5 ⭐️ Books I Read This Summer (and some great authors I recommend)

I’ve had a summer of great reading and connecting with great authors. With fall on its way (no! not yet!) lots of book clubs are talking about what they’ll read in the coming months. In this post, I’m share some of my favorite reads, some new-to-me authors, and some old friends whose books always satisfy.

(Make sure to check out the great sale on Code Name Edelweiss below!)

Shadow in Moscow, by Katherine Reay. I haven’t met Katherine but I’d sure like to. As soon as I heard about this story, it was an immediate buy – the Cold War, 1980s spy intrigue, and a story of a mother and daughter set against the monolithic USSR. The novel delivered what it promised and much more. As a teenager in the 80s, I visited East Berlin and East Germany twice before the downfall of the Iron Curtain. In college, I took every Russian history class I could work into my schedule. Reay’s novel brought me back to the time when the world teetered on the precipice of nuclear war. The big players – Reagan, Thatcher, Pope John Paul II, Brezhnev and Andropov – were all there. And the story itself! The relationship between mother and daughter fraught with deep love, lies and looming fear was extraordinarily well-done – believable and filled with emotion and truth. A book for everyone who remembers the politics and fear of the 1980s, and every mother who wants to be the heroine her daughter needs. Reay is a new auto-buy author for me. 

Return to Satterthwaite Court, Mimi Matthews. Another great read by Mimi Matthews. Return to Satterthwaite court was filled with her trademark romance, witty banter, and loveable characters. She’s always a must-read for me! I’d love to meet Mimi some day!

Broker of Lies, Steven James. I met Steven at a conference in Colorado a few years ago, and was thrilled to be on his podcast The Story Blender this spring talking about Code Name Edelweiss. When Broker of Lies came out, I couldn’t wait to read it and Steven is now on my automatic to-read list. Broker of Lies was filled with all I love in political thrillers – a twisty plot, a flawed-but-determined hero, a cast of memorable characters, and page-turning tension. The ticking time bomb of an ending kept me reading until the satisfying conclusion with just enough of a question to make me anticipate the next book in the series!

The Bodyguard, Katherine Center. Not my usual genre, but I’m so glad I gave this a read! This was a well-written contemporary romance with a little of everything – romance (of course) but also action, laughs, and impressive truths about the human heart. FYI: some bad language but nothing graphic.

Ashton Hall, Lauren Belfer. I enjoyed participating in two fun literary events with Lauren in May and she was a delight! This fascinating book was a study of both the past and present lives of women within the haunting atmosphere of a gothic manor house and intwined in compelling mystery. The mother-son dynamic and the well-drawn supporting characters added depth and drama to the page-turning storyline. A good read if you like intriguing women’s lit.

The Long March Home, Tosca Lee. Tosca and I go back a looong time — to when we both were writing biblical fiction ten years ago! She is a wise and wonderful author friend and her books are always fantastic. This one was a heartbreaking five-star story of war, friendship, and perseverance set against the backdrop of the Pacific Theater and the Bataan Death March. The setting is unique in a sea of historical fiction based in Europe, and the writers do a masterful job of drawing the reader into the lives of these three friends who endure incredible suffering and grow in courage as the story unfolds. Be prepared for heartbreak and the realities of war, but also for a story of resilience, loyalty and ultimate hope.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley. I also met Colleen this May and enjoyed showing her around my hometown of Stillwater and hearing about her four kids. I’m loving stories with young-at-heart characters like Louise and this was one of my recent favorites. The story grabbed me from the start and was a wildly surprising adventure filled with heart. I want to be just like Louise when I grow up – without the police-chasing-me part. Some strong language and situations. PG-13 rating.

The Rose and the Thistle, Laura Frantz. I can’t believe this is the first book I’ve ready by Laura Frantz. I met Laura at a reader’s retreat in July and realized I’ve been missing out on some great books — and a wonderful author! This was a stellar historical fiction read filled with intrigue and a heartfelt romance. The complicated alliances and politics of Jacobite Scotland are deftly woven into the storyline. Frantz’s talent really shines in her characters and I grew to love not only the hero and heroine but the well-drawn supporting cast that made this book a satisfying read.

If your book club is considering Code Name Edelweiss for a future read, take advantage of this sale now: just $1.99 for a limited time. Find the links to the ebook sale here.

Please share with your book-loving friends!

In the summer of 1933, a man named Adolf Hitler is the new and powerful anti-Semitic chancellor of Germany. But in Los Angeles, no-nonsense secretary Liesl Weiss has concerns much closer to home. The Great Depression is tightening its grip and Liesl is the sole supporter of two children, an opinionated mother, and a troubled brother.

Leon Lewis is a Jewish lawyer who has watched Adolf Hitler’s rise to power―and the increase in anti-Semitism in America―with growing alarm. He believes Nazi agents are working to seize control of Hollywood, the greatest propaganda machine the world has ever known. The trouble is, authorities scoff at his dire warnings.

When Liesl loses her job at MGM, her only choice is to work with Leon Lewis and the mysterious Agent Thirteen to spy on her friends and neighbors in her German American community. What Leon Lewis and his spies find is more chilling―and more dangerous―than any of them suspected.

Code Name Edelweiss is based on a true story, unknown until recent years: How a lone Jewish lawyer and a handful of amateur spies discovered and foiled Adolf Hitler’s plan to take over Hollywood.