Historical

A Small Hotel

A Small Hotel

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-09-30 01:21:24
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Suanne Laqueur
  • ISBN：B0996GCK2K
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Summary

It’s the summer of 1941。 Europe is at war， but New York's Thousand Islands are at the height of the tourist season。 Kennet Fiskare， son of a hotel proprietor， is having the summer of a lifetime， having fallen deeply in love with a Swedish-Brazilian guest named Astrid Virtanen。 But the affair is cut short and the young lovers permanently parted， first by Astrid’s family obligations， then by America’s entry into the war。

The rigors of military life help dull his heartache， but when Kennet’s battalion reaches France， he is thrown into the crucible of front line combat。 As his unit crosses Europe， from the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium to Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria， Kennet falls into a different kind of love: the intense camaraderie between soldiers。 It's a bond fierce yet fragile， vital yet expendable， here today and gone tomorrow。 Sustained by his friendships， Kennet both witnesses and commits the unthinkable atrocities of warfare， altering his view of the world and himself。 To the point where a second chance with Astrid in peacetime might be the most terrifying and consequential battle he’s ever fought。

With her signature blend of soul-stirring prose and emotional complexity， Laqueur takes readers on a journey through events that shape an American family’s weakest moments and finest hours。 A Small Hotel illuminates the experience of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary circumstances， and their once-in-a-generation camaraderie， courage and resiliency。 It’s a novel for the world， a heartbreaking， uplifting story of family， love and human endurance。

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Reviews

Reudi ，

Suanne is a master storyteller and writes the most beautiful， dynamic characters。 She is so creative， deep， and magical。 Her writing commands your attention and heart， not allowing you to pull your eyes away from her every written word。 This is the second book of hers that I have had the pleasure of coming across。 Her novels stay in your mind， well after you have read its last words。 Reading Suanne's work delivers the joy us readers allsearch for when we land our next read。 Her writing is so uni Suanne is a master storyteller and writes the most beautiful， dynamic characters。 She is so creative， deep， and magical。 Her writing commands your attention and heart， not allowing you to pull your eyes away from her every written word。 This is the second book of hers that I have had the pleasure of coming across。 Her novels stay in your mind， well after you have read its last words。 Reading Suanne's work delivers the joy us readers allsearch for when we land our next read。 Her writing is so unique and multidimensional。 I look forward to reading more of what Suanne has to offer！ 。。。more

Talia （Red Hot Ink） ，

I think Suanne Laqueur is physically unable to write a bad， or even average book。 Each one of her novels is pedal-to-the-metal absolutely outstanding and so unique it usually ends up creating a new tag on my shelves because they deserve to stay on a single pedestal for how epic they are。A Small Hotel is no exception。 It follows the story of Kennet Fiskare， through the years， through WWII and through love and pain。 Something I always adore about this author is how real her characters feel。 Each o I think Suanne Laqueur is physically unable to write a bad， or even average book。 Each one of her novels is pedal-to-the-metal absolutely outstanding and so unique it usually ends up creating a new tag on my shelves because they deserve to stay on a single pedestal for how epic they are。A Small Hotel is no exception。 It follows the story of Kennet Fiskare， through the years， through WWII and through love and pain。 Something I always adore about this author is how real her characters feel。 Each one of the characters in this book jumped out of the pages， and begged me to care about them。 And so I did， even when it hurt like hell。Even side characters， each brother in arm， each member of the Fiskare family is their own person， completely rounded and perfectly shaped in their imperfections。 Another outstanding feature is the monumental amount of research Laqueur must have done in preparation。 While I was reading and new facts were emerging， I kept thinking of how many hours of research it must have taken for that little tidbit to have been carefully encased in that sentence。I’ve recently really gotten into love stories in time of war and I think that Laqueur beautifully entwined the history of a family， love and heartbreak， and the experiences of a generation through her characters。This book is absolutely in its own league， an epic tale of love， war and family。 Absolutely would recommend to everyone on this planet… and possibly other planets too。 。。。more

Isla Cristeon ，

✨ Review to come ✨

Trix ，

This was more than a historical drama， more than a historical romance。 This was a story of different kinds of love in a time of war。 This was a glorious read。

MJLovestoRead ，

A Small Hotel is magnificent。 Suanne Laqueur has upped her writing game to a whole other level with this extraordinary tale。 Her gift of storytelling has rendered me a bit speechless as I was consumed by the Fiskare family and their sweet life in the small town of Clayton， N。Y。 And I say sweet because despite all that occurs in a span of 4 years， most being during WWII， that this remarkable brood remained hopeful when they thought of giving up。 That they remained close-knit even with thousands o A Small Hotel is magnificent。 Suanne Laqueur has upped her writing game to a whole other level with this extraordinary tale。 Her gift of storytelling has rendered me a bit speechless as I was consumed by the Fiskare family and their sweet life in the small town of Clayton， N。Y。 And I say sweet because despite all that occurs in a span of 4 years， most being during WWII， that this remarkable brood remained hopeful when they thought of giving up。 That they remained close-knit even with thousands of miles between them。 But most of all， that they remained dedicated to one another no matter what would befall them。I am awestruck at the resilience of each and every character of this book， as I heartily held tight to all of their fears， dreams， and realities even when it caused tears to fall readily。 The life pre-war held huge aspirations for happiness for Kennet Fiskare and the love of his life， Astrid， and I so enjoyed watching them fall for each other， stolen glances and light touches showing their feelings when each was careful not to go tempt fate。 Their summertime affair and everything that is set into motion afterward are definitely at the center of this book。 But it's all things Fiskare and that decidedly cocoon-like river that they know so well that sits on the sidelines and edges of this book if you will and continues to provide comfort and stability in times of triumph and tragedy。Kennet's time in the Army sets the stage for a good part of the narrative， Laqueur cleverly using the musings in his journal as a way to experience his life during a most brutal time in history。 What he endured， what his good friends endured is enough to make one sit back and realize just how brave our soldiers were and continue to be in the fight for freedom。 It's a wonder any survived at all with harsh weather conditions and the enemy always at their backs。 Kennet proves himself to be a true warrior even when the unthinkable occurs at his own hand and I was grateful to him and for him that he had the fortitude to continue on。 Knowing that Paps Fiskare had not only Kennet but two other sons fighting this godforsaken war was definitely a humbling moment for me。 With the ravages of war a significant component of Kennet's life in the aftermath of 1945， the rebuilding of his soul was a truly remarkable albeit grueling process， and the fact that he could share it with his beloved brother Minor somehow made it slightly tolerable for both men。I think what enamored me most was that this family was completely accepting of each other's faults and desires no matter if they were acceptable or not。 Sure， punishments were doled out when actions could've proved almost too awful to consider as they were growing up but there was no mistaking that they were loved wholeheartedly no matter what occurred。 You can't help but want to be a part of this proudly Swedish clan and get to feel as swell as they did when the others were around。With all that happens in this book and some of it is downright horrific， it's the smaller moments that managed to make those tears of mine fall even harder。 Whether it was an overdue and sympathetic heart-to-heart between father and son， the smile of a young boy finally free to live a better life or the gift of two pennies from a devoted younger brother， it's those gestures that make this book the masterpiece it is。 It may have been a small hotel that provided a bit of respite from a busy life but its larger-than-life presence is what brought a bit of magic to those who stopped by。I could write 10 pages about this book and how much of a gift it is for the lucky readers who pick it up。 But I kept my thoughts purposely vague since it is a story you need to experience firsthand for yourself。 You will fall head over heels with each of the members， whether blood or not， of this ever-expanding Fiskare family enjoying their pursuits of love， laughter， a bit of well-deserved spirits from time to time， and the chance for a better life surrounded by those they hold dear。I am in complete love with this book and happily give A Small Hotel a huge 5+++++++ stars！！ It is truly a must-read of epic proportions。 。。。more

Michelle ，

“A Small Hotel” blends fairly seamlessly the story of an American family running a hotel off the St Lawrence River in upstate NY with a fictional first hand account of WW2。 I knew I was in for great writing， amazing historical details， romance， some heartbreak， and amazing characters when I pick up this book。 The book mainly focuses on Kennet Fiskare， the oldest of the Fiskare children。 The book starts in the golden summer of 1941 and we watch Kennet fall in love with the cousin of their houseke “A Small Hotel” blends fairly seamlessly the story of an American family running a hotel off the St Lawrence River in upstate NY with a fictional first hand account of WW2。 I knew I was in for great writing， amazing historical details， romance， some heartbreak， and amazing characters when I pick up this book。 The book mainly focuses on Kennet Fiskare， the oldest of the Fiskare children。 The book starts in the golden summer of 1941 and we watch Kennet fall in love with the cousin of their housekeeper， Marta。 All the characters are amazing， but I had my favorites。 I would read any book written about Minor （“Minor， mine， you are so fine。”）， Junior， and Major。 I loved all the folk lore and superstitions the family had， and really enjoyed learning their history。The book follows Kennet through WW2 where we follow his story and his family’s story through journal entries， letters， even telegrams， as well as Kennet’s thoughts and experiences。 I really loved this part as it focused heavily on the friendships soldiers make during war。 If you love， “Band of Brothers” then you will likely love this part of the book and connect to it。I would rate this a 4。5 but am rounding up in my stars due to the absolutely amazing characterizations that carried the whole book for me。 I see that this is listed “Small Hotel #1” so this makes me hopefully I will see more from this world。 。。。more

Jenny ，

The story of Kennet Fiskare will have you weeping， laughing and celebrating。 This one man and his extraordinary family， the one he was given and the one he chose， will stay with you for so long。 It's well researched， captivating and so very touching， in the best of ways。 The cameraderie that Kennet has with his friends， the relationship with his family and his love for the Thousand Islands will transport you， and you may wish you could stay close to him forever。Suanne， as always， is a beautiful The story of Kennet Fiskare will have you weeping， laughing and celebrating。 This one man and his extraordinary family， the one he was given and the one he chose， will stay with you for so long。 It's well researched， captivating and so very touching， in the best of ways。 The cameraderie that Kennet has with his friends， the relationship with his family and his love for the Thousand Islands will transport you， and you may wish you could stay close to him forever。Suanne， as always， is a beautiful author and I have never not loved everything she has ever written。 If you liked this book， make sure to read The man I love for more Fiskare magic。I received an advance copy of this book from the author。 。。。more

Jo ，

A Small Hotel is a beautifully written novel by Suanne Laqeuer。 An historical of gigantic proportion！ While an especially enriching read that has a connection with the Fish Tales Trilogy， this novel is a complete standalone where it can be loved and savored on its own merit。 I was especially thrilled knowing the Fiskares are the heart of the story。 We go back a few generations where we learn more of the Fiskare lineage， （thank you Suanne Laqeuer for the Fiskare Family Tree）。 The story embeds dee A Small Hotel is a beautifully written novel by Suanne Laqeuer。 An historical of gigantic proportion！ While an especially enriching read that has a connection with the Fish Tales Trilogy， this novel is a complete standalone where it can be loved and savored on its own merit。 I was especially thrilled knowing the Fiskares are the heart of the story。 We go back a few generations where we learn more of the Fiskare lineage， （thank you Suanne Laqeuer for the Fiskare Family Tree）。 The story embeds deep within you and you quickly come to see that these Fiskares are rich in sentiment， history， love and loyalty。 The story is divided into three sections， before WWII where we are introduced to Kennet and Astrid and the family Fiskare！ The next section is Kennet’s experience in WWII。 While at times difficult to read， it was an excellent portrayal of that period of history。 And the last section of course is the aftermath of the war， moving forward。 I was completely immersed from the first page to the last。 And long after reading， as with any Laqeuer novel it stays nestled in your heart and soul。 An extraordinary story！ I can't wait for more。 。。。more

Christie ，

There are a lot of ups and downs， good and bad in this story。 It has all the feels with a young romance then the horrors of WWII。 This may be one of the most detailed accounts of the conditions troops lived through during WWII so that was some tough reading but also incredible to learn。 We owe so much to those who fought。I received an advance review copy for free。 I am leaving this review voluntarily。

Meredith Rilley ，

Every book I've ever read of Suanne's feels like spending bonding time with new people and leaving with lifelong friends。 Add that to the most tactile， tangible telling of battles and war that I truly feel like I finally know without knowing what it was like to have fought amongst the Greatest Generation。I do wish the coming home were longer， but otherwise now I just have to wait for her next book。 Thank God she's a prolific writer！ Every book I've ever read of Suanne's feels like spending bonding time with new people and leaving with lifelong friends。 Add that to the most tactile， tangible telling of battles and war that I truly feel like I finally know without knowing what it was like to have fought amongst the Greatest Generation。I do wish the coming home were longer， but otherwise now I just have to wait for her next book。 Thank God she's a prolific writer！ 。。。more

Grace ，

4。5 starsFamily bonds。Love and heartbreak。Wartime trauma。New and rekindled connections。The author brought all of these themes together， delivering a captivating story that spans several decades。Told in the third person， the story is broken down in three parts: Before the war。Wartime。After the war。Before the warThis part of the story seemed autobiographical at times， as the author lays out the Fiskare family tree， along with their history running a hotel in Clayton， New York。 While there are a lo 4。5 starsFamily bonds。Love and heartbreak。Wartime trauma。New and rekindled connections。The author brought all of these themes together， delivering a captivating story that spans several decades。Told in the third person， the story is broken down in three parts: Before the war。Wartime。After the war。Before the warThis part of the story seemed autobiographical at times， as the author lays out the Fiskare family tree， along with their history running a hotel in Clayton， New York。 While there are a lot of characters introduced in the story， at the center is Kennet Fiskare。 It is in this section of the story that a love story blossoms between him， and a family visitor named Astrid Virtanen。 I absolutely adored how the author built this connection between the couple， who often seemed to communicate to one another without speaking。 This part of the story also highlighted the strong bonds Kennet shared with his family， challenged as wartime looms。WartimeI've read several historical fiction books about the war， but the author does a great job of delivering a fresh perspective from Kennet's POV， specifically in his letters to his family and Astrid。 In those letters he highlights the daily terrors faced， but also uses them as an escape for his confessions of mistakes made。Longing for the ties of a family foundation， Kennet forms a new family of sorts with his fellow soldiers。 Exposed by the worst aspects of war beyond battle， the relationships between soldiers run deeper than friendship。 Because the moments were so few， I relished the lighter ones in this section， as the soldiers teased one another and shared personal stories。 After the warThis last part of the story explores how Kennet changed and how much he savored the small things。 A child's laugh， a smile from an old friend， a shared glance between lovers。 Everything meant more and I loved how Kennet embraced each moment。 I also liked how the author addressed his guilt over some wartime decisions that plague him daily。Once again， the author has proven her worth as a master storyteller。 Weaving a story filled with love， loss， and the bonds formed to carry one through the toughest days。 With a HEA the reader deserves。*An ARC was received for an honest review。For more reviews， visit 。。。more

Sofe ，

Ebook Review: A SMALL HOTEL by Suanne Laquer（A） lertness（S） ees（M） uch。。。（A） ngst（L） earns（L） evels（H） eightened。。。（O） ptimism（T） rust（E） arned（L） astsA SMALL HOTEL， a venture away from home。Is for most， a time of innumerable pleasure。Then must go， back to reality of life。Whatever may be， unknown how long memories last。Begin to question， experiences of now and then。Especially when extreme， in both nature and content。Love and loss， at such degree cannot comprehend。Breath takes away， almost forget Ebook Review: A SMALL HOTEL by Suanne Laquer（A） lertness（S） ees（M） uch。。。（A） ngst（L） earns（L） evels（H） eightened。。。（O） ptimism（T） rust（E） arned（L） astsA SMALL HOTEL， a venture away from home。Is for most， a time of innumerable pleasure。Then must go， back to reality of life。Whatever may be， unknown how long memories last。Begin to question， experiences of now and then。Especially when extreme， in both nature and content。Love and loss， at such degree cannot comprehend。Breath takes away， almost forgetting to breathe again。Story takes us， on such an incredulous journey。 That one wonders， about those who traveled it。That it happens， is indeed believable and astounding。Now you too， can see what it is like。In earnestness written， and with such fervent detail。Just can't help， feel like you are there。I'm so glad， this book crossed my path。 Now I await， the next story author writes。**************************** I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。**************************** 。。。more

Bookphenomena （Micky） ，

Very sadly dnf I think。 It may be my mood but it wasn't working for me。 Unrated。 Very sadly dnf I think。 It may be my mood but it wasn't working for me。 Unrated。 。。。more

Zilpha Owens ，

4。5 Stars！I’ve never read The Fish Tales。 I own it。 I’ll admit to being too scared to put my heart through the all heartbreak。 Instead I thought I’d try it from another angle。 Begin with the family that started it all。 Of course， A Small Hotel was written after The Fish Tales。 A build up of sorts， I thought。 I’m so glad I did。 A Small Hotel is fantastic。 A bit of a family saga and a love story all rolled into one。 I loved Ms。 Laqueur’s use of language。 She beautifully manipulates words and phras 4。5 Stars！I’ve never read The Fish Tales。 I own it。 I’ll admit to being too scared to put my heart through the all heartbreak。 Instead I thought I’d try it from another angle。 Begin with the family that started it all。 Of course， A Small Hotel was written after The Fish Tales。 A build up of sorts， I thought。 I’m so glad I did。 A Small Hotel is fantastic。 A bit of a family saga and a love story all rolled into one。 I loved Ms。 Laqueur’s use of language。 She beautifully manipulates words and phrases and strings them together in a way that intensifies and enhances their meaning。 Her characters are bold and deep。 The Fiskare family and those in their circle are wonderful and real。 This is a family and story to fall in love with。 。。。more

Silvia ，

This really is a story for the ages。 A classic。 It’s about family。 The Fiskare family。 It’s about their love。 It’s about their tragedy。 It’s about their forgiveness。 It’s about their joy。 It’s layers and layers of every emotion that only this gifted author can write。 Suanne Laqueur has a talent for world building like no one else。 She turns fiction into reality。 She took me out of my world and into the world of the Fiskares。 I was part of their family the entire time I read this book。 As I read This really is a story for the ages。 A classic。 It’s about family。 The Fiskare family。 It’s about their love。 It’s about their tragedy。 It’s about their forgiveness。 It’s about their joy。 It’s layers and layers of every emotion that only this gifted author can write。 Suanne Laqueur has a talent for world building like no one else。 She turns fiction into reality。 She took me out of my world and into the world of the Fiskares。 I was part of their family the entire time I read this book。 As I read the last page I knew my time with them wasn’t finished， thank god。 That this book is numbered as the first book in a series promises a second book on the horizon。 I anxiously await for that date when I can return to my family， my Fiskares。 。。。more

Mystica ，

The story set in the islands seems idyllic。 The family of Fiskare is close knit， lovable and part of aSwedish community。 The ethnicity is quite marked and when a exotic relation from Rio turns up you know sparks will fly and they do。Then the equalizer of the Great War starts and the boys enlist， the household gets broken up， Astrid gets torn away from the love of her life Kemmet by her vindictive mother and there is general heartbreak around。The story continues in the setting of wartime Europe a The story set in the islands seems idyllic。 The family of Fiskare is close knit， lovable and part of aSwedish community。 The ethnicity is quite marked and when a exotic relation from Rio turns up you know sparks will fly and they do。Then the equalizer of the Great War starts and the boys enlist， the household gets broken up， Astrid gets torn away from the love of her life Kemmet by her vindictive mother and there is general heartbreak around。The story continues in the setting of wartime Europe and extremely harsh it is most of the time。 One of the sons dies， another is wounded and only one escapes unscathed physically， changed completely mentally。 The war descriptive and brutal and all episodes in the various villages were quite difficult to read， fathom and accept。 War however is never pretty and this was very harsh。We then go back to peacetime， back to the islands， back to a reconciliation and trying to pull together broken strands of everyone's life to make it all whole and complete again。The settings were different - from the peace and calm of a backwater island， to Europe and everything in between。 A family of young men， peaceful and kind and basically good were returned in slightly different form after the ravages of war。 Acceptance of being different was an important feature of the story。An unusual book in unusual settings。 The horrors of war well told。 。。。more

Christy Martin ，

A Small Hotel by Suanne Laqueur is an amazing book。 It documents the journey of two young people who fall in love just as World War II in Europe is heating up。 Her family is poor and circumstances cause a separation。 Fish， the hero， and teller of the story is the oldest of several brothers。 He and his 2 elder brothers are drafted。 Fish keeps a diary and uses it to tell his lost love the amazing stark and the very real story of being an infantry soldier in World War II。 From losing friends and wa A Small Hotel by Suanne Laqueur is an amazing book。 It documents the journey of two young people who fall in love just as World War II in Europe is heating up。 Her family is poor and circumstances cause a separation。 Fish， the hero， and teller of the story is the oldest of several brothers。 He and his 2 elder brothers are drafted。 Fish keeps a diary and uses it to tell his lost love the amazing stark and the very real story of being an infantry soldier in World War II。 From losing friends and war brothers， to the liberation of a concentration camp his diary contains heartfelt and emotionally disturbing accounts of his company during the liberation of the European theater of the war。 Fish's brothers， one in the Navy， the other in the Alps are also fighting。 Fish's long-lost love is always close to his heart even while they are apart and only communicating thru letters on occasion。 He holds dear the memories of their short but strong love connection。 After a slow start that introduces Fish's family， this book which follows Fish's World War II journey is one of the most realistic that I have read of historical fiction from the era。 While the diaries he keeps are raw and explicit the author manages to use her narrative skills to open the reader up to the trauma， death， and danger that soldiers were exposed to and how that changed many of them。 War is Hell and her realistic prose gives the reader an honest but uncomfortable insight into that era。 This is also one of the few accounts in historical fiction or otherwise， that documents the very real love between male soldiers occasionally romantic and always brotherly， who were daily exposed to trauma and life and death。 I highly recommend this book。 Thanks to #ASmallHotel#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more

