reecaspieces

Overview

A buried relic. An angelic language. A choice between heaven and hell.

When archaeologist Hiram Donovan smuggles a polished disc of black obsidian out of an Iraqi monastery, he’s murdered—and the secret of the “showstone” vanishes with him.

Thirty years later, Harvard religion professor Cal Donovan learns the truth about his father’s death and discovers the stone is real, coveted by believers and fanatics who think it can unlock a lost “49th call” in the angelic Enochian language. Some see a key to paradise. Others, a gateway to something far darker.

From Elizabethan magus John Dee’s notebooks to modern‑day scryers and ruthless enemies, Cal is thrust into a race to find the showstone before it’s used to unleash catastrophe. Expose the secret, and risk the end of everything—or bury it forever.

Review

Well! This book had me down a rabbit hole!

From Elizabethan magus John Dee’s notebooks to modern‑day scryers and ruthless enemies, Cal is thrust into a race to find the showstone before it’s used to unleash catastrophe. Expose the secret, and risk the end of everything—or bury it forever.

Cal Donovan is an interesting character. And to be honest, I didn’t much like him. He is a an alcoholic and he cheats on his girlfriend…BUT, he is smart as a whip and he is determined to find out where this stone came from and why people are getting killed for it.

I have never read this author. He has quite a few books out there and let me tell you… I am about to read them all. It has been quite a while since I have read a book in this genre, archeological/religious relic mystery. I loved all the research this book had me looking up, including the angel language, and yes, that is real! Plus, it takes you all over the globe in multiple time periods. And I was researching all of it.

This is book four and as I said before, I have not read the others in this series and I did not feel lost at all.

Need a fast paced thriller that just might teach you something….THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

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Overview

Rome 1939
Arriving in Rome to work for the wealthy Montefalco family, Maddalena is homesick and alone. She finds solace – and love – in the beauty of the city, but as the war in Nazi-occupied Italy rages, she must make a devastating choice.

London, 1997
After her mother Maddalena’s death, Beatrice Fremont discovers a fragment of a painting and a letter that sends her on a hunt to Rome. Helping her is art dealer Jude Adler, who’s convinced they are looking for a lost Caravaggio. For Jude, this could be the find of a lifetime; but for Beatrice their search uncovers a shocking secret and the answer to a mystery kept hidden for years.

Review

I loved this author’s first novel The Porcelain Maker. I could not wait to dive into this one!

Beatrice discovers a lot after her mother’s death…debts, a letter and a fragment of a painting. This leads her to ask art dealer Jude Adler to help her discover the mystery surrounding these clues. And does this lead to some shocking secrets!

Y’all know I love a good family mystery. With this dual timeline and these characters, I was hooked. This even had me researching the painter, Caravaggio!

This story takes you through Nazi occupied Italy and then on to London in 1997. I love how this story melded together. And trust me….the nature of this painting and the history surrounding it will keep you on your toes!

Need a family drama with a mystery to keep you guessing…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

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Overview

A sweeping, sensational novel of America’s first “It Girl,” whose dramatic journey to center stage echoes through the decades—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

“As stunning as the incomparable leading lady who inspired it . . . unputdownable, with a twist that will leave you breathless.”—Emily Giffin

At the dawn of the twentieth century, New York’s streets teem with change: electricity, automobiles, the brash young President Teddy Roosevelt—and the It Girls. As artists’ muses and working models, these independent young women soar to stardom not because of their pedigrees or inherited wealth, but because of their talent, charisma, and irresistible beauty. Pop culture is born, and in a world alight with Mr. Edison’s new bulbs, no one shines brighter than America’s sweetheart, Evelyn Talbot.

