reecaspieces

Overview

The author of The Key to Happily Ever After—“a true gem filled with heart, laughs, and a cast of delightful characters” (Nina Bocci, USA TODAY bestselling author)—returns with a heartwarming and charming novel about a woman who travels to the Philippines to reconnect with her long-lost family…and manages to find herself along the way. 

Diana Gallagher-Cary is at a tipping point. As a Washington, DC, OB/GYN at a prestigious hospital, she uses her career to distract herself from her grief over her granny’s death and her breakup from her long-term boyfriend after her free-spirited mother moves in with her. But when she makes a medical decision that disparages the hospital, she is forced to go on a short sabbatical.

Never one to wallow, Diana decides to use the break to put order in her life, when her mother, Margo, stumbles upon a box of letters from her grandfather, Antonio Cruz, to her grandmother from the 1940s. The two women always believed that Antonio died in World War II, but the letters reveal otherwise. When they learn that he lived through the war, and that they have surviving relatives in the Philippines, Diana becomes determined to connect with the family that she never knew existed, though Margo refuses to face her history. But Diana pushes on, and heads on a once-in-a-lifetime trip that challenges her identity, family history, and her idea of romantic love that could change her life forever.

Infused with Tif Marcelo’s signature “sexy, adorable, and heartfelt” (Kate Meader, USA TODAY bestselling author) voice, Once Upon a Sunset is a moving and lyrical celebration of love, family, and second chances.

Review

Diana has caused some trouble at the hospital where she is a physician. So, she is “sort of” on a vacation. After her mother, Margo, discovers some old letters from WWII, Diana decides to take a trip to the Philippines.

Give me a family mystery any day and I am sold. I have enjoyed all of Tif’s books. This one has some of the best characters. I loved Diana’s mother. She was a mess. She and Diana had some great exchanges and conversations. I laughed out loud at some of their antics.

This is a heartwarming tale about family and love. I did think part of this story was far fetched especially when the family money comes into play…you must read this to find out. But, it is a very good, quick read! Grab your copy today!

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HAPPY LEAP YEAR!

Wow, what a great month for my Audible Reads. Thanks to my friends over on Litsy. I was able to read a lot more this month. Every month they hold a readathon called 24 before Monday. The reader tries to read 24 hours before Monday. I was able to participate this month because I was off the weekend it was held. I had a blast. I did a huge amount of “audio scrapping”. Here are the results!

I enjoyed this one. I am a huge fan of James Taylor talent and this was great and eye opening.

James Taylor

Celeste is Hilarious. If you do not follow her on instagram…you need to! She absolutely brightens my day. When this book started…I was like… “I will not like this!” But it turned out to be crazy funny! I LOVED IT!

Challenge Accepted

Lisa Jewell does it again. I am playing catch up with the author. I have not read many of her books so I listened to this one. It was intricate and very intense.

Then She Was Gone

This one fell short. I finished it but it was eye rolling in places…and I hated the main character! He was mean and obnoxious!

One Lavender Ribbon

This one is super good. Highly recommend!

Turtles All the Way Down

That’s it for February. What did you read this month? Enquiring minds want to know!

Overview

Release Date:  March 10, 2020

Publisher: Rare Bird Books

A high school senior, Jack Duncan dreams of playing college baseball and leaving the political turmoil of the agricultural town Delano behind. Ever since his father, a grape grower, died ten years earlier, he’s suspected that his mother has been hiding the truth from him about the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

With his family’s property on the verge of a tax sale, Jack drives an old combine into town to sell it. On the road, an old friend of his father shows up with evidence that Jack’s father was murdered. Armed with this new information, Jack embarks on a mission to discover the entire truth, not just about his father but the corruption endemic in the Central Valley.

When Jack’s girlfriend warns him not to do anything to jeopardize their post graduation plans and refuses to help him, Jack turns to his best friend, Adrian, the son of a boycotting field worker who works closely with Cesar Chavez. The boys’ dangerous plan to rescue the Duncan family farm leaves Adrian in a catastrophic situation, and Jack must step up to the plate and rescue his family and his friend before he can make his escape from Delano.

The Road to Delano is the path Jack and Adrian must take to find their strength, their duty, their destiny.

Review

Jack is a high school baseball player with dreams of making it big in the major leagues. However, life tends to get in the way. His best friend is thrown in jail. Plus, he finds out his deceased father was actually murdered. He must find the strength to save his family, his friend, the vineyard and see his father’s murderer in jail.

Jack is such a tough character. I enjoyed his spunk and determination. Nothing is going to stop him. I also enjoyed the wild ride the author puts you through. The migrant workers strike, the small town politics and even Cesar Chavez making an appearance are enough to keep the tension running high all the way through this book. 

This is a fierce and powerful novel, basically about struggling through life when it throws you curve balls! Don’t miss this provocative tale!

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

About the Author

John DeSimone is a published writer, novelist, and teacher. He’s been an adjunct professor and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University. His recent co-authored books include Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan (Little A Publishers), and Courage to Say No by Dr. Raana Mahmood, about her struggles against sexual exploitation as a female physician in Karachi. His published novel Leonardo’s Chair published in 2005.

In 2012, he won a prestigious Norman Mailer Fellowship to complete his most recent historical novel, Road to Delano. His novels Leonardo’s Chair and No Ordinary Man have received critical recognition.

He works with select clients to write stories of inspiration and determination and with those who have a vital message to bring to the marketplace of ideas in well-written books. https://www.johndesimone.com/

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookwriter718/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/johndesimone1969

Overview

In New York Times bestseller Steve Berry’s latest Cotton Malone adventure, one by one the seven precious relics of the Arma Christi, the weapons of Christ, are disappearing from sanctuaries across the world. 

After former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone witnesses the theft of one of them, he learns from his old boss, Stephanie Nelle, that a private auction is about to be held where incriminating information on the president of Poland will be offered to the highest bidder—blackmail that both the United States and Russia want, but for vastly different reasons. 

The price of admission to that auction is one of the relics, so Malone is first sent to a castle in Poland to steal the Holy Lance, a thousand-year-old spear sacred to not only Christians but to the Polish people, and then on to the auction itself. But nothing goes as planned and Malone is thrust into a bloody battle between three nations over information that, if exposed, could change the balance of power in Europe. 

From the tranquil canals of Bruges, to the elegant rooms of Wawel Castle, to deep beneath the earth into an ancient Polish salt mine, Malone is caught in the middle of a deadly war—the outcome of which turns on a secret known as the Warsaw Protocol.

Review

Cotton is on the chase to find a historical relic, The Holy Lance. He needs it to get into an auction. An auction which involves several nations to purchase information. Little does he know how deadly this game will become.

Well, the past few Cotton Malone books have been a complete failure for me. Steve Berry redeems himself in the read. The history and the chase in this tale really keep the reader engrossed. I loved the old castles and the salt mine. I do not think I have ever read a book with a salt mine. Wow! What a unique way to throw in hidden rooms and secrets!

This story is very well researched and extremely intense. I have bailed on the last couple of books in this series. But this one moved like lightening and had me looking up some of the places mentioned and some of the artifacts. I love a book which has ME researching.

I would start at the beginning of this series if you have never read about Cotton Malone. There is a lot to be understood about Cotton’s situations and where he is today.

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

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Overview

An ingeniously witty novel about the risks—and rewards—of opening your life to new people by Amazon Charts bestselling author Camille Pagán.

No new people: that’s Annie Mercer’s vow. It’s bad enough that her boss sabotaged her chemistry career and her best friend tried to cure her with crystals. But after her fiancé, Jon, asks for space while he’s gallivanting around Paris, Annie decides she needs space too—from everyone.

Yet when Harper moves in next door, Annie can’t help but train a watchful eye on the glamorous but fragile young woman. And if keeping Harper safe requires teaming up with Mo, a maddeningly optimistic amateur detective, who is she to mind her own business?

Soon Annie has let not one but two new people into her life. Then Jon reappears—and he wants her to join him in France. She’s pretty sure letting anyone get close won’t end well. So she must decide: Is another shot at happiness worth the risk?

Review

Annie’s life has recently taken a turn for the worse. Her fiancé has just up and left for Paris, WITHOUT HER! She has lost her job as a chemist because of a supreme *$#@**. Now she is cleaning houses to try and make ends meet. Annie decides she is just going to take a break from everyone. However, this doesn’t work out as well as she wants it to. She has a new neighbor, Harper. Harper sets off alarm bells and Annie just cannot seem to stay out of Harper’s business.

Annie tickled the mess out of me. She just can’t seem to get it together. She is smart and efficient, but things just keep twisting around and creating havoc in her life. Does she take this lying down….oh never! She continues to try and get her life back on track. And it is a challenge!

This is a cute and entertaining story. It moves quickly and you just can’t help but be captivated by all of Annie’s antics. Sometimes you just need a light hearted book to get you through. This tale hit the spot!

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

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Overview

Discover a fresh new voice! Jo McNally delivers an emotionally powerful story of finding love after heartbreak, its challenges and its rewards.

She’s ready to shed her good-girl ways…

“You’re all about following the rules now? Pity.”

Mackenzie Wallace hopes there’s still some bad boy lurking beneath single father Danny Adams’s upright exterior. Being the proverbial good girl left her brokenhearted and alone in the past. Now she’s back in town and wants excitement with her high school crush—not love. Dan knows their connection runs deep, despite Mackenzie’s protests. But will their new personas work together—especially when Dan’s secret is exposed?

Experience more relatable stories featuring true-to-life characters in Gallant Lake Stories:
A Man You Can Trust
It Started at Christmas…
Her Homecoming Wish

From Harlequin Special Edition:Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

Review

Mackenzie cannot believe she is back in her home town. Growing up, she was determined to leave and never come back, except to visit. Now, here she is, helping out in her dad’s liquor store. Since her failed marriage, she is licking her wounds. Mackenzie decides she is no longer going to be a goody-two-shoes. She is going to step out of her comfort zone. Sherriff deputy Dan may have a thing or two to say about this.

Mackenzie has had a crush on Dan since high school. It does not take much to ignite the old flame. I reveled in these two together. They matched so well! Dan became a great comfort for Mackenzie and as a reader, you just felt his strength and compassion.

This is a good palate cleanser, pleasure read…whatever you want to call it. It is a good, easy and quick romance to get lost in. It is part of a series. I have not read the others books and did not feel lost at all. This can be a stand alone read. But, don’t worry! I will go back and read the others! I enjoyed this one and I don’t want to miss anything!

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

About the author

Jo McNally lives in upstate New York with 100 pounds of dog and 200 pounds of husband – her slice of the bed is very small. When she’s not writing or reading romance novels (or clinging to the edge of the bed…), she can often be found on the back porch sipping wine with friends, listening to an eclectic playlist. If the weather is perfect, she might join her husband on the golf course, where she always feels far more competitive than her actual skill-level would suggest.

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Overview

Can the witness protection program keep her identity secret?
After Allison James finally escapes her marriage to a monster, she becomes the star witness in the case against her deceased husband’s powerful crime family. Now it’s up to US Marshal Jaxson Stevens, Ali’s ex-boyfriend, to keep the WITSEC widow safe. But as the danger escalates and sparks fly, will Jax be able to help Ali escape her ruthless in-laws?

Review

Allison has no idea she has married into a crime family. She thinks she has finally found the love of her life. The abuse and horror she begins to face every day becomes overwhelming. Then her father-in-law kills her husband and threatens to take her as his own. She finally finds the strength to run!

Allison has agreed to be the star witness against this crime family. She is being protected at a secure location. But, her handler has been injured in an accident. Enter, Jaxson Stevens. Allison and Jaxson have a past. (Now how convenient is that!).

These two have a rough go at first. It is awkward and just a tad stiff between Allison and Jaxson. But, as the suspense and danger builds, so does their relationship.

As most of you know, romantic suspense is one of my guilty pleasures. I can get so lost in a good romance when the hot guy sweeps in a saves the damsel in distress. And trust me….this one is a good one! This is a very quick read. It moves like lightening plus…I adored Jaxson. He is my favorite type….strong and silent.

Grab your copy today! You will not be disappointed!

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

About the author

DEBRA WEBB is the award winning, USA Today bestselling author of more than 150 novels, including reader favorites the Faces of Evil, the Colby Agency, and the Shades of Death series. With more than four million books sold in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood on a farm in Alabama. Visit Debra at www.DebraWebb.com

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EXCERPT:

She shivered. The fire had gone out. She kept on her jacket while she added logs to the fireplace and kindling to get it started. Within a couple of minutes, the fire was going. She’d had a fireplace as a kid, so relearning her way around this one hadn’t been so bad. She went back to the kitchen and turned on the kettle for tea.

Bob growled low in his throat and stared toward the front door.

She froze. Her phone was in her hip pocket. Her gun was still in her waistband at the small of her back. This was something else Marshal Holloway had insisted upon. He’d taught her how to use a handgun. They’d held many target practices right behind this cabin.

A creak beyond the front door warned that someone was on the porch. She eased across the room and went to the special peephole that had been installed. There was one on each side of the cabin, allowing for views all the way around. A man stood on the porch. He was the typical local cowboy. Jeans and boots. Hat in his hands. Big truck in the drive. Just like Marshal Holloway.

But she did not know this man.

“Alice Stewart, if you’re in there, it’s okay for you to open the door. I’m Sheriff Colt Tanner. Branch sent me.”

Her heart thudding, she held perfectly still. Branch would never send someone to her without letting her know first. If for some reason he couldn’t tell her in advance, they had a protocol for these situations.

She reached back, fingers curled about the butt of her weapon. Bob moved stealthily toward the door.

“I know you’re concerned about opening the door to a stranger, but you need to trust me. Branch has been in an accident, and he’s in the hospital undergoing surgery right now. No matter that his injuries were serious, he refused to go into surgery until he spoke to me and I assured him I would look after you, ma’am.”

Worry joined the mixture of fear and dread churning inside her. She hoped Branch wasn’t hurt too badly. He had a wife and a daughter.

She opened her mouth to ask about his condition, but then she snapped it shut. The man at her door had not said the code word.