Tiffany Johnson ，

Once again this author has written another fantastic novel with family as the heartbeat。 Set in Clayton， NY and then following a young man's journey among the infantry through Europe during WWII， the author paints a coming of age portrait of love lost， friendships made， and the ties that bind a family both through blood and service。 The imagery created unfolded like I was at the cinema， it was that well done and vivid。 The characters were nurtured and cultivated with words and actions to create Once again this author has written another fantastic novel with family as the heartbeat。 Set in Clayton， NY and then following a young man's journey among the infantry through Europe during WWII， the author paints a coming of age portrait of love lost， friendships made， and the ties that bind a family both through blood and service。 The imagery created unfolded like I was at the cinema， it was that well done and vivid。 The characters were nurtured and cultivated with words and actions to create relationships meaningful and deep and revered。 Anecdotes and stories brought it all together to create a truly memorable read。 I think fans of Kristin Hannah will really enjoy this， along with those who have enjoyed the television miniseries Band of Brothers。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more

sweetaalis ，

Absolutely loved this book！！！ It’s a story about family， the one you are born in and the one you choose。"Family isn’t only your blood。 It’s who you bleed for。"Love lost and found…Suanne is a born story teller and her stories draw you into her characters’ lives and make you feel you are right there experiencing it all。 I never wanted this book to end。 I read many WWII romances recently and A Small Hotel is right up top of my list！ This is a stand-alone book but now I want to re-read The Fish Tal Absolutely loved this book！！！ It’s a story about family， the one you are born in and the one you choose。"Family isn’t only your blood。 It’s who you bleed for。"Love lost and found…Suanne is a born story teller and her stories draw you into her characters’ lives and make you feel you are right there experiencing it all。 I never wanted this book to end。 I read many WWII romances recently and A Small Hotel is right up top of my list！ This is a stand-alone book but now I want to re-read The Fish Tales to pick up references to the Fiskare family。 Reviewed from an ARC provided by the author。 。。。more

Charita ，

A powerfully poignant and heart wrenching story about family dynamics， commitments， love， unavoidable circumstances and the ugly reality of war， in this case， specifically WWII。 After reading The Man I Love and Here to Stay， （The Fish Tales series） A Small Hotel gave me further history and a deeper insight into the Fiskare （Fish） family background and connection to the future and Erik Fiskare。 These stories span many years and the beautifully lyrical way in which Suanne Laqueur flawlessly weaves A powerfully poignant and heart wrenching story about family dynamics， commitments， love， unavoidable circumstances and the ugly reality of war， in this case， specifically WWII。 After reading The Man I Love and Here to Stay， （The Fish Tales series） A Small Hotel gave me further history and a deeper insight into the Fiskare （Fish） family background and connection to the future and Erik Fiskare。 These stories span many years and the beautifully lyrical way in which Suanne Laqueur flawlessly weaves these finely tuned tales has me mesmerized！ By the way， A Small Hotel is in itself a standalone and you don't have to read The Fish Tales to grasp its meaning even though I highly recommend reading the Fish Tales as well to fully grasp the incredible uniqueness of it all！The story of the main character， Kennet and Astrid's love affair is brief but poignant and I was so glad for them to find their way back to each other despite all the hardships they endured。This story hits a particular nerve for me in that my father fought proudly and bravely in that war and returned with disabilities that were ultimately detrimental to his health， one of them being injuries caused by fighting in trenches in the snow， as described in this story， and thus try for many years after the war to be able to have children。 （Me being one of them。） In A Small Hotel， Ms。 Laqueur adeptly and vividly describes the brotherhood that these soldiers formed as well as the hardships and utter horrific atrocities they lived through。 My father never spoke of these himself and it was through whatever he had recounted to my mother that I learned of a very few of his experiences。 So in reading this inspirational story I lived through so many of the compellingly written scenes with a clenched heart and spellbound soul。 To me， this alluring story is a masterpiece！ A Must Read！ 。。。more

Marissa ，

Another stunning masterpiece by Suanne Laqueur。 A Small Hotel is breathtakingly beautiful even when your heart is breaking。 Suanne is by far my favorite author for character development。 She creates such intricately detailed characters， they become your family， your friends， you live in their world。 Her ability to weave actual events with fictional characters is incredible， making the story so rich and bountiful。 I fell deeply in love with The Fiskare’s and company and look forward to more in th Another stunning masterpiece by Suanne Laqueur。 A Small Hotel is breathtakingly beautiful even when your heart is breaking。 Suanne is by far my favorite author for character development。 She creates such intricately detailed characters， they become your family， your friends， you live in their world。 Her ability to weave actual events with fictional characters is incredible， making the story so rich and bountiful。 I fell deeply in love with The Fiskare’s and company and look forward to more in this series。 。。。more

Chriss ，

A Small Hotel is simply a fabulous read。 It's more than fabulous。 It's beautifully written and everything we expect from this extremely talented Author。 We find ourselves in a time when life seemed easier， more simple but as we meet the various members of the Fiskare family it is anything but。 It's a journey of love for Kennet and his Astrid and in so many ways a coming of age story for him in particular。 With WWII looming and Astrid having to honor her father's wishes， the path of true love is A Small Hotel is simply a fabulous read。 It's more than fabulous。 It's beautifully written and everything we expect from this extremely talented Author。 We find ourselves in a time when life seemed easier， more simple but as we meet the various members of the Fiskare family it is anything but。 It's a journey of love for Kennet and his Astrid and in so many ways a coming of age story for him in particular。 With WWII looming and Astrid having to honor her father's wishes， the path of true love is anything but smooth but we get there in the end。 If you have read Suanne Laqueur before you know that she evokes every emotion you have and if you haven't read her before you should know that she writes characters that will wake you up at 2。10am because they know you need to know a little bit more about what they are going through before you can finally hush them up。 There's a lot going on with this family。 Each of them has a backstory which would be a joy to read in more detail but A Small Hotel is Kennet's journey and it's quite the journey。 Love wins the day in every shape and form just as it should。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

I love a Suanne Laqueur read。 I know her books are not a quick read but are a way to immerse yourself into a new world written in such detail that you feel as if you are right there along side the characters experiencing every moment with them。 The attention to the time period and events surrounding that period seem so real and authentic， which also means your emotions during these events are most definitely real and authentic， all of which make for a wonderful reading experience。This story revo I love a Suanne Laqueur read。 I know her books are not a quick read but are a way to immerse yourself into a new world written in such detail that you feel as if you are right there along side the characters experiencing every moment with them。 The attention to the time period and events surrounding that period seem so real and authentic， which also means your emotions during these events are most definitely real and authentic， all of which make for a wonderful reading experience。This story revolves around the Fiskare family in the Thousand Islands area of New York。 We follow along with Kennet Fiskare as he experiences love in many ways， falling in love with Astrid， developing strong bonds of love with fellow soldiers， and the unbreakable bonds of love with family members。 All of this taking place during a dark time in our World's history， WWII。 You feel every high and every low that Kennet experiences that by the end of this book it may feel like you have walked through the trenches and burrowed in the foxholes with him and his fellow soldiers。 So be ready for an epic read with the Fiskare family while reading this masterfully written story。 。。。more

NicoleR。M。M。 ，

Family isn't blood。 It's who you bleed for。Suanne Laqueur is a born story teller。 She can write whatever she wants to write， and I'll read it。 I'm a reader of a specific genre， namely mm romance （and the wide variety within - historical， suspense， as long as the basics of the story is the （falling in） love between two men）。 But Suanne is the only author who is able to lure me away from the only genre that gives me joy and pleasure these days。 There's something about her books that make it imposs Family isn't blood。 It's who you bleed for。Suanne Laqueur is a born story teller。 She can write whatever she wants to write， and I'll read it。 I'm a reader of a specific genre， namely mm romance （and the wide variety within - historical， suspense， as long as the basics of the story is the （falling in） love between two men）。 But Suanne is the only author who is able to lure me away from the only genre that gives me joy and pleasure these days。 There's something about her books that make it impossible to put down， they pull you in， and no matter the amount of pages， or the time of day: YOU JUST NEED TO KNOW！ She's this exceptional， unique and brilliant author and I really believe every reader should have at least one of her books on their （fictional） bookshelf。 So， I needed a few days to gather my thoughts together about this mind-blowing story， trying to at least make some sense when writing my review。 When I finished this book， and analyzed my feelings， the heartbreak， the journey I took with Kennet Fiskare， everything about him felt real - like it never was a fictional story。 It was as if he， in his old age， had come to the author， told her his story and asked her to be the ghost writer of his memoir。 As if he could have come to her door on a Sunday afternoon， sat down next to her， patted her hand after she made him his strong tea， and started telling her about his family and his life。 The life he knew before the war， and the one after it had changed him into someone different。 Someone he hardly recognized as himself。 He didn't hold back and told her everything he remembered。 How he felt， how he dealt with the trauma's of what he had seen， losing his combat brothers， the horrors and traumatic experience when he reached Mauthausen。 His love for Astrid， the love for his family - his father and his brothers， his sisters， his uncle。 It's all part of this book， every memory as significant as the other。 When we open the book， we meet the Fiskares。 At first I was a bit confused by all the names and the monikers， but that didn't last long。 （there's a family tree included in the book）。 And I simply fell in love with all of them。 I knew this book wasn't going to be a simple love story just between Kennet and Astrid （the girl he already fell in love with before he even met her in real life）， but I then realized it was also a love story about Kennet and his Swedish family， the Fiskares。 When he does meet Astrid， the feelings are immediately there。 But Kennet is a gentleman。 He takes his time to court her， to tell her about his feelings。 And they are mutual。 There is just something between them， something destined to be。 Then Astrid has to leave， and the loss of the love of his life leaves Kennet devastated， regretting the fact that he let her go， that he didn't do everything he could to keep her。 And then the war in Europe calls and he leaves all his loved ones behind， believing the war won't effect him the way it did his Paps and uncle Nyck。 "You're not built for war。 I don't say that as an insult。 I know you're a fine soldier and you'll do what's expected of you。 I mean your soul isn't made to process war。 Nalle has his principles to sustain him。 Minor will get by on sheer personality。 But you。。。You were always the one who liked to sort and label and name everything。 This was this。 That followed this。 If this， then that。 You like rules to define the edges of your life。 You like people to behave within those rules。 And war blows all those things to shit。 Absolute shit。 You'll see people doing abhorrent， unspeakable things。 You'll find yourself doing things that go against every rule， every standard， every ethic you ever held。 War rubs against the very grain of who you are， and some just can't。。。" So off to war he goes。 The changes in Kennet are evident when he writes his fictive letters to Astrid in his notebook。 He starts out politely explaining her what he is doing， what is happening in his life。 He was this gentleman who hardly dared to kiss her when they were home， before she went away， before he went to war。 But after the things he's seen and been through， Kennet knows that man does no longer exist。 So badly， Asta， I want you so badly。 I think I might be going crazy with it。 The desire waxes and wanes between lofty and obscene。 One moment I'm staring at you all moon-eyed， quoting romantic poetry。 The next moment I'm on my knees at your feet， unhooking your garters and begging to fuck you。 Is that shocking？ It shocks me。 Look at how my handwriting jostles around the word 'fuck'。 I winced writing it， but now it's settling on my eyes and the sound of it is getting comfortable in my brain。 It's disengaging from the sordid and crass， and slowly turning divine。 Intense。 Even beautiful。 I want to be your lover again and feel that sweet understanding between us when I'm fucking you into beautiful pieces。。。 To me， this entry in his journal marks the first changes in Kennet。 It was a brilliant way to show us how Kennet changed from this polite， well mannered gentleman into the soldier who has seen too much， who has done too many things that he never thought he'd do。The character development in this story is just outstanding， as well as the research the author did。 Her attention to detail transported me back in time， planted me right there in the middle of that war， on that battle scene， right there at the moments that made Kennet believe he lost his sanity。 The vividly description of the ugliness of the war， it made me ache， it made me cry， shiver， wanting to look away from the horrors we see through Kennet's eyes。 I even thought I smelled what he did when he entered Mauthausen concentration camp。 It was horrible， this ugliness and the de-humanizing， brutal results of this war。 I can't remember ever having read a book that grabbed me by my throat like this book did， like Kennet's story did。 The love for his brothers in combat was as beautiful as it was painful， knowing how much he was going to get hurt， knowing he would lose most of them。 Their morbid banter and humor was almost just as painful。 "Goddammit， where's my helmet？" Hook said。"You just had it。""I must've thrown it out。""Stay down。""I'm just gonna look for it quick。 I can't sit out here bare-headed， darling。 You know how easily I catch cold。""Well， don't lose your fucking head。 I already looked at one shot-up face today and you know how it upsets me， sweetheart。"Maybe we can just joke and curse this whole goddamn war away。。。 When Kennet returns home， he has changed so much， he is not even sure he deserves to find happiness again。 The ugliness that has found a home in his soul won’t ever pass。 When there’s a second chance with Astrid， he just doesn’t know if he could ever be worthy of her love ever again。 I finished reading this book and I still can't stop thinking about it。 It's such an epic， gripping， engaging， heartfelt family tragedy that I just can not seem to shake all the feelings that were stirred inside of me when reading。 That's what this book did to me， what Suanne Laqueur's writing does to me ALL THE TIME！ So， I guess all that's left for me to say is: GO READ THIS BOOK。 That's all I kindly received an ARC through Netgalley and the Publisher。 This is my honest， voluntary review。 。。。more

