Daughters of the Fatherland by Jericho J Johnson [Audiobook]

 🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Alyona Popova 🎙🎙🎙

Description from NetGalley:

"In this griping true-to-life historical novel, Berlin-born Rosa is abandoned as a baby during the height of Germany’s Great Depression but rescued by an elderly couple in a passing Gypsy caravan. Ten years later, on the brink of World War II, Rosa is the unwitting cause of her adoptive Romani family being incarcerated: Rosa and her mother are sent to the Women’s Gypsy Concentration Camp in Austria, while her father is sent to the Men’s Gypsy Camp in Berlin. The women’s camp despises her rebellious spirit, so Rosa vows to escape to rescue her beloved father. However, before she can enact her escape plan, Rosa and thirty other Romani children are conscripted to appear in Nazi Director Leni Riefenstahl’s ill-fated movie about a Gypsy Queen, Tiefland.

Daughters of the Fatherland highlights the plight of the children during World War II with a special focus on the Romani Holocaust, Porajmos (devouring or destruction). Wars tear families apart, with children being left to fend for themselves in a chaotic world. During war, the conflict between and within nations can result in the loss of humanity; however, in Rosa’s case, love and peace ultimately restore her community allowing personal redemption for Rosa." 

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I have read quite a lot of fiction and non-fiction books that are set and about this era of history but very few focus on the Romani and their experiences so felt this would provide some information given it is billed as "true-to-life" and whilst I'm sure there are aspects that are just that, it just left me feeling a bit like the author was trying to put too much into it to cover all bases which resulted in it becoming OTT.

It's not a bad book but it's not the best I've ever read or listened to.  The narrator was good and I think she managed all the characters well.  

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this book.

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Cats, Cannolis and a Curious Kidnapping (The Anna Romano Murder Mystery Series #1) by Cheryl Denise Bannerman [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Robin Waters 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"Anna Romano is a middle-aged, Italian woman who is also a successful published author, a lover of cats, and an excellent cook with a hankering for Italian cuisine. She lives by herself in her quaint house, in a quiet community, with a white picket fence in Central New Jersey. When she is not writing her next book or hosting book-signing events with her publicist, she is cleaning litter boxes and baking Cannolis…but never at the same time, of course!

In this first installment, on a typical day in Anna’s somewhat-perfect life, a book-signing event turns her world upside down. Is it a case of mistaken identity or was she just being paranoid? After being stalked for weeks, Anna quickly finds herself literally ‘tied up’, fighting for her life, and desperate to get back home to her cats; all while unwittingly falling in love with the detective who was trying to save her. How she finds her way out of this mess is anyone’s guess! 2 hours and 42 minutes

Find out more about Anna and the dangerous cases of murder and mayhem she ‘haphazardly’ gets herself into, in the new Anna Romano Mystery Series."

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I had absolutely no idea what to expect with this book but thought the cover looked fun and the title was intriguing.  Unfortunately, despite it's relatively short length, I admit to struggling to remain engaged and I think it's because it's a quick listen so the characters didn't feel very developed and therefore I couldn't connect with them.  

The plot was intriguing but wasn't as fully developed or as gripping as I would have liked again due to the shortness of the book and the ending felt a little to 'easy'.  However, having said all that, I think this could be a good series and I would like to get to know Anna a little more (and her cats!) so will look out for more in the future.

Thank you to the author, IBPA and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this start to a new series.

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The Dead Pennies by Robert Ford

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"After leaving an abusive relationship, Abby visits an old friend on her way to her mother’s in Florida. Hayden’s Uncle Jack is renovating a building into high-end apartments in town, and with the lure of living rent-free in a beautiful loft, Abby becomes the caretaker with the entire building all to herself. Abby hears strange sounds in the building. Shadows move as if they’re alive. Led to believe the structure was previously a school, Abby is told by the last living employee of Harper’s Grove that the building used to be a home for the infirm and unwanted children, the Dead Pennies of society, unfit for circulation.

Abby and Hayden search for the cause of the strange events at Harper’s Grove, and find out why the spirits of the dead children won’t sleep until they get vengeance.

But there’s also another evil at play—this one of a human nature. Abby’s ex-boyfriend, Nick, finds out where she has run off to. He won’t stop for anything until she’s back in his clutches, but Nick doesn’t expect to come up against the raging spirits of the Dead Pennies."

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I enjoy a good horror book every now and again .... takes me back to my youth (many, many years ago!!) ... and The Dead Pennies certainly hit the spot with added supernatural shenanigans going on as well.

The story centres around the main character, Abby, who is escaping her waste of a skin boyfriend and takes her school friend, Hayden's, offer to stop by the town he lives in on her way home to Florida.  Abby lands on her feet when she gets the opportunity to stay in a brand new apartment within the unfinished redevelopment of the old Harper's Grove Hospital but almost immediately, she begins to experience strange things.

This starts out as a creepy and unnerving supernatural story which turns in to a full-on horror fest.  The characters are great, the tension and overall creepiness builds and builds and the ending is quite satisfying.

I must give a warning that this book deals with historical child abuse, addiction and domestic violence so if these are triggers for you, please think twice before reading. 

Many thanks to the author, Cemetary Dance Publications, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Dead Pennies.

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