11.26.2019 - The Lies We Hide

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and S.E. Lynes for the opportunity to read and review her latest book - definitely a gripping family drama - 5 stars for a multi-faceted book that I couldn't put down.

So many secrets even within a family.  An angry, abusive husband and a wife trying to hide his abuse from everyone, including her kids.  Carol finally escaped her husband but leaving with their kids, Graham and Nicola, wasn't easy and didn't solve all their problems.  Graham became involved with the wrong crowd and eventually was put in prison.

Told in different viewpoints and from different time periods, we see Nicola, a successful attorney, returning home for her mother's funeral.  We learn about all the family secrets as well as those along the way who helped them become a family again.

This is the story of a family in crisis and how they survive.  It's the story of how we can let others help us along the way, learning to trust again.  Beautifully written - gritty and real.  Highly recommended!

11.23.2019 - Stay

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Catherine Ryan Hyde for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel.  What can you say about her books other than they are so positive, life-affirming, make you want to live your better life kind of perfect?

The book takes place in the summer of 1969.  Lucas Painter struggles at home with parents who are constantly fighting and a brother who is in Vietnam.  His best friend, Connor, is struggling with his own family issues.  To get away from all the noise, Lucas begins running in the woods behind his house with a pair of dogs he discovers living with a woman in a cabin deep in the woods.  The connection he makes with the woman, Zoe, will change all of their lives.

This is one of those books that makes you think about the fact that each action we take can have a positive (or negative) impact on someone else and change the course of their lives.  Highly recommended!

11.22.2019 - Single

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and K.L. Slater for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller - will definitely keep you guessing until the end!

Darcy has had a rough go of things.  Her husband died, leaving her with two small boys.  But it was the secret that was uncovered after he died that really did her in - she had a breakdown and ended up in a facility.  Meanwhile, the boys' grandparents took custody of them until Darcy was better.  They still had a very active role in the boys' life, which Darcy appreciated.  When Darcy was with the boys at the local park. the youngest had an asthma attack.  Thankfully, a doctor was there with his daughter and was able to get the little boy breathing again until the ambulance arrived.  George, the doctor, and Darcy soon hit it off, both single parents of young kids, and soon move in together.  But are things as they seem?  Both Darcy and George are hiding some secrets and the grandparents aren't happy being pushed out of the way.

Told from many different viewpoints and not sure who you can trust, you will have a hard time putting this book down.  Great read!

11.20.2019 - The Last Affair

Many thanks to NetGalley, Mira Books, and Margot Hunt for the opportunity to read and review her latest domestic thriller - a fast read that kept me guessing until the end!  4.5 stars!

The book opens with a murder - and we know who has died but not who killed her.  This is also the tale of two families - Nora and Carter have 3 kids.  Carter is a recovering alcoholic and their marriage has suffered.  Josh and Gwen have a seemingly perfect life with 2 kids - however, their oldest, Abby, just dropped out of college because of a bad breakup and is back home.  Gwen is a cold person and wishes that her life would have turned out differently.  An affair starts with disastrous repercussions for both families.

Just a good who-d0ne-it with some not so likable characters thrown in the mix.  The story is told in different viewpoints - Nora, Gwen and Abby - to give us perspectives from all sides.

11.18.2019 - When We Were Vikings

Many thanks to NetGalley, Scout Press, and Andrew David MacDonald for the opportunity to read and review his debut novel - 5 stars for an imaginative special read.  It was an honor to occupy Zelda's world.

Zelda is a high-functioning adult born with fetal alcohol syndrome.  She is obsessed with Vikings and the idea of becoming her own legend.  She lives with her older brother, Gert, who has struggles of his own, trying to keep Zelda out of harm's way and keep her safe.  When Zelda discovers that Gert is breaking their rules and is involved with some questionable people, Zelda undertakes her Viking mission to save their tribe (family).

The author writes Zelda's thoughts and world views with compassion, letting her quirkiness come through.  He never pities any of the characters with special needs but shows what possibilities they can achieve to all become legends.

Highly recommended - I can't wait to read more from this author!

