Last Summer Review

June 29, 2019June 29, 2019Leave a comment

Often while I read this book, I kept thinking the title was Lost Summer. Funnily enough, that title works just as well for this story, one of Ella Skye, a journalist who, after a traumatic accident, wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the events leading up to it and forgetting everything she’s lost.

Seeking to remember her life prior to the accident, she accepts an assignment to interview survivalist Nathan Donovan, who seems to know more about her than the reverse.

Full of steam and surprises, fans of domestic suspense will gravitate toward this plot line. I found all the settings captured in Ella’s time with Nathan so well described that I felt I was on location with them.

If you’re looking for a book that would be perfect for a weekend getaway, this one is a sure bet. The pages flew by and the settings would work well, whether it’s the dead of winter or a hot summer day with the sun shining. Lonsdale has a knack for both romance and suspense and I look forward to what she’s cooking up next.

My thanks to Little Bird Publicity and the publisher for the review copy.

About the author: Kerry Lonsdale is the Wall Street Journal, Amazon Charts, and #1 Amazon Kindle bestselling author of the Everything series—Everything We Keep, Everything We Left Behind, and Everything We Give—as well as All the Breaking Waves. She resides in Northern California with her husband and two children. Learn more about Kerry at www.kerrylonsdale.com.

Have You Seen Luis Velez Review & Giveaway

May 30, 2019May 30, 20192 Comments

Nobody writes stories of intergenerational friendship better than Catherine Ryan Hyde. She did an exceptional job with it in Allie and Bea and again with this new release.

Aside from the story, which includes a mystery, character growth, and fun supporting cast, you get some humdingers of life lessons, brought to you by 17-year-old Raymond Jaffe and 92-year-old Millie Gutermann. These characters balance each other so perfectly and just set the stage for a heartwarming plot, even amidst the few bouts of tragedy.

Raymond is a character I won’t soon forget. I hope my son grows to be as equally kind and good intentioned as he is. I love how even in his youth, he was able to teach Millie a thing or two about his generation.

With elements thrown in of Pay it Forward, readers who still need to be told there is good in this world need to pick this up. With so many current events shared constantly via social media that are hard to stomach, this book, when finished, should put a smile on your face and be one you want to pass along and share with others.

My thanks to Little Bird Publicity and Lake Union for the review copy.

I have one copy to share with a lucky reader. U.S. only, please. Enter on the Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mistress of the Ritz Review

May 22, 2019May 22, 2019Leave a comment

Having been a huge Melanie Benjamin fan, especially of The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb and The Girls in the Picture (loved the surprise tidbit thrown in about the Pickfords), I was very much looking forward to her latest. There were parts I liked and parts that didn’t work for me, but I mainly felt a lack of focus.

Benjamin takes two historical figures we know very little about, as shared in her Author Note, and populates their story amidst World War II.

Claude Auzello is the director of the Ritz in Paris, and he and his American wife, Blanche, are living large and spending time with many famous faces. The story alternates narration between them. This was a slow buildup of their relationship, often volatile. I did enjoy reading about their marriage struggles, but that took up a lot of space in the front half of this novel.

As the Germans begin their occupation of France, the Auzellos realize that their lives and lifestyles are in danger and begin working with the Resistance. This is where the plot picked up for me. I didn’t quite know where the story was headed in the beginning, which lost a lot of my attention. It seemed a bit scattered, so I had a hard time staying the path Benjamin intended.

I was also looking forward to more after the ultimate conclusion. I know history didn’t share what happened to this couple, but the story could have benefited from the aftermath of the war. In my perfect world, this book would have started at the middle and concluded much later. This might just be me, so if you do enjoy World War II reads, especially those which don’t take place in Germany or are set at the camps, you might want to give this a go.

It’s obvious Benjamin did her research. I trust her writing and can vividly picture whatever scene she sets.

My thanks to the publisher and Wunderkind PR for the review copy.

Only Ever Her Review

May 11, 2019May 11, 2019Leave a comment

With such a long winter here in the Midwest, it was the cover of this novel that first intrigued me. It drew out feelings of warmer weather and sunshine and having previously enjoyed The Things We Wish Were True, I was eager to dive in.

This one took a little longer to draw me in. Maybe it was my confusion over how all the characters related or some of the secondary storylines. The premise is perfection — a bride disappears days before her wedding. Is it cold feet or foul play?

Whalen writes the story as we get closer and closer to the big day. We follow different characters’ viewpoints as to what happened to Annie Taft. I love the idea of small secrets bubbling to the surface with Annie missing and how they play off each other. When finished, I felt like some seams were still left undone and some plot points didn’t get enough “air time” while others had too much.

I will say this was a quick read and the second half moves at a much faster pace. Once you get a feel for the characters, you’ll yearn for the conclusion. The small town feel works well within this novel and if you’re looking for a good mystery to grab for a plane ride or a day away, you’ve found it.

My thanks to the publisher and Little Bird Publicity for the review copy.

Sunset Beach Review

May 5, 2019May 6, 2019Leave a comment

If you are looking for the ultimate beach read this summer, look no further. Mary Kay Andrews brings her sandy beaches and charm to her newest release, out now.

Listen, I read my fair share of heavy thrillers. I can also go to the other extreme of what some might refer to as “chick lit” or romance. This is the perfect blend of both. In fact, for those who enjoy cozy mysteries, this is one you’ll definitely want to pick up.

Drue Campbell is down on her luck with the loss of her mom and a string of bad jobs that are not helping with her income. When she receives an offer from her estranged father to come work for him, she heads to Florida’s west coast.

I loved the characters in this and what a kickass heroine Drue was. Her interactions with her family (blood and step) had me grinning and it was a read I looked forward to getting back to each night.

This one is on the longer side but the story moves quickly and hopefully you are as eager as I was to follow Drue as she tried to solve two mysteries, all while balancing her new job and relationships.

My thanks to Tandem Literary and the publisher for a review copy.

Thanks to their generosity, I have one copy to share with a lucky reader. U.S. only, please. Enter on the Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONNECT WITH MKA
Website: https://marykayandrews.com
Newsletter: https://marykayandrews.com/newsletters/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marykayandrewsauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marykayandrews/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mkayandrews
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21387.Mary_Kay_Andrews

The Night Visitors Review

March 26, 2019March 26, 20192 Comments

The Lake of Dead Languages was my first introduction to Carol Goodman. She sure knows how to weave a tale of suspense that quietly lures you in until you reach the conclusion. And her newest mystery is no different.

Alice is fleeing her abuser and ends up in the care of Mattie, a social worker sent to pick her up from the bus station. Since the impending weather is blanketing the roads with snow, it only makes sense to bring Alice and Oren, the 10-year-old boy traveling with Alice, back to her house.

If you are the type to make sure your doors are locked before settling in bed for the night, I guarantee you’ll want to double-check they are. Twice I looked over in bed to make sure my hubby was there as I got more invested in the story. You can anticipate the dread all the characters feel as night looms on Mattie’s old house located in the middle of the woods. Think creepy old house, a horrendous snowstorm, and a power outage.

What’s even better is how this tight-knit living arrangement leads to secrets revealed. Everyone’s past comes to light and affects how the entire story plays out.

Seeing how his book takes place over just a few days, it will translate incredibly to film. It definitely has an M. Night Shyamalan vibe so fans of his movies will really enjoy this read.

My thanks to JKS Communications and the publisher for the review copy.

Best Books of 2018

December 8, 2018December 18, 2018Leave a comment

It seems as though every year the caliber of writing only gets better. The storylines, more gripping. I am separating my favorites into categories. This way, if you’re looking for a specific type of book or want to give a gift, it’s easier to sort through the choices. I wish I had time to read everything, but these are my favorites from what I did read.

You can click directly on the book images to get to their Amazon page.

Literature & Fiction

Mystery & thriller

Historical fiction

Nonfiction

Which of these have you read this year and loved? What are your favorites not on this list? Please leave me a comment. Happy 2019!

The Lost Family Review

July 26, 2018July 23, 2018Leave a comment

What a treasure this was.

Peter Rashkin survived Auschwitz but lost his wife and twin daughters. Now he runs a successful restaurant dedicated to his wife’s memory. When he meets the young and glamorous June, he quickly realizes she may be the woman he wants to start his life anew with.

I have a special place in my heart for a family saga, and this story definitely fit the bill. I love how each section was told from a different character’s point of view. But being told chronologically, the switch still propelled the story forward and gave us insight to each member of the Rashkin family. They all struggled, yet for different reasons, and you’ll quickly learn not one was a good communicator.

I thought Blum did a tremendous job of writing these characters as three-dimensional. The descriptions of people and places were top notch that is was so easy to picture them. When this translates to film, the casting and costume department will have no trouble setting it up because of how well they were written.

‘This book is a page turner in the sense you want to see how everything plays out and what happens in the Rashkins’ lives, but it was so beautifully written that you want to savor every sentence.

I truly enjoyed The Stormchasers by this author and now need to go back and read Those Who Save Us since so many people said that was her best read.

My thanks to Wunderkind PR for the review copy.

About the author: JENNA BLUM is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of novels THOSE WHO SAVE US and THE STORMCHASERS and the novella “The Lucky One” in the postwar collection GRAND CENTRAL. Jenna is also one of Oprah’s Top 30 Women Writers.

Jenna’s debut novel THOSE WHO SAVE US was a New York Times bestseller; a Boston Globe bestseller; the winner of the 2005 Ribalow Prize, adjudged by Elie Wiesel; a BORDERS book club pick, a perennial book club favorite, and the # 1 bestselling novel in Holland. Jenna’s second novel, THE STORMCHASERS, is a Boston Globe bestseller, a Target Emerging Authors pick, and a bestseller in Holland and France. Jenna’s newest work, her novella “The Lucky One,” was published in anthology GRAND CENTRAL, published by Penguin in July 2014.

Jenna has been writing since she was 4 and professionally since she was 16, when she won Seventeen Magazine’s National Fiction Contest with her short story “The Legacy of Frank Finklestein.” Jenna is a graduate of Kenyon College (B.A., English) and Boston University (M.A., Creative Writing); she taught creative writing and journalism for Boston University for five years, was editor of AGNI literary magazine, and has taught fiction for 20 years for Boston’s Grub Street Writers, where she currently teaches master novel workshops. Dividing her time between Boston and the Midwest, Jenna has written the screenplay for THOSE WHO SAVE US and is writing her fourth novel. Jenna loves to visit book clubs in person, by phone, and via Skype. Please contact her on Facebook (Jenna Blum), on Twitter (@jenna_blum) and on her website, www.jennablum.com.

Best Beach Reads of 2018

June 16, 2018Leave a comment

This summer’s list is a bit longer than normal as it’s been an amazing year of incredible reads. Here are my most recommended for your 2018 summer!

The Husband Hour by Jamie Brenner

Taking place on the Jersey shore, Brenner seamlessly tackles many tough subjects ranging from grief to CTE to deployment to guilt. You will easily lose yourself in this story.

Boardwalk Summer by Meredith Jaeger

A story of the 1940s entwined with one of today, Jaeger knows how to grip her audience from the very first page. I loved the scenes from Hollywood and the sweet underlying love story.

Best Friends Forever by Margot Hunt

Just when you think you know how this one will play out, Hunt pulls the seat out from under you. Read my full review here.

The Awkward Path to Getting Lucky by Summer Heacock

I laughed out loud at the situations these friends found themselves in. Between chaos at their bakery and their attempts at love, this relatable debut is one not to be missed. Read my full review here.

Slider by Pete Hautman

Yes, this is a middle grade novel but adults will find the undertones of the importance of family endearing while the kids will think the antics of competitive eating are hilarious. A great story for the whole family.

Eden by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg

A multigenerational book that alternates between past and present, this engrossing debut will have you hoping the author is at work on a new novel. Read my full review here.

Say Nothing by Brad Parks

I am all for a breakneck thriller that has me turning the pages and this one delivers. Full of surprises, Parks masters the tension to make this storyline plausible and fun.

Class Mom by Laurie Gelman

Now that school has ended for the summer, you will appreciate the snark in Gelman’s debut even more. Read my full review here.

What have you packed in your beach bag this summer? Please share your favorites. This post contains affiliate links.

We Own the Sky Review

May 8, 2018May 4, 20182 Comments

I knew when I turned the first page of this novel and read the author’s note, it would be a heart-wrenching read. And it was. However, the end left me with hope and an uplifting message.

From back cover: Rob Coates feels like he’s won the lottery of life. There is Anna, his incredible wife, their London town house and, most precious of all, Jack, their son, who makes every day an extraordinary adventure. But when a devastating illness befalls his family, Rob’s world begins to unravel. Suddenly finding himself alone, Rob seeks solace in photographing the skyscrapers and clifftops he and his son Jack used to visit. And just when it seems that all hope is lost, Rob embarks on the most unforgettable of journeys to find his way back to life, and forgiveness.

We Own the Sky is a tender, heartrending, but ultimately life-affirming novel that will resonate deeply with anyone who has suffered loss or experienced great love. With stunning eloquence and acumen, Luke Allnutt has penned a soaring debut and a true testament to the power of love, showing how even the most thoroughly broken heart can learn to beat again.

What I loved so much about this book is that Allnutt does an exquisite job of writing a man’s perspective. It’s so rare to see this from a male writer outside of a thriller. Of course Rob had flaws like any human, and they were shown, but I believed in his love for his son and for his family.

And, yes, the tears flowed. But they were cleansing tears. Hard to read but worth it for the outcome. Definitely warning those who won’t want to read a book about the loss of a child. I’m thankful I have never experienced this myself, but the story seemed so genuine. All of the situations and relationships did.

My thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: Luke Allnutt is the author of Unspoken, a Kindle Single about the death of his father. His debut novel, We Own The Sky, will be published by Orion (U.K.) and Harlequin/HarperCollins (U.S.) in 2018. He grew up in the U.K. and lives and works in Prague.