life—and love—can be gone any second. When you had it, you needed to hang on with all your strength and savor every second.” Sophisticated and serene, The Landmark London is the crowning jewel of the fashionable Marylebone district, NW1, and is located less than half a mile from the world-famous Baker Street. Dine and unwind in a tranquil oasis of the enchanting Winter Garden. Under views of elegant palms, with its magnificent glass roofed atrium, the modern European menu offers popular classics presented with a tantalising twist. The fine dining Winter Garden is known and loved for its stunning eight-storey, glass atrium, extravagant service and simply delicious culinary compositions. The writing immediately pulled me into the story and I found it really difficult to put down. Every single element of the story and characters was done perfectly! I don't even have to think about my rating for this book, it's an obvious 5 stars! i'm not going to lie, the characters were definitely not perfect. beatrice's stutter annoyed me every now and then, sometimes it was just a bit too much.

It’s possible that, for me, Hannah over-corrected in her rewrite, because I actually found the chapters about Meredith and Nina more interesting than their mother’s gradual fiction-into-fact revealing of her tragic experiences in the siege of Leningrad. I also found the ending to be a little too tightly wrapped in giant happily-ever-after bows of coincidence and catharsis, but readers who need cheerful conclusions may feel differently. One quote: "Was that what they'd discover on this trip? That their mother was like one of her precious Russian nesting dolls, and if that were true, would they ever really see the one hidden deep inside?"i wish we could've seen more of james, another character i really loved. he might just be my favourite one, actually. 🌹 Life needs dark leaves in the wreath. There cannot be true joy without sorrow, or real happiness without loss. They come as a pair. It is simply how it must be, if one is to live a full life.” Interlaced with a Russian fairytale that changes absolutely everything, this story is harrowing and heartbreaking, in so many ways. It’s the buried resentments that get unearthed, the hidden regrets that are revealed and the realization that there is more to everyone’s story that provides the much needed answers. Reality is, life is a series of choices - some are remarkable and some naturally morph in to regrets - good or bad, the culmination make us who we are.

I found this novel to be both breathtaking and magnificent, yet exponentially heart-wrenching. It made me feel things I didn't even know I was capable of feeling. This book evoked such emotion in me, I didn't even realize I had tears streaming down my face. There are books that I read and I love.. and then there are those few, inimitable books that change me. That shake me to the core. Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother's life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are. Discover an array of delightful and charming places to dine at our 5-star luxury hotel, in the heart of the world’s greatest city. As a guest at The Landmark London, you’ll experience quintessential London charm in the sumptuous surroundings of our magnificent grande dame hotel. I was drawn into this one immediately and could not stop. The magic of this story is so delicate, elegant, and cold. Winter pervades the entire novel and laces it with icicles, snowflakes and possibility.Una historia familiar contada en dos hilos argumentales, separados por años y hechos, la relación de una madre y sus hijas que no logras entender, y un padre que sirve de eslabón para mantener la unión de la cadena familiar. I think the time period is what made the female friendship in the book so strong and compelling. Beatrice and Rosa are set on trajectories that promise sorrow, coupled with their obstinate personalities that strain other human connection, they admire each others strong wills and manage to find solace in each other. When I first started the book, I was reading more out of curiosity than anything else. Truthfully, I found many of the characters to be cold and distant and wasn't really sure that I'd ever connect with them on an emotional level but I was intrigued enough by the story to keep reading. And along the way, there's this undercurrent to the story that pulls you in deeper and just keeps growing stronger. I think that it's ok not to like the characters at first because one of the important messages of this book is how often and easily people misjudge each other without knowing their full story. I think it was written like that on purpose -- to make you experience the message of the story first hand. Because I promise you by the end of this story, I was overflowing with emotion. Few books have ever made me care so deeply for the characters as this one did. This isn't just a story you read, it's an experience you go through. Her new novel, The Women, about a young woman coming of age during the turbulent 1960's in America, who joins the Army Nurse Corps and serves in Vietnam will be published February 6th, 2024.