11.15.2019 - Snow Creek

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Gregg Olsen for the opportunity to read and review this first book in a new series.  I'm a huge Olsen fan of both his true-crime books as well as his series and stand alones, so I was very excited to read this book.

Megan Carpenter is a detective in small town Port Townsend, Washington, with a past of which no one really knows the full story.  The sheriff in town, Tom Gray, saw great potential in Megan and helped her get on the police force - he knows some of the story but not all.  Megan's past keeps her at a distance from everyone but spurs her desire to find justice for crime victims.  Her latest case is opened when a woman comes into the department concerned about her missing sister.  The sister lives in a very remote section of the county where people live completely off the grid.  When Megan investigates, she finds the sister and her husband gone and their two children alone and scared.

I really don't want to give any more away.  This is a great mystery with lots of twisted story lines.  It's obvious that there will be another book coming because so much is left still up in the air.  I love to read series featuring great characters so I'm very excited to read the next book!

11.13.2019 - Twenty-one Truths About Love

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Matthew Dicks for the opportunity to read and review this book.  I'm sure this will be a divisive read - you will probably either love it or hate it.  Put me square in the love it column!

The book is written totally in lists - Daniel saw a therapist once that told him to journal his thoughts.  He took that advice and started writing down all this thoughts obsessively in the form of lists.  He even adds lists from other people.  This steam of consciousness in the form of lists spools out Daniel's story.  He was a teacher which was where he met his wife, Jill.  Tired of teaching and feeling he wasn't good enough at it, he quit and opened up a bookshop.  Which is now losing money.  Daniel doesn't feel he's worthy of Jill and is scared of losing her.  Jill is a widow; her husband, Peter, died before they met and Daniel constantly feels inadequate compared to Peter.  How do you compete with a dead guy?  Afraid to tell Jill of their actual financial state, especially because she is desperate to get pregnant, Daniel lies to her and tries to come up with a plan to get money to rescue him so he doesn't have to confess to Jill that his life isn't working.

So many of these lists are hilarious and so real.  Even when you may not approve of Daniel's lies and thoughts about getting money, you can still relate to his feelings.  And so much of what he wrote should be taken out and memorized - there are great life and parenting lessons mixed in.

It may not be for everyone, but I adored this book and highly recommend it!

11.12.2019 - The Confession Club

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House, and Elizabeth Berg for the opportunity to read and review her latest book in the Mason series - I've loved them all!  While you could read this as a stand-alone, you definitely need to read the first two books - The Story of Arthur Truluv and The Night of Miracles - because they are wonderful and you'll then know the backstory behind these characters.

The Confession Club started as a supper club - women of all ages getting together for a meal and conversation.  A book club without books (horror - ha!).  But it became a safe, supportive place where the women could take turns sharing something in their past that they did.  We all know keeping secrets isn't healthy and sharing our burdens makes them lighter.  Characters from the previous books, Iris and Maddy, get invited into the club when they both need it.  Iris is getting involved with a homeless man and Maddy left her husband in NYC and came back to Mason with her daughter, Nola.

Just another heartwarming, charming book - highly recommended series!

11.10.2019 - The Light in the Hallway

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Amanda Prowse for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel - loved it!

The story begins with an ending - Nick's wife, Kerry, is dying of cancer.  Nick must now navigate life without the person that has been by his side since they were teenagers.  He's left to take care of their now teenage son, Oliver, as he prepares to leave home to go to university.  Nick and Oliver are both overwhelmed with loss and grief but eventually Nick sees a future ahead of him; Oliver and other family members aren't as happy.  Each chapter ends with a look in the past as Nick and his 2 best friends live out their best summer.

I loved the title of this book - coming home to a light burning, knowing that there is someone inside waiting for you.  Plus - there are loads of great parenting tips in this book!  Just a wonderful, heartwarming story - just what you would expect from Amanda Prowse!

11.8.2019 - Anything for You

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Saul Black for the opportunity to read and review this book.  This is #3 in a series about homicide detective, Valerie Hart, but it worked as a stand alone since I hadn't read the first two.

A neighbor alerts the police to a possible intruder; next door, the husband is found brutally murdered and the wife clinging to life.  As Detective Hart investigates, she realizes she has a history with the victim, Adam Grant, a successful lawyer.   Evidence is soon found that points them towards someone that Grant helped prosecute.

This is a great police procedural - I loved figuring out "who done it."  I also liked the peek into Valerie's personal life and the influence of her job on her life decisions.  However, this book was very graphic in both sex and violence so be warned.  It was enough to lower my rating but the rest was enough to make me want to read his past and future books in this series.

11.7.2019 - This is Home

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and Lisa Duffy for the opportunity to read and review this book - wonderful!

Teenage Libby lives with her dad, Bent, a soldier who was injured in the war and is now a police officer in small town Paradise.  Also sharing their triplex home are Bent's two sisters, Lucy and Desiree, and Quinn, a nanny to twin boys.  Quinn's husband, John, joined the military and struggled dealing with real life when he came home.  He stormed out after an argument and Quinn hasn't heard from him since.  She was forced to move out of their home and into the bottom floor apartment of Bent's house.

This book is filled with wonderful characters experiencing real world problems such as PTSD, addiction, grief, single parenthood.  You will find yourself laughing, crying, and cheering on these characters - they feel very real.  As we draw close to another Veteran's Day, makes you pause and reflect on all the sacrifices made by both the soldiers and the families remaining back home.

11.5.2019 - The Other Daughter

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Shalini Boland for the opportunity to read and review her latest psychological thriller - a gripping one that will keep you reading past bedtime!  4.5 stars!

Nine years ago, Rachel was with a friend enjoying some quiet time at a mall playground area with her sleeping infant and 3 year old daughter, Holly.  Then Holly was kidnapped - grainy security pictures show only a hooded figure taking the child so no one was ever caught.  Rachel tried to put it all behind her, moved out of London into a quiet suburb with her youngest.  She has a young son with her partner, Matt, with whom she has never shared the story of Holly's kidnapping.  Until a new neighbor moves in - Kate - with her 3 children.  Rachel instantly sees the oldest daughter, Belle, and knows without a doubt that it is Holly.  She just needs to find a way to prove it.

Told in the time periods of Then, when Holly is kidnapped, to Now, there are plenty of twists and intrigue to keep you glued to the pages.

11.2.2019 - The Family Upstairs

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and Lisa Jewell for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller - this author is a must-read for me and she keeps getting better!  5 stars for a creepy read!

Libby has just turned 25 and receives the envelope she's been waiting for - the letter from an attorney telling her about the trust she is now allowed to access and the history of her biological family.  She discovers that she is the sole heir to a million-dollar mansion in London.  However, she's not the only one who has been waiting for Libby's 25th birthday.  Twenty-five years ago, Libby's parents were found dead in the home, Libby safe in her crib, and the two older siblings gone.

The story is told from 3 points of view - Libby, Lucy and Henry.  Lucy is basically a homeless single mother of two with a calendar note on her phone letting her know about Libby's 25th birthday.  We learn the backstory of Henry, one of the teenagers who went missing.  Enough said - this is a suspenseful read and another solid book from Lisa Jewell!

10.31.2019 - No One's Home

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and DM Pulley for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel - I finished it on Halloween night and it was the perfect haunted house read!  Plus, extra points for being set in Shaker Heights from a Northeast Ohio author since I lived there for 25 years!

I loved the unique setting of this novel - it centers around 4 different families that lived in the same mansion in Shaker Heights over the last hundred years.  The chapters alternate between the different stories of these families as well as the current house occupants.  As an aside - reminds me of the current CBS All Access series, Why Women Kill, which also shows occupants of the same house in different time periods.

The Spielman's are the current residents - they moved to Ohio from Massachusetts for a fresh start away from a scandal.  The house, named Rawlingswood, is huge but been empty and sorely neglected, so the family is able to buy it cheaply.  The Spielman's then undertake a major renovation - but is it enough to scrub the former residents from the house?  Their teenage son, Hunter, is not happy with the move away from his friends.  He starts discovering more of the history of the house along with the feeling that they are not alone.

I loved this book - a good ghost story about confronting the past in order to move on.