North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan #bookreview #suspense @minotaurbooks #minotaurinfluencers

Overview

New York Times bestseller Allison Brennan’s latest standalone is an unputdownable race to the dramatic finish.

After five years in hiding from their murderous father, the day Kristen and Ryan McIntyre have been dreading has arrived: Boyd McIntyre, head of a Los Angeles crime family, has at last tracked his kids to a small Montana town and is minutes away from kidnapping them. They barely escape in a small plane, but gunfire hits the fuel line. The pilot, a man who has been raising them as his own, manages to crash land in the middle of the Montana wilderness. The siblings hike deep into the woods, searching desperately for safety—unaware of the severity of the approaching storm.

Boyd’s sister Ruby left Los Angeles for the Army years ago, cutting off contact in order to help keep her niece and nephew safe and free from the horrors of the McIntyre clan. So when she gets an emergency call that the plane has gone down with the kids inside, she drops everything to try save them.

As the storm builds, Ruby isn’t the only person looking for them. Boyd has hired an expert tracker to find and bring them home. And rancher Nick Lorenzo, who knows these mountains better than anyone and doesn’t understand why the kids are running, is on their trail too.

But there is a greater threat to Kristen and Ryan out there. More volatile than the incoming blizzard, more dangerous than the family they ran from or the natural predators they could encounter. Who finds them first could determine if they live or die. . .

Review

Tony knows he has been found. His main goal now is to protect Kristen and Ryan. He borrows his boss’ plane and initiates his plan to get the kids out and to safety. But, something goes wrong and it could be the death of all of them.

This story moves like lightening. I enjoyed the chase. And believe me…this is a big chase, over the mountains and through the woods…in a blizzard, no less. And let me tell you, there are some major intense moments where I literally gasped out loud. And just when you think things may be about to settle down, there is another twist and someone’s life is thrown into jeopardy again!

The only reason for the 4 stars is there are a lot of characters to keep up with. And this slowed the story down some for me. However, I loved Kristen, Ruby, Tony and Ryan.

Need a fast paced, exciting thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Small Town Sins by Ken Jarowoski @macmillanaudio #audiobook #audiobookreview @henryholt

Overview

This program features multicast narration.

Ken Jaworowski’s Small Town Sins is a gripping Rust Belt thriller that captures the characters of a down-and-out Pennsylvania town, revealing their troubled pasts and the crimes that could cost them their lives.

In Locksburg, Pennsylvania, a former coal and steel town whose best days seem long past, five thousand residents have toughed it out, and have reasons for both worry and hope as this neglected place teeters between decay and renewal. For some of them, their biggest troubles have just arrived. 

After years of just scraping by, three restless souls have their lives upended: Nathan, a volunteer fireman who uncovers a secret stash of money in a burning building and takes it; Callie, a nurse whose tender patient may not have long to live, despite the girl’s fundamentalist parents’ ardent beliefs; and Andy, a recovering heroin addict who undertakes a nightmare mission to hunt down and stop a serial predator.

Before long, Nathan’s stolen riches threaten to destroy everyone around him as he tries to cover his haphazard trail of lies. Callie risks her career to grant her young patient a final, and likely illegal, wish. And Andy’s hunger for vigilante justice becomes a fierce obsession that may end in violence.

As their stories barrel toward unexpected ends, Nathan, Callie, and Andy struggle to endure—or escape. They each face their pasts and gamble on their futures, and confront the underside of their rough Rust Belt town. Riveting, evocative, and unforgettable, Small Town Sins is a debut novel that marks the arrival of a major new talent.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

Review

Locksburg, Pennsylvania is the small home town of three unique individuals, Nathan, Andy and Callie. Each one has secrets to hide. Nathan stole money, Andy is after a serial predator and Callie is just wanting to make a young girl’s dream come true.

Lord have mercy, just about everyone in this town is committing one felony or another, for one reason or another. I love the story for each character and don’t think you won’t question whether you will commit each of these crimes. It is like a moral compass. This is an emotional and sensitive read which brings many questions into your focus. And these characters…they will stick with you!

The novel has quite a few moving parts, but the way the audiobook if formatted, it is easily followed and BOY did I enjoy it. I love it when an audiobook has more than one narrator. This book has Chris Ciulla, Jennifer Blom and John Pirhalla as the narration team and they are superb.

Need a just a poignant, good story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse #bookreview #historicalfiction #smpinfluencer @stmartinspress

Overview

Next in the #1 Sunday Times bestselling series, New York Times bestselling author Kate Mosse returns with The Ghost Ship, a sweeping historical epic of adventure on the high seas.

The Barbary Coast, 1621. A mysterious vessel floats silently on the water. It is known only as the Ghost Ship. For months it has hunted pirates to liberate those enslaved by corsairs, manned by a courageous crew of mariners from Italy and France, Holland and the Canary Islands.

But the bravest men on board are not who they seem. And the stakes could not be higher. If arrested, they will be hanged for their crimes. Can they survive the journey and escape their fate?

A sweeping and epic love story, ranging from France in 1610 to Amsterdam and the Canary Islands in the 1620s, The Ghost Ship is a thrilling novel of adventure and buccaneering, love and revenge, stolen fortunes and hidden secrets on the high seas.

Review

A ghost ship has plagued the sea for months. This ghost ship has been a pain in the side for pirates. It has also been a saving grace for the enslaved. So, it must be found and the captain contained. But, the captain is not who anyone expects.

Louise is living in the wrong time period. She wants to own her own ship, but in 1600 Holland…you can imagine the hardship this is. But, due to her uncle, Louise does succeed in her dream. Not only that, she succeeds in making the seas a safer place. Something that the powers that be could not do. This lands her in prison and a noose around her neck. But, don’t count her down yet…you need to read this to find out.

I have been a fan of this author since her very first book. And I have read them all. This story, like all her books, is very well researched. There is so much that I learned and enjoyed in this tale.

Need a unique historical fiction…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion

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Her Father’s Daughter by T. M. Dunn #audiobook #audiobookreview @dreamscapeaudio

Overview

Twenty-five-year-old Linda Donovan has spent her life working for her father, Anthony, at Donovan and Daughter Exterminators in New York City. On the anniversary of her mother’s death, her father makes his annual visit to his late wife’s grave while Linda heads to a Park Avenue apartment building to work solo.

When she arrives, she finds the body of an elderly resident, partially eaten by rats. The gruesome death not only speaks poorly of the Donovans’ exterminating services, it also points to foul play. When the cops show up, they demand to speak to Linda’s father. But despite her efforts to contact him, Anthony has gone off the radar.

As he evades a possible murder charge, Linda’s father records in five notebooks—and five damning acts—the story of how he met and fell in love with her mother, a previously untold history of familial abuse, tormented souls, and true love gone terribly wrong. Skillfully weaving together domestic suspense, a desperate police investigation, a love affair, and a serial killer on the loose, acclaimed author T. M. Dunn’s Her Father’s Daughter is perfect for fans of Oyinkan Braithwaite and Karen Dionne.

Review

Linda and her dad, Anthony, own a pest control business in New York. When Linda finds an old woman partially eaten by rats in one of their contracted apartments, the police are called. And suddenly, her father becomes a prime suspect. Linda has always found him to be a great father, but, the more she learns about this dead resident, the more she realizes, her dad is not at all who he seems.

Now, like I said in my TikTok video, this story is a bit convoluted. You know it is going somewhere, just not sure where. And to be honest, for half of the book, I kept saying….oh it can’t be him, it can’t be him…WELL! It was him! (Y’all know I never read the blurb, I have not said anything that is not in the synopsis).

Anthony is definitely a product of his environment. And I cannot believe there was not more damage to Linda when she was growing up. He was a very loving father to her. But when the time came to draw her in to the REAL family business, Anthony shows his true colors.

I really enjoyed how this story unfolded. It is very twisty and intense!

The narrators, Cara Swingline and David Bendena were an excellent tag team.

Need a psychological thriller which will have you cringing…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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The Lady From Burma by Allison Montclair #mystery #bookreview @minotaurbooks #minotaurinfluencers

Overview

In Allison Montclair’s The Lady from Burma, murder once again stalks the proprietors of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau in the surprisingly dangerous landscape of post-World War II London…

In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture – The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous – and never discussed – past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Mostly their clients are people trying to start (or restart) their lives in this much-changed world, but their new client is something different. A happily married woman has come to them to find a new wife for her husband. Dying of cancer, she wants the two to make sure her entomologist, academic husband finds someone new once she passes.

Shortly thereafter, she’s found dead in Epping Forest, in what appears to be a suicide. But that doesn’t make sense to either Sparks or Bainbridge. At the same time, Bainbridge is attempting to regain legal control of her life, opposed by the conservator who has been managing her assets – perhaps not always in her best interest. When that conservator is found dead, Bainbridge herself is one of the prime suspects. Attempting to make sense of two deaths at once, to protect themselves and their clients, the redoubtable owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are once again on the case.

Review

Gwendolyn and Iris own a marriage agency. They have been hired by Mrs Adela to find her husband a new wife. Mrs. Adela is dying of cancer and she wants her husband to have someone to take care of him after her death. But, when Mrs. Adela is found dead in Epping Forest of an apparent suicide, the clues do not add up!

I loved these two ladies. Not only are they witty, they are great friends to each other, not just work partners. I was captivated with Gwendolyn and her plight. It seems Gwendolyn has been in a sanitarium and she is trying to dissolve her conservatorship and boy is this a process. I have not read any of the books in this series. It is not necessary that you do so, BUT…the sanitarium story is something I must go back and find out!

I enjoyed how this mystery unfolded. It is not at all what I expected when I picked this book up. This would be a perfect read for by the pool or on the beach.

Need a good, Agatha Christie like mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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The Princess by Wendy Holden @BerkleyPub #bookreview #princessdiana #fiction

Overview

The whole world saw Princess Diana step from a gilded carriage for her wedding at St. Paul’s Cathedral. But before that fairy-tale moment came a dark and difficult journey.…

Bestselling author Wendy Holden explores the astonishing backstory and young adulthood of the ultimate royal celebrity.

Britain, 1961: A beautiful blonde baby is born to Viscount Althorp, heir to the Spencer earldom. But Diana grows up amid the fallout of her parents’ messy divorce. She struggles at school. Her refuge throughout is romantic novels. She dreams of falling in love and being rescued by a handsome prince.

In royal circles, there is concern about the Prince of Wales. Charles is nearing thirty and the right girl needs to be found, fast. She must be young, aristocratic and completely free of past liaisons. Pure and innocent.

Eighteen-year-old Diana Spencer is just about the only candidate. Her yearning to be loved dovetails with royal desperation for a bride. But the route to the altar is perilous. There are hidden dangers. Ruthless schemers. Can Diana’s romantic dream survive?

Review

Diana Spencer, is a sweet young lady surviving in a tough world. But, her whole life changes when the royal family puts their sights on her for the wife of Prince Charles.

There is so much I want to say about this novel. First up, I remember all of this taking place. Everyone fell head over heels for Diana, including me! And yes, she was very, very young and thrown into a terrible situation. But, under no circumstances do I believe she was as stupid, insipid, or inane and this novel portrays her. Yes, I believe she was in love with the idea of being in love. But, she had been through her parents divorce, she knew a lot more than the author portrayed.

Now, there are parts of this novel in which I loved. These parts were 4 and 5 star reads. But, then there were parts that I rolled my eyes. Being the royal watcher that I am, I learned quite a few things and y’all know, I love a novel which teaches me a few things.

Need a good tale about Princess Diana…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan #historicalfiction #bookreview @suzyspbooktours

Overview

From the author of The School for German Brides, this captivating historical novel set in nineteenth-century and post–World War II Paris follows two fierce women of the same family, generations apart, who find that their futures lie in the four walls of a simple bakery in a tiny corner of Montmartre.

