THE DAY SHE CAME BACK by Amanda Prowse

OMG, this book is awesome. The best ever by Amanda Prowse and that is saying a lot. She’s a wonderful author and this book is pure magic. Pure poetry in it’s own way. Such a touching book. A big 10 tissue box read.

Highlights from this book:
AND JUST LIKE THAT SHE SAW THE THREAD DETACH ITSELF AND FLOAT AWAY, NO MORE THAN A HAIR ON THE BREEZE: LIKE HER, UNANCHORED AND AT THE MERCY OF THE ELMENTS TO BE CAST THIS WAY AND THAT WITHOUT CONTROL OR SAY. THE VERY THOUGHT WAS TERRIFYING. SHE CLOSED HER EYES AND LET HER HEAD FALL FORWARD, HER LIMBS NUMB, HER MIND BLANK SAVE FOR THE THUD OF A HEARTBEAT IN HER EARS AND THE SOUND OF BLOOD RUSHING THOUGH HER VIENS AND HER BREATH AS LOUD AS IF SHE WRE UNDER WATER.
‘...HATE AND RECRIMINATION ARE BIG THINGS AND IF YOU LET THEM FILL YOU UP IT BRINGS YOU THE OPPOSITE OF PEACE BECAUSE IF YOU HATE IT TAKES ALL OF YOUR ENERGY-AND THAT’S SUCH A WASTE; HOW CAN YOU LIVE LIFE WEIGHED DOWN LIKE THAT?’

This book will absolutely steal your breathe away. You won’t want to put it down for anything. It starts out strong and only increases with each page. A truly heartfelt story that will have you crying those big ugly tears that only an Amanda Prowse novel can do. This story about a grandmother, mother and daughter is in my opinion told to perfection. Just such a touching and beautiful story.

You will not want to like some of these people but you will. You will love them in fact. They will touch your heart in ways you never saw coming. This book really honestly took me on a high of the best kind. My eyes are so swollen and red from the sad and happy tears I shed while reading. The story of a girl who was raised by her grandmother. Whose mom died. But the twist of this one is one that leaves you wondering, how can anyone do that to a child? You may not understand at first. I sure didn’t. But you will. You will read the letters between mother and daughter and it will help you to face anything. You will feel both’s pain and both’s loss. A mother who gave up her daughter for her granddaughter. A mother who gave up her daughter for her mother.

I could totally understand Victoria’s pain in many ways. Wondering how her mother could have done the things she did. How she could have chosen the path she did. How a grandmother could have done this. What possessed them to lie. To create such a story for a child. The why’s are many and will be answered completely. Victoria is young and alone when she finds out that her mom is not dead but very much alive. Her whole life has been a lie. She feels so betrayed. How can anyone be so cruel?

Sarah had deep problems and her mom, Primrose, knew only one way to help her. One way that would work out the best. Sarah went on her way and eventually lived her life. To the best of her ability she did things that would help her in the long run. She didn’t give up on life. She fought to live. Prim only did what she did out of true love for both her daughter and her granddaughter. I honestly believe that.

This is a very emotional story and it’s told completely. From the beginning to the end no stone is left unturned. All of my answers plus a few more were answered. I loved how this story played out. How the ending was so perfect for everyone. The ending, before the Epilogue, was done so good. It truly was so touching. It had me bawling though. It was just one of those scenes you see that make your heart turn a few flips and you think aw yes, that is how it should be.

This is my favorite book by this author. Her books are always emotional but this one is just....

Thank you #NetGalley, #AmandaProwse, #AmazonPublishingUK for this ARC. This is my own true review.

It’s a 5 star book and the very highest recommendation ever...

DEPARTED by Tess Thompson

Love is a magical thing. From beginning to end you are there for each other. You see only the beauty. In the Cliffside Bay series I often wonder, do they all truly see each other this way. As perfect. Men with big muscles, toned bodies, perfect husbands. Women with the perfect bodies, tone, beautiful. Often one of the people in these relationship is broken. Has baggage. Lots of problems. But to each other they are perfection. Is that what true love is? Seeing only the best in your partner? Only that they are perfect. Sure they have arguments. Some more serious than others. But they never leave. They are always there for each other. Yes, it’s perfection. Love is truly grand...

This book gives you a look into the life of David and Sara. Each has been deeply hurt. Each has lost a partner. They have children. Sara gets news that could change her life. She could do so much good. But she needs a husband. Enter David. The perfect, handsome, yet broken, David. Together they can do anything. Apart they are hopeless. Theirs is a love story that you will not forget. It will take you on a journey of the soul. From the beautiful children each has to the love they could possibly find if only they can see it. If only each had not been hurt so deeply.

