Catch You Later by Jessica Strawser

 My thoughts

I enjoyed this book so much. This author took two characters, best friends, and made them real. Made me like them. Made them part of my life in a way. I rooted for them to find each other again. If only... 

Two young women who have been friends their whole lives, Lark and Nikki. Both from similar backgrounds. Both having lost their parents in one way or the other. They have been the best of friends always. Working at a store together. One expecting a baby and the other expecting a way out of this town. 

Along comes a man who can take Mikki away for a while. They don't know each other at all but for some crazy reason Mikki trusts Chris to be a good guy. She doesn't think twice about going to Florida with him to a wedding as his plus one. What could possibly go wrong? 

Lark begged Mikki not to go. Or to at least take her cell phone. Lark needed Mikki to be there when her baby is born. She's alone and afraid. She has no one. Not even the baby's father. Mikki is not there. She doesn't return from this road trip with a stranger.

For eight years Lark has wondered what happened. She tried hard to find her best friend. The cops were of little help since Mikki went on her own. She wasn't forced. Lark had her baby. A little girl she named Dove. She's living with Mikki's grandmother Nini now and they are trying to be a family. Though everyone it seems blames Lark for Mikki's disappearance. Then in walks the stranger who took Mikki away eight years earlier.

From this point on you will be on the edge. Wondering where things are headed. If you'll find out what truly happened that day. The day Mikki was suppose to start home. Was suppose to return to her life and her best friend. 

This book is excellent. It has some pretty strong feels going one and a few scares. Told from the time Mikki went away in 2016 to when Lark meets Chris again in 2024. I love how the author cleared everything up. How the story played out. How Lark finally found her own happiness and closure. This was such a good story.

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

About

One impulsive decision changes the lives of two best friends forever in a powerful novel of suspense by the USA Today bestselling author of The Last Caretaker.

If Lark and Mikki didn’t have each other, they’d have nothing in this miserable town. So the best friends stick together, working night shift at the highway travel stop, going nowhere fast. Until a stranger drops in, heading for Florida, and Mikki impulsively leaves with him, never to be seen again.

Eight years later, Lark is finally getting her life back together for the sake of her young daughter and Mikki’s lovably prickly grandma, who can no longer care for herself. People have almost stopped blaming Lark for Mikki’s disappearance, and she’s engaged to the nicest guy on highway patrol. But when the stranger who drove Mikki away reappears and asks for her, nobody knows what to believe.

As the search reignites, Lark fights to find out whether Mikki is really missing or doesn’t want to be found. But piecing together the chain of events set into motion that fateful night could threaten everything—and everyone—Lark has left.

Kingdom Of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

 

My thoughts

What a way to end a series. This book was perfect. It has all the excitement and feels you expect from Sarah J. Maas and from the other books in this series. 

How most of the people in the many kingdoms fought with Aelin was heartwarming. How she fought for her land was emotional. The friends she's made along the way through this series are everlasting. The love she found, no only with Rowan, but with all the characters that you will come to love is amazing. You'll feel Aelin's pain as she is enslaved by the brutal Maeve. The horrors that were inflicted on her. 

This book was exceptional. It brought you to a great ending. A huge war for many freedoms. To the destruction of many kingdoms and the downfall of some evil. To what may be Aelin's last breath. To Rowan's deep despair and sadness. To all of the people of Terrasen coming together. To many goodbyes. So many friendships found and everlasting. To an ending that is so dramatic that you will be holding back tears and awes. 

I enjoyed this series so much and hated for it to end but what an ending.

About

Aelin Galathynius has vowed to save her people ― but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve is unraveling with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, friends and allies are scattered to different fates. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever. As destinies weave together at last, all must fight if Erilea is to have any hope of salvation.

Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an explosive conclusion as Aelin fights to save herself―and the promise of a better world.

Two Good Men by S. E. Redfearn

 My thoughts

This author has done it again. I've read several of her books before and they were so good. Way different than this one but every bit as good. This is an edge of your seat story of what horrible things can be done. What some people do to children. What one man did to try and help. What another did in the name of justice. Or maybe didn't do....

The main character is Dick. Richard Raynes. His sister and nephew are two of the most important people in his life. Along with his two children. When a man named Otis is released from prison after serving for the rape of two young boys Dick's sister Dee is worried. Otis has promised to seek revenge for her testimony that helped send him away. When Otis turns up dead questions are asked. Not by local police but by an FBI agent by the name of Steve Patterson. He believes that he is doing the right thing by investigating Otis's suspicious death. He never expected Dee. And Dee's son Jesse. He didn't expect the feelings he was going to feel.

Dick is a Dr. A doctor of science or chemist. He has worked hard but ultimately made a few mistakes that may hinder his job. He is working on a cure for allergies. He also believes that children should be taken care of. Not used by pedofiles. Dick is a very smart man. Recently divorced, two and a half years. He loves his children and he wants a safe world for them and his nephew. What will he do to ensure that they are safe. What will he do to make life easier for any child he may know is in danger. And what will he do about Steve. Dee is falling for Steve and Dick wants her to be happy. But will she be happy with Steve?

This book is about a horrible thing. About the things that make some human's the worse scum ever. How can anyone want to hurt children. To take away their innocence. To ruin their futures. If you could stop these men would you? I would. No one should he allowed to run free if they desire a child. If they are capable of inflicting pain on an innocent child. If they desire a child they need to be taken care of. That is my opinion and nothing or no one will ever change my mind.

It's a dark read. It's a hard one. But it's written in a way that keeps you turning the pages until the very ending. This author makes you feel like you are there...

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

Five stars.

About

From the internationally bestselling author of In an Instant and Hadley & Grace comes Two Good Men, a searing drama about two men on a quest for justice—from opposite sides of the law.

Dick Raynes feared this day would come. Otis Parsons, a violent felon, has been released from prison, and Dick’s sister, Dee, is the one who helped put him there. Dick’s marriage is over, and his career is in shambles, so with nothing to lose, he sets out to do whatever it takes to keep Dee and her son safe. But Otis is just the beginning. Using his knowledge as a scientist to develop a formula able to predict those offenders most likely to strike again, he sets out to protect future victims the law is powerless to defend.

FBI agent Steve Patterson investigates crimes against those who have paid their dues for past mistakes, running a department he created after his son was killed by a vigilante mother who targeted the wrong person. Recognizing a disturbing pattern of untimely deaths in recently released felons, he sets out to discover who’s behind it. What he doesn’t expect is to find another chance at love—with the sister of the man he is chasing.

Dick’s sense of right and wrong is tested as he pursues and neutralizes the most dangerous threats, while Steve makes it his mission to stop this vigilante serial killer before he is labeled a hero. Both men pursue a noble cause, but only one can prevail.

The Undercurrent by Sarah Sawyer

 

My thoughts

This is a debut novel about a girl gone missing. To me this book could have been so good. It had so much promise. But the author overdid some things. The descriptions were overdone.

There could have been more about the girl who actually went missing. More than what I read at the ending.

It seemed to be more about Bee and her leaking breasts than anything. Yes it happens but in this case it was just used to fill space I believe. Also the parts of her and Leo. What was the point. Yes she had a crush when she was a kid but she was grown, married, with a newborn baby. Not even married that long. To think about Leo that way was in my opinion just too much.

Then the part about her twin brother. She hasn't seen or heard from her twin in seventeen years. I hardly believe that. They were twins. Even with his problems they would have at least talked over the years. With what happened to him there should have been more about what it did to him and maybe then I could have believed he would leave and never talk to his sister again. He talked to his best friend and his mother. But not his twin. I'm not sold on that.

Then the loss of a baby. That was a bit much too. Not the loss but that Bee actually named her baby after one that did not survive. One her mother lost. I just didn't like that part. It could just be me but it just didn't seem to fit. Especially since Bee was not that close to her mother.

This story is told from two timelines, 1987 and 2011. It is told from three perspectives, Bee in 2011. Her mother, Mary, in 1987. And Leo's mother, Diane, in 1987. I was not impressed by either mother. Not even Bee. Bee in my opinion was not a good mother or wife. I actually didn't like any of the characters. None made me feel anything other than anger. No tears or laughter. Just the anger.

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

2.5 stars increased to 3.

About

An overwhelmed new mother becomes obsessed with the unsolved disappearance of a young girl from her small Texas hometown—and unearths her own family’s dark secret.


It’s 2011 and Deecie Jeffries’s missing person’s case in Austin, Texas, is still cold. New mom Bee, struggling with postpartum depression, is living in Portland, Maine, having left Austin–and those memories–far behind. Until Leo, her childhood crush and her estranged twin Gus’s best friend, suddenly resurfaces, drawing Bee back into their shared past.


Bee’s predictable life is upended, pushing her to return to her childhood home and piece together a neighborhood’s shattered history. Bee becomes consumed with a need to uncover the truth about Deecie’s disappearance and what happened to the families who lived across the field from one another—Gus, Leo, and their Mary, a homemaker, whose only escape is the local community theater, and Diana, a serious academic dedicated to her studies.


Told in multiple perspectives with two different timelines, The Undercurrent is a gripping portrait of motherhood, obsession, broken family bonds, and buried secrets.

Who Loves You Best by Marilyn Simon Rothstein

 

My thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five big stars.

About

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

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

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

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

Every Moment Since by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

 

My thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five big stars.

About

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

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

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

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

The President's Lawyer by Lawrence Robbins

 

My thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

Five stars.

About

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

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

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

Echoes Of Us by Joy Jordan-Lake

 

My thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

Five huge stars.

About

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

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

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

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

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

The Book Of Witching by C. J. Cooke

 

My thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About

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

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

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

The Whisper Sister by Jennifer S. Brown

 

My thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five big stars. 

About

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

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

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

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

In The Blink Of An Eye by Jo Callaghan

 

My thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five big stars and a very high recommendation.

About

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

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

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

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

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

 

My thoughts

I can't believe this is my first Laura Dave book. It certainly won't be my last. This book was SO GOOD. From the very start to the tearful ending I was hooked. 

This is a love story and a mystery. It's about the love between Liam and Cory. They met in school. Liam's cousin Joe introduced them. In a way. 

Nora and Sam are two of Liam's three children. Sam is convinced that Liam's fall was not an accident. He believes someone pushed him. He enlists his sisters help to find out exactly what happened that rainy night. You hear a lot about them and their lives. Or at least Nora's life. She is in a relationship that is somewhat rocky and takes off with Sam across the country to try and figure out what happened. To see if they can get any information. It seems no one wants to say anything. Or maybe they don't really know about the accident but know other things that they can't share. Or won't share. 

This story can get confusing if you don't pay attention to the details. To the things going on around the characters. And each chapter has a heading that helps. It's told in two timelines. One before the accident and one back when Liam was young and in love. His love story spans many years. Through his three marriages and three children. His lifelong love with the woman who truly has and always had his heart. Both married to others. 

You'll get to know these characters and they will give you lots of feelings. At least they did me. I wanted things to work out for Liam and Cory. For their love story to come full circle. I also wanted Sam and Nora to find out what happened and finally be able to move on with their lives. 

The mystery of how Liam died was one that kept me guessing. I did guess but only after someone's other identity was revealed. I have to admit this one had me scratching my head. I thought it was one person and I was so wrong. 

A very complex story about love, loss, family, marriage(s). One you don't want to miss. I absolutely loved this book. The love story was perfect. The mystery was revealed. All of my questions were answered and then some. Perfection is what I found.

Thank you #NetGalley, #SimonElement/S&S/MarySueRucciBooks, for this ARC. This is my true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars. I look forward to reading more by this author.

About

Estranged siblings discover their father has been keeping a secret for over fifty years, one that may have been fatal...

Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar – notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.   

The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past—and uncover a family secret that changes everything.

With Laura Dave’s trademark combination of soulful suspense and evocative family drama, The Night We Lost Him is a riveting page-turner with a heartbreaking final twist you’ll never see coming.

We Burn Daylight Bret Anthony Johnston

 

My thoughts

This book could have been a five star for me but it lost a couple of stars for two reasons. One being that the character of Jaye was written to act way older than she was stated as being. That was ok and made it a four star until I read the acknowledgments. The fact that the author says it was not about David Koresh. If he would have said it was loosely based on Koresh and the town of Waco, TX that would have helped. It was very much indeed about that horrific event. Yes in fiction form but it should have said "based" on. That is my humble opinion. 

I was entranced by this story. I remember when the cult and awful events of that time happened. How horribly it was addressed. The FBI, cops, and whatever other law enforcement was there messed things up horribly. Yes the main character, Perry, should have been brought down. But according to this story and the real life story, he was in town and having gun shows all the time. They could have taken him at any time without causing many deaths. Without all the destruction. Again this is my humble opinion. Now and back then. 

Two teenagers tell most of this story. One being the sheriffs son, Roy, ages 14. The other is Jaye, who came from California with her mother to join Perry. Jaye was just way to mature for a 15 year old. She did everything. She stood up to Perry like he was nothing. I didn't buy that either. I did like the story though so bear with me please. If not for her age it would have felt so much more realistic. Jaye had been a shy somewhat introverted young girl. She and her mother came to see what Perry and his commune was all about. It sounded very much like they were trying to groom Jaye for Perry even though her mother was wildly crazy about him. I mean she left her husband to move to Texas and be with Perry. I get that. It happened a lot in cults. 

Roy was a kid who had a good life. His mother was a nurse and his dad the sheriff. He was a good kid and did what he was suppose to do. Until he didn't. That is when things went crazy in this story. lol At least for me. There were a few things that just didn't add up for me in this book. The fact that the cop didn't run after Roy when he ran into the compound. That they didn't look for him like he was the sheriff's son. Oh wait, he was the sheriff's son. Go figure. Yes it would happen but in this book I just didn't buy that. This man, Roy's dad, would have moved mountains to find his son knowing what was coming.

The FBI botched the arrest of Perry. They caused so many deaths. Yes Perry deserved to die in my opinion for what he was doing to young girls. But so did their parents for allowing it. Not that this book was in any way graphic. You only read that it did happen. No details. No graphics. I also didn't buy the ending. The sheriff would not have gone along with it. Not the man I read about anyway. He would have found a way for things to be ok. 

I figured out what happened to the two youngsters and was not surprised by the ending. But I had no idea who the podcaster what. I was pleasantly surprised. I like him and was hoping he would find out the truth. 

This book had great potential and it looks like I am in the minority with this opinion. I liked it but it did not wow me like I had hoped it would. It was a fast paced story and after the FBI got called in it got exciting. But I just didn't think a few things were so great and I do believe it is about David Koresh, or loosely about him and the events of that time. 

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

Three stars.

About

An epic novel of star-crossed lovers set in a doomsday cult on the Texas prairie that What would you sacrifice for the person you love?

“Symphonic and suspenseful . . . In an epic act of empathy, Bret Anthony Johnston inhabits every point of view, from doomed devotees to perplexed law enforcement.”—Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of March

Waco, Texas, 1993. People from all walks of life have arrived to follow the Lamb’s gospel—signing over savings and pensions, selling their homes and shedding marriages. They’ve come here to worship at the feet of a former landscaper turned prophet who is preparing for the End Times with a staggering cache of weapons. Jaye’s mother is one of his newest and most devout followers, though Jaye herself has suspicions about the Lamb’s methods—and his motives.

Roy is the youngest son of the local sheriff, a fourteen-year-old boy with a heart of gold and a nose for trouble who falls for Jaye without knowing of her mother’s attachment to the man who is currently making his father’s life hell. The two teenagers are drawn to each other immediately and completely, but their love may have dire consequences for their families. The Lamb has plans for them all—especially Jaye—and as his preaching and scheming move them closer and closer to unthinkable violence, Roy risks everything to save Jaye.

Based on the true events that unfolded thirty years ago during the siege of the Branch Davidian compound, Bret Anthony Johnston’s We Burn Daylight is an unforgettable love story, a heart-pounding literary page turner, and a profound exploration of faith, family, and what it means to truly be saved.