Monday, December 30, 2019

THIS IS NOT HOW IT ENDS by Rochelle Weinstein

This was a very emotionally charged book. One that will pull at your heart in every way. It’s a very raw story of love and loss. A bit of laughter and friendships you will absolutely love. A very tight friendship despite everything that happens. It’s a beautiful story of so many feelings. One that touched my heart many times over. One that I had a hard time putting down.

Charlotte/Charley meets this man on an airplane, Phillip. They fall madly in love and become engaged. Charley’s mom gets a terrible diagnosis and leaves Charley devastated. Phillip watches her go through the worst pain a daughter has to go through. Charley has issues. Trust and giving her heart over completely are top of the list. Her dad had left when she was small never to return. That is enough to make it hard to trust. Then she loses her mother and she’s alone. Phillip and Charley though have a love that will transcend everything. He loves Charley with all his heart. But he also is gone so much of the time. He leaves Charley alone to wonder if things are what they seem. To wonder if they do truly belong together.

Phillip is a wonderful man. He fell for Charley from the start. He has his own demons but he buries them in his work. He has businesses all over the world and he takes them very serious. He takes failing businesses and makes them whole again. Makes up for the things they lack and gives people what they need. Jobs, a worry free life knowing they won’t lose said job. He loves completely and from his soul. But he has a secret also. One that will devastate Charley and one he truly wants to protect her from.

Ben... Aww Ben. I loved Ben. He is a broken man with a little boy named Jimmy. Jimmy is all he has left after losing his wife. Ben and Phillip are also best friends. Ben knows that Phillip has helped him and taken him under his wing. He truly loves Phillip and considers him family. They are such good friends. The very best of friends. Phillip is also keeping a secret from Ben though.

This is a story that will pull you in. Tear your heart out and stomp on it a few times. It will break your heart and put it back together again only to break it again. There are two letters in this story that made me weep. I do mean literally weep. I don’t see how anyone can read them and not feel like their heart is going to break into several thousand pieces. If they can they obviously don’t feel deep emotion. One is a letter to Ben. The other a letter to Charley. This is a beautifully written story of love, loss, maybe a bit of betrayal and coming together. Of a friendship that can’t be broken no matter what. Of a love that was meant to be. Of so much. It’s just one of those stories that will keep you thinking about life and what you would do. Or what could you do. Could you move on or continue. It’s the best book I’ve read by this author hands down.

Be warned, this book requires lots and lots of tissues and I don’t say that lightly. It’s going to make you cry. There are some laughs but for the most part you will have the big ugly, huge tear cries.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #LakeUnion, #RochelleWeinstein for this eARC. This is my own true review.

I had to give it only 5 stars and the highest recommendation ever. It’s worth so many more stars and an even better review.

Friday, December 27, 2019

THE MOONSHINER’S DAUGHTER by Donna Everhart

I love Donna Everhart’s writing. Her books always leave me with many feelings. This one left me in tears. From the start to the end it’s a good story. Lots of history and family involved. Also the young girl in the book has an eating disorder. No one seems to notice this though.

After losing her mother Jessie Sasser swore she would have nothing to do with the moon shining business. She blamed it and her daddy for her mother’s death. She hated anything and everything to do with moon shining. He daddy was determined that she would help though and tried to make her understand that it was what kept them in a home and with food to eat. She didn’t want anything, not even the food, that came from moonshining though. To her it was pure evil.

Lots of things happen in this book that will keep you turning the pages. From family members turning on each other in ways that cost them plenty to kids being bullied in school. It was a very well written story and obviously well researched. I’m never disappointed in a book by this author and this one is possible my favorite one yet. It certainly made me cry in many places and laugh in a few too.

Most of the characters are so likable and so well developed. There are some you won’t like at all for obvious reasons. I absolutely loved Mrs Brewer. She was like the most helpful person to the Sasser children when they needed it most. The ending left me in big tears but it somehow seemed just right. This book held a bit of a mystery for a while but you will find answers too. I did at least.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Kensington and #DonnaEverhart for this ARC. This is my own review.

I give it a huge 5 stars and a very high recommendation.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

WHEN SHE RETURNED by Lucinda Berry

This book absolutely blew my socks off. It is my first by this author and believe me I do look forward to reading more. This one held me captive from start to dramatic finish. 

It’s told from the three females POV. The victim, Kate, who went missing eleven years before. Just vanished from a Target parking lot. No struggle, nothing taken, her phone and purse and even her keys still in the car. It’s like she just disappeared from the face of the Earth. Her story is told from back when she went missing and tells where she was and why she was there. What happened to her and all the emotions she had. Some crazy things she endured. It was not good. 

Meredith, the second wife, who was the most understanding women I have ever seen. There were times that I thought she should have just told Tom to kiss off and walk out the door. Now I understand he was happy that his first wife, who was the love of his life since they were just children had returned after so long and had been through hell and back. But enough is enough. He treated Meredith terribly. I don’t think he, deep down, meant to be so mean, but let’s be real. A woman does not appreciate being totally pushed away after she gives you her heart and has been there for you at times when no one else has. I truly felt sorry for her and at times thought she should tell them all to get out. Just leave her alone. But that was not her way and she turned out to be such a strong woman. I had a love/hate feeling for this woman and a pity/proud feeling. She tried so hard to keep things balanced and grounded.

Abbi the daughter. She was only five years old when her mom disappeared. She had memories from watching home movies, pictures and things her dad told her. She did a some that a child of that age might possible be able to have stored in their minds. She was so happy and excited when her mom came back. She worried all the time about something happening and just wanted them to all protect her mom at all costs. She wanted to be a part of the process that was going on to get her mom back to her former self after all the horrible things she had been through. Abbi was a typical sixteen year old who just wanted people to get along and wanted her mom to feel safe again. I think she was a little bit rude to Meredith, but to be fair most teens are rude to their parents at that age. She was confused at this point about everything and was doing her best to keep her mom around.

Tom, the husband and dad.... I felt awful for him. He was in a terrible situation and had no idea what to do. He didn’t have much back bone in certain parts of this book but he did try. To me he was not good to his wife. His current wife. He excluded her almost completely. He would not listen when she said things and that came back to bite him. Even though he and Kate had been friends from a very young age, and been high school sweethearts, does not make them the perfect couple. Things chance in almost all relationships. Kate wanted to work. He didn’t want her too. She was bored staying home all day. He should have listened to her. But was it his fault what happened to her? No he was not. He did love her. He tried so hard to find her and it took him years before he would declare her dead and move on. Remarry. Make a new life. But still in the home he and Kate had made. I didn’t like that. But it sure made the story more interesting.

I really liked Dean. He was a family friend after Kate went missing. He was also in charge of finding her when she went missing. He was FBI and became a must trusted family friend. I liked how he interacted with Abbi. He was kind and understanding and knew her secret place when she wanted to feel close to her mother. I just liked him.

Things are not at all what they seem in this story. From the beginning you feel so bad for all Kate went through. For the abuse that was so obviously inflicted on her. But where had she been. Did she go on her own or was she taken. If she was kidnapped why no ransom, or was it someone who just wanted a woman. So many questions came to my mind but in the end I found the answers I was looking for. There was a twist that just floored me. One I did not see coming at all and that does not happen a lot in this type of book. I usually have some idea but not this time. I was totally shocked and that is putting it mildly. This was an excellent book in my opinion. From start to finish I didn’t want to put it down and didn’t much. I didn’t want to do anything but find out what happened next and why it happened. 

This book touched on several things, cults, brainwashing, kidnapping, abuse and the most horrible, death or murder. It will make you cry in parts because you’re human and will feel sorry for some of the characters. It will make you very angry in parts again because you are human. This is a story that will keep you turning pages until all your questions are answered. I did love the ending but still felt sorry for the characters throughout.

In my opinion they are well developed and you will feel different emotions toward them in each chapter. I think the author did a great job with this book. It made me cringe in parts where it felt so realistic. Up to the very ending... 

Thank you #NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Lucinda Berry for this eARC. This is my own review told from my heart.

I gave it 5 stars because I felt it was worth it and I highly recommend it.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

TRUE TO ME by Kay Bratt

Another beautiful book by Kay Bratt. Her books leave you breathless and with tears in your eyes. Both tears of sadness and joy. Heartache and happiness. Such emotions make her books some of the best I’ve ever read. Through in a laugh or two and you have a wonderful, heartfelt, touching, loving, story.

Ohana, means family. All Quinn wanted was a big family. Sisters and brothers. A dad who was there for her. What she had was a mother who would do anything for her. Anything to keep her safe. She loved her unconditionally and with every part of her. On her death bed she made a confession to Quinn that would change everything that she thought she knew about her and her mother.

Quinn goes to Maui to take her mother’s ashes home. That was her mother’s wish and being the kind of person she was Quinn was determined to grant her mother’s last wishes. Little did she know that her life was going to make a dramatic turn. Changes were coming for her that she would have never believed. She was leaving behind a life she thought at the time was what she wanted. Engaged to a man she thought she loved so much and would do anything for. In Maui she found her true self. Her strengths. She met people who changed her life in ways she never would have dreamed of. Sounds a bit like paradise to me in many ways.

This story is told in a way that you truly feel like you are there. The beauty of the water. The paths through the woods. The buildings and the house that changed Quinn in many ways. The family that lived in the house that is. She found so much that she never realized was missing and more. They all became family to her. This is a story of a love so deep and moving that it will take your breath away. The love of strangers and family and a best friend. Unconditional love. The only true kind.

This story made me have lots of ugly crying tears. Not all in a bad way either. The joys and happiness. The ups and downs. The breakups and losses. Family can be such a beautiful thing and it’s not just blood that makes a family. It’s in your heart.

Kay Bratt has a way with words that will have you reeling from chapter to chapter. From one thing to the next. Her books always leave me feeling full. I can’t wait for the next book now to see who we meet and who comes together. Yes, Ohana means family. A huge big family that were strangers just a few days before.

I loved this book from the first word to the very last. It pulled me in and pulled at my heart. It kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. The characters were so likable and you will feel like they are old friends. With the exception of the fiancĂ©, Ethan. I didn’t like him at all. Nothing about him. But all the rest were so loving and kind and felt like family and old friends.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Lake Union and Kay Bratt for this ARC. This is my own review and is from my heart.

I give this one 5 stars and a high high recommendation.. A must read.

Saturday, December 14, 2019

CHILD’S PLAY by Danielle Steel

I’ve read and enjoyed so many of this author’s books. She’s a great author and knows how to draw in an audience for her different genres of books. This one was about family, love, loss and moving on finally.

Kate’s husband and the father of her three children was killed when the children were small. Kate worked very hard to do something with her life. Yes she did have many advantages to get to do this but she was not left a ton of money from her husband. She worked hard. She went back to college at an age where others were much younger. She graduated then went on to work at a prestigious law firm and became a lawyer who didn’t like to lose. She could be relentless. She wanted the best for her children just as any mother would. Kate didn’t want to remarry and go through the pain of losing anyone else like she did her husband. She spent her time making a life for her children and working hard to get somewhere in life. To show her kids that you can survive in the face of tragedy.

These characters were mostly likable. With the exception of Claire and even Amanda, they were all truly good and caring people. Kate to me was great. A strong woman who fought for what she wanted. Her mother who was always there for her and supported her emotionally as well as her grandchildren.  Amanda was engaged to Kate’s son and she was in my opinion not really in love with him. She was in love with the idea of spending a fortune on a wedding and then wanted to start having babies right from the start. I was so glad to see her gone. I didn’t like her at all. No one bullied her or treated her badly. Anthony, Kate’s son, was right to not marry her and it was truly best for them both. Never marry for all the wrong reasons. Tammy, Kate’s oldest daughter was probably my favorite. She worked very hard and had a huge secret of her own. I can’t give it away here so you’ll have to read this book for find it out. But she’s very likable and when she tells her mother her secret, which I figured out quickly, I think Kate handled it very well. Claire, I totally detested her. She was a spoiled brat who needed very badly to grow up. I mean for goodness sakes she is 26 years old and acting like a little kid whining and acting like the world revolves around her and her alone. Each of Kate’s children are old enough to be married and have families so the part that did bug me was how the grandmother acted like they were still young children. I mean a 29 year old man who should wait to get married until he is grown. He is grown!! But he is a good man and after a couple of months of big mistakes he does the right thing. I liked him. I liked Tammy and I liked Kate but I did not like Claire. At least not after her big news came to light. I loved Kate’s mother. She was a very likable person.

This story is a good one that takes us into the lives of a family with a bit of drama going on. They depend on their mom for a lot but they also know what they want and finally go for it. Some of the scenes in this book made me laugh. Some made me mad. But overall it was a very good book. It deals with a mother’s fears for her children which in my opinion we never stop having and she helps when she can. She steps back and lets them work things out too. She also decides she does need a life of her own but will she find that? I think Kate is a great mother, great daughter and really a very very likable woman. So she is possible well off. I would not say she is a privileged white woman as I read in another review. She worked very hard to have what she does and be able to give her children a good life. I mean all alone. Yes she was able to do that but I certainly do not begrudge her that. I could never have done it. I didn’t have the support, emotional support, to. So yes I liked Kate. I admired Kate. I think she should have told her youngest to either grow up or not come back until she could act right and treat her the way she should have. I don’t believe anyone bullied or picked on Amanda like another reviewer suggested. Maybe it looked that way to them but in reality Amanda was only in the story for a short while so I disagree with that assessment entirely.

