I am in love. That's all you really need to know.

Sangria Sunsets is book number 6 in a series but it is a really good standalone. At the same time, when you love an author then you want to read everything that they have written and future books. You can see the love and care that he has put into this book. This also falls under my favorite genre and that always gives it bonus points.

The history in this book was amazing and very fast-paced from the moment you open the book to the moment you close it. The time period following WWII is one of my favorite time periods to read stories from. Also, how can you not love romance, thrillers, and a CIA agent? It makes for the best stories.

Thank you so much for gifting me a copy and putting 6 years into researching this family and bringing this story to life. ( )

This is a historical fiction genre-bender that artfully blends together romances, dramas, and spy thrillers into one little package. This is a book from the middle of a series, yet it is thoroughly readable as a stand-alone novel. It takes place around the world, and covers the years from 1937 to 1960, but mainly takes place in the '50s.

This is the story of Nicholas Throckmorton (a secret agent working for the CIA after he left the Air Force after WWII), and many other people known and unknown to himself who are connected to him in mysterious ways. Each chapter focuses on the life of a different character, and gradually reveals how that character's life is inexplicably entwined with that of Nicholas. From Jovita, an orphaned young lady from Puerto Rico who tries to make a way for herself in the states, to Kathleen, a horse-loving young woman who finds out that horses aren't all she loves when she meets a certain young man, some of the characters in this book may surprise you.

I loved the history the author went to great troubles to include in this book. There are endnotes, a glossary, mini-biographies of the characters, a brief encyclopedia of the aircrafts and warships mentioned in the book, and a thorough listing of historically-accurate songs to listen to while reading the book. (The author also was generous enough to give me a music CD with these songs on it as a special gift.)

However, I did NOT like the worldliness of this book. It seems that every female in this book ended up being pregnant because of somebody they were not married to, and every male was a philanderer. There was not a single wholesome character in this entire book. Nora, who was portrayed as a God-fearing Catholic, was as bad as the rest of them. Some of the love scenes were graphic, another thing that I did not like.

I would give the book three stars. Interesting concept, well-written story, and lots of intriguing history that I learned from the book, but the negatives took much of the enjoyment out of it for me. ( )

I enjoyed this book that is the most recent saga in the lives of Nicolas Throckmorton and those connected to him. Some of them don't know each other, but there is an invisible continuous thread that runs through each connection, which I loved that, and at the end it comes full circle. Romantic, and historic.... Mr. Hackemer researched the details for the backdrop of the story very well. There is a glossary to refer to when encountering words or phrases not heard often in our modern day, as well as a reference section that one can consult to get mini-history lessons on whatever was mentioned. It was fascinating how the author was able to take these historic events and craft an intricate involved fictional story around and through them. It is suspenseful, dealing with parts of WWII, CIA and covert operations, affairs, broken and unhappy marriages, betrayal, murder.... it is all there! I must read the first #1-5 to understand more of the earlier story of the Throckmorton line.
I wish to thank Mr. Hackemer for giving me a copy of his book to read for an honest review.
Read for twogalsandabook.com ( )