What I read in April!

 

1: THE DROWNING KIND by Jennifer McMahon

reviewed 4/3

2: THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD by Melanie Benjamin

reviewed 4/16

3: THE PERFECT DAUGHTER by D.J. Palmer

reviewed 4/10

4: THE GOOD SISTER by Sally Hepworth

reviewed 4/12

5: HER LAST CHANCE by Alizon Ragsdale

reviewed 4/15

6: JUST MY LUCK by Adele Parks

reviewed 4/26

7: THE RESTARTING POINT by Marci Bolden

reviewed 4/18

8: WHEN THE STARS GO DARK by Paula McLain

reviewed 4/21

9: THE WITNESS by Terry Lynn Thomas

reviewed 4/23

10: THE NOTH THROUGH THE WIRE by Doug Gold

reviewed 4/28

THE NOTE THROUGH THE WIRE by Doug Gold

 

SYNOPSIS:

Praised as an “unforgettable love story” by Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, this is the real-life, unlikely romance between a resistance fighter and prisoner of war set in World War II Europe.

In this true love story that defies all odds, Josefine Lobnik, a Yugoslav partisan heroine, and Bruce Murray, a New Zealand soldier, discover love in the midst of a brutal war.

In the heart of Nazi-occupied Europe, two people meet fleetingly in a chance encounter. One an underground resistance fighter, a bold young woman determined to vanquish the enemy occupiers; the other a prisoner of war, a man longing to escape the confines of the camp so he can battle again. A crumpled note passes between these two strangers, slipped through the wire of the compound, and sets them on a course that will change their lives forever.

Woven through their tales of great bravery, daring escapes, betrayal, torture, and retaliation is their remarkable love story that survived against all odds. This is an extraordinary account of two ordinary people who found love during the unimaginable hardships of Hitler’s barbaric regime as told by their son-in-law Doug Gold, who decided to tell their story from the moment he heard about their remarkable tale of bravery, resilience, and resistance.

MY THOUGHTS:

This was different from what I thought it was going to be. It's not my typical historical fiction story but it is very good. It held my attention and made me want to keep reading. It was very realistic and heartbreaking in many places. It was a love story but much more. 

This is the story of Bruce and Josefine. Two people in very different places in life. One a POW and the other a Parisian. One a soldier and the other a daughter, sister, friend, fighter. 

This story starts out with a man seeing an old woman outside the fence of the prison camp he is assigned too. She's trying to tell him something but neither understand the other. She slips a note through the wire and runs off, promising to return the following Sunday. Then it goes to Bruce's life and all he does and goes through to end up in the prison camp. Also Josefine's life as she lives daily. All the things a girl her age does and hopes for in life. When the war breaks out each story takes a different turn than I thought. I thought this was just going to be a love story of a man and woman during the war in a POW camp. It's so much more than that. 

Alternating between these two characters as the months go by and telling what leads up to their first meeting you will learn so much about them. The terrors of war. Of losing your friends. Seeing then die on the battlefield. Going over such horrid things and making you feel the pain and desperation of a soldier. Helping prisoners during a horrific war to escape and feel safe again. Feeding and hiding them. Both of these characters had a job to do and they did it well. 

This book truly does make you feel like you are watching a war movie. Seeing bombs drop or bullets flying. Seeing a person killed. A town ravaged. Destruction all around. What a person goes through and then expected to just pick up and live like nothing happened. Trying to get back to the person you love most in the world and finding how hard it is. When that moment finally happens and the feeling of happiness felt. This book does give you many feelings. 

The author's note at the end is worth reading too. You will learn a lot about this book and the research put into it. The part About the Author at the end is well worth reading also. Doug Gold is the son in law of Bruce and Josefine. How awesome is that. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, #DougGold, #williammorrowandcustomhouse for this ARC.. This is my own true feelings about this book. 

4/5 stars. I recommend it if you like a very descriptive story of war, love, loss, finding your way. 

JUST MY LUCK by Adele Parks

 

SYNOPSIS: 

Over 4 million Adele Parks books sold worldwide including LIES, LIES, LIES and I INVITED HER IN!  

"Utterly engrossing and brilliant"— Lucy Foley New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List

It was supposed to be the lottery win they’d always dreamed of…

For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends. Over drinks, dinner parties and summer barbecues, the three couples have discussed the important stuff—kids, marriages, careers—and they’ve laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything.

But then the unthinkable happens. There’s a rift in the group. Someone is caught in a lie. And soon after, six numbers come up that change everything forever.

Lexi and Jake have a ticket worth millions. And their friends are determined to claim a share.

