Promise Me Never by Liv Constantine

 

My thoughts

Another very good book by Live Constantine. A thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing about who did what and why....

Bennett Bryson is a best selling author. His book Promise Me Never is a big hit and soon to me movie. But who is Bennett actually? Is he a good man or a cold blooded murderer? All of your questions are answered by the time you finish this pulse pounding novel. All and more. 

Savannah Brooks works as an editor at a prominent publishing house. She was also an aspiring author. Savannah had always loved books and dreamed of being a published author. 

When Bennett and Savannah meet there seem to be sparks. They have a whirlwind courtship then get married. Both have secrets. Big secrets. But it seems like their love is real. Except Bennett had been a widower for not even a year. His wife had fallen off their yacht and drowned. Many believed he might of had something to do with it but Savannah did not. She accepted him as he was.

Savannah gave up everything and moved into Bennett's big estate and thought she would pursue her dream of writing a best seller. She wanted Bennett to give her advice. After all she was a published author. He was mean in his advice though. Putting down almost every part of what she wrote. He also had an office that was completely off limits. She was not to enter that room for any reason. (That would have made me more determined that ever to enter...) 

You meet his housekeep, Felicia, who had been Bennett's nanny. She's a bit of an overbearing woman. Seems she doesn't like any of the women that Bennett falls in love with. Could she be trusted? 

This story is told from Savannah, Bennett and Poppy's POVs. Poppy was his first wife. The one who drowned. So her parts are before. You get a lot of info to try and figure this one out. While I was right about who killed some women there was another twist that I didn't see coming. Not at all!! That made this story better and worse. Worse because it just didn't fit to me. I can't say why because that would give a big part of something away. 

I enjoyed this book very much and I recommend it to anyone that loves a good Liv Constantine story. This one is good. 

Thank you Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.25 stars

About

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Next Mrs. Parrish comes an unmissable thriller about a woman who becomes embroiled in the mystery of her husband’s deceased first wife—and after moving to his remote house in the woods, uncovers terrifying secrets.

Aspiring writer Savannah’s scheme to meet superstar horror novelist Bennett Bryson turns out better than she ever imagined: not only does her charming and handsome literary idol offer to read her work, he is instantly smitten with her. After a whirlwind romance, Savannah says "yes" to marriage, and the two settle into Bennett's secluded upstate home.

But just as Savannah thinks she has it made, cracks appear in her perfect new life. Bennett's behavior becomes dark and controlling: he criticizes Savannah’s writing, dictates her permitted activities, and spends most of his time locked in his office, forbidding her from entering. And everywhere, Savannah cannot escape the shadow of Bennett's first wife, the free-spirited and passionate artist Poppy, who died in a tragic accident, but who seems still to be Savannah’s rival for Bennett's affection.

Then comes an enigmatic warning: Bennett is not who he seems. The women that came before Savannah have disappeared. And Savannah could be next.

Isolated and unsure whom to trust, Savannah tries to piece together the mystery of the man she married, and the woman he married first. But Savannah has no idea what her husband is really hiding. And someone out there knows Savannah has secrets of her own. As these two writers will learn the hard way—past really is prologue.

With memorably complicated characters, deliciously devious betrayals, and truly shocking twists, this edge-of-your-seat novel from one of today's most original writers will keep you guessing until the last page.

The Survivors Guild by Gabriella Saab

 

My thoughts

This is a story of survival. Two young women who survived the sinking of the Titanic... The two main characters, Marguerite and Bea, who survived a horrible tragedy. Bea saved Marguerite's life and from there they became the best of friends. Not without a lot of trials and errors though. This is a story not of the trip on the titanic but the night of it's sinking. How these women met, saved a baby and each other...

Marguerite is engaged to an older rich man, Lord Hexwick. She's not in love with him but she does accept that it is her duty to do this for her parents. Ugg how I hated hearing that. They are new rich and he is old money. 

Bea, was traveling with her cousin Melhem to find a better life. From Lebanon where their families are. They intend to work hard and bring them to America. When the titanic hit the iceberg though things changed. Bea met Marguerite who was in the water. Bea helped her thus saving her life. A man shoves a baby into Marguerite's arms. Together Bea and Marguerite save the baby. They figure out from the blanket he's wrapped in that his name is Remi....

There was also Marguerite's maid Lisette. And of course her fiance Lord Hexwick. Lisette is such a good person. She does everything she can to help Marguerite and Bea. Lord Hexwick on the other hand is a jerk.... Period.

This story takes you from the sinking to the nice house that Marguerite lives in with her parents. To the high society ladies who frown upon Bea and her being Lebanese. But Marguerite does all she can to help Bea and to help find Remy's family. Marguerite and Bea start the Survivors Guild to help displaced Titanic survivors. 

This book is so good. It's a story basically set after the sinking of the Titanic. A story of friendships, family, love, loss, hardships. Learning to accept help from friends. And a mother reunited with her child....

A very well written novel. Researched well and told from the two main characters points. Bea and Marguerite. Nothing is left unsolved in this story. This author did a great job. 

Be sure and read the Author's Note at the end. A lot is there that I found interesting.

I also listened to the audio and it was so well done. Both narrators did a fantastic job of keeping the characters separate and interesting. 

Thank you Harper Muse and Harper Muse Audio for the arcs.

5 stars 

About

In 1912 aboard the RMS Titanic, Nabiha “Bea” Nohra is traveling to America to find work, eager to earn the funds necessary to afford passage for the family she left in Lebanon. On the same ship, heiress Marguerite Ashby sails home to celebrate her engagement to a dull British lord, a marriage that will secure her new-money family’s place in old New York society. But when the Titanic sinks, the two women’s paths are fused together when Bea saves Marguerite’s life and they are unexpectedly charged with the smallest survivor—a baby boy.

No one claims the infant, so the women form a committee to aid survivors and locate the baby’s next of kin. Bea works as the child’s nanny, desperate to bring her family to America before the difficulties in Lebanon overwhelm them. Meanwhile Marguerite hopes the committee’s charitable efforts will win society’s respect and render an advantageous marriage unnecessary, sparing her from marrying a man she does not love—unless her parents force her to fulfill the obligation no matter what society says. And when finding the child’s relatives proves to be no simple task, the women are soon enmeshed in deception and uncertainty as they seek to determine where the baby truly belongs.

The committee might grant the acceptance Marguerite craves, connect Bea with the stability she needs, and lead them to the baby’s relatives. But a committee helmed by an American heiress and a Lebanese nanny is hardly customary. Surviving a shipwreck is only the start. As Marguerite’s wedding looms nearer and Bea faces the increasing hardships of adjusting to her new country, they must fight for survival once more. This time, to survive New York society.

Hallowed Bones by Lucy Smoke

 

My thoughts

This was a first by this author for me. It was a slow burn that heated up big time at the end. In a good way.

The narration of this book was great. There were four Narrators and each did a good job of bringing the character to life. In places I did find it a bit jerky. Not as smooth as it should have been, But for the most part it was excellent!!  

A young lady, Haven Wardwell, is dropped off by her aunt to Ipswich College. She had problems with other schools and this was going to be her last hope. Her aunt, a hateful woman, brought her here to get rid of her. She never wanted her. But after Haven's parents both died in a fire it seems she was stuck with Haven. College was going to be her place. Her salvation. Her place to finally fit in if you will.... 

Haven meets four young men and they quickly learn that she might be their last hope. They are witches (I always thought male witches were called warlocks). They need Haven. She's the only female in a few hundred years and their coven needs her. Also they all want her for other purposes too. 

A lot is going on. A few deaths, murders actually. Monsters roaming around. Horrific dreams that Haven can't understand or seem to escape. Each of the men, Cameron, Reyes, Ezra, and Lyall, have different powers. They are all friends and the last of the witches in Salem it seems. If Haven is who they hope she is they might can exist again. Or not die out. All of their parents are dead. All died on the same day. The same day Haven't parents burned.

This book held my interest. I really enjoy a good witch story. This one had it's moments. It had me gasping in places. Towards the end it did heat up. There is a twist at the end that had me totally open mouthed gasping. I didn't see it coming at all. I can't wait for the next book now. 

Thank you St Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ARCs...

4 stars  

About

The first in The Sons of Salem series, a witchy dark romance by USA Today bestselling author Lucy Smoke.

Four men. One girl. Five families accused of witchcraft. A dark secret they all hide.

Their souls are damaged, hiding secrets and harboring just as much hate as I am.

Ezra Bishop
Cameron Goode
Lyall Corey
Reyes Scott

And me. Haven Wardwell.

They are the monsters hidden in the shadows, but I am no novice when it comes to monsters.

We are all legacies, but there’s one grand difference between us. I am the first female witch born in four hundred years.

Now that I’m here, there’s no telling what the dark gods will ask for in return.

Death and ghosts haunt the corridors of Ipswich Academy. If I’m not careful, I might become one of them.

Tell Two Friends by Ann Garvin

 My thoughts

I can't believe this is my first book by this author. I will be reading more. This book was so good y'all. From the first page to the very last word it had me hooked. It was funny and had me tearing up too. I adored the three main characters. At first I was leary of Truman. I mean, how could I not be...

Jane was keeping her brother's daughter Cricket when he and his wife, Jane's best friend, were away. Jane was divorced from a local man and the whole town blamed her for his infidelity. Go figure.... He was from a rich family. Jane was fairly content with her life but very suspicious of men. After what her ex did you can't blame her. 

Cricket is Jane's fourteen year old niece. She's a treasure. Truly a good kid. She loves her aunt and pretty much minds what she tells her. 

Truman lives next door. He's watching Jane and Cricket. He does things that will have you wondering about his intentions. I liked him but was also very intimidated by him. He was an older man with a lot of tattoos. He was always watching Jane and Cricket. Keeping up with how long they were gone. He went inside their house a couple of times. He also replaced the back door for Jane after he broke the window of the previous one. Who does that if they are not up to know good??

Rob is Jane's ex. He and his family are rich, selfish, pieces of work. I didn't like any of them. 

This book really was a fun one though. You got to know people on a real level. Their thoughts and how they treated each other. I'll never understand how any woman can blame another woman when the husband does such awful things. That will always blow my mind. In this small town though it is what most of the women have done to Jane. 

I think this story is one to keep you thinking. Do you really know your neighbors. The new ones? 

The audio for this is amazing. The narrators did such a good job. They brought each character to life. Made them all the more realistic. 

Grab this book and hold on. You are in for a pleasant read...

Thank you Lake Union and Brillance Publishing for this ARC. 

About 

A wickedly funny and empowering thriller about women, the manipulators who underestimate them, and keeping your dignity while saving the day by the author of I Thought You Said This Would Work.

Jane Baye is a regular person, good at a lot of things, but identifying the serial killer right in front of her isn’t one of them.

In 1990, college senior Jane wrote to an incarcerated woman because it seemed like a nice thing to do. Thirty-six years later, that felon, actually a man, has moved in next door. He’s watching her every move, with a decades-long plan for Jane that a nice person like her would never see coming.

Especially because Jane is wrapped up in her own a small-town golden boy with talk of forever and a diabolical history of cheating. When she exposes her ex, the entire town of Wonder Lake turns against her.

It’s no wonder she doesn’t see what’s coming on the night of the Norwegian heritage festival.

But woe to those who mistake Jane for a pushover. When celebration becomes a fight for survival, the very qualities that make her ordinary become the weapons she’ll bet everything on.

The Wretched Divine by Adalyn Grace

 

My thoughts

First I have to say that this book is a first by this author for me. It will not be the last. OMG this book.... It will be in my top twelve for 2026. Possibly number one. It's that good. I loved it. Every hitch of my breath. Every cringe. Every tear. It was magnificent. Heart Pounding. Heart Wrenching. Soul Bounding.... GOOD. It was truly that good. 

The writing is wonderful. The characters hold you captive. The whole story is so good. Each character has a unique quality. A way to pull you in and hold on to your heart. From Angel to Demon to Human. What could these three have in common?? Aurelie is human. She's a warrior. She's a strong young woman. She's to be bonded. Yuria is an angel. He's a warrior also. Fighting demons is what he was raised to do. He's to be bonded. Severin is a demon. He's bad to the bone. He has also discovered a cure for Aurelie's father and any other human who is turned into a demon. But at what cost. He's also bonded to Aurelie. She's bonded with an angel and a demon. What could possibly go wrong.

This book takes you through a lot of emotions. There are secondary characters that you'll love and hate. There are little creatures to hold your heart. There is a big war that will have you wondering who is good and who is truly evil. It has it all. 

I truly adored this book and can't wait for the next book. I can't see how it can be topped but it has to be. Then we find out what happened to the princess..... And who her new husband is... I didn't see that one coming!!!

Thank you Macmillan/FEIWEL Macmillan audio and BOTM 

FIVE big stars. 

About

The Wretched Divine is the heart-pounding adult debut from New York Times and Sunday Times-bestselling author Adalyn Grace, about an ancient war between angels and demons, and the human knight determined to end it at any cost.

Aurelie Chantelune was born to serve. Raised as a knight in a kingdom ravaged by demons, she's spent her life honing her blade, driven by the memory of the monsters who tore her family apart and by the knowledge that she's one of the few who can stop them.

If Aurelie can claim her first kill, she'll inherit a legacy passed down through the Chantelune bloodline: a soulbond with Yuriel, an angel whose power is vital to her kingdom's survival. But when those she loves begin turning into the very monsters she's sworn to destroy, Aurelie is forced to seek help from the last place she ever imagined. Desperate, she forges a second and far more dangerous bond with Severin, a demon she can hardly trust, but who claims to know how to end the war for good.

With their lives and fates entwined, Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must team up to hunt down a cure capable of turning demons back into humans. But the more they learn about one another and the deeper their relationships grow, the more Aurelie begins to question the war and her place in it. With both of her bonded on opposing sides, she'll have to make a choice: continue to stand with the angels, or risk everything by trusting a demon.

Daughters of the Wreckage by Stefanie Koens

 

My thoughts

The narrators did a great job with this book. They each kept their part perfect.

While I did enjoy the narrators the actual story was just not for me. I usually love this type of book but this one seems more Christian fiction and I just don’t like that genre.

The author wrote a good story. Kept their two timelines at a good pace and made each character feel realistic. I can’t find any fault with her writing at all. It’s just me. I didn’t enjoy this one near as much as I thought I would.

If you like historical and Christian fiction based on real events, then you will love this one.

Thank you to the publisher, the author, and uplit books for the arcs.

3 stars.

About

A woman searching for answers in her own life finds them--and much more--in the wreckage and haunting stories of one of the most infamous maritime disasters in history.

Shortly before Christmas in 2018, Tess McCarthy, after years as a hard-working English teacher who never did anything out of the ordinary, flies to Western Australia's remote Abrolhos Islands. She is in search of answers--both to the infamous Batavia shipwreck and her personal family crises.

Amsterdam, 1628. Saskia, an orphaned young Dutchwoman, boards Batavia with relatives, bound for a new and potentially dangerous life in the East Indies--only for her world to first collide with Aris Jansz, the ship's taciturn under surgeon.

Tess, Saskia, and Aris--their lives linked by secrets that span generations--carry the baggage of past losses and the uncertainty of their futures. And, in the most unlikely circumstances, they may find qualities that echo through faith, acceptance, and love.

Our Mother's Secret by Alison Ragsdale

 

My thoughts

Alison tends to write very emotional stories. The kind that make you cry hard. They touch your heart also. Make you take a deep breath and think about life. Sometimes her stories touch your life. Or a part of your life. This story is so sweet and so sad but also uplifting and beautiful. 

Mairi and Fiona are twins. Not identical but still twins. They know each other's thoughts. What each are feeling. 

Fiona is sick. She needs a kidney. Since she was a wee child she's suffered from this. Inherited from their mother. Now at thirty Fiona is running out of time. If she doesn't get a match she won't survive.

Mairi would do anything for her sister. Anything. She's not a match for the kidney transplant though. And she's pregnant. After suffering a miscarriage her husband Tom tries in every way possible to ensure that Mairi takes it easy and doesn't do anything that could make her lose this baby. 

When their mother Helen comes and tells Mairi a big secret things change. Mairi and Helen have always had a tumultuous relationship and this just adds more to than she thought possible. Mairi loved her dad more than anyone. He was her rock. When he died she felt the loss in a way she didn't think anyone would understand. And she knows that Fiona is hiding something from her too.

This book is truly a very emotional one. I loved the characters even when they aggravated me to know end. It made me stop and think of what I would do if Fiona had been my sister and I was pregnant. Would I do all that Mairi did. Would I put the baby at risk? I can't honestly answer that. I believe I would do anything to help my sister if she needed me. But risk my unborn child..... I'm glad I didn't have to make that choice.

Alison writes with a flair. A tendency to want you to be in tears. At least that is my opinion. She loves to through a big fat curve into a story that makes you gasp. Yes I did guess two bit things in this story but still.. It was so good. It had me in tears. Lots of tears. I hope my eyes can withstand all of that. 

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this arc. 

5 big stars...  

About

When my sister tells me time is running out for her life-saving transplant, tears roll down my cheeks. But she isn’t crying, she’s staring at our mother, who says words that will change my life forever. ‘It’s time for me to tell you the truth…’

I can barely breathe as my mother tells us there is a possibility that the father we adored might not be our birth father. Before I can process the secret she has kept from us, she takes my hand firmly in hers. ‘You have to find him Mairi, the other man. He is our last chance to save your sister.’

When I tell my husband Tom what my mother has asked me to do, I can see the pain on his face. All he wants is for me to rest and protect the precious life inside of me, the baby we hoped for all these years. How can I put my own happiness ahead of saving my sister’s life?

But finding the man my mother loved all those years ago is only the beginning. Because my sister is also hiding something, and it will change everything I thought I knew about our family. Am I truly prepared for what I will discover when I unravel the secrets of those I love the most? And will I be ready to make the most impossible choice of all?

Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan

 

My thoughts

This book will leave you feeling like you were in the fight of your life. The McKenna family did just that. They fought not only mother nature but men who wanted part of their land. By any means possible. 

Ellen McKenna was a widow. She had just lost her husband a year ago and was determined to keep their farm going. She was dealing with their children growing up and the loss of her husband was almost more than she could take. But Ellen is strong. She's very resilient and a good mother. 

A storm is coming and Ellen knows what all the rain will bring. So much flooding and being stranded. She does not want her children to go anywhere and she's determined to stay home. Her grandmother Penny is busy cooking. She's a stress cooker, so they will have plenty to eat during this storm. Determination though can't seem to keep everyone put. Things happen that makes everyone have to do things that take them away from their farm. Also there is something very wrong in the area. Home invasions are amiss. A man and his dog are shot. 

This story keeps you turning the pages to find out more. Will Avery make it home? Will Bobby be ok?

A family being held hostage. One girl who is wheelchair bound. What do these people want? It's pouring rain and everyone is on edge.  There is a lost cat that Bobby wants desperately to find. He's just a child and the cat seems to only trust him. And it's pregnant..... 

When the bad people come to the McKenna ranch their lives will be changed forever. Not only has someone been sabotaging things but whoever is doing it may be responsible for Ellen's husband's death. The people come to their farm to force Ellen to help save one's brother. She refuses until they let her know that they know where her daughter is. And Ellen is a nurse and just can't watch a person die. 

There is a lot going on but it's very easy to keep straight. Between the natural disasters and the human ones we wonder what is going to happen to the McKennas. Will everyone be ok. Will Ellen and her brother in law be able to prove what needs to be proven.(I don't do spoilers) 

This was an excellent story. It shows a mother's love also. When Ellen takes her pregnant friend with her to hopefully get her daughter, Avery, you might think she's a bit off. But wouldn't any mother want her child with her. Safe and sound? I sure would. Flood or no I'd want to make sure my baby was ok... That made this one even more realistic.

Thank you St Martin's Press, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the arc. 

Five big stars.. 

About

Allison Brennan delivers a pulse-pounding thriller about one family fighting for their land against both human enemies and Mother Nature.

After the sudden death of her husband, Ellen McKenna is doing everything she can to keep her Texas farm afloat. She and her family hope to expand their operation, but times are tough and making ends meet is more expensive than she imagined, much less trying to grow. Many of their neighbors in Cooke County have thrown in the towel and agreed to sell their farms to a local businessman, but despite similar pressure, Ellen refuses to let her dreams die.

On top of the usual hardships, a series of recent storms has left the region partly flooded, and as the heavy rain begins again one morning, all the members of the McKenna family jump into action to protect their land and animals. Ellen’s oldest son discovers an injured dog—and the dog leads him to a man barely clinging to life, the apparent victim of a brutal home invasion. Then, Ellen’s younger kids go to check on a nearby neighbor and walk into a threat none of them saw coming.

Before anyone can figure out what’s really going on in their idyllic rural valley, the storm picks up again in intensity, and the McKenna kids find themselves in over their heads with no way to call for help. To protect her farm--and her family—Ellen must face down all the forces trying to tear them apart.

Allison Brennan's talent for twisty, tense pacing combines with a deeply drawn family drama and the unforgiving power of nature in this compelling standalone thriller.

Paper Ghosts by Sarah Addison Allen

 

My thoughts

I enjoyed this book very much. To me it was just the thing for this time of year. Maybe even more so if it was October, but right now it's what I needed. 

This is a story told in three parts. In two timelines. A kind of before and after story. One is Willamena's story, 1976, and the other is her granddaughter, Bailey, present day. It's a story of a small town with lots of, in my opinion, snooty people. Not all, but a lot. Especially the kids where Bailey went to high school. 

This has a love story going on too. A marriage of convenience also. There are some ghostly things going on but not in a scary way. 

I absolutely loved Willamena Wester. Her grandmother, Alice Wester, was not on my list of favorite characters at all. I understand that she thought she was protecting Willamena but she went too far. Enough already. Let that girl enjoy her life. Go to college. Marry who she loves.

Bailey was Willamena's granddaughter. Willamena encouraged her to leave. Go do something with your life. Go to college. Fall in love. She was the opposite of Alice. 

Bailey's dad called her home. Alice was not well and they needed to make amends. 

This story was so sweet. It had it's tense moments and there was an almost assault. But overall it was a very pleasant read. I read it pretty quickly and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

I also listened to the audio. Narrated by Marin Ireland. She did a good narration. Brought out the voices and kept me enthralled with the story.

Thank you St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the arc.

4.75 stars. 

About

Part ghost story, part love story and steeped in magical realism, Paper Ghosts will transport you to a place where old secrets echo through the years and love finds a way of bringing us home.

Every family has its secrets... The Wester women live inside theirs.

For decades, the women of Wester House have unsettled and fascinated their small, timeless North Carolina town. Their home is full of whispers, old griefs, and uncanny knowing. But when Willamena Wester reaches out to the granddaughter she once pushed away, long-buried truths begin to stir.

1976:
Restless young Willamena falls for a stranded musician who brings freedom and the promise of another life to her carefully controlled world. Their brief, incandescent love story promises to escape the pull of the Wester legacy until Willamena makes a fateful choice that changes her life forever.

Present Day:
Returning home is the last thing Bailey Wester wants. Yet as she reconnects with Willamena, the grandmother she feared, Bailey begins to understand the love, heartbreak, and impossible choices that shaped the women in her family and realizes the past may not have been trying to haunt them after all.

A luminous novel filled with Sarah Addison Allen’s stunning prose and signature blend of romance, Southern charm, and wonder, Paper Ghosts reminds us that in order to have the future we really want, sometimes we need to live with the past, and not let go of it.

Mother Daughter Sister Stranger by Hank Phillippi Ryan

 My thoughts

This book was so good. I highly recommend it. Also, I guessed at quite a few people being the kidnapper. I didn't get it. I was way off.....

Two sisters survive a plane crash that took their mother. Bea and Eliza survived. Bea married and has an adopted daughter Piper. I adored Piper. She's very smart and is eleven. She loves books and stuffed animals. She's just adorable. Eliza has her for the week and as they are waiting for Bea to show Eliza wonders, aloud, why Piper has her remembrance dress with her. They are going to the cemetery for the annual remembrance of the parents they lost. Bea is not there. Bea hasn't shown up to get Piper...

Eliza and Piper go through a whole lot of things. They are practically terrorized by things that are happening. They both wonder where Bea is and why has she left Piper. Has she been kidnapped or is she just deserting her daughter?

 

Eliza finds out a lot about her parents when she and Piper go to the family cabin. She hates this cabin but needs a safe place for her and Piper to go until she can find out what is going on and where Bea is. What she finds in the cabin is crazy. A book her father was writing at the time of the crash. And that her boss Whitney, who is a publisher, may have been having an affair??? It's a lot and Bea is determined to get to the bottom of it all. Then along comes their Aunt Margaret. She's the one who came to help them after their parents deaths. 

A lot of things happen but it's fairly easy to follow. Very well written and keeps you wanting more. A few twists and turns along the way and then a big surprise....

The narrator, Stevi Incremona​, did a great job. She kept each character separate and did Pipers character beautifully. Piper is a child and not all narrators can do that...

Also read the Acknowledgments... No, I never read an ending first. That would ruin it for me. I hate spoilers of any kind.... 

Thank you St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the arcs..

Five stars

About:

What happens when the past rises from the ashes to destroy you?

Eliza Ramsey and her sister Bea are the sole survivors of the fiery plane crash that killed their parents—and share a bond they vow is unbreakable. But now, eleven years later, on the exact anniversary of the tragedy, Bea fails to retrieve her pre-teen daughter from a sleepover at Eliza’s. Eliza knows her sister would never leave her precious Piper behind—even in her care—and fears the worst.

Piper is confused at her mother’s absence. Her father, Bea's recent ex, is out of town and uninterested in Bea’s whereabouts. Police are dismissive. But Eliza is terrified. Especially as it becomes clear that Bea might have planned her own disappearance.

The Ramsey’s lives have already crashed and burned once—and now, Eliza discovers she must protect her niece from the horrifying truth about her family’s sinister history—and together, they must prevent their lives from going up in in flames once again.

A missing influencer. Her frightened daughter. And a sister on a desperate search for a happy ending. But someone knows the deadly key to their shared past—and now won’t stop until they’ve written a terrifying final chapter. Mother, daughter, sister—stranger.

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

Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan

 

My thoughts

I received an ALC and ARC of this book. It's the second in the Annie Gore books. 

Annie is hired to find out what happened to her father. An estranged father. He's a faith healing, snake handling, minister in a small town called Brimstone Hollow in the Appalachians. Right off it seems someone does not want Annie poking around. While most seem friendly there is someone who doesn't want Annie there. 

There are several dead bodies and between the cops and Annie it seems maybe they are related somehow. It's her job to figure out if Ezra actually died from snake bites or if maybe someone else did it. And if so why....

The cops work well with Annie and most of the people help as much as possible. But there are some who are set on leaving the dead to rest in peace. 

During all that is going on Annie keeps having crazy dreams and doesn't get a lot of sleep. But she does keep trudging on and when the pieces finally start to click she is in danger. She has to fight for not only herself but for another man who is shot trying to help her. Annie is bitten by a timber rattler and if she doesn't get help she could die.  

Annie of course solves the case and finds out exactly who did what and why. From murder, drugs, snakes, religion, you will find out what was done and who did it. I can't say I was totally shocked to find out who did one killing. There was a couple of clues that jumped out at me. It did not in any way take away from the story though. 

I look forward to more by this author. More of the Annie Gore series. This one was a bit dark and dangerous but Annie did get what she was after....

I have to admit that the audio had parts I didn't like. Emily Pike Stewart did a great job. The one thing I didn't enjoy though was her singing. Not that she sounded bad, just I didn't enjoy that part. She should have just read it. She does have a lovely singing voice, I just don't like when a narrator sings....

Thank you St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio. 

5 stars for the book and 4.75 for the audio... 

About

Following her powerful debut in The Witch’s Orchard, private investigator Annie Gore returns in Brimstone Hollow, bringing readers back to the mountains that author Archer Sullivan, a ninth-generation Appalachian, knows so well.

There isn’t much that happens in the Appalachian Mountains that Private Investigator Annie Gore hasn’t seen. Before she was an Air Force Special Investigator, she was born and raised in those rolling hills, and lately Annie's cases have called her away from her Louisville office and closer to the small towns of her youth than she ever anticipated. But when her newest client asks if she’s ever been to a snake-handling church, Annie knows she’s about to enter unknown territory.

Katie May has been estranged from her father—one of Appalachia’s last infamous snake handling preachers—for twenty years. But when Katie finds out he’s been fatally bitten, and a funeral was held within twenty-four hours, she questions whether someone deliberately rushed the process. Despite Annie’s doubts, she takes the case. After all, when she looks at Katie, she sees a version of a girl who needs to understand her father in order to understand herself.

As she navigates the hidden hollers and dangerous secrets of this insular Eastern Kentucky town, Annie works fast, hoping to find the truth in record time for her client—and before too many memories from her own childhood surface. But it soon becomes apparent that someone wants Annie’s investigation to stop—by any means necessary.

God's Country by William Kent Krueger

 

My thoughts

This author is definitely one of my favorites. He's my top favorite male author. The books this man writes bring you right into the heart of the story. Keep you wanting more and give you things to think about. This series is great. I do need to go back and read some of the earlier books though. I have every one on my kindle. 

In this installment of the Cork O'Connor books Cork goes on a trip with the men in his family. They run into trouble and Cork meets two men who will forever change him. Make him doubt all he believed about himself. I cringed while reading parts of this book. The brutality of what the Kennedy brothers do will have you holding your breath. The older brother is way more hostile and cruel than his younger brother but both are responsible for what happened. One through not trying to prevent things. The other by being a cruel mean hearted man. Even though he was raised by a very brutal man who abused him, there is no excuse. None. I just can't give any clearance to anyone being so mean that they will kill good and decent human beings. 

This book takes you through a whole lot and you start to feel like you are there. In a canoe going through beautiful waterways and stopping for the night to camp in gorgeous ares. It just came alive to me. But as that did so did the brutality of what happened along the way...

Well written. Well lived. A breathtaking look at how our surroundings and childhood may make us who we are as adults. Maybe...

This is book #21 and I look forward to book #22....

Thank you Atria for this eARC...

5 stars. 

About

From the New York Times bestselling author of The River We Remember, a new mystery in the wildly popular Cork O’Connor series.

Cork O’Connor, preparing for a family trip into the Boundary Waters, is troubled by ominous visions about his future. Ignoring the warnings, he uncovers signs of violence while searching for his missing friend, Cordell Bishop. Soon, he is forced to negotiate with dangerous criminals, the Kennedy brothers, who are seeking their late father’s hidden stash.

Facing escalating danger and difficult choices, Cork grapples with his darkest instincts as he helps others escape and eventually takes justice into his own hands. God’s Country is an action-packed thrill ride that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin

 

My thoughts

May these pages remind you what women have always known-that love is power, kindness is strength, and the care of a friend is the best gift life will ever offer.

This book is so good. This is a quote from the end of the book. The Pages from the Grimoire
Be sure to read the Author Note. Lots of great info.

The audio was so good. It was executed to perfection. Distinguished between the characters like a pro. Well done.

An excellent story with two timelines a few hundred years apart. How they interact and are related. This book has two powerful women who help each other when death is imminent. If not one will cease to exist. Just disappear as if she never was.

How men ruled women by calling them witches if necessary. How love can sometimes prevail after many years.

The witch trials were horrible. The thought that women could turn on each other so easily is beyond my comprehension. Maybe to save themselves from being labeled a witch.

Thank you Harlequin Publishing and Harlequin Audio for the arc.

About

Two women, bound by blood and betrayal, must break silence across centuries—or be silenced forever, in the dazzling new novel by New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin.

Lilith Legare’s life is unraveling. Since her mother’s death, strange things have been happening - plants turn toward her touch, animals linger in her path, and the birthmark on her arm has started tingling. Worse still is her recurring nightmare of being burned alive at the stake.

Her search for answers brings her from Savannah to England, to the decaying Brackenmere Manor where the past blurs with the present. There, Lilith discovers a legacy she never asked for and along with it, the threat of peril. History must be rewritten, or she too will die.

In 1645 Suffolk, Sybil Brantham stands accused as a witch. An educated, wealthy widow, she is branded a threat by men who fear her independence. As arrests begin and suspicion abounds, Sybil must protect her younger sister, even as betrayal takes root within her household.

Across centuries, Lilith and Sybil are bound by blood and by danger. To save themselves, and each other, they must confront the silence that has stolen women’s power for generations—and dare to claim their voices before it’s too late.

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen

 

My thoughts

I enjoy Sarah Pekkanen's books almost every time. This one was a good story. It did start just a bit slow but picked up with each alternating chapter..

Riley applied for a job as a caretaker for an elderly woman. When she steps in Betty's home she is instantly transported to the 1960s. Betty has no television. Has never heard of the internet and no cell service. Her appliances are vintage and she's the sweetest women you'd ever hope to meet. Betty is in her 80s. She's in a wheelchair but gets around her home pretty good. Also.... Betty hasn't been out in like sixty years. Her husband brought her to this house and that is where they lived. He died and now Betty is all alone. 

This is one of those stories that makes you stop and think. About age and aging. About things that may have happened in a time when women were expected to obey and always be submissive to men. A time when men took advantage of women. In this case used the women's husband's jobs to make them do what was needed doing. A professor who was hoping to make it big with mind reading. He took four young women and shaped them. Made them do as he wanted. Put them through rigorous testing. Testing of their minds. They had to stay with him during one such testing period. I thought that if it was me I would have just left... If I had lived back then I would have done exactly what these young ladies did. Endure. Take whatever they had to take. Do what they were told.

I felt a lot of emotions while reading this story. One being so much anger. Anger at how females were treated. Anger at them for allowing it. Sadness for the losses that came. Anger at how the husbands treated their wives. But mostly I had sympathy for these women. You get to know Betty most of all. She is the one who hires Riley. Riley is a good person and helps Betty. Helps her find some semblance of closure and acceptance. Riley takes Betty outside. Takes her on adventures. She not only helped Betty, but also herself. 

I enjoyed this book. I didn't want to put it down. I did figure out who took the college girl in the present. It was just obvious to me. It did not in any way take away from the story though. Also I was very proud of Riley for how she handled her ex-husband in the end. Way to go girl!!

The audio was great. The narrator Saskia Maarleveld did such a good job of changing between many characters. She truly brought them to life.

Thank you St Martins and Macmillan Audio for the arc.

4.5 stars. 

About

The newest next thriller from #1 Bestselling Author Sarah Pekkanen combines a decades-old mystery with spine-tingling paranormal elements in this twisty novel of the seen and unseen.

Extrasensory perception.
The Gift.
A Sixth Sense.
Or something else….

In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history. Decades later, Riley Bell, newly divorced and desperate for a fresh start, accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty. Riley steps into a home that is frozen in another era - no microwave, television, or cell phones, and Betty has never heard of the internet. Why has Betty lived in such profound isolation for so many years, and why does she need Riley now? As the story unfolds across two timelines - Betty’s 1960s era of 5 o’clock martinis and high-stakes experiments, and Riley’s quest to uncover the truth about the missing women - old secrets rise to the surface. And the only way to survive is to confront the mystery that has lingered for sixty years.