reecaspieces

Overview

The latest thrilling installment in the bestselling Mercy Carr mystery series

Mercy and Troy are looking forward to baby Felicity’s first holiday season, and they’re determined to make it a Christmas to remember. At Northshire’s annual Solstice Soirée, hosted by Northshire’s finest and funded by Mercy’s billionaire pal Feinberg, Amy’s little girl Helena is sitting on Santa Claus’s lap. She’s telling him she’d like a Bitty Baby doll just like little Felicity when the bearded man leaps up, thrusts the toddler at her mother Amy, and staggers away from the festivities. He disappears into the woods. By the time Elvis and Mercy find him, Santa Claus aka the town mayor, is lying on his back, dead. A yule log made of oak sits on his chest, burning bright, a beacon of light on the darkest day of the year. 

This strange murder is the first of a series of similar Solstice-themed killings targeting the town’s most prominent citizens. Beloved family friend Lillian Jenkins, the grande dame of Northshire, could be next. Mercy and Troy and the dogs must team up with Thrasher and Harrington to capture The Yuletide Killer before he strikes again, this time far closer to home.

Review

This strange murder is the first of a series of similar Solstice-themed killings targeting the town’s most prominent citizens. Beloved family friend Lillian Jenkins, the grande dame of Northshire, could be next. Mercy and Troy and the dogs must team up with Thrasher and Harrington to capture The Yuletide Killer before he strikes again, this time far closer to home.

I have read a few of the Mercy Carr Mysteries. This one is NOT my favorite. If I heard one more time about how she needs to see her baby or what she is missing about her baby…I was going to pull my hair out.

That being said, the mystery itself will definitely keep you entertained. It is a bit strange and this makes you wonder what is going on in Northshire. Add in the best dogs in any book, Elvis and Susie Bear, and you have a good tale to get you through the holidays.

Need a Christmas time mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Overview

For fans of Christina Baker Kline and Fiona Davis, a coming-of-age story about a young woman discovering love, loss, and the power of her own creativity in World War II San Francisco.

San Francisco in 1944 is a bustling place, a revolving door of soldiers and sailors passing through on their way to the war in the Pacific. Twenty-year-old Irene Cleary, however, is not going anywhere. Although she’d love to travel, the seamstress shop she inherited from her mentor keeps her firmly rooted in the only city she’s ever known. She pours her energy into dressmaking and volunteers for the war effort by dancing with servicemen at the USO.

But Irene’s life is transformed when she designs a gown for Cynthia Burke, the socialite whose new marriage to Max, a handsome Chicago businessman, is the talk of the Nob Hill elite. As Irene is drawn into the Burkes’ glamorous, troubled orbit, and as she becomes absorbed in making costumes for the first American performance of a ballet called The Nutcracker, she finds herself on the threshold of exhilarating, perilous new worlds . . . and the most surprising discoveries of all will be the ones about herself.

Set in a vibrant city during a turbulent time, The World at Home is a coming-of-age story about creativity, loss, and the many lessons we learn from love.

Review

This author creates some amazing characters and Irene is one I will not soon forget. Irene was raised in an orphanage and now she owns her own sewing shop. She has definitely pulled herself up by her bootstraps. But she also makes mistakes and you cannot help but be drawn to her, flaws and all!

Then there is the setting! 1940s San Francisco is an amazing place. I am huge fan of San Fran. As a matter of fact, the background photo was taken by me a few years ago. Needless to say, I enjoyed learning about this time period with the troops and the night life, the rations and the Nutcracker Ballet.

And finally this story will keep you glued to the pages with good and bad choices, great characters and fabulous writing. You do not want to miss this!

Not only is this a 5 star read for me, so is the first book I read by this author, A Golden Life. Add that one to your list as well!

Need a story about love, loss and new beginnings…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

Fact or fiction: proposing to your best friend so she can inherit her family business is a great idea.

When Addison “Roe” Monroe tells me she’s going on a husband hunt at the local lumberjack competition so she can inherit her father’s lumberyard, desperate times call for desperate measures.

She’s sworn off romance. Says she’s been through enough tragedy. So I offer myself as an alternative, ’cause that’s what best friends are for.

But my stubborn friend, who would rather drive a forklift than get her nails done, refuses to accept my help, and now I find myself training to become a lumberjack.

I refuse to let Roe hitch her wagon to some hulking ax wielder who might be a serial killer. She means too much to me.

And I swear there are moments where she looks at me like I mean something more to her, too.

On the surface, I’m offering a marriage of convenience to protect her. But the truth is…I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend.

So if I have to marry her and move her up to Fletcher Mountain just to see if she could love me back, so be it.

Because my only regret would be losing her forever, and that’s a fact.

Review

This is a friends to lovers, fake marriage trope!

Fact or fiction: proposing to your best friend so she can inherit her family business is a great idea. When Addison “Roe” Monroe tells me she’s going on a husband hunt at the local lumberjack competition so she can inherit her father’s lumberyard, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Luke and Roe are great characters! I did get a bit frustrated with Roe at times. But, this is typical for this type of romance. I adored Luke though. His love for Roe comes through these pages on every turn. And his family…they are a hoot!!

Now, this is a bit predictable and a bit spicy. But, it definitely hit me at the right time. I needed a break from the holidays with a cute romance! And this one fit the bill.

Need a book to help you through a busy time of the year…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Audible

Bookbub

Chirp

Overview

Three decades ago, a tragedy ignited a chain of events that devastated two New York City families and still haunts them today. Even their youngest members, Suzanne Starek and Jay Darnell, haven’t been left unscathed.

Suzanne is at the end of her twenties and has been plagued by misfortune, including her parents’ ill-fated union and the abrupt demise of her promising childhood career. Although she treasures her lifelong bond with Jay, being his best friend isn’t enough. She has spent years hiding her feelings for him and trying to understand her mother’s cryptic warning to keep him at a distance.

Suzanne wavers between staying safe and reaching for love while she helps Jay cope with his own mother, a glamorous and troubled widow. But when a clash between the families reveals shocking truths, Suzanne must decide how she will move forward from the heartbreaking past.

Review

Three decades ago, a tragedy ignited a chain of events that devastated two New York City families and still haunts them today. Even their youngest members, Suzanne Starek and Jay Darnell, haven’t been left unscathed.

Suzanne and Jay have been best friends throughout their whole lives. They have been through so much. Between Jay’s mother and Suzanne’s failed dreams, their bond remains strong.

I love when an author gets the characters right. And this book is full of great characters, romantic tension, family drama and so much more. And each character grows and shows such depth! I was captivated from start to finish!

Need an engaging novel with hidden love…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Purchase Here

Amazon

Overview

A tender, funny portrait of love in its myriad forms.” —Mikki Brammer, bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover

A funny, heartfelt, late coming-of-age story that examines the role of memory in holding us back—and in moving us forward—for fans of The Collected Regrets of Clover and Maame.

Call it inertia. Call it a quarter-life crisis. Whatever you call it, Cricket Campbell is stuck. Despite working at a zeitgeisty wellness company, the 26-year-old feels anything but well. Still adrift after a tragedy that upended her world a decade ago, she has entered early adulthood under the weight of a new burden: her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

When Cricket’s older sister Nina announces it is time to move Arthur from his beloved Adirondack lake house into a memory-care facility, Cricket has a better idea. In returning home to become her father’s caretaker, she hopes to repair their strained relationship and shake herself out of her perma-funk. But even deeply familiar places can hold surprises.

As Cricket settles back into the family house at Catwood Pond—a place she once loved, but hasn’t visited since she was a teenager—she discovers that her father possesses a rare gift: as he loses his grasp of the past, he is increasingly able to predict the future. Before long, Arthur cements his reputation as an unlikely oracle, but for Cricket, believing in her father’s prophecies might also mean facing the most painful parts of her history. As she begins to remember who she once was, she uncovers a vital truth: the path forward often starts by going back.

With laugh-out-loud humor and profound grace, Before I Forget explores the nuances of family, the complexities of memory, and how sometimes, the people we know the best are the ones who surprise us the most.

Review

To say I loved this book is an understatement. It is so soft and complex all at the same time…I know that doesn’t make sense but you read and tell me what you think.

When Cricket’s older sister Nina announces it is time to move Arthur from his beloved Adirondack lake house into a memory-care facility, Cricket has a better idea. In returning home to become her father’s caretaker, she hopes to repair their strained relationship and shake herself out of her perma-funk. But even deeply familiar places can hold surprises.

I love a book that sneaks up on you. This book is full of great characters. I loved Cricket’s waywardness and Nina’s solidness. Their diversity in handling situations led to some humorous situations. I mean…what is not to love about Cricket promoting her father as clairvoyant. Makes you wonder how this storyline came about.

This is a story full of humor, family drama, life choices, grief and everything in between. You do not want to miss this one.

Need a tale which will give you all the feels…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

On a brisk February morning while walking to the diner where she works, 24 year-old Ruth Foster is stopped by the local sheriff. He insists she accompany him to a health clinic, threatening to arrest her if she doesn’t undergo testing in order to preserve decency and prevent the spread of sexual disease.

Though Ruth has never shared more than a chaste kiss with a man, by day’s end she is one of dozens of women held at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. Some are there because they were reported for promiscuity by neighbors, husbands, strangers. Some were accused of prostitution. Others were just pretty and unmarried. Or poor and “suspicious.” One was eating dinner alone in a restaurant. Another spoke to a soldier. 

Josephine’s sin was running a business as a single woman. Maude’s was trying to drown her sorrows. Frances had lost her mind. Opal married a man with a mean streak. Some, like 15-year-old Stella, are brought in because they’re victims of assault. She’s too naive and broken to understand how unjust this imprisonment is.

Superintendent Dorothy Baker, convinced that she’s transforming degenerate souls into upstanding members of society, oversees the women’s medical treatment and “training” until they’re deemed ready for parole. Sooner or later, everyone at the Colony learns to abide by Mrs. Baker’s rule book or face the consequences—solitary confinement, grueling work assignments, and worse.

Review

Though Ruth has never shared more than a chaste kiss with a man, by day’s end she is one of dozens of women held at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. Some are there because they were reported for promiscuity by neighbors, husbands, strangers. Some were accused of prostitution. Others were just pretty and unmarried. Or poor and “suspicious.” One was eating dinner alone in a restaurant. Another spoke to a soldier. 

I am not going to lie. This book is so good, BUT DANG! I hated Dorothy Baker! And this made me want to stop reading at times. And as a matter of fact, I put it down a time or two to breathe. But I would have to pick it back up because I had to know what happened.

It is hard to believe this was acceptable to do to another person. This will break your heart, infuriate you and make you want to hit someone. But, I love a book which has me researching and I looked up everything I could about this time period.

This is a story you will not soon forget! This is also one that creates such emotion that you do not know where to turn!

Need a tale that will leave you gasping for air…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

Madeline Brimley, new owner of a bookstore in a small Georgia town, finds herself playing sleuth when a friend is charged with the murder of a much-disliked woman.

Madeline Brimley recently inherited a bookstore in Enigma, Georgia, is embarking on her second career, after her first one (acting) founders upon the metaphorical rocks. Settling in, Madeline recruits her friend Gloria Coleman, the local Episcopal priest, to help her plant azaleas in the front yard of the old Victorian that houses the bookstore. Turning the soil, however, uncovers the body of one Beatrice Glassie, a troublesome woman who has been missing for the past six months. 

When her friend Gloria is arrested for the murder, Madeline is determined to prove her innocence and, as she quickly finds out, there aren’t many people in town who hadn’t wanted to kill Bea Glassie at one point or another. And the very expensive and rare first edition of a particular volume of Grimm’s Fairy Tales—ordered by the victim and her sister is somehow tied to the grim death. With the help of her not-quite-boyfriend, a local lawman, and her deceased aunt’s best friend, Madeline plans to set a trap to catch the real murderer—before she becomes the next victim.

Review

Madeline Brimley, new owner of a bookstore in a small Georgia town, finds herself playing sleuth when a friend is charged with the murder of a much-disliked woman.

Ok! Let me just say, I was captured by this cover. But, I am not a fan of cozy mysteries (gasp!).

I am a big fan of bookstores and the south. So, that was a big plus in this book. I also enjoyed Madeline and her antics. She is not going to stop till she gets to the bottom of the issue.

This just moves a bit slow and it has some areas that I don’t believe the police would let anyone do what they were doing in an investigation. (Clear as mud!😜) This got on my nerves a bit.

Need a great setting, cozy mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub