REVIEW: Have you ever read a book you were drawn to and not sure why? When Robin’s Appear by Densie (not Denise) Webb was one of those books for me. I picked the book up yesterday and finished it before going to sleep. I honestly can’t tell you why my tablet stayed glued to my hands. This book had such a profound effect on my mood and feelings. This morning, I feel broken.

The story is kind of a typical story if you don’t look at it too deeply. About half of it was a love story between 17 year old Amanda and 20 year old Graham. The other half is her family life with her mom, Deb and her Dad, Richard. I fell in love with this beautiful family. There is so much heartache underneath the story and as I sit here I think of all the little hints along the way. The little things you don’t want to pay attention to because you want all the happiness. 

Densie has magic in her to be able to write a book this powerful. I look forward to reading more from her. This is her first Women’s Fiction novel which was released in October of 2020. I certainly hope she continues to write such moving stories. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book. It’s a safe bet you’ll love and appreciate it as much as I do. 

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you, Densie!

SYNOPSIS: With a lucrative freelance career and a loving family, Deborah Earle has a life many women would envy. But her daughter, Amanda, is heading to college soon, and Deborah worries about having an empty nest. She thinks another child might be the answer. Her husband, Richard, however, may not be willing to start over so late in life.

Amanda is excited about attending NYU next year, but she meets Graham, a handsome older boy, falls hard, and considers postponing her education to stay close to him. Her mother takes an instant dislike to Graham, but Amanda refuses to let her keep them apart.

As Deborah watches her daughter rush headlong toward heartache on an all-too-familiar path, the secrets lurking in Deborah’s past continue to echo in her present. When tragedy strikes, Deborah faces a future she could never have imagined.

REVIEW: Fascinating! The Last Tiara by M.J. Rose had it all. There was mystery, intrigue, war, jewels, friendship, a love story and a woman in a male dominated field of work during the post World War II era. What more could you want? This book grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let me go. It was so interesting. 

The story takes place during two times periods and told by two different women. The mother during the fall of the Romanovs in Russia and the daughter in post World War II in New York City. I especially loved the setting in Russia, learning about their arts and life. I also enjoyed New York City in the post war time period when things were returning to normal. The author did a great job of weaving the two stories together.

This was such a rich story of relationships. She made the past come alive and I felt like I was a bystander watching it all unfold. The cover of the book is beautiful and of course the synopsis only tells you so much but, I was pleasantly surprised that this book was so much deeper and richer than I imagined. 

If you love Historical Fiction, I know this book is one you will want to add to your library. It is as multifaceted as the diamonds and jewels that are a part of The Last Tiara! 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley for a fair and honest review. Thank you! 

SYNOPSIS: From New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller M.J. Rose comes a provocative and moving story of a young female architect in post-World War II Manhattan, who stumbles upon a hidden treasure and begins a journey to discovering her mother’s life during the fall of the Romanovs.

Sophia Moon had always been reticent about her life in Russia and when she dies, suspiciously, on a wintry New York evening, Isobelle despairs that her mother’s secrets have died with her. But while renovating the apartment they shared, Isobelle discovers something among her mother’s effects—a stunning silver tiara, stripped of its jewels.

Isobelle’s research into the tiara’s provenance draws her closer to her mother’s past—including the story of what became of her father back in Russia, a man she has never known. The facts elude her until she meets a young jeweler, who wants to help her but is conflicted by his loyalty to the Midas Society, a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners.

Told in alternating points of view, the stories of the two young women unfurl as each struggles to find their way during two separate wars. In 1915, young Sofiya Petrovitch, favorite of the royal household and best friend of Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, tends to wounded soldiers in a makeshift hospital within the grounds of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg and finds the love of her life. In 1948 New York, Isobelle Moon works to break through the rampant sexism of the age as one of very few women working in a male-dominated profession and discovers far more about love and family than she ever hoped for.

In M.J. Rose’s deftly constructed narrative, the secrets of Sofiya’s early life are revealed incrementally, even as Isobelle herself works to solve the mystery of the historic Romanov tiara (which is based on an actual Romanov artifact that is, to this day, still missing)—and how it is that her mother came to possess it. The two strands play off each other in finely-tuned counterpoint, building to a series of surprising and deeply satisfying revelations.

REVIEW: Mimi Lee Gets A Clue by Jennifer J. Chow was a cute and fun read. I was looking for a book that would be a change of pace from the books I’ve been reading. Some were serious and some were thrillers and this one was a cozy mystery. I have to admit that I haven’t read any cozy mysteries until now. I loved it! 

Jennifer did a great job with her characters. Mimi was fun and a bit of a sleuth with a talking cat named Marshmallow. There were her rich or wanna be rich customers of her pet grooming shop. A mother trying to set her up on blind dates and a lawyer boyfriend named Josh. There were several more quirky characters but, I was able to keep them all straight. That was a plus because I could read and enjoy! 

This book is number one in the Sassy Cat Mystery Series. There is a book two called Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines. When I need a new cozy mystery to lighten up my life, I’ll be reading book two. If you need to lighten up your life, check out the Sassy Cat Mystery Series. You’ll be glad you did. 

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you! 

SYNOPSIS: Mimi Lee is in over her head. There’s her new Los Angeles pet grooming shop to run, her matchmaking mother to thwart, her talking cat Marshmallow to tend to—oh, and the murder of a local breeder to solve…now if only Mimi hadn’t landed herself on top of the suspect list. 

Mimi Lee hoped to give Los Angeles animal lovers something to talk about with her pet grooming shop, Hollywoof. She never imagined that the first cat she said hello to would talk back or be quite so, well, catty—especially about those disastrous dates Mimi’s mother keeps setting up. 

When Marshmallow exposes local breeder Russ Nolan for mistreating Chihuahuas, Mimi steals some of her cat’s attitude to tell Russ off. The next day the police show up at Hollywoof. Russ has been found dead, and Mimi’s shouting match with him has secured her top billing as the main suspect. 

Hoping to clear her name and save the pups Russ left behind, Mimi enlists help from her dreamy lawyer neighbor Josh. But even with Josh on board, it’ll take Mimi and Marshmallow a lot of sleuthing and more than a little sass to get back to the pet-grooming life—and off the murder scene.

REVIEW: I’m FLABBERGASTED and frankly at a loss for words! Not only did I not see the ending coming, I did not see all the twists and turns along the way. Oh my…I think Kiersten comes off as a nice, sweet young woman but, I’m seriously worried about how her mind works! 

I’ve never been on such a Rollercoaster. I, literally, had to put the book down a few times. My heart was pumping hard and I know my blood pressure was way up. I needed time to calm down before I could pick it back up. Everytime I picked it up, it was with great trepidation. 

Mind you, she writes the best psychological thrillers out there. I’m not putting her down, I’m raising her up on a pedestal. I’ve never read any books before that have physically upset my body. 

If you love a good Psychological Thriller and don’t mind losing sleep over a good story, you should definitely pick up a copy of her new book. It goes on sale January 28th. Go ahead and preorder this one so you can read it as soon as it is released. You’re gonna love this one! 

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you, Kiersten!

SYNOPSIS: Ainsley Greenburg is a fixer. 

It’s what she prides herself on. 

So, when she realizes her marriage is at its breaking point, she makes a decision to repair it, no matter the cost. Approaching her husband to propose the arrangement is supposed to be the hard part, but Peter agrees to the salacious plan almost immediately.

The rules are simple:

They will each date someone new once a week.

They will never discuss what happens on the dates. 

Soon, though, the rules are broken, turning terrible mistakes into unspeakable consequences. 

When the only person they can count on to keep their darkest secret is each other, new questions and deceits surface. Can they truly trust the person they share a life with, or will the vicious lies that have mounted over the years destroy everything they’ve built?

Once, Peter and Ainsley vowed to stand together forever, but as they push boundaries of deception, suspicion, and temptation, each begins to wonder if ’til death do us part may come sooner than they’d intended.

REVIEW: Engaging, thought provoking and emotional are what comes to mind when I think of Barbara Conrey’s book Nowhere Near Goodbye. I feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity to review this book! 

This story is about a woman who is researching GBM. Glioblastoma Multiform is a brain tumor that Senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain both were diagnosed with and subsequently died from. This tumor has a main mass and finger like offshoots. That is what makes it so hard to treat. I know you’ve heard me say it before but, I love the medical stories and learning interesting ins and outs of a disease. 

She tells us how the disease can affect someone close to the patient for the rest of their lives. It seems to like older men but, can strike young people as well. That is the real tragedy. I felt deeply for the characters as they studied and treated the disease, the toll it had on their families and how they all learned to navigate through life. It is a very poignant story. One I won’t forget. So beautifully written. 

I received a copy of this book from the author as a giveaway during a live interview. It is my pleasure to review it. Thank you, Barbara Conrey. 

SYNOPSIS: A mother’s love vs. a doctor’s oath.

Oncologist Emma Blake has dedicated her life to finding a cure for a rare brain cancer. Twenty-five years ago, Emma’s childhood friend Kate died of glioblastoma, and Emma vowed to annihilate the deadly disease. Now, Kate’s father, Ned, is pushing her to work harder to fulfill that promise.

When Emma discovers she’s pregnant, she’s torn between the needs of her family and the demands of her work. While Ned pressures her to do the unthinkable, her husband, Tim, decorates the nursery. Unwilling to abandon her research, Emma attempts to keep both sides of her life in balance.

Emma knows she needs to reconcile her past with her present and walk the fine line between mother and physician. But Ned has a secret, and when Emma discovers what he’s been hiding, the foundation of her world cracks.
Nowhere Near Goodbye is a story of family, failure, and second chances.

REVIEW: Be still my heart! Ashley Farley is coming out with a new series called Palmetto Island and it is fabulous. The first book is a Novella called Muddy Bottom and the ebook is currently free at most retailers. On February 9th book one Change of Tides will be released. I’ve been privileged to read both of them. Can I tell you I’m already excited for the next book? You need to go download Muddy Bottom right now and find out what the excitement is all about. 

This author has a way of writing stories and creating characters that draw me in from page one. It doesn’t take me 50 pages or a few chapters to become invested in the story and fall in love with her characters. I haven’t read anything by Ashley Farley that I didn’t like. She is one author that I don’t have to read the synopsis. I know instantly I’m gonna like the book. She is that great! 

If your looking for a series or just a book that will give you all the feels, one that will take your mind off politics and the pandemic, try Muddy Bottom. Then preorder Change of Tides. I’m sure you won’t be sorry. Let me know what you think. 

SYNOPSIS: A new southern series by bestselling author Ashley Farley.

Birdie Fuller doesn’t like change. And a lot of change is happening at once. Her daughter and three-year-old grandson are moving out of her apartment to a nearby city. Will Birdie be able to survive the loneliness without Hannah and Gus? She joins a dating website to find companionship and meets the seemingly perfect man. But is their relationship too good to be real? When the past comes back to haunt Birdie, she struggles to maintain the sobriety she’s worked so hard to achieve?

While the beauty and wildlife of Palmetto Island provide inspiration for Hannah’s creativity, she realizes that in order to grow her web design business, she must move to a bigger city. But is she ready to leave the security of her mother’s apartment? For three years, she’s been hiding out on the island, avoiding contact with her son’s biological father. She never told Ryan about the pregnancy. He doesn’t know about Gus. When Ryan shows up at Birdie’s cafe out of the blue, Hannah’s world comes crashing down around her. Will she give Ryan another chance? Or will another man steal her heart?

Escape to the Lowcountry for the first installment in the Palmetto Island series. Be sure to download Muddy Bottom, the series’s novella prequel, for free.

REVIEW: Ahhhh what a satisfying book. Lethal Intent by Cara Putnam was so good. It had it all. 

If you know me at all, you know I love anything medical. This book certainly satisfied that for me. Caroline is legal counsel for a company that is developing genetic therapies. Right up my alley. 

Her love interest is Brandon. Yup. I love a good love story. Don’t you? 

Murder. Oh yeah! Not one but three! Who did it? You have to read the book to find out. 

Do you love legal thrillers? I do! 

There was so much to like about this book. If you like any one thing I mentioned, you will like this book. Her writing is easy to follow even when there is a lot going on. It wasn’t confusing. You need to try Cara Putnam. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review.

SYNOPSIS: If they expected silence, they hired the wrong woman. 

Caroline Bragg’s life has never been better. She and Brandon Lancaster are taking their relationship to the next level, and she has a new dream job as legal counsel for Praecursoria—a research lab that is making waves with its cutting-edge genetic therapies. The company’s leukemia treatments even promise to save desperately sick kids—kids like eleven-year-old Bethany, a critically ill foster child at Brandon’s foster home. 

When Caroline’s enthusiastic boss wants to enroll Bethany in experimental trials prematurely, Caroline objects, putting her at odds with her colleagues. They claim the only goal at Praecursoria is to save lives. But does someone have another agenda? 

Brandon faces his own crisis. As laws governing foster homes shift, he’s on the brink of losing the group home he’s worked so hard to build. When Caroline learns he’s a Praecursoria investor, it becomes legally impossible to confide in him. Will the secrets she keeps become a wedge that separates them forever? And can she save Bethany from the very treatments designed to heal her? 

This latest romantic legal thriller by bestseller Cara Putman shines a light on the shadowy world of scientific secrets and corporate vendettas—and the ethical dilemmas that plague the place where science and commerce meet.

REVIEW: Heart-wrenching. What’s Worth Keeping by Kaya McLaren was the story of a woman diagnosed with cancer and the toll it took not only on her but, also her family. 

Most often when I read about a disease it is told from the viewpoint of one character. This book is unique in that it is told not only from Amy’s point of view. We also hear about the heartbreak from her husband and her daughter. 

The story hooked me from the beginning and maintained my interest right to the very last page. I had a vested interest in the family and wanted to know if they survived and thrived. They each handle things in their own way. Each scenario was different and interesting. 

If you love family drama, medical stories and learning new things, I urge you to pick up a copy of this book when it comes out. There is something in this story for everyone. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review. Thank you for the opportunity! 

SYNOPSIS: In Kaya McLaren’s What’s Worth Keeping, during one unforgettable summer, three generations of one family receive the best gift of all time: a second chance…

The day her doctor says the one word that no one wants to hear, Amy Bergstrom discovers a secret that her husband of 25 years has been keeping from her. Now that the months of treatment and surgeries are behind her, she escapes her claustrophobic life seeking healing, peace and clarity in an ancient forest in Washington State, a forest that holds memories of her childhood summers.

After dropping off his daughter at Amy’s Aunt Rae’s horse ranch in the mountains of New Mexico, Officer Paul Bergstrom visits the fixer-upper he had bought years ago as a place to retire with his family. Although it appears fine on the outside, the inside is a disaster―just like his marriage. When he finds himself with more off-duty time than he expected, he lovingly repairs his dream home, building the future he so desperately wants.

Witnessing her mother’s health crisis had been terrifying enough, but learning the cause was genetic leaves Carly with the sense that all of her dreams are pointless. With the help of her eccentric great aunt and a Clydesdale named T. Rex, Carly just may find her faith in her future again.

Amy, Paul, and Carly discover that love and family are worth keeping in this powerful, emotional, and hopeful novel.