Bookreader87（Amanda） ，

3。75 starsThis book is about different types of love in a person's life。 Whether it be romantic love， family love or love for friends。 The bonds built are strong and those bonds along with life experiences make a person who they are。 The first portion of the book is about romantic love and family love。Kennet himself falling in love the summer Astrid Virtanen comes to visit her cousin Marta。 During that summer he also experiences his first crushing heartbreak。The Fiskares are a beautiful loving f 3。75 starsThis book is about different types of love in a person's life。 Whether it be romantic love， family love or love for friends。 The bonds built are strong and those bonds along with life experiences make a person who they are。 The first portion of the book is about romantic love and family love。Kennet himself falling in love the summer Astrid Virtanen comes to visit her cousin Marta。 During that summer he also experiences his first crushing heartbreak。The Fiskares are a beautiful loving family。 Kennet's love for his family is so abundant。 This family with their insane nicknames and fish tales is a family who would do anything for one another。Kennet's love for his friends is built during his time at war。 His squad becomes his family each man one of his brothers。 Loss so， so much loss is experienced among these men。 Whether is be a fellow brother in arms or loss of the person they once were。 War changes men and we see Kennet experience this。This story was beautiful and sad。 It is what I expect when I read anything by this author。 I will say that over 50% of this book is about Kennet's experience as a soldier during World War 2。 At times， it was really hard to read。 I knew bad things were going to happen so my anxiety levels were off the charts。 Each punch Kennet took， I felt。 I didn't love this part of the book but I got through it。  The last part of the book is Kennet pulling himself together and coming back to himself， to his family， to his love。 It was an experience from start to finish。 。。。more

Anastasia Artayet Shepherd ，

Of all the historical romance novels I've read， this is the first that has me holding my breath and happy crying over a lit cigarette and a Zippo lighter。You are fully immersed in the character's development when reading this novel; you can see and feel what's occurring during the war， both internally and externally。 I am truly baffled at how swept into this novel I found myself。 If you have any interest in historical fiction and romance during this era， you must read this book。 Of all the historical romance novels I've read， this is the first that has me holding my breath and happy crying over a lit cigarette and a Zippo lighter。You are fully immersed in the character's development when reading this novel; you can see and feel what's occurring during the war， both internally and externally。 I am truly baffled at how swept into this novel I found myself。 If you have any interest in historical fiction and romance during this era， you must read this book。 。。。more

Bozica ，

Well what can I say about the talented Suanne Laqueur that I haven’t said before。 She stands out on her own and is an author I highly recommend everyone to read。 The level of research she does for each book， the attention to detail to ensure the dates and timeline work blows me away。 Her books are always a wonderful journey to get lost in and The Small Hotel also feeds my love of historical fiction about WWII。Be warned this book has a LOT of characters， many of which have the same name。 I did fi Well what can I say about the talented Suanne Laqueur that I haven’t said before。 She stands out on her own and is an author I highly recommend everyone to read。 The level of research she does for each book， the attention to detail to ensure the dates and timeline work blows me away。 Her books are always a wonderful journey to get lost in and The Small Hotel also feeds my love of historical fiction about WWII。Be warned this book has a LOT of characters， many of which have the same name。 I did find this annoying and hard to follow and whilst I understand why that was the case I found it distracting and made it hard to follow。This book has been classified as historical romance in Goodreads， but personally it’s leans greater towards WWII Historical Fiction than romance， because whilst there is romance this makes up a small part of the overall family saga and how the war affected them during and long after it was over。I loved the setting of the town and the hotel， the symbolism of the fish in Fiskare family， their traditions and the closeness of this family even though at times it wasn’t expressed in words。 。。。more

Cathy ，

I'll be back with a review but I'm already reading it again， that Dame knows her onions！❤️❤️❤️I'm going to say it now - this is my book of the year！ Every time I read a Suanne Laqueur book I am blown away （no pun intended） she writes so beautifully even when the themes are dark and devastating， she just transports you into the world she creates。There are a whole cast of characters that you fall in love with， through their camaraderie and banter， although you know it's set during war and not ever I'll be back with a review but I'm already reading it again， that Dame knows her onions！❤️❤️❤️I'm going to say it now - this is my book of the year！ Every time I read a Suanne Laqueur book I am blown away （no pun intended） she writes so beautifully even when the themes are dark and devastating， she just transports you into the world she creates。There are a whole cast of characters that you fall in love with， through their camaraderie and banter， although you know it's set during war and not everyone can make it through， even if they survive。 The brutality of war is lifted by the wisecracks of Kennet and his buddies。 As in real life， difficult times are navigated through dark humour。 You'll be laughing and crying simultaneously。I found a Small Hotel an incredibly emotional read and had to re read it immediately to help me process and I'm still not ready to leave it behind。 The whole Fiskare family， and their stories， stole my heart。 I will fold them up and keep them in my pocket for always❤️ 。。。more

