At 40, Tara Lawson’s world falls apart. A painful divorce and the loss of her job as a journalist leave her reeling. But it’s the news of her beloved grandmother’s passing that draws her back to her childhood home in Seagrove, South Carolina, to settle the estate.
In the midst of her grief, Tara unexpectedly reconnects with Noah, her childhood best friend. Now a successful sea glass artist, Noah’s steadfast presence becomes a comforting anchor. Together, they revive their old tradition of hunting for sea glass, a simple joy that begins to heal Tara’s emotional wounds.
As the summer unfolds, their bond deepens, and a profound love blossoms. The peaceful beach town, the shared silence and laughter, and the beauty of sea glass all play a part in Tara’s healing process.
But as the season draws to a close, Tara is faced with a decision that threatens to unravel everything she’s rebuilt. Torn between two paths, she must choose what she truly wants.
Review
Tara has just lost her job. She is reeling and just can’t believe it. Then she gets the call that her grandmother, who raised her, has passed away. This totally knocks her off her feet. She goes back to her childhood home, Seagrove, South Carolina to deal with her grandmother’s estate. She ends up connecting with her best friend from when she was a kid, Noah.
I have not read a book by this author before. And, of course, the whole point of reading this, for me, is because it is predictable. However, I expected a bit more.
I was not a big fan of Tara. The reason she gets mad with Noah is a bit childish. And so are some of his reactions. I had to think how old they were while reading this. I was beginning to think they were teenagers.
All of that being said, I did enjoy parts of it. I loved the setting…I mean who doesn’t enjoy a beach read!
The narrator, Becky Brabham, is ok. She is a bit dramatic, but it could have been the writing. Lord! It sounds like I didn’t like this book. But I did finish it and it has a good many 5 star reviews…read it yourself to decide!
Need a sweet tale for a beach read…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
They’re not going to catch us,” Dan Aykroyd, as Elwood Blues, tells his brother Jake, played by John Belushi. “We’re on a mission from God.” So opens the musical action comedy The Blues Brothers, which hit theaters on June 20, 1980. Their scripted mission was to save a local Chicago orphanage.
But Aykroyd, who conceived and wrote much of the film, had a greater mission: to honor the then-seemingly forgotten tradition of rhythm and blues, some of whose greatest artists—Aretha Franklin, James Brown, John Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles—made the film as unforgettable as its wild car chases. Much delayed and vastly over budget, The Blues Brothers opened to outraged reviews; however, in the years since, it has become a classic.
The saga behind The Blues Brothers, as Daniel de Visé reveals, is epic, encompassing the colorful childhoods of Belushi and Aykroyd; the comedic revolution sparked by Harvard’s Lampoon and Chicago’s Second City; the birth and anecdote-rich, drug-filled early years of Saturday Night Live, where the Blues Brothers were born as an act amidst turmoil and rivalry; and, of course, the indelible behind-the-scenes narrative of how the film was made, scene by memorable scene.
Based on original research and dozens of interviews probing the memories of principals from director John Landis and producer Bob Weiss to Aykroyd himself, The Blues Brothers illuminates an American masterpiece while vividly portraying the creative geniuses behind modern comedy.
Review
This is the true story of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, the talented duo of The Blues Brothers
I grew up in this era. I just thought I knew stuff. I didn’t know half the stuff going on. This book is so well researched and includes so much! I loved all the memories and names this author threw into the mix.
I really never knew all the information about SNL and the making of Animal House. Such great talents in improv and creativity! And such a waste and sadness lose part of this duo to drugs! The drug use is astounding! I do not see how John Belushi continued as long as he did.
The narrator, Johnny Heller, is FANTASTIC! I have listened to him on a few other audiobooks and he is someone I remember. Very cool sounding voice!
Need a good biography that brings back memories….THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this audiobook from the publisher for a honest review.
Thirty-four-year-old Wren Waters believes that if you pay attention, the universe will send you exactly what you need. But her worldview shatters when the universe delivers two life-altering blows she didn’t see coming, and all she wants to do is put the whole heartbreaking mess behind her. No one is more surprised than Wren when she discovers that geocaching—the outdoor activity of using GPS to look for hidden objects—is the only thing getting her out of bed and out of her head. She decides that a weeklong solo quest geocaching in Oregon is exactly what she needs to take back control of her life.
Enter Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist searching for distraction as he struggles with a life-altering blow of his own. Though Wren initially rebuffs Marshall’s attempt at hiker small talk, she’s beyond grateful when he rescues her from a horrifying encounter farther down the trail. In the interest of safety, Marshall suggests partnering up to look for additional caches. Wren’s no longer quite so trusting of the universe—or men in general—but her inner circle might argue that a smart, charismatic psychologist isn’t the worst thing the universe could place in her path.
What begins as a platonic road trip gradually blossoms into something deeper, and the more Wren learns about Marshall, the more she wants to know. Now all she can do is hope that the universe gets it right this time.
Review
Wren has been dealt a blow by life. She decides to travel and do some geocaching. She just wants to be alone. But, she runs into Marshall Hendricks. She was a bit short with him, she hopes he got the message. But when Wren finds herself in a dangerous situation, she is very glad to see Marshall!
Wren is definitely not looking for love. She has had enough! But after Marshall saves her, she knows she must be nice. And this turns into a great friendship. Wren finds herself wanting a bit more!
These two are so cute together and have such adorable chemistry, especially since neither one is looking for the other. It just happens! Makes for a cute story you can’t stop reading!
I have read almost all of this author’s books. I have enjoyed every one. My all time favorite is The Girl He Used to Know . So add that one to your list as well!
Need a “not looking for love” romance…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Discover a spellbinding love story in this dazzling time-travel adventure from the NYT bestselling author of The Last Tiara, M.J. Rose.
Setting aside grief from the fallout of the second World War and putting her energy into curating an upcoming show critical to her career as the Keeper of the Metalworks at London’s renowned Victoria and Albert Museum, Jeannine Maycroft stumbles upon a unique collection of jewel-framed miniature eye portraits—a brilliant romantic device and clandestine love token of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
One piece among the assembly intrigues her more than all the others: a twilight-blue man’s eye framed by opals shimmering with enchanting flashes of fiery color. But the beauty is just the beginning. Not only is the painting a self-portrait of one of her favorite Pre-Raphaelite artists, Ashe Lloyd Lewis, but the brooch itself is a portal eight decades into the past.
Despite being cast into an era she was never meant to be in, Jeannine and Ashe develop an immediate and passionate bond, complicated by the undeniable fact that she does not belong in 1867, and the disaster about to destroy her family and reputation in her time.
Striving to live a dual life and dangerously straddling two time periods, Jeannine fights to protect her career and her father from scandal in the present while desperately trying to save her lover’s life in the past.
Forgetting to Remember—richly embroidered with historical detail and heartbreaking conflict—is another luscious and thrilling masterpiece by M.J. Rose. A beautiful and compelling story of art, war, magic, and survival, wrapped in a love that defies time.
Review
Jeannine’s job is on the line. Not only that, her father’s reputation is about to take a hit! Jeannine knows she has to stop all of this from happening. She is reviewing some antique pins for a display when she accidentally pricks her finger. This sends her falling through time and this changes her whole world. It also gives her the opportunity to develop a plan to save her job and her father’s reputation.
I love Jeannine in this story! She is a go getter! She is the only female that has ever been the “Keeper of the Metalworks” at the Victoria and Albert Museum. So, this is full of historical artifacts that I had no idea about. I mean, miniature eye portraits! Geez, never heard of this! And when she falls through time…I was really hooked!
To say I love this author is an understatement. I have been reading her books for years! I love her Reincarnationist series and, of course, this series, The Daughters of La Lune! My favorite book in this series is The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams.
I originally had this as a 4 star read in my head. But, as I was writing this review, I realized how much I truly loved this mystical tale! I upped it to 5 stars in a snap! You do not have to read these books in order. But, I would read them! Like NOW!
Need a good mystical, historical fiction…THIS IS IT!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
The Best Friend. The Confidant. The Senator. The Boyfriend. The Executive.
Five contestants have been chosen to compete for ten million dollars on the game show One Lucky Winner. The catch? None of them knows what (or who) to expect, and it will be live streamed all over the world. Completely secluded in an estate in Northern California, with strict instructions not to leave the property and zero contact with the outside world, the competitors start to feel a little too isolated.
When long-kept secrets begin to rise to the surface, the contestants realize this is no longer just a reality show—someone is out for blood. And the game can’t end until the world knows who the contestants really are…
Author Bio:
Heather Gudenkauf is the critically acclaimed author of several novels, including the New York Times bestsellers The Weight of Silence and The Overnight Guest. She lives in Iowa with her husband and children.
