Who Loves You Best by Marilyn Simon Rothstein

 

My thoughts

This book was a gem to read. So different from the books I've been reading. It was a light, happy, read. One that I didn't want to put down. A book that many grandmothers may be able to connect with in ways. It was funny, serious, adorable, family orientated. A truly lovely story.

When Lisa calls her mother Dr Jodi Wexler and asked if she can drop everything to come stay with her granddaughter Macallan, Jodi jumps at the chance. She hasn't seen her daughter or granddaughter in a while and looks forward to spending some time with them. Dr Jodi Wexler is a foot dr. She has a thriving business and moved to Florida for her husband. Now he is newly retired. 

You will get to know three grandmas in this story. Grandma Jo, Grannie Annie and Di. Grannie Annie is a twenty seven year old who lives with Di's first ex. The father of her boys. Di is Lisa's mother in law and a very successful realtor. Her face is on billboards and grocery carts. When these three are together things don't go to smoothly. Di is a domineering woman who can't accept that she is elderly. She refuses to let her granddaughter, Mac call her anything but Di. Grannie Annie is funny but has a lot going on. She's living with a man old enough to be her father. Or grandfather. And he's not the nicest of men. She has no one else besides Lisa, Brian and Mac, who all love her dearly. 

These three women have to learn to get along. To be the kind of women that Mac can lean on or learn from. They are each dealing with things. Things that the others don't know about. When Lisa drops a bombshell on her mother Jo things go a bit awry. But them being who they are they will figure out a way to deal. If the three grandmas can learn to get along. To be friends. To treat each other nice and stop all the petty things. 

I truly enjoyed this book. It was so well written and held my attention all the way through. I loved how things played out. The ending was perfect. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #LakeUnionPublishing, for this ARC. 

Five big stars.

About

A woman drops everything to spend more time with her grandchild, only to discover new truths about herself. A humorous, heartfelt, feel-good novel from the author of Crazy to Leave You.

For Jodi Wexler, a Florida doctor with a flourishing practice, only one thing’s the chance to spend more time getting to know her eight-year-old granddaughter, Macallan.

When Jodi’s restauranteur daughter asks her to watch Macallan in the Berkshires while she takes care of some business out of town, Jodi can’t say yes fast enough. Neither Jodi’s podiatric patients nor her just-fired, suddenly retired husband can keep her away. But when Jodi arrives, she discovers she’s not the only grandma at Lisa’s house. Lisa’s mother-in-law, Di—a hard-nosed real estate agent—has moved into the house. What’s more, there’s Grannie Annie, the twenty-seven-year-old girlfriend of Lisa’s oddball father-in-law. They’re not the only surprises. Lisa’s marriage is faltering even as her new restaurant is taking off.

As the competition for Macallan’s attention among the three “grandmas” increases, Lisa drops a bomb about her life that changes everything. Under pressure, and determined to help her daughter, Jodi must choose her next step. Her decision surprises everyone—Jodi, most of all.

Every Moment Since by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

 

My thoughts

A story that will break your heart. A story that will make you weep. But in it's way it also gives you some hope. Hope that lives can be built back. Families can move on. People can find some kind of closure.

Do not read this book if you know anyone who has had a child go missing. Or even have lost a child to violence. It's a sad one. It will bring on the tears.

A man writes a best selling novel. It's about his life. His life after a loss that he blames himself for. Thaddeus was only fifteen years old when his eleven year old brother went missing. His parents had made him take Davy with him to play games in the dark with friends. But TJ, as he was know, made his little brother go away and leave him alone. He wanted to drink beer for the first time. He wanted to be with his friends and enjoy the time he had to be out. Little did he know that would be the night his life changed forever. The night his brother would go missing. The night his mother would, in her way, blame him. He was just a fifteen your old child. 

This book takes you inside a family's loss. A family's destruction. A story that will stay with you for a while. For a good long while. It's so well written that you can feel the air. The anger. The sadness. You can feel the effects that this missing child has on the whole town. The man who was accused's feelings. How he had to live with the things said about him and to him. How one night can change lives.

This book was a very dark one. It was so sad and so filled with loss. When Davy's jacket is found they know that it won't be long before his body is found also. It's been twenty-0ne years. Any hope that he is alive is gone. Who could have done this. Who would have done this. I have to admit that I suspected the who from early one. I didn't know or have any idea how though and it didn't take away from this story in any way. The last parts made me weep big tears. The grief of this family was told in such a realistic way. Then the way they will finally move on. Possibly rebuild theirs lives. Together.

Thank you #NetGalley, #HarperMuse, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars.

About

A small Southern town. An ordinary Saturday night. A little boy disappears without a trace.

Everyone in Wynotte, North Carolina, knows the name Davy Malcor. Knows the video clip of him juggling four balls, "All at the very same time!" Knows the Marty McFly jacket his mother made for his birthday that he wore proudly, and often. But no one knows what happened to him the night he went missing more than twenty years ago.

When the jacket is unexpectedly uncovered, the cold case reopens, and Davy's family is thrust into yet another media storm. But at the heart of the story are four people forever changed by one single Thaddeus Malcor, Davy's older brother, created the life of his dreams by writing a bestselling memoir about his family's experience and is enjoying success and notoriety as a result, even if the memoir doesn't quite reveal the whole story. Tabitha Malcor, his mother, is divorced and living alone, advocating for victims' rights and faithfully cataloging her regrets each week, never including her biggest regret of all. Anissa Weaver was just a kid herself when Davy went missing, and her connection to him is one she cannot reveal as she serves as the Malcor family's Public Information Officer. And, long suspected in Davy's disappearance, Gordon Swift has kept his head down and scraped together a decent life. But the new attention to the case makes it impossible to hide from the public, and the past.

With hauntingly vivid prose, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen peels back the curtain on the inner turmoil of those who were left behind in the small Southern community as they pick up the pieces that remain and press forward into the light to find hope and healing.

The President's Lawyer by Lawrence Robbins

 

My thoughts

This is a debut thriller and wow it was good. I always worry about an author's first book being just a tad short of what I expect but this one was SO GOOD. I did figure out what was going on fairly early on but it didn't take away from the book at all. I could have been wrong. I wasn't. 

This is one of the best books I've read from a debut author. Actually one of the best books I've read. It had everything you could want. Characters that I despised. Murder. Accusations. Trial. Abuse. Infidelity. (not that I approve of this) Mental illness. A great wrap up. A great lead in. The only character that I liked was maybe Rob's son. And that is a maybe. 

The man accused of murder was the President of the United States of America. He was a jerk. He was not well liked. He did awful things to his friend Rob. Yet when he was accused of murder he called his best friend, Rob. Rob was a pretty good attorney. A lifelong friend. Someone that would do all he could to seek justice. But would Rob take this case. Could he take this case. Seeing how he was friends with Jack and had dated, not only the deceased, but Jack's wife. 

This book takes you into the courtroom. Lays it all out for you. Even parts that should tell you what is coming. If you look close enough. You get to know Rob, Jack, Amanda, and Jess. You also get to know Rob's brother, Evan. Rob's ex and their son, somewhat. You'll have a front row view of a trial and all it entails. It's such an easy read too. It was just that good. I loved how the author tied everything up. It's very obvious that he is a lawyer. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #Atria, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five stars.

About

A high-stakes legal thriller that is perfect for fans of John Grisham and Scott Turow following a Washington, DC, litigator who is hired to defend his best friend, the former President of the United States, against a murder charge.

After a long career as one of DC’s most powerful litigators, Rob Jacobson is faced with the case of a lifetime: the former President of the United States—his childhood best friend—has been accused of murdering his mistress.

Rob knows he’s the only one who can prove his friend’s innocence, but he is soon overwhelmed as he attempts to devise a strategy to defend an authoritative man with a taste for infidelity, serious anger issues, and unconventional sexual appetites. As the high-profile case unfurls, the troubled, intertwining pasts of the two men complicate Rob’s efforts and soon, doubts begin to grow in his head. Could his oldest friend truly be capable of murder or is something even darker at play?

Echoes Of Us by Joy Jordan-Lake

 

My thoughts

What a story. Or in this case a couple of stories told together in different timelines and from several prospectives. About friends. About women. About a war. This author did a fantastic job of weaving together a story that will have you turning the pages until the very end. How she makes the characters come together is perfection. Especially the sisters working on the party. The reunion party. Made me cry so hard. And gave me lots of smiles. 

This story has torpedoes hitting ships off the coast of Georgia. I know I've heard about that, but I had forgotten. It has the women who were allowed to fly planes. WASPs as they were called. How they were not considered military. (read the author's note for lots of info) How unfairly black men were treated who were serving this country and dying. Black women were not allowed to fly either. This book has so much in it. So much to learn and not forget. The POWs that were sent here from other countries. 

I loved most all of the characters in this story. They made it under my skin and right into my heart. The three who became such good friends. Dov, Will, and Hans. Dov was an instructor for the men who drove the fighter planes. Will was a big hearted young man who could fly but was sent to help in another way to help save many lives. Hans was a German POW who didn't like what was happening from the NAZIs. They all loved a young lady who went on to fly for the WASPs, Joannie. Joannie's twin Will also fought for his country. Hadley and Kitzie were the two hired to find out all they could and do the reunion. They found so much info. All of these characters were good and kind. 

This is a very good, emotional, and thought provoking book. One that lets you see another side of the war. From a town in Georgia called, St. Simons Island. I'd love to visit it someday.

Thank you #NetGalley, #LakeUnion, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five huge stars.

About

From the bestselling author of Under a Gilded Moon comes the soaring story of an unlikely friendship of three men and one extraordinary woman and the legacy they built—if their own secrets don’t destroy it.

In the midst of World War II, a Tennessee farm boy, a Jewish Cambridge student, and a German POW forge a connection that endures—against all odds.

But now everything that Will Dobbins, Dov Silverberg, and Hans Hessler fought for is at risk as their descendants clash for control of the corporation they founded together. In an attempt to remake its tattered corporate image, the firm hires event planner Hadley Jacks and her sister Kitzie to organize a reunion for the families on St. Simons Island, Georgia, the place that changed all three men’s lives forever.

As Hadley and her sister delve into the friends’ past, they uncover the life of the courageous young woman who links them all together…and the old wounds that could tear everything apart.

Told in dual timelines spanning World War II and the present, Echoes of Us follows the ripple effects of war, the bonds that outlast it, and the hope that ultimately carries us forward.

The Book Of Witching by C. J. Cooke

 

My thoughts

I've recently started enjoying books on this topic. I've decided to add new genres to my reading experience. This book was very good. 

Very well written and informative. The Author's Note at the end was worth reading also. I tend to recommend that when I review a book. This is no exception. 

This is the story of one woman whose life was cut short because of a "holy man." He decided that Alison was a witch and would not stop until he got a confession out of her. No matter how or who he had to torture. Alison was a healer. A good woman. She had two children living and a husband she adored. She didn't want to have to leave them. She only wanted to live her life and take care of her family. This part of the story is told from Alison in 1594. In about a year. 

It's also the story of a young lady who is found burned. Erin is Clem's daughter and the mother to Freya. Erin was on an excursion with her two friends. Arlo is her boyfriend and Senna is her best friend. Arlo was found burned to death and Senna is missing. Erin is in a medical coma. This part of the story is told by Clem. All of the things a mother goes through. The pain of seeing her daughter in such pain. Being accused of things possibly. Clem would move the heavens for her child.

You get to know both of the story's and how they tie together. What happened when women were being accused of witchcraft. Of having the devil in them or working with the devil. Of a mother's love for her child. You feel the pain of each in this book.

This author did a brilliant job of describing the scenery. The fire. The courtroom. The pain of loss. This story will have you turning the pages until the very end. I didn't want to put it down. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #Berkley, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars. (It was also my BOTM choice)

About

A mother must fight for her daughter’s life in this fierce and haunting tale of witchcraft and revenge from the author of A Haunting in the Arctic.

Clem gets a call that is every mother’s worst nightmare. Her nineteen-year-old daughter Erin is unconscious in the hospital after a hiking trip with her friends on the remote Orkney Islands that met a horrifying end, leaving her boyfriend dead and her best friend missing. When Erin wakes, she doesn’t recognize her mother. And she doesn’t answer to her name, but insists she is someone named Nyx.

Clem travels the site of her daughter’s accident, determined to find out what happened to her. The answer may lie in a dark secret in the history of the a woman wrongly accused of witchcraft and murder four centuries ago. Clem begins to wonder if Erin’s strange behavior is a symptom of a broken mind, or the effects of an ancient curse?

The Whisper Sister by Jennifer S. Brown

 

My thoughts

I've read books by new authors a few times this year. Jennifer S. Brown is a new to be author. I adored this book. It was SO GOOD. I haven't read very much about prohibition so learned a few things reading this story. 

Minnie Soffer, along with her brother Max and mother come to America to live with their father. He has been here a few years and finally sent for his family. They have high hopes for a better life here. Things start out ok for them but do eventually take a turn. After the birth of two daughters their mother loses her life. Minnie has to take over the care of a newborn and a toddler. Also her brother and father. It's a hard life for Minnie as she is so young and has dreams. But she does the best she can. 

Minnie eventually takes over the bar/speakeasy that their father started. She's very good at what she is doing. She falls in love and is doing all she can. There are lots of ups and downs in this story. In Minnie's life. Some very heartbreaking choices she has to make. She's a survivor though and fights for what she has worked so hard to make. 

This is a beautifully written account of how things happened in New York during the Prohibition Era. The ups and downs of one family that came to this country for a better life. How hard Minnie worked to become a citizen of America. How her friends rallied behind her. Helped her and cheered for her. I liked most of the characters in this book. Minnie had my heart from the start. She made me laugh and cry. She had my heart beating so hard at times. I wanted her to find love and peace. 

This book will definitely pull at your heartstrings. Make you do some ugly crying and give you some chuckles. Parts will make you cringe also. You get an inside seat as to the goings on in the 1920s speakeasy. How things worked. What price you had to pay.

Don't miss the acknowledgements at the ending. These are always so helpful. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #LakeUnion, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars. 

About

The author of Modern Girls delivers an atmospheric coming-of-age story set in Prohibition-era New York, tracing one immigrant family’s fortunes and a young girl’s journey from the schoolyard to the speakeasy.

The streets of New York in 1920 are most certainly not paved with gold, as Minnie Soffer learns when she arrives at Ellis Island. Her father, who left Ukraine when Minnie was a toddler, feels like a stranger. She sleeps on a mattress on the kitchen floor. She understands nothing at school. They came to America for this?

As her family adjusts to this new life, Minnie and her brother work hard to learn English and make friends. When her father, Ike, opens his own soda shop, stability and citizenship seem within reach. But the soda shop is not what it seems; it’s a front for Ike’s real a speakeasy.

When tragedy strikes the Soffers, Minnie has no choice but to take over the bar. She’s determined to make the speakeasy a success despite the risks it brings to herself, her family, and her freedom. At what price does the American dream come true? Minnie won’t stop until she finds out.

In The Blink Of An Eye by Jo Callaghan

 

My thoughts

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. The premise didn't seem like one I was going to like this much. Now I can't wait for the next book. This one is so good. Jo Callaghan's debut novel is a winner.

Please read the heartfelt Acknowledgments at the ending. Parts sure made me cry. I'm so sorry for her loss. So so sorry.

This is about a female cop who returns to work after losing her husband. Kat's husband had cancer and she cared for him and took care of their son. After she lost her husband she went back to work and was paired with a trial AI to look into unsolved cases. Cold cases. She was given two other new detectives to work with also. While Kat had no hopes of the AI being able to help she agreed to work with it. She was angry because an AI was the cause of her husband's death. At least that is what she believes. He had been misdiagnosed so the cancer he had was further along when it was finally found.

The cases Kat and her team chose are two young men who have been missing for about five or six months. There are a lot of things that this team will find out and do to try and find out what happened. Kat is determined to solve these cases and believes the two boys are connected. But one is from a very prominent family and the other is from the more poor side. The first boy is white and has both parents, even though his dad is dying of cancer. The other boy is black and lives alone with his mother. His dad had died of cancer also.

The AI in my opinion was very helpful. I also believe that AIs will be used in a lot of areas in the future. The not so distant future. In law enforcement that is. I believe AI is already used in many places and at the rate of a fast computer they should do great. As long as they are not compromised in any way. I think the technology would be so very helpful in many areas. Medical, professional, everyday life. I'm not so sure I am ready for it but the world should be prepared as I believe it is headed that way. And it could be such a big help. If used in the right ways.

This book had me cringing and holding my breath in many places. I was on the edge of my seat in a couple also. I rooted for the boys to be saved. I have to say here that I saw parts of this coming. Parts I can't say anything about but don't always trust family. Don't always trust a family friend. Not in certain cases anyway. lol I suspected the two involved and was right. That did not take away from the story in any way though. This is a great DEBUT and the author I'm sure is very proud.

Thank you #NetGalley, #RandomHousePublishing, for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Five big stars and a very high recommendation.

About

INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER • Two one human, one AI. And a case that will test them both.

Kat Frank knows all about loss. A widowed single mother, Kat is a cop who trusts her intuition, honed through years of on-the-beat police work. Picked to lead a pilot program that has her paired with Lock, an AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity)—a hologram that is activated by a device on Kat’s wrist—Kat’s gut reactions about people and motives come up against Lock’s statistical calculations and data analysis that can be devised in seconds.

But as the two missing person’s cold cases they are reviewing suddenly become active, Lock is the only one who can help when the case begins to target Kat personally. AI versus human experience. Logic versus instinct. With lives on the line, can the pair work together to solve the mystery in time?

A dazzling debut from an exciting new voice, In the Blink of an Eye asks us what we think it means to be human.