Silenced Song by Gloria Marlow- BOOK SPOTLIGHT

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Reecaspieces

Silenced Song
By Gloria Marlow
Genre: Clean Romantic Suspense
 
Thirty years ago, the playful songs of three small girls was silenced forever. Now, someone watches the families they left behind, counting the days until the music dies once more.
 
When food editor Susanna Morgan returns to Parnell, Florida to oversee the sale of her childhood home and cover the annual Pomelo Festival for her magazine, she vows not to remain one minute longer than necessary. She doesn’t anticipate her attraction to the local pastor, a return of the faith she thought she’d lost, or the phone calls from her long dead sister.
 
Former pastor Grant Landon has enough on his plate – his mother’s increasing dementia, his ex-wife’s abandonment and remarriage, and his teenage daughter’s unbridled tongue – without adding his attraction to Susanna Morgan.
 
When a series of anonymous phone calls and sinister pranks makes it clear that someone is intent on opening old wounds and creating new ones, Susanna and Grant set out to unearth long-buried secrets and heal hurts that are decades old.
 
Can the faith they share bind them together, even as the past threatens to tear them apart?
 
About the Author


 
Gloria Marlow's heart is firmly planted in the northeast Florida neighborhood where she grew up in a family of commercial fishermen (and women!). Her home inspires her romantic suspense novels, allowing her to use beautiful settings from northeast Florida in her books. She's a homemaker at heart who loves cooking, Florida wine, making pickles & jellies, and her rapidly-growing pack of grandchildren.
 
http://gloriamarlow.weebly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/gloria.marlow
https://twitter.com/gloria_marlow
Preorder: https://www.amazon.com/Silenced-Song-Gloria-Marlow-ebook/dp/B0741PPNNZ/
 
 
 

Posted in Book Spotlight | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Reecaspieces

Overview

In this relentlessly paced novel of psychological suspense, New York Times bestselling author Michelle Richmond crafts an intense and shocking tale that asks: How far would you go to protect your marriage?

Newlyweds Alice and Jake are a picture-perfect couple. Alice, once a singer in a well-known rock band, is now a successful lawyer. Jake is a partner in an up-and-coming psychology practice. Their life together holds endless possibilities. After receiving an enticing wedding gift from one of Alice’s prominent clients, they decide to join an exclusive and mysterious group known only as The Pact.

The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact. And most of its rules make sense. Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly. Plan a trip together once per quarter. . . . Never mention The Pact to anyone.

Alice and Jake are initially seduced by the glamorous parties, the sense of community, their widening social circle of like-minded couples. And then one of them breaks the rules. The young lovers are about to discover that for adherents to The Pact, membership, like marriage, is for life. And The Pact will go to any lengths to enforce that rule. For Jake and Alice, the marriage of their dreams is about to become their worst nightmare.

Review

What is the making of a fabulous read? My thoughts changed on this book. It has always been a book which keeps me riveted and unable to put down. This book is there! I was unable to stop reading. I absolutely had to find out what was next. I was snatching 3 minutes here, 5 minutes there. Intense is an understatement. All of that being said…I did not figure out, until I was half way through this book, what I did not like. This is a five star read! I can’t put it down right??

The problem is….the characters. They do not act the way they should. Alice and Jake are highly intelligent people. Alice is an attorney and Jake is a therapist. They basically sign up to be in a cult. Yes! The Marriage Pact is a cult and a vicious one at that. These two “highly intelligent” people fall right into the trap of the Pact. They do no research. They never stop to think. They just blindly follow and sign everything in front of them…she is an attorney!! SHE KNOWS BETTER!! And Jake is no better….he does whatever Alice tells him to do. These two just didn’t fit the cult followers to me.

All of that out of the way. This is such a psychotic read! I was all over the place. I was mad, frightened, gasping for air and almost cried…TWICE!! The intensity of the feelings that pass through the reader during this novel is above and beyond. This is a non stop and crazy story. Do not miss this. It is worth every crazy step!

“The Pact had the mysterious draw of those things that both repulse and attract you at the same time” – The Marriage Pact

Purchase here

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The Brotherhood by Shannon Condon – BOOK SPOTLIGHT

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Reecaspieces

The Brotherhood
By Shannon Condon Ward
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
 
Starting where Finding Magdalena left off, nineteen-year-old Maggie marries her fiancé, Mateo and moves to Milan for his new job and her scholarship at the famous Milan Conservatory.  She has barely settled in her new home when Maggie uncovers the Brotherhood, a secret organization and finds herself unwittingly involved in its sinister plans.  Along with Shep and the rest of his team, she leads the covert mission to bring the Brotherhood to its knees.  
Once again, Maggie embarks on a dangerous journey that tests her mental and physical limits. Can she escape the Brotherhood’s long reach and survive?
 
About the Author

 
Born in upstate New York, I was raised in South Florida where I was exposed to a multicultural background. From the time I was in elementary school, I was writing prolifically in journals and poetry.  I attended the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and graduated with honors. Life happens and it was necessary for me to put my writing aspirations on hold for a while. I still wrote poetry as time allowed, but as a single mother of three boys, there wasn’t much time.  But time passes quickly and the opportunity presented itself for me to begin writing again. I developed the first story in Magdalena series, Finding Magdalena, in my head before I put anything down on paper. I had the storyline, well-developed characters and ending before I began writing. I also took the opportunity to travel to Spain and Italy to do location research. It was a labor of love.  I self- published my first book in September 2015 and then it was republished in the UK by Austin Macauley Publishers. The second book in the series, The Brotherhood, came pouring forth like a waterfall. The characters, now old friends to me, seemed to take over and write the book themselves. I am currently working on the third installment of the Magdalena series and another book which is a different genre, one that deals with the relationship between three generations of women over three time periods.  
 
For me, writing has always been a release, never work.  I hope that continues. When it becomes work, I will probably stop. Right now, just the idea that people read my work and find enjoyment in it is a thrill for me.
 
 
@shannonecondon1
https://shannonecondon.wixsite.com/shannoncondonauthor
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2rpvb9R
 

Posted in Book Spotlight | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris 

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Reecaspieces

Overview

If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?

Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside―the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped.

But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.

The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.
Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her.

Review

OOOOOOOOOO!!!!! So freaking good! I finished this book a few days ago and I am still thinking about it. It is difficult to put into words. I truly do not want to give anything away with my comments. Just know..this is a must read if you like psychological thrillers.

Cass has come upon what she thinks is a car broken down on the side of the road. She stops but does not get out her car. It is pouring down rain after all. She decides to head on home. Later she finds out the owner of the car was murdered in that very spot. Plus, the victim is someone she knew. This is the beginning of Cass' own breakdown.

"What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!" A great quote for this book. It is amazing the illusions the mind can play on you, as Cass is finding out. Did she really buy that?? Did she really sign this?? Is she really going crazy?? I love how the author tangles so much within this tale. It is brilliantly contrived.

I did have part of it figured out, just didn't have the whole picture. I am trying very hard not to give anything away. Twists and turns and figments of the imagination!!! This is a read not to be missed!


I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

I did meet B.A. Paris at Book Expo. Her accent is fabulous. Sadly, I did not get a picture but, I did get a signed ARC.

Purchase here

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Your Crossroads, Your Choice by E J Apicello  GUEST POST 

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Reecaspieces

Your crossroads. Your choice.

By EJ Apicello

Genre: Self-help

 

 

About the Book

 

Welcome to my diary, my journey, as I tripped and crawled through the darkest time in my life- when I witnessed people that I held incredibly close to me shatter my very existence with their words and actions. The things within this book spine are extremely raw and exceptionally real. You and I are going to get very close, the details in this book, although oddly general, are incredibly specific. Yes, I realize what I just said and as you read my words you will see what I mean. As you silently gasp and mentally bitch slap me, please be kind because my story is just that – my story. It is not any more or less special than yours. In fact the only difference between our stories are the choices we made at each of the crossroads in our lives. For most of my life the choices I made were not based on my happiness but on everyone else’s. This book describes what I have experienced in my journey to finding my happiness and hopefully never letting it go. Sadly, it took me thirty six years to find the strength I need to detoxify my life and self view and find someone who is worthy of my awesomeness. Thirty six years to shatter the negative foundation I had built shatter the ultimate representative I created to hide behind and begin the process of building a new foundation. Only this foundation will be built on strength, confidence and above all, happiness. So take a minute or thirty and sit with my story for a while. You never know what you might find out.

 

About the Author


 

Welcome to my real, crazy, emotional, probably too honest journey. I am an everyday girl in this everyday world trying to keep my head above water and within the pages of this book you will learn about the things that have broken me down and the steps I am taking to build back up. You will see, my new friends, that this story is written in a unique, general, conversational voice, which was my choice. I want you to be able to picture yourself in my shoes, relate my trials and tribulations to yours and see that you too can find your happiness. Even if you don’t realize this yet, every single one of us possesses things inside of ourselves that we didn’t know were there. It took my life taking a crazy right turn and dumping me at the lowest possible point before I could see the strength within myself. We are not defined by what we do, we are defined by the choices we make. I decided when I put pen to paper that I want my choices to start defining me as strong, confident, secure and above all else, happy. So, who am I? How about I tell you who I was – a self loathing shell of myself who put everyone else’s happiness before my own. Herein lies my story to find that happiness and all of the ups and downs along the way. See who I was and who I am trying to become and maybe, somewhere in there, you will find out a little about yourself too. 

@ejapicello

facebook.com/ejapicello

Twww.ejapicello.com 

On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2rPj2ys

 On B&N: http://bit.ly/2rPcMqn

Guest Post

Raise your hand if you have ever browsed through Instagram, Facebook or any other social media platform and instantly felt crappy about your own life because you are looking at all the wonderful, seemingly effortless things your friends, family, distant acquaintances and even celebrities are posting about. Newflash here, everyone’s life is a hot mess. In fact, the reason why people post all of those amazing dinners, perfect outfits or workouts accomplished is because we all need to be validated. For some reason we have decided as a society that this validation can not be achieved simply by working our way through this game of life without a playbook. The heightened social awareness has caused people to strive to constantly be recognized for their very best. Can you imagine a world where you were judged based solely on your social media popularity? To me, that sounds like a Twilight Zone nightmare, one step away from talking Tina and the pig people. Could you spend every waking minute that you are in the presence of other people, having to keep up the perfection we filter, crop and hashtag online?

 

Take it from someone who has spent their life attempting to live with that perfect persona 24/7, it isn’t sustainable. The only thing you will accomplish is burning out and breaking down. I have dubbed this perfect, albeit false, sense of me as an “ultimate representative”. Basically, it comes down to taking the idea of putting your best foot forward to an extreme level. It is human nature to dust ourselves off and spruce ourselves up before a major event – first date, job interview, induction into the karate hall of fame. However after the the first kiss has been planted, the job has been won, or the ceremony comes to an end, most people return back to the sustainable, realistic versions of themselves allowing things we purposely hid from the public eye during those major events come back into the open. Our everyday person contains our good parts, but also naturally contains some not so good parts. We are human after all, raised by imperfect people who in turn were raised by imperfect people, and so on. We can all agree that this cycle is as old as our very existence no matter how you believe man came to be.

 

At a very young age, even before I realized what I was doing, I created this permanent shield, my ultimate representative, to hide behind because I wanted people to only see the good parts of me at all times, the ones that I knew would not be rejected. If ever there was a situation where a piece of the “real me” peeked through and was noticed, it made my life too uncomfortable to continue, even if the response to my true self was not in a negative way. To add insult to injury, this facade of pathetic perfection has followed me from childhood straight through until about a year ago, and I am well into adulthood at this point. I worked tirelessly to always ensure that the things I did, opinions I voiced, or actions I took, were perfect and correct because only then would I allow myself to feel successful.

 

Wait, what? Successful? How on this green Earth could I, or anyone for that matter, think that my personal, intrinsic, success could be quantified by how other people saw me or perceived my actions? My personal success, as is yours, as is everyone’s, is determined only by yourself. Remember, I am not talking about career success, car success, or house success those are all material things. The way you feel about yourself, the you that you feel proud to show the world can only be decided upon within you. Be warned, I am going to request that you do a little homework now. When you have some time, find a quiet place and flip through your past actions and memories. Rewind past all of your major life events where you would have displayed your regular representative and instead, focus on the everyday, how you handled the little things. What version of yourself did you show the world, the true you or only the best parts of you? How hard did you work in order to make other people happy so that their versions of you they saw appeared successful? Are you hiding behind your ultimate representative as I was?

 

Posted in Book Spotlight, Guests posts | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Two Nights by Kathy Reichs

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Reecaspieces


Overview

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs steps beyond her classic Temperance Brennan series in a new standalone thriller featuring a smart, tough, talented heroine whose thirst for justice stems from her own dark past. 

Meet Sunday Night, a woman with physical and psychological scars, and a killer instinct. . . . 

Sunnie has spent years running from her past, burying secrets and building a life in which she needs no one and feels nothing. But a girl has gone missing, lost in the chaos of a bomb explosion, and the family needs Sunnie’s help. 

Is the girl dead? Did someone take her? If she is out there, why doesn’t she want to be found? It’s time for Sunnie to face her own demons because they just might lead her to the truth about what really happened all those years ago. 

Review

 I love Sunnie. Yes her name is really Sunday Night. She is a recluse and lives on Goat Island outside of Charleston. Oh my! Sounds like my dream place. She has had some rough experiences in her life. This has led her to be the recluse she is. I was automatically connected to her. Her  toughness and her intellect are not to be tangled with. 

Sunnie is drawn out of her paradise by an aristocratic, Charlstonian woman looking for lost granddaughter and the murderers of her family. Sunnie has her work cut out for her. Believe me! She can handle it and she does!

This is a winding tale through many cities and has some pretty brawny and tenacious criminals. I enjoyed how this story almost races you to the finish line. It is well written with a few quirky characters and phrases that catch you off guard. 

This did start out as a five star read for me. However, it seamed to drag just a little in the middle. But, that did not last long.  It has been years since I have read Kathy Reichs. And for the life of me, I cannot figure out why I stopped. This book just got me hooked on her again!

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review. 


Purchase Here 

Barnes and Noble

Amazon
Goodreads

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale 

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Reecaspieces


Overview

A luminous debut with unexpected twists, Everything We Keep explores the devastation of loss, the euphoria of finding love again, and the pulse-racing repercussions of discovering the truth about the ones we hold dear and the lengths they will go to protect us.

Sous chef Aimee Tierney has the perfect recipe for the perfect life: marry her childhood sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents’ restaurant. But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.

As Aimee struggles to reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever.

Review

Aimee’s future just came to a halt. Instead of getting married she is attending the funeral of her fiancé, on the same day she is supposed to get married. But, as she is leaving the funeral, someone tells her that James is still alive.  Who would do this to her? And why?? 

Aimee was a bit of a struggle for me. I did not have the expected connection with her. She was more of a blah character. She also did not act the way many people would have in her situation. Aimee has been told by a psychic her fiancé is alive. She receives several major hints and clues. But, she waits 17 months to try and search for James. I understand it is a psychic which tells her about James. But she receives several great clues but does not pursue. It is not really clear in the book why she waits so long. 

I know it sounds like I did not like this story. Oh….but I did!! This is only a minor set back in this tale. There are still many great qualities to this book. I was completely caught up in the mystery of James’ disappearance and kudos to the author for several unexpected plot twists and turns. This really kept me reading and enjoying till the very last page! And guess what!! There is another book in this series!! To be continued……

I received this book from Netgalley for a honest review.

Purchase Here 

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Marquess Searches for Love by Katy Walters – BOOK SPOTLIGHT 

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Reecaspieces

The Marquess Searches for Love

By Katy Walters

Genre: Regency Romance

 

Lady Rosamond Whitney agrees to attend the Little Season, the Autumn marriage mart, in support of her widowed friend Lady Harriett Templeton. However, she has no wish to find a husband for herself as her heart lies in developing a stud farm and racing her beloved British Arabians.  

 

About the Author


USA Today Best-Selling author, Katy Walters e.books, and paperbacks are purchased and read in their thousands on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. Katy lives in the midst of Regency towns on the South Coast of England. Her main interests are historical; contemporary suspense romance, and time travel. She is equally drawn to the paranormal based on mythology and the Dark Ages. 
After studying at various universities Katy was awarded a B.A Hons (psych) B.A.(Soc.) B.A. Eng Lit & Creative Writing and an M.A. She was also awarded a Doctor of Science (Hon) for research into pain control. She pursued a fulfilling career as a research psychologist and psychotherapist and gained a fellowship in hypnotherapy. She now enjoys writing over several genres. At present Katy is working on a novel based on psychology and hypnosis. 

 

Twitter https://twitter.com/@katywalters07 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Katy.Walters2

katywaltersreviews.com

On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qU7YkL

On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2qYyCnp

GUEST POST

Posted in Book Spotlight | 2 Comments

Before Everything by Victoria Redel

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Reecaspieces


Overview

Before Everything is a celebration of friendship and love between a group of women who have known each another since they were girls. They’ve faced everything together, from youthful sprees and scrapes to mid-life turning points. Now, as Anna, the group’s trailblazer and brightest spark, enters hospice, they gather to do what they’ve always done—talk and laugh and help each other make choices and plans, this time in Anna’s rural Massachusetts home. Helen, Anna’s best friend and a celebrated painter, is about to remarry. The others face their own challenges—Caroline with her sister’s mental health crisis; Molly with a teenage daughter’s rebellion; Ming with her law practice—dilemmas with kids and work and love. Before Everything is as funny as it is bittersweet, as the friends revel in the hilarious mistakes they’ve seen each another through, the secrets kept, and adventures shared. But now all sense of time has shifted, and the pattern of their lives together takes on new meaning. The novel offers a brilliant, emotionally charged portrait, deftly conveying the sweep of time over everyday lives, and showing how even in difficult endings, gifts can unfold. Above all it is an ode to friendship, and to how one person shapes the journeys of those around her.

Review

This book was sort of blah for me. I was really surprised it hit me this way. This type of book is usually right in my wheelhouse. It started pretty depressing to begin with. Then the characters were completely disconnected to each other and the reader. I was shocked with the pettiness some of the characters showed.  I mean…one of their best friends is dying and they are wondering why they are not liked by the other women in the group. Come on…what’s important here! I did eventually bail on the book. I gave it a good ole college try. I made it through a quarter of the book before I decided it wasn’t for me. I usually don’t post bad reviews because the author works very hard to put a book out in the world. And this is just MY OPINION. 

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review. 

Purchase Here 

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Kiss My Boots by Harper Sloan #XOXperts 

Posted on July 6, 2017 by Reecaspieces


Overview 

In this second of the sultry, Western-set Coming Home series from New York Times bestselling author Harper Sloan, Quinn Davis might finally have a shot at her own happily-ever-after—but will she let love in, or will she tell it to go ahead and kiss her boots?

Quinn Davis prefers to live her life quietly. She’s the stereotypical tomboy with two overprotective big brothers who have always been there to protect her, especially from devilishly handsome cowboys with silver tongues. That is, until Tate Montgomery comes riding into town. Their first meeting, however, is far from something out of a fairy tale and only further convinces Quinn that men aren’t worth her time.

The only place Tate Montgomery ever truly felt at home growing up was during the long, sweltering summer months he spent at his Gram and Paw’s farm in Pine Oak, Texas. Now, Tate has returned to his childhood sanctuary seeking a fresh start—but if he’s being entirely honest, he’s not just back for the wranglers and Stetsons. During those summers, Quinn was a friend-turned-young-love who Tate lost when life threw him a curveball and he cut all ties to his past; but all it takes is one glance at the raven-haired beauty he did his best to forget for him to realize just how much he’s been missing….

Review 

Quinn has been hurt by Tate in the past. Never in a million years did she think she would ever hear from him again. Then comes the phone call….totally rocks her world!

First off…I love the title! And Quinn is not afraid to say it! She is a tough ol’girl and she can remodel a truck like nobody’s business. This is one of the things I love about Harper Sloan. Her female characters are no nonsense  and usually work hard to create their own world before they bring a guy into it. Especially Quinn, she doesn’t need a man.  She is her own person! 

Tate is a fine, sexy, hot….oh heck…I could go on and on! Let me start again. Tate is a fine, sexy doctor. He fell in love with Quinn years ago. But circumstances pulled them apart. I don’t want to spoil anything….but this gets hot and spicy!! 🌶 🔥💋

This is the second in a series. I have read the first one,  The Lost Rider.  It is not necessary to read them in order.  But, neither one is to be missed.  Each have great characters, quirky sayings (I laughed so hard at a few, I nearly fell off the couch!) and steamy, sexy scenes. I  cannot wait for the next in the series…no way am I missing it!!

I received this novel from Simon and Schuster as part of the XOXPERTS.




Purchase Here

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments