reecaspieces

Overview

For decades, the Campbell women have reunited at the family’s rambling seaside cottage known as Beech House to celebrate life’s many occasions. But this year, they will be called back to Martha’s Vineyard for a celebration of a different sort: their beloved matriarch Cora is getting remarried. And all the town gossips are calling him the one who got away, years ago…

For renowned chef Mickey Campbell, this wedding isn’t just a welcome excuse to return to the place she first learned to cook at her grandmother’s side. It’s also a chance to regroup while she figures out a way to tell her smoldering head chef boyfriend that she’s mismanaged their restaurant into the red.

Mickey’s mother, Hedy, is still mourning the passing of her adored father three years earlier, and she isn’t sure she’s ready to welcome a new man into the fold—and she’s not certain her own thorny relationship with her mother will weather the storm of her upcoming marriage.

But everyone knows a woman’s heart holds more than meets the eye. For Cora, drawing her daughter and granddaughter back to Beech House isn’t just about a ceremony, but a chance to reveal a history she has kept close to her heart for decades. As the days leading up to the wedding unfold, secrets of Cora’s past come to light– a secret that will cause three generations of Campbell women to question marriage, motherhood, and ultimately learn to savor the delicious joy of following your own heart.

Told in dual timelines on the sumptuous beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, OUR PLACE ON THE ISLAND is the sparkling, romantic read of the season.

Review

Mickey has been a chef her whole life. She learned at her grandmother, Cora’s, side. She now owns a fabulous restaurant that gets great reviews. But Mickey’s management has not been on par and now the restaurant is failing. She is too chicken to tell her boyfriend/chef. So she takes her mother, Hedy, up on the offer to head to their beach house for her grandmother’s wedding. But this is a time full of change. Mickey is not sure she is up to all these challenges. And when her boyfriend shows up, she knows it’s time to fess up and come clean.

Even though Mickey is lying through her teeth via omission, I really enjoyed her. She knows she has got to do something about her situation. Then there is Cora and Hedy. They clash when they are together but as the story begins to unfold there is a lot that needs to be said and these two begin to heal some old wounds.

This story is full of family secrets and great characters. And I just love the setting of this beach house and all the drama! And how these ladies come together to help each other adds so much charm! Add in the romances for all three ladies and you have a delicious escape.

Need a sweet, romance for the poolside…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Survived delivers a gripping novel of suspense featuring two veteran homicide detectives matching wits with a twisted serial killer lurking in the shadows of New Orleans.

There are killers so savage, so twisted, that they leave a mark not just on their victims, but on everyone who crosses their path. For Detectives Bentz and Montoya, Father John, a fake priest who used the sharpened beads of a rosary to strangle sex workers, is one such monster.

Bentz thought he’d ended that horror years ago when he killed Father John deep in the swamp. But now there are chilling signs he may have been wrong. A new victim has surfaced, her ruined body staged in deliberate, unmistakable detail. Either it’s a terrifying copycat, or Father John, the detective’s own recurring nightmare, has come back to haunt New Orleans.

Another death, and another. Bentz is growing convinced that Father John isn’t just back. He’s circling closer, targeting those Bentz loves most.

And this time, he won’t be stopped until the last sinner has paid the ultimate price…

“Jackson definitely knows how to keep readers riveted.” —Mystery Scene

Review

Kristi was attacked outside her yoga class. Her husband was the one who took the brunt of it. He was there to apologize and he ended up getting killed trying to save her. Now Kristi is widowed, pregnant and determined to find out who killed her husband and why they came after her.

Is Father John back??? Bentz firmly believes he is and he is determined to find him and take him down. And Father John is targeting people close to Bentz, so time if of the essence.

I have been a fan of this author forever! I have not read a book by her in quite a while. This one was just ok. But, now to be honest, it could be me. She has some great ratings on this book. And I have been reading a whole lot lately and sometimes that leads me to burnout. And I may be headed that way. So my suggestion is read it! It is intense…which is what kept me reading!

Need a quick read for the beach…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

An American woman and her son unearth the buried secrets and past lives of an English manor house in this masterful and riveting novel from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Belfer.

“Infused with the brooding, gothic atmosphere of Jane Eyreor Rebecca . . . a novel that must be savored, one page at a time.”—Melanie Benjamin, author of The Children’s Blizzard

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times

“How many lives can you imagine yourself living?”

So Hannah Larson wonders. When a close relative falls ill, Hannah and her young son, Nicky, decide to join him for the summer at Ashton Hall, a historic manor house outside Cambridge, England. Hannah gave up her academic career to raise her beloved child, who is neurodivergent and experiences the world differently from others, and she’s grateful to escape her life in New York City, where her marriage has been upended by a devastating betrayal.

Soon after their arrival, ever-curious Nicky discovers the skeletal remains of a woman in a forgotten, walled-off wing of the manor, and Hannah is pulled into an all-consuming quest for answers. Working from clues in centuries-old ledgers and the personal papers of the long-departed family, Hannah begins to re-create the Ashton Hall of the Elizabethan era in all its color and conflict. As the secrets of her own life begin to unravel, and the rewards and complications of being Nicky’s mother come into focus, Hannah realizes that Ashton Hall’s women before her had lives not so different from her own. She confronts what women throughout history have had to do to control their own destinies and protect their children.

Rich with passion, strength, and ferocity across the ages, Ashton Hall is a novel that reveals how the most profound hauntings are within ourselves.

Review

Hannah and her son, Nicky, have decided to move to Cambridge, England for the summer. Hannah’s uncle is ill and she is hoping to escape her failing marriage and help take care of him. But, not long after they arrive, Nicky finds a skeleton in a secret area of Ashton Hall. This leads to many questions and unanswered mysteries.

Hannah is a character that frustrated me in places. I wanted her to be tougher and stand up for herself more. This is a minor irritation because this whole story had me captivated. I love the history that unfolded and the family drama….Lord have mercy at the secrets! From her husband, uncle and everywhere Hannah turns…SECRETS!

Y’all! I love a house with hidden passageways and mysteries to discover and this house, Ashton Hall, did not disappoint. Add in the characters and all their covert drama…and you have a pretty, dang good read!

This novel also has a great book quote. I am not one who ever really writes down quotes but I loved this one. “ That’s the point of books, isn’t it? To be passed from hand to hand, until they fall apart. Part of the great river of life.”

Need a wonderful historical mystery with a fabulous house as the setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

Strong on fine detail yet cognizant of the expansive historical context, Horan’s newest is wonderfully immersive, memorable, important, and pertinent.” —Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

Nancy Horan, author of the million-copy New York Timesbestseller Loving Frank, returns with The House of Lincoln, which tells the story of Abraham Lincoln’s ascendance from rumpled lawyer to U.S. President to Great Emancipator and presents Lincoln’s Midwestern home as a complex third home front of the Civil War.

Rich with historical detail, The House of Lincoln is an insightful account of Lincoln’s transformative vision for democracy as observed through the eyes of a young immigrant who arrives in Lincoln’s home of Springfield, Illinois from Madeira, Portugal.

Showing intelligence beyond society’s expectations, fourteen-year-old Ana Ferreira is offered a job in the Lincoln household assisting Mary Lincoln with their boys and with the hosting duties borne by the wife of a rising political star. Ana bears witness to the evolution of Lincoln’s views on equality and the Union and observes in full complexity the psyche and pain of his bold, polarizing wife, Mary. Yet, alongside her dearest friend in the Black community, Ana confronts the racial prejudice her friend encounters daily as she watches the inner workings of the Underground Railroad, and directly experiences how slavery contradicts the promise of freedom in her adopted country.

Culminating in an account of the little-known Springfield race riot of 1908, The House of Lincoln takes readers on a journey through the historic changes that reshaped America and continue to reverberate today.

Review

Ana is a young lady working in the Lincoln household. She is there to help Mary with all her children. But Ana is very intelligent and she takes in a lot of her surroundings. She witnesses a lot of secrets…like the Underground Railroad. This throws her and her good friend into danger.

This story follows Ana and the Lincolns. And it does encompass a great deal of the history, so I won’t dwell on what you know. But this is a complex, well researched tale. From racial issues, family squabbles all the way to the White House, this story encompasses it all! I learned a great deal in this novel. This does have a large amount of politics, of course. But, I love how the author portrays Lincoln as a man, husband and father more than a politician.

And Mary Lincoln! I knew a little, but I had no idea about the problems she had with her family during the war or how her life ended. It was not easy, that’s for sure!

Need a good historical fiction tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

Don’t miss the first book in the brand-new, suspense-filled trilogy spinning out of Heather Graham’s popular Krewe of Hunters series!

The Krewe of Hunters goes international with the introduction of Blackbird, a brand new team of operatives bringing justice, and their unique talent of speaking to the dead, to Europe!

They’ve barely finished stopping one serial killer on American soil before FBI agents Della Hamilton and Mason Carter are brought into the fold and sitting in a jet bound for Norway. A disturbed individual has been killing their way across the continent, starting in the United Kingdom and eventually making their way to the sleepy town of Lillehammer. The victims have been left completely drained of blood, with two telltale pinpricks in their necks! As the body count rises the couple must bring all of their abilities to bear as they work to uncover the identity of this vampire killer and put a stop to the terror they’ve begun to inspire.

Review

Della and Mason Carter are two FBI agents on the hunt for a serial killer. They finally get the one in the USA but now they are being sent to help find another. This one in Norway!

I have been reading this author since the late 80’s. No lie! I have been around that long and so has she! She has always been one of my go to authors. However, this is one of my least favorites books. I am all about a ghost story with a kick. (Like a vampire killer!) But, this one just did not hold my interest very well. And it is a bit jumbled. Now this is just my opinion. So, read it and let me know what you think.

This does have a very good chase…I mean, as a reader, you end up in Norway! Nothing is wrong with that!

Need a unique ghost story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels. She’s a winner of the RWA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Thriller Writers’ Silver Bullet. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America. For more information, check out her websites: TheOriginalHeatherGraham.com, eHeatherGraham.com, and HeatherGraham.tv. You can also find Heather on Facebook.

Social Links:

Author Website

Facebook: @Heather Graham

Twitter: @HeatherGraham

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