Maire Hennessy squinted against the bright October sun as she drove down the quiet Iowa county road. The fields were filled with the stubbled remains of the fall harvest and stripped bare by heavy-billed grackles and beady-eyed blackbirds eating their fill before the cold weather set in. It made her a little sad. Winter would be coming soon, unrelenting and unforgiving.
That morning, she had packed up her girls and Kryngle, their four-year-old Shetland sheepdog, to drop them off at her former mother-in-law’s home. Maire, who hadn’t traveled more than a hundred miles away from Calico since she abruptly dropped out of college over twenty years earlier, was embarking on an adventure that could change the course of their lives forever. Ten-year-old Dani kicked the back of Maire’s seat in time to the throbbing beat coming from her older sister Keely’s earbuds. Keely, a twelve-year-old carbon copy of Maire, had the hood of her sweatshirt pulled up over her head, her red curls springing out around her sullen face, as she silently pretended to read her book.
Maire tapped her fingers nervously against the steering wheel. “You’re going to be just fine,” she said, turning onto the highway that would take her children to her ex-mother-in-law’s home. Shar was a decent enough person. Except for the fact that she smoked like a chimney and gave birth to a shit of a son, Maire knew she would take good care of the girls while she was away.
“I don’t want to go,” Dani murmured. “I like my own bed. Grandma’s house feels weird.”
Both Dani and Keely dreaded the two weeks that they were going to stay with their grandmother, a bland, unexcitable woman with steel gray hair and stooped shoulders. There would be no movie nights, no special outings, no grand adventures, but they would be well-cared for, safe. And that’s all that Maire wanted.
“I thought you liked Grandma Hennessy,” Maire said. “You’ll make cookies and she’s going to teach you both how to crochet. You’ll have a great time.”
“Why are you going to be gone for so long?” Dani asked, staring at Maire through the rearview mirror, her eyes filled with hurt. A wet cough rumbled through her chest and she buried her mouth in her elbow.
That familiar cloud of worry that materialized every time Dani had a coughing fit settled over Maire.
“It’s only for two weeks and it’s not that I don’t want to see you,” she said. “You know that. I would be with you every single day if I could. It’s kind of a work thing and I can’t pass up the opportunity.”
“You work from home,” Keely said, briefly pulling out an earbud.
Maire didn’t mind lying to Shar but lying to her children was different. She had the chance of a lifetime and in a way, it was work related. Money was involved. Lots of it.
“It’s like a contest,” Maire explained. “And if I win, well, that would be nice. And even if I don’t, a lot of people will learn about my Calico Rose jewelry and might want to sell it.”
“Like Claire’s in the mall?” Dani asked.
“Yes, Claire’s, Target, who knows?” The lies slid so easily off her tongue now. Dani’s kicks to the back of Maire’s seat slowed as she mulled this over.
“I’m sorry,” Maire said. “I know it’s hard.” Her voice broke on the last word. Hard wasn’t anywhere close to how things had been for the last year. Terrifying, humiliating, devastating, soul-crushing were more like it.
Bobby had never been much of a husband or father, but his health insurance had been a lifeline for Dani. When he lost his job at a local grain elevator and then took off with the nineteen-year-old waitress from the Sunshine Café, gone was the health insurance and any hope of child support. When the first $3,000 notice for Dani’s nebulizer treatments came in, Maire ran to the bathroom and vomited. It was impossible. Too much.
Between the implosion of her marriage, the impact it had on the kids, her bank account that was dangerously low, the unpaid medical bills, the jewelry she made for her Etsy shop, and the search for a job that provided decent health insurance, Maire was exhausted.
Things couldn’t go on this way. “It will get better,” she promised.
Maire glanced over at Keely and caught her accusatory glare. Out of all of them, the divorce hit Keely the hardest. Despite his drawbacks, Keely was a daddy’s girl, and she was suffering in his absence.
The worry never ended. At the top of the list was Dani’s health. Her cystic fibrosis was stable for the moment, but she was fragile. Her last infection required a two-week hospital stay, a PICC line with multiple antibiotic infusions, therapies, and nebulizer treatments. It was so much that Maire had to put together a binder for Shar filled with in-depth directions for Dani’s care, and she hoped she wasn’t making a huge mistake by leaving. A lung infection that may be mild for most children could be deadly for Dani. And poor Keely. Quiet, shy Keely was getting lost in the shuffle, becoming more removed, isolated from them. Another thing to worry about.
