ALL THE SILENT VOICES by Elena Mikalsen

When I started this book I was not sure I was going to be able to handle it. It starts out quite violently. A young college girl getting beaten and raped in a stairwell outside a frat party. It was horrific. But it was the beginning of a book that will give you a lot to think about.

This book sure touches on quite a few subjects. College football players getting away and even encouraged to rape young freshman girls. The girls being told it’s their fault and subsequently being forced out of the college. The sad thing is this is actually happening in colleges all across this nation and they are getting away with it. The corruption that goes into choosing players. Paying them off to come to each college. The promise of drugs and girls. I sure hope all colleges do not do this but am willing to bet almost all of them do. It definitely needs to be stopped.

Also the drug manufacturers and what is going on there. It’s a huge money making racket that some very high up people are getting rich from at the expense of us as humans who may depend on said drugs to live. Money being paid to officials to keep quiet about the side effects of dangerous drugs. It’s all for the profit not the health of the people.

Combine these two things and you have a story of a woman who was brutally raped and then years later having to face that rapist as her boss. That alone would be more than I could handle but Emma is a very strong woman. She’s already been through a lot in her life. She’s happily married and has a daughter who will soon be leaving for college. She also suffered numerous miscarriages that ripped her and her husbands hearts into. It’s a sad story in many ways but also a happy one in that they have such a strong marriage that they can endure almost anything. Aidan, Emma’s husband does not know for a long time why Emma hates Richard so much and so deeply. But when he does find out he is beside her through everything. He supports her no matter what. As he should. It took Emma a long time to face what happened after being made to feel she did something wrong and was the cause of the attack.

This book will give you many feelings. Some of hatred. Some of loss and a lot of anger. It made me cry in so many places to think about what Emma went through as a young girl starting out. She had already lost so much. But she does have a happy life twenty one years later and that is so wonderful. You will root for her and Aidan to make it. To be strong and be there for each other. For their daughter Sophie too. She plays a very important part in this story as does Emma’s roommate in college.

Most of the characters in this book are very likable. Lovable actually. But a few you will totally detest and wish bad things on so be warned. When a person is that evil you just want to see them hurting.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #ElenaMikalsen and #WildRosePress for the eARC of this book. This is my own true review of this story.

I gave it a  star and a very high recommendation.. You have to read this one to believe it.

BEHIND EVERY LIE by Christina McDonald

First I’d like to say this is the first book I have read by this author. I definitely look forward to more though. This one was great. It was perfect. It had it all.
There are a few things here that really made this book great. Here are a few that touched me.
“For so long I’d been trying to move past it, around it. But it hadn’t worked. It was always there, tearing me up, breaking me to pieces.
 Only now did I see-it didn’t matter how far I went; I couldn’t outrun myself.” (That is powerful in my opinion)
“Answers, I know, are rarely absolute. We each intend to do the right thing, and yet we are all helpless in the face of fate. We make a choice and must then move forward with the consequences.” (Another powerful quote from this story)
“We can be strong and brave and broken and whole all at the same time.”
“We aren’t defined by our tragedies, by our history, by our mistakes, but by pieces of love and sadness and happiness, and the whole range of human emotions we feel.” (That is so true. If only we could see that when we truly need too.)

This book is told from alternating POVs. Eva and Kat. Kat’s is from 25 years before. Eva’s is in the now. Both end up exactly where they should. Both take you on a ride you will both love and hurt over. It’s a very touching story of the love of a mother. The abuse of a wife. The losses some go through and the things that lead up to murder....

The who did what to whom will make you not want to put this book down. You’ll read each timeline wanting more and more. You’ll hurt for mother’s who are only trying to do their best. To get by and protect what belongs to them. From running away to protect themselves and their child. Going to a whole new world and starting over. Life is not always easy. We sometimes do things that we would never dare when it comes to living or dying.

This is a very good story. It has a lot of things that will make your heart hurt. Make it break. But ultimately it will have you rooting for the one person to find out she’s worthy of life. Of being herself. The choices she makes are not perfect but they make her who she is and that is what counts. That is true about all three of the women in this story when you finish and have time to reflect back on this story.

It if filled with very likable characters. Except Seb. I detested him immensely. But he was part of this story and it had to go the way it did to make it the wonderful book that I believe it is. The character development is perfect also as is the descriptions. You’ll feel like you are right there in the story. From some of the pain inflicted at times you will actually find yourself flinching. Parts will make you cry so much and parts will have your mouth dropping with a big “why didn’t I see that coming”. I throughly enjoyed reading this book. From start to beautiful ending. It was tied up just right. I can’t think of anything that was left out or needed to be said.

I have to thank #NetGally, #GalleryBooks and #ChristinaMcDonald for the eARC of this book. This is my own unbiased review.

I had to give it a 5 star rating and also a hug recommendation to everyone I know that loves a good mystery/thriller. It’s absolutely wonderful.

A LIGHT LAST SEEN by Grace Greene

Children are born innocent. They are born with a light in them that us as adults can make shine brighter or put completely out. Some mothers don’t have what it takes to make the light brighter. Some only think of themselves. This is my description of the mother in this story.

Now for some of the things that truly stood out in this awesome book to me:
“Some choices are ours to make, and some are forced upon us. It’s what you do with those choices that turns them into opportunities.”
I felt like Jaynie again, the kid with dirty feet and tangled hair and a mother who thrived on drama. It was proof that no matter how hard you tried, no matter how far you lifted yourself up, or how long you sore that fresh new skin, you could never really shake the stink of where you started.
“One thing I’ve learned through my many mistakes and failures is that you have to come to terms with the past or you’ll never be free of it-you’ll never truly become who you’re meant to be.”
You can’t fix what’s broke with just a snap of the fingers. But you can fix it. The tools are all inside you. You can find them if you try.
Keep your light shining and you won’t get lost. Be true to yourself and you’ll be true in life and to everyone around you.

This is truly an inspirational story. It’s full of wisdom. Life lessons. Something for everyone in this one. The story of a childhood lost and found. A young girl, Jayne, who’s mother seems to not truly care about her as much as she should. Jayne befriends her neighbor, Ruth, and leans many valuable lessons along the way. Things that will help her later in life in ways she never truly expects.

There are a couple of mysteries in this story but all is answered. It’s full of wonderful characters and places. It’s a light hearted story that will leave you breathless and full of hope for everyone. This book touched my very heart in ways that I can never explain. I related to Jayne in many ways. Her childhood was a lot like mine. I do believe that Jayne’s mother had deep problems but that she deep down truly loved her daughter. I think when she lost her husband she lost a big part of herself and didn’t know how to get that back. That is no excuse for some of the things she did but it’s better than her just being a selfish woman who didn’t care at all. She never hit Jayne. She just took her for granted. Her and her brother Mitch. Mitch remembers when their mother truly laughed but Jayne never saw that side of her.

Jayne goes through a lot in her adult life also but she’s strong enough to walk away when she has too. She makes things work in her life. Ruth truly did give her the tools to be strong. I would like to think maybe her mother gave her some strength also.

This book will touch your heart for sure. It’s a great read. Grace Greene is a wonderful author and I have enjoyed several of her books. This one though is now my very favorite. It’s the most realistic story. It’s like stepping into the book and being a part of Jayne and Ruth as they sit around the fire and Ruth gives Jayne so much. Things that help her throughout her life.

Thank you to #GraceGreene for the eARC of this wonderful book. This is my own thoughts and review.

A HUGE 5 stars and a very high recommendation to everyone.

UNSPEAKABLE THINGS by Jess Lourey

A few things in this book that jumped out to me. A few of the sentences that made a difference.
“Tomorrow was the last day of seventh grade for me. Soon I’d be running through the corn rows with my hands out to catch the pollen, the air exploding with the smell of green juice and earth. Summer meant everything detonating in fruit and flowers.”
“That’s the thing about small-town boys. All they had to do was come up with that one shtick, a crack at just the right time, or a Hail Mary touchdown, or nail the part of Romeo in the class play, and they were set. They never had to try again. Here’s the things about small-town girls: we let them get away with it.”
“And we stood there, in that safe pocket of smiles and laughter, summer dreams and yearbook autographs, and it was the last time we’d all be together again.
Alive, I mean.”
“I’d gone to bed a kid, but I woke up a teenager. An honest -to-god thirteen-year old. I felt different, I was sure of it.”
“In the end, I took the necklace, and if me ending up with that doesn’t tell you that there is a grand plan for this life, then you’re hopeless.”

This is a very dark story. Although it does not come right out and put deep descriptions on the things that happen, you will have no trouble imagining it. This is told from a twelve year old child’s view. A young girl, Cassandra/Cassie, who has her whole life ahead of her but goes through so much. She is quite the smart young lady too. A very kind child who should live a carefree life without a worry in the world. But she is worried. She knows things are not good in the town she lives in. She’s heard all the talk about the missing then returned boys and how they come back different. She lives in a house where things are not so great either. Secrets are all around her and her older sister. Nothing is explicit at all in this story but you’ll know. You’ll feel so bad for the children. The boys, even though some are bad, are heartbreaking in what they must have gone through. The sisters who are afraid of their own dad. A mother who refuses to listen.

This story goes into things that happen in life sometimes. From the peeping Tom to the so called Chester the Molester. To hints of incest. Boys being molested and given back. There are several people who you will suspect are the bad man but will you be able to guess for sure. I had a pretty good idea but didn’t know until the end. Cassie is a strong young girl who just wants the life of a normal child. To live in a world of peace and true love from parents who cherish her and her sister.

While some people may not like this story at all I found it to be interesting. How things came together. How things in this small town ran. How a family can be called a family when in reality it’s not at all. It takes way more than a married couple to be real parents. I didn’t like Cassie’s dad or mother. Her mother seemed very week and scared to speak out for her children even though she was a very educated woman and a high school teacher at that. Her dad had many issues going on. One that he survived Vietnam but in my opinion used that to get his way about almost everything from not being a good dad or husband to now having a job to help support his family. He was really the weak one though I still don’t like the mother either.

The two sisters are close. Very close and love each other very much. But it’s Cassie who is strong and seemingly independent in so many ways. She’s the one who will pull this story together. Solve the mystery around all that is wrong but on the level of a twelve year old. The author did a great job of keeping her a child in her words and actions. I applaud her for that. Great job Jess Lourey. Great job.

The only problem I had with this book, thus the 4 stars, was the ending. I wanted to know what happened. What happened to the dad, the teacher, Cassie and her sister and mother. What happened. Did the mother ever decide to take up for her daughters? Maybe she did. Maybe that is the way it’s suppose to play out. Maybe that is why it ended the way it did. I’d like to think so anyway.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #UnspeakableThings, #JessLourey, #Thomas&Mercer for the eARC of this book. This is my own true review.

I gave it 4 stars and do recommend it. It was a fast read for me and a very interesting one.

BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN by Diane Chamberlain

My first book by Diane Chamberlain was THE DREAM DAUGHTER and boy what a read that was. It was fantastic. But this one is even better. It hooked me from the very first and would not let go.

“YOU HAVE TO MAKE PEACE WITH THE PAST OR YOU CAN NEVER MOVE INTO THE FUTURE”(from this book)

This book is told from two different women in two different time periods.

Anna who won a contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. She is from New Jersey and has a lot to learn about Edenton. Not all pleasant either. Some of the people are hostile toward her. They don’t think she is the right one to paint the mural. After all they have a real artist who lives in their town. Anna needs a change as she is getting over the death of her mother. This setting is 1939 to 1940. She has no idea the tensions she is about to encounter either. The south was very full of prejudice at the time so she has to get use to this also.

Then we have Morgan, 2018. She is in prison for something she did not do. But no one believes her and she jumps at the chance to get out after a year to restore a mural for Lisa who is the daughter of Jesse Jameson Williams. She is on a tight deadline but it was her late father’s wish that Morgan be the one to restore the mural to it’s original state. Morgan knows nothing about restoration but is very willing to learn.

There are several characters in this story that you will come to love. They play a very pivotal role in Anna and Morgan’s lives. Each has a story to tell and it’s a good one. One that in the end will most likely blow you away. It did me. All hard work both of these young women put into their work is so touching. Morgan feels a connection to Anna, who goes missing, and wants to do all she can to find out what happened. Some things are harder than they seem though. Morgan feels guilty for what happened that sent her to prison even though it was not her fault. She feels like it was and she needs to come to terms with what happened.

