reecaspieces

Overview

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty comes a novel that looks at marriage, siblings, and how the people we love the most can hurt us the deepest

The Delaney family love one another dearly—it’s just that sometimes they want to murder each other . . .

If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father?

This is the dilemma facing the four grown Delaney siblings.

The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?

The four Delaney children—Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke—were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that’s okay, now that they’re all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon.

One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted.

Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure—but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light

Review

Joy and Stan have a weird relationship. They have been married for a very long time. They have owned their own tennis coaching business. But, there are so many past transgressions it is hard for each partner to let it go. (I guess that is how you would explain it!). When Joy comes up missing, there are many unusual clues which point straight to Stan!

Lord have mercy! I just don’t know how to explain this novel. It is good. It is more character driven than plot driven. It is too long, but I have no idea what the author could have cut out. And…I could not stop reading it. I fluctuated between 3-5 stars. So, of course, I settled on 4.

I have always been a fan of this author. She is intelligent and it shows. She has, what I call, “smart reads”. You cannot skim anything or you miss something. This novel is no different. I wanted to skim so badly and when I did, I would have to go back and see what I missed.

Every character in this novel is flawed and captivating. Joy and Stan have 4 children and each one has some kind of issue. And don’t even get me started on Savannah.

It sounds like I did not enjoy this novel…oh but I did. I could not stop reading. I just wish it had been a tad bit shorter.

Need a novel with characters you can’t stop reading about…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 author of Paris Never Leaves You, Ellen Feldman’s The Living and the Lost is a gripping story of a young German Jewish woman who returns to Allied Occupied Berlin from America to face the past and unexpected future

“A deeply satisfying and truly adult novel.” —Margot Livesey, New York Times best-selling author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy

Millie (Meike) Mosbach and her brother David, manage to escape to the States just before Kristallnacht, leaving their parents and little sister in Berlin. Millie attends Bryn Mawr on a special scholarship for non-Aryan German girls and graduates to a magazine job in Philadelphia. David enlists in the army and is eventually posted to the top-secret Camp Ritchie in Maryland, which trains German-speaking men for intelligence work.  

Now they are both back in their former hometown, haunted by ghosts and hoping against hope to find their family. Millie, works in the office responsible for rooting out the most dedicated Nazis from publishing; she is consumed with rage at her former country and its citizens, though she is finding it more difficult to hate in proximity. David works trying to help displaced persons build new lives, while hiding his more radical nighttime activities from his sister. Like most of their German-born American colleagues, they suffer from conflicts of rage and guilt at their own good fortune, except for Millie’s boss, Major Harry Sutton, who seems much too eager to be fair to the Germans.

Living and working in bombed-out Berlin, a latter day Wild West where drunken soldiers brawl; the desperate prey on the unsuspecting; spies ply their trade; werewolves, as unrepentant Nazis were called, scheme to rise again; black markets thrive, and forbidden fraternization is rampant, Millie must come to terms with a decision she made as a girl in a moment of crisis, and with the enigmatic sometimes infuriating Major Sutton who is mysteriously understanding of her demons.

Atmospheric and page-turning, The Living and the Lost is a story of love, survival, and forgiveness of others and of self.

Review

Millie has returned to her native Germany after WWII. She is here to do a job for the government but she has a hidden agenda. She is hoping to find out what happened to her parents and her little sister.

Millie is amazed at the level of depravity which is rampant and accepted in this post war Germany. She struggles with her anger and her guilt throughout this novel. Her guilt is a unique situation for the reader…you have to read this to find out!

There have been tons of WWII books lately. So, to find one which has a different take is tough. This one hits that mark. You usually do not have a book about the aftermath. This one covers this and more! The struggle to find out about your loved ones, to find a place to live, and the survivors guilt is brought to life in the novel. Add in the great characters and you have a very good novel!

Need a story you won’t 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

From the multi-award-winning master of crime, Denise Mina delivers a radical new take on one of the darkest episodes in Scottish history—the bloody assassination of David Rizzo  private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, in the queen’s chambers in Holyrood Palace.

On the evening of March 9th, 1566, David Rizzio, the private secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots, was brutally murdered. Dragged from the chamber of the heavily pregnant Mary, Rizzio was stabbed fifty six times by a party of assassins. This breathtakingly tense novella dramatises the events that led up to that night, telling the infamous story as it has never been told before.

A dark tale of sex, secrets and lies, Rizzio looks at a shocking historical murder through a modern lens—and explores the lengths that men and women will go to in their search for love and power. 

Rizzio is nothing less than a provocative and thrilling new literary masterpiece.

Review

The private secretary to Mary Queen of Scots is a man named Rizzio. He has the queens ear and a lot of power. Needless to say, Mary’s husband despises Rizzio. But, could he instigate his murder?

This is one of my favorite time periods. So, I was expecting more of the same. That is not the case at all! This is dramatic and terrifying. I knew a little about this, but not the extent of the horror of Rizzio’s murder.

Plus, Mary Queen Of Scots is a portrayed a bit different. More like she is detached from her realm and it’s needs. I knew she ignored a great deal but the way the author portrayed her, it made her more real. Makes this a unique read for sure!

Wow! Need a good historical murder…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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Overview

Nothing like a rocky start between enemy coworkers stuck together on location to prove that love isn’t just a ploy for ratings—it’s a force of nature.

Alia Dunn has finally gotten her big break. After years of working her way up at TV’s top outdoor travel channel, she gets the green light from network executives to bring her dream project to life: produce a series about Utah’s national parks. It’s a touching tribute to her late apong, who sparked Alia’s passion for travel and the outdoors as a kid. 

Alia is thrilled—until she meets her newest crew member, Drew Irons. The same Drew she had the most amazing first date with two weeks ago—who then ghosted her. The same Drew who has the most deliciously thick forearms and who loves second-guessing her every move on set in front of the entire crew. It’s not long before the tension between them turns hotter than the Utah desert in the dead of summer, and their steamy encounters lead to major feelings. 

But when the series host goes rogue one too many times, jeopardizing the entire shoot, Alia realizes that she’ll need to organize one hell of a coup to save her show—and she’ll need Drew’s help to do it. It’s the riskiest move she’s ever made. If she pulls it off, she’ll end up with a hit series and her dream guy . . . but if it all goes wrong, she could lose both.

Review

Alia has always wanted to honor her grandmother by doing a travel series about the Utah State Parks. She has finally gotten approval for her idea. She is excited and extremely nervous. But, when she is forced to take on a problem actor as the host, she knows she is going to be having some major issues.

On top of that problem, another one shows up! One of the newest crew members turns out to be Drew. Drew happens to be a guy she met on the subway, had fabulous drinks with and he was supposed to call…but he didn’t. Alia is determined to be professional in all aspects of this project. But, as situations start to unfold…you will just need to read this to find out!

I enjoyed the locations almost as much as I loved the characters. My friend visited some of these parks this summer and all her pictures are stunning. So, when the author described some of these places, I really could visualize the fascinating landscapes. Add Alia and Drew into this mix and I was hooked.

Alia and Drew work well together…until they don’t. You get the drift. It is a romance. So, of course, the characters have to have fights now and then. And then they have to make up!

Need a good romance in a unique location…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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Overview

I loved it and devoured it with fury, straight to its blazing end.” —Lily King, author of Writers & Lovers

“An unputdownable knock-out.” —Lauren Wilkinson, author of American Spy

The eagerly awaited novel from the New York Timesbestselling author of A Land More Kind Than Home, a tender and haunting story of a father and daughter, crime and forgiveness, race and memory

When the roar of a low-flying plane awakens him in the middle of the night, Sheriff Winston Barnes knows something strange is happening at the nearby airfield on the coast of North Carolina. But nothing can prepare him for what he finds: a large airplane has crash-landed and is now sitting sideways on the runway, and there are no signs of a pilot or cargo. When the body of a local man is discovered—shot dead and lying on the grass near the crash site—Winston begins a murder investigation that will change the course of his life and the fate of the community that he has sworn to protect.

Everyone is a suspect, including the dead man. As rumors and accusations fly, long-simmering racial tensions explode overnight, and Winston, whose own tragic past has followed him like a ghost, must do his duty while facing the painful repercussions of old decisions. Winston also knows that his days as sheriff may be numbered. He’s up for re-election against a corrupt and well-connected challenger, and his deputies are choosing sides. As if these events weren’t troubling enough, he must finally confront his daughter Colleen, who has come home grieving a shattering loss she cannot fully articulate.

As the suspense builds and this compelling mystery unfolds, Wiley Cash delves deep into the hearts of these richly drawn, achingly sympathetic characters to reveal the nobility of an ordinary man struggling amidst terrifying, extraordinary circumstances.

Review

Sheriff Winston Barnes and his wife are awaken in the middle of the night by a low flying plane. Winston, even though he is getting on up in age, refuses to pass off his duty. He heads out to find out exactly what is going on. He soon discovers more than he bargained for.

If you are from the south…you know all about Sheriff Winston Barnes. We all had one just like him in our hometowns. However, I believe this one is more honest than most. Winston is a stand up guy and he really cares about his people. He is not afraid to take on his enemies!

This is a slow burn of a read and I enjoyed it from start to finish. I usually am not a fan of books like this. But the characters are amazing and I just had to find out why all these strange things were happening in this small town.

Need a quick, murder mystery with a kick! THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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