I had a fabulous time in March! I flew to NYC to see one of my all time favorites…Sir Elton John! He was FANTASTIC! Plus I stopped into quite a few book stores…I mean…why not!
So…my March was amazing…now on to the escapes!
I also finished these below…so stay tuned!
What did you read and enjoy! Inquiring minds want to know!
Thanks for stopping by!
Overview
When James Colt decides to solve his late father’s final murder case, he has no idea of the danger he’s unleashing. And Lorelei Wilkins can’t believe that her high school crush is implicating her stepmother! Now James and Lorelei are embroiled in unraveling a cover-up involving some of the finest citizens of Lonesome, Montana…including a killer determined to keep the truth hidden.
Review
James has just come back into his hometown after time away on the rodeo circuit. He is a bit beat up and he is not getting any younger. He decides to investigate his dads last case as a PI before he was killed. Little does he know, this is going to open his eyes to many hidden secrets.
This is a book I would have LOVED in high school. It is a quick, no nonsense romantic suspense. And as most of you know…that is my guilty pleasure. I love the characters, James and Lorelei. And the mystery…I figured it out pretty early but I didn’t figure out the details. Trying to deduce exactly what happened on that stormy night in Montana really kept me glued to the book.
I read this in a couple of hours. I enjoy a story which doesn’t really have a lot of fluff…just all about the issue at hand! This would be a great book to read on a quick road trip!
Need a quick, good suspenseful read…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Author bio:
B. J. Daniels, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, and three springer spaniels. When not writing, she quilts, boats, and plays tennis.
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Overview
The New York Times bestselling author of Under the Southern Sky and the Peachtree Bluff series brings “her signature wit, charm, and heart” (Woman’s World) to this sweeping new novel following four women across generations, bound by a beautiful wedding veil and a connection to the famous Vanderbilt family.
Four women. One family heirloom. A secret connection that will change their lives—and history as they know it.
Present Day: Julia Baxter’s wedding veil, bequeathed to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on a train in the 1930s, has passed through generations of her family as a symbol of a happy marriage. But on the morning of her wedding day, something tells her that even the veil’s good luck isn’t enough to make her marriage last forever. Overwhelmed and panicked, she escapes to the Virgin Islands to clear her head. Meanwhile, her grandmother Babs is also feeling shaken. Still grieving the death of her beloved husband, she decides to move out of the house they once shared and into a retirement community. Though she hopes it’s a new beginning, she does not expect to run into an old flame, dredging up the same complicated emotions she felt a lifetime ago.
1914: Socialite Edith Vanderbilt is struggling to manage the luxurious Biltmore Estate after the untimely death of her cherished husband. With 250 rooms to oversee and an entire village dependent on her family to stay afloat, Edith is determined to uphold the Vanderbilt legacy—and prepare her free-spirited daughter Cornelia to inherit it—in spite of her family’s deteriorating financial situation. But Cornelia has dreams of her own. Asheville, North Carolina has always been her safe haven away from the prying eyes of the press, but as she explores more of the rapidly changing world around her, she’s torn between upholding tradition and pursuing the exciting future that lies beyond Biltmore’s gilded gates.
In the vein of Therese Anne Fowler’s A Well-Behaved Woman and Jennifer Robson’s The Gown, The Wedding Veil brings to vivid life a group of remarkable women forging their own paths—and explores the mystery of a national heirloom lost to time.
Review
Julia is about to get married. She has been with her fiancé FOREVER! However, something surprisingly happens and Julia does a “runaway bride”. She will not go through this anymore. She heads to her honeymoon by herself. She plans to reflect and decide where to go from here. But, life has a way of setting things right.
I have loved this author since her first Peachtree Bluff book, Slightly South of Simple But this one tops the charts with me! The Biltmore has always been a favorite place for me. So, the way the author incorporates the history of the Vanderbilts and the Biltmore is fabulous. I also love the dual timelines. Each timeline supports the other and creates a wonderful tale!
Then there are the characters…oh my! I love Julia. She is damaged, indecisive, and a bit scatterbrained. But, she pulls it off in the end…you must read this to find out! Add in her family and their cute little quips and interactions and you have a wonderful story you will not want to put down!
Need a great present day historical mystery with fantastic characters …THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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Overview
A British nurse in WWI Egypt races to deliver explosive intelligence that could decimate the Allied war effort in this novel of suspense, adventure, and love.
1917. When British nurse Ginger Whitman finds a wounded enemy soldier hiding in her hospital camp in Palestine, she knows she should turn him in. But he’s desperate and dying—and he claims he’s a spy with a message about a critical plot against British forces.
Then the arrival of mysterious intelligence officer Major Noah Benson offers a chance of help. But Noah is as charming as he is dangerous and Ginger’s heart is at risk. With a deadly enemy hunting her, Ginger is caught in a crossfire of secrets and lies. Trusting the wrong person could do more than cost her life: it could change the course of the war.
Windswept is the first novel in the Windswept WW1 Saga, a historical fiction series featuring a strong female protagonist. A story of spies, family drama, romance, and epic adventure, it is set in the British Middle Eastern front of the First World War. This novel contains violence and romantic, steamy moments.
Review
Lady Virginia “ Ginger” Whitman is determined to leave her life of privilege behind and be the best nurse around. When she finds an injured soldier hiding in her camp, she goes against all convention to help him. This act leads her into a strange espionage with a dangerous enemy hunting her down. She has no idea who to trust!
This is a great story that is well researched and basically has a little bit of everything…romance, suspense, mystery. It is a bit coincidental in places and the conversations were a bit stilted. But that is minor. I adored Ginger! Talk about a woman who knows her own mind and is not afraid to tell you about it! Her strength comes through the pages like a roar from a lion!
Need a wonderful WWI story with a strong female character…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from Indiebrag for a honest review.
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Release Date: May 18, 2021
About The Book:
Forty-one-year-old Natalie Greene lost her mom and her childhood memories in a car crash two decades ago. What remains is a haunting feeling that she was responsible for her mother’s death. After her husband leaves for another woman, Natalie accompanies her famous stepsister, Isabel Walker (aka “The Happiness Guru”) on a retreat to the Cayman Islands. There, a late-night collision triggers Natalie’s long-buried trauma and a heightened sense of guilt.
Upon returning home to Boston, Natalie tries to settle back into her life as a food photographer and single mother to a teenage daughter―but then, one day, an anonymous email arrives about the Cayman accident that suggests foul play. In her search for the truth, Natalie must deal with a mix of fear, confusion, and suspects. With the help of Isabel and an attractive journalist, she uncovers a trail of deceit that begins on that deserted Caribbean road, circles back home, and ends in the most unexpected of places.
Review
Natalie has some issues! Basically she blames herself for her mother’s death. Her mother died in an accident years ago and Natalie walked away. Survivors guilt, PTSD?? Probably a little of both! When her husband leaves her, Natalie decides to take a vacation to escape her troubles. But, this just leads to more trauma and more anxiety! There has been another accident and Natalie was there!
Natalie has suffered for years over her mother’s accident. It has left her as an overprotective mom and just an all around stressful human being. Her sister, Isabel, is just the opposite. She is the Happiness Guru. She helps people find their happiness. But something is just not right!
Talk about stressful and intense in so many ways! This story had me guessing and intrigued from the very beginning. Now, it did take a bit for me to get invested (most likely me and not the story!). But, once it hit me…the story did not quit!
Need a good psychological thriller that will have you captivated till the end…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the author for a honest review.
About The Author:
Nicole Bokat is the author of the novels Redeeming Eve and What Matters Most. Redeeming Eve was nominated for both the Hemingway Foundation/PEN award and the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for Fiction. She’s also published The Novels of Margaret Drabble: This Freudian Family Nexus. She received her PhD from New York University and has taught at NYU, Hunter College, and The New School. Her essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, Parents magazine, The Forward, and at More.com. She lives with her husband in New Jersey and has two grown sons.
Social Media:
Book/author website: http://thehappinessthief.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nicole.bokat
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/nicolebokat
Twitter: @NicoleBokat
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Book Blurbs:
“Bokat is an evocative wordsmith . . . she has crafted a sympathetic heroine as her main character. . . . A compulsively readable mystery and character study.”―Kirkus Reviews
“So, so smart, and as downright dangerous a read as the edge of a razor, Bokat’s book is a masterful study of memory, family, and the lies that derail us. Don’t even dare to think you’ll get any sleep once you start reading.”–Caroline Leavitt, New York Times best-selling author of Pictures of You and With or Without You
“Nicole Bokat has the rare and precious gift of being both a master storyteller and an elegant poet. Each and every sentence dazzles in this intelligent and fiery tale about family, loss, and what it means to be feel happy, whole.”–Judy Batalion, author of The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos and White Walls
“The Happiness Thief is a beautifully written, heart-thundering page-turner. I tore through it, desperate to discover answers. The novel’s characters are as rich and complex as you and I.”–Aspen Matis, #1 Amazon best-selling author of Your Blue Is Not My Blue and Girl in the Woods
“Sharp, quick-witted, with twists you can’t foresee, Bokat’s smart new thriller is like a cyanide pill wrapped in chocolate truffle–dangerous but irresistible. The Happiness Thief will swallow you whole.”–Tess Callahan, author of April and Oliver
Overview
An indie musician reeling from tragedy and a public breakdown reconnects with her father on a weeklong cruise in “a pitch-perfect story about the ways we recover love in the strangest places” (Rebecca Serle, bestselling author of In Five Years)
“The characters are drawn with a generosity that allows them to be wrong but also right, loving but also prone to missteps, and ultimately deserving of a resolution that’s full of hope.”—Linda Holmes, New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over
ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—BookPage
Right after the sudden death of her mother—her first and most devoted fan—and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy—the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted; the kind he warned her about when he urged her to make more practical choices with her life.
Months later, Greta—still heartbroken and very much adrift—reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian, onboard to lecture about The Call of the Wild, who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life. As Greta works to build back her confidence and Ben confronts an uncertain future, they find themselves drawn to and relying on each other.
It’s here in this unlikeliest of places—at sea, far from the packed city venues where she usually plays and surrounded by the stunning scenery of Alaska—Greta will finally confront the choices she’s made, the heartbreak she’s suffered, and the family hurts that run deep. In the end, she’ll have to decide what her path forward might look like—and how to find her voice again.
Review
Greta’s mother has recently passed away. Her parents had booked an Alaskan cruise to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Her dad, Conrad, insists on going anyway. Her brother talks Greta into accompanying their father. Greta and her dad do not have the best relationship. Conrad does not approve of her livelihood as a musician plus he thinks she should have been by her mother’s side when she passed. This is one of Greta’s greatest regrets. Can they survive the time at sea?!?!
Greta and her father have issues from the get go! But, I fell for both of them. They are both just alike in stubbornness and hiding their feelings. Then there is Ben Wilder. He is an author and he and Greta take a shine to each other. And trust me…she does not have the best track record where love is concerned.
I usually do not give romances five stars. But this one absolutely rocked it! It is in my favorite setting of Alaska. It has wonderful characters. And the story is one that pulled me out of my book funk! So 5 stars for the win!
Need an adorable romantic comedy that you will not soon forget…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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Overview
A winner: tense and terrifying with a twist you’ll never see coming. You won’t soon forget these characters and the shocking ways their lives intersect.” — Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
Every marriage has its secrets….
Skyla lives alone in the shadow of the defunct drive-in movie theater that she and her husband ran for nearly fifty years. Ever since Hollis’s death in a freak accident the year before, Skyla spends her nights ruminating about the regrets and deceptions in her long marriage. That is, until she rents a cottage on the property to a charming British man, Teddy Cornwell….
A thousand miles away, Linelle is about to turn fifty. Bored by her spouse and fired from her job when a questionable photo from her youth surfaces on social media, her only source of joy is an on-line affair with her very first love, a man she’s not seen in nearly thirty years, Teddy Cornwell…
While in New York City, Jeremy, a failed and bitter writer, accepts an assignment to review a new restaurant in Providence. Years ago, Providence was the site of his first great love and first great heartbreak—and maybe, just maybe, he’ll look her up when he’s back in town…
Part page-turning thriller, part homage to film noir, and dazzling in its insight into the often desperate desires of the human heart, Her Last Affair is a tense and atmospheric novel of love lost and found again.
Review
Skyla has recently lost her sight. She lives next door to a rundown drive-in movie theater which she and her husband ran for years. She decides to rent the cottage next door to a Teddy Cornwell. Skyla just loves his accent! Teddy is currently trying to lure an old girlfriend, Linelle away from her boring marriage. So, this seems the perfect place. Then there is Jeremy. Jeremy is a restaurant critic. His next job is Providence, RI. This town holds some unique memories and quite a few he wants to relive.
Now that I have introduced all the characters…let’s get to the meat of the story! This novel starts a bit slow, but that is just the introduction to the characters…so stay with it. Because it sure builds and builds…until the intensity does not stop and you just have to see where it is going to end.
I think my favorite character is Skyla. She is not at all what you think! And I love the way the author throws in some humor. What a great way to keep the story moving and the reader engrossed.
Need a good psychological thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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Overview
Jessica Russo knows nothing about her mother’s family or her Cuban culture. Every time she’s asked about it, her mother has shut down. But when the Cuban grandmother she’s never met sends her right-hand man, Luis, to offer Jessica the chance to come to Miami and meet her estranged family, she can’t help but say yes, even as she knows it will pain her mother.
The woman that Jessica meets is nothing like what she expected. Her grandmother is successful, intelligent, determined, and all too willing to take blame for what has happened to cause the estrangement, and, more importantly, to try and set things right. As Jessica spends time with her grandmother in her beautiful island home, she learns about her family’s history and what caused the schism between her mother and grandmother.
As days with her grandmother turn to weeks, Jessica is determined to find a way to heal her fractured family. And in the end, Jessica might just learn something about herself and what it means to embrace the many facets of her identity.
Review
Jessica has never met her mother’s family In Miami. One day she is approached by a very good looking man. He is representing her grandmother. The grandmother Jessica has never known. She decides to go to Miami to discover exactly what happened between her grandmother and her mother.
The setting of this story is just wonderful. Who wouldn’t want their own private island. And the story itself is interesting. But I found the writing a bit overly dramatic and even eyerolling in places. Jessica’s mother is the one I wanted to slap through most of this novel. And no…I cannot remember her name. But, in my opinion, she had no reason to abandon her family. She thinks she was done wrong…but nope….you need to read this book to find out.
The narrator, Frankie Corzo is great. Perfect on the accents!
Need a good family drama…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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Overview
Grace Lee calls her granddaughter, Judith, with a dying wish…for Judith to travel from Los Angeles to Nashville to come visit her. But there’s a catch. Judith must make the journey by bus.
The award-winning novel Finding Grace shares Judith Lee’s transformative, cross-country journey, revealing what truly matters. Each day of Judith’s journey becomes a story on its own, as the people she meets and places she visits along the way challenge her to rethink her life. Finding Grace is about Judith’s transformation back into the real world during this journey as a result of the people she meets on the bus, how she deals with the imminent passing of her grandmother, and how all this changes her life’s future plans. There are tears and laughter throughout, with interesting characters whom readers would recognize from their own lives. Today, more people are reflecting on what is and is not important. Finding Grace provides food for thought on many levels.
Review
Judith has just found out her dear grandmother, Grace Lee, has cancer! She must get to her asap. But, Grace Lee has other plans for Judith. She wants Judith to cross the country in a bus. Judith is definitely airline material…not bus. But to appease her grandmother, Judith decides to ride the bus home. This is an eye opening experience for Judith and she finds out a lot about herself.
Now, this is not my usual genre. It leans very close to Christian fiction for me. And, I have said this before and I will say this again, I am a Christian but I am not a fan of this genre. This genre leans toward too sweet, overly dramatic and not very realistic. This story has characteristics that fall into a few of these categories.
However, it is very well written and learning about the bus stops and all the unique areas across America, kept me engaged in this tale. Plus, Judith is the perfect character for the bus. I laughed at her Gucci luggage. A bus ride is definitely not her forte. But, she grows and becomes the woman she was meant to be!
Need a sweet story about family, love and food for thought about life…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
About the Author
Gary Lee Miller’s writing is rooted in life experiences and people who have crossed his path
during his life’s journey. Gary draws on his ability to translate his observations into highly
relatable stories for readers. Prior to beginning his writing career, Gary was a successful
businessman and entrepreneur. He also acts in movie and TV productions, and is listed in
IMDb.com. He resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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Overview
New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s heartwarming novel about old rivalries, young love, and a lemon meringue pie to die for.
In Bonnet, Texas, Liddy Latham, the queen of funeral dinners, keeps a southern comfort-food tradition alive—until fancy-schmancy Matilda Monroe moves back to town. She wants room at the table for her own style of consolation and closure: healthy, modern, and vegan. But this is about more than fried chicken versus tofu turkey. Matilda’s return is also stirring up their volatile, unresolved history. And just when they thought it couldn’t get more personal…
Matilda’s son, Nick, and Liddy’s niece, Amelia, have met and the sparks are flying. For Matilda and Liddy, their precious kin’s romance is their worst nightmare. Now, it’s all Nick and Amelia can do to survive a family feud that has the whole town talking.
The battle for the funeral dinner crown is on. As two strong-willed women wrestle for control, making peace with the past may be the only way to serve the star-crossed lovers a happy ending.
Review
Well! Matilda is back in town and stirring up ancient history. Matilda is planning on changing the menu to everything the towndoes. She wants vegan instead of fried chicken…whoever heard of such. But, when her son, Nick has eyes for Liddy, the niece of Matilda’s nemesis, all bets are off!
No one does southern fiction like Carolyn Brown and this book is precious. I read it in one sitting. This story did start out slowly but once the characters became more familiar, I flew through this book.
The cute little quips and southern traditions had me smirking in my airplane seat. Add in the family feud drama and you are in for a cute ride you do not want to miss!
I usually listen to Carolyn Brown’s novels. She has a great narrator and they are perfect for a short trip. So, reading this one was a bit different for me. If you need a different format, audio is the way to go!
Need a wonderful, southern novel that will have you smiling and feeling good all around…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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