The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh

 

My thoughts

This book should have been a DNF for me but I trudged on and finished it. The last fourth was pretty good. Filled with more action. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a pretty good job. I think she may have done better but still. Sometimes an audio makes me enjoy a book more. Not in this case. 

This was a book about witches and pirates. Actually pirate witches. I found it to be very slow to start. I also found the main character's use of the C word way to much. Every page it seemed. I may have exaggerated a little but still. It was way overused. C word as in women's private part. I hate that word in and of itself and then the author has the main female character using it extensively. Ruined that part of the story. 

To me this book could have been shortened and been better. It took forever for the captive and the main witch, Ben and Alys, to finally admit they had feelings for each other. Alse Ben was not a tortured captive. He was just that, a captive. No enslavement involved. Not in the sense of being a slave anyway. He was pretty much allowed to roam around most of the time. He was kept in Alys's cabin, though shackled, and not abused. 

The pirate women escaped from men who wanted to hurt them. Keep them from using their powers. Maybe if they had been allowed to use it they would have faired better. I mean when they used their witchcraft to defend themselves they were left helpless. Weak. Unable to do much. So they were not exactly a danger to anyone. Yes they could do damage but the aftermath was them needing to recharge. Rest...

I just did not enjoy this book and it's part of a series. It ended on a cliffhanger. Not one that will have me wanting to read the next book though. Sorry but I just have to be honest. I didn't enjoy this book. It seemed repetitive in areas. To much so. I dreaded picking it back up to continue. And this was an audio book. 

Thank you #Harlequinaudio for this ARC.

2.5 stars... 

About

From a world where women are forbidden to use magic and the only freedom is found on the Caribbean high seas comes a swashbuckling romantasy from USA TODAY bestselling author Eva Leigh.

Condemned as a witch, sentenced to die, Alys Tanner uses her innate magical power to flee Puritanical New England. Stealing a ship, Alys becomes captain of The Sea Witch, leading its all-female, sorcery-wielding pirate crew. But the colonial British navy is in hot pursuit. The navy fights for a choke hold on the Caribbean and will destroy anything they cannot control, especially witches.

When Ben Priestley, a headstrong naval navigator, is inadvertently captured by the lady pirates, dangerous truths are revealed. A quest that could turn the tides against the navy’s might ignites a reluctant partnership between the by-the-books prisoner and the fierce witch pirate captain. While they brave backstabbing pirates, perilous tropical islands and monster-filled seas, Alys and Ben’s mistrust grows into unexpected desire as they battle an enemy that will stop at nothing to rule the waves.

Spellcaster by Jaymin Eve

 

My thoughts

This is my first Jaymin Eve book and I highly look forward to book two. This is a good fantasy, paranormal, enemy to lover book. It has a lot of the best things going on. A bunch of witch's in college. Black magic. Monsters. Parties. What could possibly go wrong?

I read and listened to the audio. The audio was great. Both narrators did a great job. Pulled me right in and they used their voices to bring the characters to life. 

Spellcaster is exactly what the title implies. A college where witches and warlocks go to learn how to control their witchcraft. Their many powers. Where they meet each other and make lifelong friendships. And there is a lot going on. All different types of magic. 

The main character, Paisley, is the youngest of five. In her early twenties, 22 to be exact, she starts the academy where her siblings go and her father is a teacher. She just came into her powers and has to learn how to use them and what exactly she is capable of. She makes friends with someone who is being bullied right off the bat. Good for her. Bullies in any school is horrific. There are actually four girls in their group who become the best of friends. 

Logan is a powerful warlock who is starting Weatherstone Academy also. But he's not starting out as a freshman. And he is there to teach others while taking classes also. His family use to be best friends with Paisley's family. Now they only want to destroy the Hallistars. But Logan it seems has a soft spot for Paisley and won't let anything harm her. 

This book pulled me in and kept me reading/listening all the way through. It's so well written and makes you feel the emotions of the characters. I felt as though I was there on the campus. Like the monsters were right in front of me. And the tension between Logan and Paisley is so strong. Each of the secondary characters are great also. Each play an important role in what is going on at Weatherstone.

Secrets are about to be revealed but it looks like we have to wait for the sequel. I was not happy about that but it is what it is.... Wonderful book. I can't wait for the sequel now.

Thank you Harlequin Books and Harlequin Audio for the ARCs. 

4.75 stars 

About

From the bestselling author of the Shadow Beast Shifter series, Jaymin Eve, comes an all-new, intense enemies-to-lovers romantasy with steamy heat, magical creatures, fast pacing, and stakes that will keep you hooked. Dive into a world where love is as dangerous as power—and nothing is ever as it seems.

Welcome to Weatherstone College…

Don’t walk the halls late at night.
Don’t disturb the ancient magic.
And don’t, under any circumstances, ever trust a spellcaster.

When my magic bloomed at twenty-two, the last thing I expected was to receive an acceptance letter to the most prestigious witch college in the world. It’s not that I don’t have magic. It’s just…unpredictable. But with Weatherstone a part of my family legacy, I’m determined to live up to their expectations.