I truly enjoyed this book. It felt like a real family with real problems and possible the right solutions for each. I think the characters were great, again except Claire. Very likable and did what they needed to be happy without hurting others. Even a broken engagement is necessary at times.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Random House-Ballantine and Danielle Steele for this book. This is my own honest review.

I give it 4 stars and a high recommendation!!

Monday, December 9, 2019

STAY by Catherine Ryan Hyde

How can one choice change a person’s life forever? One decision? Just one little thing you decide to do that changes the course of your life and the people you love most?

Lucas Painter is a child. Only fourteen years old and he already has the weight of the world on his shoulders. At least that is the way it turns out in the summer of 1969. His parents are constantly yelling. His brother is in Vietnam. His best friend is so messed up he doesn’t ever leave his house unless Lucas can convince him too. Then just for short periods of time. Lucas is a good boy. He never lies. He’s fair to everyone. He tries so hard to be the kind of kid people like. One day he decides to take a shortcut home and his life is never the same.

Lucas thinks he has to be strong for everyone but himself. He gives. He gives without expectations. He is always there to listen. To help anyone who may need him. The day he takes this shortcut is the beginning of a summer that will shape him, his brother, his best friend and a woman, Zoe, who thought it was time to go. But Lucas helped her to STAY!! He convinces her to STAY! Everyday Lucas goes running with Zoe’s dogs. They love to run, he loves to run. It helps him release stress and he definitely has a lot of that. Then one day he meets Zoe. Zoe has a whole story of her own and Lucas finally gets to know it all.

Throughout this story you learn more and more about the characters and it will touch your heart in ways you may not have experienced with a book. Though I have felt every emotion there is while reading, this one gives me every single one of those feels. The loneliness, sadness, happiness, tears, laughter, love, despair, need, wanting, you name it it’s in here. This is one book that truly is a page turner. Once you start it you will not want to put it down. It’s by far my favorite book by this author and I have read and loved several.

You’ll love the characters. The time frame. The town. Most of the people. The descriptions. You’ll feel like you are right beside Lucas during all of this. It starts going back in time to the summer of 1969 then in the end goes fifty years ahead to let you know what happened to everyone and I do mean everyone. It does not leave you guessing or hanging. It has the perfect ending to what to me is the perfect book.. I honestly loved this book so much. I won’t be forgetting this story. It did make me do some ugly crying but it was so worth it.

Thank you #NetGalley, Lake Union and Catherine Ryan Hyde for this beautiful ARC. This is my own true review.

It’s a huge 5 stars and I most highly recommend it to everyone.

Friday, December 6, 2019

NOT AGAIN by Maria T. Henriksen

This is a very cute and touching story of a young girl who has to face many things in her life. From what seems to be a mother who is not really there for her emotionally to being assaulted by a neighbor boy who was just plain evil. Falling in love at what seems to be to be a very young age and going through all the ups and downs that go with that. Being 13 is a very hard age but when I was that age I was not at all into dating or boys yet. I of course noticed a cute boy but would never have thought about going with one. While to me Christina was just to young to be dating as was her first love Avery, they did seem to have a good relationship. Young love is hard enough when you are 16 but to be 13 and thinking you are in deep love is tough. You should be enjoying be a child not worrying about kissing and making out. That being said this book was a good one. The story was cute and endearing but also hard to read in places. I’ve been there where Christina was when she got hurt so badly. You don’t get over it. It stays with you forever. You learn to move on and have a life though.

This book made me laugh out loud in places. Like when Christina calls her boyfriend, who is only 14, a man. LOL He’s a child as she is but they do feel deeply for each other at the time. Love is hard but it’s also beautiful and when you meet the right person it seems like things do fall into place as they should be. Christina and her friends are all looking for something in life. Between the Christian parts in this book and the young people going to parties and doing a bit of drinking, they form deep friendships. Deep rivalries too. Kids can be mean and cruel at times and then they can be your best friends. The ones you confide in. Tell your deepest secrets too. Or most of the secrets anyway.

Christina, Avery and Joey are all friends who love each other in many ways. Christina is in love with Avery and he is in love with her. Joey is also in love with Christina but knows that she will love Avery for a long long time, possibly forever, so he steps down. He will find that special someone in his life eventually I’m sure.

This book is a Christian book and filled with very likable characters. Some will get under your skin while others will make you smile. It’s just a very good book but for a young age group than me. While it’s also one that you will enjoy too at any age. I loved how the author wrote things that happened in the early 80s true to the time period. The songs that they kids listened to or skated to. The way they depended on each other for moral support at times and were always there for each other when someone hurt or tried to hurt one of them. True friends are here no matter what.

I gave this book 4 stars and that is because I enjoyed the book immensely, but I also found it hard to imagine kids so young being so into dating. Of course when I was in school at that age it seems half the girls there were expecting babies so what do I know. I thought it was contagious. I swear I did. I was not at all smart about those things. So apparently young kids fall in love and have sex even back in the 70s when I thought drinking after them might cause it.

Thank you very much Maria T. Henriksen for this book. I throughly enjoyed it and I do recommend it to my book loving friends.

Monday, December 2, 2019

SNOW CREEK by Gregg Olsen

WOW!! OMG!! What a story. This book takes you on a path that you won’t soon forget. The twists and turns are so well done. Just when I think I have things all figured out another twist hits. The only thing I did get was who actually did the killing. I thought I had it then a total surprise hit. One you won’t see coming. Then when I thought I had it another hits. I love a book that takes me on such a wild and twisting ride.

I felt like I was in the woods in the mountains of Washington where this story takes place. I felt so bad for the Wheaton children. Their mother and father are missing. Have been missing for a while and they have no idea what is going on. They are not where they said they were going.

Megan Carpenter is the detective on the case of the missing parents. Ida Wheaton’s sister reported them missing then went back to her hometown in Idaho. Now this story is full of week women with very dominating husbands and they are a bit on the fanatical religious side. Ruth Turner, Ida’s sister tells the detective that she is to only call her husband’s phone if she absolutely has too. Talk about dominating but good grief.. This is about her sister going missing.

There is also the strange neighbors that live on the somewhat isolated mountain. No one wants to be bothered and they are not a friendly bunch. There is a crazy cat woman that lives next door to the Wheatons and the two women who moved way out here to be left alone in their marriage. People just don’t want to be dragged into each other’s business. Though before it’s over some very bad things will come to light here.

While all of this is going on we also learn a great deal about Megan Carpenter’s life before she came here. She has been through so much already and dealing with that is enough to make you cringe. You’ll read about the things she went through, found out and did. How she survived some pretty messed up things in her life. Her time with a shrink that helped her a lot. She listens to the tapes the Dr made for her. They sure tell a story of their own too. It’s kind of like reading two books in one and done so well. I never lost a thing with this. It made the story even better. It would not be what it is without everything that happens.

I throughly enjoyed this book. Most all the characters are very likable. Even the crazy ones. Even the killers are somewhat likable. This book is a very good one. I can’t wait for the nest one. I know it will be great and I’ll find out what exactly happened in Megan’s life that she had to fight so hard to overcome. She’s one strong female and you will like her.

This is my first book by Gregg Olsen and will by no means be my last. I loved it. I didn’t want to put it down for anything. Trust me it is a very good pager turner that will have you guessing and second guessing.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #GreggOlsen and #Bookouture for this ARC. This is my own review.

It’s a big 4 stars. Make that 4.5 stars and a high recommendation to anyone that likes a good mystery/thriller series.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

CHATEAU WEDDING by Tess Thompson

This is a short and sweet story of the wedding between Stone and Pepper. If it could go wrong it certainly did with this wedding. But Pepper being who she is managed to put things into perspective and carry one.

This is a short story about a wedding taking place in Paris. It’s one of the Cliffside Bay short story’s and will show you how strong a young woman can be in the face of adversity. The love of her life only wants what she wants. Everything to be perfect. And perfect it will be as long as the two of them get married and make a life with their friends and family all there.

This is not a stand alone book. You need to read this series as I know you will love it. Each book is about a different couple and a couple of shorts thrown in to keep the romance going. It’s a sweet story of a couple finally getting to where they belong. Together forever.

A true love story.

I gave it 4 stars and loved the book. Thank you to Tess Thompson for this ARC. This is my own honest review.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

A LIGHT IN THE HALLWAY by Amanda Prowse

Amanda Prowse writes books that take your heart on a journey. This was a very sad story of love and loss. When Nick’s wife dies he has to figure out a way to make a life for him and their son Oliver. Oliver is 18 and getting ready to leave for university. That means Nick will be alone and he doesn’t know if he can do alone. Kerry was his wife since they were 17 years old.

Nick has a lot on his plate with in-laws, friends, a job, a son who is leaving and a special someone that may help him over this hurdle in life. Though to me four and a half months is not enough time for grieving this story is not about my life. It’s about Nick’s and his wife was sick for a long time. Can he possibly find love and happiness with someone else. Can Oliver accept another woman so soon after the loss of his mother? Oliver is a great kid and makes his dad very proud. He doesn’t want to accept Beverly at first and tends to run to his Auntie Di way to much but he’s pretty level headed so things may work out ok.

I have read a few of this author’s books and truly loved them so much. While this one was by far not my favorite it was very good. It has all the feels in it, laughter, tears, heartache, but it was a bit long to me. In some places I found myself wanting it to move on already. But overall it truly is a good story. It was well written. The characters were likable and the two storylines were great. One being Nick as a kid and the other Nick as a grown up. The things he went through during 1992 then jumping to after he is grown and what he goes through losing his wife. It was done beautifully. I enjoyed reading the antics of the young boys and what all they did and went through. The true friendships that led them into adulthood. Nick is very likable and so are his friends and family.

I have to thank #NetGalley, #AmandaProwse for this book. This is my own review.

I gave it 4 stars and recommend it to all. Be prepared for a very good read.

Friday, November 22, 2019

JILTED: NICO AND SOPHIE by Tess Thompson

Another trip to Cliffside Bay... It’s always an experience that I look forward too.

Since she was a very young girl Sophie knew who she was suppose to be with when she grew up. She knew who her soulmate would be. Not his name, but exactly what he looked like down to his dog. Sophie had grown up with two loving parents who doted on her and loved her no matter what. They had adopted her when she was just a baby.

Nico was a broken man. He didn’t know what it was to be loved so unconditionally and completely so it was quite scary for him to believe that Sophie or anyone could do that. His life growing up was quite unpleasant and didn’t have the love that he definitely deserved. His engagement had fallen apart when his fiancĂ© left him for her best friend. He has definite trust issues.

Love lives in Cliffside Bay. Everyone there is happy and carefree in their own way. These two will go through a lot to find true love but in this area it has to work out. They can travel the world and still come back to Cliffside to be home again. Theirs is a love story that a lot of us may can relate to. Finding that special someone and fighting for it. Never giving up. Never letting anyone make you feel differently about the love of your life.

I love the characters in this series and maybe have a new favorite after reading this one. I absolutely loved Judi. She is one heck of a woman. What she does for Nico and Sophie is beyond just being a friend.

This book has some laughter, anger, scary parts and mostly lots of kisses and love. It’s perfect just the way I read it. It’s such a good love story and is so authentic in the way it’s told that you will feel like you are right there. Or at least feel.. It’s a true love story from start to finish. A touching story of two people who may not have been if not for the unrelenting love that one young lady has for someone who thinks he is to old for her. Sophie just doesn’t give up. She knows who she was meant to be with and with someone’s help goes for him with all she has.

I have to give this awesome book 5 stars and a high recommendation. Thank you to Tess Thompson for the ARC. This my own feelings and thoughts about this book and in no way reflects anything else.

Isn’t love grand!!!!

Monday, November 18, 2019

ONE FOR THE BLACKBIRD, ONE FOR THE CROW by Olivia Hawker

I’ve read some books this year that absolutely took my breath away. THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger, WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens and now this beautiful book, ONE FOR THE BLACKBIRD, ONE FOR THE CROW by Olivia Hawker. All new authors for me.

This book will take you to a place where things are truly hard yet also simple. Hard work for everyone involved yet the beauty is so great you will fall deeply in love with the time and place. Things grow then die. It’s the circle of life truly.

Cora and Nettie Mae are neighbors. Cora has four children while. Nettie Mae has only one. They are not friends at all. Actually Nettie Mae despises Cora and with good reason. But as they decide that the only way to survive the winter is for them to merge families they get to know each other in different lights. In small ways. In ways that they both suffer yet thrive. From their families they learn how to get along. How to work together for the good of each and for the good of their land. With no husband around to help they rely on each other’s oldest children, Clyde, Nettie Mae’s son and Beulah, Cora’s daughter. They have to grow up on the fast time during these hard times and make the best of what life has granted them. Cora has three other smaller children while Nettie Mae only has the one son. She lost other children along the way and it made her hard. She hardened her heart in many ways because of what life dealt her. But through the laughter of children maybe she can learn to open up a bit. Even if it’s just a tiny bit.

