reecaspieces

Overview

New York Timesbestselling author and southern sensation Kristy Woodson Harvey” (Good Morning America) presents a touching novel about eternal love and the places we call home.

The historic houses in the seaside town of Beaufort, North Carolina, have held the secrets of their inhabitants for centuries. One of the most enduring refuses to be washed away by the tide: What happened to Rebecca and Townsend Saint James on that fateful night of their disappearance in 1976?

Now, the granddaughter they never knew, Keaton Smith, is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort on the market, she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, which has been closed for nearly fifty years, she wonders if she’s bitten off more than she can chew. Wading through the detritus of her grandparents’ lives, Keaton finds herself enchanted by their southern traditions—and their great, big love. As she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, Keaton begins to wonder if the stories she has been told about her grandparents are true. 

Keaton’s grandmother, Rebecca “Becks” Saint James’s annual summer suppers are the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But, in the summer of 1976, she’s struggling behind the facade of the woman who can do it all—and facing a problem that even she can’t solve.

As Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of their family for generations.

“The novel to read this year” (Annabel Monaghan) explores the power of family, the boundless nature of love, and the idea that discovering where we came from just might lead us to A Happier Life.

Review

Keaton has just lost her job and condo in one fell swoop. She ends up moving to Beaufort, North Carolina. Her mother wants her to go through Keaton’s grandparents house to get it ready to sell. This house has not been touched since her grandparents disappeared in 1976, over fifty years ago.

I loved Keaton and her quest to find out what happened to her grandparents. I swear, when she talked about the stuff in that house…took me back to my childhood. Add in all the southerness in this book and I was indeed in my element!

There is just something about Kristy Woodson Harvey’s books that just take me away. And this one definitely captivated me from start to finish.

The history, the mystery, the beautiful town of Beaufort are not to be missed.

Need a fabulous book with a great setting and wonderful characters…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by an exotic family heirloom—reclaim secrets and lost loves in this sweeping novel from the New York Timesbestselling author of The Summer Wives.

“My favorite kind of page-turner—unputdownable!”—Martha Hall Kelly, author of The Golden Doves

New England, 2022. Three years ago, single mother Mallory Dunne received the telephone call every parent dreads—her ten-year-old son, Sam, had been airlifted from summer camp with acute poisoning from a toxic death cap mushroom, leaving him fighting for his life. Now, searching for the donor kidney that will give her son a chance for a normal life, Mallory’s forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother’s adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952, and her own all-consuming summer romance fourteen years earlier with her childhood best friend, Monk Adams— one of the world’s most beloved singer-songwriters—a fairy tale cut short by a devastating betrayal.

Cairo, 1951. After suffering tragedy beyond comprehension in the war, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has forged a respectable new life for herself—marriage to a wealthy British diplomat with a coveted posting in glamorous Cairo. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair that will reawaken Hannah’s longing for everything she once lost. As revolution simmers in the Egyptian streets, a pregnant Hannah finds herself snared in a game of intrigue between two men . . . and an act of sacrifice that will echo down the generations.

Timeless and bittersweet, Husbands & Lovers takes readers on an unforgettable journey of heartbreak and redemption, from the revolutionary fires of midcentury Egypt to the moneyed beaches of contemporary New England. Acclaimed author Beatriz Williams has written a poignant and beautifully voiced novel of deeply human characters entangled by morally complex issues—of privilege, class, and the female experience—inside worlds brought shimmeringly to life.

Review

Mallory’s 10 year old son, Sam, has had a terrible accident at camp. He has eaten a poisonous mushroom. This damages his kidneys and he is on the wait list for a new one. Mallory and her sister have exhausted all options of their family and Mallory is fighting getting in touch with Sam’s dad, the famous Monk Adams. Mallory knows this will open old wounds and cause more heart break.

This book captivated me from start to finish. There are 3 different time periods. Not many authors can pull this off but Beatriz is a master. She kept them all intertwining around themselves and, as a reader, you just had to know what was going to happen next! Plus, I learned something. I had no idea about Egypt in the 50s.