A task that’s almost derailed on my very first day when I come face-to-face with Logan Kingston, the son of my father’s enemy. I’m warned to avoid the powerful spellcaster at all costs, but apparently Logan did not receive the same memo. The more time I spend around him, the more I crave his unsettling attention, and as hate flirts with obsession, I’m left wondering if there’s another side to the decades-old feud between our fathers.

On top of that, Weatherstone is not at all like I expected. Built on the ancient blood of necromancers and battle, the magic here is as unpredictable as mine, and I sense a dark energy stalking my footsteps. When a monster attacks me, I have no choice but to turn to the strongest warlock in our school: Logan.

After all, to fight a monster, I’ll need a monster.

Apostle's Cove by William Kent Krueger

 

My thoughts

This is an author I am always happy to read. I've read a few of his books but this is my second Cork O'Connor and I intend to get through them all. Krueger is my favorite male author. His books are inspiring and so realistic. Make you think about things...

This is the latest O'Connor book and to me his best yet. Of course I do have a few to read, but still...

You meet Cork and his family. His time being a cop. His guilt over possibly sending an innocent man to prison. I have to admit it seems he did everything in his power to not do it. He truly didn't believe he was guilty. But a confession is a confession. 

This one deals with a woman being murdered in her home. Chastity was brutally murdered. Her mother was at the scene and had a knife in her hands. Her husband was missing. Her baby girl was screaming in another room. Aphrodite, Chastity's mother, was in shock. But could it be her that had done this? Or was it the missing husband? Or could this have been a stranger's doing?

This book is very good. I didn't figure out who the killer was and I do usually have it or a pretty good idea who. The descriptions are beautiful and as usual Krueger did an excellent job of pulling me right in. I didn't want to put this one down and read in from one night to the next. It's that good.

There are several characters but it's easy to keep them separated. Hints to child abuse and or sexual abuse to a child by a parent or parents. 

Thank you Atria Books for this ARC.

Five big stars. 

About

The New York Times bestselling Cork O’Connor Mystery series—a “master class in suspense and atmospheric storytelling” (The Real Book Spy)—continues with Cork O’Connor revisiting a case from his past and confronting mysterious deaths in the present.

A few nights before Halloween, as Cork O’Connor gloomily ruminates on his upcoming birthday, he receives a call from his son, Stephen, who is working for a nonprofit dedicated to securing freedom for unjustly incarcerated inmates. Stephen tells his father that decades ago, as the newly elected sheriff of Tamarack County, Cork was responsible for sending an Ojibwe man named Axel Boshey to prison for a brutal murder that Stephen is certain he did not commit.

Cork feels compelled to reinvestigate the crime, but that is easier said than done. Not only is it a closed case but Axel Boshey is, inexplicably, refusing to help. The deeper Cork digs, the clearer it becomes that there are those in Tamarack County who are willing once again to commit murder to keep him from finding the truth.

At the same time, Cork’s seven-year-old grandson has his own theory about the the Windigo, that mythic cannibal ogre, has come to Tamarack County…and it won’t leave until it has sated its hunger for human blood.

Island Endgame by Rebecca Hodge

 

My thoughts

I read both of this author's previous books and loved them. It had been a minute since she wrote one and when I saw this one I had to have it. Like the previous two... It is so good. Part mystery and a lot thriller. This author is becoming a favorite of mine. 

When Kenzi arrives on the island things start out kind of different than she expected. There was no one to meet her. She had to walk a distance to get to the camp. There were no cabins for campers either. Seemed more like a deserted island. Then she met Chris and his dog Skagit. Chris was the owner's son. He was the same age as Kenzi's nephew Tim. Tim had died and Kenzi blamed herself. She was a nurse and could not save him from a drowning. 

When Kenzi meets the other staff and learns how the camp operates she relaxes a bit. She meets everyone and they go to work. Then things start going south. A hostage situation. Looking for gold. A couple of deaths. Yes this one has some edge of your seat thrills. You don't have to guess who did it either. That is obvious from the moment you meet them. But the struggles to survive this attack is hard. Learning a bit about the other workers and becoming close friends makes it even harder. 

This book was so good. From start to finish you won't want to put it down. You learn about this island and the few people there. I adored them all myself. Not the unwanted visitors but the ones that worked there. The mother and son. The dog. One smart pup there.

It's well written and the descriptions will let you see everything. You'll feel like you are walking the woods. The trails. The water's edge. Gasping when someone is hurt. Holding your breathe when the final showdown comes...

Thank you BooksGoSocial for this ARC.

4.75 stars. 

About

An isolated island. A grieving nurse, struggling to heal. Three desperate fugitives taking hostages.
Can she outwit them and survive?

Guilt-ridden over the drowning death of her nine-year-old nephew, Kenzie Adams flees her nursing job at a major city hospital to work at a primitive but picturesque island summer camp. Hopefully a few low-stress months away from the city will help steer her life back on course. But before the campers arrive, Kenzie’s second chance takes a turn to real-life terror. Three determined fugitives invade the island to search for a rumored treasure, and they threaten to kill Kenzie and the staff, including the caretaker’s young son.

