reecaspieces

Overview

Friendship like this should come with a warning label…
Asher Foley is an imposter—at least, that’s how it feels. The letters “MD” after his name should mean he’s confident, respected, put-together. Instead, he still feels like the class clown pretending to be a grown-up doctor.

Jocelyn Maddox is a paradox—warm, fearless, but utterly closed off. She’s lost too much already—family, love, home—and she’s not about to gamble her heart again. As an anesthesiologist, she’ll fix everyone else’s pain and refuses to feel her own. It makes Asher, her flirty best friend-slash-work husband, perfectly safe. Right?

When a surgical complication forces Asher to drop the mask and show her the man underneath, Jocelyn sees more than the jokes and easy smiles. She sees him. And suddenly, the walls she’s built to survive begin to crack—one look, one laugh, one heartbeat at a time.

Review

You can smell this plot from a mile away! Friends to lovers!

Asher is a very good physician, but honestly, he feels like he is faking it. Enter Joycelyn! As an anesthesiologist, she’ll fix everyone else’s pain and refuses to feel her own. It makes Asher, her flirty best friend-slash-work husband, perfectly safe. Right?

I enjoyed these two characters. However, Asher’s insecurities just didn’t fit his character or his job! Then there is Joycelyn. In my opinion, she toyed way too much with Asher. I wanted to slap her. And he just kept coming back for more…insert eye roll.

I know it sounds like I did not like this book, but I did. The characters are cute, along with the setting of the hospital, it is all in my wheelhouse. I just wanted more.

This is narrated by Christine Lakin and Eric Yang. They did a good job keeping this story moving!

Need a quick romance for a road trip…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

From New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth comes a twisty tale of justice, redemption, and one irrepressible woman who’s not done breaking the rules just yet.

Meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick: eighty-one years old, gloriously grumpy, fiercely independent, and never without a hot cup of tea―or a cutting remark. She minds her own business in her quiet Melbourne suburb, until a neighbor turns up dead and the whispers start flying. 

Because Elsie hasn’t always been Elsie. Once upon a headline, she was Mad Mabel Waller―Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. But was she really mad, or just misunderstood? Either way, she’s kept her secret buried for decades. 

Enter seven-year-old Persephone, a relentless little chatterbox who has just moved in across the road (armed with stickers, questions, and no sense of personal boundaries); Joan, who appears to have it in for Elsie; and a healthy dose of public interest―the cops are sniffing around, and the media is circling like seagulls at a picnic. 

So Mabel does what she’s always done best―she takes matters into her own hands. 

Is she a cantankerous old lady with a shady past? A cold-blooded killer with arthritis? Or just someone who’s finally ready to tell her side of the story? 

Sharp, surprising, and wickedly funny, this is the unforgettable story of a woman who’s spent a lifetime being underestimated―and is about to prove everyone wrong. Again.

Review

Meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick: eighty-one years old, gloriously grumpy, fiercely independent. She minds her own business in her quiet Melbourne suburb, until a neighbor turns up dead. Elsie hasn’t always been Elsie. Once upon a headline, she was Mad Mabel Waller―Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. But was she really mad, or just misunderstood? Either way, she’s kept her secret buried for decades. 

Mabel is a character you won’t soon forget!

This book is just bloody brilliant. Now, I will be honest, I had to sit on it and think about a rating. It is a bit slow at the first. But the more you become invested in Mabel and her life story the better this book becomes. And this ending….oh Lordy! You must read this to find out!

And as serious as some of this story is, Mad Mabel will keep the reader on their toes and laughing at her comments, especially the ones towards young Persephone. Their interactions cracked me up.

This is narrated by Hannah Fredericksen and Jenny Seedsman. Both of these narrators are great and I do not know which one is Mabel….but she did a fabulous job.

Need a story that will make you laugh, break your heart and keep you guessing…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

From the New York Times bestselling author of Exiles and The Dry comes a captivating new novel set in a modern ghost town.

Carralon Ridge, a once vibrant village in rural New South Wales, has become a shell of itself, its houses and buildings bought up and left to rot by the mining company operating at its borders. A decade into its slow death, surrounded by industrial noise and swathed in thick layers of dust, the skeletal town is all but abandoned, with just a handful of residents clinging onto what remains.

After years of scorning those who left the Ridge behind as it fell into ruin, Ro never imagined she’d become one of them. But everything changed when she lost her son. Five years ago, Sam vanished while visiting during a break from college, leaving behind a rental car with his belongings inside. Sam had loved Carralon Ridge, and had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether. It wasn’t long after his disappearance that the rest of the family began to crumble away too.

But when Ro returns to Carralon Ridge to be with her husband and daughter on the anniversary of Sam’s disappearance, she begins to suspect that something important was overlooked in his case. Because while nothing can stop Carralon Ridge from dying, someone seems to want to make sure that its secrets die with it.

Review

Five years ago, Sam vanished while visiting during a break from college, leaving behind a rental car with his belongings inside. Sam had loved Carralon Ridge, and had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether. It wasn’t long after his disappearance that the rest of his family began to crumble away too.

I am struggling to write this review. I like Jane Harper. But this one fell a bit short for me. It is slow, repetitive and I felt very little connection to the characters.

This is a story about grief, family and a dying town. Did I say it was repetitive…yes…it is a bit repetitive, especially where the dying town is concerned. And the ending…you find out what happened to Sam because of the “kindness” in someone’s heart…it just did not fit, in my opinion.

This is narrated by Angeline Armstrong. She had a good voice for every character!

I received this novel for a honest review.

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Overview

An impressive blend of history, folklore, and imagination.” -Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author

An outsider to the Carolina hills inherits a gift that could change everything for her village on the verge of dying, from the author NPR said “writes with a deep knowledge of the enduring myths of Appalachia…vividly portraying real people and sorrows.”

Welcome to Baines Creek, a humble hamlet hidden deep in Appalachia, where the last one-room schoolhouse in North Carolina is on the brink of closing. It’s summer 1980, and teacher Kate Shaw has lived in Baines Creek for ten years. A skeptic at heart, she rejects mountain superstition and Appalachian folklore, much to the disappointment of Birdie Rocas, a powerful and reclusive witch with a trove of secrets. Yet, as Kate prepares to leave, a sudden death, a shocking request, and a legacy that spans centuries throw her into a world that overwhelms her.

Enter Lydia Brown, a psychic with a curious birthmark whose visions stopped when she needed them most. Grief-stricken without her gift, and desperate for spiritual guidance, she travels to Baines Creek in search of Birdie and the answers she might provide. The third novel by acclaimed author Leah Weiss, The Creek, The Crone, and the Crow is the tale of a powerful crone, two women cut from the cloth of loss, and a secret sisterhood of empowerment that may be the key to healing them all.

Review

It’s summer 1980, and teacher Kate Shaw has lived in Baines Creek for ten years. A skeptic at heart, she rejects mountain superstition and Appalachian folklore, much to the disappointment of Birdie Rocas, a powerful and reclusive witch with a trove of secrets. Yet, as Kate prepares to leave, a sudden death, a shocking request, and a legacy that spans centuries throw her into a world that overwhelms her.

I liked this story but it does seem a bit heavy on the descriptions. But it is unique and it definitely has some creepy vibes, especially where Birdie is concerned. But, I am not going to lie, I did zone out a time or two. I did enjoy the folklore and the weird happenings!

This is narrated by Kate Forbes. She did a good job. There are a lot of voices and she is very distinctive with all of them.

Need a book set in the Appalachian area…THIS IS IT. Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

A sun-soaked trip to the Amalfi Coast promises a fresh start—and reveals secrets never imagined in New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak’s tender new novel.

In the wake of her debut novel’s breakout success—and a very painful public divorce—Charlotte Williams-Jackson has something to prove. With her second novel overdue, she’s scrambling to hold it together. But her focus is rocked when she discovers that her childhood wasn’t as it seemed—and she has a tween half-sister who’s been orphaned in Italy.

Alongside her best friend, Sloane, and Sloane’s charming brother, Julian, Charlotte ventures to the Amalfi Coast to meet her sister. She would never turn her back on family, especially since this girl doesn’t have anyone else, but between her looming deadline and her entire identity being flipped upside down, it’s a lot. Determined to rebuild her life, Charlotte must confront the relationships she’s held dear—and the loss of those she thought she had but didn’t—forcing her to question everything she understood about herself and the bonds that shape a family.

Review

Y’all know I enjoy a good family secret drama!

In the wake of her debut novel’s breakout success—and a very painful public divorce—Charlotte Williams-Jackson has something to prove. But her world is rocked when she discovers that her childhood wasn’t as it seemed—and she has a tween half-sister who’s been orphaned in Italy.

Let me start by saying this setting is amazing. Brenda made me feel like I was right there on the Amalfi Coast!

As I said before, I enjoy family dramas, especially where secrets are involved. And this story has a big one! Charlotte finds out quite a few missing details about her life and that includes a sister she didn’t know she had. Add in her good friend from childhood, Julian, who becomes her love interest and I was hooked!

Now, I was not a big fan of this narrator, Stina Nielsen. She was way too dramatic for me, especially at the beginning. I did get used to her as the story went along.

Need a good story full of great characters and a wonderful setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Purchase Here

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