reecaspieces

Overview

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Drowning Kind comes a genre-defying new novel, inspired by Mary Shelley’s masterpiece Frankenstein, that brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.

1978: At her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, the brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when she’s home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran—teaching them how to take care of their pets, preparing them home-cooked meals, providing them with care and attention and love.

Then one day Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris—silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral—does not behave like a normal girl.

Still, Violet is thrilled to have a new playmate. She and Eric invite Iris to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. Before long, Iris begins to come out of her shell. She and Vi and Eric do everything together: ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. Because, as Vi explains, monsters are everywhere.

2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast Monsters Among Us, is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. She’s determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real—and one of them is her very own sister.

A haunting, vividly suspenseful page-turner from the “literary descendant of Shirley Jackson” (Chris Bohjalian, author of The Flight Attendant), The Children on the Hill takes us on a breathless journey to face the primal fears that lurk within us all.

Review

Violet, Eric and now add Iris, are siblings. Their grandmother is a renowned psychiatrist. She has a treatment center next to their home. Vi, Eric and Iris spend a lot of time pretending to hunt monsters. They have their own club and even write a book with illustrations. But, are they hunting monsters or remembering the past.

This story is told in several voices and several time periods and the author nailed all of them. To me, this is one of the hardest things an author does and sometimes it just doesn’t work. Every section of this book is mesmerizing and all work well together to tell the story!

I cannot tell y’all what kind of page turner this is! The children pull at your heart. Then the setting of the psychological treatment center and the secrecy of Gran, really mess with your mind.

Well! Jennifer McMahon has done it again! This is over the top good! I kept thinking I knew what was going to happen at the end…but..PLOT TWIST! Y’all need to run get this today…don’t wait!

Need a fantastic thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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Overview

A Sunday Times bestseller!

“Highly atmospheric and tense.”–Richard Osman, New YorkTimes bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club

Simmering with slow-burning menace, Mrs. England is a portrait of an Edwardian marriage, an enthralling tale of men and women, power and control, courage, truth and the very darkest deception.

West Yorkshire, 1904. When recently graduated Ruby May takes a nanny position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear something is not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs. England.

Distant and withdrawn, Lilian shows little interest in her children or charming husband and is far from the angel of the house Ruby was expecting.

As the warm, vivacious Charles welcomes Ruby into the family, a series of strange events forces her to question everything she thought she knew. Ostracized by the servants and increasingly uneasy, Ruby must face her own demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there’s no such thing as the perfect family—she should know.

This captivating new feminist novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Stacey Halls is her third work of fiction and proves her one of the most exciting and compelling new storytellers of our time.

Review

Ruby has officially graduated. She is now a children’s nurse. She has taken a new position for the Englands. But, it is not as she is expects. The husband, not the wife, is who she goes to about the children. The mother is not exactly the norm. As a matter of fact, the whole situation is just a bit out of the ordinary.

Ruby has secrets and apparently, so does this family she is working for. The longer Ruby is in their presence, the stranger they become. Then, as Ruby’s secrets start to unravel…the real story behind this family begins to unfold.

I enjoyed the guessing game on this one. I knew something was up, I just couldn’t quite put my finger on what. So, when all the secrets came out…KUDOS to the author for this one. You must read this to find out!

Need a story which keeps 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

One of Hasty Booklist’s Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Novels!

USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight brings together a brilliant dual-narrative story about Nancy Mitford—one of 1930s London’s hottest socialites, authors, and a member of the scandalous Mitford Sisters—and a modern American desperate for change, connected through time by a little London bookshop.

“An absolute must-read!”—Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author The Last Bookshop in London

1938: She was one of the six sparkling Mitford sisters, known for her stinging quips, stylish dress, and bright green eyes. But Nancy Mitford’s seemingly dazzling life was really one of turmoil: with a perpetually unfaithful and broke husband, two Nazi sympathizer sisters, and her hopes of motherhood dashed forever. With war imminent, Nancy finds respite by taking a job at the Heywood Hill Bookshop in Mayfair, hoping to make ends meet, and discovers a new life.

