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mjhoke68's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
kimreadz's review against another edition
4.0
My eye was drawn to the cover of this one, so I read the synopsis and was pulled in immediately! One thing that this the synopsis did not mention was that this is a story involving ghosts. I’m pretty sure had I known that I would not have been so quick to pick it up. Stories involving the supernatural do not always work for me. I’m glad this wasn’t mentioned because I’m happy to say this one worked very well for me!
The story centers around three war brides who are traveling to the US after WWII to rejoin their American husbands, and Brette Caslake, a contemporary young woman who has inherited ‘the sight’ and struggles with her unusual ability. The story is told from different viewpoints, alternating between current day and the wartime experiences of two of the war brides. I found the background story of these women to be the most interesting part of the story, but I also enjoyed the mystery of what happened to the woman who did not get off the ship.
While I found the realistic events of the war years most interesting, I also enjoyed the current day ghost story much more than I expected I might when I found out ghosts were involved.. I often struggle with stories about the supernatural because I get distracted as I read and I try to figure how events could have happened. The ghost story in this book was so well written that I didn’t even stop to think about whether or not this was realistic! My only complaint about the story is that I felt like it ended a little abruptly. Whether or not you are normally a reader of supernatural fiction, I think you will enjoy this one!
My Rating: ✰✰✰✰½ 4½ Stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book for review purposes.
deniset's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
emilybriano's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the blend of paranormal, historical fiction and mystery. The audiobook narrator did a great job with all the different accents and characters, too.
parklandmom's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting characters and storyline, but I was disappointed in the entire “sight” and “ghost” aspect to it all.
maryc79's review against another edition
4.0
A very enjoyable read about ghosts and WWII resistance fighters. I enjoyed learning a little about the ship Queen Mary.
llehouser's review against another edition
3.0
The book follows four different narrators--Brette, Annaliese, Simone, and one mystery--as they navigate their respective plot lines. The story switches between present day and the 1940s as we learn how everyone is, or isn't, connected. Brette can communicate with the "in-between," and finds one such drifter on the Queen Mary, setting in motion a mystery she works to solve.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I liked the historical aspect. The "unknown narrator" and how Brette's ability was introduced was a bit of a stretch for me but not enough to detract from the rest of the story. (For example, I didn't like the somewhat off-topic focus Brette's ability was given. It generally didn't feel natural... almost as if it was another interest the author had and wanted to stick it in too.) Also, once I learned who the unknown narrator was, it seemed kind of silly and far out.)
Certainly a quick and interesting read for those interested in historical fiction with a touch of sci-fi.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I liked the historical aspect. The "unknown narrator" and how Brette's ability was introduced was a bit of a stretch for me but not enough to detract from the rest of the story. (For example, I didn't like the somewhat off-topic focus Brette's ability was given. It generally didn't feel natural... almost as if it was another interest the author had and wanted to stick it in too.) Also, once I learned who the unknown narrator was, it seemed kind of silly and far out.)
Certainly a quick and interesting read for those interested in historical fiction with a touch of sci-fi.
jenmat1197's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is the story of Annalise and Brette. Separated by over 50 years, their stories merge in a very unusual way. Annalise is a woman running from an abusive marriage right after the war in Europe. She takes another passenger's spot on the Queen Mary to escape to America where she hopes she can start over. 50 years later, Brette - who can see ghosts even when she doesn't want anything to do with them - is called on by a friend to visit the Queen Mary. Now a museum, a little girl of a high school friend thinks she saw her dead mother on the ship. Unsettled the dad asks for Brette's help. What happens when she gets to the Queen Mary is that she discover's Annalise's story and need to get to the bottom of what really happened as they crossed the Atlantic all those years ago.
This was a pretty good book. I am a Meissner fan. One of my favorite books ever is the Fall of Marigolds, but this one wasn't quite up to that standard. It is well written for the most part - but I did not like the ending at all. I liked Brette and Annalise. There was a 3rd story that was part of this book (and does come together half way through the book) but it didn't make much sense at first. Meissner usually does a really good job of tying her past and present together and the story is usually a terrific one. But the ending of this one wasn't for me. It was too fantastical and I didn't why she went this direction.
imogen76's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
irishlassofcork's review against another edition
3.0
I received this as an ARC through Netgalley. 3.5 stars overall. First of all, I need to read summaries more thoroughly. I was totally expecting the WWII historical fiction part of this. The psychic turned ghost hunter turned sleuth-lite in modern day, was not expected. I find this is happening a lot in historical fiction as of late though, the modern mixing with the past. Some books successfully do it, some don't. I would say this book has it in the middle. Brette, the modern psychic, brings a level of light to the dark of the history. While I don't think she's the strongest protagonist, I did enjoy her trips to the Queen Mary and how her ability was portrayed. I think the best part of this story for me was the suspense of Annaliese's story. We don't know until the final act whether or not she survived and then learning how she survived, is actually sort of awesome. Most of the time when you have a French resistance fighter and the wife of a Nazi up against each other, revenge wins the argument. Not here. Overall, interesting, suspenseful and not entirely what I expected.