This book is so full of wonderful writing. Such things that will keep you wondering what and why things happened. It’s descriptions are so realistic you will feel like you are actually there. Anna’s time period was way different than that of Morgan but each was told to perfection. It was like being in two places at once. I loved the characters in this book with the exception of one. You will know who he is when you read this book.

This book is so good you won’t forget it for a good long time. It’s one of the very few that I will want to read again. To me it’s just total perfection. Though at the very end I would have like to know one thing.....

Thank you #NetGalley, #DianeChamberlain, #StMartin’sPress for the eARC of this book. This is my review told from my very own opinions.

A BIG 5 stars and very high recommendation..

THE MAN SHE MARRIED by Alison James

Going to your grave with no name or memorial is surely the ultimate human failure.
That is from this book. The one sentence that in my opinion sums up a lot of this story.

This is my first book by Alison James and it won’t be my last.

It’s a thriller and mystery in one. One that will pull you in and keep you turning the pages until the end. This book really blew me away. You will know right from the start who the bad person is in this story but you won’t know all the details of what he is. He has lots of secrets going on and it’s our job to unravel them. This book made me cringe so many times. From murder to disappearance. From so many lies to possible truths. From before to now. You will not want to put this book down until you find out everything. I truly enjoyed trying to figure out what was going to happen next. It sure kept me on edge in lots of places and some things I did not see coming. The ending was spectacular in my opinion.

The characters of this book are likable. Some more than others of course. You’ll meet a man who in my opinion has no conscience in many ways but he still surprised in that he had some kind of feelings for the main character. But he is still a horrible person. Exactly who is this man? You will see a few sides to him and not like almost any of them. Like I said there is one time that I kind of liked him. Maybe liked that he had a tiny bit of feelings toward one person. Just the tiniest of feelings though.

You’ll read Alice’s story, from now and then. She has a lot to tell you and you will want to know what she has to say. Then you will get Ben’s story. Ben is who Alice fell in love with and married. But is Ben who he claims to be?  Only a short part of this book, in part 1 you will hear his story and know something about him. The rest, the first, second and third parts are all Alice’s story and boy does she have a story to tell.

A huge thank you to #NetGalley, #Bookouture, #alisonjames for the eARC of this book. This is my own personal review.

I give it 4.5 stars and a high recommendation.

LIES THAT BIND by Ashley Farley

This is by far my favorite Ashley Farley book. I’ve loved and enjoyed several but this one is best in my opinion. It touches on so many things. From happiness, abuse, alcoholism, death, identity stealing, rape, disappearances, unexpected pregnancy and even in my opinion taking advantage of a person who is drinking and taking something. It has a lot going on but easy to follow.

This book starts out strong and keeps building until you find out everything you could possibly want to know about each character. It’s told from Maggie, Reese and Eva’s points of view. Things that are going on in all of their lives. The death of Eva’s husband and subsequent disappearance of her daughter set her on the road to almost self destruct while also running a business. Maggie leaving her family to follow the man she marries across the country to start a new life only to find things are not as they always appear. What will become of her. Reese, the daughter who has gone missing. Eva’s daughter. Her story was one that truly captivated me from the start and held me to the very end. I think she was possibly my favorite character. She sure had a lot going on in her days. What became of her?

This book has wonderful characters. The scenes make you feel like you are there with each person. From the beginning to the terror that Eva has to go through it will hold you. It’s told in a way that you just don’t want to let go. You want to know what happens and what is going to happen. It even has a little bit of a thriller aspect to it.

Ashley Farley has definitely outdone herself with this book in my opinion. It’s great.

Thank you to #ashelyfarley for this ARC for my complete and honest review. This is my own opinion.

I gave it 5 stars and a high recommendation. It’s truly so good.

BETTER ENDINGS

Happy release day to BETTER ENDINGS, by Tina Hogan Grant. 

This is the 2nd book in the Tammy Mellows series. (RECKLESS BEGINNINGS is the 1st). 

The synopsis

It took a new love to discover her demons

Tammy Mellows embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery in this heart-warming tale of love, strength, and the sea…

After narrowly escaping with her own life from Steven, the father of her child and an abusive heroin addict, Tammy Mellows believed she finally gained control of her own self.

