reecaspieces

Overview

She thought she knew her family. One photograph proves she has been living a lie.

Joanne has always believed her mother died giving birth to her. It’s a painful truth, but one she’s accepted. Then, whilst sorting through old baby clothes, she finds a photograph tucked away in a box—her birth mother, smiling and very much alive, cradling a newborn in her arms.

As Joanne starts searching, the answers she gets only lead to more questions. Her journey takes her to Rose Cottage, where her mother once lived, and into a past filled with long-hidden secrets. Can she find out what really happened? What could be so terrible that her father has kept it from her for her whole life—and is she ready for the truth?

Revised edition: Previously released as The Secret of the Brighton House, this edition of The Missing Mother of Rose Cottage includes editorial revisions.

Review

Joanne has always believed her mother died giving birth to her. It’s a painful truth, but one she’s accepted. Then, whilst sorting through old baby clothes, she finds a photograph tucked away in a box—her birth mother, smiling and very much alive, cradling a newborn in her arms.

I enjoy a good family drama with secrets. And this is pretty good. It does tend to drag in places. But I loved Joanne and her quest. And trust me…she discovers more than she bargained for.

The setting of Brigton and Berwick-Upon-Tweed in the United Kingdom is definitely unique (unless you are from across the pond). This and the dual timelines of present day and the 1980s, create an uncommon story to captivate you.

I also enjoyed these narrators, Lucy Rayner and Bronwen Price. I am not sure I have ever listened to either one. I will have to look for other books by these narrators.

Need a family drama with a great setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this from the publisher for a honest review.

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Overview

An epic, emotionally charged novel about love, art, and survival spanning 1900s colonial India to Blitz-era London by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.

In the shadow of the London Blitz, artist Elsie Turner clings fiercely to her canvases, refusing to let war dim the colors that define her. The bombs test her nerve, but the struggle also stirs memories of her golden youth in India and of the long-lost love of her life.

The daughter of a British civil servant in the Himalayan station of Nainital, Elsie crosses cultural divides to forge an unlikely bond with Tanveer Singh, a Sikh prince with hopes, dreams, and far-reaching ideas. What begins as shared sketchbooks and stargazing becomes first love and a secret correspondence. When Elsie’s father is summoned to England, Elsie is severed from the world she knows—and is determined to preserve it through both her art and a connection with Tanveer that endures through the most tumultuous years of their lives.

Across four decades and two continents, Elsie navigates a journey from lush colonial India to war-torn London, amid landscapes of beauty, protest, and peril. As past and present collide, the most impossible choices and sacrifices are yet to be made in the name of love, war, and survival.

Review

The daughter of a British civil servant in the Himalayan station of Nainital, Elsie crosses cultural divides to forge an unlikely bond with Tanveer Singh, a Sikh prince with hopes, dreams, and far-reaching ideas. When Elsie’s father is summoned to England, Elsie is severed from the world she knows—and is determined to preserve it through both her art and a connection with Tanveer that endures through the most tumultuous years of their lives.

Now, this story is a bit too long. But it does encompass so much! I love the setting of colonial India. Plus, the love story between Elsie and the Sikh prince, Tanveer, creates a wonderful tale full of forbidden romance! But that is not all…you of course have war, revolt and family drama. Like I said…this story has so much to offer! And you do not want to miss it.

The narrator, Sneha Mathan, is just plain excellent!

Need a tale to take you through four decades and two continents…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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Overview

1880s, Ohio. When Mary and Anna enter the Bachelor of Arts program, also known as the “gentlemen’s course” of study, at Oberlin College, they have little in common other than the color of their skin and their passion for education.

While Mary was raised in luxury, attending presidential inaugurations with her wealthy father, Anna is a schoolteacher, likely the daughter of her enslaved mother’s former owner, and works a second job to pay for her room and board. But despite their differences, both women share strength, ambition, and a deep yearning for change. If they can bridge the gaps between them, they just might build a lasting legacy.