But the journey to stardom is not simple or straight. While working as a shopgirl, the young Evelyn is recruited as a studio model and soon catches the eye of the preeminent artists of the age. When Broadway comes calling, Evelyn solidifies her status as the first self-made American female celebrity: the iconic Gibson Girl, the most sought-after figure and face of her time. Enter a parade of powerful and power-hungry men, from world-famous architect Stanley Pierce, the visionary behind Manhattan’s mansions and iconic landmarks, to Hal Thorne, the shockingly wealthy railroad heir and premier “playboy” of high society. Each man promises comfort, glamour, security—even love. But fame and fortune are cruel teachers, and Evelyn learns that the only person she can rely on is herself.

When Evelyn finds herself at the center of a murder of passion declared “the Crime of the Century,” she is blamed for the acts of the men in her life. In the media frenzy that spirals around her, Evelyn realizes that to survive, she will have to write her own ending. But can this artists’ muse turned showgirl pull off the greatest act of her life?

It Girl is a breathtaking ride inspired by a singular artist and icon who captured the collective imagination of American society. Allison Pataki has crafted yet another unforgettable leading lady, a heroine who must find the power to change not only the world around her but her own destiny.

Review

While working as a shopgirl, the young Evelyn is recruited as a studio model and soon catches the eye of the preeminent artists of the age. When Broadway comes calling, Evelyn solidifies her status as the first self-made American female celebrity: the iconic Gibson Girl, the most sought-after figure and face of her time.

Well! I enjoyed this tale. I loved the time period and the myriad of characters, especially Evelyn.

Evelyn is thrown to the wolves so to speak. She is very naive and she is supposed to be. She is only 13—HER MOTHER LIED! But desperate times call for desperate measures. They are very poor and very hungry. But the stuff Evelyn encounters and has to deal with will make you want to come through these pages and yank someone bald headed! But, she learns and she grows and she becomes unstoppable!

Need a book based on a true leading lady which changes her destiny…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

My darlings . . . Not to be too Hollywood about this, but if you’re watching this tape, that can mean only one thing: I have shuffled off this mortal coil . . . and you two are going to need each other more than ever. You need to set aside your differences and look out for each other—just like you always used to.”

Poppy and Rose used to be close as sisters could be—until everything went wrong. Now in their forties, they haven’t spoken in years. But when their vivacious, glamorous, powerhouse of a mother dies, they are both faced with the shock of grief. However, their mother was not one to go shrinking into the night. No, their mother, Andrea, has left them a project to work on together: a sort of scavenger hunt through their lives, which she calls the A to Z of Everything.Her final wish: to heal the fractured relationship between her daughters that broke her heart.

A is for Ashes. C is for champagne. D is for Daddy Issues. But when they get to F for Forgiveness, can they make a start, even when they can barely look at each other?

With Andrea’s wicked sense of humor and wild stories from her acting career, she has left the quest in a series of boxes filled with letters, recordings, videos, mementos, and instructions.

From Liverpool to London and even Paris, the sisters follow the trail toward a glimmer of hope: despite loss, there is room for laughter, love, and healing—and for second chances.

Review

Poppy and Rose used to be close as sisters could be—until everything went wrong. Now in their forties, they haven’t spoken in years. But when their vivacious, glamorous, powerhouse of a mother dies, they are both faced with the shock of grief. However, their mother was not one to go shrinking into the night. She has left them a of scavenger hunt through their lives, which she calls the A to Z of Everything.

What a unique story!

I enjoyed this scavenger hunt. Not only are you taken all over the place from Liverpool to Paris, but you are shown excerpts of the lives of Poppy and Rose. The way this story is portioned out to the reader lets you see both sides of the situation and trust me your heart is with both Poppy and Rose. And no, I am not going to tell you about what happened…you need to read this to find out. The tasks given to these two women are to help them reconcile and to remember their past and what each one meant to the other. So, their story slowly unfolds and it is a delight.

Need a family drama that gives you all the feels…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

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Overview

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A kaleidoscopic portrait of a modern American family—steadfast, complicated, begrudging, and loving—from the bestselling author of Isola

“Wise, witty . . . a deliciously readable book [about] the delicate minutiae of family life, played beautifully, boldly, brightly in a major key.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“Goodman’s mature and deftly written book suggests that, in family as in art, there is no such thing as uncomplicated happiness.”—The Wall Street Journal

Was this just a brief skirmish, or the beginning of a thirty-year feud? In the Rubinstein family, it could go either way.

When their beloved sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein are unmoored. A misunderstanding about apple cake turns into a decade of stubborn silence. Busy with their own lives—divorces, dating, career setbacks, college applications, bat mitzvahs and ballet recitals—their children do not want to get involved. As for their grandchildren? Impossible.

With This Is Not About Us, master storyteller Allegra Goodman—whose prior collection was heralded as “one of the most astute and engaging books about American family life” (The Boston Globe)—returns to the form and subject that endeared her to legions of readers. Sharply observed and laced with humor, This Is Not About Us is a story of growing up and growing old, the weight of parental expectations, and the complex connection between sisters—a big-hearted book about the love that binds a family across generations.

Review

I absolutely loved this author’s book Isola. But this one fell a bit short.

When their beloved sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein are unmoored. A misunderstanding about apple cake turns into a decade of stubborn silence. Busy with their own lives—divorces, dating, career setbacks, college applications, bat mitzvahs and ballet recitals—their children do not want to get involved. As for their grandchildren? Impossible.

Y’all know I love a good family drama. And this is family drama for sure. And this story started strong but then it just fell off for me. I think my issue with this book is the characters. I did not like a single one.

But I did love the gamut of feelings you experience reading about this dysfunctional family. It also has some humor sliced in and this comes as a shock sometimes. As a reader you really do not see the snark coming.

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

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Overview

They were sent away to be forgotten. This is their story.

In this electrifying historical novel about coming of age in tumultuous 1960s San Francisco, a pregnant teenager reckons with womanhood and agency after being sent to a home for unwed mothers.

“Thrilling, propulsive, breathless, and brimming with a deep understanding of longing and frailty . . . of humanness.”—Catherine Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Sandwich and Wreck

It’s 1968, and the future is bright for seventeen-year-old Elizabeth “Baker” Phillips: She’s the valedictorian of her high school, with a place at Stanford in the fall and big dreams of becoming a journalist. But the seductive free-spirited San Francisco atmosphere seeps into her carefully planned, strait-laced life in the form of a hippie named Wiley. At first, letting loose and letting herself fall in love for the first time feels incredible. But then, everything changes.

Pregnancy hits Baker with the force of whiplash—in the blink of an eye, she goes from good girl to fallen woman, from her family’s shining star to their embarrassing secret. Without any other options, Baker is sent to a home for unwed mothers, and finds herself trapped in an old Victorian house packed with pregnant girls who share her shame and fear. As she grapples with her changing body, lack of choice, and uncertain future, Baker finds unexpected community and empowerment among the “girls who went away.”

Where the Girls Were is a timely unearthing of a little-known moment in American history, when the sexual revolution and feminist movement collided with the limits of reproductive rights—and society’s expectations of women. As Baker finds her strength and her voice, she shows us how to step into your power, even when the world is determined to keep you silent.

Review

It’s 1968, and the future is bright for seventeen-year-old Elizabeth “Baker” Phillips: She’s the valedictorian of her high school, with a place at Stanford in the fall and big dreams of becoming a journalist. But the seductive free-spirited San Francisco atmosphere seeps into her carefully planned, strait-laced life in the form of a hippie named Wiley. At first, letting loose and letting herself fall in love for the first time feels incredible. But then, everything changes.

Baker is the good girl! She does everything right until she makes some bad decisions and this leads to some careful planning by her mother to keep her misbehavior out of the neighborhood’s eyes.

I love the way the author portrays this time period. How little Baker knows about life and what is happening to her body took me by surprise, but yet it didn’t either. This time period and unwed mothers and the secrets always amaze me.

This was very close to a 5 star read. It just slowed down a bit in the middle or maybe it was a bit repetitive. But it is full of great characters and heartbreaking decisions! And when Baker comes into her own…LOOK OUT!

Need a tale about fateful decisions…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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