Books Set in Western Europe

by Lori Nelson Spielman

Setting: ITALY

Do you dream of seeing the Venetian canals, the Amalfi Coast, or wandering through gorgeous Tuscan villages? This 2020 release will transport you to all three dramatically different scenic Italian locations in vivid detail.

Two hundred years ago, Filomena Fontana cursed her sister. Ever since then, every 2nd born sister in the Fontana family has been unable to find love.

Some of the women believe in the curse, and others are skeptical, but when elderly Aunt Poppy invites two of the young second-born sisters to return to Italy with her, promising to have a plan to break the curse, they can't pass up the chance. The trio of women travel throughout Italy, learning about their family history and uncovering secrets.

If you're looking for a book to get lost in, this is a charming and light read filled with vivid atmospheric details! The narrator's Italian accent makes the audiobook especially enjoyable.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Sofia Lundberg

Setting: SWEDEN & FRANCE

Throughout Doris's life, she's documented the people she encounters in the same address book. Now, at 96 and living alone in Sweden, she begins looking back through the address book, especially at all those who she has crossed out one by one as they died. In her bittersweet trip down memory lane, she reflects back on those who entered her life for various reasons and seasons, each making a mark on who she would become.

Doris sets out to document her life, from working as a maid in Sweden, to modeling in Paris before escaping WWII, to searching for a lost love in Manhattan. By documenting her personal and family past, she hopes to help her only living relative, a grandniece named Jenny.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
94% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Ruta Sepetys

Setting: SPAIN

This young adult historical fiction focuses on life in post-war Spain under Franco's dictatorship. In 1957, the regime needed money and opened the country to Americans hoping for investment. Eighteen-year-old Daniel travels with his oil tycoon father from Houston to Madrid.

Daniel brings his camera, eager to explore the city beyond the image that Franco is projecting to the world. Along with Ana, the young hotel maid tasked with assisting his family, Daniel discovers and documents the atrocities happening in the fascist regime.

The Book Girls Say... This 2020 release is the latest book from the New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray. Fountains of Silence is a great pick if you're looking for a book that works for both Book Voyage and this month's Lifetime of Reading Challenge prompt - Books With Teenage Main Characters.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
96% Would Recommend to a Friend

By Hazel Prior
Setting: ENGLAND

Dan is happy in his life through his career as a harp maker in the beautiful English countryside. He finds social situations stressful but carving in his barn peaceful.

On a difficult anniversary, Ellie stumbles on Dan's barn during a walk. She instantly appreciates the beauty in his work and is drawn to return regularly.

She soon notices Dan's consistencies - like perfectly cut sandwiches and repeated counting of the steps in his staircase. But these things don't make Dan's world different, Ellie realizes that in many ways, his world is better.

The Book Girls Say...If you read and loved How the Penguins Saved Veronica last month, this is a great pick by the same author, Hazel Prior.

by Rhys Bowen

Setting: Venice, ITALY

In 2001, Caroline Grant was in the midst of her marriage falling apart when her beloved great-aunt Lettie passed away, leaving Caroline a sketchbook, three keys, and the request that her ashes be spread in Venice. Key by key, Caroline will learn the secrets that Lettie kept for more than 60 years - secrets of impossible love, loss, and courage.

In her younger years, Lettie traveled to Venice numerous times as an art teacher, providing a wealth of art history to her students and allowing her to visit the man she loves even though his future cannot include her.

As the story unfolds, this novel is filled with beautiful descriptions of Venice's narrow footpaths, canals, architecture, and food, both in the 1928-1944 timeline, as well as during the 21st century. Art plays an important role throughout this novel.

The Book Girls Say... If you love art history but you're looking for a grittier historical fiction suspense, consider reading The Last Mona Lisa by Jonathan Santlofer. It is about an art history professor who travels to Florence, Italy, to read the long-lost journal of his grandfather, who he suspects may have been behind the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa. Uncovering the truth turns out to be a dangerous endeavor. Like The Venice Sketchbook, the many art references and vivid descriptions of Italy bring life to the story.

The Kindle version of The Venice Sketchbook is currently free with Kindle Unlimited as on February 2022. If you prefer audiobooks, be aware that this one is exclusive to Audible.

by Marie Benedict

Setting: SWITZERLAND

Mitza Maric was the only female studying physics at a prestigious Zurich, Switzerland university when she met her classmate and future husband - Albert Einstein.

The Other Einstein is a fictionalized story of their tumultuous relationship and places Mitza as the originator of some works credited to him. While not a biography, the book still highlights accurate depictions of life in Western Europe at the time, including rampant classism and sexism.

The Book Girls Say... With Einstein being one of the most well-known citizens of Switzerland, we thought this would be a fun pick, but it's important to keep in mind that this is a fictionalized version of events. Audiobook listeners have noted that the narrator was a bit too monotone, so this one is more enjoyable to read than to listen to.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
91% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Beth O'Leary

Setting: ENGLAND

When Londoner Leena Cotton is forced to take a two-month sabbatical from work after a disastrous presentation, she escapes to her grandmother's house in a small village in Yorkshire, England. Her grandmother, Eileen, is about to turn 80 and hopes her next decade might include a second chance at love. Convinced that her grandmother will have better luck in the romance department if she heads to the big city, Leena convinces Eileen to swap her places and move into Leena's London apartment.

This warm and charming novel is filled with vibrant descriptions of London and English village life as the grandmother and grandaughter duo aim to reset their lives after a difficult loss. Although Eileen's search for love plays a role in this story, we wouldn't describe this book as a romance. Instead, it's a character-driven story about a wide variety of relationships.

We recommend the audio version for the full experience with accents!

The Book Girls Say... Both Angela and Melissa are huge fans of Beth O'Leary's debut novel, The Flatshare! While the settings play a more prominent role in The Switch, The Flatshare is one of our favorite Rom Coms and provides a great look at modern-day life in London, including the challenges of the London real estate market.

When night-shift worker Leon needs some extra cash to help a family member, he gets a roommate. However, he only has a one-bedroom flat in London, with one bed. So he places an ad for someone to sleep in his bed while he's at work overnight. His wacky offer is just the solution newly-single Tiffy needs. She's leaving a problematic relationship, and that past comes back throughout the book in very real and raw ways. Leon and Tiffy slowly get to know one another through a series of laugh-out-loud post-it note conversations.

The Flatshare was a popular pick among 2021 Book Voyage Readers, 95% of whom said they'd recommend it to a friend, and with an average rating of ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

by Kristin Hannah

Setting: FRANCE

The Nightingale tells the story of French sisters Vianne and Isabelle, who have always been at odds. Vianne is a rule-follower, and Isabelle is more rebellious and willing to speak her mind. With WWII on, Isabelle intends to fight for France, while Vianne simply wants to survive the war with her family intact - even if it means allowing a German officer to live in her home.

Isabelle, who refuses to live passively under German authority, joins the French resistance guides Allied airmen out of France after their planes are shot down - work for which she adopts the codename the Nightingale. As the war wages on, both sisters learn who they are and what they can do.

The Books Girls Say... If you've already read The Nightingale and want to read other historical fiction books with strong female characters during WWII, you'll find lots of great options here: Books Like The Nightingale.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
92% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Fredrik Backman

Setting: SWEDEN

In the tiny community of Beartown, set deep in the Swedish forest, life revolves around hockey. It provides entertainment and the hope for a better future. When a shocking event occurs, the people of Beartown quickly take sides. Who will stand up for the truth and put hockey above humanity?

The sequel to Beartown, Us Against You, is also a winner, and we are eagerly awaiting the third book in the trilogy, The Winners, is expected to be published in English in September 2022.

The Book Girls Say... This was a 5-star read for both of us! Some will say you have to like hockey to like this book, but the book really isn't about hockey - it's about people. Fredrick Backman has a gift with words and melodic phrasing, along with a phenomenal insight into the motivations of people. He writes characters that are so well-rounded that even when you don't agree with their decisions, you will still understand what they were thinking.

Beartown is a great pick if you're looking for a book that works for both Book Voyage and this month's Lifetime of Reading Challenge prompt - Books With Teenage Main Characters.

WARNING: This story includes one scene with sexual violence.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
97% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Jordyn Taylor

Setting: Paris, FRANCE

Alice's grandmother, Adalyn, just passed away, and she left the sixteen-year-old an apartment in Paris - one that's been locked up for more than seventy years and that no one in the family knew existed.

Now Alice is spending the summer in Paris, and with the help of Paul - a Parisian student - she's determined to find out why her grandma never mentioned the family that she left behind when she left France during WWII. The more she learns about the past, the more she realizes that her family is also hiding secrets in the present.

This dual-time line YA novel also transports us back to the Paris of the 1940s. It's a city that sixteen-year-old Adalyn hardly recognizes as the Occupation brings new terrors daily. When she meets a young leader of a resistance group, she sees an opportunity to fight back, but she soon finds herself having to make more and more compromises.

The Book Girls Say... This is a great pick if you're looking for a book that works for both Book Voyage and this month's Lifetime of Reading Challenge prompt - Books With Teenage Main Characters.

by Helen Russell

Setting: DENMARK

This non-fiction option chronicles the author's first year living in Denmark. She shares her experiences while exploring what makes Denmark consistently rated as the happiest place on earth. Despite long and cold winter nights, the people of Denmark rate their happiness higher than those from beautiful islands. Will she feel the same way by the end of her first year?

The Kindle edition has a new chapter from the author updating her thoughts in 2020, six years after the original publication.

The Book Girls Say... The humorous book provides a good overview of life in Denmark, as opposed to a how-to guide for duplicating the lifestyle.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
90% Would Recommend to a Friend

This book is currently included in Kindle Unlimited.

By Lucy Foley
Setting: Island off the coast of IRELAND

Imagine the picture-perfect wedding on a remote Irish island between a rising TV star and an intelligent magazine publisher. Despite the rough waves and spotty cell service, the wedding is sure to be idyllic, with every detail and moment planned in advance.

However, you can’t plan for old traditions and ongoing jealousy. The groomsmen are soon playing drinking games, someone may regret missing out on romance with the bride, and a bridesmaid ruins her dress - on purpose. So, when someone dies, who’s to blame?

The Book Girls Say... We knew we had to add this locked room mystery to the list after one of our readers recommended it by saying that the Irish setting is so atmospheric that it becomes one of the characters in the book, and that the descriptions transported her right back to her recent travel in Ireland.

If you are looking for another mystery set in Ireland, consider The Searcher by Tana French. This book will place you in rural Ireland with Cal, a former cop who searching for a missing teen and quickly discovers that the small village of --- has many dark secrets. This book is described - filled with well-developed, vulnerable characters - is full of suspense and slowly ramps up the tension.

by Scott Andrew Selby

Setting: BELGIUM

Antwerp, Belgium is the diamond capital of the world, and in 2003 it became the sight of the largest diamond heist in history. A group of thieves managed to break into an airtight vault in the diamond district, making off with $108 million worth of diamonds without tripping any alarms.

Even as police identified and closed in on the thieves, they couldn't figure out how they had pulled off the heist.

Author Scott Selby, a Harvard grad and diamond expert, followed clues throughout Europe to solve the mystery of what actually happened in this real-life Ocean's Eleven crime story.

by Dörte Hansen

Setting: GERMANY

This bestselling German novel centers around two women connected by one old house. Weaving in time from WWII to the present, and told in alternating perspectives, this historical fiction tells the story of Vera, who has lived in the same drafty farmhouse in Atland, Germany since she was a 5-year-old refugee.

More than 60 years after the war, Vera's niece Anne shows up at her door. Anne has just left a bad relationship and needs to get away from her trendy Hamburg neighborhood. These two strong-willed women have seemingly nothing in common, but as they share the old house they'll discover that they are more alike than they realized.

The Book Girls Say... While some describe This House Is Mine as a light and easy read, others describe it as a bit of an unusual book with some passages that require close reading. If you're looking for another option set in Germany, consider Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck, another German bestseller.

Set on a lake outside of Berlin, Visitation is described as a darkly sensual novel that covers over 100 years of German history in a short 150 pages - told through the stories of 12 individuals who have made their home in this lakehouse.

by Josstein Gaarder

Setting: NORWAY

This Norwegian YA novel is a story within a story. Georg's father died when he was just four years old. Eleven years later, Georg is a teenager living in Norway when he receives a letter his father wrote to him before he died, and within the letter is a story.

It is the story of the orange girl, and it is a riddle from the past. In his youth, Georg's father encountered a captivating girl on a streetcar. She held a huge bag full of oranges, but a jolt on the train caused him to bump into her, sending her oranges flying. She hopped off the streetcar, leaving him holding the oranges, and now, from the grave, he is asking his son to search Oslo to solve the mystery of who she was and who she is.

by Helen Simonson

Setting: ENGLAND

The small village of Edgecombe St. Mary is filled with thatched cottages set among the rolling hills of the English countryside. It's also filled with endearing and hilarious characters, including Major Ernest Pettigrew. He embodies what proper Englishmen are supposed to value - honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea.

Major Pettigrew befriends a Pakistani shopkeeper from the village - Mrs. Jasmina Ali - and it begins to blossom into something more. But their relationship is complicated by the views of the other villagers who see Mrs. Ali as an outsider and an unsuitable match for the Major.

The Book Girls Say... True to its proper English protagonist, this book is a bit slow-paced and verbous, but it's perfect for PBS and Masterpiece Theater fans. Kate Quinn, author of the Alice Network, says, "There has not been so perfectly English a read in its deadpan humor in a very long time."

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Jenna Evans Welch

Setting: ITALY

This YA novel is an excellent option if you're looking for a coming-of-age story with mystery, adventure, and a sweet romance that will transport you to an Italy filled with - you guessed it - love and gelato. The descriptions of Italy in this book will have you immediately planning your next vacation, but this story also brings much more depth than you might expect at first glance.

Lina's mother had one dying wish - that her daughter gets to know the father she's never met. Lina isn't thrilled to be spending the summer in Tuscany with this man she just learned about, but when she is given the journal that her mom kept when she lived in Italy, everything begins to change. As she follows her mother's footsteps she is able to process her grief while also discovering art, hidden bakeries, and even romance.

The Book Girls Say... If you enjoy this young adult novel about Italy, you might also want to check out Love & Luck (set in Ireland) and Love & Olives (set in Santorini, Greece). All three coming-of-age stories are worth the read! These are all great picks if you're looking for a book that works for both Book Voyage and this month's Lifetime of Reading Challenge prompt - Books With Teenage Main Characters.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
89% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Frances Mayes

Setting: ITALY

When Frances Mayes began restoring an abandoned villa in the Tuscan countryside, she found unexpected treasures at every turn. She discovered faded frescos and a vineyard hidden beneath an overgrown garden within her villa. In the nearby hillside towns, she is welcomed by vibrant markets and delightful people.

Reminiscent of A Year in Provence, this memoir is written with the voice of a poet, the palate of a food writer, and the eye of a seasoned traveler. Mayes invites us to tag along to experience the pleasures of life in Italy.

The Book Girls Say... There's no doubt this book will make you wish you could pull up a chair to share in the Italian feast at Mayes' table. Of course, the next best thing might be cooking up an Italian feast in your own kitchen with her Tuscan Sun Cookbook.

by Peter Mayle

Setting: FRANCE

In the late 1980s, author Peter Mayle realized his life-long dream of moving into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the Provence region of southern France. Along with his wife and two dogs, he delights in French cuisine, experiences goat racing through the middle of town, and learns to live life measured by seasons rather than days.

This memoir is perfect for the armchair traveler and has been described as "the next best thing to living in France."

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
90% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Karen Swan

Setting: SPAIN

The Spanish Promise weaves together the genres of mystery, romance, and history to tell the story of a present-day recipient of a substantial inheritance. The will includes a clause that requires an investigation into the family's past. Wealth advisor Charlotte is brought in from London to assist, and she expects an easy task that will get her back in time for her own wedding.

During the research, it turns out that the past is more complicated than expected, with secrets and scandals spanning multiple generations. Charlotte's own life becomes an interesting sub-plot as she uncovers information about a tragic segment of her past.

The Book Girls Say... This is a great option if you are looking for a lighter read with a little mystery. Reviewers often mention that they felt transported to Spain while reading.

by Alex Thomas

Setting: AUSTRIA

This is a humorous, fictional diary of a ski season in the Austrian Alps. Think Bridgette Jones working as a ski rep, but without the self-doubt.

Poppy Conners decides to swap her boring career for a job at an Austrian ski resort, but she quickly learns that resort life - filled with a diet of Jägermeister, adrenaline, and Europop - might be more than she bargained for.

The idyllic backdrop of the Alps will immediately draw you in, but this book doesn't shy away from showing the less glamorous side of life at the chalet. The author knows her stuff about skiing, but you don't have to be a skier to enjoy this light, laugh-out-loud read.

The Book Girls Say... The Kindle version is currently free with Kindle Unlimited.

by Jenny Colgan

Setting: ENGLAND & SCOTLAND

Nina loves her life as a librarian at a small neighborhood library. She's devastated when the library is marked for closure. Nina has a big decision - should she play it safe and go for a job at the main library where she'll be dealing with computers more than bo ks? Or is it time to do something with the thousands of books she's been hoarding in her home?

