Morning Glory by Sarah Jio

This story reminds me of the TV show Cold Case. It's not just a time slip chronicling two separate stories in two different eras. It's a mystery and as the modern-day heroine digs for answers, the past subtly unfolds, the overlap growing blurry. At times I could visualize the fifties' people standing there looking on, watching from the sidelines as their past was put together and the mystery solved.

As always, Ms. Jio impresses me with her writing skills. She's one of the best. Even when I don't care for the actions of some of her characters, I find myself utterly immersed, dying to know what happens  next.

In the fifities, a woman went missing from her houseboat one night, leaving behind an artist husband, a little neighbor boy who adored her, a boat-maker who wanted her, and a community of people intent on hiding the truth. Did she just sail away? Did someone kill her?

The modern-day heroine becomes obsessed with finding out as she resides on the missing woman's former houseboat, recovering from a great loss. The past story is about how you can't play games without others, and possibly yourself. The past heroine messes with people's hearts, can't make up her mind who she wants to be with. The modern-day heroine's story has a theme of moving on, of learning to live with grief.

I didn't like Penny, the past heroine. I saw a woman playing games, weak. I like strength in a woman and by strength, I totally realize it doesn't mean wielding a sword or whatever, but strength comes in many forms and this woman had next to none. Her actions were not strong, but selfish. She wanted to bounce man to man, to whomever it was convenient to be with at that moment. She lived in a shadow of another man, was a submissive wallflower. The conclusion in the end, even that was selfish. What she allows people to believe...someone will pay for that, just not her.

But I have to admit, despite my dislike of one of the heroine, I was very intrigued by the mystery. It takes a talented writer to keep me interested when I so blatantly dislike its heroine. Now, Ada, the modern-day woman, was strong. I appreciated the theme of overcoming grief without dishonoring the deceaseds' memories.

Once again, Jio delivers a great story.

I received this via LibraryThing.

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio

Confession: I sort of cheated.


It was three in the morning, I'd been reading for two hours straight, my eyelids were heavy...

But I knew I would not be able to sleep until I knew how this book ended...so with a quarter left to go, I skipped to the ending to assure my wildly beating heart it would end in a way I wanted it to.

I was finally able to get some shut-eye and I went back and read the entire last quarter  the next day and even knowing how it would end, I actually got tears in my eye when it read again anyway.

Sarah Jio is just that kind of writer. This story is well done, engrossing, and totally transports the reader to another place and time. It's one of those books in which as you're reading, you believe you ARE the heroine.

Even though it's 300 pages, I devoured this in a day and a half. It's just that hard to put down.

In a nutshell: It's Bora Bora during WWII. The heroine and her best friend are nurses. There's love, heartache, doubts about an engagement, war, bloodshed, murder, secrets, and the timeless, age-old emotion that seems to ruin all: JEALOUSY.

It all seems to center around a bungalow, where it all happens or begins. I confess, I find some things preposterous: a bungalow remaining practically untouched a hundred years, and then 70 more? No... Nobody sees this place? With a base full of people right next door? Also, the knife...buried 70 years and easily found again? Her very first day back, she just happens to run into the people who can help her during her very first walk on the beach?

I didn't buy some of it and that's that only thing keeping this from being a five-bike book. I also saw the twist with the evil, slutty Kitty coming a mile away. I didn't find that very original.

But I gotta say, I did love this book. If you're looking for a historical fiction about timeless love, about how we lose our path but find it again...this one is for you. Despite my quibbles, it all came together beautifully in the end.

The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio

The Last Camelia is a story that's hard to put down…and figure out. There's a lot going on at once: a story of a young baker's daughter who only wishes to do right and help her struggling parents.  From NYC to England, we follow her as she becomes embroiled in a fire-thieving ring, falls in love, uncovers intrigue, and realizes she must do what's right, no matter the cost to herself.

The modern day story is a woman in a similar plight and from NYC to England, we join her and her husband as they tiptoe around each other, each keeping secrets—hers a long bigger than his. Just how long can she hide her past, especially with it hot on her heels in the form of threatening letters, mysterious flowers, obsessive phone calls, and stalking?

I couldn't bear to put the book down and often found myself reading until the wee hours of the morning, until my eyelids could stay open no longer. It's well-written and gives us just enough to keep us interesting and yet not so much that we figure out the ending and conclusion asap.

I wouldn't call this a love story, but a historical/time slip mystery. Regardless of what one wishes to call it, it's a great read. I could really relate to both heroines, I felt as though I were there within its pages no matter whose POV it was. My only quibble would be I did at times grow confused when the POV first changed, even though they were chapter by chapter.

Five bikes and I received this on LibraryThing.