She couldn’t be more wrong. When a new love interest enters her world, the relationship unveils hidden demons Tammy never knew she had, and feared they would destroy her newfound love with Dwayne, which had become the most important thing to her, other than her son.

Faced with unexpected challenges, she finds solace on the ocean and becomes a commercial fisherwoman—an industry dominated by men. Some of whom question her ability and stamina to make it through the season.

Still trying to cope with her own personal battles, she now finds herself facing high expectations in order to be accepted by the rest of the fleet, and for self-gratification, she must push herself to the limit and reach deep within herself, and rediscover a strength that had lain dormant for too long.

And on a fateful night crossing over storm-swept waters, she will face down her demons once and for all... 

Will Tammy overcome her demons and find happiness with her new love?

Will she succeed and prove herself enough to become a member of the fishery?

Early Reviews

I absolutely loved this story. I was completely captivated by needing to know what was going to happen and how it would end. I actually binge read this entire book in one night. – Amazon reviewer

Absolutely loved this book! I didn't want to put it down. I had to see how it would end! Strong female lead character. Just goes to show what motivating can do! Highly recommend this book!  Amazon reviewer.

Available where all paperbacks are sold, and on Kindle for $3.99

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0827KVLDF

THE GIRLS WITH NO NAMES by Serena Burdick

This book grabbed me from the very first when Effie was in the basement feeling like she was dying. Effie was born with a bad heart. A hole in her heart and she was not suppose to live a year. She’s 13 now and looking for her sister Luella.

Luella and Effie are sisters. Very close sisters who will do anything for each other. Luella never believed that Effie was really dying despite the fact she has a terrible heart problem and what they call “blue fits”. Their parents love them and trust them it seems completely. But when the Gypsies come around they love to sneak off and go visit them.

Luella is a ballet dancer in the very early 1900s and is 16 years old. She is very fascinated by the Gypsies and loves going to visit and listen to their music while dancing with them also. Effie is more fascinated with the fortune telling part. She goes along mainly because of Luella though. She seems to almost worship her older sister.

Effie was born in 1900 and with a hole in her heart. The dr told her parents that she would never survive to see her first birthday. Each year on her birthday Jeanne, the girls mother, is afraid it will be Effie’s last. She’s not ready to lose her baby girl. It seems the birth of Effie puts a distance between their parents in the fear of having another baby born with problems. But their problems are by far not Effie’s fault.

The parents seem to truly love the girls and give them a good life. Their father, Emory, does not allow to many maids or help and seems like he may be a little bit on the stingy side but it’s understandable if he’s doing this to teach his girls to be selfs reliable. Luella wants her own maid but Effie does not see the sense in that. Luella is growing up and wants things that her parents don’t understand. She’s like a free spirit in many ways.

One morning Effie awakes and Luella is gone. She is convinced her father sent her to the HOUSE OF MERCY. A place where young girls were sent if they were a bit out of hand or for other reasons. It’s not a very pleasant place though. The girls are treated more like slave workers than human beings. The so called Sisters who run the place are cruel indeed. Makes me wonder about any religion that allows such cruelty. Effie finds a way to get put in this awful place and meets a girl, Mable. Mable is a character I won’t forget soon. This book tells her story along with Effie’s and Luella’s. Jeanna tells her story of fear and heartbreak. Many points of views are told here. Each so worth reading and knowing. It explains so much about each of the characters of this book.

I love the end where the author told about the places like HOUSE OF MERCY that were everywhere back then. They were all cruel and treated women, both young and older, terrible. The research that was done for this book is very interesting and worth reading also. So at the end be sure and read that part.

This story will touch your heart. Make you hold your breath in several places and even laugh in a few. It’s told from several prospectives and the characters are so well developed. I loved them all. I think this book is one that will stick with me for a long time. The ending did make me cry, but also part of it made my heart happy. It’s the story of not just two girls, but three and the mother of two of them, and how they survived, dealt with and endured some things that no young girl should have too. I was also surprised that back then at 16 a girl could get married without the parents consent. Men could do whatever they wanted and got away with it, that part didn’t surprise me though. It’s the story of love, loss, finding one’s self and losing people who are a treasure. It’s well written and a very touching story.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Harlequin, and a new to me author, Serena Burdick. I look forward to more from this author. This is my own review.

I have to give it 5 stars. A very high recommendation also. A must read.