Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

One quiet afternoon in 2037, Joyce Denzell hears a thud in her family’s home library and finds a book lying in the middle of the room, seemingly waiting for her―a book whose copyright page says it was published in the year 2200. Over the next twenty-four hours, each of the Denzell family members discovers and reads from this mystical history book from the future, nudged along by their cat, Plato.

As the various family members take turns reading, they gradually uncover the story of Gabe, Mia, and Ruth—a saga of adventure, endurance, romance, mystery, and hope that touches them all deeply. Along the way, the Denzells all begin to believe that this book that has seemingly fallen out of time and space and into their midst might actually be from the future—and that it might have something vitally important to teach them.

Engaging, playful, and thought-provoking, Hope is a seven-generation-spanning vision of the future as it could be—based on scientific projections, as well as historical and legal precedence—that will leave readers grappling with questions of destiny, responsibility, and the possibility for hope in a future world.

Review:

This is going to be a tough review for me to write.  I think the author of this book, G. G. Kellner, has the best of intentions when writing, Hope: a History of The Future.  Her warnings about the devastating consequences of Global Warming are sincere and heartfelt.  She is presenting a possible future where the world is in chaos.  With rising sea-levels comes flooding of low laying lands.  Higher temperatures mean food shortages, and instability.  And society has completely broken down.

However, there is no actual story in this book.  

What I Didn't Like:

There are two families presented.  In the near future there is Joyce and her blended family.  Joyce finds a book that purports to be a history of the world and that it is written in the year 2200.  The future.  Joyce, and eventually her whole family, read about what happens in the future, and seriously believe this is a magical book that is telling them about what will happen.  It would have been an eerie twist if there had been references to any of the family in the magical book.  If that happened, it would have at least been plausible for the characters to believe this was a real document about the future.  However, this doesn't happen.  All they can talk about is global warming.  You barely get a chance to know who these people are or anything.  They have no other purpose in the story than to react to the book.

In the book Joyce is reading, there is a history of what happens through a diary of someone's great-grandmother.  Again, there is very little character development.  All the characters talk about is climate change.  The main characters in this part of the story go on a long journey on a boat to escape what they fear is happening.  While their tale of survival is compelling, there was very little character development during what would be a life-altering experience.  In their two (or three) year trip, there was zero friction between the characters.  No one got on each other's nerves.  There was no self-doubt about if they were doing the right thing.  I found that to be wildly unrealistic.

Plus, the society that eventually forms out of this is a ridiculous utopia.  There is no money, everyone adheres to a Universal Bill of Rights, and (again) there is absolutely no conflict.  Overall, I found this novel to be preach and heavy-handed.  In a story, the characters have to change over time.  This never happened.  There are other books where climate change is a major theme, but there is an actual story.  Check out Gravity is Heartless by Sarah Lahey.  These books are character driven and are really wonderful.

Rating:  ⭐⭐

Release Date:  April 19th, 2022

Author:  G.G. Kellner

Publisher:  Spark Press

Genre:  Speculative Fiction

Page Length: 336 Pages

Format:  E-Book

Source:  NetGalley

Recommendation:  While it was sincere, this story was too preachy about climate change. I can't recommend it.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

She thinks he’s either a stalker, a nutcase, or a harmlessly eccentric Oxford professor. He thinks she’s the long-lost descendant of Henry VIII’s last Queen, Katherine Parr. Amy is living a cautious life as a London private banker to wealthy oil sheikhs, but her quiet solitude is upended by the sudden appearance of two people: a half-sister who is virtually a stranger to her, and Oxford don Leo. Both need something from Amy, who has been emotionally frozen for years and isn’t sure she has anything left to give. She also harbors deep secrets—as does Leo. Even so, the two join forces to investigate the mystery of Queen Katherine’s lost baby, and soon long-suppressed emotions start to surface—and enemies start to close in. As they crisscross Europe in a quest for answers, Amy and Leo find themselves in danger of losing control of their secrets, their hearts—and maybe even their lives.

Review:

I wasn't really sure what this book was about when I was first offered an advance copy by the publisher.  But the description, and the whole not knowing if Leo was a stalker or a professor thing intrigued me.  I'm really glad I read this book.  This was a thriller with espionage, shady bank deals, and secret identities with an unreliable narrator, to boot!  Throw in some steamy romance , and you've got a fun, fast-paced read!

What I Liked:

Set up:

I loved the set up of mousy Amy being pursued by Leo.  Is he a stalker?  It certainly looks that way, at first.  He seems to show up everywhere she goes: her office, her gym, her apartment building.  It almost seems like he has secret methods to track her every movement.  Is he just really good at researching?  Or could he be a operative of Mossad (the Israeli version of the CIA)? And why would anyone want to track Amy.  Well, she is a private banker for rich foreigners.  Could she be involved with money laundering?  This set up sucks you in as you are trying to figure everything out. 

Characters:

Amy seems to be a very quiet, introvert.  She doesn't have many friends, and seems out of her depth working with a bunch of twenty-somethings in the high-end world of personal banking. But there are signs that Amy is not what she seems to be.  With a father who has taken her across the globe on numerous adventures, Amy has hidden talents.

Leo is also a man of many layers.  He is an Oxford professor, but he is also the head of a rich and powerful family of art dealers.  He is also extremely sure of himself.  This annoys Amy to no end, but also fans her growing attraction to him.  Every woman loves a man of mystery, and Leo is certainly that.  I also liked that he was devoted to his sisters, and showed lots of concern for their welfare.  This made him even more appealing.

Side Characters:

I have to mention the hilarious group of characters who work in Amy's office.  They are funny mostly because they are such caricatures of entitled twenty-somethings.  Her running commentary (in her head) of how ridiculous they are is highly entertaining.

Secret Identities:

Without giving too much away, there are several people who are not what they seem in this book.  I loved the methods the author used to slowly reveal who they were.  These were surprising and super fun.  I had several "Ah ha!" moments while reading this book.

Romance:

The romance was also really fun.  I appreciated that the author didn't get too graphic with the sex descriptions, but, instead, slowly built up the sexual tension between Amy and Leo.  I keep saying this is so fun to read, because it really was!  The sex between them made sense.  Tor two people who keep avoiding truths, I loved it when they finally put their cards on the table and where hones with each other.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  August 3rd, 2021

Author:  Jane Elizabeth Hughes

Publisher:  Spark Press

Genre:  Thriller

Page Length:  352 Pages

Source:  Publisher

Format:  Paperback ARC

Recommendation:  This was a thoroughly entertaining book.  I really hope there is a sequel!  A must read for fans of thrillers.