REVIEW:

Emerald O’Brien’s Little Sparrow was one of those books I did not read the synopsis of  before I opened the book. I’ve read several of her books and knew that I was in for an edge of your seat ride and I needed to buckle up!

The characters in this book were interesting to say the least. I had a hard time figuring them out as people and I am not sure I did that by the end of the book. It made it a little more interesting because I didn’t know their true motivation. I’m still not positive. Rowan, the main character, is probably the only stable one in the book. 

Not only are the characters unstable, the story in itself is on shaky ground. I can’t say this is an unreliable narrator because I don’t know that anyone knew exactly what was going on. I’m not even sure the author knew what was happening sometimes! Don’t get me wrong. I am of the belief that this story had a spirit of its own and had a big hand in the process of it being written. Does that make sense?

I know this sounds like a negative review. We have unstable characters and an ever changing evolving story. This sounds like a complete mess. Believe me, it is not! This author did a phenomenal job pulling this story out of the laundry basket and ironing out the wrinkles. 

Emerald O’Brien and her book Little Sparrow actually made me think for a bit about what I just read and how I felt about it. Sometimes, I know exactly what I felt for a book but this one makes me think a little. I enjoyed the story and the challenge to understand exactly what all happened. Some of the story had been brewing for many years and actually came to an ending we can all cheer for. Bravo, Emerald!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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SYNOPSIS:

Rowan Bell doesn’t believe people can change.

Not her self-serving mother, who had an affair while on a family vacation at their camper trailer on Sparrow Lake. Despite their distant relationship, she now offers Rowan the opportunity to own it—on one disconcerting condition.

Not her best friend’s twin, Leon, whose years-long estrangement while in prison ended the day he called Lucy, desperate to reunite on their birthday weekend. He somehow wormed his way into their road trip, and Rowan is just waiting to pick up the pieces when his uncontrollable temper breaks Lucy’s heart again.

Not even Rowan’s stubborn, non-committal nature, ever since her father nicknamed her after her flighty ways and the lake she’s about to return to.

Upon their arrival, Rowan isn’t surprised to find that places don’t seem to change, either.

Old, familiar faces greet her, and soon, they’re reminiscing about their childhood on Sparrow Lake on a late-night walk. But when cars speed by, disappearing up the road, a horrific accident occurs—an accident involving Lucy’s twin. While the man in the other vehicle is rushed to the hospital, Leon walks away without a scratch, claiming the driver lost control while tailgating him. An anxious tension lingers until the following morning, but with limited time to reconnect, Lucy suggests they leave early for their next pitstop—a concert. Along the way, old tensions are reignited between Rowan and Leon, and new bonds are forged; all while an uneasy feeling of being watched lingers.

When their suspicions of being followed are confirmed, threats are made, and lines are crossed.

It seems the stalkers will stop at nothing until they get what they want. With Leon insistent on keeping police involvement to a minimum after his traumatic past—and Rowan and Lucy in the dark—his initial story about the crash begins to fray at the edges. Rowan searches for proof of Leon’s guilt, but he isn’t the only one hiding something. Everyone has secrets. Forced to stay in place at Sparrow Lake as an investigation into the dire situation ensues, they become easy targets for those with a mysterious and violent vendetta against them.

And when a shocking revelation calls everything Rowan thought she knew into question, she fears Lucy will realize too late the truth that Rowan has always known—second chances are dangerous—and this one could prove deadly.

From the author of The Waking Place and Bleed comes a tense, twisted, and jaw-dropping psychological thriller about the history we hide away that haunts us, second chances, and the lengths we’ll go to protect the ones we love.

REVIEW:

I frantically finished When Houses Burn by Lauren Lee last night. I’ll tell you why in a minute. First, let me tell you this author knows how to bring suspense to a climax and how to shock you. I have been reading her books for a while now and I have enjoyed them. I started out with her Detective Dahlia series. If you remember, I recently read Murder in the Mom’s Club and that one kept me on my toes. This book is another story. 

I was innocent when I opened the first page of this book. Now, I’m not. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve read a lot of crime novels, psychological suspense and mysteries. They are all in my wheelhouse. This book beats them all. I finally figured out how I know when I  am reading a phenomenal book. When I get to a point in the book and it takes a turn that makes me want to put the book down and never pick it up again! Does that happen to you?

When Houses Burn does not make you guess who the murderer is. It tells you. There is no guessing. You get to walk right into his mind and take a seat. This book was scary when you think there are people like this walking around in our world. Does one of them live next to you? I pray not.

Lucas Finch is the man who walks into the psychiatric office of Dr. Dalilah Hedley. He has killed both of his parents and is required by the courts to have 30 sessions of treatment. Dalilah has never treated a psychopath before. He scares her and intrigues her at the same time. Ms. Lee has outdone herself with the character development of these two. I had no doubt in my mind that these characters really exist. I don’t know how she does this. 

I started this book one evening and finished the next day. A hallmark of a good book for me is when the storyline and the characters wiggle their way into my dreams. I have dreamed of this book for two nights. I’m starting another book today because I must get them out of my head and dreams. I highly recommend When Houses Burn by Lauren Lee. Until Next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through Booksprout. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

To follow my blog, click on the heading of any blog post. This will bring up just that blog and you will see a follow button on the bottom right hand corner. Thank you!

SYNOPSIS:

When desire turns deadly, houses will burn. . .

Dr. Delilah Hedley has never treated a psychopath. Never been attracted to a patient. Never broken the rules. That all changes when the dangerously handsome Lucas Finch walks through her doors. As Delilah struggles to maintain her professionalism, Lucas pushes the boundaries between doctor and patient.

When a woman is found murdered on the outside of town, Delilah will discover a surprising connection to the victim that shakes her to her core. But Lucas wouldn’t… he couldn’t… could he? With a murderer on the loose and a killer on her couch, Delilah must do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means fanning the flames enveloping her life.

Dark and twisted, When Houses Burn is a story of murder, forbidden temptation, and questioning everything you know about the person who makes your heart flutter.

REVIEW:

Whenever I finish a book by Ashley Farley and close the cover, I always feel like she will never write another book I will love as much. She always proves me wrong! The same goes for her series. I loved the family in her Marsh Point series. I never wanted it to end. She is about to bestow upon us a brand new series called Sandy Island. 

The first book in the Sandy Island series is Southern Discomfort. We have a new family, some wonderful new characters and a few familiar ones thrown in. If you read the Marsh Point books, you are going to absolutely want to read the new Sandy Island series! I gobbled up that first book like a great big chocolate chip cookie.

Blossom is my favorite character and she is just “heavenly”. I couldn’t get enough of her. She is helpful, calming, full of advice and “down to earth”. She always had a plausible solution to any problem that popped up. She was the calm in the storm. I love the character development in Ms. Farley’s books. She always has an outstanding character or two in every book. I find myself anticipating who that is going to be when I pick up a new book written by her.

The plot in this book is busy. You’ll understand why when you read it. It will keep you on your toes wondering what in the world will happen next. It certainly held my interest. I read it very quickly. Why? Well, I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. This series is a spinoff of the Marsh Point series but don’t worry, you don’t need to read that series first. Each of her series stands alone. 

If you’re looking for a great summer read that is light and fun with a little angst thrown in, this book is for you. It is full of friendship, family and has a lot of emotion from the heart.

Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the #Ashley Farley. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

To follow my blog, click on the heading of any blog post. This will bring up just that blog and you will see a follow button on the bottom right hand corner. I appreciate your support. Thank you!

SYNOPSIS:

Isabelle is haunted by remorse over a past mistake that drastically changed the lives of those closest to her. Apologizing would be a step in the right direction—if only she could muster the courage to say, “I’m sorry.” Her world is turned upside down when her late husband’s will stipulates that she transform their waterfront estate into a bed and breakfast. As the summer’s first guests are due to arrive, Isabelle feels increasingly overwhelmed. Unexpected help arrives in the form of her twenty-four-year-old granddaughter.

Shelby, fresh out of college with no job and too much time spent obsessing over her ex-boyfriend, is sent to the Lowcountry by her exasperated parents. As personalities clash, Isabelle and Shelby discover they are more alike than they realize. Can they set aside their differences to manage the challenges that arrive with their first wave of guests?

REVIEW:

Hello Little Girl is the tenth installment of the Hart’s Ridge Series by Kay Bratt. You won’t want to miss this one. It will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see how the story unfolds and comes to a conclusion. I just finished it and could not wait to sit down at my laptop and tell you all about it!

I don’t want to give too much away so this will be a little tricky. First of all if you have been reading this series you know that one of the deputy’s wives is missing. The search is still ongoing for Lydia Grimes. In the meantime, Taylor takes an assignment that takes her away from her family for a good while. There is a lot going on in this particular book and you won’t want to put it down until you have an answer to all of it.

Taylor and Sam make the sweetest couple but something needs to give. Taylor is so wrapped up in her career that I am worried she will ruin her life. I’m hoping she doesn’t. I would love to see more sweet moments between these two. I think that is my only complaint so far about this series. Taylor’s family is all together on the farm and we knew that from previous books. I love them. It takes all kinds to make up a family and Kay Bratt has done a wonderful job of developing these characters.

I love the town of Hart’s Ridge. I love small towns and think this one is just about ideal. The neighbors and coworkers we have come to love are going to be hard to say goodbye to at the end of this series. I do have good news. There is going to be at least one more book. It is going to be a Christmas book for us to read during the holidays. I just love a good Holiday story. What a better way to spend some during the hectic season by sitting down with this wonderful cast of characters! I can’t wait.

If you have been keeping up with this series, you’ll want to get this one as soon as you can to see what’s going on in town. If you haven’t been reading it, I highly recommend it to you. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the #KayBratt. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

In the picturesque town of Hart’s Ridge, where secrets linger and shadows dance, Deputy Taylor Gray finds herself at a crossroads in the much-anticipated tenth installment of the beloved small-town mystery series, “Hello Little Girl.”

Taylor is given all she’s ever wanted when her family is complete, but will it be enough to put them as priority and stop putting her career first?

Meanwhile, a woman held in captivity grapples with a moral dilemma of her own. Trapped between the desire to reclaim her freedom and the urge to save another, she must summon the courage to make a choice that will shape not only her destiny but also the lives of those she holds dear.

Join Deputy Taylor Gray and the resilient inhabitants of Hart’s Ridge as they embark on a journey of self-discovery, redemption, and ultimately, the triumph of the human spirit. “Hello Little Girl” promises to be a riveting addition to the series, leaving readers spellbound until the final revelation.

REVIEW:

I was blessed to read a fabulous book titled Polite Calamities by Jennifer Gold. She is a new author to me and I am so glad I took a chance on her new book. I will be watching for more from Ms. Gold. 

This book takes place in the 60’s during my childhood. My family didn’t live like the families in this book. We were not as wealthy. In fact, what made it so interesting is that the main character was from a middle class family and was trying to fit in. The snobs weren’t having it. They were awful. 

The antics and the struggles were real. This book was a little bit on the longer side but, I had so much fun reading it, I flew right through it. Jennifer Gold knows how to build suspense and how to keep you interested in the day to day goings on between two friends who are exploring being best friends. Neither of them have had a best friend or were able to connect since early childhood. There were hitches along the way and I expected that. 

I loved the settings in the book. We get to live in a very affluent neighborhood in the 60’s and a horse farm one of the ladies grew up on. The other character had a father who was an educator. These ladies both had life changing things happen early in life that molded who they were. 