This book gives you a look into the lives of all the couples in Cliffside Bay. A walk down memory lane in a way. As each couple comes together to see the grand opening of The Oar. It had burned down but is being rebuilt and will be the new beginning for the younger generation coming up. More babies will be born and the town will continue to grow. New people are introduced yet this is the last book in this series. I hate to see it end but have to say this was the perfect way to write the ending. This book touched my heart. The love it radiates. The feelings between each couple. It’s like you are right there with them. Through it all you root for them to succeed. To have the life each wants and deserves. It’s such a good feeling.

This is a wonderful read. It made me do so much crying. Happy tears. Sad tears. Scared tears and new beginning tears. This book was totally awesome. Great job by a great author, Tess Thompson.

I give this book 5/5 stars and a very high recommendation. Read, cry, enjoy and take this journey with plenty of tissues.

NO ONE SAW by Beverly Long

 I read TEN DAYS GONE by this same author and loved it. This is another very good book also. It’s not as intense or as full of thrills but it will grab ahold of you and not let go. It will touch your heart.

A five year old child goes missing from a daycare and everyone in the town is searching. Everyone wants to know how a child can just vanish from plain sight. Who could or would do such a thing. It takes a monster to put parents through such horrors. Though I did guess who did it and with whom except for one out of the three. One was only mentioned near the end so it would have been impossible to guess that. But the other two were pretty much a given in my opinion. But still, this book will keep you turning pages. It will make you want to know for certain and want to know WHY.. Why would anyone do such a thing.

The detectives in this story did a great job. They left no stone unturned. From far and wide they searched. Talked to people of interest. Found people that you would never think of. They worked hard even while going through problems in their personal lives that were hard. I was introduced to them in the first book and now in this one.

This book was well written and had many likable characters. Even the villains were likable although you will despise them in the end. It’s not really an edge of your seat thriller until the ending but still it’s a great story. A mystery to be solved. The descriptions were great and some of the names were ones that will give you a chuckle. You will have to read it to know what I mean there.

I look forward to more by this author. She knows how to weave a story that will have you in tears, holding your breath and praying for a happy ending.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #BeverlyLong, #HARLEQUIN for this ARC. This is my own review. I was in no way compensated for it.

I gave it 4 stars and highly recommend it.

SPRING GIRLS by Karen Katchur

As with the previous two books in this series this is an excellent read. It is another that will leave you reeling. Have you holding your breath and hoping for justice to be served. For the cold blooded killer to be found before he can claim another victim. He is pure evil. Ruthless, uncaring, no conscience, no feelings or remorse in any way for what he has done and would do again if given the chance. To many lives have been forever ruined by this cold blooded killer. Time for him to pay.

“A strange kind of calm settles inside her, a dead calm, an acceptance of what is coming, as though she has chosen it herself: a tragic ending to a mostly happy life.”
“She spies the bridge, the pillars, the cold steel rail where signs post warnings about the dangers of jumping; the lone figure staring down at her.”
“This would trouble her for many nights to come, the hindsight of such things, along with the images of the Spring Girls.”
Those were some quotes from the book that told a story of their own.

Two detectives, Geena and Parker, are called to the scene of a body that was found in the water from the lake that was being drained. The body of a dead young woman. She had been brutally raped and killed, bringing the death toll for these young lady’s to three in as many years. How many more were there. How many more would be found? Who is doing this inhuman thing to these young women. Taking their lives before they even had a chance to live. College girls who deserved to live long happy lives. Their families left to mourn and suffer. Always wondering who would do such a horrible thing.

Janey survived. She lived. She wasn’t suppose to, but she did. She lives in constant fear and can’t remember any details about what happened to her. She has no idea who or why. Janey is a single mother who works hard to raise her son, Christian, and deals with the problems he has on a daily basis. He has some issues going on and that makes it harder on Janey, but she loves him unconditionally and will do whatever she has to for him to have a somewhat normal life. With the help of a child therapist Janey strives each day to help Christian make friends. Help him in school. In life. Janey has had way more in her young life than anyone ever should have to deal with. Her parents are close by and they help her emotionally and when she needs them to watch her son. She works very hard to live but she is in constant fear of being attacked again. Your heart will break for Janey and her son many times in this story. You may get frustrated with her and Christian at times also. But you will still root for them to prevail.

This story touches on emotional problems and fears. Anxiety and even depression. Being attacked and trying to move on. Single motherhood and mental problems caused through no fault of their own. A retired detective who knows things that may possibly help find the killer. A wife who is a bit protective, but who should maybe also have kept her mouth shut at times.(you’ll see) A woman alone who is doing her best to move on. Parents who are surviving after losing their daughters. A daughter who just wants some peace and wants to be left alone. A very disturbed person of interest.

This was a very good book and kept me on edge throughout not knowing what was coming next. Wondering who could possibly be attacking these women. I had some suspicions about who the killer was but I didn’t figure that out. I didn’t trust several people in this book and one rightly so.

The characters in this book are very likable. The scenery very well done. You will feel like you are on that riverbank, in that water. Drowning, gasping for breath. Running for your life. Your heart will break for a child and his mother. For the child who is possibly telling the truth but no one believes him. You will feel elated in parts too. The love a mother has for her son is undeniable and strong. She will do anything to protect her child.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #KarenKatchur, #Thomas&Mercer for this ARC. This is my own review of a well written book.

I gave it a huge 5 stars and do highly recommend it to anyone that loves a good thriller.

LAST ONE TO LIE by J.M. Winchester

I’D KILLED TWO PEOPLE AT TWELVE YEARS OLD, BUT NEVER IN MY LIFE HAD I WANTED TO STAB AGAIN UNTIL THAT MOMENT.
That is one sentence in this twisted, page turning, crazy to the bone, thriller. It will take you places that you never thought about or wanted to think about going.

This is really a good book if you like thrillers as much as I do. The only problem I had with it was I did figure out one of the main parts way to soon. To me it was so obvious. But still, it’s a pager turning book.

Told from two and sometimes three points of view and a couple of timelines. One is from the victim. One from the detective. It’s like reading two stories in one also. The detective, Paul Ryan, wants to get to the bottom of what happened to Kelsey’s child and what happened to his sister 15 years before. Could Kelsey possibly know what happened in both instances or is she an innocent victim in all that happens in this story. Will she get her daughter back and have the life she has always wanted. Is her husband lying about things or is something more cynical going on. This book will take you on the biggest ride of your life. You will keep reading to find out who is who, who did what and why things happened that way. Just when you think you have it figured out another twist is thrown in. You will want someone to find closure and someone to pay for things that happen. But at what cost.

Thank you #NetGalley, #J.M.Winchester, #Thomas&Mercer for this ARC. I was in no way compensated for this review. It is my own.

I gave it 4 stars and a huge recommendation.

BOOKS I HAVE ENJOYED THIS MONTH SO FAR

YOU CAN’T CATCH ME by Catherine McKenzie

Ok, I have had the great fortune of reading some of the best books ever lately and this one is again my new favorite of Catherine McKenzie. She has taken this story and written it in a way that you will not be able to put it down. You will want to know what happens. You will have to know who did what to whom. This is a big, huge, page turner from the very beginning to the explosive ending that will leave you in both tears and shaking your head.

Jessica Williams has come into some money from her past job. Jessica Williams has been scammed and all of her money stolen. Now Jessica is on a quest to get to the bottom of where the person who has the same name and birthday as her is and where her money is. She wants it back and she is determined to get it back. Jessica has had a pretty horrible life since the very beginning of her childhood. Living in a cult, taken from her parents, and raised by a crazy man who seems to be grooming her for something she does not quite understand yet. But she will. She will do whatever it takes to get away. The one thing she wanted more than anything was for her cousin, Kiki, to come with her. To get away. But Kiki refuses. She’s afraid and does not think it’s a good idea for her to leave. This is after all the only life she has ever know.

Jessica falls for her savior, Liam. Liam is not a bad guy. He’s a person who saves people. He does not want Jessica that way. Or does he. Is he secretly falling in love with her but afraid of letting her know? He is after all a few years her senior. There are many people from TODD, the cult where Jessica was, that Liam have saved. Friends of Jessicas. People she grew up with. They all know what was going on in the LOT, LAND OF TODD. It was not the happiest of life and the best thing to happen to them all was Liam saving them. Jessica does not care for her parents as she blames them for going to the LOT anyway. How could they do that and keep her there. How could any of the parents. Kiki’s parents and Jessica’s parents should have done better. They should have done something. But could they have truly? Todd was a maniac after all. A true cult leader.

This book was so well written. It was told with such intensity that you will definitely feel the pain that Jessica feels. All the pains she has had to endure. The characters are so well written you will feel like you know each one personally. The places told in descriptions that make you feel like you are right there. Whether it’s in the woods with the cult followers or in NY with Liam and the others he has rescued. Or on a trip with JJ to find the Jessica who cheated them both out of all their money. It’s a beautifully written story that will touch your soul. And then you have that ending. The one that ties it all together and reveals things that you would never have guessed. The things that made this book so good. Through many tears I read the ending and felt so much turmoil for Jessica. All she had gone through.

This is such a good book....

Thank you to #NetGalley, #CatherineMcKenzie, #LakeUnion for this ARC. This review is my own. Written from my heart.

A huge 5 stars and the very highest recommendation ever.