12.30.2016 - The Devil's Country

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book - highly recommended!
This book is an example of why I love NetGalley - the opportunity to read and review a book by an author I didn't even know existed - and then loved the book!  I will be searching out more by this author!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but was more than pleasantly surprised by how quickly I was drawn into this story.

Arlo is an ex-Texas Ranger - forced to leave his job after his family was murdered. This back story is told from the past interspersed with the present day story. Arlo is wandering aimlessly around the small towns of Texas, getting off the bus whenever he feels the need. He ends up in Piedra Springs and sees a terrified woman and her two children in town begging for help. When the woman turns up dead, Arlo is obsessed with finding out what happened to her children. What he finds is a small town corrupt with dealings from a religious cult just outside of town.

Quick moving plot that keeps you engrossed until you turn the last page!

12.28.2016 - The Ice Beneath Her

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This book is amazing - my head is still reeling from it. One of the best psychological thrillers I have read in awhile - and that's saying something since that's my favorite genre! This book languished on my NetGalley shelf for awhile - after reading it I keep asking myself why I didn't read it sooner and why I've never read this author's work before!

Taking place in Sweden, this book is told in the voices of 3 narrators. Peter is a detective who is tasked with trying to solve a gruesome murder (and it is gruesome). Peter is estranged from his son and his son's mother and has major commitment issues. Hanne, is a psychological profiler working with the police and dealing with her own personal issues. Emma is a young girl, working in a clothing store, who is in a relationship with the owner of the clothing store conglomerate, Jesper Orre. Peter and Hanne's stories are in the present time; Emma's voice starts a few months in the past and builds up to the present.

I raced through this book - besides being a great mystery with all the requisite twists, I loved the character development of everyone. I literally couldn't put this book down - don't miss it!

12.26.2016 - The Other Einstein

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'm very conflicted about my review of this book. I thought that the writing was wonderful and the book certainly kept me engrossed. If it was about made-up characters, I would have given it a much higher rating. However, when you get to the back and read the author's note, I just don't know how much of this book is fiction and how much fact - it sounds like mostly fiction. Which is fine, but it totally sullies Einstein's character. Is that deserved?

This book focuses on Mitza, Einstein's first wife and the mother of his children. Mitza was a brilliant scientist in an age when girls didn't go to university, let alone study physics. This book says that Mitza was the discoverer of the Theory of Relativity as much or more so than Einstein. But the portrayal of Einstein's personality is what gave me the biggest pause. He was so totally unlikeable. Again - truth or fiction?

An engrossing read but left me a bit cold.

12.24.2016 - And Then She Was Gone

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a prequel to a series already in print - I might have enjoyed it a bit more had I read those other books and felt more involvement with the characters. As it stands, it's an interesting mystery and can certainly be read by itself.

The main character is Jack, a 17-year-old who is passionate about becoming a police officer. He had a rough start to his life and was abandoned by his birth mother. However, he had a great foster mother and was then adopted by wonderful parents. Jack has a path all laid out for himself - join the Army to get college money, then go to the police academy.

However, he gets involved in trying to solve a mystery of a young pregnant woman who goes missing. When she is found murdered, Jack can't let the investigation of her death go, even when it might lead to an interruption of all those carefully planned life steps.

While I enjoyed the mystery and this read, the fact that Jack as a teenager was able to do all this murder investigation seemed to stretch the lines of reality a bit much. There were some interesting thoughts about racial profiling and prejudice - certainly relevant in today's headlines.

A good read - probably better if you are already invested in this series and these characters and this just provides a good back story.

12.20.2016 - Duplicity

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author for the opportunity to read and review this amazing book!

This is why I love Goodreads and NetGalley. A Goodreads friend that I've never met recommended this book to me. It was available through NetGalley but not one I had seen or heard about. And WOW! What a book!

Alissa and Max appear to have the perfect life - gorgeous, wealthy. Then Max is found murdered and Alissa barely escaped. Such begins the roller coaster ride of this book - and you don't want to miss this one! The story is told in two voices - The Other One and The Detective. Suffice it to say that not everyone is as they seem.

Do not miss this book if you love a good psychological thriller. I was obsessed until I finished it. I'm now anxious to go and find this author's other books to see what I've been missing!

Highly recommended!!

12.18.2016 - Secrets of Southern Girls

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I enjoyed this story of Jules and Reba - two best friends from childhood in Mississippi, although from different circumstances. Julie's parents were killed in an accident in NYC when she was 5 and she was sent to live with an aunt she had never met. However, Reba lived next door and they became fast friends. Jules was portrayed as the "wild child" while Reba was the quiet, pure one. But our perceptions of others can be very different from reality.  Do we ever really know another person?

The story alternates between chapters of Reba's diary that tell the backstory with Jules trying to find out what really happened to Reba. Did Jules kill her as she always believed?

A fast-moving story that kept me intrigued until the end.

12.16.2016 - Close Enough to Touch

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this wonderful book!

If you're a fan of JoJo Moyes (Me Before You), you will love Close Enough to Touch. It's sad, sweet, funny, heartwarming - I raced through it!

Jubilee is a young woman with an extremely rare allergy - she's allergic to other humans. After a horrifying incident in high school, she basically became a recluse (cue the funny Boo Radley jokes). After her mother moved out of their house, the problem became even worse - she literally never left her house. Until she was forced to.

I loved all the characters in this book and I just didn't want the story to end! Don't miss this one!

12.14.2016 - Unpunished

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I did not realize that this was second in a series of books involving Maggie (forensic tech) and Jack (cop) set in Cleveland. Reading Unpublished would definitely have been more enjoyable knowing the backstory. However, it was still a great mystery. I'm definitely going back to read the first in the series, That Darkness.

This book involves a series of murders at The Herald Newspaper. You definitely learn so much about the state of the newspaper and journalism in general in this book - very fascinating stuff. I really liked the characters and their interactions (again, would have been better having read the first book) and the list of suspects was long and kept you guessing.

Highly recommended!

12.9.2016 - The Cutaway

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - a thriller set in the fast-paced world of an evening news program in Washington DC. It has a bit of everything - I learned a lot about the TV news world and it covered murder, politics, intrigue, with some romance thrown in to boot, and it was a great who-done-it that kept me guessing. The author's background is in TV news, so things felt real.

Virginia is the producer of the evening news when she comes across a poster for a missing woman. She has a photographic memory and knows that she has seen this woman on a video. For reasons she can't quite explain to herself, she becomes obsessed with finding out the story behind this missing person. Finding out the answers leads her to suspect everyone she comes into contact with, including those she felt were close to her.

Not wanting to give anything else away, I thought this was a well-written thriller. It's a debut novel so here's hoping there's more to come from this author!

12.5.2016 - The Mother's Promise

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this amazing book.

I'm a huge fan of Sally Hepworth's books - I really loved her last one, The Things We Keep, especially. I was so excited to get her latest book that I moved it to the top of my reading list. And I certainly wasn't disappointed - you will need to read this book.

This is the story of Alice, mom to Zoe. Zoe is a teenager struggling with crippling social anxiety. It has always been just Alice and Zoe - Zoe's dad was never in the picture. Her parents are dead and her brother is an alcoholic - she has no support group. She works helping older people with shopping, caretaking and never had time for others. Until she gets sick.

Enter more people into their lives - Kate, a nurse at the hospital, and Sonja, a social worker. They try to step in and help Alice navigate her illness as well as provide for Zoe.

The story is told in all these different voices - it's funny, it's real, it's heartbreaking, it's touching. It leads you to think about all the people in your life - family or otherwise - and who you can really count on.

Don't miss this book or anything by Sally Hepworth - her stories resonate and stay with you.

12.3.2016 - The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book.

I really fell in love with all these characters and their big, messy lives. The book opens with 3 high school best friends out for a last night before one leaves for college. Tragedy strikes and nothing is ever the same.

Fast forward 35 years. Nina has always known she was adopted but when her adopted mother passes away, she finds herself grief-stricken. She's always been curious about her "real" mom and used to invent real family stories for herself and others.

Lindy is a neurotic mom to 3 kids, running a successful salon, dealing with her adoptive mother questioning her every move, and unsure about her husband's affection. She has no room in her life for Nina who she finds out is her "real" sister.

Add Nina's love interest, an older man, and his 2 kids and you have lots of family issues. But the crux of this novel is just that - what is family?

I loved the writing style, the humor, the mess of all these lives. A great book!

11.30.2016 - Safe With Me

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this fantastic psychological thriller! And to think it's a debut novel - please sign me up to read the next one!

This story is told in 2 different timelines - present and 13 years ago. Anna is a postal worker trying to deal with her past. She has obvious OCD issues and no friends, save for the elderly woman next door. Anna witnesses an accident caused by the woman she blames for what happened to her brother 13 years ago. The accident hurt a young man, Liam, who ends up in the hospital with memory loss. To get closer to the person that caused the accident so that she can enact revenge, she must get closer to Liam.

I don't want to give anything away because you will definitely need to carve out time and read this book! I couldn't put it down. I loved the writing - so many of Anna's characteristics were just so spot on real. Suffice it to say that there are twists you won't see coming.

11.28.2016 - The Fifth Petal

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book.

I was really excited to read this book - I loved The Lace Reader. While this is the second in that series, you definitely don't need to have read the first to enjoy this book. In fact, I remember very little of The Lace Reader - only that the names of some of these characters were familiar.

This book again takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, and involves both the famous witch trials that took place in the 1600s as well as a 25-year-old case of multiple murders of the so-called Goddesses, all descendants of those accused witches of long ago. Rafferty is back investigating this cold case as well as the death of a young boy who was bullying Rose, a suspect in the Goddess Murders as well as the boy's death.

This is a somewhat slow moving book but it still draws you in to all the characters. I really enjoyed this and feel like I learned so much about so many different subjects as well - the witch trial history, pagan/Christian beliefs, sound therapy, to name a few. There's a next book in the works and I'm excited to continue this journey!

11.20.2016 - My (Not So) Perfect Life

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this fun book!

Like most of Sophie Kinsella's books, this one was fun to read - I was always anxious to get back to it. But what I really loved was the truth of this book - and it's so important in this social media era. Everyone projects the perfect side of their life - even when life isn't so perfect. But why do we believe others' perfect life persona and feel worse about our own?

Katie Brenner is a farm girl whose dream was always to work in London. She finally got a job with an advertising agency working for a boss she admires and one who definitely projects the perfect life. Her employees, however, may not find her quite so perfect. When Katie loses her job and has to go back home, are her dreams over?

Great book to curl up with on a snowy weekend!

11.17.2016 - The Impossible Fortress

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this fun debut novel!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the flashback to the 1980s that it entailed. It's just a fun coming-of-age novel.

The story begins with a Playboy magazine - 3 friends try and come up with a way to get their hands on the issue with Vanna White. The boys come up with lots of plans but finally decide (with the help of an older boy) that they can break into the newsstand shop, leave the money, and take the magazines. In order to do that, they need the security code of the store - which is the job of the main character, Billy. He meets the owner's chubby, loner daughter and discovers that she is a computer geek like him. They decide to build a game for a contest and it involves working together every day. But stealing the code is less important than his feelings for Mary - and therein lies the problem. Does he hurt Mary or let his friends down?

There is just a lot of fun in this book - old songs, times before cellphones and home computers, even talk of the clothing is nostalgic.

11.15.2016 - Eveningland

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Eveningland is a collection of short stories all taking place around Mobile, Alabama. The writing is what wins out in this book - the author has such a soft, beautiful way of writing that draws you in. I also loved the Catholic references and prayers interwoven in some of the stories.

A great book to curl up with on a rainy day.

11.12.2016 - Dark Matter

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this intriguing book!

It seems that I've read a few books on what life would be life if we were to have chosen a different path (The Versions of Us, Life After Life), but this one really puts a spin on that concept. Sometimes when I read a SciFi book, I end up feeling not quite smart enough. That happened in this book but not enough that I didn't really enjoy this one.

Jason was an atomic physicist on the verge of a big discovery when he met Daniela, an up-and-coming artist. When Daniela gets pregnant, life changes their path. They become parents, take lesser jobs to focus on their family, and expect to live happily ever after. Until Jason is kidnapped while coming home from a bar to celebrate his old friend's scientific award. Life as he knows it is forever changed. When he wakes up, nothing is as it was before. He is in a world where he was never married, never had a son. Which version of Jason is real?

A really good book that leads in a direction you can't imagine - enjoy the ride!

11.10.2016 - The Trapped Girl

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Robert Dugoni for the opportunity to read and review this great book!

Robert Dugoni is fast becoming one of my top favorite authors - he is wonderful at the legal thriller genre. This is the 4th in the Tracy Crosswhite series - I have only read the last two and the first are on my list to catch up. However, while all the background would only make these books more enjoyable, it isn't necessary. There is enough info so that you understand the characters without knowing everything.

That being said, this is a great book! Crosswhite is a homicide detective in the Seattle Police Department. When a teenager finds a body in a submerged crab pot, the detectives find themselves with a Jane Doe. More investigation leads them to understand that the victim has gone to great lengths to disguise their identity.

I don't want to give even a hint of what's to come. This is a gripping thriller with lots of twists and turns. I was riveted - don't miss this book!

11.8.2016 - The 7th Canon

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Robert Dugoni for the opportunity to read and review this great book!

I'm sadly fairly new to this author's books because I've obviously missed a lot of great books! I read the most recent Tracy Crosswhite book and am anxious to start the next, but this book is a stand alone novel so no excuses not to read it if you love legal thrillers.

Donley is a young attorney, working in his uncle's law firm. He has a job offer from a bigger firm which would of course mean lots more money and opportunity. When his uncle gets sick, Donley is thrust into the limelight on a case involving a Catholic priest accused of murder and worse. Fr. Martin runs a shelter for homeless boys and one is found murdered. While trying to defend the priest, he runs into a lot of unsavory characters and puts himself in harm's way.

This was a quick read - mostly because I couldn't wait to see what happened next!

11.6.2016 - The Whole Town's Talking

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

If you're in the mood for a wholesome, charming tale of the chronology of small town America and its citizens, this is the book for you. Lordor Nordstrom came to Missouri from Sweden in the hopes of starting a community. He did just that - and eventually even got his own mail-order bride. Thus begins the story of Elmwood Springs.

It's a fun ride through all the decades, seeing how the town and descendants fare in ever-changing times. The characters are mostly endearing and you are anxious to see where the story takes them. The ride doesn't even end in death, where the stories continue.

11.5.2016 - Gone Without a Trace

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

My favorite genre...the psychological thriller. By now, we all know that there will be unreliable narrators and plot twists so these books need to step up their game a bit - and this one does.

Without revealing too much of the plot so I won't lessen the read for anyone else, Hannah is an up-and-coming accountant on track to be a manager at her firm. She arrives home after a training session to find that her home has been wiped clean of any trace of her live-in boyfriend, Matt. Devastated, she begins a quest to find him - so much so that it takes over her life. Meanwhile, she starts getting phone calls and noticing things at her house that make her think someone is watching her - is it Matt?

This is a great book to sail through and you'll definitely want to do that to find out what's happening. There are short chapters - all from Hannah's point of view. It leaves you questioning everyone and everything - plus there would be lots to discuss from this book, so a good book club choice.

11.4.2016 - Say Goodbye for Now

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I have been a fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde's books since Pay it Forward - her books always touch and teach me. This one is no different - this is the story of Pete, an abused 12-year-old who happens on a wolf-dog hybrid that has been hit by a car. He eventually finds his way to Dr Lucy, a loner who lives on a ranch taking care of things that have no place else to go. Along the way to her house, Pete happens upon Justin, a young black boy. They become friends - not the best choice in the 1950s when race was such an issue. (Or now - how sad that we don't seem to have changed as much as we should have!)

Say Goodbye for Now means learning to let go when it is the right thing instead of hanging on for selfish reasons. This is a very touching book - although no young boys I know of would actually speak in these ways, their words are true and honest. Great characters that will stay in your soul after you're done reading this book!

11.1.2016 - Faithful

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a wonderfully-written book, almost a coming-of-age book. Shelby is a teenager who was driving when an accident happened that hurt her best friend. Shelby couldn't cope with the depression and survivor's guilt so after a stint in a psychiatric facility, she became a recluse in her parents' basement.

But the story goes on as Shelby has to learn to walk through her guilt, with the help of good friends and a mysterious stranger who sends her postcards with encouraging messages.

This is a story of hope and of resilience in so many of the characters. I truly enjoyed this journey.

10.30.2016 - Sharon Tate and the Manson Murders

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

While I feel like I should know all about the Tate/LaBianca murders because of the multitudes of books, movies, etc. that I've seen on the subject, this book was different. This book explores Sharon Tate, the person, and not just the victim. The murders are definitely written about, but the majority of the book is about Sharon. Her family background, her insecurities, her talent - these I knew nothing about. There were also so many celebrity tie-ins that I knew nothing about - from Candice Bergen to Jane Fonda.

I also liked that the book spent time at the end talking about the impact that these deaths had on the victims' families and updated what has occurred to them in the aftermath. My copy of the book didn't have pictures so I was spared looking at those again, although I understand they are in the published version.

Hopefully Sharon Tate's legacy will be the one that was fought for by her family - to fight for the victims in these crimes.

Well worth the read.

10.28.2016 - Fractured

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I loved this book and the way it was written. The basic premise is that Julie, her husband Daniel and their twins move to Cincinnati from Tacoma. Julie is an author and her first book was a success - so much so that she developed a stalker from her law school years. To compound the issue, the book that she wrote is loosely (or not?) based on an incident that happened during that time when a friend died. To get away from the stalker, they pull up their roots and move to Ohio.

One of the first people that Julie meets is the neighbor across the street, John. She finds in him a running buddy but there is some attractiveness between the two. Things in the neighborhood are strange - there is an uber-control freak who seems to rule the entire neighborhood.

There are basically two different timelines...one is from John's perspective counting up towards a legal proceeding. We don't know the details of this proceeding but infer that an accident happened - we're not sure to whom. The other timeline is from Julie's perspective and it starts from the year prior so that we learn all about the past.

I couldn't stop reading this book to find out what happened. It was interesting to read about how Julie was writing her second book and all that success can bring. I loved the theme that such small choices we make everyday can lead to big consequences - both good and bad.

I also just saw that The Murder Game, which was the first book that Julie wrote, is now a new book by Catherine McKenzie (written by Julie)! Love that and can't wait to read that companion book!

10.25.2016 - I See You

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this opportunity!

First - I was SO obsessed with Clare Mackintosh's first book - I Let You Go. I told everyone about it and insisted that they read it. It's still the only book I remember that literally made me gasp out loud and turn back the pages to see what I could have missed. Truly an amazing debut novel!

I was SO excited to read her second book but you always wonder if it will lead up to the hype of the first. No worries! Another amazing book - this author's writing truly pulls you into the story and doesn't let go until you turn the last page. And even then you are thinking about it and the characters. A true sign of a gifted author. I love all the police procedurals that ring true in these type of novels - and they certainly do here, no doubt due to the fact that the author worked on the police force for 12 years!

To get to the synopsis without giving much away, the story switches narrators between chapters, with a creepy interjection from the perpetrator stuck in between at various points. Zoe is a single mom in a live-in relationship with her boyfriend and whose 2 young adult children live with them. She lives a life that is lived by so many - commutes on the subway (London Underground), uncomfortable bosses, tension between boyfriend and son, an ex-husband still in love with her. In contrast, Kelly is on the police force but was basically demoted after an incident with a suspect. She's still trying to get over trauma that happened to her twin and seems to color her days with anger. She ends up investigating the case of personal ads that seem to lead to violence inflicted on the women in the ads.

Not giving any more away because you must.read.this.book! Kudos to the author for a wonderful second book - hope you're working on your next one!

10.24.2016 - The Twilight Wife

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this great book! Definitely a must-read for fans of the psychological thriller genre and very reminiscent of SJ Watson's Before I Go to Sleep. Only due to the fact that life interfered made me have to wait several days to finish this book - otherwise, I would have sat in one place until I finished!

Marine biologist Kyra suffered a traumatic brain injury while diving with her husband, Jacob. She has a complex form of amnesia where she has lost a 4-year period including the time before/after the accident. Her devoted husband takes her to his parents' old home on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest to recover. She starts having dreams or possible memory flashbacks and starts to question her relationship to her husband, her friends, and her own sanity.

No more details because the ride is such a good one that you don't want anyone to spoil it! Just make sure to pick up a copy and carve out some time. This book definitely makes me want to go back and read the author's first book, The Good Neighbor. Definitely a great writer!

10.20.2016 - A Portrait of Emily Price

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book. I would probably give this one 4.5 stars if allowed - a really good read. As a plus to those for whom it would matter, there is not even a hint of sex written about in this love story.

Emily is a restorer and is sent from Chicago to Atlanta to work on damage to a home from a fire. She is working out of a studio owned by Joseph, an Italian who is a fine art restorer. Her first night there, he takes her to a family restaurant that his brother, Ben, came from Italy to try and salvage. Cue love at first sight made all the more special by language and cultural differences. A quick marriage later and Emily is on her way to Italy. There, she confronts more than what she bargained for with a family full of baggage.

The writing and portrayal of the Italian landscapes, treasures, food and lifestyles just encouraged my dream of visiting. This book lends a voice to what is involved in family and the secrets that are kept, finding oneself while giving of oneself.

Highly recommended!

10.16.2016 - Always

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I've loved all of Sarah Jio's books and this is no exception. In the 1990s, Kailey and her best friend move to Seattle after college where Kailey gets a job with the local newspaper. She meets Cade, a music executive who started a company to promote new artists in the Seattle music scene. They fall madly in love - until Cade suddenly disappears after a fight.

Contrasted with the background of their love affair, fast forward ten years. Kailey has had no choice but to move on with her life. She's engaged to Ryan, a wealthy building project manager. While at times his occupation is at odds with hers (she is still writing for the paper with an emphasis on the homeless population), they are planning their wedding and new life.

Then, Kailey meets a homeless man who she eventually recognizes as Cade. She can't let it go and makes it her mission to find him and find out what happened.

This is a great story as we learn about Kailey & Cade's past while she presently struggles on how to let her heart move forward with Ryan instead of being back in the past with Cade. A great story of compassion and following your heart.

P.S.  What a pretty book cover - love it too!

10.13.2016 - The Light in Paris

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved Eleanor Brown's first book, Weird Sisters. I didn't love this one as much, but it was still a good book.

The story alternates between two characters and two different time periods. Madeline, in 1999, is trapped in a marriage that she knew was wrong to begin with. Her husband is controlling and basically married her for her family's social connections. Madeline was never able to fit into the mold that her mother wanted for her and felt that this marriage was her last chance. She gave up her passion - art - to try and fit in others' molds.

On a trip back to her mother's house, Madeline finds her grandmother's journals from 1924. Margie is very similar to Madeline - trying to fit into a mold and being miserable with her choices. When an opportunity arises to go to Paris, she finds herself slowly waking up and becoming the person she wants to be.

These two contrasting stories tell a similar tale of being true to yourself. A good read!

10.7.2016 - The Long, Hot Summer

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I really liked this book and enjoyed getting to know the MacEntee family. This book takes place in Ireland in 2013, when there was apparently a very unusual hot summer. The story opens with the matriarch, Dieirdre, planning an 80th birthday party for herself.

Each chapter segues into the story of another family member - from her husband who left her for a much-younger man, their 3 children and their spouses, and her granddaughters. The writing style was wonderful - I loved how intimately we got to know each of these people. While the characters didn't always behave appropriately, they each felt personable and we grew to understand their behavior.

A great portrait of family, in all its many shapes and sizes, and how it shapes each of us.

10.2.2016 - The Roanoke Girls

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

First - those easily offended or put off by disturbing situations might want to choose another book. This one will definitely make you squirm and angry.

If you can get past that, this is a winner of a book. Told in alternating views of Then and Now, with short snippets in between to give more info on other characters, this story pulls you in and won't let you go until you find out what happens.

Lane is a very neglected teenage girl living in NYC with an apparently mentally unstable mother. After her death, she is sent to live with grandparents in Kansas she's never met. Allegra has lived her whole life at Roanoke because her mom ran off when she was young. This is both a coming-of-age book (the then chapters) as well as mystery when Allegra goes missing and Lane comes home to Roanoke to help search for her (the now).

I couldn't put this one down. Creepy, sure, but a great read!

9.30.2016 - One to Five

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this cookbook.

I love cookbooks - can sit and read them like a novel!  This one was great and definitely lived up to the title.  Rachael Ray wrote the foreword so you know it's a good book.

This is a great concept - take one recipe for a food...say a pot roast.  Then he gives you 5 more recipes to make that use the pot roast.  Genius!  Plus, this is not one of those "have to run to the store for some weird ingredient" cookbooks.  This uses things you probably already have in your house. Plus, he gives you great tips on essentials for your pantry and refrigerator.  I've already bookmarked lots of recipes. 

This is just personal preference, but I love when cookbooks have nutrition info for their recipes.  I knew going into this book that since it uses some processed foods (like canned biscuits) it probably wasn't uber-healthy but I still enjoy the nutrition info.

Bravo to the chef!  Families short on time as well as those just starting to cook will love this book!

9.29.2016 - The Fall Guy

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a good suspense novel, although it's one that has a slower build with more emphasis on the characters' lives.

Matthew and Charlie are cousins but because of their family situations are more like brothers. However, Charlie is a wealthy businessman with a gorgeous wife and beautiful homes. Matthew is an out of work chef who comes to spend the summer with Charlie and his wife, Chloe. Matthew also has a secret crush on Chloe.

I enjoyed this book and it was a page turner to find out what happens. Everyone has an agenda and you're never sure where the truth lies. However, none of the characters were exceptionally likeable.

9.28.2016 - The Wonder

A heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this amazing book.

This is the Emma Donoghue that wrote Room - that I loved, loved, loved and told everyone within earshot about. I feel the same about The Wonder. That both are centered in small rooms is not lost on me!

The Wonder takes place in rural Ireland, about 7 years after the potato famine that devastated the area. The author's writing about the location takes you physically and emotionally there - the mist, the bogs, the trees...you really feel you are there.

The story revolves around Anna - an 11-year-old girl who apparently hasn't had a bite of food since her last birthday 4 months ago. From a deeply religious family, everyone is convinced that this is a miracle from God because Anna appears to be thriving. A committee of townspeople (including the family priest and doctor) come up with a plan to prove doubters wrong. They hire a nun and a nurse to watch over Anna at all times for two weeks - she must never be out of their site.

Lib is the nurse that is hired - she trained under Florence Nightingale and served in the Crimea War. However, since the war's end, she is working at a hospital doing paltry aide duties. She approaches the job of watching Anna in a very serious vein but with a very skeptical attitude. She is not religious and doesn't believe that Anna is a miracle child; she is convinced that she will uncover the truth about where Anna is getting nourishment.

I don't want to give anything away because you need to read this book - a true wonder!!

9.24.2016 - I Will Send Rain

First, many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book - it was amazing.

Such a beautifully-written story that totally immerses you into the 1930s in the drought-stricken areas of Oklahoma. This is the story of the Bell's - a hard-working family that has seen their share of grief and sadness. They are sadly used to a tough existence, praying for rain to help salvage their crops, only to be greeted with unimaginable dust storms.

You feel the family's hardships - Samuel, the father, struggles with his visions of a flood and that God is telling him to build a boat. Annie, the mother, quietly tries to be a good wife and mother, struggling with a loss of faith because of so many other losses. Annie struggles with wanting something - or someone - to give her back the feelings she used to have when things were bright and the future promising. The children - Fred, a mute, curious, bright child; and Birdie, a teenager wanting to escape her mom's life yet falling in love with a farmer.

Each of these characters is so deep with need and want, love and duty - you could discuss them forever. But the best part is that you feel them as you read this book - you feel the pain, the grief, the yearning for more.

Don't miss this experience - highly, highly recommended!

9.20.2016 - Boy 9 Missing

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this great debut thriller!

I really enjoyed this book - it would be a great book club book with lots of different characters to delve into.

The story opens with the bathtub drowning death of 9-year-old Lucas at a dinner party at his own home. A child guest at the party is the one who discovers the body but refuses to say a word about what happened. Lucas' brother carries the grief and anxieties forward into his adult life. Which is where we find ourselves in the heart of the book - Frances, the brother, returns to his hometown. His father has been obsessed with Sam, the boy who found Lucas dead, convinced that he killed his son. Then Sam's 9-year-old son goes missing.

It's a great thrill ride with plenty of suspense and twists. Can't wait to read more from this author!

9.16.2016 - Beat the Rain

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book!

This was a great book - lots of intrigue, great character exploration. The story is written in two viewpoints - Louise and Adam. Louise is a young woman with a sad family history - abandoned by her mom and then her dad died. She meets and falls in love with Tom, who also passes away. Enter Adam, Tom's twin brother. They get together, both trying to fill a need left by so much loss and grief. But those are deep holes and therein lies the story. Are they enough for each other? Can they make it work?

What I really loved about this book was the writing - there were so many beautiful phrases that just made you stop and take notice. And possibly apply them to your own life - be present, listen, don't take things for granted.

An amazing debut - looking forward to more from this author!

9.14.2016 - Anything for Her

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A great thrill ride - Louise and her 18-year-old daughter Brooke have a secret that they've kept from everything, including Louise's husband Michael. Something happened on "that night" that changed everything. Louise went from a loving wife and happy therapist to a depressed woman. Brooke was no longer the party girl but a recluse in her home. Michael starts an affair to escape his home life. Ten-year-old Dominic is left wondering what happened to his family.

We don't find out what happened "that night" until almost half the book is done. But the secret is threatening to come out when events start crashing - Louise finds out who the object of her husband's affections has been and runs away to their country home by herself. Brooke is left home but seeks out her mom because she's the only one who understands. Someone is following them and appears to know their secret.

A good thrill ride - very enjoyable!

9.12.2016 - The One Man

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this amazing book.

I had previously read Andrew Gross' 15 Seconds and really enjoyed the fast-paced thriller. But The One Man is on a whole different level. This book will grip you and not let you go, even after you turn the last page.

The premise takes the thriller genre in a new direction. It's 1944 when Jews are being routinely rounded up and taken to concentration camps in horrifying numbers. A physics professor is taken prisoner, his lifetime work on paper destroyed in front of his eyes, and his wife and daughter taken off for dead. But this is no ordinary professor - he is one of two people in the world with specific knowledge about nuclear fission.

On the other side of the world, Nathan Blum left Poland just before his family was also killed. He now works in Washington DC but his grief and guilt at being free while his family perished pushes him to want to do more with his life. He ends up being selected for a fool's mission - to break into Auschwitz and then break out with the professor.

From then on, this is nothing short of a horrifying glimpse into the horrors of that time period interspersed with an incredible, roller coaster of a thriller. So much to think about in this book - both the depravity and kindness of people, bravery, the importance of just one man in so many different ways.

Do not miss reading this book - it will stay with you long after you have finished. Bravo to the author!

9.5.2016 - Everything We Keep

                                    

4 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel, and I'm going to be on the lookout for her future works. This was a suspenseful novel without feeling too suspenseful; in other words, there was a lot of focus on the characters.

Aimee is getting ready to marry her childhood best friend when he goes missing. Instead of getting married, she ends up going to his funeral on their wedding date. Aimee just can't let go of James - she never saw his body and she just doesn't feel any closure. Those feelings multiply when a mysterious woman tells her that she believes James is still alive.

While holding on to that hope and still not letting go, she manages to move on. She begins a new career and possibly an interest in a new man. Until she has to see for herself is James is alive or dead.

The author deftly gives you background information into the characters while moving on in the story, again letting you into the characters' feelings while exploring the mystery.

This book will leave you wanting more - possibly a sequel and definitely more books to come from this author!         

9.3.2016 - You Will Know Me

5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I really liked this one...it's a different kind of thriller as well as a great character study. The book and the world revolves around Devon - an extremely gifted gymnast. After a childhood accident, she went on to excel in the world of gymnastics and is on track to go to the Olympics. Of course, behind every child star is a family - parents who give up everything to make sure that their child has everything possible to achieve those dreams. Siblings who are always in the background. And whose dreams are they really? How well do we know our children? Add all of that drama to the fact that a crime happens to someone they all know - who did it? And who knows?

This book kept me hostage - it is subtle in the feelings it provokes. But that creepy feeling you get just waiting for something to happen is strong in this book and adds another layer to all the characters. Even if you think you figure it out along the way, it takes nothing away from the suspense. I even learned quite a lot about the gymnastics world.

This was just great writing - mark me as a fan.

9.1.2016 - The Girl Before

4 stars.  Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Another good psychological thriller - I waivered between 4 and 5 stars for this book. I love how the story was told in two voices: Before-Emma and Now-Jane.

Both of these narrators are chosen to be renters/caretakers for a very unusual house - one that comes with so many rules set forth by the architect who built it. The house is technologically intelligent - shower comes on when you step in at the exact temperature you like, you can't bring any clutter to disrupt the minimalism (not even books!), and on and on. Both narrators are trying to escape from their pasts - Emma from a burglary at her previous home and Jane from a stillbirth. They both begin relationships with the architect.

There the fun begins - this is a very quick read with short alternating chapters. I really enjoyed figuring out the all the truths amidst all the lies.

8.28.2016 - All These Perfect Strangers

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Although the storyline was good and I love a good psychological thriller, I just couldn't get too interested in this book. None of the characters were likable and I found myself just wanting to get to the end of the book to see what happened.

Set in Australia, Pen is a first-year university student who escaped from a bad home situation. That wasn't all - she escaped from her small town's focus on her because she had some role in a policeman's murder. That story is doled out in bits and pieces.

The main story is what happens to Pen at university - 3 of her friends are murdered during her first year. What role did she take? The story is told through different time periods as she is writing in a diary and talking to her psychologist. A good twist at the end made me glad I kept reading.

Since this is a debut novel, I'm sure there will be more to look forward to in the future.

8.25.2016 - The Twenty-Three

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow - just finished my binge reading of this Barclay trilogy. Please, please tell me there is another book coming to answer some of the questions still hanging!

I really enjoyed all of these books - fast moving, lots of characters and stories to lose yourself in, lots of suspects to wonder about. This book continued the trials happening in the small Upstate New York town of Promise Falls - unsolved murders, mysterious happenings related to the number 23, just to name a few.

I loved so many of the characters and their very human characteristics - Duckworth with his eating and weight issues especially. But I have to know what happens to everyone!!

This is a great trilogy - much better read binge style, although the author does a great job filling in all the details of the past books. I blazed through these books and was sorry when I was finished!

8.22.2016 - Far From True

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I'm binge reading this trilogy of stories - the only way to read them! I read way too many books to remember all the details from book to book if you wait for each to be published. Although in these books, the author makes a note of filling in all the background on the characters - great if you are waiting to read them, but a little repetitive if you are bingeing! I'm also loving that these books are set in Upstate New York and feature towns where I live - just makes things a little extra fun.

Things have moved in the story from the first book - adding more issues that are happening in the town of Promise Falls that all seem to be centered around the mysterious number 23. Plus, all of the characters are becoming more and more connected.

These are great books, easy reading, lots of fun!

8.21.2016 - Broken Promise

I had received the next two installments of this book from NetGalley so had to go back and purchase the first so that I would be in the know! Even so, I felt like there were situations that were alluded to that I didn't know anything about. I know this author has written lots of books and maybe some of these situations were in other books or maybe they will be answered as I read on.

Either way, this is a great book and I'm excited to read on in this trilogy. This story takes place in a small Upstate New York town (fictional town but sounds geographically like where I live!). Probably the creepiest part of this book is that it's one of those stories that features real people that make bad mistakes.

David is a journalist that comes back to his hometown of Promise Falls for a newspaper job that falls through on his first day. This leaves David and his son to live with his parents. His investigative background helps when his cousin is accused of a horrible crime. The story is told in the voice of different characters in the book, which helps to really delve into them and their part in the mystery.

This was an easy read and I raced through it - on to the next 2 books!

8.19.2016 - The Wangs vs the World

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I enjoyed reading this book but think I could have enjoyed it a bit more - I had a little trouble getting invested enough. But it's a funny/sad/family/relationship book - all meshed together in a giant road trip. The Wang's were a very wealthy family until a series of bad decisions changed all that. The parents make a decision to pick up two of the children (Grace is at boarding school and Andrew at college) and drive to their eldest daughter's home in upstate New York. The book is told in different voices of all the characters (even the car has a couple chapters!), so you do really feel where each is coming from.

There were conversations in Chinese with no translation (at least in the galley I read) which maybe added to the disconnection I felt but you could usually get the gist of what they were saying.

This is an entertaining book with lots of road trip/relationship/meaning of family gained along the ride.

8-15-2016 - Claiming Noah

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book!

This is a book similar in vein to Jodi Picoult's books - take a hot-button topic and explore it from different angles to make you really think about both sides.

Catriona and James struggle with infertility and undergo IVF treatments. After a successful pregnancy and with one remaining frozen embryo, they make the decision to donate the embryo to another couple for adoption. Catriona struggles with her feelings about pregnancy and new motherhood including postnatal depression/psychosis issues.

The alternative voice in this book is Diana who also struggles with infertility. Her and her husband Liam adopt the embryo and carry it to a successful pregnancy. While they struggle with marital difficulties, Diana adores being a mom to Noah. Until one day, he is kidnapped.

This is the set up for a Sampson-like dilemma. It certainly gives insight to the ethical and legal decisions behind embryonic adoption - one that I'm sure will only increase due to the vast number of IVF procedures now. Both mothers in this book lead you to sympathetic feelings.

Would be a fabulous read for a book club with much to discuss!

8.14.2016 - No Witness But the Moon

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is the first book by this author that I have read - I've been missing some good reads obviously! I'm sure that the reading of this latest installment in the Jimmy Vega series would be even better had I read the previous books, but I still found this one a thrill ride.

Jimmy Vega is an upstate New York detective who also deals with the undocumented in his corner of the world. He's involved with Adele, who is head of an organization dealing strictly with immigration issues. When Vega shoots and kills a suspect, it sets both of their worlds and their relationship on fire.

This book and its subject matters are so prevalent in today's volatile environment between police and society. It really gives you a look from the other side - definitely one that isn't talked about enough. When an officer kills someone in the line of duty, they are never the same.

So a great mystery, relevant subject - just a really good read!