More than the Woman in the Photograph

The Woman in the Photograph by Dana Gynther
Gallery Books
August 2015
320 pages

The Woman in the Photograph is a fictionalized account of the life of Lee Miller - famed model who become a photographer in her own right.  Captivated by a photograph, she hunts down the photographer Man Ray for an apprenticeship.  Her beauty, wit, and fledgling knowledge of photography get her not only the apprenticeship but Ray's  romantic interest.

As she develops her skills and even sparks a new technique, Lee realizes that most people only see her as Man Ray's lover -- calling her his assistant when they are being polite. On top of that, Man takes credit for some of her photos and accuses her own feelings ungrateful for all the mentoring and jobs he gave her.  While her resentment increases, Lee starts looking for additional ways to get develop her own career.

Branching out on her own causes distress in her already troubled relationship with Man Ray.  He feels she should be appreciative of being part of the "Man Ray school' and attempts to stifle any outlets he cannot control. He is jealous of her newfound professional and personal contacts and become increasingly troublesome

Plagued with doubt regarding her solo career and her life with Man, Lee finally decides to branch out in both her career and her relationship. Leaving Man's shadow by shooting fashion collections and finally war reporting during World War II leads even Lee to see herself as more than the woman in the photograph.

It was a quick easy read.  Dana Gynther was able to create a fluid novel based that brought all the characters to life.  

**This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.  **

Review: Great-Aunt Sophia's Lessons for Bombshells by Lisa Cach

Great-Aunt Sophia's Lessons for Bombshells by Lisa Cach
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: June 19, 2012
Despite her misgivings, Grace Cavanaugh can't resist when her great-aunt asks for help with her hip surgery recovery.  It's pretty much an expense free vacation in California and she'll be able to write her dissertation for her Ph. D.  The misgivings return in full force when her great-aunts house turns out to be a mansion in Pebble Beach, fully staffed at that.  Grace and her friend Cat are barely in the door before sexy playboy Declan O'Brien who sends Grace aflutter.  Meeting fellow intellectual Dr. Andrew Pritchard sets Grace at ease.  Aunt Sophia's obvious distaste at Grace's field, Women's Studies, and her dissertation asserting that beauty is ruinous for women is seemingly shared by both Declan and Andrew.  This summer might not be such a slam dunk for her writing her dissertation.
Aunt Sophia somewhat viciously ridicules Grace's dissertation and her friend Catherine who supports it.  Sophia challenges Grace to a experiment that will either confirm or derail all of Grace's Ph. D. research.  Aunt Sophia's plan consists three intense months of diets, personal training, lessons in charm, and coquettish behavior.  Basically using your feminine wiles to accomplish your intellectual goals.  An immediate payoff of wild sex does much to affirm Grace's new plan of action.  As the month's go by Grace's rigid beliefs start to sway worrying her friends and family.  Using Great-Aunt Sophia's tips but keeping her core belief's changes Grace for the better and helps her realize bombshells aren't necessarily victimized anti-feminist bimbos.
Aunt Sophia's Lessons hits many of the romance novel cliches: headstrong heroine and two suitors, the socially awkward doctor and the playboy money man but manages not to be boring.  The difference is Aunt Sophia who essentially plays all of them masterfully against each other and still manages to drop several bombshells of her own.   Great-Aunt Sophia's Lessons for Bombshells is a great summer read.

** This was book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.**

Review: The Reckoning by Alma Katsu

The Reckoning by Alma Katsu
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: June 2012

The Reckoning is the 2nd book in The Taker Trilogy.  We resume company with Lanore and Luke shortly after the events of the first book.  Lanny feels the reconnection of her psychic bond with Adair and realizes her must have been freed from the prison she created from him.  She knows he's coming for her and the realization both frightens and excites her. 

First, she has to settle things with Luke.  Then she has to find the other members of Adair's entourage.    She begins to see that while she was happy to be free of Adair and his imperious whims, the others were lost without Adair's rule.  Despite all this, she tries to pump them regarding information about Adair and the possibility of breaking the curse of their immortality.  Along the way, she realizes Adair truly loved her despite all the drama of their relationship.

Meanwhile, Adair is coming to terms with the modern world that engulfs him once he emerges from his prison. He is awestruck by the wizardry of the everyday items like cars, computers, the Internet, etc.  (In my mind, this played out like Thor and his reaction to coffee.) Using the connection, he finds Jude and sets to work getting acclimated to the modern world and finding Lanore.  In addition to finding his spell books and using new spells, Adair discovers and hones his increased capabilities in the dark arts leading to a discovery of a new entity that could spell trouble in his new world.  Adair starts to realize that he might actually care for Lanore as something more than a sexual plaything or bonded sycophant.

The inevitable reunion between Lanore and Adair occurs in a manner neither of the two anticipated.  Folded back into Adair's company against her will, Lanore chafes at even pretending to want to be around Adair.  To her surprise, Adair has changed in ways beyond her comprehension. 

In The Reckoning, we get more parts of Adair's story and start to see the events that shaped him into the man he became.  If the first book was about Lanore, this book provide a fuller picture of Adair and his motivations.  His change when he emerges in the modern era are startling but provide good context for his character development.  Lanore is pretty much scrambling to outmaneuver him while still recovering from the demise of Jonathan.  There were a couple of time where I started to wonder how one lived for so many centuries being so naive especially in regards to people who were reprobates when she knew them.  The supporting members of Adair's entourage were the same old, same old.  Overall, this was a great continuation of the series.  Can hardly wait for book three.

** This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.   **

Review: The Midwife of Venice by Robrta Rich

The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich
Gallery Books
February 2012
Hannah Levi is a Jewish midwife in 16th century Venice.  Despite segregation of the Jews, her skills are known to all Jews and gentiles.  When a Venetian nobleman shows up in her ghetto, she knows he must be desperate to sidestep Papal Edict to ask a Jewish midwife to save his child.  Hannah would love to refuse his request and avoid any trouble for herself or her people.  However, several months before her husband was captured and was held for ransom.  Helping the Content could give her enough money to pay the ransom.
Of course she agrees to help with so much riding on her decision.  Ransoming Isaac is the most important thing;enough to make her more than willing to disobey both Catholic and Jewish law.
We also find out that Isaac is alive and struggling to his life as a slave.  A man who uses his wits he has difficulty adjusting to the physical labor of his new life.  Dodging all the attempts at forced conversion, he uses his wits to try to better his situation.
There are many twists and turns.  Thwarting laws are only the beginning of Hannah's problems.  Dragged into the intrigues of a Venetian noble family ,she crosses boundaries and makes alliances she never thought she would, sacrificing everything for Isaac.
This was a great debut novel.  Ms. Rich did a great job of building an authentic and historically correct 16th century Venice.  My only issue was the somewhat predictable plot and ending.  A sequel would be interesting since it could go anywhere.
This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.