Oh! And the characters! I am still thinking about them! I would love to see this as a movie!

I did figure out the ending pretty early on. But physically reading it still about made me cry! Beatriz has outdone herself with this one!

Need a good family drama full of secrets and mysteries…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

The search for happiness turns a woman’s life upside down in a warm, quirky, and bighearted novel about the joys and chaos of finding love by the bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners.

After too many dates, thirtysomething Mimi Perkins is still single, unmoored, and longing for love. So when Ren Yardley—a handsome, divorced fellow drama teacher and single father—falls in love with her and proposes, she’s sure this is at last the good news her psychic predicted.

Soon after proposing, Ren receives the devastating news that his ex-wife has been in a debilitating car accident, prompting him to temporarily move back into his former home to care for her and his daughters. The unfailingly loyal Ren also wants to keep Mimi close, so she packs up her life in New York City and follows him to New Haven, Connecticut. There, she finds a job and unexpected community at a quirky local daycare. But as time goes by, it begins to seem that Ren and his estranged family might be slowly reuniting, and Mimi has to figure out what she’s willing to fight for and what she needs to let go of.

One thing is for sure: she would have never guessed that her psychic was right after all. Life’s twists, turns, and disasters just might lead her to unexpected happiness.

Review

I fell in love with Maddie Dawson when I read The Magic of Found Objects. I have been a fan ever since!

This story follows Mimi Perkins. She has been floundering in the love department her whole life. So, when a good-looking, divorced colleague, Ren, falls in love with her, Mimi is sure she has found the one.

Ren’s ex-wife has a tragic car accident and it derails everything Mimi has dreamed of. Ren moves back into his former home to take care of her and his daughters. This leaves Mimi floundering again to find out where she belongs.

Mimi is a great character. She believes in psychics and good luck charms. She is also some on who never gives up. She stays in this relationship until it is unhealthy for her. But don’t worry…life has some great plans for her! You need to read this to find out!

Need a good romance with twists and turns for a road trip…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

A divorced perfumer navigates an uncertain but fresh new start in life in a poignant and witty novel about self-discovery by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.

Nikki Bridges has it good. An enviable home in an upscale neighborhood, a heavenly-scented hobby making personal-blend perfumes, a cherished daughter, and comfortable rituals with a husband she loves. How was she to know it would all blow up with her husband’s affair, a blindsiding divorce, and an identity crisis she never saw coming?

With little money, less work experience, and a modest apartment, Nikki is tentatively moving on. Along the way: a waitressing job, a bond with an empathetic group of friends, and reentering the dating game at fortysomething. Luring her out of her funk is Niraj, an ex-Londoner with twinkling eyes and a hint of cinnamon and ginger. For the first time in a long time, Nikki feels a warm summer flush—and with it, a spark of inspiration.

On a liberating quest for self-expression and the courage to follow a dream, Nikki is blending the pieces of a new life into a fragrance that is uniquely and passionately her own.

Review

Nikki is recently divorced and now her house has blown up. The boiler needed to be replaced and she failed to get it done. Now she is living in a modest apartment and waiting tables at a local restaurant. She has dreams that she put on hold in her marriage and she wonders if she can ever make them come true.

Nikki is such a great character. She is truly struggling after her divorce. But, she struggles on! She makes some good and bad decisions. I just love her new friends. All are quirky and have their own issues. But they come together and form a unique family.

I will say, I wanted a bit more about the perfumes and memory connection. I relate to smells and memories and I just expected a bit more in this department. This is minor. The characters and the story are a fun escape you do not want to miss.

Need a story about life, love and happiness…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

FULL OF MYSTERY, MAGIC, DARK COMEDY, AND HEART.” ―Deesha Philyaw

“AN INTIMATE NOVEL, BY TURNS BRACING AND HILARIOUS.” ―Maurice Carlos Ruffin

“PROFOUNDLY MOVING.” ―Ben Fountain

“THE NOVEL’S FINAL PAGES WILL LEAVE YOU BREATHLESS.” ―Jonathan Escoffery

Still reeling from a sudden tragedy, our biracial narrator receives a letter from an attorney: he has just inherited a plot of land from his estranged white grandfather. He travels to a beach town several hours south of his home with the intention of selling the land immediately and moving on. But upon inspection, what lies beneath the dirt is far more complicated than he ever imagined. In a shocking irony, he is now the Black owner of a former plantation passed down by the men on his white mother’s side of the family.

Vercher deftly blurs the lines between real and imagined, past and present, tragedy and humor, and fathers and sons in this story of discovering and reclaiming a painful past. With the wit and rawness of Paul Beatty’s The Sellout, Devil Is Fine is a gripping, surreal, and brilliantly crafted dissection of the legacies we leave behind and those we inherit.

Review

A biracial, author and professor has just lost his son. He is having a terrible time coping with his grief. When he discovers he has inherited a plantation from the white side of the family he decides to go and see what this is all about. He discovers more than he ever expected.

Y’all! This is one beautifully written book! This author has some of the best prose! As a matter of fact…I have read thousands of books in my life and this is one of the best first chapters I have ever read.

I am singing this author’s praises, but I was a bit confused throughout the story. This is the reason for the 4 star rating. I think that this story is above my head in some places. Or maybe I am not as in tune to my feelings as I need to be to follow exactly what the author wants to portray.

This story is full of grief, emotion, symbolism and life lessons. It is hard to know how you will react upon the death of a child. So along with the hard issues in this novel, it also has quite a bit of humor. There were several places I laughed out loud.

Need a story which will have you thinking and pondering…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Overview

Daphne and Amber Parrish are thrust back into each other’s lives upon the resurgence of a long-forgotten threat, forcing a vicious game of cat and mouse where everything is on the line, in this thrilling sequel to the million-copy-bestselling Reese’s Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish.

“Delicious and shocking, The Next Mrs. Parrish is an incredibly entertaining and compulsive tale of revenge and deception you won’t want to miss.”—Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author of You Shouldn’t Have Come Here

Amber Patterson Parrish has come a long way. Hard work and immaculate planning turned her from invisible wallflower to prominent socialite, though there have been bumps along the way. Less than a year after her husband Jackson’s tax-evasion scandal, Amber reigns supreme over the Bishops Harbor community. But with Jackson being released from prison, Amber’s free time—and money—is vanishing.

Meanwhile, Daphne Parrish left Bishops Harbor after her divorce from Jackson, swearing she would never go back. But when one of her daughters runs away from home, desperate to see her father, Daphne agrees to return for the summer for their daughters’ sake. Jackson swears he’s a changed man, but Daphne knows all too well that he can’t be trusted.

When a ghost from Amber’s past emerges looking for revenge, these three figures find unlikely allies in one another. But who is playing who? When all is said and done, they’ll have to fight tooth and nail for everything they have left in this zero-sum game.

With shocking turns and entertaining characters, The Next Mrs. Parrish will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about duplicity and betrayal.

Review

Daphne has got to return to Bishops Harbor. Her oldest daughter is insisting on seeing her dad. Daphne never dreamed she would have to go back. She thinks she is stronger now and can handle seeing Jackson. She also thinks she is prepared for anything he can throw at her…but is she?

Then there is Amber. She is the one married to Jackson now. But she has her own agenda and she is not going to wait on Jackson for any of her plans.

This story has a lot of moving parts and the manipulations are over the top! I am in the minority on my review. I just did not like anyone in this book! I mean…honestly…too awful for words. And don’t get me started on one of the children…I would have had to do more than her mom did to her for her bad behavior. I think she made me the maddest of the bunch. And that is saying something.

Now, I love Liv Constantine’s books and I have read several of her books and have given all of them 5 stars. This one just did not sit right with me. It just seemed a bit disjointed and rough around the edges. But don’t worry…I am still going to sit on pins and needles waiting on her next one. This one is just not my favorite.

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

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub