12.30.2019 - Good Girls Lie

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin/MIRA, and JT Ellison for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller - this book had the perfect setting for an intriguing book!

Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the Goode School is an elite, all-girls boarding school made up of the privileged daughters of politicians and the wealthy.  All of the girls must sign the Honor Code, pledging more than anything to not lie.  Do Goode girls lie?  You bet they do!

The school has a history of hidden tunnels, secret societies, and enough creepy ghost stories to scare even the toughest girl.  When a young girl is found dead after falling from the bell tower - rumors swirl as to whether it was suicide or something even worse.  Everyone here has their secrets, from the Dean to the new student in school, Ash Carr.  Her background is definitely something she wants to keep secret and is upset when it is uncovered.

Just a good book to curl up with on a cold, rainy winter day.  Lots of twists and turns in this one!

12.29.2019 - Such a Fun Age

Many thanks to NetGalley, GP Putnam's Sons, and Kiley Reid for the opportunity to read this wonderful debut novel - 4.5 stars rounded up and a hope that Ms. Reid is busily working on her next book!

This is a very multi-faceted book - it would be a wonderful book club selection.  On the surface, it is the story of a young woman, trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, and the little girl she babysits.  Emira loves spending days with young Briar, who will definitely steal your heart as well.  Briar's mom, Alix, moved to Philadelphia from NYC for her husband's job, changing her career as a blogger and influencer of other women to stand up for themselves.  When Alix calls Emira late one evening to take Briar out of the house because there was an incident where Alix and her husband needed to call the police, Emira takes Briar to the neighborhood grocery store where only wealthy white people typically shop.  A security guard stops Emira, thinking that she kidnapped Briar, and someone videotapes the interaction.  Emira wants to put the situation behind her, but Alix decides to take on Emira as her latest cause.  The race/privilege divide is so well portrayed.  When we are trying to avoid being racist, are we really just being racist and contributing to the issue?  How do we view those we pay to help us - are they servants or family?

A beautifully written book that will have you thinking deeply beyond the wonderful story presented.  Highly recommended!

12.25.2019 - Zenith Man

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, and Jennifer Haigh to read this installment of the Inheritance series of short stories.  I am not typically a short story fan but these are just so good!

This story involves a reclusive tv repairman, Harold, and what happens when he discovers his wife had died.  But no one even knew Harold had a wife.  How can they prove he didn't kill her if they can't prove she was ever alive?

Just another story in this great series that will make you think.  This one will make you reflect on how we judge other people.

12.25.2019 - Can You Feel This?

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, and Julie Orringer for the opportunity to read and review this short story, another in the 5-part Inheritance series and another 5 star read.  These books are short but so powerful.

Written in the 2nd person, this is the story of a mother being rushed to the hospital in an emergency to deliver her too-early baby.  Her husband, Ky, takes her to the nearest hospital instead of the one where she is supposed to deliver.  This hospital is where she was taken after her mother died which brings up so many emotions as well as the secret she is keeping from her husband.

You will definitely feel the emotions of this book - some are so relatable to all new mothers.  Another highly recommended story in this series - can't wait to read the others.

12.24.2019 - The Wives

Many thanks to NetGalley, Graydon House and Tarryn Fisher for the opportunity to read this thriller.  3.5 stars rounded up.

Thursday (yes, that's the character's name) is crazy about Seth - crazy enough that she went along with the fact that, even though he was married to her, he was still in a relationship with his ex-wife and also had another woman on the side who was expecting his child!  Yes, you read all that right.  What could possibly go wrong except everything.  When Thursday starts investigating the other wives, it leads her down a dark road and shows her a different side of her husband.

Lots of twists but a lot of unbelievable scenes as well - of course, anything involving my husband having other wives is unbelievable to me!  Still a good read.

12.24.2019 - Half the Sugar All the Love

Many thanks to NetGalley, Workman Publishing, and Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel for the opportunity to read and review this cookbook.

I try and watch added sugar in things where you don't need it and save it for those special desserts when I want them!  This book had lots of good info on being aware of sugar in foods, reading labels, and substitutes to make.  The recipes look great - however, they may be lower in sugar but they still aren't necessarily healthy.  I try to cook with less white flour, more whole grains, less butter and fat but these recipes didn't go along that line too much.

But still, helpful information and a good start to more healthy eating!

12.19.2019 - The Women of the Copper Country

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Mary Doria Russell.  What an wonderful book of historical fiction about amazing women who set out to make right of so many wrongs.  I'll admit I wanted to read this book for a couple of reasons - I have visited the copper country of the Upper Peninsula and was interested in its history and Mary Doria Russell is from Northeast Ohio (where I lived for 25 years) and such a wonderful writer!  Definitely a 5 star read.

Annie Clements was only 25 when she decided to stand up for the copper miners in Calumet, Michigan.  While still having to perform all of her household duties for an abusive husband, she worked to establish a union for better working conditions for the miners.  She rallied the Women's Auxiliary into a nationally-recognized fight at the cost of much that was dear to her.

The story of the impossible lives of miners of this age is horrific; families were indebted to the rich bossman for generations.  The women's lives were so difficult - I need to remember this when our modern problems seem so hard!

An eye-opening book that is highly recommended!

12.15.2019 - Everything My Mother Taught Me

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, and Alice Hoffman for the opportunity to read and review this short story - spot on as all of her books are!

Adeline is devastated after her father's death, left with a mother who never put her first, and stops talking.  But that doesn't mean that she can't change her world.  In 28 pages, Hoffman manages to make you feel so much for these characters.

Brilliant!

12.15.2019 - Little Weirds

Thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown & Company, and Jenny Slate for the opportunity to read this book.

However, I definitely feel like I am not the target audience for this book. It's a very stream of consciousness/memoir that is indeed full of "little weirds."  Much too weird for me.

I did like the cover drawing though!

12.14.2019 - The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Kim Michele Richardson for the opportunity to read and review this book - 5 stars!  I probably upped my rating because of all the hype going on with Jo Jo Moyes' new book, The Giver of Stars, and the passages seemingly plagiarized from this book.  I love Moyes' books, but the similarities are just too close to be coincidental.

Both of the main topics in this book were new to me.  Blue-skinned people?  Never heard of them.  The Pack Horse Library Project in Kentucky - wow.  If that doesn't pique your interest - there are so many topics in this book to explore - this would be such a wonderful book club pick.  Prejudice, poverty, hope, resilience.  Kudos to this author for an amazingly well-researched book.

Cussie Mary is the last in the line of blue-skinned people in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky.  She also joined the Pack Horse Library Project in the Appalachians, bringing written books and material to the people who lived in the hills.  She covered miles and miles of scary routes to bring her patrons these books, while also dealing with prejudice against her skin color.

Highly recommended!

12.11.2019 - The Other Son

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Nick Alexander for the opportunity to read and review this book - loved it.  I read this book on the heels of another of his books, The Bottle of Tears, and have determined that Alexander really gets people's emotions - the good, the bad, the ugly.  4.5 stars!

Alice stayed married to Ken, an abusive husband/father, because she didn't see another way to live and thought it was best for their two boys, Tim and Matt.  But now in her 70s, Alice is starting to wonder if there could be another kind of life for her.  Both boys have suffered their upbringing in different ways - for Tim, a successful banker, there is never enough things to surround himself with - the perfect wife, the always bigger house and sound system.  Matt never followed through on anything - dropped out of college right before graduation and ha been traveling the world not communicating with his family much at all.  What will happen if Alice decides to make a new life?

Spot on with emotions, this book is hopeful and wise.  Another great read from this author!

12.9.2019 - The Bottle of Tears

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Nick Alexander for the opportunity to read this wonderful family drama.  4.5 stars.

Penny and Vicky are sisters and survivors of a horrible family tragedy that happened on Christmas.  Their mother, Marge, seems to encourage the drama between the sisters.  Penny, a successful psychologist working with refugees, is married to Sanders, a once successful painter, and has 2 children.  From the outside, she seems to have it all - except that Penny feels she's the only one working and trying to keep their family afloat.  Vicky, married to Martin, a successful lawyer, has one child and a host of anxiety issues, fueled by her addiction to Valium.  When childhood secrets finally come out, the sisters need to finally find a way to understand each other and move forward.

Just a good family drama story and I loved the "bottle of tears" analogy.  It's amazing how different our perceptions can be from reality and cause so many family issues.

12.6.2019 - All That's Bright and Gone

Many thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Eliza Nellums for the opportunity to read this wonderful debut novel - I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!  4.5 stars!

Aoife is 6 years old living with her mom who is struggling to take care of her.  When her mom gets out of her car in the middle of the road screaming at Aoife's brother, Theo, who Aoife knows is dead, her mom is taken to a hospital and Aoife's Uncle Donny comes to her house to take care of her.  Written entirely from Aoife's point of view, we see Aoife with her imaginary bear friend, Teddy, trying to make sense of the adult things that are going on around her.  Aoife feels that if she can solve the mystery of what happened to her brother, her mom will be able to come home.  She enlists the help of her friend next door to find clues into the mystery.

I love how Aoife's Catholic upbringing and education about prayer and saints brings her such peace as she struggles to make sense of her world.  The author did a fabulous job of incorporating the thoughts and vocabulary of a 6-year-old into this story.  Great read!

12.4.2019 - The Less People Know About Us

Thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Axton Betz-Hamilton for the opportunity to read and review this book - especially one that is so personal and private and had to be difficult to write.

Axton grew up an only child on a farm in rural Indiana.  From an early age, there were many secrets swirling around the family and Axton learned the term "identify theft" before it was a common thing.  Her parents fell prey and Axton was taught to be suspicious of anyone and everyone; she never fit in at school, had friends, could answer the phone.  When Axton finally went off to college and discovered her credit report, she realized that she was also a victim from the age of 11.

This is a difficult book to review - some things seem so obvious to the reader.  It comes down to the blinders we wear in our family and how we trust them to be honest and put our needs above their own or others.  When that doesn't always happen, it's devastating.  Mental illness plays a big part in the backstory of this book.  To me, Axton, no matter how successful, is partially still that child keeping the rest of the world at bay.

12.2.2019 - Meg and Jo

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Virginia Kantra for the opportunity to read and review this modern retelling of Little Women.  I haven't read Little Women in probably over 45 years, so this review is not based on the merits of the retelling vs the original book - I'll leave that to others more knowledgeable!  While based mostly on the Meg and Jo characters, Amy and Beth also appear and will have their own book next!

However, I very much enjoyed this story on its own merits.  Meg is the reliable one in the family - she stayed close to home, is happily married and the mother of twin toddlers.  But she can't seem to let go of the feeling that she always needs to be in control for things to work out.  Jo ventured off to NYC for a writing career.  When the paper she worked for went under, she finds work as a cook in a trendy restaurant and writing a food blog on the side.  When their mother becomes ill and things in NYC start falling apart, Jo heads back to North Carolina to help out.

It's hard to break the habits of our childhood - Jo tends to run away when things become difficult or out of her control.  I loved the depiction of the marriage of Meg and John - very real and a lesson to all of us about how differently we show and receive love.  A good story of family, sisters, just life and love in general!

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.

10.29.2019 - The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae

So many heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Griffin, and Stephanie Butland for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book - 5 glowing stars!

Ailsa Rae, 28, has lived her life on the edge of dying - born with a heart condition and now on the heart transplant list.  Her  single mom has sheltered Ailsa and taken care of her - letting her spread her wings a bit to go to university but still always living at home when she wasn't in the hospital.  When her best friend/ex-boyfriend, Lennox, passes away, Ailsa is ready to give up.  Until she gets the call that a heart has been found for her.

Ailsa has been keeping an online blog of her health issues and once she's had her transplant and is at home recovering, she relies more and more on her blog community.  Never having been faced with a certain future before, Ailsa lets her readers make decisions for her through online polls. The stronger Ailsa gets, she starts pulling away from her mom, wants to find her biological father, and live on her own - which all cause issues.

Just a wonderfully-written novel that I couldn't put down.  I love the email/blog conversations and the quirkiness of it all.  Highly recommended!

10.27.2019 - The Patient

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake. Union Publishing, and Steena Holmes for the opportunity to read her latest thriller.  I'm a fan of Holmes' writing and was excited to have this chance to read this book - and I wasn't disappointed even though I may have figured out a few plot twists.

Danielle is a therapist starting her practice in a new town.  She only has 3 patients now - Tyler, Savannah, and Ella - but she is starting to believe that one of them is a serial killer; she's just not sure which one.  The killer is striking in town with the same MO - killing parents and leaving a child alone.  The town is becoming scared.  Danielle's best friend, Tami, is a detective trying to solve the crimes and Danielle has expressed some of her fears about her patients, but not the complete story.

Best to say too little about this book to not spoil anything - it's a quick read because you'll want to figure out what's going on!

10.26.2019 - Before & After: The Incredible Real-life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate for the opportunity to read and review this nonfiction follow-up to Before We Were Yours, which was a fictionalized account of Georgia Tann's Tennessee Children's Home Society.  Tann ran a child-trafficking operation under the guises of an adoption agency/orphanage from the 1920s-1950s.

After the popularity of that book, people started contacting the author, Wingate, at book readings and by email to tell her their true stories.  One victim was driven to create a reunion of other victims in Memphis when Wingate was scheduled to appear at a book event.  With little time to prepare, Wingate brought in her friend and journalist, Judy Christie, to help her document the stories and pictures.  Little by little, things came together in extraordinary ways and gave these victims an opportunity to open up, some for the first time, and share their stories as well as ways to track down missing biological family members.

This book contains 15 different family stories - all heartbreaking but in the end filled with gratitude and blessings for the life that was theirs.  I also loved the author's thoughts that make the reader think about ways to move forward in our lives with more compassion and thoughtfulness.  A must read!

10.25.2019 - The Other Wife

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Claire McGowan for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller - it will definitely keep you guessing.

Suzi and her husband, Nick, leave London after Suzi makes a lot of questionable decisions and her husband wants a new start.  However, the cottage they move to is very remote and Nick is very controlling, leaving Suzi desperate for company.  When a new neighbor, Nora, moves in, Suzi is excited to have a friend.  We also meet Elle, a woman trying to be the perfect wife, obsessed and fearful than her husband is seeing someone else.
Told in chapters featuring each of these women's points of view, we find out how alike they are - plus, the book opens with a dead body.

None of these characters are likable, and for some reason I had trouble keeping track of who was who.  But it was a fast-paced suspense read.

10.23.2019 - Twice in a Blue Moon

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and the writing duo Christina Lauren for the opportunity to read and review their latest novel.  I really enjoyed the Unhoneymooners - this latest book wasn't quite the same read for me but still a light, romantic novel with lots of feeling.

Tate Jones meets Sam Brandis while on a vacation in London with her over-protective grandmother and falls madly in love.  She put all her trust in Sam, confiding her family secret that she is the daughter of one of the most famous current Hollywood stars.  When he breaks that trust, her world is shattered.  Fourteen years later, Tate is following in her father's footsteps and is beginning to shoot a film that is destined to make her career.  Then she sees that the screenwriter is none other than her first love.

A nice romantic story filled with all those human emotions that go along with family, love, betrayal, forgiveness.

10.21.2019 - The Poison Garden

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and A.J. Banner for the opportunity to read her latest thriller.  I loved her previous books but this one wasn't as good to me as her others.  However, it was a quick read - under 300 pages - and kept me reading to see how it would turn out.  3.5 stars.

Elise Watters is happily married and approaching her first wedding anniversary.  Still grieving over the recent death of her mother, Elise gets a shock when she returns home that threatens her marriage and possibly her life.  Known for sleepwalking, Elise isn't sure if what is happening is paranoia, reality or something even worse.

The plot was just a bit too far fetched from reality for me to really lose myself in this book.

10.20.2019 - All This Could Be Yours

Many thanks to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Jami Attenberg for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel - 5 stars for a great read about a family and all its dysfunctional ways.

Victor is the head of his family but he's not a nice man.  His business is built on criminal ways, he's unfaithful to his wife, and is physically abusive with her and their two children.  His wife, Barbra, puts up with his behavior because she gets something out of it - money and the freedom to do what she wants.  Never maternal with the children, Alex & Gary, who grew up not liking their absent father.  Alex gets a call from Barbra that Victor is on his deathbed and wants the children to come.  Alex goes to New Orleans not to be with her dad but to hopefully uncover the true reasons behind the marriage dysfunction that shaped her life.

Set on one day on Victor's death watch, each chapter gives us a view into lots of different characters both in the immediate family as well as outside that circle, all providing more to the story about how dysfunction carries down into the generations and how to stop it.   I loved the truth that poured off these pages into the messy feelings that go along with family and relationships.  Great New Orleans setting as well - the heat and humidity felt so real.

Highly recommended - another winner from Jami Attenberg!

10.18.2019 - Close to You

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Kerry Wilkinson for the opportunity to read and review his latest thriller - my heart was in my throat a few times while reading this book!

This story is told in the present time as well as in the past (The Why).  We know from the beginning that Morgan killed her husband David over two years ago.  She has gotten away with it and moved on with her life.  Her personal training business has taken off and she is at an award ceremony with her best friend, Jane.  When she is at home later and looking at pictures, she is shocked to see David in the background of one of the pictures.  But it can't be - she knows she killed him.  Things go steadily wrong for Morgan after that until she is questioning everything and everyone.

Enough said - you need to read this one yourself for the full roller coaster ride experience!

10.17.2019 - Olive, Again

Many thanks to NetGgalley, Random House, and Elizabeth Strout for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel, a follow-up to her Pulitzer Price winning book, Olive Kitteridge.  5 glorious stars for the chance to spend time again with Olive!

Olive is now in her 70s, her first husband has died, she is estranged from her son, and she is lonely.  But she's still Olive - brutally honest and very opinionated.  Each chapter centers on another character with ties to Crosby, Maine, but Olive always makes an appearance to string the entire book together.  We watch as Olive grows older and has to navigate a world that is increasingly harder for her.

I just loved this book and could see both myself, my children and parents in this book.  It will give you insight to all generations and maybe make you think just a bit how small interactions can make big differences.  Highly recommended!

10.15.2019 - When She Returned

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Lucinda Berry for the opportunity to read her latest psycho9logical thriller.  I loved this one - 4.5 stars for a thrilling read.

Kate Bennett vanished from a Target parking lot, leaving her purse and phone behind as well as her husband and young daughter, Abbi.  Searches turned up nothing.  Kate had been investigating Love International, an organization that promised to help addicts, when she disappeared but there was never any connection found.  Fast forward 11 years, Kate has been declared dead and her husband Scott remarried Meredith.  Abbi's only real recollections of her mom come from all the stories her dad shared with her.  Then a phone call saying that Kate has been found in Montana with an infant turns everyone's world around.

Told from Kate's point of view in the past, and from Meredith and Abbi in the present time, this book brings up so many interesting topics - how does everyone now relate when Kate is back in the household?  What secrets is everyone not sharing?

10.13.2019 - I Will Make You Pay

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Teresa Driscoll for the opportunity to read her latest psychological thriller - 4.5 stars for a gripping read!

Journalist Alice Henderson starts receiving scary threats on Wednesdays - and the person seems to know things about her that no one else should know.  As the Wednesday threats escalate, Alice realizes this isn't just a hoax and someone is targeting her.  Her boyfriend, Tom, insists that they hire Matthew, a private investigator, to watch over Alice on Wednesdays.  Matthew, an ex-cop, has a good relationship with Melanie, the detective on Alice's case.

The book gives us the points of view from Alice, Matthew, and the stalker, whose story is told starting from when he was a child.  This book will keep you guessing as to the identify of the stalker until the very end!  I also loved the relationship between Alice and her mother.

Highly recommended!

10.13.2019 - Seven Letters

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Griffin, and JP Monniger for the opportunity to read and review his latest book.  Like The Map That Leads to You, which I enjoyed, this book is also part travelogue, letting me experience the beauty and history of Ireland.

Kate Moreton is a PhD student at Dartmouth, studying the Blasket Islands of Ireland.  Kate grew up listening to her father's story of Ireland and these islands and is thrilled to be going there to complete her dissertation.  But fate has a different path for her - she meets and falls in love with Ozzie, a fisherman with emotional scars left from his time in the war.  Their romance is fast and furious and they end up getting married, until Kate wonders who she actually did marry and flees the country and Ozzie.

Besides the beautiful visions of Ireland this book revealed, the story of Kate and Ozzie was one to fall into.  They both were real characters with real emotions and flaws.  I loved the seven letters too, leading the story into the next phases.

10.2.2019 - Cilka's Journey

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Heather Morris for the opportunity to read and review this book - as with all books involving the atrocities of the Holocaust, it's hard to read and so moving.  This is the follow-up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz but definitely also a stand alone read.

Cilka was only 16 when she was taken to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, along with her mother and sister.  There, the commandant separates her and puts her in charge of the women awaiting the gas chamber.  She learns to do what she must to survive.  When the camps are liberated, Cilka is charged with being a prostitute and sleeping with the enemy.  She is sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in Siberia.  While overcome with guilt, Cilka still does what she needs to survive.  Others notice her intelligence and she begins training as a nurse.  The book alternates her time in the gulag with her past at Birkenau.

While based on a true person, this is a book of fiction.  However, it brings out more things I didn't know about the horrible conditions of those who lived through this time.

9.29.2019 - One Night Gone

Many thanks to NetGalley, Graydon House, and Tara Laskowski for the opportunity to read and review her debut novel - a good one and another author I'll be watching!

Set in coastal Opal Beach, this story is told in two time frames.  In 1985, Maureen is escaping a bad family life and finds work with a traveling carnival, until one of the bosses gets too friendly.  But she meets a couple of locals, Clay Phillips, the son of the wealthy Phillips clan who own much of the town and Tammy, who lets Maureen stay in her apartment.  But then just as suddenly as she arrives, Maureen vanishes.  In 2015, Allison is trying to recover from an on-air call out of her cheating husband and subsequent firing as a local weather person.  Her sister, Annie, hears about a job housesitting in Opal Beach and feels it would be the perfect opportunity for Allison to regroup and restart her life.  But then Allison and Tammy meet and Allison learns more about Maureen's disappearance all those years ago and they start investigating.

This book made me feel like I could relate to both of the women in this timeframe and setting - the writing was suspenseful and descriptive.  A good read - especially on a beach...or maybe not!

9.26.2019 - The Shape of Night

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Tess Gerritsen for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller.  I have been a huge fan of Gerritsen's stand alone books as well as her Rizzoli & Isles series so was very excited to be able to read her new book.

Ava is escaping her life and past in Boston when she rents an old mansion in a small town on the coast of Maine.  The house is named Brodie's Watch after the sea captain who had it built, but was then lost at sea.  Ava thinks she found the perfect location to perfect the recipes she wants to include in her cookbook based on New England foods and history.  Then Ava finds out that the renter before her left suddenly and is not returning emails.  She starts having encounters with a ghostly figure that looks like Capt Brodie and even visits a "ghostbuster" to try and figure out if her house is indeed haunted.

While this is a bit different from Gerritsen's other books, the wonderful writing and suspense will keep you glued to the pages.  I loved the setting of the book - the fog and craggy shoreline and creepy house descriptions enhance the storyline.  Great read!

9.25.2019 - The World That We Knew

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Alice Hoffman for the opportunity to read and review her latest book.  While I wouldn't say magical reasoning books would be on the list of my favorite genres, when written by Alice Hoffman, they deserve 5 stars.

This is a beautifully written, heartbreaking, yet hopeful book of love and loss, mostly the loss of a mother's love.  Set during World War II, Hanni is a mother in Berlin who knows that she must leave her daughter, Lea, to give her any chance at life.  Hanni's own mother is bedfast and Hanni is duty-bound to stay with her.  She wants someone who will love Lea like she does and goes to a rabbi's home for assistance.  There, the rabbi's daughter, Ettie, helps Hanni create a magical golem, Ava, who is sworn to protect Lea at all costs.  Lea and Ava travel throughout Europe trying to stay alive and together, meeting a cast of characters all doing the same.

Meticulously researched and teaching us more atrocities of this time period, we are also left with the hope that love brings.  I loved all the blessings, prayers, thoughts of souls and visions of both protective angels and the angel of death.  Highly recommended.

9.22.2019 - No Judgments

Thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow and Meg Cabot for the opportunity to read and review her latest book.  I'm typically a fan of Cabot's books but this one was just okay.  3.5 stars - I'm intrigued enough that I'd like to read the next book in this series.

Bree escapes NYC after the death of her father, a fallout with her mother and a sexual assault by her boyfriend's best friend that no one but her took seriously.  She flees to Little Bridge Island, part of the Florida Keys, to heal and start fresh.  But she is totally unprepared for a category 5 hurricane bearing down on the island.  While most flee for safer ground, Bree is adamant about staying put, although she eventually takes shelter at her boss' mansion complete with whole house generator.  Bree undertakes a mission to rescue all the pets that were left in homes when their owners evacuated not knowing that the bridge would fail and they couldn't get back home.  Meanwhile, sparks fly with the boss' nephew, Drew.

There wasn't a lot of depth to the characters and the ending felt a bit too contrived but still a fun escapism read.

9.19.2019 - One Little Secret

Many thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Cate Holahan for the opportunity to read this domestic thriller.  4 stars - kept me intrigued until the end.

Three neighborhood couples decide to rent a beach house for a much-needed week's vacation away from their kids and busy lives.  Susan organized the vacation to get her husband, Nadal, away from his tech start up and spend some time with her.  Louis and Jenny, both doctors, bring their secrets along with them, as do Ben, a stay-at-home dad and his lawyer wife, Rachel.  Lots of alcohol loosens inhibitions and accusations are thrown about infidelity.  One of the women storms off and is found dead the next day.  Detective Gabby Watkins is investigating the possibility of a date rape when she is called to work on the murder investigation.

For some reason, I kept getting confused in the beginning about which spouse belonged to the other, but I eventually got the relationships cemented in my brain.  Besides being a good thriller, lots to think about here with some hot button topics as well as our responsibility to others in our lives for what we witness.

9.16.2019 - Their Last Breath

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Sibel Hodge for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller - another 5 star read!  It was so good to get back into the lives of these characters - certainly hope there'll be another one soon!

Although these characters are from two previous books by Sibel Hodge, you don't need to read them to enjoy this book.  This is a great police procedural involving a horrible subject - human trafficking.

Detective Warren Carter is retired from the police force and still struggling with grief over the death of his wife.  He can't sleep and finds it hard to fill his days.  Then he gets a call from the unit charged with investigating their own officers.  The commander, Carolyn, wants Carter back on the case to investigate the murder of 6 women who were chained in an abandoned building that caught on fire.  Meanwhile, Detective Becky Harris is investigating the brutal murders of two people and the attempted murder of another person.  Are these cases related?

These are wonderful characters and I highly recommend you read these books!  Can't wait for the next one!

9.12.2019 - What Rose Forgot

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Nevada Barr for the opportunity to read this fun mystery.

The book opens with 68-year-old Rose in a memory care unit inside of a nursing home, unable to remember how or why she got there.  She overhears a threatening conversation and stops taking her meds, leading her to plot her escape from the unit.  But by acting crazy, how will she convince people she's not crazy?  With a little help from her step-granddaughter, Mel, Mel's friend, Royal, and Rose's sister, Marian, she starts taking back control of her life.

Filled with lots of dark humor, this is just a fun mystery that will keep you guessing.  I definitely want to be Rose when I grow up!

9.10.2019 - 29 Seconds

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and TM Logan for the opportunity to read and review his second novel.  I really enjoyed Lies and this one was a gripping read as well!  4.5 stars!

Imagine if you just had to say a name of a person to make them disappear out of your life - would you have a name?  What happens if you make that deal with the devil?  Sarah has to make this decision.  Coming home from work one night, she managed to stop the kidnapping of a young girl.  The girl's father is a powerful man and he feels that he is now in Sarah's debt.  The only way he can repay that debt is to offer her a deal - she has 72 hours to make a phone call with a name of a person she wants to disappear.  Once that decision is made, she can't take it back and the opportunity will never present itself again.  Do you make the deal?  What if your boss at work is untouchable and making your life miserable with his sexual harassment?

A great thriller - I couldn't put it down.  You really feel for Sarah's no win situation - but can she live with the consequences?