reecaspieces

Overview

Heartfelt, heartwarming, joyful, and uplifting. You can’t go wrong with a Rachel Linden book.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

A magical cookbook and a summer on her family’s Italian olive farm help a brokenhearted social media chef cook up a satisfying new life in this delectable novel from the bestselling author of Recipe for a Charmed Life.

Rising star Jules Costa loves re-creating vintage recipes for her popular online cooking show. But when personal and professional disaster strikes, her only chance to save her career is to complete her new cookbook before the end of the summer. Panicked, Jules returns to her family’s beloved olive farm on the shores of Italy’s stunning Lake Garda. Seeking culinary inspiration, she’s hoping to convince her spunky eighty-year-old Nonna Bruna to share her precious collection of family recipes.

Jules’s plans quickly go awry as she discovers that Nonna’s cookbook has magical and unpredictable powers. It reveals only one recipe at a time, offering a cooking experience guaranteed to satisfy the chef’s palate and bring clarity to their life. Yet the pages remain stubbornly blank for Jules. To make matters worse, the olive farm is in deep financial trouble, and Jules soon uncovers a web of family secrets involving the cookbook and a lost recipe for orange blossom cake that holds the key to everything. Then there’s Nicolo, the boy next door, who broke her young heart years ago. He is now all grown up, even more attractive, and the only person poised to help Jules find answers.  

In a whirlwind summer beyond her imagination, Jules begins to unravel the mysteries baked into her family’s history and discovers the essential ingredients to create the future of her dreams.

Review

Jules is in a mess. She is about to lose her online cooking show and she has to get a cookbook written in a short amount of time. So she heads to just the right place, her Nonna’s olive farm in Italy. Not only is the farm and her Nonna very special to her, she hopes this will heal some of her grief from her father’s passing. But it does so much more!

I loved reading about Jules. She is grieving and struggling through life. But, the healing powers of family…AND an old boyfriend…help give her the strength to get back on track.

I enjoyed so much about this book. I loved the setting of Italy, the characters and don’t get me started on the cookbook. Yes! It is a special book! You need to read this to find out!

Need a heartwarming tale about love and family….THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

From bestselling author Meagan Church comes a haunting exploration of identity, motherhood, and the suffocating grip of societal expectations that will leave you questioning the lives we build—and the lies we live.

They called it hysteria. She called it survival.

Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the perfect 1950s housewife. Despite the tragic memories that haunt her and the weight of exhausting expectations, she keeps her husband happy, her household running, and her gelatin salads the talk of the neighborhood. But after she gives birth to her second child, Lulu’s carefully crafted life begins to unravel.

When a new neighbor, Bitsy, moves in, Lulu suspects that something darker lurks behind the woman’s constant smile. As her fixation on Bitsy deepens, Lulu is drawn into a web of unsettling truths that threaten to expose the cracks in her own life. The more she uncovers about Bitsy, the more she questions everything she thought she knew—and soon, others begin questioning her sanity. But is Lulu truly losing her mind? Or is she on the verge of discovering a reality too terrifying to accept?

In the vein of The Bell Jar and The Hours, The Mad Wifeweaves domestic drama with psychological suspense, so poignant and immersive, you won’t want to put it down. 

Review

Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the perfect 1950s housewife. Despite the tragic memories that haunt her and the weight of exhausting expectations, she keeps her husband happy, her household running, and her gelatin salads the talk of the neighborhood. But after she gives birth to her second child, Lulu’s carefully crafted life begins to unravel.

This is hard to read in places. I remember struggling to be the perfect mom and trying to live up to everyone’s expectations. Megan Church brings all this to light. So, the feelings of inadequacy all came back as I was reading this. But, y’all! The emotions I had for this woman ran rampant!

There is more to this novel than just postpartum depression and how hard it is to be a mom and a wife and a mother. It is also about the relationship between a husband and a wife. There’s a lot of times the husband doesn’t see or want to see what anyone is going through and in this novel…he just thinks a dishwasher will solve it all.

And that is not all…there is a huge twist that made me set the book down a minute and breathe. Then there came another twist! The struggles of fighting the male perceptions of a woman in the 1950s (don’t get me started on today!) will make you furious.

So, needless to say…this novel will give you an emotional overload…but worth every word!

Need a book you won’t stop thinking about…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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Overview

This captivating story is an ode to book lovers!”—Woman’s World

A mysterious book with a legacy spanning from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day unites three women—and their secrets—in this unforgettable novel from New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton.

London, 2024: American expat Margo Reynolds is renowned for her talent at sourcing rare antiques for her clients, but she’s never had a request quite like this one. She’s been hired to find a mysterious book published over a century ago. With a single copy left in existence, it has a storied past shrouded in secrecy—and her client isn’t the only person determined to procure it at any cost.

Havana, 1966: Librarian Pilar Castillo has devoted her life to books, and in the chaotic days following her husband’s unjust imprisonment by Fidel Castro, reading is her only source of solace. So when a neighbor fleeing Cuba asks her to return a valuable book to its rightful owner, Pilar will risk everything to protect the literary work entrusted to her care. It’s a dangerous mission that reveals to her the power of one book to change a life.

Boston, 1900: For Cuban school teacher and aspiring author Eva Fuentes, traveling from Havana to Harvard to study for the summer is the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s a whirlwind adventure that leaves her little time to write, but a moonlit encounter with an enigmatic stranger changes everything. The story that pours out of her is one of forbidden love, secrets, and lies… and though Eva cannot yet see it, the book will be a danger and salvation for the lives it touches.

Review

A mysterious book with a legacy spanning from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day unites three women—and their secrets.

This story is told in three different time periods; 1900s Boston, 1966 Havana, and 2024 London. I did like the present day a bit better than the others. Just because there seemed to be more mystery and drama unfolding. Plus, I liked Margo. I loved her cleverness.

But don’t sleep on the other parts of the story. They are all gripping! Between the Cuban revolution and the adventure Eva has at Harvard, you don’t know what is about to happen. But Chanel brought all these time periods together splendidly!

Need a “hunt for a book” tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

A Zibby’s Most Anticipated Book of Fall 2025!

From USA Today bestselling author Sara Ackerman comes a spellbinding dual-timeline novel set at Honolulu’s iconic Moana Hotel, where a real-life mysterious death in 1905 collides with a writer’s search for the truth one hundred years later. For fans of Ariel Lawhon and Fiona Davis.

1905 As the mother of a university and a woman with an iron will, Jane Stanford has made her share of enemies. After a scare at her mansion in San Francisco and on the advice of her doctor, she flees to Honolulu and the fashionable new Moana hotel. But as fate would have it, the island is not as safe as it seems.

2005 Zoe Finch is a bestselling author who desperately needs a jump start on her next novel, and she makes a split decision to attend a writers’ conference at the Moana under an assumed name. As a storm brews offshore, she begins having nightmares that feel hauntingly real. Terrified, Zoe enlists the help of mystery writer Dylan Winters and, over the course of the week, races to uncover the shocking truth of what happened in the hotel one hundred years ago almost to the day.

1905 ‘Iliahi Baldwin’s life changes the moment she lands a job at the Moana. Newly hired and reeling from a tragic loss, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with the formidable Jane Stanford upon her arrival, which leaves young ‘Ili devastated when the unthinkable happens. ‘Ili knows things, but there are powerful people who need the truth to remain hidden, and to cross them could prove disastrous.

Inspired by the incredible true story of one of America’s most mysterious deaths, this is an unforgettable tale of betrayal and secrets that still echoes through the years.

Review

 Zoe Finch is a bestselling author who desperately needs a jump start on her next novel, and she makes a split decision to attend a writers’ conference at the Moana under an assumed name. As a storm brews offshore, she begins having nightmares that feel hauntingly real. Terrified, Zoe enlists the help of mystery writer Dylan Winters and, over the course of the week, races to uncover the shocking truth of what happened in the hotel one hundred years ago almost to the day.

I love how the author wove the time periods together. Sara is a master at this. But this time, I loved the present day more than the past. I loved Zoe. She is flawed but this is what drew me to her. She wants to do her best even if she makes mistakes along the way.

However, Jane Stanford is also fascinating. I had no idea about this lady and her mysterious death. Add in the ghostly visits and you have a fascinating tale that will have you researching, as with all of this author’s books. I swear, she always has me looking up unique historical facts.

I love Sara Ackerman. Her novels can take me away to fascinating time periods. My favorite is The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West. Add that one to your list as well!

Need a novel that is atmospheric, historical and has a bit of ghostly visits…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

Fans of The White Lotus and Knives Out will gobble up this whip-smart whodunit… Good luck solving this especially twisty mystery before the big reveal—you’ll need it.”—Marie Claire

“The Riptons are American royalty—wealthy, powerful, and bound by secrets. When they gather at a grand Irish castle for the society wedding of the year, as the ceremony unfolds something far more sinister lurks beneath the glamour. From the ambitious heirs and spurned lovers to the enigmatic staff and mysterious uninvited guest, everyone harbors secrets—and some are deadly. A gripping whodunit in the vein of Agatha Christie, A Killer Wedding will keep you guessing until the final, shocking twist.” —Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

Wildly witty and wickedly fun, A Killer Wedding is an escapist mystery that proves you’ll never forget your wedding day…especially if it starts with a murder.

Christine can’t believe her luck. The iconic Gloria Beaufort, founder of the billion-dollar beauty empire Glo, has personally chosen her to cover her grandson’s wedding for Bespoke, the cult fashion magazine that every A-list bride dreams of being featured in. A career-making scoop and a free trip to a castle turned five-star hotel on the Emerald Isle? It feels too good to be true…

Because it is.

Gloria is found dead on the very first morning of the celebratory weekend, and her entire family wants to keep her death a secret and for the wedding to march on. When Gloria’s heirs issue a chilling warning to Christine to keep things quiet, she can’t help but wonder if one of them is guilty. There’s the son who’s hiding a damaging lawsuit; the resentful daughter-in-law; the grandson who’s had a few too many run-ins with the law; his ambitious wife who’s hiding more than one secret; and Gloria’s favorite grandchild, the picture-perfect groom. As Christine navigates a world where glamour masks grimy secrets and everyone she meets is a suspect, she realizes that among this glitzy elite, nothing is as it seems.

Set against the dazzling backdrop of ultimate luxury and an endless reveal of surprises, A Killer Wedding is a fast-paced, humorous mystery the pulls back the curtain ontoxic family dynamics hidden beneath the surface of billionaire-level wealth.

Review

This one has a rough start. The author introduces a lot of characters and they do not have much development. I am not going to lie, I almost DNFed in the first 50 pages.

BUT it did get better.

Gloria, the matriarch of the family, is found dead in her room before her grandson’s wedding. The family decides to keep it a secret. Why??

There are a lot of moving parts to this tale. And you really have no idea who to trust. You do know that there are not many people that liked Gloria. She definitely had some issues when she was alive.

I loved the setting of Ireland and the old castle. But, this tale is a bit disjointed. And lord have mercy…how many times are name brand products mentioned through out this story. This was a bit distracting.

But it is an “ok” murder mystery with a family I am so glad I am not a part of.

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

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