This book was so different in plot and structure than I’ve read before. The writing style was unique. I didn’t get bored at all. I hate to tell you this is a perfect summer read but, I will tell you that it is a great read anytime! 

If you love a book that gives you all the feels, makes you shake your head, keeps your interest as it builds suspense that you aren’t even sure is there but you feel it. Then this book is for you. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from #JenniferGold, #Netgalley and #LakeUnionPublishing. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

In a hazy 1960s Rhode Island summer, three disparate lives converge and combust in this riveting story of the empowerment women find in friendship, solidarity, and rage, from the author of Halfway to You.

Winifred is blunt, opinionated, and outrageously colorful. In a community that demands domesticity, she simply doesn’t fit. When her wealthy husband suddenly dies, Winifred’s fellow society housewives no longer have a reason to play nice. Cast out entirely, Winifred throws roaring parties for the clerks and waiters that serve the town, finding the connections she’s been craving—and upsetting the gentle balance of her elite neighborhood in the process.

Flailing artist Marie wants to paint over her past before the painful memories consume her. On the brink of making a longtime dream come true, her newfound friendship with Winifred might be the key to finally moving forward—or her undoing.

High-society housewife June weathers a chronic pain that would make other women faint. With her veneer crumbling, she has no patience for the free spirit shaking up her community. Filled with a mixture of obsessive hatred and fascination for the outcast, June’s determined to destroy Winifred and return her life to the way it used to be.

When slow-simmering summer secrets and resentments finally reach the boiling point, everyone is at risk of being burned. Polite Calamities explores what “community” really means when societal survival is at stake, and what happens when women decide it’s time to stop behaving and start living.

REVIEW:

The Hedgerow by Anne Leigh Parrish was my latest read by an unknown author to me. Ms. Parrish has published several books but she just popped up on my radar. It looks like she has a four book series about The Dugan Family and several other books with interesting titles. She also has several collections of short stories. You might want to take a look at her offerings.

This book held my interest and I am not exactly sure why. It takes place right after the war when women who worked were expected to go back home and take care of their husbands and families. For some women that was a more difficult task. Edith Sloan is the main character in this book who was a map maker during the war and married a man she did not love. Edith has a lot of ambition. She owns her own bookstore and wants to be a publisher of authors who are not mainstream.

I kept reading this book waiting for something really big to happen. It just kept plodding along and never really had a satisfying ending. Kind of like a few year period in the life of any one of us. This may be the beginning of a series but, I did not see anything that made me think it would be. The book started on one day in the life of Edith and continued through a few messes and ended on a note. Not a high note or a low one. 

I am hoping I find out more about Edith Sloan and how her life progresses. Maybe that is all the author was trying to accomplish with this book. If it is going to be a series, I can go with that. If not, I kind of wonder what the whole purpose of the book was. It was not a terribly long book so it was worth the experience.

If you like period books that take you to a time and place you’ve never been, this would be right up your alley. I definitely want to read something else by this author. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the #AnneLeighParrish, #Netgalley and  #UnsolicitedPress. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

An elegant, character-driven novel of paradoxes, The Hedgerow reveals universal human truths.– FOREWORD REVIEWS


It’s 1949, the freedom granted women by the Second World War is over, and stifling social conventions are once more at play. Edith Sloan, the rebellious, well-educated heroine of An Open Door returns in The Hedgerow to pursue her dreams of owning a thriving bookstore on Harvard Square and establishing a poetry press to publish the silent and underserved. Free of her dreary marriage to Walter, she receives a proposal from Henry, a wealthy British peer and the man who made the purchase of her bookstore possible. When she accepts, is it from love or gratitude? Will being his wife help or hinder her plans? Edith soon finds herself at the intersection of free expression and censorship. Duty competes with desire, while serious endeavors are undermined by trivial pursuits. As she tries to balance the competing demands in her life, troubling facts from Henry’s past come to light. Edith also discovers that being a pioneer in publishing comes with consequences she hadn’t foreseen. The decade draws to a close and delivers one more surprise Edith must summon extraordinary courage to face.

REVIEW:

I sometimes wonder where I have been. I just read The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh. I went online and looked her up and she has a lot of books out. Why am I just discovering her? Has my head been in the sand or isn’t she publicized very well?

I loved this book and it goes without saying that she has a talent for developing a storyline that is believable and characters you come to love. I made that statement because I don’t think she would have that many books out if she wasn’t talented. Oh my goodness, let me tell you a little about this book.

The main character is Kelsey Worthington. She is an assistant editor, she always wanted to be an author but a professor told her she doesn’t have what it takes. There is Georgina Tate, the matriarch of New York business women, her son Hayden and husband Dylan. 

The two women are put in positions to question what would have happened in their lives if they would have said yes to all that they said no to. I wonder the same thing too at times. Don’t you? It is an interesting premise for a book and made a great read in my humble opinion.

This book will give you a lot to think about. Georgina is used to being the boss and getting what she wants and it came with a price. I’m not sure we were supposed to like her but, it took a while and I learned to love her and embrace who and what she was. She has a definite reason for the path she took in her life. If you are young, this book might make you think about what you want to accomplish and how you might go about it. If you are older, you might wonder if you need to make changes. If it’s too late, you might rethink how you are going to finish out the time you have left.

If you enjoy a story that might teach you some important lessons of life like how to say yes instead of playing it safe and saying no, if you love to read about epic love stories or you just enjoy a good story, then this book should be on your radar. I thought the book would be nothing but fluff and fun. It is a lot more than that. I highly recommend this book for your summer reading pleasure.

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from #ThomasNelson, #FirstEditions, #Netgalley . The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

To follow my blog, click on the heading of any blog post. This will bring up just that blog and you will see a follow button on the bottom right hand corner. Thank you!

SYNOPSIS:

Sometimes you’re so busy writing other people’s stories that you lose the plot of your own.

This wasn’t how Kelsey Worthington’s day was supposed to go. She wasn’t supposed to be picking up Starbucks for her smarmy boss. She wasn’t supposed to get hit by a car that jumped the curb. And she certainly wasn’t supposed to wake up in a hospital room next to Georgina Tate—the legendary matriarch of New York City businesswomen.

Kelsey and Georgina couldn’t be more opposite. Kelsey’s a dreamer, a writer who questions her own skill. And Georgina is a confident businesswoman whose years of shouldering her way into boardrooms and making her voice heard have made her far too outspoken for the faint of heart.

But now, when Georgina’s failing kidneys force her to face some big regrets about the way she’s lived her life, the two women recognize they share a common thread. Maybe it’s time to confront a few things. They must ask themselves: What if I said yes to everything I’ve always said no to?

With Georgina as her companion, Kelsey soon finds herself doing things she’s never done before. Eating street food. Swimming in the ocean. Matchmaking for Georgina with the help of Georgina’s handsome son. And writing her own romance—both in book form and in real life.

So begins the Summer of Yes.

Stand-alone novelPerfect for fans of Denise Hunter and Rachel LindenBook length: 100,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs

REVIEW:

If you like Domestic Thrillers or Police Procedurals, I have the perfect recommendation for you! It is The Last Hunt by Audrey J. Cole. This book is actually the follow up to The Final Hunt but does a very good job standing on its own. It was two years ago that the first book came out and it took me a minute to remember it. So, if you have not read the first one you can comfortably read this one. My suggestion is to get both books and read them in order. You won’t regret it. They are both filled with a lot of action and mystery.

Cameron Prescott is a woman who does not have very good luck with husbands. Her first husband was abusive. She thinks she hit the jackpot with husband number two. He was loving and generous. She eventually finds out he is The Teacher Killer. 

Being married to a serial killer is having an impact on her dental career. She packs up and moves to Tok, Alaska to start a new life and practice. Things are going smoothly until a murder in the small town reminds her of her husband’s grisly signature. She starts to look over her shoulder and feels like she is being stalked.

Ms. Cole did an exceptional job of developing her characters for this book and the first one. Each character has a distinct personality and lifestyle. It is easy to know who each one is and keep them straight. 

The storyline will keep you turning the pages late into the night. I had a hard time putting the book down to go to bed and to take care of the necessary things like fixing dinner. If it were up to me, I would just grab some cookies out of the cupboard and keep on reading. My husband is understanding but not that much!

If you love a good cat and mouse story and love trying to figure out who is the cat and who is the mouse, you will love The Last Hunt by Audrey J. Cole. Don’t forget to grab The Final Hunt too. These books will keep you guessing and sitting on the edge of your seat until she tells you how it is going to all go down. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

A missing body. A bloody bear trap. Is a serial killer back from the grave?Tok, Alaska. Cameron Prescott hopes the past stays buried. After believing her murderous husband is finally dead, the fierce survivor longs to start over with her state trooper boyfriend. But her illusion of peace shatters when she hears of a fresh killing that resembles her late husband’s grisly signature.

Horrified to learn the evidence points to a member of law enforcement, Cameron questions how well she knows her new man. And as the lies and bodies pile up, Cameron is convinced she’s being stalked by a killer.

Is trusting anyone just a path to a cold tomb?

From USA Today bestselling author Audrey J. Cole comes the highly anticipated, tension-filled sequel to The Final Hunt.

REVIEW:

The Wishing Tree Prequel is the first book and a free download. That gives you a taste of each book and a feel for the whole series. Get your free copy today and start reading this wonderful series. This might just be my most favorite series to date!

I Wish is book two in The Wishing Tree Series by Amanda Prowse. These books take place in Linden Falls, a small town in Vermont. The folks that live in the town are warm and welcoming. Most of them appreciate living in their town and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

This story is about a woman and her daughter from England that decide to get away for the summer. They close their eyes, spin the globe and plant a finger. It lands on Linden Falls in Vermont. They pack their bags and go. What a great premise! Haven’t we all thought of doing something like that?

If you love small towns and all the quirky characters you meet, you will love this series. So many of my favorite authors are a part of the adventure. 

Wish You Were Here by Kay Bratt is book 3 of The Wishing Tree Series. It’s an awesome installment to this wonderful series. These books, although by different authors, have all the feels. 

This has a senior love story in it but it really does revolve around love of community and friends. Henry Harmon is the husband of Greta who is the talk of the town. Neva was an old friend and she owns the local Inn. You need to read it to see what happens.

This book and series is brimming with wonderful characters that we would all love to live near and be friends with. It is easy to fall into the stories and feel like you are a part of what is going on and that you know these folks. It is a dream come true to visit Linden Falls.

Wish Again by Tammy L Grace brings us the fourth book in The Wishing Tree Series. If you have read anything in the past from Tammy Grace, you know she brings out all of the feels in her books. I’m sure you will not put this book down once you start it.

Each book brings us a new set of folks or we learn more of the circumstances of the ones we’ve met. Paige has come home to live with her mom and help her with the bookstore on the town square. The town square surrounds the huge Linden tree at the center. The tree is believed to grant wishes. 

Tammy always has a dog in her books and this one has a wonderful dog named Gladys. She is a trained therapy dog and also pretty much has the run of the town square. She is known to make her daily trip around the square to see all of her friends. 

Workout Wishes and Valentine Kisses by Barbara Hinske is book five in The Wishing Tree Series.

In this book Pam and Steve have both grown up in Linden Falls and have each harbored a secret crush on the other. They both wind up working at the local gym and it is fun to watch them trying to remain friends. They have a chemistry that everyone can see except them. 

I haven’t mentioned that I think each of these books would easily stand on its own. I think if you didn’t read them in order or only read a few of them, you would miss out on all the fun. The tree plays an important role in all of the books. If you love clean and interesting love stories, you will fall in love with this little town and it’s inhabitants. 

Don’t forget to download the FREE prequel The Wishing Tree. You will get to read the first chapter of the first six books. That will leave you wanting to jump right into these books. 

REVIEW:

I have the honor of introducing you to a wonderful new novel. It is Katharine’s Remarkable Road Trip by Gail Ward Olmsted. I found this book delightful and enjoyed my travels with Katharine. Her full name is Katharine Prescott Wormeley. If you read Landscape of a Marriage, you will remember she is a close friend of Frederick Law Olmsted. She was an independent woman who never married and accomplished many things in her lifetime. Don’t forget to read the synopsis because it will tell you all of the interesting things that she accomplished in her life. She was quite a woman. 

In 1907 Katharine decided to drive on her own in her new car from her home in Newport, Rhode Island to her home in Jackson, New Hampshire. It is 300 miles and it took her 6 days! Her average speed was 10 miles per hour. Can you imagine? She met a lot of interesting people along the way and stayed with a different friend most nights. She was well off but she was a very generous woman. She believed in helping others.

It was fun to go that far back in time to understand what it was really like. Again, we get to learn about that time period in our own country. The gas prices that she thought were outrageous and the cost of food along the way. The way she dressed while she was driving. She wore driving gloves! Her car was an open top car, what we might call a convertible today.

The whole time I was reading this book I kept thinking what a wonderful friend Katharine would have made and how much fun it would have been to be on that trip with her. We would make that trip today in a few hours and miss all the adventures she had. Think of that next time you take a road trip. Make it remarkable.

If you love history, travel and learning about our country back when our ancestors grew up and were living their lives then this is a book you will want to read. It was a fun book full of things to make you stop and think. Maybe we will have bigger hearts after reading all about Katharine’s Remarkable Road Trip. Gail Ward Olmsted thank you for your enjoyable look into the past and a glimpse of a truly remarkable woman.

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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SYNOPSIS:

“Kate makes me want to take a road trip. She’s lovable and charming, and her voice… SO GOOD.” -Kerry Chaput, author of the Defying the Crown series

“An uplifting and heartwarming tale of resilience, friendship, and the pursuit of a life brimming with adventure and purpose.” –Booklist

If you loved Landscape of a Marriage by Gail Ward Olmsted, you’ll absolutely adore Katharine’s Remarkable Road Trip.

In the fall of 1907, Katharine decides to drive from Newport, Rhode Island to her new home in Jackson, New Hampshire. Despite the concerns of her family and friends that at the age of 77 she lacks the stamina for the nearly 300-mile journey, Katharine sets out alone. Over the next six days, she receives a marriage proposal, pulls an all-nighter, saves a life or two, crashes a high-society event, meets a kindred spirit, faces a former rival, makes a new friend, takes a stroll with a future movie mogul, advises a troubled newlywed, and reflects upon a life well lived: her own!

Join her as she embarks upon her remarkable road trip.

Katharine Prescott Wormeley (1830-1908) was born into affluence in England and emigrated to the U. S. at the age of eighteen. Fiercely independent and never married, Kate volunteered as a nurse on a medical ship during the Civil War, before founding a vocational school for underprivileged girls. She was a philanthropist, a hospital administrator, and the author of The Other Side of War: 1862, as well as the noted translator of dozens of novels written by French authors, including Moliere and Balzac. She is included in History’s Women: The Unsung Heroines; History of American Women: Civil War Women; Who’s Who in America 1908-09; Notable American Women: 1607-1950; A Biographical Dictionary; and A Woman of the (19th) Century: Leading American Women in All Walks of Life and figures prominently in With Courage and Delicacy: Civil War on the Peninsula by Nancy Scripture Garrison.