Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Providence by Caroline Kepnes





What They Say......Best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe share a bond so intense that it borders on the mystical. But before Jon can declare his love for his soul mate, he is kidnapped, his plans for a normal life permanently dashed.

Four years later, Chloe has finally given up hope of ever seeing Jon again. Then, a few months before graduation, Jon reappears. But he is different now: bigger, stronger, and with no memory of the time he was gone. Jon wants to pick up where he and Chloe left off . . . until the horrifying instant he realizes that he possesses strange powers that pose a grave threat to everyone he cares for. Afraid of hurting Chloe, Jon runs away, embarking on a journey for answers.

Meanwhile, in Providence, Rhode Island, healthy college students and townies with no connection to one another are suddenly, inexplicably dropping dead. A troubled detective prone to unexplainable hunches, Charles “Eggs” DeBenedictus suspects there’s a serial killer at work. But when he starts asking questions, Eggs is plunged into a whodunit worthy of his most outlandish obsessions.

In this dazzling new novel—and with an intense, mesmerizing voice—Caroline Kepnes makes keen and powerful observations about human connection and how love and identity can dangerously blur together.


What I Say.....Who didn't love You or Hidden Bodies?  So, so good.  An original voice and two fresh reads.  So I was beyond excited to get an advance copy of Providence by Caroline Kepnes from Netgalley.  I finished it in a weekend.

Jon is a small, nerd like kid, but he is tightly bonded with cute, popular Chloe, who floats between sitting in a shed with Jon and hanging out with the cool kids, straddling the gap easily.  

One morning, Jon is kidnapped by a substitute teacher with an obsession with H.P. Lovecraft.  Jon reappears from the basement of a mall years later - I do have to admit the nurse in me wondered how a substitute teacher could put a child into a medical coma for years -hint, can't happen.  Sometimes being a nurse is a pain when you are supposed to suspend disbelief.

When Jon comes back, he has a power that causes him to leave home and avoid any close human interaction.  I don't want to provide any spoilers, but in this area, the book felt very Stephen King, who I love.

Meanwhile, Chloe grows up, reconnects with an old school friend, all while still pining for Jon.  And an emotionally detached detective is working to track Jon down to find out why so many people around him die.

I really liked the book, but I found the detective to be a bit of a drag on the story.  I didn't have any desire for him to find Jon, and I didn't really understand his obsession or how he made the connections.  I also didn't understand how a certain character showed up at the end, but I liked the Pushing Daisies feel of the climax.


 photo signature_zpsc91ef999.png

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Woman Last Seen in Her 30's by Camille Pagan





What They Say.....At fifty-three, Maggie Harris has a good marriage and two mostly happy children. Perpetually anxious, she’s also accumulated a list of semi-reasonable fears: falling air conditioners, the IRS, identity theft, skydiving, and airbag recalls. But never once did Maggie worry that her husband of nearly thirty years would leave her.
On the day Adam walks out the door, everything that makes Maggie secure goes with him. Only then does she realize that while she’s been busy caring for everyone else, she’s become invisible to the world—and to herself.
Maggie cautiously begins to rebuild her life with a trip to Rome, a new career, and even a rebound romance. But when a fresh crisis strikes and an uncertain future looms, she must decide: How much will she risk to remain the woman she’s just become?

What I Say.....I thought I had read a Camille Pagan book before, but I've searched my Goodreads shelves and my Kindle and my real bookshelves and I can't find anything.  Is it a sign of age when you can't remember the name of every book you've ever read??? This is more upsetting than my increased reliance on glasses.

Anyway, I guess this was my first, and I did enjoy it.  Maggie is experiencing the phase of life that includes grown children.  It's a weird thing when you've focused over 18 years raising a child, keeping them safe, helping to guide their life and hopefully, choices to some extent and you suddenly find yourself expendable and they grow their wings and fly.  It really feels like your whole identity is suddenly at risk.  If you aren't a full time mother anymore, who are you?

Maggie is experiencing that plus a disinterested husband, a husband who has suddenly found someone else that "makes him feel alive".  This puts their plans for a long awaited trip to Rome at risk, but Maggie decides to go by herself, which changes her path dramatically.  

From Rome to Ann Arbor, Maggie's life continues to move along a new path.  She's growing her independence, she makes new friends who never knew her as a mom and a wife, but she still feels at odds with herself.  

Who is she?  Does she want her new life or to be the woman last seen in her 30's?



 photo signature_zpsc91ef999.png

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

How To Walk Away by Katherine Center





What They Say.....From the author of Happiness for Beginners comes an unforgettable love story about finding joy even in the darkest of circumstances. 
Margaret Jacobsen has a bright future ahead of her: a fiancĂ© she adores, her dream job, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in one tumultuous moment. 
In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Margaret must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing long-held family secrets, devastating heartbreak, and the idea that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect. 
How to Walk Away is Katherine Center at her very best: an utterly charming, hopeful, and romantic novel that will capture reader’s hearts with every page.


SPOILER ALERTS!!!

What I Say.....All the tears for this book.  Margaret has a great life and a bright future, but a jackass of a boyfriend.  He knows she hates to fly, but decides even though he doesn't have his pilot's license, that a small plane if the best place to propose.  Ugh, he was a tool from the beginning.  I'm trying not to give too many spoilers, but it must be said - Chip is a creep.  His name sums him up perfectly.  

As Margaret begins her healing, she is surrounded by her family, her estranged sister makes a sudden reappearance, and she gets the crabbiest physical therapist ever.  

Margaret's story is unpredictable, and you'll want the miracle, but then you have to try to decide, what do you really consider the miracle?

If you've ever read any of Katherine Center's books before, you know that you'll get a great story with just enough reality to make you feel like there are happy endings available for everyone.  Definitely read The Bright Side of Disaster or Everyone is Beautiful - they are both great books.  



 photo signature_zpsc91ef999.png

Monday, May 21, 2018

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll






What They Say....From Jessica Knoll—author of Luckiest Girl Alive, the instant New York Times bestseller and the bestselling debut novel of 2015—comes a blisteringly paced thriller starring two sisters who join the cast of a reality TV series. One won’t make it out alive. So…who did it?

When five hyper-successful women agree to appear on a reality series set in New York City called Goal Diggers, the producers never expect the season will end in murder…

Brett’s the fan favorite. Tattooed and only twenty-seven, the meteoric success of her spin studio—and her recent engagement to her girlfriend—has made her the object of jealousy and vitriol from her castmates.

Kelly, Brett’s older sister and business partner, is the most recent recruit, dismissed as a hanger-on by veteran cast. The golden child growing up, she defers to Brett now—a role which requires her to protect their shocking secret.

Stephanie, the first black cast member and the oldest, is a successful bestselling author of erotic novels. There have long been whispers about her hot, non-working actor-husband and his wandering eye, but this season the focus is on the rift that has opened between her and Brett, former best friends—and resentment soon breeds contempt.


What I Say....I read Luckiest Girl Alive a few summers ago and I was completely hooked.  I've been super excited to see that it's been optioned for a movie, I can't wait to see it.  So obviously, I was super excited to get a copy of Favorite Sister.

I'm not a big reality TV watcher, except for Flipping Out and years ago, I watched Keeping Up With the Kardashians, when they were a lot funnier and a lot more normal (hard to believe, right?).  But I read Us Weekly and People while I'm floating in the pool, so I feel like I'm pretty up to date on the Real Housewives, without ever watching any of them.

Let's just say reading this book didn't inspire me to become a regular viewer.  These women are honestly repulsive.  You usually have at least one character to root for, but in this group, there wasn't one person that was innocent.  Or even nice. Or ethical.  Completely unrootable.

Brett is an old girl on Goal Diggers, but somehow her sister, Kelly has just become part of the regular cast, along with her teenaged daughter.  That could cause enough drama, but Brett, the chubby lesbian and Stephanie, the gorgeous erotic author are clearly on the outs.  What could these former roommates have against each other?  I could see where I was being led, but the shocking twist didn't shock me too much, as I felt like whoever was sleeping with whoever, they all deserved each other.

It's probably a very accurate look at reality television, but it's a very sad look at the state of our relationships as a society.  Some women would lie, cheat, betray in every way just to stay on television.

I read it all but it left me depressed, however, I've read a lot of other reviewers that loved it.  

Current Goodreads Rating 3.32

 photo signature_zpsc91ef999.png

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Weekly Book Haul.....May 20, 2018





Stacking the Shelves is a weekly book meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, The Sunday Post is another great site hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  The Sunday Salon is a Facebook page where great readers share what they've read this week and Mailbox Monday is a weekly roundup of the new books people have received.

What a whirlwind week!  I got a ton of ARC's and I'm struggling to decide what to read first.  St. Martin's Press is my absolute favorite publisher - I love all of their authors so they are the one's I keep any eye on to see what's coming out and this summer looks like it's going to be packed with great reads!

I had one of my best friends here for the weekend.  She traveled from Illinois where it's cold and rainy to sunny Arizona, where we floated around on matching rafts with matching Kindles.  We hiked every morning, went out to breakfast, spent the rest of the day in the pool floating on matching rafts with matching Kindles and then went out to dinner every night.  Pure bliss and relaxation.  It makes Monday morning that much more unappetizing. 



Rush by Lisa Patton.....Cali Watkins possesses all the qualities sororities are
looking for in a potential new member. She’s kind and intelligent, makes friends easily, even plans to someday run for governor. But her resume lacks a vital ingredient. Pedigree. Without family money Cali's chances of sorority membership are already thin, but she has an even bigger problem. If anyone discovers the dark family secrets she's hiding, she’ll be dropped from Rush in an instant.
When Lilith Whitmore, the well-heeled House Corp President of Alpha Delta Beta, one of the premiere sororities on campus, appoints recent empty-nester Wilda to the Rush Advisory Board, Wilda can hardly believe her luck. What’s more, Lilith suggests their daughters, both incoming freshman, room together. What Wilda doesn’t know is that it's all part of Lilith’s plan to ensure her own daughter receives an Alpha Delt bid—no matter what.
For twenty-five years, Miss Pearl—as her “babies” like to call her—has been housekeeper and a second mother to the Alpha Delt girls, even though it reminds her of a painful part of her past she’ll never forget. When an opportunity for promotion arises, it seems a natural fit. But Lilith Whitmore slams her Prada heel down fast, crushing Miss Pearl’s hopes of a better future. When Wilda and the girls find out, they devise a plan destined to change Alpha Delta Beta—and maybe the entire Greek system—forever. 
Achingly poignant, yet laugh-out-loud funny, RUSH takes a sharp nuanced look at a centuries-old tradition while exploring the complex, intimate relationships between mothers and daughters and female friends. Brimming with heart and hope for a better tomorrow, RUSH is an uplifting novel universal to us all.


Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey.....Gripping, emotional, and wire-taut, Not Her
Daughter raises the question of what it means to be a mother—and how far someone will go to keep a child safe.
Emma Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes, brown hair. Missing since June.
Emma is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude. 
Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Kidnapper.
Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal. When a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her—far away from home. But if it’s to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?
Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure whether she wants her daughter back.
Amy’s life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now Emma is gone without a trace.
As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But what about Emma’s real mother, back at home?

The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston.....Xanthe and her
mother Flora leave London behind for a fresh start, taking over an antique shop in the historic town of Marlborough. Xanthe has always had an affinity with some of the antiques she finds. When she touches them, she can sense something of the past they come from and the stories they hold. So when she has an intense connection to a beautiful silver chatelaine she has to know more.
It’s while she’s examining the chatelaine that she’s transported back to the seventeenth century. And shortly after, she's confronted by a ghost who reveals that this is where the antique has its origins. The ghost tasks Xanthe with putting right the injustice in its story to save an innocent girl’s life, or else it’ll cost her Flora’s.
While Xanthe fights to save her amid the turbulent days of 1605, she meets architect Samuel Appleby. He may be the person who can help her succeed. He may also be the reason she can’t bring herself to leave.
With its rich historical detail, strong mother-daughter relationship, and picturesque English village, The Little Shop of Found Things is poised to be a strong start to this new series.

How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson....Seven years later, Kate Reddy is
facing her 50th birthday. Her children have turned into impossible teenagers; her mother and in-laws are in precarious health; and her husband is having a midlife crisis that leaves her desperate to restart her career after years away from the workplace. 

Once again, Kate is scrambling to keep all the balls in the air in a juggling act that an early review from the U.K. Express hailed as "sparkling, funny, and poignant...a triumphant return for Pearson."

Will Kate reclaim her rightful place at the very hedge fund she founded, or will she strangle in her new “shaping” underwear? Will she rekindle an old flame, or will her house burn to the ground when a rowdy mob shows up for her daughter’s surprise (to her parents) Christmas party? Surely it will all work out in the end. After all, how hard can it be?

She Was the Quiet One by Michele Campbell......For Rose Enright, enrolling
in a prestigious New England boarding school is the opportunity of a lifetime. 

But for Rose’s vulnerable twin sister Bel, Odell Academy is a place of temptation and danger. When Bel falls in with a crowd of wild rich kids who pressure her into hazing Rose, the sisters’ relationship is shattered. Rose turns to her dorm mother, Sarah Donovan, for advice. But Bel turns to Sarah’s husband Heath, a charismatic and ambitious teacher. 

Is Heath trying to help Bel or take advantage of her? In a world of privilege, seduction, and manipulation, only one sister will live to tell the truth.


 photo signature_zpsc91ef999.png

Friday, May 18, 2018

Every Time You Go Away by Beth Harbison





What They Say.....In New York Times bestselling author Beth Harbison's most emotional novel ever, a fractured family must come together at a beach house haunted by the past.
Willa has never fully recovered from the sudden death of her husband, Ben. She became an absent mother to her young son, Jamie, unable to comfort him while reeling from her own grief. 
Now, years after Ben’s death, Willa finally decides to return to the beach house where he passed. It’s time to move on and put the Ocean City, Maryland house on the market. 
When Willa arrives, the house is in worse shape than she could have imagined, and the memories of her time with Ben are overwhelming. They met at this house and she sees him around every corner. Literally. Ben’s ghost keeps reappearing, trying to start conversations with Willa. And she can’t help talking back. 
To protect her sanity, Willa enlists Jamie, her best friend Kristin, and Kristin’s daughter Kelsey to join her for one last summer at the beach. As they explore their old haunts, buried feelings come to the surface, Jamie and Kelsey rekindle their childhood friendship, and Willa searches for the chance to finally say goodbye to her husband and to reconnect with her son. 
Every Time You Go Away is a heartfelt, emotional story about healing a tragic loss, letting go, and coming together as a family.

What I Say.....Ahhh, Beth Harbison, I love you so.  Every Time You Go Away was the perfect book for the weekend.  

Willa is ready to put her beach house on the market after her husband died in it.  She just needs to do some fixing up and stick the For Sale sign in the front yard.  

But when she arrives at the house by herself, she finds an unexpected surprise.  Her husband.  She's not sure if she's seeing a real ghost or if she is just finally going completely crazy, but she isn't going to miss a chance to connect with Ben again.

Her best friend and her son soon join her, but Ben doesn't go away and she's trying to keep their conversations a secret so that she doesn't look like a complete nutter butter.

This is the book you need to read if you want to snuggle under blankets and have a nice cleansing cry.  I loved it.



 photo signature_zpsc91ef999.png

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger



What They Say.....HE SET HER UP. THEY’LL BRING HIM DOWN.

Welcome to Greenwich, Connecticut, where the lawns and the women are perfectly manicured, the Tito’s and sodas are extra strong, and everyone has something to say about the infamous new neighbor.

Let’s be clear: Emily Charlton does not do the suburbs. After leaving Miranda Priestly, she’s been working in Hollywood as an image consultant to the stars, but recently, Emily’s lost a few clients. She’s hopeless with social media. The new guard is nipping at her heels. She needs a big opportunity, and she needs it now.

When Karolina Hartwell, a gorgeous former supermodel, is arrested for a DUI, her fall from grace is merciless. Her senator-husband leaves her, her Beltway friends disappear, and the tabloids pounce.

In Karolina, Emily finds her comeback opportunity. But she quickly learns Greenwich is a world apart and that this comeback needs a team approach.

So it is that Emily, the scorned Karolina, and their mutual friend Miriam, a powerful attorney turned stay-at-home suburban mom, band together to not only navigate the social land mines of suburban Greenwich but win back the hearts of the American public. Along the way, an indispensable ally emerges in one Miranda Priestly.


What I Say....Who wouldn't want to return to the world of Miranda Priestly?  I was so happy to get a copy of Lauren Weisberger's new book.  Emily is back, but she's growing older and has a new career as an image consultant and is finding out how it feels to have the younger, hotter woman nipping up  her heels to steal clients.

Emily has a hot husband, but he's starting to make rumblings about having a baby - which is NOT on Emily's to do list.  So she jumps at the chance to go visit her old friend, Miriam - a former hot shot lawyer turned schlumpy stay at home mom.

Miriam has a supermodel friend who has been arrested for DUI, and she and Emily team up to help Karolina regain her reputation and her stepson.   What a scumbag her husband was.   But the only part of the story that bugged me was that Miranda had to step in to save the day - like a lawyer and a professional image consultant couldn't do the jobs - you know, the ones they make a living at!  But it wouldn't be right if Miranda didn't have all the answers, that's why we all loved her so much in the original.  

This was a fun read - so nice to catch up with some favorite characters.

Current Goodreads Rating 3.91

 photo signature_zpsc91ef999.png

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

With or Without Me by Shari Low



What They Say.....Have you ever made a life-changing decision and then wondered if you made the right one...?
When Liv and Nate walked up the aisle, Liv knew she was marrying the one, her soul mate and her best friend. 
Six years later, it feels like routine and friendship is all they have left in common. What happened to the fun, the excitement, the lust, the love? 
In the closing moments of 1999, Liv and Nate decide to go their separate ways, but at the last minute, Liv wavers. Should she stay or should she go? 
Over the next twenty years we follow the parallel stories to discover if Liv's life, heart and future have been better with Nate... Or without him?
A clever, captivating and bitterweet story of what might have been. Perfect for the fans of Jojo Moyes and Marian Keyes.

What I Say.....How many times have you wondered how different your life could be if you had made one decision differently?  I try not to dwell on this too much because it stresses me out.  I don't feel like I have a ton of regrets, but the thought that my life could have been somehow better if I hadn't done this or it could have been worse if I had done that is almost too overwhelming.  

Liv and Nate have been married for years, college sweethearts.  On New Year's Eve, they are trying to decide whether to put their friendly marriage to bed or keep trying to rekindle their romance.  

This definitely started the story off with a bang.  I didn't read the description before starting it, which is super unusual for me because I like to know what's going to happen.  But because I've loved all of Shari Low's books (they are a fave for vacation), I skipped it.

So reading the story of Nate and Liv, and their college friends over the next 20 years was thoroughly enjoyable, but it seemed like it was going quickly - probably didn't help that I was floating in the pool, completely relaxed in the sun.  Then I realized that the second half told the story as if they had made a different life altering decision.

It was a great technique because it seemed like it would be the same story, but it was crazy how one decision had such a ripple effect on everyone's lives.  These are just relaxing books for lazing in the summer sun.  Perfect.




 photo signature_zpsc91ef999.png

Monday, May 14, 2018

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage





What They Say......Sweetness can be deceptive. 

Meet Hanna.

She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good.

Meet Suzette.

She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette's husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.



What I Say.....Oh my God.  As I was reading this book, all I could think was that someone needed to pick this kid up and throw her down a well.  Because seriously, what the what??????

Hanna's mom, Suzette, is at her breaking point.  She feels like she is going crazy since she quit her job to stay home with her new baby.  The only problem is her baby hates her.  Has hated her since birth.  And now seems to be intent on hurting her.

The added wrinkle is that Hanna doesn't speak.  Although she can read and communicate in other ways, she refuses to speak.

Even though Hanna hasn't been successful in any type of school, her Daddy thinks everyone is being too rough on Hanna, because she behaves completely different in front of him.  He loves his wife, but he thinks she is becoming a little unhinges (she is).

As Hanna steps up her game, she finally starts to show her father what she is really made of and then things get even more interesting.

It definitely made me think, what do you do if you give birth to a true sociopath?  And one that wants to hurt you?  You would still feel some love and connection to the child, even though you would be terrified.  I don't know what I would do, but it was a truly scary idea.



 photo signature_zpsc91ef999.png

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Weekly Book Haul and Happy Mother's Day....May 13, 2018





Stacking the Shelves is a weekly book meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, The Sunday Post is another great site hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  The Sunday Salon is a Facebook page where great readers share what they've read this week and Mailbox Monday is a weekly roundup of the new books people have received.

I've been on an extended blog break while I dealt with some family issues that completely consumed me.  The addiction crisis in this country is no joke. But I'm finally starting to feel like myself and I want to show my appreciation to the authors and publishers that allow me to read their books and give my unprofessional opinion. 


But I'm so excited about the new books on my shelf and I am doing some back blogging on some great books that I read during my season of gray.

From Netgalley


Do This For Me by Eliza Kennedy....A high-powered attorney dives into the politics of sex, the perils
of desire, and why men and women treat each other the way they do. 

Raney Moore has it all figured out. An ambitious young partner at a prestigious Manhattan law firm, she’s got a dream job, a loving (and famous) husband, and amazing twin daughters. Her world is full, busy, perfectly scripted. Or so she thinks.

One sunny fall day, a bombshell phone call throws Raney’s well-ordered existence into chaos, and in a fit of rage, she diabolically, hilariously burns everything down. Once the flames subside, she finds herself asking some difficult questions: Who am I? What just happened? Am I ever going to find my way back to normal?  Assisted by enterprising paralegals, flirtatious clientele, one dear friend and an unforgettable therapist, Raney thinks the answers are close at hand, only to find life spiraling utterly out of control.

Uproarious, incisive and poignant, Do This For Me introduces a brilliant, off-kilter heroine on a quest to understand sex, fight workplace inequality, and solve the mystery of herself.

With or Without You by Shari Low....Have you ever made a life-changing decision and then wondered
if you made the right one...?
When Liv and Nate walked up the aisle, Liv knew she was marrying the one, her soul mate and her best friend. 
Six years later, it feels like routine and friendship is all they have left in common. What happened to the fun, the excitement, the lust, the love? 
In the closing moments of 1999, Liv and Nate decide to go their separate ways, but at the last minute, Liv wavers. Should she stay or should she go? 
Over the next twenty years we follow the parallel stories to discover if Liv's life, heart and future have been better with Nate... Or without him?
A clever, captivating and bitterweet story of what might have been. Perfect for the fans of Jojo Moyes and Marian Keyes.

One Summer by Jenny Hale....This summer will change everything…

Alice Emerson is in need of a new beginning. Broken-hearted after her beloved grandfather passes away
and her relationship falls apart, she makes a pact with her 
best friend Sasha. Swapping city living for the beautiful sun-bleached beaches of the Outer Banks, they launch an ice cream shop together in the crumbling house by the sea where Alice spent blissful childhood holidays.

As Alice and Sasha settle into the close-knit community, making friends with the locals and tempting them with their delicious recipes, Alice finds herself falling for the warm charm and golden smile of mysterious doctor Jack Barnes. Spending time together during sunshine-filled days and long romantic evenings, Alice starts to wonder if he could be the one for her?

But just when Alice’s summer couldn’t be more perfect, she discovers an old letter tucked away in the beach house. It contains a family secret that turns Alice’s world upside down and makes her question everything she’s ever known. And then Jack complicates their summer romance with an unexpected offer…

Faced with a difficult decision, will Alice and Jack follow their hearts and find true happiness this summer?


Providence by Caroline Kepnes.....Best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe share a
bond so intense that it borders on the mystical. But before Jon can declare his love for his soul mate, he is kidnapped, his plans for a normal life permanently dashed.

