reecaspieces

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.

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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.

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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

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Overview

For fans of dual-timeline, mother-daughter novels like The Paper Palace and Tom Lake, a compelling contemporary novel about a woman’s struggle to face her reckless history, with its trail of damage and deception, and her quest for the redemption that might still be possible.

From the ruins of Egypt to the privileged life of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the story of a woman’s odyssey through the maze of love, loyalty, recklessness, and remorse, as the consequences of her acts ripple through the generations.

Approaching a milestone birthday, Arden Rice has seen it all: three marriages, hardship and wealth, choices she both regrets and defends, all fueled by the same fierce desire—to give her daughter the best possible life. At least, that’s what Arden tells herself.

But nothing is simple. Arden is haunted by her impetuous history, with its trail of damage and deception. Yet she’s finally made a life where she can be her best self—until the unthinkable happens, and a train engineer’s lapse in attention throws that life into chaos.

Secrets begin to unravel, and Arden finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew—along with her own role in shaping the disturbing person her daughter has become. As the stakes increase, especially for the vulnerable granddaughter who’s now in her care, Arden must face questions she’s spent a lifetime avoiding: Which acts define a person? Can someone be better than her worst acts?

For fans of dual-timeline and mother-daughter novels, a compelling story about a woman’s struggle to face her reckless history, with its trail of damage and deception, and her quest for the redemption that might still be possible.

Review

Arden has recently lost her daughter in a train crash. As she struggles to overcome her grief and care for her granddaughter, Arden begins to look back over her life.

I have read two of this author’s books, The Color of Ice and The Sound Between the Notes. I enjoyed both of these novels. Basically because the characters are so great. Well, this one fell short and it is because I truly disliked Arden. I found her selfish and deceiving.

There is a lot in this tale; drama, deception, lies and love. And I did enjoy part set in Egypt…very atmospheric!

Need a quick, family drama…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

Purchase Here

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