reecaspieces

Overview

A powerful novel about a gutsy showgirl who tries to conquer her past amongst the glamour of 1960s Las Vegas–and finds unexpected fortune, friendship, and love.

It was unimaginable. When she was eight years old, Lily Decker somehow survived the auto accident that killed her parents and sister, but neither her emotionally distant aunt nor her all-too-attentive uncle could ease her grief. Dancing proves to be Lily’s only solace, and eventually, she receives a “scholarship” to a local dance academy–courtesy of a mysterious benefactor.

Grown and ready to leave home for good, Lily changes her name to Ruby Wilde and heads to Las Vegas to be a troupe dancer, but her sensual beauty and voluptuous figure land her work instead as a showgirl performing everywhere from Les Folies Bergere at the Tropicana to the Stardust’s Lido de Paris. Wearing costumes dripping with feathers and rhinestones, five-inch heels, and sky-high headdresses, Ruby may have all the looks of a Sin City success story, but she still must learn to navigate the world of men–and figure out what real love looks like.

With her uncanny knack for understanding the hidden lives of women, Elizabeth J. Church captures both the iconic extravagance of an era and the bravery of a young woman who dances through her sadness to find connection, freedom, and, most important, herself.

Review

Lilly’s family is killed in a car crash when she is just a small child. She is then raised by her aunt and uncle. It is a loveless home plus, she is abused by her uncle. However, through an anonymous benefactor, Lilly is allowed to take dance lessons. This becomes her lifeline and her saving grace. She uses her talent to escape her childhood and create and amazing life as Vegas showgirl.

When I started this book I almost put it down within the first chapter. I had just finished Before We Were Yours. I did not think I could handle any more child abuse. I am glad I didn’t stop…this is an amazing and fascinating read not to be missed.

I don’t think I have ever loved a more flawed character as I have Lilly or Ruby….she changes her name when she runs away to Las Vegas. She has resilience and astounding toughness. She makes some tragic mistakes but still manages to get her act together and come out on top!

I enjoyed learning the behind the scenes actions of a showgirl. There is a lot more to it besides the dancing and the costumes. The high-rollers, the partying, the philandering all make up a life I did not know existed. And all the money! Geez!

Lilly conquers some tragedies which most people could never overcome. She does this with a style and a strength which are above and beyond!

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

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Overview

Will Hurley was an attractive, charming, and impressive student at Dublin’s elite St. John’s College-and Ireland’s most prolific serial killer. Having stalked his four young victims, he drowned them in the muddy waters of the Grand Canal. Sentenced to life imprisonment when he was just nineteen, Will is locked away in the city’s Central Psychiatric Hospital.

Freshman Alison Smith moved to the Big Smoke to enrol in St. John’s and soon fell hard for Will Hurley. Her world bloomed … and then imploded when Liz, her best friend, became the latest victim of the Canal Killer-and the Canal Killer turned out to be the boy who’d been sleeping in her bed. Alison fled to the Netherlands and, in ten years, has never once looked back.

When a young woman’s body is found in the Grand Canal, Garda detectives visit Will to see if he can assist them in solving what looks like a copycat killing. Instead, Will tells them he has something new to confess-but there’s only one person he’s prepared to confess it to. The last thing Alison wants is to be pulled back into the past she’s worked so hard to leave behind. Reluctantly, she returns to the city she hasn’t set foot in for more than a decade to face the man who murdered the woman she was supposed to become.

Only to discover that, until now, Will has left out the worst part of all …

Review

Allison is only 19 when she falls in love with Will. And she falls hard and fast. Then girls begin to die. They find them in the canal, head injury and drowned. Then Will is arrested and Allison’s world completely changes. She moves out of the country to live her life away from the stigma of her boyfriend’s past. Then, cops show up and her door and she is pulled back in.

Allison is tougher than she comes across. I enjoy that about a character. You never know exactly what she is feeling when it comes to Will. Is she falling under his spell again? I like to be kept guessing! And Will, he is an enigma as well. Did he do it? If he didn’t, how did he spend 10 years in a psyche ward?

This started slow but then the mystery hooked me. I love how the author keeps the reader guessing all the way till the end. I did figure part of it out, but not all of it.

There are a few storylines not completed so I am thinking there may be a sequel in the works.

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

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Overview

Spring has come to Eternity Springs in the newest installment in this New York Times bestselling series by Emily March.

When Josh Tarkington gets stuck on a gondola with the lovely Caitlin Timberlake, he thinks his consistently bad luck might have changed.

After their blossoming romance is interrupted, Caitlin realizes that her encounter with Josh was a sign that she needed to make a major life change. So she packs up her things and moves to Eternity Springs, opens a day care, and sets her cap for the town’s mechanic—Josh.

But Josh is hiding a well of secrets that would ruin him, and his relationship with everyone in Eternity Springs—especially Caitlin. When tragedy strikes, Josh and Caitlin find themselves, and their relationship, tested beyond imagining. Will they be able to find their way back to each other?

Review

Caitlin is moving back to Eternity Springs, CO. She is leaving her high stressed job to start a daycare. Her parents are not real enthused about the idea nor are they real pleased with her new choice of a boyfriend, Josh. But, when Josh saves a child from an oncoming car, many people change their tune. However, Caitlin’s father doesn’t. He even hires a private detective to find out more about Josh.

I fell in love with Josh from the get go! He is moody, good-looking, has a handicapped dog, and has a past which he doesn’t want anyone to know about. Now, how can this go wrong? When Caitlin enters his life, he is determined to keep her at arms length. You know…friends with benefits. Luckily, it doesn’t turn out the way he plans.

I enjoyed this tale, probably more than I should. It is simple, quick, and very charming. Sometimes you just need an entertaining romance to kick start your week. I have never read Emily March. But, when I saw the cover and the title I just had to give this a whirl! I am really looking forward to her other books. This story hit the spot.

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

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Overview

The only writer in history to win consecutive Edgar Awards for Best Novel, New York Times bestselling author John Hart returns to the world of his most beloved novel, The Last Child

Building on the world first seen in The Last Child (“A magnificent creation” —The Washington Post), John Hart delivers a stunning vision of a secret world, rarely seen.

It’s been ten years since the events that changed Johnny Merrimon’s life and rocked his hometown to the core. Since then, Johnny has fought to maintain his privacy, but books have been written of his exploits; the fascination remains. Living alone on six thousand acres of once-sacred land, Johnny’s only connection to normal life is his old friend, Jack. They’re not boys anymore, but the bonds remain. What they shared. What they lost.

But Jack sees danger in the wild places Johnny calls home; he senses darkness and hunger, an intractable intent. Johnny will discuss none of it, but there are the things he knows, the things he can do. A lesser friend might accept such abilities as a gift, but Jack has felt what moves in the swamp: the cold of it, the unspeakable fear.

More than an exploration of friendship, persistence, and forgotten power, The Hush leaves all categories behind, and cements Hart’s status as a writer of unique power.

Review

Johnny and Jack have been best friends forever and have been through more than most friends. Check out The Last Child for more information about their past. Johnny has chosen to be a hermit and live on his land called Hush Arbor. Strange things occur on Hush Arbor. These strange things land Johnny in a mess of trouble.

Well….this is different! Really different! I think this book is classified wrong. It is classified as general fiction. I think it is more thriller/horror/fantasy. It really could fall into all those categories. I have been a fan of John Hart for a very long time. He took a chance with this book. But, it does show a unique, creative side of his mind. And I am thoroughly impressed!

The story may be strange and out of my genre but it was so compelling I could not stop reading. I fell for Johnny during The Last Child. He is a character which begs to be saved. Jack tries so hard to be there for him through thick and thin. There are some things Jack just cannot save him from.

The characters, the story, the mystery, all of these come together to create a page turner, an edge of your seat read….all the cliches fit this book! If done properly, this book would make a great movie!

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

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Overview

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on the true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov, two Slovakian Jews who survived Auschwitz and eventually made their home in Australia. In that terrible place, Lale was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival – literally scratching numbers into his fellow victims’ arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. Lale used the infinitesimal freedom of movement that this position awarded him to exchange jewels and money taken from murdered Jews for food to keep others alive. If he had been caught, he would have been killed; many owed him their survival.

There have been many books about the Holocaust – and there will be many more. What makes this one so memorable is Lale Sokolov’s incredible zest for life. He understood exactly what was in store for him and his fellow prisoners, and he was determined to survive – not just to survive but to leave the camp with his dignity and integrity intact, to live his life to the full. Terrible though this story is, it is also a story of hope and of courage. It is also – almost unbelievably – a love story. Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale – a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer – it was love at first sight, and he determined not only to survive himself but to ensure that Gita did, too. His story – their story – will make you weep, but you will also find it uplifting. It shows the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstances.

Like many survivors, Lale and Gita told few people their story after the war. They eventually made their way to Australia, where they raised a son and had a successful life. But when Gita died, Lale felt he could no longer carry the burden of their past alone. He chose to tell his story.

Review

Lale is the person who tattoos the numbers on all the prisoners of Auschwitz and Birkenau. This gives him some advantages the other prisoners do not have. He has more freedom and more rations. He does his best to share with everyone. Lale is also a thief. He has to be to survive. Gita is another prisoner. She meets Lale when he tattoos her arm. This changes their lives forever.

When I read a holocaust book, it always brings forefront…Man’s inhumanity to man. This book is no different. The starvation, the intelligence to survive, the pure meanness of the Nazis always amaze me. Lale and Gita have to be tough and smart to survive. And they did survive and find their way back to each other when the war ended.

However, for some reason, there is something missing in this novel. I think the character development could be so much better. I did not feel the connection to Lale and Gita as I should have. I also did not feel the connection BETWEEN Lale and Gita was very strong. But, this is still a good read with a strong love story throughout.

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

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