10.18.2017 - Second Acts

Thanks to NetGalley, Amberjack Publishing and Teri Emory for the opportunity to read and review this book - I loved it. Just a great, relatable read.

Three friends - Sarah, Miriam and Beth - meet in college in the 1970s and become lifelong friends, despite their differences in backgrounds and temperaments. The book is laid out in different times of their lives - starting with the college years up through after 9/11 - and each chapter is told in the voice of one of the friends. So you really get to learn about each character this way.

I loved each of these women for their own strengths and weaknesses. Their main focus was on being there for each other forever. How lucky to have friends like that - to know that people always had your back no matter what. And especially to be beginning that "second act" of our lives with such good friends in your corner.

Great read!

10.15.2017 - White Bodies

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Touchstone, and Jane Robins for the opportunity to read and review her first novel!

This is a great psychological read - creepy, lots of obsessions, and of course the necessary twists and turns. Callie and Tilda are twins - Tilda has always been the shining star, an actress, while Callie works part-time in a bookstore, content to be in Tilda's shadow.

Tilda meets a new man, Felix, and quickly becomes obsessed with him. Callie becomes worried about Tilda - she stopped working, has bruises on her bodies, tells Callie about Felix's violent tendencies. Callie likewise becomes obsessed with trying to save Tilda from Felix. She joins an internet group about controlling men and gets entrenched into the stories. So much so that lines start blurring between what's real and what's not.

I don't want to say any more - definitely a big to read and discover the secrets on your own. I couldn't put it down!

10.13.2017 - The Stolen Marriage

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Diane Chamberlain for the opportunity to read and review this great book!

Set in the 1940s, with war and racial tensions on everyone's minds, Tess is a Catholic girl from Baltimore's Little Italy, engaged to a doctor who is her childhood best friend. A weekend away in Washington with her girlfriend changes her life, and Tess finds herself in a strange marriage to Henry, a wealthy furniture factory owner, and living in Hickory, NC. Tess isn't accepted by Henry's family or the community, and finds herself constantly bewildered by Henry's strange behavior. She finds that she is losing the part of her that made her who she always believed she was. When the polio epidemic hits Hickory, a hospital was quickly set up to deal with it. Desperate for nurses, Tess finds herself in the middle of caring for the afflicted. And maybe starting to find that part of herself.

This is a great read that truly transports you to a different time and place. Lots of twists that you'll have to discover on your own but it is a great ride. Highly recommended!

10.10.2017 - The Surrogate

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Louise Jensen for the opportunity to read and review this book. Also to my Goodreads friend, Sandy, for the recommendation!

This is a great psychological thrill ride that will keep you guessing until the very end. The book opens with the murder of two people - trust me, you won't figure out who those two people are until you close the book!

Kat and her husband, Nick, are desperate to become parents. They have tried international adoptions which only led to heartbreak. An opportunity to have a surrogate presents itself but also opens up ties to the past that were best hidden.

Saying any more about the plot of this book may lead to spoilers and you definitely want to read this book to discover all its secrets yourself!

Great book - first I've read of this author and I'm anxious to go back and read her other works.

10.8.2017 - Hanna Who Fell from the Sky

Thanks to NetGalley, Park Row Books and Christopher Meades for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the story of a polygamous community called Clearhaven. Hanna is getting ready to celebrate her 18th birthday. That occasion also means that she will be married off to someone chose for her by her father. Hanna has never been away from Clearhaven nor really ever questioned her path. She grew up in a family with an abusive father, her mother and her sister-mothers as well as 14 siblings. Hanna has always been the responsible, oldest child even though she doesn't resemble any of her siblings. She is especially close to her sister who was born with a spine deformity. Days before her wedding, Hanna meets Daniel, the heir apparent to a wealthy family in Clearhaven. Daniel opens her eyes to another world but will she have the courage to forge a different path?

I'm rounding up to 4 stars - I really liked so much of this book but probably could have done without the magical component. The story was strong enough on its own merit, exploring growing up in such a lifestyle.

10.6.2017 - The Blind

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Park Row Books and AF Brady for the opportunity to read and review her debut novel.

This is the story of Dr Sam James, a psychologist at Typhlos, a psychiatric institute in NYC. At work, she has the reputation of being the best doctor and the one able to reach those patients no one else can. However, the private side of Sam is very different. She is a barely-functioning alcoholic in a very abusive relationship. She feels like she can't save herself so her mission is to save others.

Richard comes to Typhlos an enigma. He won't talk, won't complete his paperwork, seems to function at a high level. No one can understand why he's there and they've only heard rumors about why he was in prison for so long before coming to Typhlos. Sam takes Richard on, only to be confronted with her own demons while she's trying to figure out his.

A great debut novel - kept me reading til the ending, which I loved.

10.1.2017 - The Good People

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

The story revolves around 3 women - Nora has just lost her husband. They were trying to take care of their grandson, whom Nora remembers as a happy baby. After their daughter died, their son-in-law couldn't care for the boy and dropped him off with his grandparents. Dealing with her grief over her husband, Nora hires Mary, a young teenager from a nearby town to help her with the boy and the farm duties. The young boy can neither talk nor walk and spends most of its time screaming and crying. The two are beside themselves and turn to an old woman who is believed to have magical curing abilities. They believe the boy has been taken by fairies and they have to do various treatments to get the boy returned.

I remain a bit conflicted on this book. It's beautifully written and I enjoyed learning more about Irish folklore as well as how difficult lives were back in the 1800s in rural Ireland.

However, the story dragged for me as well as became repetitive. I found myself just wanting to get to the part with some answers and didn't enjoy the journey too much.