This book is told from mainly Beulah’s POV but also from Clyde, Nettie Mae and Cora. Each has their own story or way of thinking. Beulah is a very sweet young girl of just thirteen who knows and loves the land in a way that no one can understand. She has a way about her that scares Nettie Mae but ultimately eases some of Nettie Mae’s harshness too. This young girl will get under your skin. She will make you believe in things you never thought about before. She just has a special way of telling things, of seeing things, of hearing things that no one else can. She can explain these things in such detail and liveliness that you can truly feel it. You will love this girl truly. Clyde is a young man who has to grow up quickly after his father’s death. He has to take on the running of no only his farm but of the Bemis’s farm also. He’s a hard worker and he never complains. He just does what he has to do. When him and Beulah start working together she helps him see things that he never saw. Helps him do the things that he finds very hard to do. Like when it’s time to kill the lambs for the meat they will all have to have to survive the winter. She has a way with all living creatures and with Clyde by her side they can do anything it seems. These to are a force of their own and no one will stop them from succeeding.

This is the story of two families who have to survive a cold harsh winter that came way to soon. They have to get along in one home. Under one roof that is filled with some very tense moments. These two families will become a part of you. The land will become a part of you. You can feel the cold. The animals. The crops. The things these families endure. From hard times to happy times you can feel to your bones. This is a beautifully written book that will make you believe in a happy ever after and it’s by far not a fairytale. But a life of hardships, friendships, love both young and old. Of life on a farm. From death to new life. It will make you cry in places and feel full in others. I had so many feelings reading this book that it’s hard to describe. Just know you will feel it all if you give it a chance. It’s just a beautiful book. One that you will fall in love with. One that is so hard to put down for anything. It’s a story of hope when you thing all is lost.

I believe this is just about the most perfect book I have read in a very very long time. I felt it in my heart. The author’s notes at the end even made me cry. What a great author. I love cats to by the way!!

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Lakeunion and #AmazonPrime for this book. This is my complete and honest review.

It’s a huge 5 stars from me and so worth many many more. I highly recommend this book. I can’t say it enough. I highly recommend this book.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

HEART THIEF by Taylor Dean

I’m always happy to read a book by Taylor Dean. Her books are so uplifting and filled with love. She has a writing style that keeps you wanting more. This book is no exception. It’s so good you won’t want to stop reading.

“It’s you, Mila, you. You’re the love of my life, the one I want to marry, the one I wnat to have children with. I know you think your life is over, but you once told me you had another dream besides the piano. And I want to give you that dream. A houseful of children, made by me and you.”
(I love this)

Mila had two dreams. One playing the piano and the other having a family. A man to love and many children.

Take a man and woman who may be in love. What if everything you think you know about him is based on lies? What if it’s some cruel kind of joke? Can you forgive a man who treats you like you are more his property than his girlfriend? The love of his life? This is what I see in Ryker and Mila’s relationship. He’s more of a mama’s boy who thinks he has to have Mila no matter what. But is he right for her?

Along comes Zane and Mila loses her heart for real. At least she thinks so. He’s the exact opposite of his brother, Ryker. He knows humor, he loves to dance, he knows what love is and he knows how to show it. Or is he too just after the girl because his brother has her? Can Zane be to good to be true?

These are a few of the decisions Mila has to figure out. Through many ups and downs she is torn. What she thinks is true may not be. These brothers are so messed up. So torn apart. They have been lied to for most of their lives by the ones that should have loved them unconditionally.

Love can be such a wonderful thing. The things that go along with it can be also and will be if it’s the right person. I completely understand why Mila could not stay with Ryker. He seemed so cold and calculated and serious all the time. He was not with her completely. His heart was just not there. Yet he didn’t want his brother to be with her. These brothers have so much to overcome. Many years of confusion and bitterness between them. Is Mila the prize or is she truly for one of them?

Taylor Dean outdid herself with this book. I loved it so much. As with all of her books there is a lot going on. Love, laughter, seriousness, tears, lots of tears at times, a cruel stepmother in this one and two half brothers who could have had such a good life together. Been there for each other to the end. Maybe, just maybe, it’s not to late.

This is a 5 star book from and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Friday, November 8, 2019

WILDFLOWER CHRISTMAS by Grace Greene

This was the perfect ending for the Wildflower series. If it’s the ending. So many answers and so many people coming back into each other’s lives with this series. I was so hoping the one person who was missing would be found. It was just the perfect Christmas book and I’m not huge on Christmas books. Christmas has many heartaches for me and this book sure made this story magical in many ways. Proves that sometimes a lonely Christmas is not the thing you need.

Kara found that having a big family around for Christmas was the best thing. The best way to celebrate the holiday. With friends and family around and maybe the spirit of her father she had a happy Christmas. A lot happens in this novella and it’s all good. From a scare to new found family this book keeps you in a very upbeat state of mind. I honestly loved this book very much. Gave me a bit of hope for the upcoming holiday.

Family is always very important and if you have a good family don’t take them for granted. To find the one you love is an added bonus too. This book gives a lot for a short story. Lots of love, hope, tears and laughter. Many friends who are there for each other no matter what. The descriptions are so well done you feel like you are right there. The bridge over Cub Creek has become a place I love to visit. I can hear the water streaming by and the sounds that go along with it. From the smells of winter flowers to the sounds of wildlife. From the people who have welcomed Kara with open arms and made her feel a part of their lives. This is one wonderful story of love, loss and found again.

Thank you Grace Green for this beautiful story of a Christmas that may have been lonely....

It’s a 5 star and highly recommended book from me. I loved it from start to finish.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

TRUELUCK SUMMER by Susan Gabriel

I actually read this wonderful book a few years ago. I have no idea why I didn’t post a review but here it is now.

This was a very fun book. It was funny and series. It was a true Southern Fiction book that keeps you turning the pages throughout. I loved how the children got along and interacted during a time when racism was at it’s worse. Ida Trueluck is Trudy’s grandmother. She came to live with her son and his family even though she would much rather have stayed where she was. Trudy’s best friend Velvet are inseparable and do almost everything together. When Trudy is almost hit by a bread truck a black boy,  Paris, saves her life. They become instant friends. They go through many adventures together but one that could land them all in trouble for sure is to take down the Confederate flag that flies atop the South Carolina State House... Can they do this? Will Ida help? If she doesn’t they sure can’t do it alone.

This book is such a good one and will take you deep into the heart of Southern racism and understanding. The friendships between children and the innocence and caring of children toward each other. It’s a book that will definitely make you believe that things can get better. It’s a very good read. One you won’t forget. Through all the ups and downs these children go through you will laugh, shout, get angry and shed tears. Overall it’s truly a heart touching story of a summer of learning.

I loved this book so much.
It’s a huge 5 star read and made me want more of Susan Gabriel’s books. I highly recommend this book.

DAISY’S FORTUNE, by Susan Gabriel

This is the third book in the Wildflower Trilogy. First came The Secret Sense of Wildflower and was Louisa May’s(Wildflower) story. Second was her daughter’s, Lily’s Song and then this one. The perfect ending to one of the best series I’ve have read. The whole series will have you feeling things you may not expect. From laughter to tears. Lots of tears though. Innocence lost, family found. Each person, Wildflower, Lily and Daisy were thirteen in their stories. They each had things to overcome but also had a love that defied the odds.

(My thoughts are like a wheel stuck in the mud that keep turning and digging itself deeper.
“For years I though it was my fault. But what I’ve learned from my fifty years of living is that sometimes bad things happen, and you didn’t do a single thing to deserve it or bring it on.”
All we need is one person willing to hold us. One person who will see our shame and love us anyway. Perhaps even love us more.
In many ways, Daisy’s fortune has been my fortune, too.) From this book these are some of my favorite lines.

This book will touch your heart is so many ways. The innocence of a child. The wonder of life. The courage of the elderly. The love that you feel do deeply between the three people in this story and series. It’s a deep love that no one can destroy. Learning to trust that you will be ok. You will survive the worse things that can possibly happen to you. The loss of family. The secret sense that lets you continue to hear their voices. Know that they loved you so very much.

This book definitely made me shed lots of tears but it also made me feel calm. I could picture the mountains, the trails, the people. Even the ones you sat in judgement of others. A friend who is not and never was truly a friend at all. A stranger who came and made a home there but was not the evil person you fear him to be. The beautiful flowers everywhere. Even the peace you feel in the cemetery finally. It’s told with such depth and love. You don’t mess with a mother’s protective side when she would do anything for her child. You step back and let it go.

This book made me look at growing old in a different way also. All the memories you have. The things you did in your life. The regrets and the wonders. The family you have and will see again someday. Maybe.

This book takes you to a place where things are much simpler and love abounds. Not just the love of a man and woman but the love of a family. The love of three generations of women who would and did do all they could for each other. Overcame such horrible things in life and came out much stronger.

I enjoyed this book as much as the other two and maybe just a bit more. I loved all the characters in this one with the exception of one woman. She was not nice at all. This book is so well written and the time frame is perfect for it. The setting, the descriptions are so realistic. You will feel right at home.

I give this book 5 stars and highly recommend it. But be sure and read the first two so you will completely understand what this one is saying. This is truly a perfect series.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

ALL ABOUT EVIE by Cathy Lamb

This is my very favorite book by Cathy Lamb. It’s such a good and magical book. Of all her books, even ones I have yet to read, I can’t imagine any being better.

This book is so full of love. It’s full of so much laughter and so so many tears. It’s telling basically two stories at once in a way. One set in the 70s and the other years later. The story of Evie and her mom, aunts and sister. Then the story of Betsy, Johnny and the daughter they had to let go of. The hell they lived in for loving each other enough to do anything for the other. Johnny’s little sister, Tilly, who was so sweet and also went through so much as did Johnny, at the hands of their horrible, awful, mean, cruel, sick, crazy dad.

This book had me laughing so hard on one page then crying my eyes out on the next. It is truly a beautiful yet sad and happy story of love, loss and finding again something you need more than anything else in the world. What Johnny and his sister went through with their dad was beyond horrible. He was the meanest man I have read about in ages. How can any parent be so cruel to their flesh and blood?

Betsy loved Johnny more than anyone in her life. She had what in my opinion were the worst parents ever. Her dad was a “preacher” and her mother a sorry excuse for a human being. Now if you have read this you may think she had no choice but I beg to differ. I would have died before a man would have hurt my child like he did Betsy. He was beyond cruel. He was one crazy bible thumping hypocrite who needed to be beat to death.

Evie had wonderful parents and a sister who was her best friend. She also had premonitions that left her anxious and depressed. Sometimes she could stop something tragic from happening and at other times there was nothing she could do to stop things. She lived in guilt thinking she had let her best friend down. Her friend from school. Evie’s family lost their dad and husband in the war so it was just the mother, Poppy, and the aunts Iris and Camellia and Jules. Jules is a character herself. The funniest are the mom and aunts. They will have you rolling with laughter. But Evie’s life is not so cut and dry either. She’s madly in love with Marco the town vet but because of a premonition she won’t go out with him. She loves him from afar.

There are many animals in this story and you will love them all. Their stories of how Evie rescued them will bring you to tears also but knowing they are happy and so well loved will make your heart swell with joy. One story truly broke my heart so bad but it had to be told and it was in it’s way beautiful.

This book is written so perfectly. Filled with such emotion. Gives you so much love, laughter, sadness and many tears. The characters are so wonderful and lovable, with the exception of one jerk who you will hate terribly bad. At least I did. You’ll know who he is when you meet him.

This is a laugh out loud, cry ugly tears book. It will keep you turning the pages wanting more and more of each story. It’s told from Evie’s story and from Betsy’s story. Both have so much heartache and so much love. This is a wonderful book even through the tears. I absolutely positively am happy I read it.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Kensington for this truly awesome book.

It’s a 5 star book from me and I most highly recommend it to everyone who loves a good laugh, cry and a touch of magic.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

EVERYTHING YOU ARE by Kerry Anne King

If she could die quietly, just close her story as if it’s a book she started reading and decided she didn’t like, she would welcome that. But she has to keep turning the pages; she’s not allowed to quit, because this is her fault and it’s the punishment she deserves.

Sometimes a book comes into your life and you never look at things the same. This is such a book. It’s so well written. So touching. Heartfelt. Filled with so many emotions. It’s like something you never expected. Nothing is the same from start to finish and yet every single word, page, chapter, just fits perfectly. From the death of a mother and son to the lives of a daughter and father. A promise to a grandfather. From alcoholism to drugs. From love to hate and back again. This book is filled with emotions you may not even know you have. Laughter, sadness, death, tears(lots of tears), life, music. Oh the music. You can feel that in your heart. I could at least.

Love is such a fantastic feeling. True love that is from your heart. The language of love. From a woman to a man. A daughter to a father. Family to family. This book has many characters in it and they all feel such deep things. They are all fighting something. Something that is almost to strong to bear. Phee, the luthier, has to made a promise to her grandfather that is almost impossible for her to keep. Does she believe in curses or was that all just something in his head? Allie, lost her mother and brother and blames herself. Braden, a first-chair cellist for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, lost his ability to play and became a drunk. Left his wife and children eleven years earlier. After the death of his wife and son he has to go be there for Allie. He’s always loved her but she hates him so bad. There are other characters, ones who have problems. Drinking problems. They are all there for each other no matter what though and keep each other on the straight way to being sober.