From its earliest days in the 1830s, Oberlin College admitted men and women, white and Black students. Though the doors are officially open, school policy cannot change the hearts of classmates who refuse to see a woman, and especially a Black woman, excel. Despite constantly being forced to prove themselves, the women triumphantly overcome every obstacle and push through their pain. And as the world evolves around them, Mary and Anna persevere to build a legacy of success and excellence.

Based on the real lives of Mary Church Terrell, Anna Julia Cooper, and Ida Gibbs Hunt, The Ladies Hall is a mirror into times of great change–where progress and new possibilities are met with violence and resistance . . . but hope always rises. And it rises still.

The Ladies Hall is an ideal choice for book clubs eager to explore the intersections of race, gender, and resilience in American history. Miller’s richly researched narrative sparks meaningful conversation about equality, allyship, and the personal cost of progress–themes that resonate just as powerfully today as they did in the 1880s. An included discussion guide helps groups dig deeper into the legacy these remarkable women left behind.

Review

1880s, Ohio. When Mary and Anna enter the Bachelor of Arts program, also known as the “gentlemen’s course” of study, at Oberlin College, they have little in common other than the color of their skin and their passion for education.

I enjoy a book based on real people. And this story follows Mary Church Terrell, Anna Julia Cooper, and Ida Gibbs Hunt. All three of the African American ladies set a standard. All were amazing and so dang smart.

This story will make you mad to realize how far we have come and yet how we have stayed the same. The strength these women exhibited during such a tumultuous time period made me so proud.

The narrator, Angel Pean, has done quite a lot of books that I loved. And I love her in this one as well! She does an excellent job with the characters’ emotions.

Need a well researched story about equality, historical perspective and power…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Purchase here

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Overview

From USA TODAY bestselling author Kathleen Fuller comes a cozy, kisses-only romance about fresh starts, fall leaves, and finding love right next door, perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls and Sarah Adams.

Via Dalton has sworn off men to focus on the two things she loves most: her quirky cat café, Pawsitive Vibes, and the charming town of Pecan Corner, Ohio. But her peaceful world is shaken when Earl Brewster, the owner of the beloved Second Chapter Books next door, passes away. Via is determined to buy the shop and preserve Earl’s legacy, but her plans hit a snag in the form of a tall, handsome, and completely unexpected heir.

Leo Brewster’s life is thriving in LA, and the last thing he needs is an inheritance in the middle-of-nowhere, Ohio. But the alternative–letting his estranged mother inherit–has him packing his bags to receive the inheritance, quickly sell it off to the highest bidder, and hightail it back to LA. What he didn’t count on was the list of stipulations in the will that has him staying in the small town for a month. Oh, and the determined, sunny café owner next door who refuses to let him destroy the town’s heart without a fight.

Desperate to convince Leo the bookstore is vital to her community, Via challenges Leo to complete her Autumn Bucket List. As they navigate corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and fall festivals, Leo begins to see the magic in Pecan Corner–and in Via. Despite her vow to stay single and his plan to leave, the attraction between them simmers like hot cider.

Can a season of small-town charm convince a city boy to stay, or will Via lose both the bookstore and her heart?

Grab a warm drink and curl up with this delightful grumpy/sunshine, opposites-attract story of unexpected love and small-town charm.

Review

This is such a cute, heartwarming read to get you ready for fall!

Via Dalton has sworn off men to focus on the two things she loves most: her quirky cat café, Pawsitive Vibes, and the charming town of Pecan Corner, Ohio. But her peaceful world is shaken when Earl Brewster, the owner of the beloved Second Chapter Books next door, passes away. Via is determined to buy the shop and preserve Earl’s legacy, but her plans hit a snag in the form of a tall, handsome, and completely unexpected heir, Leo!

At first Leo is a bit pretentious and I really wanted to pop him one upside the head. But, as you learn more about Leo, you understand why he is so gruff and a bit rude.

Now Via, she is another story. I loved her from the get go! And her interactions with Leo had me grinning. Total opposites! But she has Leo’s number.

And oh boy…Melissa Moran is excellent. She could not have been better at these two characters’ voices!

Need a story which will have you grinning…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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Overview

Inspired by the #tradwifetok phenomenon, a novel in which trad wives with dark personal secrets in a small beach town find themselves embroiled in scandal when one of their husbands goes missing, and their traditional—and not so traditional—lifestyles become a national sensation, from the author of Rush Week.

In an idyllic coastal town, life appears picture-perfect—until it’s not. Families are drawn to Crystal Harbor for its more traditional values and gender roles, a step back in time to an era of female submission and patriarchal leadership. But beneath the layers of perfectly coiffed, manicured, and attired wives; freshly baked sourdough; faithful Sunday churchgoers; bake sales; and backyard barbeques, lies a secret lifestyle that’s only revealed when the sun goes down—and a man goes missing. Worse, the disappearance dredges up a dark truth several of them thought they buried years ago, threatening to shatter the community’s carefully maintained façade.

Told from the alternating perspectives of three women at the center of it all, Tradwife is a juicy, drama-packed novel that dives into the controversial, trending social media lifestyle and gender role stereotypes of tradwives, the taboo behind-closed-doors participation in wife-swapping, and what happens when the lies they’ve told themselves inside a gilded cage turn inside out, with the potential to not only destroy their existence, but end them…

Review

In an idyllic coastal town, life appears picture-perfect—until it’s not. Families are drawn to Crystal Harbor for its more traditional values and gender roles. But beneath the layers of perfectly coiffed, manicured, and attired wives, lies a secret lifestyle that’s only revealed when the sun goes down—and a man goes missing. Worse, the disappearance dredges up a dark truth several of them thought they buried years ago, threatening to shatter the community’s carefully maintained façade.

I am usually not a big fan of these types of stories. I really dislike “traditional roles”. I know…don’t roll your eyes. And when this began, I questioned whether it was going to work for me. This story has quite a few characters and narrators. It took me a bit to get into it. But there is more happening behind the scenes than you realize. There are a lot of secrets, revenge and backstabbing.

Could this have been a bit more dramatic and intense…yes! But I enjoyed this slow build of drama. And don’t worry, this ending definitely hits the mark.

The full cast of audiobook narrators just added so much to this production. Ann Marie Gideon, Eva Kaminsky, Amanda Stribling, and Hillary Huber made each character distinctive.

Need a slow burn…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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Overview

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

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

In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history. 

Decades later, Riley Bell, newly divorced and desperate for a fresh start, accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty. Riley steps into a home that is frozen in another era – no microwave, television, or cell phones, and Betty has never heard of the internet. 

Why has Betty lived in such profound isolation for so many years, and why does she need Riley now? As the story unfolds across two timelines – Betty’s 1960s era of 5 o’clock martinis and high-stakes experiments, and Riley’s quest to uncover the truth about the missing women – old secrets rise to the surface. And the only way to survive is to confront the mystery that has lingered for sixty years.

Review

In 1964, four remarkable young women became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history. 

Enter Riley, she is hired to take care of an elderly lady named Betty. Immediately, Riley realizes something is off, this house is trapped in the 1960s. And when Betty asks her to find her friends, Riley is instantly on edge when she discovers all of Betty’s friends have disappeared.

Talk about a unique read! I love anything about ESP or parapsychology and this book takes you on a strange ride through some strange experiences. There are a few slow spots basically because I felt there were a lot of characters and not enough depth. But honestly, I enjoyed this read! And this ending….definitely keeps you on your toes!

Saskia Maarleveld did an excellent job with all the different voices.

Need a story that may lead you down a rabbit hole of parapsychology…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Purchase Here

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