#1 Sunday Times bestselling author Adele Parks returns with a riveting look at the dark side of wealth in this gripping tale of friendship, money, betrayal and good luck gone bad…

MY THOUGHTS: 

WOW!! Just wow! Adele Parks has truly written a page turner here. Lots of surprises to be had too. 

I think most people have dreamed of winning the lotto. I know my hubby and I have. Though I honestly have always said that we are not rich for a reason. I believe it would have made us so different if we had been rich or won. I'm afraid of what it would have done to our lives. Would it have torn us apart. Made our love and respect for each other weak and usless? I believe we are meant to be right where we are. After reading this book I am even more sure of that... We may not be rich but we are happy. We have each other!

"You never know your luck, our numbers might come up next week, and then all our lives will changed forever." How true these words are. Little did the three couples know exactly how true.

Lexi and Jake have been friends with Patrick, Carla, and Fred, Jennifer, have been friends for over fifteen years. They get together at one's home each week to eat, drink and socialize. Also to play the lottery. They dream of what they will do with the money should they ever win....

When the numbers come up and they do win things take a huge turn. The three couples lives will never be the same. Greed, hate, selfishness, and kindness take over each person's life. Jake is to me the worse person in this whole story. From the minute he and Lexi win it seems like he changed. He became a very self centered man. It was all about me me me.. Lexi didn't wish for big things. She started wanting to help other right from the start. But they did cut out their best friends. When you read this you will understand why. 

This is a story that will make you have deep feelings about a few things. It's two stories that run together. At the beginning you meet Toma, who lost his wife and child. He lost everything after that. He gave up on life. You will find out all that happened and who was at fault. Who helped him and was truly his friend. This book is deep in my opinion. It shows what extent people will go too for money. I think the children did exactly as a child would. No matter how good a parent you are if you come into lots of money the child is going to want things. Expensive things. That is just being a child. They want what other kids have. Human nature possibly at it's worse but it's there.

A lot happens to Lexi and her family after they win the lottery. Some things will leave you breathless. A few shocks thrown in to make it even more intense. At least for me it was. When I read one sentence my breath literally hitched. I was not expecting it. Not all of it anyway.

The ending brings all answers. Closes great. You won't be left with any questions. The characters are mostly unlikable with the exception of Lexi and Toma. I loved them both. The children of course. You have to love them. They are just children who do stupid things sometimes and end up regretting... 

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

I gave it 5/5 stars. I was going to go with 4/5 but when all was revealed I had to go with that extra star. It was in my humble opinion brilliantly done. I do highly recommend this one.

Mailbox Monday!

 

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists!!

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @ A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at Mailbox Monday.

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Here’s a shout out to the administrators:
Leslie @ Under My Apple Tree 
Serena @ Savvy Verse And Wit
Martha @ Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf 

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                THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive. 

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I hope you had a good mailbox.

I had a great mailbox!

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1: CUL-DE-SAC by Joy Fielding

Courtesy of Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine 

BOOK MAIL:

I won this and received it last week. 

NEVER LET GO by Pamela Nowak 

It's Monday! What are you reading?

 

I hope you had a great reading week.

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This is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at BOOKDATE! 

Post the books completed, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish at some point.

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Reviewed: 

1: WHEN THE STARS GO DARK by Paula McLain

Reviewed 4/21 

2: THE WITNESS by Terry Lynn Thomas 

Reviewed 4/23

3: JUST MY LUCK by Adele Parks 

Review will be tonight 4/25

Will be reading: 

1: THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR by Pam Jenoff 

2: WHEN I LAST SAW YOU by Bette Lee Crosby 

3: THE NOTE THROUGH THE WIRE by Doug Gold 

4: A DARK AND SECRET PLACE by Jen Williams 

5: SIX WEEKS TO LIVE by Catherine McKenzie 

6: LOCAL WOMAN MISSING by Mary Kubica 

7: IT HAD TO BE YOU by Georgia Clark 

8: YOU WILL REMEMBER ME by Hannah Mary McKinnon 

9: THE PHOTOGRAPHER by Mary Dixie Carter 

10: THE WARSAW ORPHAN by Kelly Rimmer 

11: THE PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz 

12: ALL THE CHILDREN ARE HOME by Patry Francis 

13: KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS by David Bell 

14: THE HIVE by Gregg Olsen 

15: WAITING TO BEGIN by Amanda Prowse 

16: CUL-DE-SAC by Joy Fielding 

My week in reading!

 

Read/reviewed:

1: WHEN THE STARS GO DARK by Paula McLain

Reviewed 4/21

2: THE RESTARTING POINT by Marci Bolden

Reviewed 4/18

3: THE WITNESS by Terry Lynn Thomas

Reviewed 4/23

4: JUST MY LUCK by Adele Parks

Reviewed 4/25

Reading this week:

1: THE NOTE THROUGH THE WIRE by Doug Gold

Review to follow

2: WHEN I LAST SAW YOU by Bette Lee Crosby

Review to follow

THE WITNESS by Terry Lynn Thomas

 

SYNOPSIS:

From the USA Today bestselling author, comes the second explosive thriller about attorney Olivia Sinclair who must solve a cold-case murder to clear an innocent man’s name…

HE SAW WHAT YOU DID…

Teenager Ebby Engstrom witnesses a murder – and then passes out. The next morning, he wakes in his bed with no memory of how he got there, and is told his mother was stabbed to death the previous night.

Thirty years later, the case has gone cold, with numerous suspects but no new clues – until Ebby starts having uncontrollable flashbacks to that night. As repressed memories surface, he questions his own role in the murder, leading to a dramatic confession and Ebby’s arrest.

Family friend and attorney Olivia Sinclair is convinced of Ebby’s innocence, but the only way to clear his name is to find the real killer herself. And it seems almost everyone connected to the Engstrom family had a reason to want Cynthia dead…

An unputdownable thriller full of suspense, perfect for fans of Gillian McAllister, Alafair Burke and The Good Fight.

MY THOUGHTS: 

Another spine tingling thriller by Terry Lynn Thomas. The second in the Olivia Sinclair series and I certainly hope not the last. 

This one takes off with a bang. Who killed Cynthia Engstrom. It's been many years since her murder and her youngest son has been living with suppressed memories of that horrible night. Did he do it? Or was it someone else. Someone he loved? What caused his many years of amnesia? Ebby was only thirteen when it happened and he does not remember a thing except he heard arguing. He saw something but can't seem to make it come to light. 

Could Ebby have murdered his own mother. This book is so full of twists and turns you won't know who did it until you read it. I was taken by surprise and that does not happen often. I tend to figure these things out. Not this time. 

This is like reading two stories in one. Olivia and Brian's story continues as does Olivia's search for justice for Ebby. Ebby hires Olivia to help him when he thinks he may have committed the murder. Olivia and Brian work hard to find the truth. There is also another somewhat minor story of sexual harassment and a touch about a rape going on. This book truly has a lot going on and it's an excellent second addition to the Olivia Sinclair story.

The characters are all, most all, very likable. Realistic and endearing. The aunts, Ebby, another family member, they are all ones you will root for. While there are always a couple of characters to dislike in most books they are there for a reason. To make you dislike them and you will. I didn't like Ebby's older brother and I didn't like Brian's "girlfriend" at all. So that makes another story going on during this book. It's a lot of good stories all in one and will keep you turning the pages. It's a very intense story of family. Love and loss. Truths coming out and lives being turned upside down. You don't want to miss this one.

Thank you to #netgally, #hqdigital and #terrylynnthomas for this ARC. This is my own true review.

I gave it 5/5 stars and a high recommendation. It published today!!

Book Beginnings Friday and Friday's 56%

 

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. 

The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. 

Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

My Beginning:

Thirteen-year old Ebby Engstrom wanted to die as he rode his bike home in the cold December night, his thighs on fire as he pedaled faster and faster. His lungs burned, but the pain caused by the physical exertion was an instant panacea to his broken heart. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the image of Mary Beth slow dancing with a seventeen-year-old high school student. Granted she was drunk - Ebby had the vomit stains on his new sweatshirt to prove it - but even that knowledge didn't take away the pain. 

56%

She read one of the pages, comparing it to the computer screen. Satisfied, she set the page aside and picked up her wine glass. "This cookbook is really good, Ebs. The instructions are easy to follow, and the recipes are similar to the ones you serve at the restaurant. Tell me again what your agent said." 

Book Blogger Hop!

 

Question of the Week:

Do you do most of your blog work on a computer, iPad, or phone? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Complex Chaos)

My Answer:

I do almost everything from my computer/laptop. Definitely my blog work. It would be harder to do from my iPad and impossible from my phone. 

WHEN THE STARS GO DARK by Paula McLain

 

SYNOPSIS:

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK • “A total departure for the author of The Paris Wife, McLain’s emotionally intense and exceptionally well-written thriller entwines its fictional crime with real cases.”—People (Book of the Week)
 
“The kind of heart-pounding conclusion that thriller fans crave . . . In the end, a book full of darkness lands with a message of hope.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
“This mystery will keep you guessing, and stay with you long after you finish. Dive in.”—theSkimm

Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. She lived there as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. Yet the day she arrives, she learns that a local teenage girl has gone missing.

The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in Anna’s childhood, when the unsolved murder of a young girl touched Mendocino and changed the community forever. As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with saving the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.

Weaving together actual cases of missing persons, trauma theory, and a hint of the metaphysical, this propulsive and deeply affecting novel tells a story of fate, necessary redemption, and what it takes, when the worst happens, to reclaim our lives—and our faith in one another.

MY THOUGHTS: 

This was a tough one to read. About a woman who has lost so much and is a missing persons expert. Mainly missing children. This is my first book by Paula McLain and I will read more after this one. 

When tragedy strikes Anna and Brendan's life Brendan seems to blame Anna and asks her to leave. She does. Sadly and horribly she feels she deserves it. That what happened was her fault. It takes a while but you will learn what happened and how it happened. Can Anna heal and forgive herself though. 

This is the story of a missing girls. Young girls have gone missing. Seemingly without a trace. When Anna arrives in Mendocino she overhears two people discussing a missing girl and how someone may be taking advantage of the parents. Claiming to be a physic. 

Anna is asked by a childhood friend to help with this case. Will, the sheriff, who Anna has known almost all her life needs her help. She pours all she has into finding a fifteen year old girl who just seemed to vanish into thin air. There is also another teen who has been missing for several month. Are the cases related or is it a fluke. Will either girl be found. Found alive. One is an ex movie stars daughter and the other a very troubled girl who is from a somewhat poor side of life. Do these girls have anything in common or were they just victims of a sick person who randomly took each. 

Also during this is the case of Polly Klass. A very young girl who was taken at knife point from her bedroom during a slumber party. Are these three cases at all related. We all know the story of Polly Klass and know what happened to her. But we don't Cameron and Shannon. They are the two fictitious characters who we root for. Who we want to be found alive and well. 

This is a somewhat dark story in many ways. Kidnapping. Sexual assault. Murder. Torture. Abuse. Horrible things that happen in life sometimes. It's very sad that anyone would even think about these things. Much less do them. 

This book goes back and forth at times to when Anna was young and taken as a foster child by a couple. A couple who wanted only the best for her. Who helped her in many ways come to terms what what happened in her young life. She learned survival skills and many other things that will help her throughout this story. You will read about her and Hap. Hap is a Ranger who cares very much about her. He and his wife. Also in this time period you read about another young girl, eighteen, who went missing. Does it have anything to do with what happens in the future? 

This is a good story. No doubt about that. It's one that will keep you turning the pages to find out who did what and why. To find out if these girls will be found. To find out who did this horrible thing. To see if there will be any closure for the girls. For their parents. All your questions will be answered.

I took one star away because I did figure out pretty early own who was doing the kidnappings and possibly why. I was right. It didn't take away from the story at all though. It was just a bit obvious to me.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #PaulaMcLain, #randomhousepublishinggroup-ballentine for this ARC. This is my own true and honest thoughts about this book.

4/5 stars and I do highly recommend you read it. It's worth it even with the touchy subject matter. It's just very good.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

I hope you had a great reading week.

********************

This is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at BOOKDATE! 

Post the books completed, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish at some point.

********************

WHAT I READ: 

1: HER LAST CHANCE by Alison Ragsdale  

Reviewed 4/15 

2: THE GOOD SISTER by Sally Hepworth

Reviewed 4/12 

3: THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD by Melanie Benjamin

Reviewed 4/16     

Just finished/reviewed:

4: THE RESTARTING POINT by Marci Bolden 

Reviewed 4/18

Starting today: 

5: WHEN THE STARS GO DARK by Paula McLain 

Will be reading:

6: THE WITNESS by Terry Lynn Thomas 

7: JUST MY LUCK by Adele Parks 

8: THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR by Pam Jenoff 

9: WHEN I LAST SAW YOU by Bette Lee Crosby 

10: THE NOTE THROUGH THE WIRE by Doug Gold 

11: A DARK AND SECRET PLACE by Jen Williams 

12: SIX WEEKS TO LIVE by Catherine McKenzie 

13: LOCAL WOMAN MISSING by Mary Kubica 

14: IT HAD TO BE YOU by Georgia Clark 

15: YOU WILL REMEMBER ME by Hannah Mary McKinnon 

16: THE PHOTOGRAPHER by Mary Dixie Carter 

17: THE WARSAW ORPHAN by Kelly Rimmer 

18: THE PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz