reecaspieces

Overview

A Romeo and Juliet tale for Hamilton fans.

Love, Theodosia is a smart, funny, swoony take on a fiercely intelligent woman (Aaron Burr’s daughter, Theodosia) with feminist ideas and ideals far ahead of her time. Not only a work of well-researched historical fiction, but a refreshing spin on the Hamiltonian era and the characters we have grown to know and love so well. Goldstein shines a bright light on Theodosia, who has long deserved center stage, a young woman struggling to be heard in a turbulent time for our nation. It’s also a heartbreaking romance of two star-crossed lovers, an achingly bittersweet “what if”.

In Love Theodosia, Alexander Hamilton’s son Philip and Burr’s daughter Theodosia become smitten, though she is engaged to an artist and Philip is a rakish cad. But the two find each other’s intellect irresistible, and in what unrolls like a Jane Austen novel of manners we find ourselves entangled with the Hamilton family once again as the children of famous enemies are driven together despite every reason not to be.

Review

Theodosia is the daughter of Aaron Burr. And this comes with some baggage. Her mother has passed away and Theodosia must stand in her place beside her father during all his political ambitions. This puts a huge strain on her life. But, when she falls in love with her dad’s arch enemy’s son, Philip, it changes all of her thoughts and perceptions.

Theodosia is a strong female character back when females were considered simpering idiots. However, she fought against the norm the best way she knew how. She wrote articles under a pen name to help women. So, to say I loved her…that is putting it mildly. I found her fascinating and very intelligent.

This is my least favorite time period, early America. But, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved learning about how politics worked back then (not much has changed!) I also enjoyed reading about the daily life of Theodosia and what kind of pawn she became. I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars. The only reason I settled on 4 was because it was a bit long and parts were a little overly dramatic. Now, this could be attributed to the narrator. But, I didn’t get that as an overall feeling from the book.

I did enjoy the narrator, Allyson Voller. She was excellent with all the male voices, tough to do!

Need a very good historical novel…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Purchase Here

Chirp

Barnes and Noble

Audible

Amazon

Overview

Bad things don’t happen in Cason Glen.

The locals make sure of it.

So, when the residents of the town’s most exclusive subdivision discover one of their own is missing, it sends a wave of panic and discord throughout the neighborhood.

They are supposed to be safe.

But they quickly realize not everything is as it once seemed in their idyllic world.

Slowly, the cracks have begun to show, revealing the dark and devious truth behind their home, their neighbors, and the lengths some people will go to protect their secrets.

Someone’s missing.

Someone’s dead.

Everyone’s lying.

In a town full of masterfully woven webs, these six friends are about to watch their world unravel. And, if they’re not careful, one of them might be the next to disappear….

When everyone you know is a liar, how do you decide whom to trust?

Review

Someone…or everyone is lying in Cason Glen. Stephanie’s husband is missing. But, she knows something is just not right. She makes a false report about a car going into the town lake hoping the authorities will drag the lake and possibly put an end to her nightmare. When the law comes to question her, she reneges on her statement. But, her husband is still missing!

There are so many secrets in this novel. You just don’t know who to believe. Honestly, everyone seems to be everyone’s friend and they are all one big, happy town. Well! They are not! Everyone is lying to everyone.

This is a twisted story and the ending is completely worth it. However, this novel fell short for me. I just did not like any of the characters, especially the teenage boys. But, it is fast paced and the narrators, Mandy Kaplan, Wyatt Baker, did a very good job!

Need a good mystery with a big twist…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Purchase Here

Chirp

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Audible

Chosen as a 2020 Pulpwood Queens Book Club pick

2019 Best Book Awards Finalist in Fiction (Multicultural)

Book Release Date: November 12, 2019

About The Book:

Told alternately, by Colleen, an idealistic young white teacher; Frank, a black high school football player; and Evelyn, an experienced black teacher, Freedom Lessons is the story of how the lives of these three very different people intersect in a rural Louisiana town in 1969.

Colleen enters into the culture of the rural Louisiana town with little knowledge of the customs and practices. She is compelled to take sides after the school is integrated—an overnight event for which the town’s residents are unprepared, and which leads to confusion and anxiety in the community—and her values are tested as she seeks to understand her black colleagues, particularly Evelyn. Why doesn’t she want to integrate the public schools? Frank, meanwhile, is determined to protect his mother and siblings after his father’s suspicious death—which means keeping a secret from everyone around him.

Based on the author’s experience teaching in Louisiana in the late sixties, this heartfelt, unflinching novel about the unexpected effects of school integration during that time takes on the issues our nation currently faces regarding race, unity, and identity.

Review

Colleen is a white teacher which has moved into Louisiana. She is teaching at the “black” school. Colleen has a room full of good students but not a lot of good supplies or equipment. But, she learns how to make things work. However, one day everything changes. The school board is closing her school as of today. Everyone is being incorporated into the “white”school. This changes the lives of so many children. And their safety is no longer guaranteed.

Growing up in the Deep South, I can see all of this happening. So much of this was very ingrained into the culture. This book nailed so many things and brought to the forefront exactly what transpired and the wrongness of the situation. I felt so upset for the children. The unfairness tore me up!

It’s amazing how life has changed…and how it has stayed the same. The people who went before us really made their mark. This book highlights the horror some of the children and the teachers were put through for “so called” equality! I highly recommend this read just so people do not forget…it was not easy! And it is still a struggle every day!

Need a dang good read…this is it! Grab your copy today!

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

Purchase Here

Chirp

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Audible

About The Author:

Eileen Harrison Sanchez is now retired after a forty-year career in education. She started as a teacher and ended as a district administrator. She has been writing part time for seven years with a writers group in Summit, NJ (www.writerscircleworkshops.com). Eileen is a member of the Historical Writers of America, Historical Novel Society, Philadelphia Stories Writers Community, Goodreads American Historical Novels Group, and several online writers groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. A reader, a writer, and a perennial—a person with a no-age mindset—she considers family and friends to be the most important parts of her life, followed by traveling and bird watching from her gazebo. Learn more at www.eileensanchez.com

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eileensanchezwriter/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/eileensanchezwriter

Twitter: @EileenHSanchez

Book Blurbs: 

When ‘all deliberate speed’ becomes ‘all of a sudden,’ not much changes. An intermittently potent illustration of the formidable obstacles to equality that remained―and persist―post-Brown v. Board of Education.”―Kirkus Reviews

“This powerful tale offers a beacon of hope that individuals can inspire change.”―Library Journal

“ . . . a deftly crafted novel that, although a work of fiction, is based on the author Eileen Sanchez’ personal experience teaching in Louisiana in the late sixties. Freedom Lessons is heartfelt, unflinching novel, and inherently riveting novel about the unexpected effects of school integration during that time takes on the issues our nation continues to face regarding race, unity, and identity.”―Midwest Book Review

“Freedom Lessons is a captivating and well-written story. Reading this book has changed me personally and professionally. The Deep South no doubt plays its role―the further you read in the story, the more hot and humid it starts to feel around you. Eileen succeeds where historians and academics like myself fail―recounting major societal events through the inescapable and complex humanity of her characters. A distinguished educator herself, Eileen fully delivers on the challenge of framing what teaching and learning was during this era, and Freedom Lessons forces us to ask the question of what it should be now.”―Michael R. Hicks, Ed.D., Assistant Professor of Education, Centenary College of Louisiana

”Inspired by the author’s real-life experiences, Freedom Lessons is a candid and nuanced novel about a young Northern woman who spends a year teaching in the 1960s Jim Crow South. In the process, she learns more about herself and her country than she ever expected. Freedom Lessons is illuminating and gripping, and a worthy addition to the literature of the civil rights era.”―Amy Hill Hearth, New York Times and Washington Post best-selling author and recipient of two American Library Association Notable Book citations

”In her riveting novel, Eileen Sanchez makes us feel the pain of a Louisiana community as deeply rooted prejudice undercuts school integration. Through her three characters―a white teacher from out of state, a hometown teacher scarred by personal slights, and a high school senior denied a football career when his team is relegated to second string―we experience their heartfelt frustrations while wishing history had treated them more kindly. Sanchez’s fiction gives us a glimpse into the truth of a highly flawed time and place, and the corrosive nature of prejudice that unfortunately persists today.”―Michelle Cameron, author of The Fruit of Her Hands and Beyond the Ghetto Gates

”Told in alternating viewpoints, this impressive novel reaches back in time to the early days of school integration, and to a place in America where resistance to integration was substantial.”―Historical Novel Society

Overview

Claudia Morgan is overwhelmed. She’s a single parent trying the best that she can, but her four-year-old son, Henry, is a handful – for her and for his preschool. When Claudia hears about a school with an atypical teaching style near her Chicagoland home, she has to visit. 

The Hawthorne School is beautiful and has everything she dreams of for Henry: time to play outside, music, and art. The head of the school, Zelma, will even let Claudia volunteer to cover the cost of tuition. The school is good for Henry: His behavioral problems disappear, and he comes home subdued instead of rageful. But there’s something a bit off about the school, its cold halls, and its enigmatic headmistress. 

When Henry brings home stories of ceremonies in the woods and odd rules, Claudia’s instincts tell her that something isn’t quite right, and she begins to realize she’s caught in a web of manipulations and power. 

This exploration of what a mother will do for her child is guided by the author’s work with narcissistic manipulation and addictive power dynamics in her role as a psychotherapist.

Review

Claudia is a single parent with a child that is extremely “high strung”. She is constantly being called into the office of his school because of his behavior. She is at her wits end. But, when her friend suggests the Hawthorne School, she hopes she has found a solution.

The Hawthorne School has some unique techniques. Within the first couple of days, Claudia sees a new Henry. But, as time goes on, Claudia realizes there is more going on here than just a better behaved child.

Now…I hate to say this…and I did finish this book…but, I just didn’t like it. I don’t know if it is because it is a tad bit far fetched or if it just didn’t appeal to me. I also think Claudia is a bit gullible and that just didn’t sit well with me. I usually like “cult like” books. But, this one fell short

The narrator, Nan McNamara did a super job. Some narrators get on my nerves with the children’s voices. Nan did an excellent job with Henry.

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

Purchase Here

Chirp

Barnes and Noble

Audible

Amazon