Present Day: When book curator Lucy St. Clair lands a gig working at Heywood Hill she can’t get on the plane fast enough. Not only can she start the healing process from the loss of her mother, it’s a dream come true to set foot in the legendary store. Doubly exciting: she brings with her a first edition of Nancy’s work, one with a somewhat mysterious inscription from the author. Soon, she discovers her life and Nancy’s are intertwined, and it all comes back to the little London bookshop—a place that changes the lives of two women from different eras in the most surprising ways.

Review

Lucy is so excited! She has landed her dream job as a book curator. She is headed to the famous Haywood Hill book store. This store is full of all kinds of history, especially about Nancy Mitford. Lucy is also on a personal hunt. Her mother had a copy of a mysteriously personalized book signed by Nancy Mitford. Lucy is determined to find out about this book and the story behind the inscription.

This story is told in two separate time periods. I actually enjoyed the present day better than the historical. This is unusual for me. I found the historical section a bit slow. However, I did enjoy learning about Nancy and her family. The present day section with Lucy and her job and being surround by books…well, this is perfect for this bibliophile. Plus, when they visited Chatsworth house…I was hooked. That is on my to do list.

Need an all around good story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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SUMMER AT THE CAPE

Author: RaeAnne Thayne

ISBN: 9781335936356

Publication Date: April 5, 2022

Publisher: HQN

Overview

Summer at the Cape is the fourth original hardcover from New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne. With the emotional pull of Debbie Macomber, Barbara Delinsky, and Susan Wiggs, RaeAnne tells the story of the Porter sisters, Cami and Violet, who come together to mourn the death of Violet’s twin, Lily. Over the course of the summer, the sisters must make peace with each other and also individually with their free-spirited, outspoken, activist mother who left their father two decades earlier.

As the older sister to identical twins Violet and Lily, Cami Porter had always been the odd sister out. The breach became even stronger when her parents split up—while the twins stayed in Cape Sanctuary with their free-spirited activist mother, Rosemary, fourteen-year-old Cami moved to L.A. with her by-the-book attorney father, Ted. Nearly twenty years later, when Cami gets the tragic news that Lily has drowned saving a child, Cami returns to her childhood home—her mother and Violet need her.

Lily had spent her entire life looking for something to be passionate about, and in leasing a property from neighbor Franklin Rafferty and setting up Coastal Pines Glamping, she was about to see her dream realized. Following her death, the sadness and grief Rosemary, Violet and Cami feel is compounded by Jon Rafferty, son of the neighbor whose land Lily had leased. Jon, who hadn’t seen his father in years, is stunned to learn that his father is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, and he worries that the Porter women took advantage of him. But Jon can see that the Porter family is in mourning, and agrees they can keep the land through the summer, and then they’ll need to shut the glamping site down.

Then there’s Violet—the child Lily saved, Ariana Mendoza, is the daughter of Violet’s former high school sweetheart, Alex Mendoza. She could never forgive him way back when for cheating on her, but she is so grateful that his adorable little girl is okay. Alex still has feelings for Violet, but he is overcome with grief and gratitude at the same time for the loss of Lily, who died saving his child.

Review

Violet and Lilly are twins with an older sister, Cami. They have not been raised together because when their parents split up, Cami went to live with her father. But, when Lilly passes away it changes their family dynamics.

Lilly had a plan for a unique glampground. Rosemary, her mother, decides to make her daughters dream come true posthumously. It has turned into more than she bargained for. She reaches out to Cami to come fix some of the details. This throws Cami into a situation which may make her change her life plans!

It has been a while since I have read this author. In my opinion, this is her best book. I absolutely love all the characters especially Franklin Rafferty. He is the one which will pull at your heartstrings. Then there is Jon, he is at a loss on how to handle his father’s decline. He is doing the best he can and he has a huge heart. That definitely shows throughout this novel.

And…how could you turn down this cover. Oh my…it just wants the reader to jump in and get lost!

Need a good summer read that will have you smiling, laughing and sometimes crying….THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Author Bio:

New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful norhtern Utah mountains where she lives with her family. Her stories have been described as “poignant and sweet” with “beautiful honest storytelling that goes straight to the heart.” She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at http://www.raeannethayne.com.

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