reecaspieces

About The Book:

When Miranda Isaacs’s fiancé, Russ Steinmann, is being vetted for his dream job in the U.S. attorney’s office, the couple joke about whether Miranda’s parents’ history as antiwar activists in the Sixties might jeopardize Russ’s security clearance. But as it turns out, the real threat emerges after the attorney’s office discovers that Miranda was arrested for felony kidnapping seven years earlier – an arrest she’d never bothered to tell Russ about. 

 Miranda tries to explain that she was only helping her best friend, Ronit, in the midst of a nasty divorce and custody battle, take her daughter to visit her parents in Israel. Russ doesn’t see it quite as innocently. “I thought I knew you,” he says. Now, it’s not only Russ’s job at stake, but their marriage plans, too. 

 In a frantic search for allies to persuade Russ that she’s not a criminal, Miranda either makes the situation worse, or exposes other secrets and mysteries. Ronit has vanished. Russ’s mother isn’t particularly sympathetic and alludes to something thorny in Russ’s past. Meanwhile, Miranda’s stepfather – who has just revealed to her mother that he’s been having an affair — starts dropping cryptic hints about her biological father. On top of all that, Miranda is arrested again, this time for drunk driving.

With everything she thought she knew about the people she loves most, and even herself, upended, Miranda turns her focus to the things she is sure about. She must face the truth with her mother and with Russ, and do whatever it takes to save Russ’s job and their engagement.

Review

Miranda has failed to tell her fiancé, Russ, that she was arrested for kidnapping. It all comes out as he is being vetted for his dream job at the U.S. attorney’s office. Her sure future now looks less sure and her life is now in shambles. But, she is determined that Russ understands her reasoning and save her engagement. But, the more she works to prove herself the more secrets she discovers about her life.

Well, Miranda has found herself in a mess! Even though she makes things worse on more than one occasion, she never gives up. She fights!

Not only did I enjoy Miranda but I love how this author takes you through so many amazing historical events, the civil rights and the Iraq war, just to name a few. And the secrets…this is a maze of a tale and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Need a good family saga…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

About The Author:

For 30 years, Fran Hawthorne built a career as a journalist and award-winning nonfiction author, specializing in health care, finance, and the nexus of business and social activism. But all that was a detour: Since 2018 she’s published two novels, “The Heirs” and now her newest, I MEANT TO

TELL YOU, both from Stephen F. Austin State University Press. In her nonfiction life, her book “Ethical Chic” was named one of the best books of 2012 by Library Journal. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Newsday, Self, and many other publications, and she

also writes reviews for the New York Journal of Books.https://www.hawthornewriter.com/

Social Media:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/hawthornewriter

Twitter: @hawthornewriter

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Overview

Glass weaves a taut web of suspicion, murder and revenge in this chilling tale.”—Liv Constantine, internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish, on Someone’s Listening

From the Edgar Award–nominated author of On a Quiet Street comes a shocking thriller about secrets…and the lengths some people will go to keep them.

Grace Holloway keeps to herself. Since narrowly escaping death at the hands of the man who kidnapped her, she’s thrown herself into the small inn she runs in Rock Harbor, Maine. It’s quiet, quaint and, in the off-season, completely isolated—the perfect place for Grace to keep her own secrets.

But Grace isn’t the only one with something to hide, and Rock Harbor isn’t just a sleepy vacation town. Someone is taking young women—girls who look an awful lot like Grace did when she was kidnapped so many years ago.

When a surge of disappearances brings the investigation to her door, Grace finds herself unwillingly at the center of it all and doing everything she can to keep her distance. Because Grace knows something…something that could change everything.And when the truth comes to light, getting justice for the vanished might be more than Grace can handle alone…

Review

Kira’s daughter is missing. And she is leaving no stone unturned. But she is not the only one missing from this quiet, Maine town. So, what is going on?!?

There are several main characters in this story, but Grace is the one that I enjoyed the most. Grace is a young lady that is down but not out. She has had major trauma in her past and so she lives for her solitude because she does not want anyone to know her secrets. Her pain is evident in everything she does but so is her strength!

The intensity just steadily builds as this novel moves along but it moves like a rocket. I read it in one day. So, if you need a vacation read, I highly recommend this one.

Need an intense tale that moves like lightning…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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Overview

Winner of the Choix Goncourt Prize, Anne Berest’s The Postcard is a vivid portrait of twentieth-century Parisian intellectual and artistic life, an enthralling investigation into family secrets, and poignant tale of a Jewish family devastated by the Holocaust and partly restored through the power of storytelling.

January, 2003. Together with the usual holiday cards, an anonymous postcard is delivered to the Berest family home. On the front, a photo of the Opéra Garnier in Paris. On the back, the names of Anne Berest’s maternal great-grandparents, Ephraïm and Emma, and their children, Noémie and Jacques—all killed at Auschwitz.

Fifteen years after the postcard is delivered, Anne, the heroine of this novel, is moved to discover who sent it and why. Aided by her chain-smoking mother, family members, friends, associates, a private detective, a graphologist, and many others, she embarks on a journey to discover the fate of the Rabinovitch family: their flight from Russia following the revolution, their journey to Latvia, Palestine, and Paris. What emerges is a moving saga that shatters long-held certainties about Anne’s family, her country, and herself.

Review

A mysterious postcard was delivered to the Berest home in 2003. It had the names of Ephraïm, Emma, and their children, Noémie and Jacques written on it. They were all killed at Auschwitz. Now, 15 years later, Anne is determined to find out who sent it and why.

Anne is not going to let the hesitancy of her mother stop her from finding out about her ancestors. Her mother is just not as interested in discovering the past as Anne. But Anne knows, she feels it in her heart, that she must do this, even if it opens old wounds.

This is a great story full of twists and turns, heartaches and powerful memories. I was captivated by the way this story unfolded. The author really creates a tale which is riddled with secrecy and questions.

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

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

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The Little Italian Hotel

Author: Phaedra Patrick 

On Sale June 6, 2023

Park Row Books

Paperback Original

ISBN 9780778387121

Price: $18.99

Book Summary:

When a relationship expert’s own marriage falls apart, she invites four strangers to Italy for a vacation of healing and second chances in this uplifting new novel from the author of The Messy Lives of Book People.

Ginny Splinter, acclaimed radio host and advice expert, prides herself on knowing what’s best for others. So she’s sure her husband, Adrian, will love the special trip to Italy she’s planned for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. But when Ginny presents the gift to Adrian, he surprises her with his own very different plan—a divorce.

Beside herself with heartache, Ginny impulsively invites four heartbroken listeners to join her in Italy instead while live on air. From hiking the hills of Bologna to riding a gondola in Venice to sharing stories around the dining table of the little Italian hotel, Ginny and her newfound company embark on a vacation of healing.

However, when Adrian starts to rethink their relationship, Ginny must decide whether to commit to her marriage or start afresh, alone. And an unexpected stranger may hold the key to a very different future… Sunny, tender and brimming with charm, The Little Italian Hotel explores marriage, identity and reclaiming the present moment—even if it means leaving the past behind.

Review

Ginny was on the air giving her advice to her listeners, when one of her callers outed her husband. Ginny was flabbergasted. But she soon realizes her marriage is on the rocks. On a whim, she invites total strangers to go on her anniversary trip to Italy. This trip turns into an eye opening experience!

This is a such a sweet and enjoyable read. I love all the characters. Each one has their own and very different grief that they are working through. Poor Ginny, she is completely blindsided by her husband and it opens her eyes to many problems, including some that may have been her fault. I love when a character recognizes that they are not perfect. Add in this beautiful setting and you have an all around joyful book about healing!

Need an invigorating story with the great charm of Italy…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

Author Bio

Phaedra Patrick is the bestselling author of several novels, including The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, which has been translated into twenty-five languages worldwide. Her second novel, Rise and Shine Benedict Stone, was made into a Hallmark movie. An award-winning short story writer, she previously studied art and marketing and has worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organizer and communications manager. Phaedra lives in Saddleworth, UK, with her family.

Social Links:

Author Website: https://www.phaedra-patrick.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/phaedrapatrick 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/phaedrapatrick/   

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14203653.Phaedra_Patrick 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phaedrapatrick

Buy Links:

HarperCollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-little-italian-hotel-phaedra-patrick?variant=40799581339682 

BookShop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-little-italian-hotel-phaedra-patrick/18772980?ean=9780778387121 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-little-italian-hotel-phaedra-patrick/1141998435 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0778387127

Overview

SAY MY NAME is a true-crime story about a crime that never happened.

On the heels of a divorce, a midlist mystery writer returns to his hometown in Central CT and is dragged back into a decades-old, unsolved case involving former missing classmates to expose the horrific secrets of a quaint, idyllic New England town.

Fusing the modern domestic psychological thriller with popular unsolved mysteries (Girl on the Train meets In Cold Blood), this meta blend of true crime and fiction plays with expectations and perspective before its mind-blowing conclusion.

Review

This is a true crime novel…what??? Is this a thing…Yep! With Joe Clifford as the author, anything is possible. The main character, is a writer and he has decided to write a true crime book about the disappearance of twins from his hometown. Needless to say, this does not bode well for him. He is attacked on all fronts. But why? What exactly is he exposing?

This book is intriguing from start to finish. And the ending…oh boy! You better pay attention! Now, the only reason for the 4 star rating is the main character (which I don’t think his name is ever mentioned…hence the title of the book!) is a bit of a mess. He is researching a “true crime” book but he ignores all phone calls and unplugs a great deal. But, like I said…the ending opens a lot of truths!

I have read every single one of this author’s books. And I will continue to try and read every one he writes. He is so diverse and different in every book. And this one tops the diversity list. But, my favorite is still The Shadow People.

Need a good thriller with an ending that is not at all what anyone will expect…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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