New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a heartwarming story about the choices we make and the love we let into our lives…
Luna Wright is a lot of things, but sweet and trusting isn’t on the list. However, she’s a sucker for the underdog and a hard-luck story. Adopted at birth, with scant knowledge of her biological family, she’s created her own inner circle, a motley crew which includes her bestie Willow, to help her run the struggling but charming Apple Ridge Farm.
With a farm-to-table café as well as a menagerie of rescued animals (complete with a baby goat who keeps escaping to the pantry to eat the secret stash of decidedly not organic potato chips), it’s the best home she’s ever known. But when the owner Silas, who they secretly call The Grinch, passes away, Luna discovers the farm is now under control of his investment manager, the enigmatic Jameson Hayes….and her. And that Silas had many, many secrets.
Now Luna’s carefully controlled corner of the world is threatened and she—along with some help from her friends—has to dig deep to find true strength and the real meaning of love and family.
Review
The owner to Luna’s farm has passed away. And Luna has just learned that the owner left her half of the farm and the other half to Jameson Hayes…hot guy in a suit! These two must work together to get the farm in the black and meet a balloon payment due soon…or the Luna’s livelihood is lost forever.
I just love getting lost in a Jill Shalvis novel. And this one definitely hit the mark. The characters and the animals are so adorable. I just loved the goat DZ, short for Da#*it Ziggy. But then there is Luna. She is struggling to keep this farm going and she is super woman! She can just about get anything done. And she and Jameson are perfect together. And don’t get me started on Luna’s grandmother…SHE CRACKED ME UP!
Need a heartwarming tale to take you away…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.
His drinking is getting worse by the day, his emotional wounds after a deployment to Afghanistan are as raw as ever, his marriage and career are over, and the only job he can hold down is with the local sheriff’s department. And that’s only because the sheriff is his mother—and she’s overwhelmed with small town Shaky Lake’s dwindling budget and the fallout from the opioid epidemic. The Northwoods of Wisconsin may be a vacationer’s paradise, but amidst the fishing trips and campfires and Paul Bunyan festivals, something sinister is taking shape.
When the body of a teenage boy is found in the lake, it sets in motion an investigation that leads Eli to a wealthy enclave with a violent past, a pharmaceutical salesman, and a missing teenage girl. Soon, Eli and his mother, along with a young FBI agent, are on the hunt for more than just a killer.
If Eli solves the case, could he finally get the shot at redemption he so desperately needs? Or will answers to this dark case elude him and continue to bring destruction to the Northwoods?
Review
A body of a young teenage boy is found in the lake. This puts Eli on the hunt for a killer. A killer in their small town is not normal. And this death leads Eli to find out for more than he bargained for.
Eli is so intelligent when it comes to investigative work. This is where his talent lies and his mother, the chief of police, knows it. She cuts him every bit of slack she can…until she can’t anymore.
Eli is a character that breaks your heart. But at the same time, you want to shake him and tell him to “WAKE UP!” Such is the life of an addict and their families. The author does a TREMENDOUS job with dealing with addiction.
This is an intricate mystery that I enjoyed. Being a pharmacist, reading about the medication side of this story, I couldn’t help but think of the Sackler family and OxyContin. So, there are many layers to this tale and you do not want to miss it!
Need a good mystery with great characters…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins returns with a twisted new gothic suspense about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind.
THERE’S NOTHING AS GOOD AS THE RICH GONE BAD
When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
But in the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden, wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.
Ten years later, his uncle’s death pulls Cam and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but the legacy of Ruby is inescapable.
And as Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will—and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
Review
Camden wants nothing to do with his adopted family. Their wealth is tremendous but so are the secrets and the pure evilness. When he left, he never returned. Good riddance! That is until the death of his uncle. Now Camden and his wife, Jules are back. And it is just as he imagined it would be, except only worse.
This is a book I want to think about a minute before I post my review. But it is also a book I want to share with everyone so you can go BUY IT NOW and we can discuss it!
I was so engulfed in all the secrets, family drama and mystery surrounding this estate. I listened to this book in almost one day. Camden is someone who broke my heart and yet…then there is his wife Jules. GEEZ! I still don’t know what I think about her. As a reader, you pick up on quite a few things where she is concerned. And it all comes together as one big twist at the end! And no one can forget about Ruby! And that is all I am going to say about her!
This cast of narrators, Dan Bittner; Eliza Foss; John Pirhalla; Patti Murin, is amazing! Fabulous job with this crazy family! Greed is a powerful thing!
Need a wonderful family drama with massive secrets….THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Talk of impending war is a steady drumbeat throughout North Carolina, though Joetta McBride pays it little heed. She and her husband, Ennis, have built a modest but happy life for themselves, raising two sons, fifteen-year-old Henry, and eleven-year-old Robert, on their small subsistence farm. They do not support the Confederacy’s position on slavery, but Joetta considers her family to be neutral, believing this is simply not their fight.
Her opinion is not favored by many in their community, including Joetta’s own father-in-law, Rudean. A staunch Confederate supporter, he fills his grandsons’ heads with stories about the glory of battle and the Southern cause until one night Henry runs off to join the war. At Joetta’s frantic insistence, Ennis leaves to find their son and bring him home.
But soon weeks pass with no word from father or son and Joetta is battered by the strain of running a farm with so little help. As the country becomes further entangled in the ramifications of war, Joetta finds herself increasingly at odds with those around her—until one act of kindness brings her family to the edge of even greater disaster.
Review
Joetta and her husband have carved a nice life out of their farm and family. But when the Civil War breaks out, their lives change drastically.
It has been quite a while since I have read a book set in this time period. This used to be my JAM! No idea why I got away from it. But, this book has reeled me back in. This story is a bit of a different take on the Civil War. Most of the novels are about slavery, starvation and the war. This book is more about how someone was treated in the south if they did not choose a side.
Joetta is very staunch in her beliefs. And she pays for it in more ways than one. She loses her son, her crops and her friends. She hangs in there through all the drama but it takes a toll.
This story will have your emotions all over the place. One minute you are near tears, the next you are terrified. But the love of family shines through!
The narrator, Tiffany Morgan, is great! Her pacing is perfect!
Need a tale you will not soon forget…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
This book release January 23, 2024.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Mathematical genius Dr. Meg Brightwood has just completed her life’s work—a proof of a problem so impenetrable it’s nicknamed the Impossible Theorem.
Reclusive and burdened by anxiety, Meg has long since been dismissed by academia. Now everyone wants to get their hands on what she alone possesses—especially her own mathematician father.
Having grown up a prodigy in a field plagued by sexism and plagiarism, Meg opts for a public presentation so there will be no doubt of her authorship. But a panic attack obliterates her plans. In defeat, she goes home and locks away the one and only manuscript of her proof.
Then chance sends her the unlikeliest of allies: Isaac Wells—carpenter, high school dropout, in trouble with the law. And the one love of Meg’s life. Fifteen years ago, they did little more than hold hands. Now, they find a tenuous space where they can love and be loved for who they are—not who the world expects them to be.
But when Meg goes to retrieve the Impossible Theorem, she finds it missing. Her fight for the achievement of the century will test the limits of her brilliance and the endurance of two vulnerable hearts.
Review
Meg has finally succeeded in solving the Impossible Theorem. It has been her life’s work. She has been reclusive and terrified of the world. But now that she has solved this mathematical problem. She must present it to the public. Unfortunately this plagues her with anxiety. So she hides the math problem in a safe. When she tries to retrieve it, she realizes it has been stolen…BY HER OWN FATHER.
At some level, I can relate to Meg. I can relate to her reclusiveness. I would definitely stay at home all the time. I know, I know, that is not exactly her issue. I absolutely loved her. I loved her intelligence and how she grows throughout this story. She develops a backbone and it is a joy when she does!