The Books Girls Say... Melissa really liked this story as a pleasant lighter read about a fellow book lover. Nina travels from England to a tiny village in Scotland, giving an excellent overview of the camaraderie that happens in isolated towns. It's also a good look at the scenic and other differences between England and Scotland, wrapped into easy-to-read fiction. Audiobook listeners will also enjoy the lovely accents.

There are two other books in this Scottish Bookshop Series: The Bookshop on the Shore and 500 Miles From You.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
97% Would Recommend to a Friend

By Maeve Binchy

Setting: IRELAND

Life-long friends Benny and Eve grew up in the village of Knockglen, Ireland. Together they head to university in Dublin, where their circle of friends expands to include beautiful Nan and handsome Jack. But heartbreak and betrayal result when their worlds of Knockglen and Dublin collide, and long-hidden lies emerge that will test the bonds of their friendship.

The Book Girls' Say... When we think of novels set in Ireland, the name Maeve Binchy immediately comes to mind. All of her books paint portraits of life in her home country vibrantly, and you can't go wrong with any of them. We selected Circle of Friends for the Book Voyage list because it captures both village and city life, and because it is a simple story of friendship that is heart-warming and beautifully told from the first page to the last.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Emuna Elon

Setting: NETHERLANDS

This 2020 novel follows an author named Yoel, who travels to his birthplace of Amsterdam to meet with a Dutch publisher, despite having promised his late mother that he would never return to that city.

While in Amsterdam, Yoel and his wife take a tour of the Jewish Museum, and he is shocked to see a photo of his mother's young face. This discovery sends him on a journey that uncovers the truth about Amsterdam's wartime history.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
90% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Chris Pavone

Setting: LUXEMBOURG & travels throughout Europe

Looking for a thriller that covers several European countries? The Expats features the privileged life of Kate Moore in Luxembourg, who spends weekends in Paris and regularly skies the Alps. But when her family moved to Luxembourg, she left more than America behind; she left a big secret.

After becoming friends with another ex-pat family, Kate suspects that they aren't telling the truth about their history. On top of that, her husband's job requires secrecy, and she becomes suspicious of his long hours.

This suspenseful read includes a non-linear timeline that will transport you to enchanting locations across the region while keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐½
82% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Diccon Bewes

Setting: SWITZERLAND

Are you looking for non-fiction? Swiss Watching breaks down the diversity of cultures that exist within land-locked Switzerland. The author is an anthropologist and satirist, so you can expect factual information, told in a relatable way and with corny humor interjected throughout.

This is the perfect guide for anyone interested in traveling to Switzerland. Throughout the book, you'll learn about everything from the Swiss political structure to cheese.

by E. M. Forster

Setting: ITALY & ENGLAND

Rated as one of the 100 best novels of the 20th century, A Room With a View follows two English women - Lucy and her chaperone and cousin, Charlotte - as they tour Italy.

Despite being published more than a century ago and set in the early 1900s, this delightful, classic romance novel will whisk you away to sites in Florence in Rome that you would still recognize today.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Bill Bryson

Setting: ENGLAND

Born and raised in middle America, travel writer Bill Bryson spent nearly two decades of his adult life living in England. Upon preparing to move back to the United States (he has since returned to the UK), Bryson embarked on a farewell tour around the island and wrote this memoir that provides a hilariously funny social commentary on Britain.

Notes From a Small Island won the 2003 World Book Day National Poll for the book that best represented modern England at that time.

The Book Girls Say... This would be a great choice on audiobook because Bill Bryson narrates himself, and his sarcastic tone adds even more humor to his writing. However, there's another audiobook version available through "Recorded Books" that is narrated by someone else, so double-check this if you want to hear it read by Bryson.

Bill Bryson also wrote a travel memoir called Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe that would be another great option for the Book Voyage challenge.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Setting: ENGLAND & THE CHANNEL ISLANDS

As London is emerging from WWII, Juliet Ashton, a writer, is looking for the subject of her next book. She begins exchanging letters with a man she's never met - a native of the island of Guernsey. Through their letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of the man and his eccentric friends. Though they range from pig farmers to phrenologists, they are all literature lovers.

As Juliet learns about their tastes in books, she also comes to understand the impact that German occupation has had on their lives.

Geography Note: Located between the UK and France, the Channel Islands, including Guernsey, are not part of the UK or the EU, but are dependent territories of the British Crown.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
97% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Robert Wilson

Setting: PORTUGAL

This dual-timeline mystery is set in 1941 and 1999. During WWII, Portugal has taken a neutral stance as far as business is concerned, but Germany is concerned that too much tungsten - used in the manufacturing of tanks and airplanes - is being sold to Britain. So the German SS high command sends a man named Klaus to Lisbon, Portugal to smuggle the tungsten needed for Hitler's blitzkrieg.

In the 1999 timeline, the daughter of a prominent lawyer has been found dead on a beach. The police inspector, a widower with a daughter of his own, is forced to dig into the victim's life to uncover why she was so brutally murdered.

While painting a vivid portrait of Lisbon, the events of 1941 and 1999 ultimately merge in an extraordinary climax. This literary thriller won the UK's prestigious Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel in 1999.

WARNING: The manner of the girl's murder, and the events in her life leading up to it, are quite graphic in nature, and the plot involves sex, drugs, and emotional abuse.

by Stieg Larsson

Setting: SWEDEN

When the teenager from one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappears in 1966, her uncle is determined to find out what happened to her. For forty years, he wonders what really happened. Nearing the end of his life, he hires a down-on-his-luck investigative journalist and his angry and tattooed punk hacker prodigy to help him uncover the truth. The chilly Swedish backdrop sets the scene for this novel that combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue.

WARNING: This novel includes some very graphic scenes, including sexual assault.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
92% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Clare Mackintosh

Setting: WALES

A mother's worst nightmare happens to Jenna Gray when she briefly lets go of her child's hand on a busy street. Desperate to escape the tragedy, she moves to a small Welsh village on the coast. Her grief, fears, and memories of that day follow her as she tries to make a new life in the picturesque town. This thriller continues to twist and leave you in page-turning suspense.

The Book Girls Say... Some readers - moms in particular - have expressed apprehension going into this book, fearing that the child being hit by a car would be too heavy of a focus. But those who have read it report that they enjoyed all the twists and turns throughout the story.

WARNING: In addition to the initial tragedy with the child, there are also scenes of domestic & sexual abuse.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐½
81% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Dolores Redondo

Setting: SPAIN

When Manuel learns the devastating news that his husband, Álvaro, has been killed in a car crash, it's just the first of many things that will shock him. It turns out that Álvaro was not on business where Manuel believed him to be - instead, he was in Galicia, in the northwestern corner of Spain.

Upon arriving in Galicia, Manuel soon learns that Álvaro hid many secrets there. As he follows the trail to piece together his husband's double life, he's led behind the walls of an unwelcoming estate and deep into one of Spain's most powerful and guarded families.

This slow-paced and beautiful book is part suspense and part family drama. Dense with atmosphere, you will feel transported to Spain as the region of Galicia becomes like a character in the novel.

The Book Girls Say... The Kindle version is currently free with Kindle Unlimited.

by Joanne Harris

Setting: FRANCE

In a tiny town in the south of France, newcomer Vianne Rocer arrives at the beginning of Lent and opens an exquisite chocolate shop on the square opposite the church. She immediately begins to wreak havoc with the Lenten vows of villagers during the traditional season of fasting and self-denial.

Each box of bonbons she sells includes the gift of Vianne's uncanny perception of its buyer's private discontents and her bewitching cure for them. She awakens the village to joy and sensuality as the parishioners abandon themselves to temptation and happiness.

The Book Girls Say... Just go ahead and buy yourself a big box of chocolates to enjoy while reading this book. You're going to need it!

by Erik Larson

Setting: ENGLAND

On Winston Churchill's first day as prime minister of the UK, Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Over the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign against the UK that killed 45,000 Britons.

In this non-fiction book, Larson explores how Churchill was able to hold his country together and lead England's defiance during the Blitz while teaching the British people "the art of being fearless."

The Book Girls Say... If you enjoy history and non-fiction, Erik Larson's books are a wonderful choice because of his detailed research, however, keep in mind that his writing style moves slowly and deliberately. Another great Larson read for Western Europe is In the Garden of Beasts, about the family of the American Ambassador to Germany during the rise of Hitler and in the lead up to WWII.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Jan Stocklassa

Setting: SWEDEN

In 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated on a Stockholm street at point-blank range. It was the first time in history that a head of state was murdered without a clue about who did it.

At the time of his death, Stiege Larsson - the author of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - had been working to piece together a real-life mystery. After his death, the research he had amassed was forgotten, until journalist Jan Stocklassa was given access to Larsson's archive.

In this true-crime book, Stocklassa follows Larsson's trail clues and sets out to solve the mystery.

The Book Girls Say... The Kindle version is currently free with Kindle Unlimited.