1870: The Prussians are at the city gates, intent to starve Paris into submission. Lisette Vigneau—headstrong, willful, and often ignored by her wealthy parents—awaits the outcome of the war from her parents’ grand home in the Place Royale in the very heart of the city. When an excursion throws her into the path of a revolutionary National Guardsman, Theódore Fournier, her destiny is forever changed. She gives up her life of luxury to join in the fight for a Paris of the People. She opens a small bakery with the hopes of being a vital boon to the impoverished neighborhood in its hour of need. When the city falls into famine, and then rebellion, her resolve to give up the comforts of her past life is sorely tested.

1946: Nineteen-year-old Micheline Chartier is coping with the loss of her father and the disappearance of her mother during the war. In their absence, she is charged with the raising of her two younger sisters. At the hand of a well-meaning neighbor, Micheline finds herself enrolled in a prestigious baking academy with her entire life mapped out for her. Feeling trapped and desperately unequal to the task of raising two young girls, she becomes obsessed with finding her mother. Her classmate at the academy, Laurent Tanet, may be the only one capable of helping Micheline move on from the past and begin creating a future for herself. 

Both women must grapple with loss, learn to accept love, and face impossible choices armed with little more than their courage and a belief that a bit of flour, yeast, sugar, and love can bring about a revolution of their own.

Review

Micheline is only 19 years old but she is now in charge of her two younger sisters. Her dad was killed during the war and her mother disappeared. She is struggling to feed and do all that needs to be done. Luckily, she ends up with a benefactor, her grandmother’s good friend. This opens her eyes to new possibilities.

Then there is Lissette. She is also struggling to survive the blockade the Prussians have placed on the French. She leaves home to follow her true love, Theódore. She opens a small bakery but it is still a effort not to return to her wealthy parents.

These two characters collide in a unique way. Each with their own issues to survive…but the idea of a bakery ends up being their saving grace and their connection!

This book is very well researched. I love when an author teaches me something. And this author definitely did…about Prussia. I had totally forgotten about what the Prussians put the French through in the 1800s. Add in the WWII section and you have a pretty dang good read.

I adored another book by this author, The School For German Brides . And this book is not far behind it!

Need a fabulous dual timeline historical fiction…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen #bookreview #audiobook #audiblebookreview @macmillanaudio @stmartinspress #smpinfluencers

Overview

This program is read by Kate Mara, best known for her roles in hit TV shows like A Teacher and House of Cards, as well as films such as The Martian and Chappaquiddick.

New from the #1 bestselling co-author of The Golden Couple and The Wife Between Us!

“I’m a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen’s books, and Gone Tonight is her best yet.”—Colleen Hoover

Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. Ruth Sterling is quiet, hardworking, and lives for her daughter. All her life, it’s been just the two of them against the world. But now, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, move from home, and begin a new career. And Ruth Sterling will do anything to prevent that from happening.

Ruth Sterling thinks she knows her daughter. Catherine would never rebel, would never question anything about her mother’s past or background. But when Ruth’s desperate quest to keep her daughter by her side begins to reveal cracks in Ruth’s carefully-constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

Review

Ruth and Catherine have only had each other. But, Catherine now has an opportunity to move away to start a new career. Ruth is desperate to stop it. And this crusade of Ruth’s ends up bringing down the house of cards she has carefully built around her and her daughter.

This is a story in which I have to be careful. I do not want to give anything away. But, nothing is as it seems. And Catherine is slowly beginning to realize quite a few lies surrounding her mother. Be careful…what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!

Talk about an intricate tale, with a kick, and a twist and another twist, then a turn…I loved this story! This story just builds and builds to this fabulous climax…and I just wonder if the author has a plan for a sequel. It is set up perfectly for one.

Kate Mara is the narrator and OH MY GOSH!!! She is excellent.

Need a story which will have you wondering what will happen next…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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The Shadow Girls by Alice Blanchard #booktwitter #bookreview @minotaurbooks

Overview

Someone is playing deadly games. Lieutenant Luke Pittman lies in the hospital in a coma after being attacked by one of their own. Veronica Manes, Burning Lake’s most respected modern-day witch, is dead, her murder left unsolved. Natalie Lockhart has become embroiled in a case with threads that become increasingly difficult to untangle.

Now, a new horror is uncovered, one that shocks the town as never before, and the dark, shadowy path forward for Natalie is paved with challenges that haunt her past—Veronica’s unsolved case. Her sister’s traumatic murder. The long-lost disappearance of her old best friend. Natalie’s obsession with finding the truth leads to a twisted, elemental struggle between good and evil—and nothing will ever be the same again.

The woods have secrets.

The trees are carved with curses.

Review

Natalie has stumbled upon a crime in which no one knew it happened. She has discovered a possible serial kidnapper and killer in her jurisdiction. This sends Natalie into an obsession of finding the truth. She is not to be stopped.

Natalie is a character that I enjoy. She is damaged but she pushes through everything to get to her final outcome. Does she always do it right? No. But she always has good on her side.

I have not read all the books in this series. I have read The Wicked Hour. And this one falls on the same level as that one. This story takes a bit to build and just didn’t hit the right notes for me at the right time. That being said, it is a good mystery and I do enjoy Natalie. I just wanted it to move quicker with more intensity.

Need a good police thriller…THIS IS IT. Grab your copy today.

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

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The Hidden Life of Aster Kelly by Katherine A. Sherbrooke #booktwitter #bookreview #audiobook #audiblebookreview @dreamscapeaudio

Overview

After winning a prestigious fashion-design contest in 1948, Aster Kelly flees the world of modeling in New York and arrives in Beverly Hills to claim her prize: a design apprenticeship with Fernando Tivoli. But Fernando has no such job available. He’s busily preparing for the opportunity of a lifetime—proving to Galaxy Studios that he is the perfect couturier for their A-list stars. The moment he meets Aster, though, he knows she’s the missing ingredient he needs and asks her to be his stand-in model for Lauren Bacall, promising to mentor her if he wins the contract.

Aster and Fernando quickly become entangled with Hollywood insiders—Aster with the head of Galaxy Studios, Fernando with up-and-coming star Christopher Page—and their friendship becomes essential as they navigate a glamorous and complicated existence where what’s real must often be hidden and no one is quite what they seem. As Aster’s ambitions grow and she faces a crisis and Fernando’s future is threatened by the judgmental Hollywood machine, Aster makes a decision that changes the trajectory of their lives forever.

Twenty-five years later, despite knowing little of her mother’s time in Hollywood, Aster’s daughter, Lissy, is poised to become a Broadway star. But when the musical gets off to a rocky start, Lissy makes a rash decision of her own in an attempt to save the show. And when long-buried secrets blindside them both, mother and daughter are forced to question everything they thought they knew.

Review

Aster Kelly has won a very prestigious design contest. She leaves New York to be an apprentice for the famous Fernando Tivoli. She falls for all the glamour of old Hollywood. And Fernando falls for an up and coming Hollywood star, Christopher Page. But, life is very difficult for these two because of the stigma of their relationship. When Aster finds herself pregnant, these three devise a plan.

This story is told in two different time periods. One is Aster at a young age and the other is her daughter, Lissy as she struggles to be a Broadway star. And then the secrets start to come out! I loved Aster, Fernando, Christopher and Lissy. These four are amazing and their tale will keep you consumed for hours!

This story captured me from start to finish. I listened to it in one day. And no, I did not see the twist coming. And you will have to read this to find out. And believe me, there are quite a few twists and turns!

I enjoyed another book by this author, Leaving Coy Hill. So, y’all check both of these out! I am definitely putting Katherine A. Sherbrooke on my “lookout list”!

The narrator, Emily Beresford, is one of my new favorites. She was Aster for me!

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

Need a good tale with fabulous characters…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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