Laurie Tell ，

What an absolutely wonderful book。 This is my first book by this author but it won't be my last。 My usual book style is like my movies - Pulp Fiction is my favorite movie。 I like action， I like the author to get to the point。 A friend pointed out that I like dead bodies。。lol This book was more like Under the Tuscan Sun - it might be beautiful， but not my normal style。 But I didn't care - I truly loved this story。 It was beautifully written， and full of thought， and you could just feel the heart What an absolutely wonderful book。 This is my first book by this author but it won't be my last。 My usual book style is like my movies - Pulp Fiction is my favorite movie。 I like action， I like the author to get to the point。 A friend pointed out that I like dead bodies。。lol This book was more like Under the Tuscan Sun - it might be beautiful， but not my normal style。 But I didn't care - I truly loved this story。 It was beautifully written， and full of thought， and you could just feel the heart of the people in the story。 When the story started out， it felt like an episode of The Waltons （for you fellow old people。。。lol） There was a big confusing family and they were all close and supported each other。 It was truly well written， but not my cup of tea。 But I kept reading。 Then war came， and it wasn't such a sweet， easy read。 It was still beautifully written， but it was also heartbreaking。 I may have teared up a time or two。。。。or more。。。 Then I realized I could NOT stop reading this - I ha to know what happened next。 I also fell in love with this family and wanted to just stay immersed in this story。 I wanted it to go on and on and on。。 Another thing that I loved about this book was that I learned something new。 I really appreciate when historical fiction gives me something new to learn。 This time I discovered how our country treated gay men who served in the war and it was honestly shocking to me。 （I'm not sure why - it's not like we are all accepting now - but these men were willing to sacrifice their LIVES for our country）。 This book was beautiful， it was engrossing， it was sad， it was sweet， it was everything you could want in a book。 I want to thank the author， the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review at all。 I had true tears in my eyes while reading this。 。。。more

Sharon Thérèse ，

I was instantly seduced by Laqueur's unique prose and tempted to whip through the pages。 But her storytelling is as such that every passage demanded my full attention。 Swept away by the Fiskare’s emotional bonds amid an era of conflict， time lost all meaning。 Now my quandary is if I'll be able to give this stand-alone novel the merit it deserves。 “For a while， I even believed my father was made of gold。。。”Firstly， the author has put a premium on the character and plot development。 I found th I was instantly seduced by Laqueur's unique prose and tempted to whip through the pages。 But her storytelling is as such that every passage demanded my full attention。 Swept away by the Fiskare’s emotional bonds amid an era of conflict， time lost all meaning。 Now my quandary is if I'll be able to give this stand-alone novel the merit it deserves。 “For a while， I even believed my father was made of gold。。。”Firstly， the author has put a premium on the character and plot development。 I found the opening scene so exhilarating that the beat of new hope and promise of things to come hooked me therein。 ‘The story either begins today or ends today， he thought。’However， it took me a couple of chapters to sort out who was who as Emil's children not only inherit family given names but also monikers。 I could have kicked myself when I realised a little too late that there was a family tree at the beginning of the book！ That said， Kennet is the driving force behind the story。 And as he’s the first-born， he doesn’t just feel responsible for his siblings but has their admiration and that of his father。 So， once I had the names under control， it was plain sailing。 Or was it because I can’t even begin to tell you how this story affected me or how many times I cried my eyes out。 “It’s said we Fisares repeat our names and repeat our tragedies。”The dialogue between the Fiskare’s and the people they cared for bowled me over。 The leg-pulling， colloquialisms and enlightening advice helped me connect to every one of them， and learning about their shortcomings， their worries and the way they supported each other filled my heart。 “You are my eldest and finest。 And I’d fight another war for you。” Since the last thing I want to do is spoil the story for you， I’ll keep my feeling about Kennet and Astrid’s relationship short。 Their love speaks louder than words， my affection growing in leaps and bounds while observing them become more than friends。 When Laqueur’s snippets of what could happen eventually did， hearts broke—mine included。 “Can’t believe that people fall in love on purpose，”But those loved so fiercely aren’t forgotten。 Kennet relates his feelings and wartime experiences on the front line， and along with his squad， the reader discovers that their ordeal has， as in war， its consequences。 I could feel the tension in the air， the strong camaraderie and gratitude for small blessings。 ‘These are our weapons。 Our stories are all we have。 And you。 We have you。 Our greatest weapon。 The storyteller。’ Laqueur turned my tears into laughter， my pain into relief， and then left me holding my breath。 In all my reading experience， never have I read a WW11 novel quite like this one。 The historical account is incredibly accurate， the settings vividly descriptive。 Days after finishing the book， all I could think about were the uncompromising situations these soldiers had to face。 ‘Family isn’t blood。 It’s who you bleed for。’Emil was too familiar with war， and he well knew his sons wouldn’t be boys if and when they came back。 Do pick this novel up， do find out what happens because I can guarantee that you won’t regret it。 ‘If the world is going to rely on ordinary men to right the wrongs， then those men have to rely on each other。’A journey crossing two continents， the paths of love， loss， friendship and endurance left me in awe of Laqueur’s well-crafted writing， and to recapitulate， I cannot recommend The Small Hotel enough。 If it were possible to give this heartfelt novel overflowing with emotion six stars， I would have。 So， 5+++ stars it is！ Bravo， Laqueur！ARC kindly received from Cathedral Rock Press via NetGalley for an honest review。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Small Hotel

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Small Hotel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Small Hotel&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0