Oh and how could I not talk about Isaac. At first, I was not sure if I should trust Isaac. I really thought he could be the bad guy in this. But he turns out to be a jewel and Meg’s champion.
I absolutely loved this authors first book Johanna Porter is Not Sorry. And I also enjoyed this one. This author is quickly becoming a mainstay for me. Her characters are so real! And this story puts a smile on your face!
Need a brilliant romance to take you away…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
In this riveting thriller from a new master of suspense, a young dancer’s homecoming is marred by a grisly discovery—and the realization that nothing in her past may be quite what she believed.
When Esmé Foster left the Boston suburbs to become a professional ballerina, the future shimmered with promise. Eleven years later, her career has been derailed by an injury, and Esmé knows it’s time to come back to Graybridge to help her brother care for their ailing father. But her return coincides with an unthinkable crime. Kara Cunningham, one of Esmé’s high school friends, is found dead in the woods behind the Fosters’ house.
Esmé is shocked and grieving, but also uneasy. In her dreams, she still sees the man who showed up at the scene of the car accident that killed her mother—and told Esmé he was going to kill her too. Family and friends insisted the figure was a product of Esmé’s imagination, that she was concussed after the crash. But she and Kara looked alike, sharing the same petite build, the same hair color. Could Kara’s murder have been a case of mistaken identity?
Detective Rita Myers is familiar with closeknit communities like Graybridge, where, beneath the friendliness, there are whispers and secrets. The town has seen other tragedies too, including the long-ago drowning of a young girl in a pond, deep in the woods. Even within the once-close circle of friends that included Kara and Esmé, Rita discerns a ripple of mistrust.
Day by day, Esmé discovers more about the place she left behind—and the friends and family she thought she knew. Soon, shining a light into the darkness to learn what really happened the night Kara died is the only way she can bring the nightmare to an end …
“A failed ballerina’s return home is turned upside down by the appearance of a dead body in her family’s yard … Parlato piles on the rumors, menace, and revelations.”—Kirkus Reviews
Review
Esmé has returned home after a failed ballet career and even worse relationship. She knows her father is in bad health and she needs to be there to help her brother. So, she is going to make the best of it. That is until her best friend from high school is murdered in the woods behind her home. This stirs up some memories of a past Esmé had hoped to forget.
I really enjoyed all these twists and turns. There are really two storylines moving throughout this novel…the murder and Esmé’s memory. I loved how the author wove these around each other. And NO, it does not turn out the way you think!
The narrators, Christina Moore and Leah Horowitz are wonderful together. I have said this before and I will say it again…I love a good tag team.
Need a good mystery with a kick…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
The girl was slumped over the edge of the old clawfoot tub, her eyes tiny shards of broken glass, her expression void of anything. Her long, wet hair dripped onto the floor. She was dead.
The night Katelyn Berkley died, everything changed…
For as long as they can remember, twins Hayley and Taylor Ryan have been able to hear the dead. With a true crime writer and psychiatric nurse for parents, the twins were taught to use their gift to give a voice to the innocent.
When the body of troubled teen Katelyn Berkley is found in her bathtub, the small town of Port Gamble is shaken to its core. The Berkley family had many problems and on the surface Katelyn’s death appears to be a cry for help gone wrong.
But soon the twins begin to receive messages from Katelyn. Something darker was behind her death. As the halls of Kingston High are rocked by the scandal, everyone from the most popular cheerleader to the class outcast could have reason to want her dead.
And as the twins get closer to the truth, it becomes clear that someone is watching them. Are they next on the hitlist?
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes an addictive thriller about toxic friendships, dark secrets and the hunt for an unlikely killer. Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, James Patterson and ONE OF US IS LYING.
Overview of Dying to be Her
Just as the lightning bolt of memory passed, a pair of hands grabbed Olivia’s shoulders and shoved her body backwards against the wooden floor. I’m not going to die here, am I? she thought, though the answer seemed all too clear. Am I?
Port Gamble, Washington: When the body of English exchange student Olivia Grant is found at the palatial home of local schoolgirl, Brianna Connors, the town assumes that it’s a Halloween prank gone wrong. But when Brianna and her boyfriend Drew are spotted casually shopping the next day, people start to talk: how could they be so unaffected by Olivia’s death?
Twins Hayley and Taylor Ryan have received signs from beyond the grave for as long as they can remember. As the local police piece together the mystery, the girls begin to receive messages suggesting that something darker was at play that night. The killer had a target and they’re not done yet.
When the prime suspects disappear, the twins know that time is running out. But to get to the killer, they will first need to confront a close family member who harbors a long-held secret and committed the ultimate act of betrayal.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes an unputdownable thriller about two girls’ hunt to find a killer on the run, with a touch of supernatural help. Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Robert Dugoni and James Patterson.
This book was originally published as BETRAYAL. This new edition has been re-edited since its publication in 2012.
Review
I am reviewing these two together because I received them at the same time and well, they just go together! It is not necessary that you read them in order. They are stand alone thrillers and worth every minute!
This is a series that follows Haley and Taylor. These two young ladies are twins and they are a bit psychic. They can feel if something bad has happened in their small town. Both of these books open with a young lady’s body. In the first book, the young lady is electrocuted in the bathtub. Of course the police believe it is suicide, but the twins know different. In the second book, the young lady has definitely been murdered. The twins have their suspicions and they will not let it rest.
I enjoyed the second book, Dying to be Her, just a little bit more than the first. It has more history about the twins mother. I found it fascinating how she grew up in a prison. Her dad was the warden. And, of course, the twins do not leave this alone and they go and search the prison, looking for answers. This leads to some major issues…and you just need to read this to find out.
The intensity and anxiety the author creates in these novels is on target. I love a book that I can get lost in. Gregg Olsen does not disappoint.
The narrator, Karen Peakes is excellent. Great job on the pacing and the voices. Lots of characters and she kept everyone separated!
Need two good thrillers to take you away…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received these novels from the publisher for a honest review
I did a TikTok review about these books. You can see it below.
Well done to Hope C. Tarr for a magical journey, so gruelling, so full of optimistic belief, in the hope of a better future. I loved Rose and how she fought for her own strength within herself.’ Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Sunday Times bestselling author
Aran Islands 1898.
Eighteen-year-old Rose O’Neill leaves her beloved Ireland and boards a steamer bound for New York City. She’s starting a new life with Adam, the American soldier who’s sworn to marry her.
But when she arrives at New York Harbour Rose finds herself abandoned, pregnant and alone.
Scared and homeless, she takes a job at one of New York’s luxury hotels, and gradually begins to see a future for herself and her unborn child.
But when a deadly fire rips through the hotel, in one shocking moment Rose loses all she has built.
Rose’s luck finally begins to change when she meets fireman Joe Kavanaugh, a man determined to win her heart.
Rose and Joe build a family and a business that takes them from the struggling Lower East side, to the glamour of New York’s finest department store. If only Rose can let go of her past and the love she lost.
Rose has come from nothing and built an empire, but the outbreak of the Great War in Europe threatens to topple the dynasty which she has sacrificed so much to build.
Can she find her way back to happiness, and the future she set out to find a quarter of a century before . . .?
Sweeping from Ireland to New York at the turn of the century. From the heartache of the Great War, to the glamour of the Roaring Twenties, discover one woman’s journey from heartbreak to happiness in this captivating historical saga.
Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Dilly Court, Sarah Ferguson Duchess of York, Kristen Hannah, Rosie Goodwin, Heather Webb, Rosie Hendry, Katie Flynn, and Colleen McCullough.
Review
Rose’s brother has been killed in the Spanish-American war. When his best friend, Adam, shows up at her family’s saloon in Ireland, sparks fly immediately. Sadly, Adam is called home because his father is ill and Rose and Adam lose touch. Rose takes off in search of Adam after she discovers she is pregnant. Things do not go as she had hoped and Rose finds herself on her own!
This is really close to a 5 star read for me. The only reason I decided on 4 stars is basically originality. It is the same story I have read before…with a few different twists. The twists are what make this book so well done! Oh! and the characters! I love Rose! And I even loved her husband Joe, even if he is a stubborn butt!
The love triangle between Rose, Joe and Adam, as I have said before, is not unique. But the drama that occurs between the characters and the way their lives shift and change really keep the reader turning the pages.
Need a wonderful historical fiction love story…THIS IS IT ! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the author for a honest review.
Ingeniously plotted, irresistibly readable, brimming with inside information about the high-stakes art world of theft, forgery, and murder…Also included are brilliantly rendered drawings by the author, who is as accomplished an artist as he is a writer of suspense thrillers.” —Joyce Carol Oates
From the author of the much-praised The Last Mona Lisacomes another thrilling story of masterpieces, masterminds, and mystery.
For years, there have been whispers that, before his death, Van Gogh completed a final self-portrait. Curators and art historians have savored this rumor, hoping it could illuminate some of the troubled artist’s many secrets, but even they have to concede that the missing painting is likely lost forever.
But when Luke Perrone, artist and great-grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa, and Alexis Verde, daughter of a notorious art thief, discover what may be the missing portrait, they are drawn into a most epic art puzzles. When only days later the painting disappears again, they are reunited with INTERPOL agent John Washington Smith in a dangerous and deadly search that will not only expose secrets of the artist’s last days but draws them into one of history’s darkest eras.
Beneath the paint and canvas, beneath the beauty and the legend, the artwork has become linked with something evil, something that continues to flourish on the dark web and on the shadiest corridors of the underground art world.
Alternating between Luke Perrone’s perilous hunt for the painting, and a history of stolen art and stolen lives, The Lost Van Gogh is an intricately layered historical thriller perfect for fans of The Last Mona Lisa and The Night Portrait.
Review
Luke and Alex may have discovered a lost painting by Van Gogh. But, before they can get it authenticated, the painting is stolen. They contact an acquaintance, Interpol Agent, John Washington. And it is not long that John discovers there is more to this than he ever imagined.
This is very well researched with quite a bit of enjoyable history. I mean, who doesn’t love to read about Van Gogh! And the mystery surrounding the painting…is it real? Is it fake? This is what kept the story moving for me!
I have only read one other novel by this author, The Last Mona Lisa. I enjoyed that book quite a bit more than this one. This story just seems to be all over the place. It is a bit discombobulated and unorganized. Now, as I always say…read this for yourself to form your own opinion.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Wendy Kyle took secrets to her grave—now, Clare Carlson is digging them up
New York City has no shortage of crime, making for a busy schedule for TV newswoman Clare Carlson. But not all crimes are created equal, and when an explosive planted in a car detonates and kills a woman, Clare knows it’ll be a huge story for her.
But it’s not only about the story—Clare also wants justice for the victim, Wendy Kyle. Wendy had sparked controversy as an NYPD officer, ultimately getting kicked off the force after making sexual harassment allegations and getting into a physical altercation with her boss. Then, she started a private investigations business, catering to women who suspected their husbands of cheating. Undoubtedly, Wendy had angered many people with her work, so the list of her suspected murderers is seemingly endless.
Despite the daunting investigation, Clare dives in headfirst. As she digs deeper, she attracts the attention of many rich and powerful people who will stop at nothing to keep her from breaking the truth about the death of Wendy Kyle—and exposing their personal secrets that Wendy took to her grave.
Review
Wendy Kyle has been killed when a bomb is planted in her car. This story ends up in Clare Carlson’s lap. And it is not cut and dried as it appears. Clare just keeps digging and digging because she knows something is not right! Love a reporter’s intuition!
This is a story that is a bit complex and intricate and I enjoyed it. I loved the politics and who did what to whom! And the ending….I SO did not see that coming!
I have not read any books in this series and this one is stand alone. But, I do want to go back and pick these up. I enjoyed Clare. She has some gumption and she is not afraid to get in the deep end!
Need a good who done it…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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