hope Harbor, #5) by Irene Hannon

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Jeanette Mason moves to a small seaside town named Hope Harbor in hopes to live an isolated life. Jeanette is afraid of letting people in after a tragedy causes her to lose people she loved. She decides to avoid emotional attachments and focus on her lavender farm and tea room. However, Jeanette's life gets upends again when her new neighbor moves in. Dr. Logan West becomes an unexpected guardian of his niece after his mother's death. Logan gets a dog in hopes to help bond with Molly but, the dog is intent on damaging Jeanette's lavender beds. Jeanette and Logan find themselves gravitating towards each other when a refugee family from Syria moves to their town. Will Logan and Jeanette be able to open their heart to each other?

I thought the novel was an enjoyable read but, I had a hard time connecting with Jeanette. She closes herself off and didn't want to make the effort of connecting but, was annoyed that other people didn't make the effort. She felt that her neighbor should have connected with her first and made the effort. She wanted and made Logan make the first move and didn't respond well to his suggestive behaviors but, she would get sad when he didn't invite her to the beach. I found this incredibly annoying. At times, I felt like the Molly character talked to Jeanette as if she was an adult and not a five-year-old. Her conversations with Jeanette towards the end of the book didn't feel like something a child would say to an adult. Perhaps, this is how a child speaks once they go through grief but, it felt weird to me. I enjoyed reading about the Shabos' family, Logan trying to bond with Molly, Jeanette trying to find her way, and Molly and Elisa's budding friendship. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble

Photo Source - Amazon

Dana Newell works as a 911 dispatcher and sees her fair share of people in trouble and in need. She is known for remaining calm under pressure and seeing the best in everyone. However, when she meets her brother's friend, Garrett, she falls head over heels in love only to find out he has an abusive streak. Determined to leave him and to start new, she moves to her hometown, Rock Harbor to stay with her brother, Chris. While Rock Harbor seems like a small idyllic town, it harbors more deadly secrets and danger than Dana accounts for. Will Dana be able to escape her abusive fiance? Will Dana be able to love again?

This was the second book I have read by the author and I like this novel better over her earlier work, Mermaid Moon. Both of her novels are filled with mystery, thrills and deception while being fun and interesting to read. The characters were well developed and realistic. However, I found some parts of the author's writing to be confusing especially when it came to describing the death of Dana's parents, first it was described as a fire and then it was described as drowning. Since, she had two sets of parents, it would have been easier for the reader if there was a way to differentiate the two parents. Later in the book, it makes more sense but you still needed to utilize some deduction. Overall, an enjoyable book but the confusion with the parents was annoying and made me enjoy the book less.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**