Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff @harlequinbooks #booktwitter #bookreview #historicalfiction

Posted on February 10, 2023 by fredreeca

Code Name Sapphire

Pam Jenoff

On Sale Date: February 7, 2023

9780778387091, 0778387097

Trade Paperback

$17.99 USD

Fiction / Historical / World War II

368 pages

About the Book:

A woman must rescue her cousin’s family from a train bound for Auschwitz in this riveting tale of bravery and resistance during World War II


1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind.

Seeking help, Hannah joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a mysterious woman named Micheline and her enigmatic brother Matteo. But when a grave mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and slated for deportation to Auschwitz, Hannah finds herself torn between her loyalties. How much is Hannah willing to sacrifice to save the people she loves? Inspired by incredible true stories of courage and sacrifice, Code Name Sapphire is a powerful novel about love, family and the unshakable resilience of women in even the hardest of times.

Review

Hannah has escaped Germany and made it to her cousin, Lilly’s, home in Brussels. She is hoping to evade capture and secure passage out of the country and away from the Nazis. But, Hannah gets caught up in helping the resistance. She makes a terrible decision to use Lilly’s papers when stopped by a German officer. This leads to Lilly’s arrest and transport to a concentration camp. Hannah is determined to correct this error and stop the train.

This author has become a staple in my reading. She has fabulous books based on true characters. You can see the review for The Woman With The Blue Star here. Almost all her books are 5 star reads for me. The only reason I gave this one a 4 star was because I just did not feel connected to the characters like I usually do. But, this is minor, the story itself is very intense, as most WWII books are. Plus, the ending is heartbreaking.

I love that this story is based on a real person and true events. Anytime a story has me researching, it is a big plus!

Need a good WWII resistance adventure…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

About the Author

Pam Jenoff is the author of several books of historical fiction, including the New York Times bestsellers The Lost Girls of Paris and The Orphan’s Tale. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from George Washington University and a master’s degree in history from Cambridge, and she received her Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania. Jenoff’s novels are inspired by her experiences working at the Pentagon and also as a diplomat for the State Department handling Holocaust issues in Poland. She lives with her husband and three children near Philadelphia, where, in addition to writing, she teaches law school.

Social Links:

Website: https://www.pamjenoff.com/ 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PamJenoff 

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/213562.Pam_Jenoff 

Mailing List: https://pamjenoff.com/mailing-list/ 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Code-Name-Sapphire-Pam-Jenoff/dp/0778334295/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1660585283&sr=1-5

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/code-name-sapphire-pam-jenoff/1141323621?ean=9780778387091 

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/books/code-name-sapphire-original-9780778387091/9780778387091 

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=Code+Name+Sapphire 

Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781488218316 

Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Code-Name-Sapphire/Pam-Jenoff/9780778387091?id=8734734273851 

Target: https://www.target.com/p/code-name-sapphire-by-pam-jenoff/-/A-86930387?preselect=86491930#lnk=sametab 

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Code-Name-Sapphire-A-World-War-2-Novel-Paperback-9780778387091/130626966 

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/code-name-sapphire-a-world/9780778334156-item.html?ikwid=code+name+sapphire&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=f4e04a26588d36ea985419bb38a992fb 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/code-name-sapphire 

AppleBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/code-name-sapphire/id1617801842 

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9780369725998&c=books&PCamrefID=bookpage&PAffiliateID=10lHMS

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Every Missing Girl by Leanne Kale Sparks #audiobook #audiblebook #booktwitter @dreamscapeaudio

Posted on February 9, 2023 by fredreeca

Overview

The stunning landscape of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains are among our greatest natural treasures. But there are deadly secrets lurking in the craggy heights, and FBI Special Agent Kendall Beck and Denver Homicide Detective Adam Taylor team up to investigate a kidnapping. When Taylor’s niece, Frankie, suddenly vanishes at a local hockey rink, it’s clear that there’s a predator on the loose—and now, the case has turned personal.

One discovery after another leads Beck and Taylor closer to the devastating truth about the fates of the missing girls—and the many who came before them. Will they be able to find Frankie before it’s too late?

In this thrilling story, Leanne Kale Sparks weaves the threads of this harrowing drama and builds the intensity to a fever pitch.

Review

Adam is a homicide detective and he has paired up with FBI Agent Kendall Beck to investigate a kidnapping. But, when Adam’s niece, Frankie, disappears from the hockey rink, the investigation has suddenly gotten personal!

I enjoyed Adam and Kendall! These two are strong for each other without the intrusion of chemistry. Adam and Kendall are just good friends and better partners. But, don’t think Kendall won’t put Adam in his place! She is definitely the one in charge. I loved her intelligence and her way with children. Adam can get a bit over zealous. But, his niece is missing and his emotions are high.

Now, this ending will mess you up…just a warning. This is what made this book for me. I love it when the ending takes a twist you never expected.

The narrator, Erin DeWard, did a very good job. She is intense and just the right times.

Need an all around good FBI thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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A Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by M.J. Rose @mjrose #booktwitter #bookreview #5stars

Posted on February 8, 2023 by fredreeca

Overview

A captivating tale of two passionate women separated by decades but united by a shared vision. One, the famous jeweler Suzanne Belperron, fighting to protect her company and rescue the man she loves. The other, a young auctioneer whose exceptional gifts reveal a secret that endangers her very life.

“Only one thing saves you, and that is not losing sight of beauty.”

Paris, 1942. Suzanne Belperron is known as one of the most innovative jewelers of her time. Elsa Schiaparelli and the Duchess of Windsor are just two of her many illustrious clients. What no one knows is that Suzanne and her dear friend, American socialite Dixie Osgood, have been helping transport hundreds of Jewish families out of France since the war began. But now, the war has come to Suzanne’s front door—the Nazis have arrested her business partner and longtime lover, Bernard Herz.

New York, 1986. Violine Duplessi, an appraiser for a boutique auction house, is summoned to visit the home of Paul Osgood, a scholarly lawyer and political candidate who aspires to take over the Senate seat of his recently deceased father. Paul has inherited everything inside Osgood Manor, from the eighteenth-century furniture to the nineteenth-century Limoges china. But a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk is what calls to Violine, with the surprising but undeniable thrum of energy that can only be one thing: the gift passed down to her by La Lune, the sixteenth-century courtesan.

Since childhood, Violine has been able to read an object’s history and learn the secrets of its owners by merely touching it, but she silenced her psychometry when it destroyed her last relationship. Why has it returned now?

While inspecting the trunk, she senses it holds a hidden treasure and finds a hoard of precious jewels that provoke nightmarish visions and raise a multitude of questions. Who owned these pieces? Why were they hidden inside the trunk? Were they stolen? Could their discovery derail Paul’s campaign and their burgeoning attraction to each other?

So begins a search that takes Violine to Paris to work with the Midas Society, a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners. There, Violine will discover both her and Paul’s surprising connections to the trunk—and to Suzanne Belperron, who silently and heroically hid an amazing truth in plain sight.

Told through Violine’s first-person account and Suzanne’s diary entries, The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams is a riveting story of magick, mystery, romance, and revenge. Inspired by the real-life legend Suzanne Belperron, it marks yet another masterpiece by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author M.J. Rose.

Review

Violine has been called in to appraise an estate. When she runs across an old Louis Vuitton trunk, she knows the dimensions are not quite right. What she discovers is a hidden compartment full of jewelry. When she touches the jewelry she sees vivid images of people in distress. The more she delves into the situation the more dangerous her world becomes.

Violine starts to investigate the names on the boxes of jewels. She discovers that they are not names of jewelry stores from the past but names of people, people lost during the Holocaust. Violine heads to Paris to work with the Midas Society to return these jewels to the rightful owners. But, it is not as easy as she thought.

No one does dual timelines like M.J. Rose. I have been a fan of her books FOREVER! I love her history and the mysticism she puts into her books. And to say I loved this story is an understatement. I also loved Violine. Her strength is paramount to this story. The way the author weaves in her talent to read objects and see the past add so much to this tale.

Need an engrossing story from start to finish…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan @suzyapbooktours @hankpryan #booktwitter #bookreview

Posted on February 6, 2023 by fredreeca

Overview

The House Guest is another diabolical cat-and-mouse thriller from USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan—but which character is the cat, and which character is the mouse?