Can anything fix these broken people. Can music be the salve that mends them? This is the story you have been waiting for. It’s going to grab you by the heart and pull you deep inside and won’t let go until you find the answers to every question. Until you read the very last word and believe me the ending of this book will make you weep. I wish I could think of the perfect words to describe how much this book touched me. The love that exists between people. The empathy, the heartfelt true caring of each other. A near tragedy that brings them all together to help mend. A cello that needs to be played. The music that touches you.

This book is one that I will not forget to soon. It’s a pure piece of poetry that will make you so happy you read it. From start to finish you will love this book. You’ll cringe in places too. Hold your breath when you wonder what is going to happen next. Will they make it or will they all turn against each other. It’s just a story that I felt inside. The love, laughter, sadness, heartache and tears. So many feelings. It’s one of those books that give you all the feels. That in my opinion is a great novel.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #LakeUnionPublishers for this ARC. This review is from my heart and told in my own words.

A million stars for this but alas I can only give it 5. I highly recommend this book. A must read by a wonderful author. I look forward to more from her.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

THE POISON GARDEN by A.J. Banner

From the time Elise gets home to the end of this book you will be on edge. Not know exactly what to believe or think. I had lots of theories about what was going to happen and what happened but the twists and turns in this book through me for a huge loop. I was way wrong about who did what to whom. Elise comes home to surprise her husband the day before their first wedding anniversary and she gets more surprises than she ever bargained for.

Some of the characters in this book I loved. I loved Elise and even Chantal finally. At first I thought Chantal was just a tramp who had no feelings at all for what her friend was going through. But she proved to be a very good friend and was there when it counted. She had her own sorrows and was able to finally come to “terms” with things that happened in her life.

This book will definitely keep you turning the pages until the very ending. The ending was done powerfully and oh so good. I loved all the things that happened to those that got what they deserved. I thought it was perfect justice. This book will pull you right in from the very beginning and will not let you go until the sweet ending. The ending is very sweet too. Right before the ending you find out why different things happened and who did what. I usually figure these things out but this book was a surprise to me. I loved that.

A. J. Banner is a wonderful author of thrillers. I’ve read a couple and always look forward to more. This one in my opinion is the best one yet. It’s definitely one that you won’t want to put down until the very last page.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #LakeUnionPublisher’s for this book. This review is mine and mine alone.

A huge 5 stars and highly recommend this book to everyone that loves a great thriller.

Monday, October 21, 2019

THE PATIENT by Steena Holmes

Not every woman deserves to be a mother. But every child deserves to be loved, to feel loved.

Children shouldn’t learn to hate their parents. When they do, it destroys their soul. It forces them to become someone they were never intended to be.

She wept at my stories, about how my mother would turn the other way when my stepfather tucked me into bed.
Excerpts from this book.....

This is a very complex psychological thriller. While I did figure it out early on it was one I had a very hard time putting down. I had to know who did what and why. It’s full of so much that if you are not careful you will get a bit lost. It has some parts that made my skin crawl. Children being abused both emotionally and sexually. Nothing explicit but it touches on that. It’s like the context of this story is about children and the parents who do not deserve them.

I thought every single character in this book was likable and they all felt so real. It was set in an Alice in Wonderland town and made you feel like you was there. I felt fear in so many places for the main character, Danielle Rycroft. It seemed like she put herself in so many scary situations. Not of her own making but from her lack of sleep then when she did sleep her sleep walking. It was very intense. Her best friend, Tami Sloan was right there for her through most everything. Tami was a cop investigating the murders.

There are several characters in this story. Each has a key part to play in how things turn out. You should like each one as they appear. The only person that I didn’t like at all was UNCLE!!

You will truly love this book. It will keep you one edge so much and every now and then maybe a tiny chuckle. Mostly it made me angry at the way some parents treated their children.

I think this may be one of Steena’s best books to date and I’m so hoping there is going to be a sequel. I need a sequel bad here.

Thank you #NetGalley #LakeUnionpublisers. This is my honest review of a very good edge of your seat thriller.

I gave this book 4 big stars. I recommend it highly.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

CILKA’S JOURNEY by Heather Morris

The first thing I have to say about this book is it will without a doubt make you weep deep hard ugly heartfelt tears. If it doesn’t you don’t have a heart or empathy for anyone. It’s a very sad but also true story of a young girl, Cilka,who had more compassion, love, honor, selflessness, heart, grit and the gift to give than anyone I have ever read about. This is also the first book I have ever read about someone who was in a concentration camp then prison for being in said camp. I’ve seen a couple of movies about concentration camps and the Nazi hells, but this is the first book. It’s a hard one for sure. It’s so well written and so emotional. You feel the pain of this young girl.  What she went through  and endured at the hands of men who thought of a race as property. Thought they were not worthy of living. This is the sequel to THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ but can be read as a stand alone. Thank goodness because right now I don’t believe I could handle reading the TATTOOIST.

This book takes you into the depths of a hell that a girl lived through. I have to admit I’m not at all sure I would have survived. She was given choices that kept her alive. To down her for accepting these choices is awful. For anyone to say that these people had choices has no idea what living in hell is like. This book makes you feel like you were there. At least it did me. It was beyond anything I could ever imagine happening yet it did. One day you are a child worrying about getting your license to drive and the next you are dragged away from everything you ever knew and treated like you are the lowest form of life. Cilka was such an inspiration. She was such a king young woman/child. She had a chance to leave and gave it to her friend and that friends child. She did these things many times. Put others before herself. She was forced to sleep with officers in charge in Auschwitz. Raped. Then she was sent to prison for conspiring with the enemy for being a survivor. For choosing to live instead of giving up and dying. She did what she had to do. She found happiness after so much hardship. She learned that she was not a horrible person for things she did that was out of her control. She found love and lived. Cilka was a very strong person whom I admire greatly. This book was so well written. It was so well put together.

At the end of this book keep reading. Read the NOTE FROM HEATHER MORRIS thru the very end of the book. You will learn even more about this amazing author and what research she put into this book. I’m so happy that I read every single word even though I had to lay this book down several times and get up and walk around because of weeping so hard. This is truly a great read. Sad yes. Very very sad but it’s one that I think everyone should read. Everyone should know what happened.

Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartin’sPress for the honor of reading this book. Also to Heather Morris for researching and writing this book.

I would give this book a million stars if I could. It’s definitely a 5 kleenex and 5 star book that I highly recommend.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

COLD WOODS by Karen Katchur

This book is definitely one of the best I have read. Though it’s a very touchy subject matter. Full of heartbreaking violence(between the lines so to speak) and family who are in a way hiding horrendous things behind closed doors. This book touches on alcoholism, domestic abuse, child molestation, and in my opinion pure evil. It shows what happens when a person has had enough. When you think you are going to die, actually know beyond a doubt that you will die if you don’t do something. This book can trigger things so be warned, but it’s also a fantastic story of how things played out. Filled with such a great ending. I figured out part of the, who did what, but not all by any means. I actually just had an idea of who may or may not have killed Lester.