Their captors have a plan … until Kenzie seizes an opportunity to escape. But with no weapons, no communications with the outside world, and mounting danger from increasingly desperate men, she’ll have to tap into unexpected strengths to save everyone before the captors deliver on their ultimatum—find treasure or die. Kenzie must learn to trust herself again, or she’ll relive her greatest nightmare, failing to save yet another child.

I Know How This Ends by Holly Smale

 

My thoughts

I wasn't sure about this book initially. I didn't know what to expect. It was an audio and from an author I have not read before. I was so pleasantly surprised. I hated having to put this one down. Sometimes life just gets in the way of a good book. A good story. One that captivates you. This is one such story. I highly recommend this one. 

This one will be in my top twenty for the year. 

Margot Wayward was hurt deeply by her fiance. After being together for ten years he cheated on her with her best friend. One of her best friends that is. She had four. They were so close, but she didn't see it coming. I'll say right here that I would never have forgiven her. It was just as much her fault as it was his. Even if she is being treated badly. Well I think she deserves it. She did the one thing that best friends are not suppose to ever do. Cheat with your friends boyfriend/fiance. No exceptions. No excuses. No matter what. But it happened and set Margot on a course of action to check out men before they could hurt her. A list. She would go on a date and then decide what potential they may or may not have. She set a goal of twenty dates. Always meeting at her favorite Italian restaurant. 

When Margot meets Henry everything changes. Henry worked at the restaurant and was date seventeen. Not a planned date exactly but still he was number seventeen. He had observed each date and what went on. He saw what Margot was doing. He saw how awful some of these men were. Even one being married with children. 

This is a love story between Margot and Henry. All the ups and downs. The scary parts. The tender parts. I absolutely adored Henry. And Winter, his little girl. Henry was a waiter and had been going to medical school until his wife got cancer and passed. He became a single dad. A widower. Henry put his heart out there for Margot and she aggravated me to pieces when she would bolt. She had fears yes. Very understandable. But Henry was such a nice man. 

Margot has visions. She can see her future with Henry. At first she doesn't realize it's him. When she does though she's all in. Until she gets scared. And Margot has quite a bit of fear in her. 

This story will make you laugh, cry, scream, hold your breath. It has all the feels. It's a true love story and oh my the ending really held me. Parts of this story made me cry so hard. It's just that good. 

Thank you Harlequin Audio for this ARC. 

Five big stars.    

About

If you knew how your life would turn out, what would you change now?

The second brilliantly uplifting and page-turning novel from the multi-million bestselling author of Geek Girl and Reese's Book Club Pick Cassandra in Reverse.

Margot Wayward is in manically gleeful self-destruct mode. Following the implosion of a ten-year relationship, she’s wilfully derailing her successful career, joyfully taking down men on dating apps, and living in total chaos.

Until one day, when Margot has a vision of herself with a man she’s never met before. She doesn’t believe in fate. But when Margot meets single-dad Henry, the vision comes true: exactly as she’d foreseen it.

As her future continues to reveal itself, a glimpse at a time, Margot realises she knows exactly what’s going to happen, and when. And there’s nothing she can do to change any of it.

So Margot has to decide how to live, how to love again, and how to be herself… Because if you can’t change your destiny, how on earth do you live your present?

All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan

 

My thoughts

This author is one I automatically read. Sometimes her books grab me and I can't let go. Other times they are ok and I can put them down. This one is a just ok for me. It was good. It wasn't a could not put down. 

The audio was good. The narrator did a great job. She even sounded like a male in parts. Made me believe there was more than her narrating. 

The story is about an author. A debut author on tour. The many hotels she stays in. The many fans she has. The many people she meets. What happens in the places she tours. And the things that happened in her past. The things she can't seem to let go of. Can't stop blaming herself for. Things that were not her fault. 

You get to know her very well. You meet everyone she meets and read about the things that she fears. Her past. Even though she was just a child for the most part. How her mother treated her. I didn't like her mom. Even in the end I just could not make myself like the way she treated Tessa. I believe she could have protected her and showed her unconditional love at the same time. 

You get to know Tessa's children and husband. The ups and downs of being a wife and mother while on the road/in the air, touring. How hard it is. How much you miss your family. How easy it is to possibly almost lose trust in someone you love so much your heart hurts. 

This book is well written and was good. I did figure out who the blackmailer was but it didn't take away from the story. I felt like the first half of the book was a bit slow. Though it did have a lot in it. A lot to set you up for what was coming maybe. But also it was just a bit too much. 

I liked all the characters in this book. Tessa was so likable. She was quite silly at times but also afraid. She didn't want to lose her family. She needed family so bad. 

I have to admit that the chapters at the end gave me a few chuckles. For the most part I didn't really feel many emotions while reading this so that was good. I was glad Tessa was able to reconnect with someone that I can't name. 

Thank you #StMartinsPress, #Minatour, and MacmillianAudio, for this ARC. 

3.75 stars 

About

Debut sensation Tessa Calloway is on a whirlwind book tour for her instant bestseller, All This Could Be Yours. In a different city every night, Tessa receives standing ovations from adoring fans while her husband Henry and their two children cheer her on from their brand-new dream house.

But there's a chilling problem with Tessa's triumphant book tour—she soon realizes she is being stalked by someone who's obsessed not only with sabotaging her career, but also with destroying her perfect family back home.

Tessa fears the fallout from an impossible decision she once made—what felt like a genuine deal with the devil—appears to be coming due. And she’s realizing that every high-stakes bargain comes with a high-stakes price. If Tessa can't untangle who's threatening to expose her darkest secrets, she'll lose her career, her family—and possibly her life.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A Killer Motive by Hannah Mary McKinnon

 

My thoughts

This author always delivers a good thriller. This one is her latest and it's so good. This book was a true edge of your seat thriller. 

There are five female narrators and one male. They all did a good job of bringing this book to life but the females, with the exception of Charlene's pov, sounded the same to me. I honestly could not tell them apart. The male was just ok. I felt he dragged out his part a bit to much. He did pull you into the scenes though. Just took his time about it. 

When Stella Dixon's younger brother goes missing she blames herself. She let him sneak out for a night of partying on the beach. She dedicated herself to finding out what happened to him. Stella and her best friend started a podcast that involves helping people find loved ones. It's Stella's goal to find out what happened to Max through this podcast. Finding clues and possibly help. 

Stella and her husband have been married five years. After Max disappeared they got married. Before that fateful night they were dating. There are a few secrets between them. There marriage becomes strained when Stella starts getting emails from someone claiming to have knowledge about Max. Also Max's best friend has gone missing. If Stella doesn't do as she's told Kenji will suffer great harm. Possibly death. But is Kenji truly still alive? Is Max alive after all this time? Will Stella find one or both? Will she survive this. Can her marriage survive?

This book is well done. Well written and keeps you guessing. I did guess who the serial killer was. It just seemed obvious to me. I was hoping I was wrong.

The story takes you through the mind of a serial killer and the woman they decide to destroy. What could have happened to stop this person before now? Probably nothing....

Thank you Harlequin Books and Harlequin Audio for the arc. 

4.25 stars... 

About

You never know who’s listening.

To Stella Dixon, sneaking her teenage brother out of their parents’ house for a beach party was harmless fun—until Max disappeared without a trace.

Six years later, Stella’s family is still broken, and she can’t let go of her guilt. The only thing that keeps her going is helping other families find closure through A Killer Motive, her true crime podcast.

In a bid to find new sponsors and keep making episodes, Stella goes on a local radio show. But when she says on air that if she had just one clue, she’d find Max and bring whoever hurt him to justice, someone takes it as a challenge.

A mysterious invitation to play a game arrives, with the promise that if Stella wins, she’ll get information about what happened to Max. Stella thinks it’s a sick joke…until Max’s best friend vanishes. And she’s given new instructions: tell nobody or people will die.

Desperate and unable to trust anyone, Stella agrees. But beating a twisted, invisible enemy seems impossible when they make all the rules…

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross

 

My thoughts

I've not read Divine Rivals or Ruthless Vows. I will asap though. I had no idea this was a prequel to them until I read a few reviews. I loved this book. It was both heartbreaking, interesting, and magical. It was filled with so much. A fantasy, romantasy, fiction, and so much more. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I also shed a few tears while reading this. Especially in the last Act. It has five Acts and each is better than the last. Told from Matilda and Vincent's POVs. 

This book takes you through three realms. Matilda is a goddess. She has powerful magic. She lives in the underworld but can go to other worlds. There are doors that take her. She meets her father after losing her mother. He is from the upper world. He is not a warm sort. He is a brute in my opinion. 

Matilda meets Vincent through his dreams. As children. She helps him in many ways with the nightmares he has. When they finally do meet face to face though the story really reaches a whole new plateau... I loved reading about them. About the tension between them. The love blossoming. Vincent is human. A mortal. Vincent will age and eventually die. Matilda will not. 

This book is stunning. It's written in such beautiful detail that you will feel it in your heart. It brings out emotions. Hopes. You root for Matilda. For Vincent. You get involved with Vincent's world and love the people there. His brother. It's just a great story. One I will most likely want to read again. After I read the first two that is. 

Thank you #StMartinsPress/SaturdayBooks for this ARC. 

About

Born ​in the firelit domain of the under realm, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods often kill each other to steal power and alliances break as quickly as they are forged, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry words and letters through the realms, but she holds a secret she must hide from even her dearest of allies to ensure her survival. And to complicate matters . . . there is a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met in the waking world.

Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.

Gone In The Night by Joanna Schaffhausen

 My thoughts

This series has been so good. All of the books have been great and this one is too. It is a bit of a touchy subject though.

I was cringing throughout a lot of this story. From all the murdered men to why they were murdered. While I do believe they all deserved it we can't just take justice in our own hands. Can we? If you were abused, either beat by a spouse or sexually assaulted by a predator, wouldn't you want to get even? If you could. If you could get away with it. I think most of us would. If we are honest. At least in the cases of the women in this book I can see it happening. While I don't condone violence I also believe in justice and in so many cases there is no justice. Especially when it comes to defending a child who has been violated. A slap on the wrist maybe. If that....

Annalisa and Nick are married. Expecting a baby. Annalisa is a PI now but things are slow as no one seems to want to hire a pregnant women to investigate anything. When her brother asks her to visit him in prison, where she put him, she is a little dismayed. But she goes. She listens to what he has to say. She meets with this guy named Joe. Joe who has spent thirteen years for the murder of a man and claims he is innocent. Annalisa takes the case. You will learn all about what he did or didn't do. You get to know Joe. You also get to know the women from Ruby's Place. A home for abused and battered women and children. You get to know them well.

This book is hard in places. It deals with abuse. It deals with child sexual abuse too. Very young girls. It's heartbreaking to know there are people in this crazy world who would do such horrendous things. To know that they do it and get away with it. This is the story of abused women and how Annalisa and Nick solve a serial killer case. 

Thank you #StMartinsPress/MinotaurBooks for this ARC.

4.75 stars. 

About

Detective Annalisa Vega hasn’t forgiven her brother for his role in a murder, and he hasn’t forgiven her for turning him in, so she’s surprised when he asks her to visit him in prison. Turns out, he has a possible case for her: one of his fellow inmates, Joe Green, may be innocent of the murder that landed him behind bars.

Joe is doing hard time for killing his ex-wife’s lawyer, but an anonymous letter sent to the prison warns that the eyewitness in Joe’s trial made up her story. With her private investigation business foundering, Annalisa is desperate enough to start poking around into Joe’s meager case. She immediately finds two problems: One, the eyewitness definitely lied about what she saw the night of the murder, and two, Annalisa’s husband Nick was the cop who arrested Joe in the first place.

Faced with correcting Nick’s mistakes, Annalisa digs deeper into Joe’s past and discovers he has two ex-wives with nothing good to say about him. The women may have orchestrated an elaborate frame to put Joe in prison, but one wife has completely disappeared since then. Did Joe somehow kill her? Or is he the real victim? Annalisa’s search for the truth tests the bounds of her marriage, her family, and her own sense of justice. Meanwhile, a devious killer keeps sending men to a watery death in the vastness of Lake Michigan. If Annalisa doesn’t figure out the truth about Joe soon, her husband might be next. 

The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin

 

My thoughts

This is a must read. It will be in my top twenty at the end of the year. This book was so good. A sad tale of what life was like for women who loved reading back in 1895. And what happened if they disobeyed their husband. Yes I said disobeyed. Can you imagine? 

This is about four women: Mrs Eleanor Clarke. She was married and had a baby boy. Her husband was a beast. You will thoroughly hate him. His abuse knows no boundaries. Mrs Rose Wharton. She's also married. Her husband truly loves her. But he had banned books for her because of his brother. Lady Lavinia Cavendish. She's the youngest. Not married. She lives with her parents and siblings. She suffers from what to me seems like social anxiety. Writing poetry helps her deal with that. Lady Duxbury. She is the one who invited the other three to her Secret Book Society. She's truly a force. A caring, understanding, force. She's been married three times. She gives these women a place where they feel safe. Feel like they can express themselves. Not just with books. With their thoughts. Their wishes. Their lives. Their hurts.

This book is so well written. You truly can feel each woman's pain and happiness. The way they deal or can't deal. Most likely you can relate to at least one of these women in some way. 

I have to say this book is emotional. It will have you in tears in many places. Also give hope to these women. Give hope that all will be ok. Eventually. The sad part is that women are still held hostage by most men. In one way or another we have to answer to them for something. But we have honestly come a long way since they could ban books from us. Now it's the government that bans the books. Go figure.

Add this one to your tbr list. I promise you won't regret it.

Thank you to the publisher for this arc.

Five big fat stars. 

About

A captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets, and the women who dare to break free.

You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society...

London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club-a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood, and the courage to rewrite their stories.

Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, an artistic young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands' untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder.

As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts, and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything. 

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham

 

My thoughts

I've read an enjoyed all of this author's previous books. I enjoyed this one. The best in my opinion was her very first book, A FLICKER IN THE DARK... It was so good. 

This book is about a young woman whose sister went missing. Natalie was the oldest of the two sisters. When she went out the window to meet up with someone it was the last time she was seen. Claire seemed to blame herself for what happened. Because she didn't tell. Because she was only eleven and thought she would get in trouble if she told. Natalie was never seen again. The older man that everyone thought she was dating was blamed for her murder. Though no body was ever found he still got life in prison. 

Claire went home to see about her mother and ended up staying at the Galloway farm where her sister had worked that last year of her life. She finds a diary written by a teen and starts reading it. That is when this book really takes off. You find out a lot about other missing and possibly abused girls. Including Natalie. Some secrets about their mother are brought forth also. 

This book is not at all a thriller but it is a good mystery. I did figure out a few things, but it didn't take away from my interest in any way. I liked Claire. I liked Liam. I was on the fence about her mother until I got to know why she did what she did pushing Claire away. There were some things that I wish would have been written about more. Like Claire and Natalies parents. Yeah they divorced but good grief they certainly should not have. Not over what I found out later was the reason. I just felt like there were a few things unanswered in this book. Little things though. 

Well written for the most part. The beginning kind of dragged. But when Claire finds the diary this book is harder to put down.

There is a cult experience in this book. A cult of young ladies being abused. Taken away from their family. Never to be seen or heard from again. A man who likes submissive females I suppose. He gets them at eighteen. They seem to be in need of attention and he preys on that. I do feel like this story was missing something but I can't quite figure out what. I loved the ending. I loved how Liam ended up and how Claire and her mother finally came to terms with each other. 

This was good but not as good at A Flicker In The Dark...

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC. Thoughts are strictly my own.

3.75 stars.  

About

A pulse-pounding new Southern thriller from the author of the runaway bestseller A Flicker in the Dark.

Twenty-two years ago, Claire Campbell’s older sister, Natalie, disappeared shortly after her eighteenth birthday. Days later, her blood was found in a car, a man was arrested, and the case was swiftly closed. In the decades since, Claire has attempted to forget her traumatic past by moving to the city and climbing the ranks as an investigative journalist... until an unexpected call from her father forces her to come back home and face it all anew.

With the entire summer now looming ahead—a summer spent with nothing to do in her childhood home, with her estranged mother—Claire decides on a whim to accept a seasonal job at Galloway Farm, a muscadine vineyard in coastal South Carolina less than an hour away from where she grew up. At first glance, Galloway is an idyllic escape for Claire. A scenic retreat full of slow-paced nostalgia, as well as a place where her sister seemed truly happy in that last summer before she vanished, it feels like the perfect plan to pass the time. However, as soon as Claire starts to settle in, she stumbles across an old diary written by one of the vineyard's owners, and what at first seems like a story of young rebellion and love turns into something much more sinister as it begins to describe details of various unsolved crimes. As the days stretch on, Claire finds herself becoming more and more secluded as she starts to obsess over the diary's contents… as well as the lingering feeling that her own sister's disappearance may be somehow tied to it all.

Galloway was supposed to be a place to help her move forward, but instead, Claire quickly finds herself immersed in her own dark and dangerous past. 

My Sister's Only Hope by Alison Ragsdale

 

My thoughts

I've read and loved, through many tears, so many of this author's books. They always make me cry and always make me think about things. This one was good. It was sad. It made me think. But it was not my favorite book. I was a little let down.

Two sisters who are the best of friends. Each married to the man of their dreams. The loves of their lives. Sisters who lost their parents on the very mountain that is viewed from their home. While Kenzi hates the mountain. With a passion. Olivia loves hiking on it. She loves all that there is to love about climbing and hiking this mountain. 

Kenzi is married to a great guy, Arran. From the very beginning of their relationship both vowed to never have children. Each had reasons. It was just not to be. 

Olivia and Glenn want a child but can't have one. When Kenzi donates one of her eggs for them they are elated. But it seems that their excitement is not exactly as Kenzi thought. She senses something is wrong.

This book has a few secrets. Olivia has a big secret(which I guessed right away). Even their mother had her secrets. But Kenzi was kept in the dark so when she finds out she is somewhat floored. Though I still can't seem to understand why she would think it was the end of the world. Bad yes. But get over it. 

Olivia is killed from a fall during a hike and everything changes. Glenn becomes distant. Kenzi goes completely nuts and Arran is just not there as I thought he should have been. But when Kenzi decides she just has to have the baby no matter what I lost all respect for her. She knew what it was going to do to her marriage. I mean he is the love of her life. Her soulmate. Her reason for being. But she's going to do the one thing they both agreed never would happen. Have the baby. I felt bad for Arran. I didn't blame him at all for what he did. Yes Kenzi should have a child if she wanted one but she should have handled it a bit differently. I think she was so selfish. I just didn't like her after that. I was a bit upset with Arran but not as bad.

Glenn was my favorite character in this book. He had his heart ripped out and dealt with it in his own way. He knew Olivia's secrets and handled them appropriately also. Glenn was just a very nice man. He deserved way better that any of what happened to him. 

I liked but didn't love this story. It was one I could put down and get back to later. It took me five days to finish and not because it was horrible. It was because I just didn't get so invested in this story. Not like this author's other books. I hate that too. This is one review that is breaking my heart to write. But I do have to be honest.

Thank you #Bookouture for this ARC.

3.75 stars 

About

‘Will you help me become a mother?’ My sister whispers, her hands clasping mine. ‘You’re my only hope…’

When my sister asks me to help her have a child, I already know I will say yes. She has always dreamed of being a mother, and this might be her last chance.

Not long after the embryo is created, my sister is killed in a tragic hiking accident. The grief of losing my best friend is unbearable, but in the days that follow I realize there is a shimmer of I can still fulfill her dream, and bring her baby into the world.

But no matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking about my sister’s last words to me. On the day she died, she said there was something she needed to tell me. And when my brother-in-law finally tells me what my sister was hiding, I can barely breathe.

My heart breaks as I realize I may not have known my sister at all. But now I know her terrible secret, do I have the strength to be the mother of her child?

The Last Assignment by Erika Robuck

 My thoughts

I have read and enjoyed several of this author's books. I have also learned quite a bit from each. This one is about a women I had never heard about. I'm very glad this was written. Not just for the story but for the info. How a female was a force to be during several wars. As a photojournalist. And as a strong, albeit, tiny female.

You meet Georgette "Dickey" Meyer Chapelle at the very beginning of this story. She's quite the woman too. You meet her family and quite a few friends. I liked every one of them except her "husband" and I use that term loosely. But Dickey loved him. She took up photography because of him. But he was not a faithful man and Dickely deserved better. Or to be free...

This book takes you from New York City in 1954 to October 1965. You'll learn how Dickey endured each war. Taking pictures of injured and innocent families. How she became a prisoner. How she met some strong leaders. Some of which totally let her down. Lied. Dickey loved her family but didn't have a strong bond with her mother. Seems her mother thought she should remain home and be a wife. Not that that was a bad thing. It was just not what Dickey wanted. 

Dickey worked for several magazines and other places. She had pictures that the government confiscated due to the content. She loved the Marines more than anything and wanted to be one. But that was just not meant to be. Dickey knew how to survive. She went from WW2 through Vietnam photographing wars. She met so many kind and wonderful people. Of course there were some pretty awful ones too. 

This book is kind of repetitive but it explains all of the things Dickey did and went through. You really get an in depth view of her life. Dickey lost some good friends and some family. She handled it as would be expected. I enjoyed this book but did wish it was a tad shorter. I learned about a woman who went after what she wanted and got it. 

Well researched. Well told. I enjoyed the letters and posts from Dickey and others. I enjoyed learning about a strong female back when females were meant to be home having babies and waiting on husbands. I admire what Dickey did. A lot.

Thank you #sourcebookslandmark, @tantormedia, for this ARC.    

About

From bestselling author Erika Robuck comes the perilous and awe-inspiring true story of award-winning photojournalist Dickey Chapelle as she risks everything to show the American people the price of war through the lens of her camera.

Manhattan, 1954.

Since her arrest for disobeying orders and going ashore at Iwo Jima almost a decade earlier, combat correspondent Georgette "Dickey" Chapelle has been unmoored. Her military accreditation revoked, her marriage failing, and her savings dwindling, Dickey jumps at the next opportunity. In the aftermath of a an assignment gone wrong, a flame is lit deep inside Dickey—to survive in order to be the world's witness to war from the front lines.

Never content to report on battles unless her own boots are on the ground, Dickey and her camera journey with American and international soldiers from frozen wastelands to raging seas to luscious jungles, revealing one woman's extraordinary courage and tenacity in the face of discrimination and danger. And it's along the way, in Dickey's desire to save the world, she realizes she might also be saving herself.

At a time when a woman's heroic spirit often gave way to homeland reality, Dickey blazed a trail for the revolutionary hearts inside us all.

The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan

 

My thoughts

This is one book you don't want to miss. If you love a good edge of your seat thriller. A mystery to hold your interest from start to finish. If you love a good story that keeps you guessing. I loved this one. It is definitely in my top ten of the year. 

I listened to the audio and I am blown away at how good the narrator, Emily Pike Stewart, did. She made each character her own. The realistic voices were spot on perfection. I'll definitely listen to more by this narrator.

Three girls went missing. One was returned. What happened to these little girls? Who would do this? And why was one returned? When PI Annie Gore takes a job from a young man looking for his missing sister, she has no idea what she's in for. The girl has been missing ten years. Most likely she is never returning. Most likely she is dead. Annie took this job because Max Andrews was so persistent. He had saved so much to hire her. He had heard she was the best. The best at finding missing people. She could not say no. 

This book takes you to the Appalachian mountains. To a small town where everyone knows everyone. But there are a lot of secrets. A lot of things that are well hidden. And there are missing children. Two still missing after ten years. Can Annie find them and if she does will they be alive. 

Some of the people in this town help without blinking an eye while others want it to go away. Want it forgotten. But it can't be forgotten. Not by ones mother and by one brother. 

This book is so well written. It's writing it almost lyrical. The descriptions make you feel like you are there. In the cabin. In the bakery. In the mountains. In the woods. It's so realistic and haunting. It's filled with so much hope and a whole lot of sadness. You want Annie to find these two girls as much as their family does. Then another child goes missing. Was it the same person or a copycat? Will Annie be able to save this child too.

I'm telling all my friends who love a good thriller/mystery to grab this one. From what I can tell this is a debut and so beautifully written. It's not about witches. It's not magical realism. It's just a story about stories told. Told about a witch and her two beautiful daughters. A story of a town where three children went missing and one was returned....

Thank you #stmartinspress, #macmillianaudio, for this ARC. 

About

A ninth generation Appalachian herself, Archer Sullivan brings the mountains of North Carolina to life in The Witch’s Orchard, a wonderfully atmospheric novel that introduces private investigator Annie Gore.

Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore joined the military right after high school to escape the fraught homelife of her childhood. Now, she’s getting by as a private investigator and her latest case takes her to an Appalachian holler not unlike the one where she grew up.

Ten years ago, three little girls went missing from their tiny mountain town. While one was returned, the others were never seen again. After all this time without answers, the brother of one of the girls wants to hire an outsider, and he wants Annie. While she may not be from his town, she gets mountain towns. Mountain people. Driving back into the hills for a case this old—it might be a fool’s errand. But Annie needs to put money in the bank and she can’t turn down a case. Not even one that dredges up her own painful past.

In the shadow of the Blue Ridge, Annie begins to track the truth, navigating a decade’s worth of secrets, folklore of witches and crows, and a whole town that prefers to forget. But while the case may have been buried, echoes of the past linger. And Annie’s arrival stirs someone into action.

Too Old For This by Samantha Downing

 

My thoughts

This book was so much fun to read. Yes it was a book about a serial killer. Yes she was older and had retired. Yes she starts killing again. But..... You may find yourself rooting for her to not get caught. To get away with everything. Just maybe you will like Lottie...

I absolutely loved Lottie. She was quite a character. She did bad things but she had reasons for most. She was a murderer, but still she had reasons for it. You just should not make Lottie mad. Or back her in a corner. She can be mean if provoked. But she's a good mom. She loves her boy. She was a single mom. Now her son is grown and going to be married. For the second time.

You get to know Lottie pretty well. You also get to know her victims pretty well. The reasons why they had to be killed. And what Lottie does with the bodies. Most bodies that is. And the cops. Especially Burke. Burke wanted so bad to prove Lottie's guilt. He tried for over forty years. 

Lottie goes to church. She is very involved. She loves her family. Her son and grandchildren. She cares for her ex daughter in law. She gets to know her future daughter in law and likes her too. She is a fairly peaceful person. Private. Until she's not. That is when the dark side of Lottie shows it's face. I did feel bad for Plum Dixon. She was just a young lady looking to do a docuseries about Lottie's previous life. She was very determined. I could have felt bad for Plum's mom but I didn't. She was never a good mom to Plum. I did feel bad for Cole. Cole was Plum's boyfriend. And the suspect when Plum went missing.

This book made me laugh so much. Yes I did my fair share of cringing and I gasped a few times, but it was still a fun story. I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. Or should. 

I highly recommend this one. If you are up for a few murders or a few chuckles, then I say grab this one and get comfortable. You won't want to put it down.

Thank you #Berkley for this ARC. 

Five big stars from me.

About

A retired serial killer’s quiet life is upended by an unexpected visitor. To protect her secret, there’s only one option left—what’s another murder? From bestselling author Samantha Downing.

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.

Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends. 

When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that.

But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime might just be the death of her…

You Belong Here by Megan Miranda

 

My thoughts

This is Megan Miranda's best yet. Riveting. Thrilling. A story to keep you guessing until the end. 

I throughly enjoyed this story. It had so much. So many good thrills. So much family drama. So much to keep you guessing and most likely you will be wrong. Family secrets can be deadly. Or possibly they can keep your loved ones alive. 

What really happened twenty years ago when two men died in a fire. And who actually started this fire. What was the motive? Did the perpetrator get away alive or did she die never to be seen or heard from. Or at least not to be heard from for almost twenty years whether dead or alive. Someone knows the truth and one mother doesn't want it revealed. A mother will do almost anything for her child. Even cover up a crime. 

When Beckett's daughter Delilah is accepted at the university where she went all those years ago. Where a horrible fire took the lives of two men. Where she had to leave. Beckett is horrified. She didn't ever want Delilah to be caught up in what would always be a part of Wyatt College. During a night of howling winds, called The Howling. During a time when someone was going to have to pay for something. 

This book kept me guessing. I did realize who did what but not until it was almost revealed. There are a lot of secrets in this story. Beckett's parents and Beckett for instance. I didn't much like Beckett's mom at first. She did grow on me after a while. After a long while. I thought Beckett was a little over protective but I also understood why. And I rooted for Beckett and Trevor to finally get together. I hoped things would end well and I suppose they did. In their own way. 

I did love how this story ended. Seems justice did prevail. But at what cost? 

Thank you #SimonElement/S&S/MarySueRucciBooks, for this ARC. Also BOTM... It was a BOTM choice for me and I'm so glad. 

4.75 stars 

About

A decades-old secret that drove a mother from her hometown now threatens her college-bound daughter in this twisty new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda.

Beckett Bowery never thought she’d return to Wyatt Valley, a picturesque college town in the Virginia mountains steeped in tradition. Her roots there were strong: Beckett’s parents taught at the college, and she never even imagined studying anywhere else—until a tragedy her senior year ended with two local men dead, and her roommate on the run, never to be seen again…

For the last two decades, Beckett has done her best to keep her distance. Then her daughter, Delilah, secretly applies to Wyatt College and earns a full scholarship, and Beckett can only hope that her lingering fears are unfounded. But deep down she knows that Wyatt Valley has a long memory, and that the past isn’t the only dangerous thing in town…