After every divorce, one spouse gets all the friends. What does the other one get? If they’re smart, they get the benefits. Alyssa Macallan is terrified when she’s dumped by her wealthy and powerful husband. With a devastating divorce looming, she begins to suspect her toxic and manipulative soon-to-be-ex is scheming to ruin her—leaving her alone and penniless. And when the FBI shows up at her door, Alyssa knows she really needs a friend.  

And then she gets one. A seductive new friend, one who’s running from a dangerous relationship of her own. Alyssa offers Bree Lorrance the safety of her guest house, and the two become confidantes. Then Bree makes a heart-stoppingly tempting offer. Maybe Alyssa and Bree can solve each others’ problems.  

But no one is what they seem. And the fates and fortunes of these two women twist and turn until the shocking truth emerges: You can’t always get what you want. But sometimes you get what you deserve.

Review

Alyssa’s husband has left her. She has lost all of her connections and most of her money. She meets Bree one evening in a bar and these two ladies hit it off. Alyssa feels like Bree needs her help. Alyssa thinks Bree needs to escape from an abusive relationship. But all is not as it seems.

This story just kept weaving around and the plot just kept getting thicker and more convoluted. But, then it starts to unravel and BOOM!

I love how Hank wrapped this story up with a nice little bow! Alyssa takes no prisoners. I was not a big fan of Bree until towards the end of this novel. And that is by clever design. This is a smart read…do not skim…you will miss it!

Now, I am not going to lie…this is not my favorite Hank novel. It is hard to beat The First to Lie ! But, this is more of a slow burn. So, when you pick this book up…remember, it will get there and when it does…revenge is oh so sweet!

Need a good revenge novel…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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Snap Out of It by Maddie Dawson @suzyapbooktours @maddiedawson1 #booktwitter #bookreview

Posted on February 4, 2023 by fredreeca

Overview

A funny, warmhearted novel about falling in love, falling apart, and pulling it all together again by the bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners.

After three marriages and a lot of living, resilient Billie Slate knows exactly what trouble love can bring. Now she’s reinvented herself as the Heartbreak Bunny, an on-call performance artist who can heal anyone who’s been burned by that four-letter word, LOVE, by hopping about and whisking away sad mementos from their past relationships.

Call it magic. Call it peculiar. But her bunny costume is as perfect as her breakup mantra: SNAP OUT OF IT.

As Billie’s business goes viral and skyrockets her to sudden fame, her comfortable life turns surreal: her daughter’s marriage begins to fail, and Victor, aka Worst Husband Ever, wants not only to bond with the daughter he left but to win Billie back. Only, he’s got competition: a charming widower might be falling in love with a woman who no longer believes in love.

As every romantic notion Billie had pushed away starts pushing back, the Heartbreak Bunny must confront the possibility that, just maybe, love has some tricks left up its sleeve

Review

Billie and her friend decided one evening, after a bout of drinking, to create a new business. Billie will become the Heartbreak Bunny. She will go into people’s homes and remove anything that reminds them of their past love. These people must move on and Snap Out Of It!

Billie is such an adorable character! I just fell in love with her sarcasm and her feelings about “love”. There were quite a few places I found myself laughing out loud at her antics. I mean…a bunny suit!

I also adored how she would take in strays to her home to live. You can just imagine all the messes this caused! This author really has a knack for crazy characters that everyone can relate to. I knew everyone in this book.

I absolutely loved another book by this author, The Magic of Found Objects. So, if y’all get a chance, nab that one too.

Need a cute novel about the “Heartbreak Bunny” for Valentine’s Day…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

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In A Book Club Far Away by Tif Marcelo #booktwitter #audiobook #audiblebook

Posted on February 3, 2023 by fredreeca

Overview

Regina Castro, Adelaide Wilson-Chang, and Sophie Walden used to be best friends. As Army wives at Fort East, they bonded during their book club and soon became inseparable. But when an unimaginable betrayal happened amongst the group, the friendship abruptly ended, and they haven’t spoken since.

That’s why, eight years later, Regina and Sophie are shocked when they get a call for help from Adelaide. Adelaide’s husband is stationed abroad, and without any friends or family near her new home of Alexandria, Virginia, she has no one to help take care of her young daughter when she has to undergo emergency surgery. For the sake of an innocent child, Regina and Sophie reluctantly put their differences aside to help an old friend.

As the three women reunite, they must overcome past hurts and see if there’s any future for their friendship. Featuring Tif Marcelo’s signature “enchanting prose” (Amy E. Reichert, author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake) and the books that brought them together in the first place, In a Book Club Far Away honors the immense power of female friendship and how love can defy time, distance, and all old wounds.

Review

Adelaide is about to have surgery. She is on her own because her husband is deployed overseas and she needs help with her recovery. She has a little girl and she just won’t be able to do what she needs to do. So she sends an SOS to her long time friends Regina and Sophie. These two ladies drop everything and make the long trip to help Adelaide. But, it is a very rocky start!

These characters are very real. I liked them and I hated them! Regina, Sophie and Adelaide have been through so much together. But, Regina and Sophie are on the outs. But Adelaide is going to TRY bring them together. However, Regina is not very forgiving and you will have to read this to find out.

I enjoyed these friends’ relationship and how they eventually found their way back together. I also loved the way the author wove in details of army life. Being an outsider, you just don’t know how hard it is…all the moving, raising kids alone, depending on others. Very well done!

Now…I did receive this novel from the publisher for a honest review. But, I never got to it. It is on sale now at chirp for $2.99. Since I am a fan of this author, I just jumped on that sale price. I listened to it in two days.

Need a good story about friendship and life…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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Tell Me One Thing by Kerri Schlottman #bookspotlight #booktwitter

Posted on February 2, 2023 by fredreeca

An atmospheric debut novel that spans place and time, Kerri Schlottman’s TELL ME ONE THING (Regal House Publishing; January 31, 2023) examines power, privilege, and the sacrifices one is willing to make to succeed. Against the backdrop of a rural Pennsylvania trailer park, and the complicated world of Manhattan during the AIDS epidemic, it delves into New York City’s free-for-all grittiness while exposing a neglected slice of the struggling rust belt, traversing decades from the 1980s up to present day.


Outside a Pennsylvania motel, nine-year-old Lulu smokes a cigarette while sitting on the lap of a trucker. Recent art grad Quinn is passing through town and captures it. The photograph, later titled “Lulu & the Trucker,” launches Quinn’s career, escalating her from a starving artist to a renowned photographer. In a parallel life, Lulu struggles to survive a volatile home, growing up too quickly in an environment wrought with drug abuse and her mother’s prostitution.


Decades later, when Quinn has a retrospective at the Whitney Museum of Art and “Lulu & the Trucker” has sold at auction for a record-breaking amount, Lulu is surprised to find the troubling image of her young self in the newspaper. She attends an artist talk for the exhibition with one question in mind for Quinn: Why didn’t you help me all those years ago?

While writing, Kerri Schlottman—who has a background in art and writes from a place of authenticity—was inspired by Mary Ellen Mark’s famous 1990 photograph, “Amanda and Her Cousin Amy,” which depicts nine-year-old Amanda smoking a cigarette in a kiddie pool in rural North Carolina. Upon Mark’s death in 2015, NPR interviewed Amanda and asked her why she allowed herself to be photographed. Her reply was: “I thought, ‘Hey, people will see me, I’ll get attention, it will perhaps change things for me.’ I thought it might be a way to get out, but that was not the case.”


Weaving back and forth between Lulu’s and Quinn’s perspectives, TELL ME ONE THING explores life-shaping moments in each of their stories—doubt, love, pain, and ambition—and unknowingly links one to another through a fierce determination to better their circumstances.
Brimming with characters that won’t soon leave you, TELL ME ONE THING captures a portrait of two Americas by an exciting up-and-coming writer to watch.

About the Author

Kerri Schlottman is a Detroiter turned New Yorker who works to support artists, performers, and writers in creating new projects. Her fiction and essays have appeared in The Dillydoun Review, Belle Ombre, Women Writers Women’s Books, Muse Apprentice Guild, and The Furnace. She placed second in the Dillydoun International Fiction Prize, has been longlisted for the Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction, and was a 2021 University of New Orleans Press Lab Prize semifinalist.

You can find her at http://www.kerrischlottman.com, on Twitter @KerriLeeJC or Instagram @kerri.schlottman.
http://www.regalhousepublishing.com

ADDITIONAL PRAISE FOR TELL ME ONE THING:

Kerri Schlottman has delivered us the richest of reading experiences. I read Tell Me One Thing voraciously with equal parts intrigue and admiration, thinking how did she pull this off? Slinking expertly between time and location and point of view—the contrasts here are bright and nuanced, honest and vulnerable, jagged yet tender. This is a novel of great heart, examining the lines we draw as we become who we are. A devastating and rich exploration of trauma, art-making, love and the unmistakable hauntedness of what we cannot control, yet long to. I want everyone to read this book.”
]
–Chelsea Bieker, author of Godshot and Heartbroke


“With a clear, empathic gaze, and with a sharp, startling intelligence, Kerri Schlottman’s Tell Me One Thing traces two paths–that of artist, and that of subject–through the cruel disparities of the Reagan eighties and beyond. The result is a book that asks enduring questions about what art is for and what we, all of us, owe one another. Tell Me One Thing is phenomenal.”
–Matthew Specktor, author of Always Crashing in the Same Car


“At once the expansive story of two women navigating two disparate, intersecting lives, and a thoughtful meditation on the transtemporal power of photography, Kerri Schlottman’s TELL ME ONE THING is that rare book: an art world novel with heart.”
–Rachel Lyon, author of Self-Portrait with Boy


“In TELL ME ONE THING, two women’s stories begin in an instant—with a shutter click. Divergent yet inextricable, the paths and aspirations of a photographer and her young subject leap and shatter through the passage of four decades and at the mercy of American dearth, all of which Schlottman relays with understated grit and unflinching humanity. As we follow the photographer through seedy 1980s New York to today’s commercially sterilized iteration, Schlottman proceeds to vivify a Polaraid snapped in a Pennsylvania trailer park, infusing viscerality and tragedy into a portrait that would have otherwise hung static on a collector’s wall. By reframing an object to be admired as a child to be protected, TELL ME ONE THING will both compel and confront readers with questions that only the finest of novels can posit.”
–Jakob Guanzon, author of Abundance, longlisted for the National Book Award


“Fans of The Vanishing Half will love this novel written in alternating points-of-view: each one a perspective rooted in a starkly contrasting experience and yet one that echoes the longings of the other. Reading this was a much-needed exercise in empathy, one tempered by clear, endearing prose. In the parallel universes of two unforgettable characters, Schlottman renders on the page a simple and beautiful expression of our shared humanity. In TELL ME ONE THING, we see the private struggles of a famed photographer making it in the wild days of New York City and how her seminal work exposes and yet neglects the harsh truth of one of her subjects. My heart broke and rooted for both characters, and long after I’ve turned the last page, I am still thinking of them.”
–Cinelle Barnes, author of Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir and Malaya: Essays on Freedom

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January Escapes and Escapades #escapesandescapades #januarywrapup #wrapup #bookreviews #booktwitter

Posted on February 1, 2023 by fredreeca

Well! I always HATE January. It is the longest, coldest month of the year. But, this year…I had a fantastic January!

I went to my first ever Fiber Festival. I spent way too much money but boy did I have a blast! Being a new knitter…DO NOT ROLL YOUR EYES…this was a treat for me! Look at all this amazing yarn!

Plus it was in Oxford, MS. Which means a visit to…you guessed it…SQUARE BOOKS!

Now…on to the Escapes

I had quite a few five star reads this month….CHECK IT OUT!

The House in the Pines
Picture in the Sand
The Villa
The Blackhouse
My Darkest Prayer
A Chance Inheritance
All The Dangerous Things
The Three Alice’s if Alix St. Pierre
The Nazi Conspiracy
Just the Nicest Couple
The Backup Plan
The Murder Book
Within These Walls of Sorrow
A Quiet Retreat
Little Follies
Spurred to Justice
Perfect
What Lies in the Woods
The Love You Save
Starvation Heights

Lots of great books were read and enjoyed! What did you read and enjoy in January? Inquiring minds want to know!

Thanks for stopping by!

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The Love You Save by Goldie Taylor @harlequinbooks #memoir #booktwitter #bookreview

Posted on January 30, 2023 by fredreeca

Overview

A Zibby’s Most Anticipated Book of 2023*
*One of The Root’s Most Anticipated Books of January*
*A Good Morning America Best Book of January?*
*An Essence Must Read Book of the Year*

“The Love You Save will console and inspire countless people.”—J.R. Moehringer, New York Times bestselling author of The Tender Bar

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings meets Educated in this harrowing, deeply hopeful memoir of family, faith and the power of books—from acclaimed journalist and human rights activist Goldie Taylor

Aunt Gerald takes in anyone who asks, but the conditions are harsh. For her young niece Goldie Taylor, abandoned by her mother and coping with trauma of her own, life in Gerald’s East St. Louis comes with nothing but a threadbare blanket on the living room floor.

But amid the pain and anguish, Goldie discovers a secret. She can find kinship among writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison. She can find hope in a nurturing teacher who helps her find her voice. And books, she realizes, can save her life.

Goldie Taylor’s debut memoir shines a light on the strictures of race, class and gender in a post–Jim Crow America while offering a nuanced, empathetic portrait of a family in a pitched battle for its very soul.

Profoundly moving, exquisitely rendered and ultimately uplifting, The Love You Save is a story about hidden strength, perseverance against unimaginable odds, the beauty and pain of girlhood, and the power of the written word.

Review

Memoirs have always been a staple in my reading. I grew up reading biographies from our little school library. So, sometimes I need a good memoir for a change of pace. This book hit the spot.

I had never heard of Goldie Taylor. She is on my radar now! She really pulled herself out of trauma and hardship with ALMOST no help.

Her story is told in a very matter of fact manner. she really does not discuss her feelings nor does she do the “Woe is me” bit. She just tells it straight out. I enjoyed this aspect. It let the reader decide how they wanted to feel about the situation. And let me tell you…I had a lot of feelings pushing through. I wanted to reach through the pages and pull her out!

Goldie’s escape from her reality was books and writing. This resonated with me on so many levels!

Need a good memoir about a strong child which overcomes…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall #booktwitter #audiobook #audiblebook @Macmillanaudio

Posted on January 30, 2023 by fredreeca

Overview

They were eleven when they sent a killer to prison. They were heroes . . . but they were liars.

Kate Alice Marshall’s What Lies in the Woods is a thrilling novel about friendship, secrets, betrayal, and lies—and having the courage to face the past.

“Clever and deliciously dark.”—Alice Feeney, bestselling author of Rock Paper Scissors

“Shines an incisive light on the secrets of a small-town community…Great writing and boldly drawn characters bring a terrifying tale to all-too-vivid life.”—Kirkus, starred review

Naomi Shaw used to believe in magic. Twenty-two years ago, she and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent the summer roaming the woods, imagining a world of ceremony and wonder. They called it the Goddess Game. The summer ended suddenly when Naomi was attacked. Miraculously, she survived her seventeen stab wounds and lived to identify the man who had hurt her. The girls’ testimony put away a serial killer, wanted for murdering six women. They were heroes.

And they were liars.

For decades, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia wants to tell, and Naomi sets out to find out what really happened in the woods—no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be.

“What Lies In the Woods is a gorgeous fever dream of a novel about the dangers lurking in the hearts and imaginations of little girls. Kate Alice Marshall deftly charts a winding path through her creepy woods, doubling back and changing course to build a labyrinth of secrets and lies in which I was delighted to lose myself for hours. Hands down, it’s the best thriller I’ve read in a long, long time.”—Chandler Baker, bestselling author of The Husbands

Review

Naomi was attacked in the woods when she was just 11 years old. Her two friends, Olivia and Cassidy were there and witnessed the attack. They all helped send the serial killer to prison. Now, the serial killer is dead and Naomi has returned to try and finally find peace. But, that is not at all what she discovers.

Naomi broke my heart in so many places in this book. She truly wants to do the right thing but she has to know what actually occurred. And even though the attack happened to her, she has no recollection.

I can honestly say, this plot is rocking it! I am not going to give it away but I may never walk through the woods with the same perspective I have now. It is amazing what secrets will do!

I love this narrator, Karissa Vacker. She made these characters come alive! Her voice is perfect for all the drama that takes place in this novel.

Need a book which has more twists and turns than a tornado…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

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