REVIEW: If you love true Historical Fiction, you will definitely enjoy Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly. This was a truly amazing piece of work. The research that went into this book was above and beyond what you might expect. 

Have you ever been blown away by a book, read the author notes at the end and come away with more appreciation for the book? I have and this is one of them. The first book in the series called Lilac Girls was the same way for me. It is one thing to read a novel you know is based on historical facts and whole new experience when you find out the characters existed and their letters and family history were a huge part of the story. 

Martha Hall Kelly did a fabulous job putting her research together to give us a story that entertains, teaches and inspires us to learn more. I have highlighted in her notes books that I want to go back and read. I’m not sure I’ve done that with any other book. 

I found the time period of the Civil War interesting and heartbreaking. She told of life in the slave community so vividly it made me cry. Then there were cities that continued on as if a war was not being fought on our homeland. That was mind boggling! 

I highly recommend Sunflower Sisters. You have to read the book to find out where the Sunflowers came from. I will never look at them the same. 

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

SYNOPSIS: Martha Hall Kelly’s million-copy bestseller Lilac Girls introduced readers to Caroline Ferriday. Now, in Sunflower Sisters, Kelly tells the story of Ferriday’s ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse during the Civil War whose calling leads her to cross paths with Jemma, a young enslaved girl who is sold off and conscripted into the army, and Anne-May Wilson, a Southern plantation mistress whose husband enlists.

Georgeanna “Georgey” Woolsey isn’t meant for the world of lavish parties and the demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women on the battlefront a bother. In proving them wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York to Washington, D.C., to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort.

In the South, Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, where she lives with her mother and father. Her sister, Patience, is enslaved on the plantation next door, and both live in fear of LeBaron, an abusive overseer who tracks their every move. When Jemma is sold by the cruel plantation mistress Anne-May at the same time the Union army comes through, she sees a chance to finally escape—but only by abandoning the family she loves.

Anne-May is left behind to run Peeler Plantation when her husband joins the Union army and her cherished brother enlists with the Confederates. In charge of the household, she uses the opportunity to follow her own ambitions and is drawn into a secret Southern network of spies, finally exposing herself to the fate she deserves.

Inspired by true accounts, Sunflower Sisters provides a vivid, detailed look at the Civil War experience, from the barbaric and inhumane plantations, to a war-torn New York City, to the horrors of the battlefield. It’s a sweeping story of women caught in a country on the brink of collapse, in a society grappling with nationalism and unthinkable racial cruelty, a story still so relevant today.

REVIEW: The Vines is the debut novel by Shelley Nolden. It is an interesting book in many ways. There were things I liked and things I didn’t like. Overall, it was a worthwhile read. I actually acquired more respect for her work after I read her author notes at the back of the book. It is also at the end that we find out there is a sequel in the works!

I loved learning the history of North Brother Island and Riverside Hospital’s 125 plus year residency there. The story visits many time periods and flips back and forth between them throughout the book. The author did a lot of research for this book and it shines through.

The main characters in the book are fictional but, many of the secondary characters are taken from the real people who lived and worked there throughout the years. I didn’t care for the Gettler men who seemed to pass down their position of head doctor to the next generation in the family. I liked Cora and admired her ability to survive the many medical experiments and long, harsh years she has and will spend there. For some reason I had a harder time connecting with the fictional characters than the real ones. 

If you like history, old buildings, medical research and a little mystery then this book is for you. It will be a stellar debut for for Shelley Nolden!

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

SYNOPSIS: In the shadows of New York City lies forbidden North Brother Island, where the remains of a shuttered hospital hide the haunting memories of century-old quarantines and human experiments. The ruins conceal the scarred and beautiful Cora, imprisoned by contagions and the doctors who torment her.
 
When Finn, a young urban explorer, arrives on the island and glimpses an enigmatic beauty through the foliage, intrigue turns to obsession as he seeks to uncover her past–and his own family’s dark secrets. By unraveling these mysteries, will he be able to save Cora? Will Cora meet the same tragic ending as the thousands who’ve already perished on the island? 
 
The Vines intertwines North Brother Island’s horrific and elusive history with a captivating tale of love, betrayal, survival, and loss.
 
 

REVIEW: Mind Blowing! The Waking Place by Emerald O’Brien really blew my mind. I don’t know what I was thinking. I do know what kind of books she writes! When I started this book, I was lulled into thinking it was going to be different. I thought it was going to be a story about a niece caring for her great uncle who was diagnosed with dementia. Boy, was I wrong! It was partly that but, so much more happened. I’m still thinking about it! 

Her characters were so well developed and the story line was planned to perfection. Like I said, I was lulled into complacency and the first twist gave me whiplash. Then they just kept coming. I found myself racing to the end of the book. I have to say it didn’t end as I thought it would. This book is UNPREDICTABLE! 

If you like suspense, twists and turns and a book that will keep you guessing until the last page, you’re gonna love this book. Go ahead and pre-order your copy now. Then clear your schedule because you won’t go anywhere until you’re finished reading The Waking Place. 

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

SYNOPSIS: From the author of Follow Her Home and What She Found comes a heart-clenching and atmospheric psychological suspense novel that will keep readers guessing until the final page.

Givers must set limits, for takers have none.

When Lane moves in with her beloved uncle Donnie after his dementia diagnosis, she drops everything to take care of him. After her sister arrives unexpectedly, Lane is hopeful for more help. Instead, she watches as Cece leads a carefree life despite their uncle’s rapid deterioration, and resentment begins to fester.

As one sister grows bitter, the other harbours a dark secret. Cece’s wild and spontaneous life is far from what it appears…

Fearing for Donnie’s safety as he begins trying to leave the house after dark, Lane forces herself into a reckless pattern of sleepless nights. But a mistake leads to a series of disturbing events and a big decision for Lane.

When Uncle Donnie’s menacing son gets word his father will be placed in long-term care, he returns to his childhood home with questionable motives.

And after a terrible accident, Lane is forced to turn to a sister she no longer trusts to hide the evidence, crossing lines they never thought possible.

This family’s secrets are to die for…
But will they have to kill to keep them?

REVIEW: I don’t usually read memoirs or nonfiction so, reading A Boob’s Life by Leslie Lehr was a huge step out of my comfort zone. If you know me, you know I don’t easily leave my comfort zone. This book was worth it!

Leslie tells us about her relationship with her breasts. Some of her story is going to be familiar with all of us. Oh, how we wanted to grow up and have boobies! Most girls couldn’t wait for that to happen. She elects to have augmentation and later is diagnosed with cancer. I found her and her family’s story very interesting. 

Her research was phenomenal. She dug up some pretty interesting facts about women’s issues and breasts. I didn’t realize breast cancer rates were as high as they are and the rate increases with age. That alone makes me want to keep up with mammogram screenings. That is one big plus with her story.

She does discuss how her relationship with her breasts developed and a lot about how society sees them. I’m just not sure I ever gave them that much thought in my lifetime. 

If you like memoirs, you probably will like this book. It gives you a lot to think about and probably should be read by most young women.

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

SYNOPSIS: A Boob’s Life explores the surprising truth about women’s most popular body part with vulnerable, witty frankness and true nuggets of American culture that will resonate with everyone who has breasts—or loves them.

Author Leslie Lehr wants to talk about boobs. She’s gone from size AA to DDD and everything between, from puberty to motherhood, enhancement to cancer, and beyond. And she’s not alone—these are classic life stages for women today.

At turns funny and heartbreaking, A Boob’s Life explores both the joys and hazards inherent to living in a woman’s body. Lehr deftly blends her personal narrative with national history, starting in the 1960s with the women’s liberation movement and moving to the current feminist dialogue and what it means to be a woman. Her insightful and clever writing analyzes how America’s obsession with the female form has affected her own life’s journey and the psyche of all women today.

From her prize-winning fiction to her viral New York Times Modern Love essay, exploring the challenges facing contemporary women has been Lehr’s life-long passion. A Boob’s Life, her first project since breast cancer treatment, continues this mission, taking readers on a wildly informative, deeply personal, and utterly relatable journey. No matter your gender, you’ll never view this sexy and sacred body part the same way again.

REVIEW: I was offered the opportunity to listen to the audio version of The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs. I haven’t listened to an audio book since I retired and I have to say I truly enjoyed it. I was lost for hours in another world in my head. I forgot to plan for dinner and live my own life. Honestly, this was such a good story and the narrator was fabulous.

I immediately fell in love with Natalie and her grandfather Andrew who was suffering from dementia. He was such a sweet man. Then there was the good looking handy man and his cute little daughter. Oh! There was the bookstore that resided in a building owned by Andrew’s family that was actually a few other businesses through the years. 

This was a lovely story filled with history of family and San Francisco. Natalie experienced a few romantic relationships on her way to finding true love and happiness. If you like romance and historical fiction, I think you will love this book as much as I did. 

SYNOPSIS: In this thought-provoking, wise and emotionally rich novel, New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs explores the meaning of happiness, trust, and faith in oneself as she asks  the question, “If you had to start over, what would you do and who would you be?” 

There is a book for everything . . . 

Somewhere in the vast Library of the Universe, as Natalie thought of it, there was a book that embodied exactly the things she was worrying about.

In the wake of a shocking tragedy, Natalie Harper inherits her mother’s charming but financially strapped bookshop in San Francisco. She also becomes caretaker for her ailing grandfather Andrew, her only living relative—not counting her scoundrel father.

But the gruff, deeply kind Andrew has begun displaying signs of decline. Natalie thinks it’s best to move him to an assisted living facility to ensure the care he needs. To pay for it, she plans to close the bookstore and sell the derelict but valuable building on historic Perdita Street, which is in need of constant fixing. There’s only one problem–Grandpa Andrew owns the building and refuses to sell. Natalie adores her grandfather; she’ll do whatever it takes to make his final years happy. Besides, she loves the store and its books provide welcome solace for her overwhelming grief.

After she moves into the small studio apartment above the shop, Natalie carries out her grandfather’s request and hires contractor Peach Gallagher to do the necessary and ongoing repairs. His young daughter, Dorothy, also becomes a regular at the store, and she and Natalie begin reading together while Peach works.

To Natalie’s surprise, her sorrow begins to dissipate as her life becomes an unexpected journey of new connections, discoveries and revelations, from unearthing artifacts hidden in the bookshop’s walls, to discovering the truth about her family, her future, and her own heart.

REVIEW: A while ago I read Blossom in Winter by Melanie Martins and really enjoyed it. When I saw the next book in the series called Lured Into Love was soon to be released, I contacted Melanie and requested to be one of her reviewers. I’ve already expressed an interest in the next two books due out later this year. I had to! 

I’ll tell you right off there are some explicit sex scenes in her books. The author tells you that right up front. I don’t think she wants to shock anyone. I don’t find the scenes to be crude. I think in her books they are there for a purpose. If you can’t tolerate that, then these books won’t be for you. I think they are an added dimension to the tale she weaves. We are reading about a young woman named Petra who falls deeply in love with her godfather Alex. For her age, I think she is quite mature and I don’t doubt the relationship although, there are many who do. 

Her characters are believable and well rounded. Her writing style is a little different and I find it easy to follow. I felt the heartache, love and angst of the characters. When I picked up this book after reading Blossom in Winter so long ago, I fell right back into the story line. She didn’t constantly remind you of the previous plot and who everyone was but, the author somehow made it so easy to remember everything and everyone. 

I can’t wait to continue the love story of Petra and Alex! I am a little jealous of Petra. I’ve fallen head over heals in love with Alex. Yum. What’s not to love? 

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

SYNOPSIS: “It’s a nasty kind of love. The kind you can’t escape from even if you want to.”

Petra should’ve known better. But her heart has always beaten for the one man that she can’t have: her beloved godfather, Alexander Van Dieren.

And despite the firm disapproval from her mother, the rising politician and activist, Tess Hagen, Petra is determined to take her life into her own hands and fight for him, no matter the price.

But she can only do so if Alexander will go just as far for her. So after waking up from her coma, she asked him one question. He gave her one answer. And from there, nothing will ever be the same…

This book is for mature audiences.

REVIEW: As you’ve probably figured out by now, Kiersten Modglin has quickly become my go to author for Thriller/Suspense novels. If you want to be scared, get your heart pounding and love sitting on the edge of your seat, you need to pick up any one of her books. I finished The Roommate last night and I can assure you it lives up to her reputation.

This book was a little different than the others I’ve read. It gave me a sense of impending doom from the beginning. The climax came at the end of the book. There were a few instances I felt the need to scream at Wes and shake his wife Addy. Then there was Elias. He was just creepy and I will never eat a Twizzler again without thinking of him. Trust me on this, you’re gonna have to read the book! Oh! Brody! Nevermind… read the book. 

I love all things Kiersten Modglin. She is prolific and you never have to wait long to get another fix. She never seems to write from a formula and all her books seem to be wildly different. She is a momma and a wife. Down to earth and lives for her books. She is awesome!  If you haven’t picked up one of her books yet, you better hurry up! What are you waiting for? 

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

SYNOPSIS: He thought his life couldn’t get any worse…

Wesley Gates is down on his luck. 

He’s drowning in debt.

His demanding career isn’t letting up. 

And, to top it all off, after years of ignoring their failing marriage, his wife has had enough.

Heartbroken and in desperate need of a place to stay while he gives his wife the space she’s asked for, Wes is shocked when he runs into a familiar face from his past. As they catch up, Wes quickly learns his old classmate has an extra room and a non-existent social life. He can’t help feeling grateful to spend time with someone who remembers who he was during their glory days, long before his life fell apart. So, when Elias offers to rent out his spare bedroom, it seems like the answer to all Wes’s problems. Wes takes his old friend up on the offer without hesitation. 

Living with someone you barely know is better than living with a stranger… Isn’t it?

But soon, Wes realizes moving in with Elias may have been a mistake.

Between the wild mood swings, strange occurrences, and total disregard for his new roommate’s privacy, Wes begins to wonder if Elias will be his savior or his worst nightmare.

When his wife reveals devastating news that destroys the final bit of shaky ground Wes was standing on, his new roommate may be all he has left.

Maybe that’s what Elias wanted in the first place… 

Or maybe it’s all in Wes’s head.

Elias invited him in…

Will Wes ever be able to leave?

REVIEW: Have you ever had mixed feelings about a book, then about half way through fell in love with it and couldn’t put it down? That is what happened to me in Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering. I will be recommending this book for a long time! 

I hated Burke Michaels, I loved Skye Starling and felt sorry for Heather Michaels. About halfway through my understanding of what I was reading suddenly changed. I don’t know how the author lead me to this realization because it was very subtle. She is a genius. I love a book that plays with my mind. There were so many subtle hints and twists along the way. Not only was I engrossed in the story, I was trying to figure everything out along the way. 

I love a good Thriller. Some of them smack you in the face with the twists and like I mentioned earlier, this one is very subtle. I really liked the love story. That was definitely a big plus. Her writing was so easy to follow. Her characters were down to earth and most of them were likable. See if you can find the character that I hated throughout the entire story. 

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

SYNOPSIS: ONE LOVE STORY. TWO MARRIAGES. THREE VERSIONS OF THE TRUTH.

Too Good to Be True is an obsessive, addictive love story for fans of Lisa Jewell and The Wife Upstairs, from Carola Lovering, the beloved author of Tell Me Lies.

Skye Starling is overjoyed when her boyfriend, Burke Michaels, proposes after a whirlwind courtship. Though Skye seems to have the world at her fingertips—she’s smart, beautiful, and from a well-off family—she’s also battled crippling OCD ever since her mother’s death when she was eleven, and her romantic relationships have suffered as a result.

But now Burke—handsome, older, and more emotionally mature than any man she’s met before—says he wants her. Forever. Except, Burke isn’t who he claims to be. And interspersed letters to his therapist reveal the truth: he’s happily married, and using Skye for his own, deceptive ends.

In a third perspective, set thirty years earlier, a scrappy seventeen-year-old named Heather is determined to end things with Burke, a local bad boy, and make a better life for herself in New York City. But can her adolescent love stay firmly in her past—or will he find his way into her future?

On a collision course she doesn’t see coming, Skye throws herself into wedding planning, as Burke’s scheme grows ever more twisted. But of course, even the best laid plans can go astray. And just when you think you know where this story is going, you’ll discover that there’s more than one way to spin the truth.

REVIEW: I never get tired of getting lost in a great love story. Love At First by Kate Clayborn was one of those stories for me. I was immediately sucked in and happily went along for the ride. What a ride it was! 

I think every character in this book was in some way damaged by love. Either their parents couldn’t show them proper love or they were spoiled by the love they had and lost. There were many kinds of love. Love between family, friends and friends that became family. 

One of the main characters in the book is an apartment building with six apartments. One apartment was recently vacated when it’s owner died. One apartment was left to the owners granddaughter who spent many summers there. The other four apartments  have older inhabitants. They all have a love for their home that has brought them together as family. I loved the character and feel of the old building that plays a strong part in the story. 

If you’re like me and love family, generational love stories, I highly recommend this book. This is my first novel by Kate Clayborn and it certainly has me interested in reading more of her books. 

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

SYNOPSIS: Sixteen years ago, a teenaged Will Sterling saw—or rather, heard—the girl of his dreams. Standing beneath an apartment building balcony, he shared a perfect moment with a lovely, warm-voiced stranger. It’s a memory that’s never faded, though he’s put so much of his past behind him. Now an unexpected inheritance has brought Will back to that same address, where he plans to offload his new property and get back to his regular life as an overworked doctor. Instead, he encounters a woman, two balconies above, who’s uncannily familiar . . .

No matter how surprised Nora Clarke is by her reaction to handsome, curious Will, or the whispered pre-dawn conversations they share, she won’t let his plans ruin her quirky, close-knit building. Bound by her loyalty to her adored grandmother, she sets out to foil his efforts with a little light sabotage. But beneath the surface of their feud is an undeniable connection. A balcony, a star-crossed couple, a fateful meeting—maybe it’s the kind of story that can’t work out in the end. Or maybe, it’s the perfect second chance . . .

REVIEW: Oh my Goodness! I have never been so glad to finish a book in my life. Do No Harm by Christina McDonald was the paramount of nail bitters. This book brought a heavy blanket of doom to my life. Even as I tried to go to sleep last night, I couldn’t get the feeling off my chest that something was wrong. 

Something was wrong alright! Everything was wrong. The doctor who took a hipocratic oath, married to a police detective gets involved in selling opioid prescriptions to fund the life saving treatment for her son with a rare cancer. How far would you go to save your child? The book raises that question in your mind. Honestly, I couldn’t think that far. I was so wrapped up in all the lies and cover up. There were times I had to take a break because my heart was racing, my mind was racing and I simply had to slow it all down. 

If you love a good Psychological Thriller, then this book is for you. I loved the first two books by Christina McDonald but, I have to say she has knocked this one out of the park. This was not only a home run it was a grand slam. You’ll be hearing the cheers for this novel. Take my word for it! 

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

SYNOPSIS: From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Behind Every Lie and The Night Olivia Fell comes an unforgettable and heart-wrenching novel about the lengths one woman will go to save her son.

Emma loves her life. She’s the mother of a precocious kindergartener, married to her soulmate—a loyal and loving police detective—and has a rewarding career as a doctor at the local hospital.

But everything comes crashing down when her son, Josh, is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Determined to save him, Emma makes the risky decision to sell opioids to fund the life-saving treatment he needs. But when somebody ends up dead, a lethal game of cat and mouse ensues, her own husband leading the chase. With her son’s life hanging in the balance, Emma is dragged into the dark world of drugs, lies, and murder. Will the truth catch up to her before she can save Josh?

A timely and moving exploration of a town gripped by the opioid epidemic, and featuring Christina McDonald’s signature “complex, emotionally intense” (Publishers Weekly) prose, Do No Harm examines whether the ends ever justify the means…even for a desperate mother.