Trisha comes home after being gone thirty years. One of her best friends mother had died and she wanted to reconnect and help her friend, Dannie. She was also running from her very sick and abusive husband. She was use to the best of things but she also had a bad problem with drinking. It helped to ease the pain she was in and from what I read it seems her husband may have helped to turn her into an alcoholic. He’s a very bad man and Trisha wants nothing more than to get away from him. She’s never told him about where she lived with her mother so she felt she was safe. Trisha and her mother didn’t have the best relationship either. Her mother did quite a bit of drinking also and had always been working when Trisha was young and needed her most. She was alone with her stepdad, Lester. Lester was a full on alcoholic who loved putting his sorry hands on young girls. Trisha felt it was all her fault. That she deserved what happened to her. This is unfortunately the way victims do feel. Lester had called her a tease and other things and she was afraid to tell anyone, even her best friends.

Trisha, Dannie and Carlyn met the day Trisha’s family moved to Bangor, Pennsylvania. On second street in a side by side house. They had left Chicago for this new start. The three girls because best friends right off and it seemed they would do anything for each other. They had a bond and were as different as any three could be. But they were there for each other up until each went their own way after high school.

A whole lot happens in this book. A lot of it very ugly yet told in a way that made the story what it was. When the story starts a body has been found and eventually identified as Lester. There are two main cops in this story who keep on the case until the very end when someone finally admits to the crime and tells why. Believe me they had every reason to do it.

Things had changed so much between the three friends that when Trisha came back it seemed they would never be friends again. But they are there for each other despite the distance and time. Dannie and Carlyn never left the town other than Carlyn going to college. Trisha of course had run fast and far to escape everything. Even though there were problems the three girls, grown women not, stand together. Dannie’s mother had died and they helped her, along with their mothers, clean out the house. They eventually seem to get over the hurt and resentment that started way back in the mid eighties. Their mother’s had become the best of friends also over the years. Sharon, Trisha’s mother and Linda, Carlyn’s mother were still very upset over losing their friend Evelyn, Dannie’s mother. Each of them had been left single mothers who would do anything for their girls.

This book is one that will definitely make you do some serious crying. It also has a couple of funny parts but not many and they are small. I cringed in so many places. From the young Trisha’s abuse at the hands of her stepdad to the awful horrible cruel treatment at the hands of her husband. The only one who truly loved Trisha was Scott, her high school sweetheart. But that ended also when she left town. She just didn’t feel she was good enough for him. He was a very kind and good boy who grew up to be a policeman and a great dad.

This book had some great characters in it. I didn’t read the first book, River Bodies, but will now. This is a stand-alone but from what I read it would be great to read the first one to get to know Detective Parker Reed more. To find out exactly what happened that made him the way he was. He’s a good cop and a very good human being. He seems to honestly care about what happens to Trisha and her mother. Even to her friends. He tries hard to get Trisha to not go back with her husband. Will he succeed with that. There is no romantic feelings between these too, Parker and Trish. He just knows that in domestic violence cases things don’t always end well. He wants to help. He’s fighting demons of his own yet always seems to reach out and help others. To me he is an all around good man who started liking a character in the first book.

Even with all the hurt and heartache in this story it’s well worth the read. The thriller/mystery of this book will keep you turning pages until the very surprising arrest and ending. The who and what will surprise you. It did me mostly. One I did think of but was not sure. It was so well written and had me hooked from the very first page. It’s told from different time periods and settings or from what is happening at the time. You will want to know who did what and what is going to happen to Trisha.

I am very glad I read this book. It is one that in many ways haunted me and will for a while. I cried so hard in places. If you have ever had an alcoholic stepdad who loved to touch you it may trigger those feelings. I personally was able to cry and work my way through it. I rooted for Trisha and actually all the characters who were touched by the things Lester did to prevail.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Tomas&Mercer for the ARC of this book in exchange for my complete and honest review.

I give this one 5 stars. I also recommend it to anyone that loves a good mystery/thriller.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

WILDFLOWER HOPE (Wildflower House book 2) By Grace Greene

WILDFLOWER HOPE (The Wildflower House book 2) by Grace Greene
Another beautifully written book by Grace Green. The sequel to Wildflower House is every bit as wonderful and poetic as the first book.
Filled with such hope, love, promise, laughter, pain, tears, forever after, this book will pull you in and not let go. The love that is in this book is so obvious yet Kara Lange Hart had to go through so much to find it. Losing her husband, child, mother and father she’s pretty much afraid to hope for anyone to be her forever. She has lots of great friends and two guys who both seem interested but she knows that she can only love one.
Losing her father was one of the hardest things Kara has gone through. After finding out the whole truth about his life growing up she wanted nothing more than to help him find his lost family. He two siblings who went missing when they were just toddlers. It was not to be though. When he passed Kara decided to go ahead and finish his dream of completing Wildflower House. Turning it into a type of retreat for artist of every kind was also her dream. She has put her heart and soul into this. Will it be a success? Will people come? Will she be able to see it through to the end? Kara is a fighter even though at times she thinks she is weak.
With help she finally is able to forgive her best friend, Victory, for a huge misunderstanding. Victory truly just wanted things to be good for Kara. It took Kara quite a while to accept that though. With Victory’s help she’s able to do some things that she would most likely not have done alone.
This book is so heartwarming. You will feel like you are there. From the inside of the house to the land surrounding it, it’s like I was there. The bench at the water. The trail to the old house where her father lived as a young boy. The trees and flowers all seem so real and alive to me. I could almost smell the beauty. This book is so touching and well written. You will fall in love with this community and people. The wonderful surprises along the way will make your heart feel so happy.
This is such a good series and I am sure there will be another. I have to find out what happens next for Kara. For all the characters. I picture what I think will happen but until I can read it I won’t know for certain. It’s truly a wonderful heartfelt loving story of love, loss, heartache, hope, finding and trusting people and love again. It has it all. This story made me laugh and cry. It made me have many feelings but mostly hope.
Two sentences stood out to me strongly: (1) Time. It recurred every second. On and on. And each second was an opportunity to do life better. Or worse. Unless you were to busy mourning the past seconds to see the opportunity-or the danger.
(2) “You can’t choose where you’re born, but you can choose where to grow”
I loved those. They fit perfectly.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #LakeUnionPublishing for the ARC of this wonderful book. I truly loved it from start to beautiful finish.
A big giant 5 stars and I highly, highly recommend this book and the first one Wildflower Heart to everyone.

Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera

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