Bittersweet Brooklyn

  • Author: Thelma Adams
  • Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
  • Print Length: 352 pages
  • Release Date: November 6, 2018
  • I Rate it:    
  • Genre: Potpourri
  • Purchase on Amazon

Book Summary

In turn-of-the century New York, a mobster rises—and his favorite sister struggles between loyalty and life itself. How far will she go when he commits murder?

After midnight, Thelma Lorber enters her brother Abie’s hangout under the Williamsburg Bridge, finding Jewish mobster Louis “Pretty” Amberg in a puddle of blood on the kitchen floor. She could flee. Instead, in the dark hours of that October 1935 night before the dawn of Murder, Inc., she remains beside the fierce, funny brother who has nurtured and protected her since childhood. There are many kinds of love a woman can feel for a man, but few compare to that of the baby sister for her older brother. For Thelma, a wild widow tethered to a young son, Abie is the center of her world. But that love is about to undo everything she holds dear…

Flipping the familiar script of The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and The Godfather, Bittersweet Brooklyn explores the shattering impact of mob violence on the women expected to mop up the mess. Winding its way over decades, this haunting family saga plunges readers into a dangerous past—revealed through the perspective of a forgotten yet vibrant woman.

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About The Author

Thelma Adams is the author of the bestselling historical novel The Last Woman Standing and the O, The Oprah Magazine pick Playdate. She coproduced the Emmy-winning Feud: Bette and Joan. Additionally, Adams is a prominent American film critic and an outspoken voice in the Hollywood community. She has been the in-house film critic for Us Weekly and the New York Post and has written essays, celebrity profiles, and reviews for Yahoo! Movies, the New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, Parade, Marie Claire, and the Huffington Post. Adams studied history at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was valedictorian, and received her MFA from Columbia University. She lives in Upstate New York with her family.

Thelma Adams

Book Review by Bree Herron

This was a fascinating and thrilling read, Bittersweet Brooklyn was anything but bitter. It was a delightful novel of Jewish strife, gangster culture, and answers the question of how far do you go for family? I loved how this author took history and formed it into a 1930’s fiction novel. Thelma was a quintessential New Yorker where a family is first and her brother is the only family she has. Thelma has conflicting moments of what is just and right vs. what is expected of being a mob man’s sister. I loved being in her mind at times and then sitting back and just watching the scene unfold on the pages as a guest in the story. I started reading this book the moment it landed in my mailbox and didn’t put it down. I was fully engaged in the tale of Thelma and her plights.  I think this author has found her nitch in the world providing readers with such riveting tales of the past. 

I Rate it

**DISCLAIMER: I was provided an opportunity to read this book as an Advanced Reader Copy in return for a fair and honest review.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away two paperback copies and one Audio Book! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

  • Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on February 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
  • Giveaway is open to the US only.
  • Only one entry per household.
  • All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
  • The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Find out all the details and enter to WIN at Bittersweet Brooklyn Tour Giveaway.

Professional Reader Affiliates

NetGalley Professional Reader Frequently Auto-Approved 200 Book Reviews 2016 NetGalley Challenge Reviews Published Great Escape Tour Host BethanyHouse Blogger Reviewer

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1 Comment

  1. Amy Bruno

    Yay, I am thrilled that you enjoyed Bittersweet Brooklyn! I loved it too!

    Thanks so much for hosting Thelma’s blog tour!

    Amy
    HF Virtual Book Tours

    Reply

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