Four years later, Chloe has finally given up hope of ever seeing Jon again. Then, a few months before graduation, Jon reappears. But he is different now: bigger, stronger, and with no memory of the time he was gone. Jon wants to pick up where he and Chloe left off . . . until the horrifying instant he realizes that he possesses strange powers that pose a grave threat to everyone he cares for. Afraid of hurting Chloe, Jon runs away, embarking on a journey for answers.

Meanwhile, in Providence, Rhode Island, healthy college students and townies with no connection to one another are suddenly, inexplicably dropping dead. A troubled detective prone to unexplainable hunches, Charles “Eggs” DeBenedictus suspects there’s a serial killer at work. But when he starts asking questions, Eggs is plunged into a whodunit worthy of his most outlandish obsessions.


Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris.....She went missing. He moved on. A whole world of secrets remained—until now.

Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides
to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.
Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him...even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.
Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla—hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive—and on Finn’s trail—what does she want? And how much does she know?
A tour de force of psychological suspense, Bring Me Back will have you questioning everything and everyone until its stunning climax.


The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain.....When Caroline Sears receives the news that her
unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before—and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back.  

Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby's heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will require a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never knew existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline's part.

And all for the love of her unborn child.

A rich, genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother's quest to save her child, unite her family, and believe in the unbelievable. Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science to deliver a novel that you will never forget.

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin....Nina Browning is living the good life after marrying into
Nashville’s elite. More recently, her husband made a fortune selling his tech business, and their adored son has been accepted to Princeton. Yet sometimes the middle-class small-town girl in Nina wonders if she’s strayed from the person she once was.


Tom Volpe is a single dad working multiple jobs while struggling to raise his headstrong daughter, Lyla. His road has been lonely, long, and hard, but he finally starts to relax after Lyla earns a scholarship to Windsor Academy, Nashville’s most prestigious private school.

Amid so much wealth and privilege, Lyla doesn’t always fit in—and her overprotective father doesn’t help—but in most ways, she’s a typical teenaged girl, happy and thriving.

Then, one photograph, snapped in a drunken moment at a party, changes everything. As the image spreads like wildfire, the Windsor community is instantly polarized, buzzing with controversy and assigning blame.

At the heart of the lies and scandal, Tom, Nina, and Lyla are forced together—all questioning their closest relationships, asking themselves who they really are, and searching for the courage to live a life of true meaning.


Happy, happy Mother's Day to everyone!  Hope your day is filled with books and love!


 photo signature_zpsc91ef999.png



Saturday, May 12, 2018

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James




What They Say.......Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants—the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming—until one of them mysteriously disappears... 

Vermont, 2014. As much as she's tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister's death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister's boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can't shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past—and a voice that won't be silenced...


What I Say.....Well, this was a completely new book experience for me.  I've read historical fiction that has had an element of a ghost story, but this book seemed somehow completely unique.  We read it for my book club and the verdict was pretty unanimous that we were intrigued but a bit confused.

Firstly, if you've read my blog for a while, you know I'm a huge fan of alternating timeline plots.  However, in this book, it just didn't work as well.  I was bored by the current day plot, and really had no interest in Fiona's story.  I found myself rushing through the present day in order to read the past.  It was hard to pinpoint what timeline Fiona's story even was.  It could have been present day, could have been the 1990's, there just wasn't enough information, or maybe there was, but I rushed by it.

I"m still confused by the Mary Hand story and how it impacted the four girls at the boarding school.  Although there were plenty of stories about Mary, it didn't make sense to me that she would be the only ghost there, especially when there were other girls murdered at the school.

The ending took a giant twist, that's for sure.  And a very unrealistic one.  At one point, I was thinking how the hell did Nazi's get involved in this story?  But as weird as it seemed and as much as Mary Hand seemed to take a page from Pennywise the Clown, I was still engaged enough to finish it.

I don't want to give up too much, and I don't want to imply that the book wasn't good, because I immediately downloaded and read all of Simone St. James's other books.  The Haunting of Maddy Clare was by far my favorite. It was more of a straight forward ghost story.  I finished that in a day and a half.


Current Goodreads Rating 4.14



 photo signature_zpsc91ef999.png

Blog Archive