A month ago, when she got the email about the show, she almost deleted it. Maire had been online, scanning articles about the newest cystic fibrosis research, when she heard the ping. Grateful for an excuse to tear her eyes away from the words like Fibrinogen-like 2 proteins and cryogenic electron microscopy, she tapped the email icon on her phone.
CONGRATULATIONS—YOU’VE BEEN NOMINATED, the subject line called out to her. She scanned the rest of the email. Trip of a lifetime, groundbreaking new reality show, $10 million. Scam, Maire thought and went back to reading about clinical trials and RNA therapy. But an hour later, she was still thinking about the $10 million. She opened the email again to read it more closely.
Congratulations, you’ve been nominated to take part in the groundbreaking new reality competition show One Lucky Winner! Set in the heart of wine country, you, along with the other contestants, will battle for $10 million through a series of challenges that will test you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Competitors will spend fourteen days at the exclusive Diletta Resort and Spa in beautiful Napa Valley. When not competing, spend your time in your lavishly appointed private cottage, swimming laps in the 130-foot pool, or head to the spa for our one-of-a-kind vinotherapy-based treatments—massages, wraps, and scrubs made from grapes grown in the La Bella Luce vineyard. As a special treat, each contestant will receive a case of Bella Luce’s world-famous cabernet sauvignon with an exclusively designed label just for you!
Maire snorted. It had to be a joke. A rip-off. She closed the email, even sent it to her trash folder, but an hour later, she pulled it up again. Ten million dollars. Maire was one month away from not being able to pay the mortgage on the house, from not being able to make the car payment, from not being able to put money in the kids’ school lunch accounts, from not being able to pay for one dose of Dani’s medication.
She should probably should just sell the house, take the loss, start over, but this was her home, the kids’ home. There was no way she was giving it up without a fight. She didn’t need anywhere near $10 million to save the house, but that is what it was worth to her, and that kind of money would change her life, all their lives.
Who would have nominated her? And how did that actually work? Hey, I know of someone who could use $10 million. The entire thing had to be fake. The email was signed by someone named Fern Espa, whose title read Production Assistant, One Lucky Winner.
Anyone could send an email. Maire trashed the message again.
Then, over the next three days, the car started leaking oil, Kryngle ate a sock and had to have emergency surgery, and Dani’s hospital bill came in. Her credit cards were maxed out and she’d given up on any help from her ex. Maire needed money, fast. Burying her humiliation, she called her parents and asked for a loan. It wasn’t nearly enough.
Maire hung up and went to the garage, sitting in her leaky car so that the kids wouldn’t hear her crying.
Maybe this was the email she was waiting for. The sign she needed to finally take control of her life. Maire wasn’t a fool though. She did her due diligence. While sitting in the waiting room at the vet’s office, she looked up One Lucky Winner and found a website and an IMDB entry—both short on details—but it clearly was a real show. She searched for the name Fern Espa and found a LinkedIn entry that looked legit. And the Diletta Resort looked amazing.
And now, under the guise of a work trip, here she was, dropping her kids off at her mother-in-law’s house for two weeks, hopping on a plane to Napa to take part in some Survivor-type reality show for the off chance she might win $10 million. It was ridiculous, over the top, maybe even irresponsible, but it ignited a spark of hope that she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“You’ll be okay,” Maire said to the kids as she turned onto the cracked concrete of Shar’s street. Shar was waiting for them, standing on her rickety front porch, a cigarette dangling from her knobby fingers. With hail-pocked, dirty white aluminum siding and a crabgrass-choked yard in need of mowing, the home her ex-husband grew up in was grim and depressing. But her mother-in-law was a sweet woman who loved her grandchildren. Maire scanned the street. Every house was in the same state of disarray and neglect. A jolt of fear shot through her. If she didn’t turn things around, they would end up living in a place like this, or worse.
Jesus, Maire thought. I’m making a huge mistake. She fought the urge to drive right on by. Instead, she gave the girls her bravest smile. “It’s okay. We’re all going to be okay.”
Three weeks on the Oklahoma Best Sellers list! Three first place awards at The BookFest in Women’s Historical Fiction, 20th Century Historical Romance, and Women’s Historical Romance!
In May 1941, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, hums with talk of spring flowers, fishing derbies, and the growing war in Europe. And for the residents of a quiet neighborhood boarding house, the winds of change are blowing.
Self-proclaimed spinster, Bessie Blackwell, is the reluctant owner of a new pair of glasses. The landlady, Mrs. Henderson, senses that new tenant, Frank Davis, could throw Bessie’s spinster status into question with his gentle eyes and ready smile. But the scar on his forehead and rumors of divorce speak of a troubled past.
Bessie’s sister, Florence, knows all about troubled pasts. In a desperate attempt to undermine Bessie’s budding romance, Florence exposes the sisters’ darkest secret. A secret that will change their lives, and the lives of those they love, forever.
Author Bio: Born in Oklahoma, Caren lives in Vermont with her husband, a rescue pup, and a barn cat turned happy house kitty. Caren is also a mom to two incredible humans and is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. Winner of the Inkshares 2020 All-Genre Contest, Henderson House is Caren’s first novel.
Review
Mrs. Henderson owns a boarding house in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. She takes in a new boarder, Frank Davis. And he has taken a shine to the spinster, Bessie Blackwell. Florence, Bessie’s sister, is not happy about this new romance and she intends to stop it with a big secret.
Y’all know I love a book with family secrets. This one has a doozy! Not only that, it has family jealousy, a magical house and some pretty unique characters! Now, I am not going to lie, this is a bit too sweet for me. But, I did enjoy it. Maybe I am getting sweeter in my old age 😜
The narrator, Jenn Lee was wonderful. She had such a calming voice.
Need a sweet read…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the author for a honest review.
It’s a typical farmhouse kitchen. A large table fills the space, and in one of the chairs is the lifeless body of Doctor Magnusson. Under his feet and the dusty wooden floorboards lies the basement—and twelve therapy rooms. Behind each locked door, the victims are about to be rescued…
When a world-renowned psychiatrist is found dead in an abandoned ranch house in the Californian Santa Carina Valley, a Post-it note with the words “Susan Parker” and a cell phone number is taped to the basement door.
Still grieving her husband’s devastating suicide less than a year ago, FBI agent Susan Parker is taking a break from work and trying to rebuild her life as a single mom to her seven-year-old daughter, Natalie. When she’s called to the crime scene of Doctor Magnusson, a chill runs down her spine.
For years, Susan had been trying to hunt down the doctor, convinced he was the serial killer known as ‘Splinter.’ Someone is playing a cruel game with her, and they’ve only just begun.
Desperate to speak to the twelve victims rescued from the locked therapy rooms, Susan finds herself faced with a wall of silence. Why won’t they talk?
Battling her demons while confronting the toughest case she’s ever had to solve, Susan discovers a chilling truth about the true nature of Splinter—a killer preying on those seeking therapy.
But that’s not all she finds…
She’s about to uncover the shocking secret behind her husband’s death—one that links him to the Splinter case.
With her family’s safety hanging in the balance and her career on the line, can Susan protect her precious daughter and prevent a new killing spree before it’s too late?
A totally addictive and heart-stopping thriller that will have fans of Robert Dugoni, Charlie Donlea and Lisa Regan listening late into the night.
Review
FBI Special Agent Susan Parker is on the hunt for a serial killer. She is coming off of leave and has been called to a farmhouse. Little does she know, this call may lead her to find her husband’s murderer.
Talk about a damaged character. Susan has had such a terrible time recovering from her husband’s death. But, finding Splinter is her new priority and the further she digs the more confusing this case becomes.
Well, this story is different, intense and right in my wheelhouse! I had it figured out, partly. Only because the author wanted the reader to figure it out. I love how the author kept weaving different aspects and drama into this tale. And believe me, this story is full of drama!
I don’t think I have listened to a book narrated by Lauryn Allman. She is now on my radar. I really enjoyed her voice!
Need a good psychological thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
From a New York Times bestselling “writer to reckon with,” a psychological suspense about a woman whose life is fractured by a childhood crime (The New York Times Book Review).
There was the moment eight-year-old Ruth Corrigan ran away from playing in the woods with her best friend, and then the moment after, when Ceely was gone. Murdered. Now the silence of that day lives within Ruth. Lives in the judgment she sees in the faces of so many in the small town she still calls home. Ruth may be older now, tougher, a cop by trade, but her life has been unraveling ever since that tragic day in the woods. Alcohol, sex, broken marriages—nothing can lighten the truth she knows inside.
Until the child-killer returns, free and unencumbered, having already paid for his crime. A predator who will act again unless Ruth can prove him guilty. Only no one will listen to a police officer on suspended duty, a woman whose life has been one personal disaster after the next, not even Maddie Pardeau Klein, her dead playmate’s older sister. It’s up to Ruth alone to trap the vicious criminal before he strikes once more. No matter what it takes. Or who gets hurt.
Review
Eight year old Ruth and her best friend, Ceely have just had a big fight. Ruth runs off and leaves Ceely in the woods. The next thing you know, Ceely is dead. The police arrest a town drunk. But, Ruth knows he did not do it. So, now as an adult, she has decided to do something about it and find the real murderer.
I was so excited when I saw that this author had a new book coming out. I have read quite a few of her books and enjoyed them. However, this book was very slow and a bit repetitive.
Ruth is a character that frustrated me on so many levels. She oversteps on more than one occasion and just does not play it smart on others.
All of that being said, there are parts of this story which I found compelling. As a reader, you knew Ruth was on to something and it needed to be brought into the light.
This novel is narrated by Cassandra Campbell. She did a very good job. I enjoyed her cadence and her seriousness.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Iris Walsh saw her twin sister Piper get kidnapped—so why does no one believe her? Iris narrowly escaped her pretty, popular twin sister’s fate as a teen—kidnapped and trafficked and long gone before the cops agreed to investigate. Months later, Piper’s newborn son Callum was dropped on their estranged mother’s doorstep in the dead of night, with a note in Piper’s handwriting signed simply, Twin. As an adult, Iris wants one thing—proof. Because she knows exactly who took Piper all those years ago, and she has a pretty good idea of who Callum’s father is. She just has to get close enough to prove it. And if the police won’t help, she’ll just have to do it her own way–by interning at the isolated Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane, where her target is kept under lock and key. Iris soon realizes that something sinister is bubbling beneath the surface of the Shoal, and that the patients aren’t the only ones being observed…
Review
Iris and her twin, Piper were out at the movies one evening and Piper was kidnapped. No one believes Iris. The cops just think she ran away. But Iris knows the truth and she will not rest until all the secrets are revealed.
Give me a novel with family secrets and a creepy asylum and you have a winner. This one has all of the above.
Iris is a character that my heart went out to. She has been raised by her grandmother because her mother is addicted to drugs. Then her sister is kidnapped. But that is not all, a baby has been dropped off at her house and it is Piper’s, her kidnapped sister!! So, where is Piper???
This story just kept twisting and revolving and I was there for all of it! I wanted more! Great characters, great setting and don’t forget all the secrets!
Need a good thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Author Bio:
Tarryn Fisher is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of nine novels. Born a sun hater, she currently makes her home in Seattle, Washington, with her children, husband, and psychotic husky. She loves connecting with her readers on Instagram
A searing book club read for fans of Ellen Marie Wiseman and The Girls with No Names set in the Baby Scoop Era of 1960s and the women of a certain condition swept up in a dark history.
It’s the 1960s and Lorraine Delford has it all – an upstanding family, a perfect boyfriend, and a white picket fence home in North Carolina. Yet every time she looks through her father’s telescope, she dreams of the stars. It’s ambitious, but Lorraine has always been exceptional.
But when this darling girl-next-door gets pregnant, she’s forced to learn firsthand the realities that keep women grounded.
To hide their daughter’s secret shame, the Delfords send Lorraine to a maternity home for wayward girls. But this is no safe haven – it’s a house with dark secrets and suffocating rules. And as Lorraine begins to piece together a new vision for her life, she must decide if she can fight against the powers that aim to take her child or submit to the rules of a society she once admired.
Powerful and affecting, The Girls We Sent Away is a timely novel that explores autonomy, belonging, and a quest for agency when the illusions of life-as-you-know-it fall away
Review
Lorraine is such a young girl when she trust the wrong boy. This totally derails her plans. And her parents take drastic actions. They send her away to have the baby and give it up for adoption.
Megan Church has become one of my favorite authors. I loved her debut novel, The Last Carolina Girl. And now she has hit me with this tale.
Lorraine and her situation brings out all the feels. One minute I am so mad I could punch her parents, her boyfriend and everyone around her. The next minute I am in tears thinking about the stuff this poor girl went through all by herself.
This story is so well written. The characters and the situation just pulls you in, and let me tell you, it does not let you go! And to know this was the normal way of handling this just a few decades ago.
Need a novel that will bring out all kinds of emotions…THIS IS IT!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
reecaspieces 