reecaspieces

Overview

A vividly told, triumphant story that follows one of the thousands of young Irish women shipped to Australia after the Famine as part of the Earl Grey Scheme, whose indomitable bravery in an exotic, danger-laden land helped shape a new country. For readers of Ellen Marie Wiseman, Sarah Loudin Thomas, Amanda Skenandore and Marie Benedict.

They survived Ireland’s Great Hunger to build a new society in untamed Australia . . .

1848: The girls, 4,000 in all, come from every part of Ireland—from the shores of Galway to the Glens of Ulster and Belfast’s teeming streets—to board ships bound for Australia. All were chosen from Ireland’s crowded workhouses. Most are orphans. The Earl Grey Scheme was presented as an opportunity for young women to gain employment as domestic servants in the Colony. But there is another, unstated purpose—the girls are to “civilize” the many men sent there as convicts, so that settlements can be built.

Kate Gilvarry has spent six months in a Newry workhouse, subsisting on a diet of watery porridge. She knows there’s no future for her either within its walls or outside, in a ravaged, starving land. But once Kate’s ship completes the harrowing voyage, she and her companions find their reception in Sydney dismayingly unwelcoming, as anti-Irish sentiment grows. Homesick, and disillusioned by love following a shipboard crush, Kate strives to fit in, first as the servant of a demanding English woman, then as a farmer’s bride in the Outback.

When heat and drought force her husband to leave for long periods to work on a sheep ranch, Kate is left alone to fend off wild animals, drifters, and her aching loneliness. She longs to return to Ireland. But first, this beautiful, unforgiving country will teach her about resilience and survival, and the limitless possibilities that come with courage and love.

Evocative and compelling, The Famine Orphans is a testament to the young women whose pioneering spirit left an enduring legacy in a land so far from home.

Review

Kate’s family has lost everything during Ireland’s potato famine. They have been sent to the workhouse where things are not much better. So, when an interesting opportunity arrives to go to Australia and start a new life, Kate takes it!

Kate is definitely a strong young lady. She basically spends a few years as an indentured servant before things fall apart and she has to move on. She ends up married and in the Outback. But things do not go as planned there either. And you will need to read this to find out!

This story takes you on a wild ride that you won’t soon forget. I enjoyed this time period and definitely this setting. It has been a while since I have visited Australia in a book and it was a much needed journey.

Need a compelling story that will take you from Ireland to Australia…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

Southern bestselling sensation” (Katie Couric Media) Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a delightfully moving new novel about a mother-daughter duo learning to lean on their community of women—and each other—after their world is turned upside down.

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?

“Perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner” (Country Living), Beach House Rulesis a charming exploration of the joy of friendship, the true meaning of family, and reclaiming the power to reshape our own destiny.

Review

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris are in a mess. Their family funds are blocked and Charlotte has not worked in years. Luckily, Alice Bailey steps up and takes these two into her home…or mommune as she likes to call it. Little do these two know, the friends in this home will be their saving grace.

I loved Charlotte’s strength. She struggles for sure but she is not down for the count. And Iris! She is not weakling either. She is determined to find out what happened that caused her dad to get arrested. And this leads to some unique situations!

Now, this does read a bit like a coming of age story. It focuses on Iris and her friends more than I expected. This is minor…just something that I noticed.

Need a beach read that takes you on quest for the truth…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Editor’s Pick 2025

“A sparkling and fiercely tragic biofic of Baby Doe’s daughter, the dazzling Silver Dollar. Readers will hang on as desperately as Silver doing her Slide for Life act to see how her story unfolds.” ~BookList

“Rosenberg’s prose is as sharp as small daggers, her images leap off the page. If the hectic pacing and amnesiac gaps are occasionally disorienting, they are also thrilling.” ~BlueInk Review

“Riches to ruin, a star’s dangerous double life. Silver Dollar’s fall births a vengeful alter ego. High-wire peril, mesmerizing tigers, ambition vs. madness. A dark, magical tale ignites a terrifying transformation. ~Kirkus Review

A Spellbinding Saga of Ambition, Identity, and Redemption. Based on a true story.

Chicago, 1920s: Movie starlet Silver Dollar Tabor’s glittering life shatters after a brutal attack awakens a hidden self. Plunging into the city’s dangerous underworld of burlesque speakeasies, she blurs the lines between ambition and destruction, testing her love for screenwriter Carl. This Jazz Age, Prohibition-era tale explores the dark side of fame and the fragility of identity.

Colorado, 1932: Haunted by Silver’s disappearance, her mother, Baby Doe, fights to save their family’s silver mine. A desperate search for her daughter unearths a shocking truth, rewriting their history. This dual timeline novel weaves a tale of resilience and the enduring bond between mother and daughter.

From the dazzling heights of the Flapper era to the rugged legacy of silver mining, Rebecca Rosenberg’s “Silver Echoes” delivers a gripping historical fiction experience. Baby Doe Tabor’s relentless quest for truth unearths the secrets of Silver Dollar Tabor. Perfect for fans of strong women in historical novels and stories based on real events.

What really happened to Silver Dollar Tabor? And can her mother uncover the truth before it’s too late?

“Entertaining, fast-paced, and deliciously immersive! A thrilling story of love, loss, and belonging. Highly recommend!” – Michelle Cox, author of The Fallen Woman’s Daughter

Silver Echoes grips from page one, throwing you into the dangerous worlds of a determined mother and a daughter entangled with Chicago’s underworld. A vivid and thrilling historical tale. ~Midwest Review

Reader Advisory: Silver Echoes explores complex themes including sexual violence, violence, and dissociative identity disorder.

Review

Chicago, 1920s: Movie starlet Silver Dollar Tabor’s glittering life shatters after a brutal attack awakens a hidden self. Plunging into the city’s dangerous underworld of burlesque speakeasies, she blurs the lines between ambition and destruction, testing her love for screenwriter Carl. This Jazz Age, Prohibition-era tale explores the dark side of fame and the fragility of identity.

Wow, I learned a great deal in this novel. This novel is based on a real person, Silver Tabor. She is the daughter of Horace and Baby Doe Tabor. Her father was a silver baron. And when he loses his money things start to fall apart. But, Silver just keeps reinventing herself. But she is fractured in her mind and her struggles are real.

This is told in two different time lines and the authors did a fabulous job. This story has everything…charismatic characters, great history and intensity.

Need a tale set in a fabulous time period…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest opinion.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

The New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday and The Ways We Hide shines a light on shocking events surrounding Portland’s dark history in this gripping novel of love, lore, and betrayal.

She came from a lineage known for good fortune … by those who don’t know the whole story.

Oregon, 1888. Amid the subterranean labyrinth of Portland’s notorious Shanghai Tunnels, a woman awakens in an underground cell, drugged and disguised. Celia soon realizes she’s a “shanghaied” victim on the verge of being shipped off as forced labor, leaving behind those she loves most. Although well accustomed to adapting for survival—being half-Chinese, passing as white during an era fraught with anti-Chinese sentiment—she fears that far more than her own fate hangs in the balance.

As she pieces together the twisting path that led to her abduction, from serving as a maid for the family of a dubious mayor to becoming entwined in the case of a goldminers’ massacre, revelations emerge of a child left in peril. Desperate, Celia must find a way to escape and return to a place where unearthed secrets could prove deadlier than the dark recesses of Chinatown.

A captivating tale of resilience and hope, The Girls of Good Fortune explores the complexity of family and identity, the importance of stories that echo through generations, and the power of strength found beneath the surface.

Review

Celia is half Chinese and she is a house maid for the mayor of her town. She is also in love with the mayor’s son. This forbidden love soon leads to her downfall. As you can guess, she gets pregnant. But from there, her story takes a unique twist.

Celia ends up becoming a maid for a brothel. This becomes her saving grace and it puts her in danger as well!

This story takes on the prejudices against the Chinese, the resilience to survive and the power of love. And believe me, it will also have you researching the tunnels and the history of Portland. I enjoy a book which has me researching!

I did fluctuate between 4 and 5 stars. The reason I settled on 4 stars is part of this story just seems a bit far fetched. When Cecilia is Shanghaied and ends up on a boat full of men, I just don’t think she could have hid her identity for that long of a time period AND I do not think she could have escaped the way she did. But, it sure makes for a dramatic read.

Need a fast paced, intricate tale full of drama, heartbreak and great history…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

One of Goodreads Most Anticipated Books of 2025!

Four strangers time travel to the past and find themselves stuck on the day all their lives were changed in this stunning speculative mystery from award-winning film and television producer Dete Meserve, perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Wrong Place Wrong Time and The Paradox Hotel.

What would you do if you could spend an hour in your past? Four strangers in the beach town of Ventura, California are about to find out. 

Elizabeth aches for one more precious hour with her son who died in a senseless accident. Andy is desperate to find his first love who vanished after a whirlwind romance. Logan craves the rush of surfing and mountain climbing, yearning to reclaim the freedom he lost after a misstep landed him in a wheelchair. Brooke is looking for an hour of relief from the guilt of an unforgivable mistake.

Enter Aeon Expeditions, the groundbreaking time travel invention of Mark Saunders—which allows some lucky clients  the chance to spend an hour in their past. Even though Aeon’s technology ensures time travel can’t alter the future, all four clients, including Mark’s ex-wife Elizabeth, yearn to revisit the hour that changed their lives forever. 

But when their “hour” extends beyond sixty minutes, they find themselves stranded in the past. As their paths intertwine unexpectedly, they unearth shocking secrets hidden in the shadows of their shared history: All their lives were shattered the same night on a secluded highway by the beach. As they delve into the hidden truths of that pivotal hour, a startling revelation emerges. They were not alone. Someone else was present, harboring deadly intentions.

The Memory Collectors is a heart-wrenching, genre-bending novel brimming with hope, grief and second chances.

Review

This is a book that I had to sit on a while before I wrote my review. It is very heavy and emotional and I needed to digest it first.

Elizabeth aches for one more precious hour with her son who died in a senseless accident. Andy is desperate to find his first love who vanished after a whirlwind romance. Logan craves the rush of surfing and mountain climbing, yearning to reclaim the freedom he lost after a misstep landed him in a wheelchair. Brooke is looking for an hour of relief from the guilt of an unforgivable mistake…enter Enter Aeon Expeditions, the groundbreaking time travel invention.

At first, I was not sure I was going to like this tale. I mean, time travel??? But the author made it work and created some fabulous characters with huge feelings. They were not to be ignored!

This tale will take you on an emotional ride that you will not soon forget. And you absolutely root for every character to get their wish. Because if they get their wish, then the tragedies did not happen.

Need a unique tale which will make you look at the past just a little differently…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

On Little Great Island, climate change is disrupting both life and love

After offending the powerful pastor of a cult, Mari McGavin has to flee with her six-year-old son. With no money and no place else to go, she returns to the tiny Maine island where she grew up—a place she swore she’d never see again. There Mari runs into her lifelong friend Harry Richardson, one of the island’s summer residents, now back himself to sell his family’s summer home. Mari and Harry’s lives intertwine once again, setting off a chain of events as unexpected and life altering as the shifts in climate affecting the whole ecosystem of the island…from generations of fishing families to the lobsters and the butterflies. 

Little Great Island Illustrates in microcosm the greatest changes of our time and the unyielding power of love.

Review

Mari and her young son have run away from a cult. She returns to the tiny Maine island where she grew up. But, things have changed. The climate issues have made life much harder on this island. Mari is determined to try and correct what she can, even if it is a run in with one of her old friends.

As beautiful as the island sounds, and trust me, it sounds beautiful, this novel talked a bit too much about it. I know, I know…it was just a bit overloaded with ecosystems and climate changes. But, this is what draws you in because the setting is great.

Then there is Mari. She is broken in so many ways. She struggles to overcome her own trauma and to help her young son. Now, there is one part that bothered me a bit. When she runs away from the cult, her son’s mouth is hurting from something her husband did. She never looks in it, she never takes him to a doctor. She just mentions it quite a few times and does not really take care of it. This just didn’t fit. But, Mari and the cult issue is what kept this story moving for me.

This is 3.5 stars rounded up.

Need an atmospheric tale…THIS IS IT!Grab your copy today!

I received this novel for a honest review

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub