December 28, 2021

Review: Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney


Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: May 2021

Quinn is a senior in high school. This year has not been going as planned. She's not doing well in her classes, she lied to her parents about college, she not speaking to her boyfriend and now her journal is being held for ransom. Her journal is filled with lists; boys she'd like to kiss, places she wants to visit, and things to do before she graduates. When the blackmailer challenges her to do the things on the graduate list to get the journal back, she isn't ready. With the help of some new friends, she will try to tackle the list and get her journal back.

Thank you to Harper Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This book really held my attention throughout. This was a very different story than I've read before. I'm a big fan of YA and this one was really good. Quinn is the type of character that you can relate to. I think when I was a teen, I made a lot of lists of things I wanted to do and boys I thought were cute, teachers and I didn't like and ones I loved. I would have been devastated if my secret personal thoughts got out into the world.

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December 26, 2021

Review: The Rooftop Party by Ellen Meister


The Rooftop Party by Ellen Meister
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: May 2021
The Rooftop Party 

Dana is the newest star of the Shopping Channel, but her dream is to become an actress. She is really good at her job and everyone loves her there. When the new CEO announces some change he's making to the channel, someone definitely is not happy about it. Before the party is over, he will be found dead. Dana remembers talking to him, but did she kill him? Dana is determined to clear her name and figure out what happened.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This book had a lot of ups and downs for me. There were parts I loved and zoomed through and other places where it slowed down and was hard to get through. Overall, this was an interesting murder mystery book. Not too many twists and turns and it's pretty easy to find out who the culprit was.

This is the first time I've read a book by Ellen Meister, but I will read another one for sure.



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December 23, 2021

Review: The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue





The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: July 2020

In 1918 in Ireland, they are going through the Great Flu Pandemic. Nurse Julia is in charge of the expectant mothers who have this awful disease. While the disease ravished the country and the world, Julia with the help of inexperienced Bridie, tries to help these mothers the best she can. Full of sadness and a little close to home right now, I don't think I was truly ready for this book.

100 years ago, our world went through a pandemic which is now just the flu. A vaccine was eventually created for this that needs to be taken annually. Just this past year we have gone through another pandemic of Coronavirus or COVID-19.

This book isn't quite what I was expecting it to be. The focus was mainly on women who were pregnant with the disease. Will they survive? Will their children? Will the nurses and doctors that are caring for them? Even though I didn't live back when this story took place, I could definitely put myself in this story with what is going on in our world right now.

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December 20, 2021

Review: Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley



Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: May 2021

Talk Bookish to Me
Kara is a romance author who is up against a deadline and her best friend is getting married. She has enough on her own plate for the next week, when Ryan, her ex from 10 years prior shows up at Christina's pre-wedding party. Her whole life is turned upside down. Will they rekindle their romance, or stay as far away from each other?

Thank you to Graydon House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This was a cute rom-com. Parts of it felt predictable with a couple of surprises thrown in. One thing I didn't like that I thought I would, was the story in the story. Kara, the main character, is in the process of writing a book and keeping up with her story as well as the story she was writing, it was a bit too much. I think the story would have been just as effective if it would have talked about the story she was writing without including it in the book.

Overall this was a cute story and I will read more by this author.

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December 16, 2021

Review: You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon





You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: May 2021


You Will Remember Me
A man finds himself washed up on the shores of Maryland. He has no idea how he got there or who he is. Lily was expecting her boyfriend to come over with blueberry pancakes, but he's late. All calls and texts to him go unanswered. Unsure of where to go and what to do, he hides out in a camper with Maine license plates. Something about Maine is familiar. What will he find there about himself?

Thank you to St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Last year I fell in love with McKinnon's writing with Sister Dear. I was so excited when this dropped in my inbox. I had no idea what it was about. I was really excited when I started reading and it was in my home state of Maryland. I wasn't sure where this story was going to go, but I was along for the ride.

Both Lily and Jack/Ash have pasts that they didn't share with each other. Their present was amazing, but his disappearance and memory loss force them both to figure out how they are going to tackle the future.

Being drawn to Maine, Ash found his stepsister Maya. Maya helps Ash to remember his past, but is the information she is giving him the truth, or what she wants him to believe?

This book had me on the edge of my seat and wanting to jump through the book to slap a few people.

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October 22, 2021

Reading Slumps!







READING SLUMP!!!


Have you ever been in a reading slump?  How did you get out of it?  I've barely been able to read anything since the beginning of August.  I've started several books and I think that I have finished one book.  I'm used to reading or listening to at least seven books in a month.  On top of the slump, I hit my head and have been suffering from a concussion for the past few weeks.  So, reading makes my head hurt.  Even listening to audiobooks aren't working.  My blood pressure is elevated.  I told the doctor, if I could read, I could lower my blood pressure.  It's my release, my way to get away from it all. 

I'm hoping that I will be out of it soon.  I miss my books.  On another note, I've caught up on some television I've missed.  Like the historic season of Big Brother from this year.  It was quite a diverse season, and for the first time in BB history, an African American was crowned the winner.  If this is a spoiler for you, I'm sorry(but I didn't tell you who won).  

So tell me about your slump or slumps if you've had them and what was the book that got you out of it!!

 

June 7, 2021

Review: Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica




Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Published: May 2021

When one woman goes missing from a small town everyone is worried. When a second one goes missing along with her small child, the town is turned upside down. Eleven years later, the child, Delilah is found. She is now 17, but can't remember much from her life before her capture. As she returns to her life, we find out what happens two months before she is taken up until a few days after she goes missing. Told from four points of view: Delilah; her mother, Meredith; Kate, their neighbor; and Leo, Delilah's little brother, who was too young to remember his sister. Leo is determined to find out what happened to his mother and sister when he was so young.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Another book I couldn't put down. This was one of the best books I have read so far this year. In my mind, everyone was a suspect. It's always the husband, right? He was on the list, all the friends, even the women themselves that went missing. I had no idea who was to blame for all the craziness that happened in this book. Two missing adults, one missing child, and for 11 years, no one has any idea the truth about what happened. The twists and turns had my head on a swivel. This is one book that you will pick up and not put down until the very end. You will stay up way past your bedtime to get this one read.

One of Mary Kubica's best.

EXCERPT

MEREDITH
11 YEARS BEFORE
March
The text comes from a number I don’t know. It’s a 630 area code. Local. I’m in the bathroom with Leo as he soaks in the tub. He has his bath toys lined up on the edge of it and they’re taking turns swan diving into the now-lukewarm water. It used to be hot, too hot for Leo to get into. But he’s been in there for thirty minutes now playing with his octopus, his whale, his fish. He’s having a ball.
Meanwhile I’ve lost track of time. I have a client in the early stages of labor. We’re texting. Her husband wants to take her to the hospital. She thinks it’s too soon. Her contractions are six and a half minutes apart. She’s absolutely correct. It’s too soon. The hospital would just send her home, which is frustrating, not to mention a huge inconvenience for women in labor. And anyway, why labor at the hospital when you can labor in the comfort of your own home? First-time fathers always get skittish. It does their wives no good. By the time I get to them, more times than not, the woman in labor is the more calm of the two. I have to focus my attention on pacifying a nervous husband. It’s not what they’re paying me for. 
I tell Leo one more minute until I shampoo his hair, and then fire off a quick text, suggesting my client have a snack to keep her energy up, herself nourished. I recommend a nap, if her body will let her. The night ahead will be long for all of us. Childbirth, especially when it comes to first-time moms, is a marathon, not a sprint. 
Josh is home. He’s in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner while Delilah plays. Delilah’s due up next in the tub. By the time I leave, the bedtime ritual will be done or nearly done. I feel good about that, hating the times I leave Josh alone with so much to do. 
I draw up my text and then hit Send. The reply is immediate, that all too familiar ping that comes to me at all hours of the day or night. 
I glance down at the phone in my hand, expecting it’s my client with some conditioned reply. Thx. 
Instead: I know what you did. I hope you die. 
Beside the text is a picture of a grayish skull with large, black eye sockets and teeth. The symbol of death. 
My muscles tense. My heart quickens. I feel thrown off. The small bathroom feels suddenly, overwhelmingly, oppressive. It’s steamy, moist, hot. I drop down to the toilet and have a seat on the lid. My pulse is loud, audible in my own ears. I stare at the words before me, wondering if I’ve misread. Certainly I’ve misread. Leo is asking, “Is it a minute, Mommy?” I hear his little voice, muff led by the ringing in my ears. But I’m so thrown by the cutthroat text that I can’t speak. 
I glance at the phone again. I haven’t misread. 
The text is not from my client in labor. It’s not from any client of mine whose name and number is stored in my phone. As far as I can tell, it’s not from anyone I know.
A wrong number, then, I think. Someone sent this to me by accident. It has to be. My first thought is to delete it, to pretend this never happened. To make it disappear. Out of sight, out of mind. 
But then I think of whoever sent it just sending it again or sending something worse. I can’t imagine anything worse. 
I decide to reply. I’m careful to keep it to the point, to not sound too judgy or fault-finding because maybe the intended recipient really did do something awful—stole money from a children’s cancer charity—and the text isn’t as egregious as it looks at first glance. 
I text: You have the wrong number. 
The response is quick. 
I hope you rot in hell, Meredith. 
The phone slips from my hand. I yelp. The phone lands on the navy blue bath mat, which absorbs the sound of its fall. 
Meredith. 
Whoever is sending these texts knows my name. The texts are meant for me. 
A second later Josh knocks on the bathroom door. I spring from the toilet seat, and stretch down for the phone. The phone has fallen facedown. I turn it over. The text is still there on the screen, staring back at me. 
Josh doesn’t wait to be let in. He opens the door and steps right inside. I slide the phone into the back pocket of my jeans before Josh has a chance to see. 
“Hey,” he says, “how about you save some water for the fish.” 
Leo complains to Josh that he is cold. “Well, let’s get you out of the bath,” Josh says, stretching down to help him out of the water. 
“I need to wash him still,” I admit. Before me, Leo’s teeth chatter. There are goose bumps on his arm that I hadn’t noticed before. He is cold, and I feel suddenly guilty, though it’s mired in confusion and fear. I hadn’t been paying any attention to Leo. There is bathwater spilled all over the floor, but his hair is still bone-dry. 
“You haven’t washed him?” Josh asks, and I know what he’s thinking: that in the time it took him to clear the kitchen table, wash pots and pans and wipe down the sinks, I did nothing. He isn’t angry or accusatory about it. Josh isn’t the type to get angry. 
“I have a client in labor,” I say by means of explanation. “She keeps texting,” I say, telling Josh that I was just about to wash Leo. I drop to my knees beside the tub. I reach for the shampoo. In the back pocket of my jeans, the phone again pings. This time, I ignore it. I don’t want Josh to know what’s happening, not until I get a handle on it for myself. 
Josh asks, “Aren’t you going to get that?” I say that it can wait. I focus on Leo, on scrubbing the shampoo onto his hair, but I’m anxious. I move too fast so that the shampoo suds get in his eye. I see it happening, but all I can think to do is wipe it from his forehead with my own soapy hands. It doesn’t help. It makes it worse. 
Leo complains. Leo isn’t much of a complainer. He’s an easygoing kid. “Ow,” is all that he says, his tiny wet hands going to his eyes, though shampoo in the eye burns like hell. 
“Does that sting, baby?” I ask, feeling contrite. But I’m bursting with nervous energy. There’s only one thought racing through my mind. I hope you rot in hell, Meredith. 
Who would have sent that, and why? Whoever it is knows me. They know my name. They’re mad at me for something I’ve done. Mad enough to wish me dead. I don’t know anyone like that. I can’t think of anything I’ve done to upset someone enough that they’d want me dead.
I grab the wet washcloth draped over the edge of the tub. I try handing it to Leo, so that he can press it to his own eyes. But my hands shake as I do. I wind up dropping the washcloth into the bath. The tepid water rises up and splashes him in the eyes. This time he cries. 
“Oh, buddy,” I say, “I’m so sorry, it slipped.” 
But as I try again to grab it from the water and hand it to him, I drop the washcloth for a second time. I leave it where it is, letting Leo fish it out of the water and wipe his eyes for himself. Meanwhile Josh stands two feet behind, watching. 
My phone pings again. Josh says, “Someone is really dying to talk to you.” 
Dying. It’s all that I hear. 
My back is to Josh, thank God. He can’t see the look on my face when he says it. 
“What’s that?” I ask. 
“Your client,” Josh says. I turn to him. He motions to my phone jutting out of my back pocket. “She really needs you. You should take it, Mer,” he says softly, accommodatingly, and only then do I think about my client in labor and feel guilty. What if it is her? What if her contractions are coming more quickly now and she does need me? 
Josh says, “I can finish up with Leo while you get ready to go,” and I acquiesce, because I need to get out of here. I need to know if the texts coming to my phone are from my client or if they’re coming from someone else. 
I rise up from the floor. I scoot past Josh in the door, brushing against him. His hand closes around my upper arm as I do, and he draws me in for a hug. “Everything okay?” he asks, and I say yes, fine, sounding too chipper even to my own ears. Everything is not okay. 
“I’m just thinking about my client,” I say. “She’s had a stillbirth before, at thirty-two weeks. She never thought she’d get this far. Can you imagine that? Losing a baby at thirty-two weeks?”
Josh says no. His eyes move to Leo and he looks saddened by it. I feel guilty for the lie. It’s not this client but another who lost a baby at thirty-two weeks. When she told me about it, I was completely torn up. It took everything in me not to cry as she described for me the moment the doctor told her her baby didn’t have a heartbeat. Labor was later induced, and she had to push her dead baby out with only her mother by her side. Her husband was deployed at the time. After, she was snowed under by guilt. Was it her fault the baby died? A thousand times I held her hand and told her no. I’m not sure she ever believed me. 
My lie has the desired effect. Josh stands down, and asks if I need help with anything before I leave. I say no, that I’m just going to change my clothes and go. 
I step out of the bathroom. In the bedroom, I close the door. I grab my scrub bottoms and a long-sleeved T-shirt from my drawer. I lay them on the bed, but before I get dressed, I pull my phone out of my pocket. I take a deep breath and hold it in, summoning the courage to look. I wonder what waits there. More nasty threats? My heart hammers inside me. My knees shake. 
I take a look. There are two messages waiting for me. 
The first: Water broke. Contractions 5 min apart. 
And then: Heading to hospital.—M. 
I release my pent-up breath. The texts are from my client’s husband, sent from her phone. My legs nearly give in relief, and I drop down to the edge of the bed, forcing myself to breathe. I inhale long and deep. I hold it in until my lungs become uncomfortable. When I breathe out, I try and force away the tension. 
But I can’t sit long because my client is advancing quickly. I need to go.


Excerpted from Local Woman Missing @ 2021 by Mary Kyrychenko, used with permission by Park Row Books.
   

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June 3, 2021

Review: Sadie by Courtney Summers


Sadie by Courtney Summers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: September 2018

Sadie
Mattie and Sadie are sisters. Sadie does her very best to care for Mattie. Their mother is no help. When Matties is found dead, Saide is determined to find her killer and get revenge. When Sadie's car is found with everything, but her inside, her neighbor May Beth gets concerned. The police will not help, so she turns to West McCray, a radio personality with a true crime podcast to help find Sadie. Told from two points of view, Sadie's and West's serial podcast, we find out more about each girl, especially Sadie and what drove her to the point she is.

This is another book I couldn't put down. A lot of people have suggested that this is a great audiobook to listen to. I tried that, but I got confused when listening to the podcast part since there are a slew of characters that are portrayed during those parts and I got confused.

Sadie is a young woman, who I don't think has even reached her 21st birthday. Her mother is a drug addict and after practically raising herself, she has to also raise her younger sister. After their mom disappears, Sadie is sure that she will be able to keep a better hold on her sister, but it proves to be harder and harder. Sadie does her best and is devastated when her sister is killed. Having to grow up way too fast, she shows the strength all women possess to care for what is most important to them.

I highly recommend this book. I gave it a 4 rating because I had so many questions at the end that need answers.

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May 31, 2021

Review: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher





The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: December 2019
The Wives

She is one of three wives. Seth, her husband, splits his time with all three and her day is Thursday. They don't know each other. When she finds a slip of paper in Seth's pocket with another wife's information, her curiosity is peeked. She befriends this wife and learns things about her husband she never knew. What other secrets could he be hiding?

I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down. I love how thriller authors draw you into a book and you have no idea what is going to happen. This story starts off pretty normally, except for the whole polygamy aspect. I didn't know what to think of that. Not only that, another surprise was that not only was the main character's day with the husband on Thursday, her name was also Thursday.

It's hard to talk too much about this book without giving out spoilers. This book had me at the edge of my seat and I didn't want to get off the ride. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was twisted and turned in another direction. I wasn't sure which character to trust and who to believe.

Would you ever enter into a polygamist relationship? Do you think you would be able to trust your husband or yourself?

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May 28, 2021

Review: The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff



The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: May 2021
The Woman with the Blue Star

It's World War II in Poland. Jews are being forced from their homes. When the ghettos they are placed into are then raided, Sadie and her family take to the sewer where they hope to remain safe. There are many trials and tribulations along the way, but with the help of Ella, a non-Jewish Pole, Sadie finds a way to survive. These two women from the same country, but in very different circumstances form a friendship that can't be broken.

Thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Historical fiction is not usually my favorite genre, but this story really hit a special place in my heart. From the beginning, I was intrigued by this story. I had no idea where it would go and if Sadie and her family would survive. I have heard and read several stories about this time in our history, but this is the first I've heard of people taking to the sewers for shelter. This is a story about pain and unimaginable loss. There were even a few twists in the story that I didn't see coming.

If you enjoy WWII stories, I think this is one you should add to your TBR.

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May 24, 2021

Review: The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson


The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: April 2021

The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman
Norman is a 12-year-old boy who has a five-year plan with his best friend Jax, to do their comedy routine at the Edinburgh Fringe. When Jax dies unexpectedly, Norman has to forge his own way without Jax. He revises the five-year plan to go to the festival this year. With the help of his mother, Sadie, and family friend, Leonard, he is on a quest to find his father and perform a comedy routine. The journey will not be easy for any involved, but hopefully, it will bring them something that they all need.

Thank you to Mira/Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Norman is covered in psoriasis and keeps mostly to himself. But he and Jax are "the bloody Rolls-bloody-Royce of bloody best friends." They look out for each other. Jax's death is not only hard on Norman, but also on Sadie. She's not used to having to entertain Norman and Jax always kept her up to date of what was going on with them when Norman would forget his phone.

Norman is a loveable character. You instantly feel for him and want to take him under your wing. Leonard is another loveable character. He's the grandpa we all wish we had. Sadie has a lot going on in her head which doesn't help with her mothering. She has her own hangups with her father which has transferred to fear for her son.

Will they be able to accomplish the goal of finding Norman's father and having Norman perform at the Fringe?

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May 21, 2021

Review: Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour


Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
Published: January 2021

Black Buck
Darren has been working at Starbucks for four years. The shop is in the lobby of a Manhattan office building and he frequently has the same customers. Rhett Daniels is one of them. When Darren convinces Rhett to change his regular drink order to something that will make his day go smoother, Rhett decides Darren must come and work for him. Darren soon realizes he is the only black person at the company. They change his name to Buck and he becomes a different person. A person, his family, friends and girlfriend no longer recognize. When tragedy strikes, Darren is forced to take a closer look at the life he is living and decides to take a different avenue. He decides to train more people who look like him, to be in positions held by white people.

This story had me hooked from the very beginning. It has been compared a lot to The Wolf of Wall Street. I listened to the audio and the narrator they picked for this book was spot on. If you have never heard the author talk about his book, the passion he has for it, then listen to him and then listen to this book and you will see what I mean. I love how Darren talks to the reader in this book. It makes you feel like you are on this journey with him. He gives you advice along the way and it made me feel like I could go out and conquer the world.

I was able to listen to this 12 hour audiobook in two days, so that should give you an indication of how good it was. Whether you listen or read this book, it is a must read. I want a physical copy of the book now, because there were so many quotable moments, that I was not able to capture by listening to the audio. Something I learned from listening to the author speak, is that a lot of the names for the white people in this book were taken from people who were significant in enslavement history.

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May 12, 2021

Review: Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield



Hurricane Summer: A Novel by Asha Bromfield
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Published: May 2021

Hurricane Summer: A Novel
Tilla and her sister Mia are spending the summer in Jamaica with their father and his family. It's also hurricane season. While she feels welcome upon her arrival to the island, when her father leaves the countryside to return to town, it becomes a different story. Because she is from "foreign" and she has a lot of things these people could only dream of having(although where she is from it's not much at all)she is automatically labeled as something she is not. Jamaica is a beautiful, but poor country. In this land, Tilla will learn more about her father, her home country and herself.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

From the moment you open the cover of this book, you are gripped. Even before the author starts to tell you the story, she tells us her story. I was in tears at the start of this book and by the end, the tears were streaming down my face.

For Tilla, this summer will be her first glimpse into womanhood. She has feelings she has never felt before with her father as well as romantically. She is betrayed by people who she is supposed to love and trust and who are supposed to protect her. She finds truths she wasn't ready for. When the hurricane hits stronger than anticipated, she wants to leave the island as fast as possible. But what she learns by staying will be a greater knowledge than any book would ever teach her.

This is a deeply moving book that I will not forget any time soon!

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May 10, 2021

Review: The Marriage He Demands by Brenda Jackson


The Marriage He Demands by Brenda Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: April 2021


The Marriage He Demands (Westmoreland Legacy: The Outlaws Book 2)
Cashen Outlaw has just found out about his mother's passing. He hasn't seen the woman most of his life. When he is called to Wyoming for the reading of her will, he already knows there is nothing of hers that he wants. When he arrives in Wyoming, Brianna Banks is the first thing he sees and she is all he can think about from that point on. When she is at the reading of the will Cash has to find out what her connection is to his mother. He hopes she's not a sister.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love Brenda Jackson's books. They are short and sweet with a lot of heat. When you first meet Cash Outlaw, he seems a little bit of an asshole. As we get to know him, we learn where those tendencies come from and he gets a little more loveable. I love to see the relationship between him and Brianna. She knows a bit more about him than he knows about her, but that isn't his fault. He always thought his mother didn't want him, but he will soon learn the truth.

If you're looking for a short romance novel, this is the one.

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May 5, 2021

Review: Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West


Saving Ruby King: A Novel by Catherine Adel West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: June 2020

Saving Ruby King: A Novel
Ruby King lives in Chicago with her mother and her abusive father. When her mother dies, Ruby knows she can't be there alone with her father. What can she do and where can she go? Her best friend, Layla, tries all she can to help and protect Ruby from what is happening. But Ruby needs more than protection, she needs a whole new change in scenery. Three generations of trauma are seen in this book along with a lot of parent/child relationships.

Thanks to Park Row Books and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC.

When I read the description to Ruby King, I was expecting a very different book. The subject matter in this book is very heavy and has quite a few triggers throughout. From a father sexually abusing his child, a husband abusing his wife and child, and one man blackmailing another. While Ruby King is the title of this book, every character in this book needs some kind of saving. One important character in the book, that I didn't see coming was the church. You get to see what happens, "If these walls could talk." It was eye-opening and interesting to see that part. The church is where all the secrets were kept.

This book was heavy, but also surprising.

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April 26, 2021

Review: Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds


Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Published: October 2020

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel
When Will's older brother Shawn is shot and killed, Will knows he has the follow "The Rules" in order to prove he is the man of the house. As he goes to find revenge for his brother's death, he meets a few people in the elevator on his ride down from his apartment to seek this revenge. The people he meets have been in his position before. What they tell Will on this elevator ride could change his mind about what he is about to do.

The Rules: No Crying, No Snitching, and Get Revenge.

I read this book with my daughters. I've never read a graphic novel before and this one I read in about 10 minutes while sitting at the breakfast table. Immediately, the book brought on strong emotions. It grabbed me right from the start and kept a hold of me until the very end.

Such a good book, I highly recommend it. I think I'm going to go back and read the full novel now.

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April 23, 2021

Review: Just My Luck by Adele Parks


Just My Luck by Adele Parks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: April 2021
Just My Luck



For 15 years three families have gone in together on the lottery. One week, two of the families decide it's not for them anymore, it's stupid and they never win anyway. The third family continues to buy the ticket the next week and they win 17.8 million pounds. Should they share the winnings with their friends or keep it all for themselves? Jake the husband in the winning family is ready to keep the money and is spending it before it hits their bank account. The kids are all on board. Lexi, the wife is a little more hesitant. They go from living day by day to not having to worry about a thing, but it's all too much. They decide to throw a party to celebrate the win and from that moment life will never be the same.

Thanks to Harlequin/Mira and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.


At the start of the book, I wasn't sure how the story was going to go. But knowing Adele Parks like I do, I knew I had to hold on because there was going to be something to look forward to. As you go through the book, little twists are thrown at you. Adultery, teenage pregnancy, robbery, fighting, theft, secrets, and more. Sometimes winning the lottery isn't all it's cracked up to be.

What would you do if you won the lottery? Would you go public if you didn't have to? Would you spend all of the money right away?

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April 21, 2021

Review: Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon



Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Published: October 2018

Heavy: An American Memoir
I read this after I read Hunger by Roxane Gay. This book really hit me in a different place. Sometimes we can forget that men can go through a lot of the same issues when it comes to their bodies as women. Kiese Laymon takes us into his life through this memoir. From living with his mother and grandmother who did their best to raise him. His mother, a professor, would frequently spend their money gambling. The author himself also becomes a professor in his adult life and finds himself following in his mother's footsteps in more ways than one.

From sexual abuse to getting kicked out of college, this book has some of everything. This is a hard book to review. I listened to this book and was totally engrossed in the story. When I read a book, I feel like a fly on the wall and I can see what is going on in the story and this story was heartbreaking. I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, but it is still sitting heavy on my heart.

If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend that you do right away.  You can read the mother's response to the book, by clicking here.

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April 19, 2021

Review: The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak


The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: April 2021

The Bookstore on the Beach
Three generations of women joined together for a life-changing summer.
Mary, the grandmother, who has deep secrets from her past she would like to remain there.
Autumn, the mother, is unsure whether to move on with life even though her husband has been missing for over a year.
Taylor, the daughter, has a secret of her own, and a new friend she isn't sure she wants to be just friends with.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was swept up in all the drama this book had to offer. A missing husband, teenage pregnancy, and 35-year-old secrets. I fell in love with the characters and was rooting for their success. I knew how it was going to end, but I was hoping that would not be the case. I was disappointed with the ending which is why it got 3.5 stars instead of 4.

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April 13, 2021

Review: Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell


Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: March 2020
Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl

Poppy's life is not really going in any direction. When she finds out she's pregnant with her ex's baby, she's truly unsure of what to do. After a couple of trips to Planned Parenthood, she makes her decision to keep the baby and take up knitting and finally finish something. When the kitting group she joins includes her super nice Planned Parenthood escort, Rhiannon, Poppy again is unsure if she should join the group and about her feelings for Rhiannon.

Thank you to Carina Adores and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
Overall this was a cute story. For me, the relationship went from zero to 100 real quick. Especially for a woman who is pregnant by having sex with a man and then she is into women. In my opinion, I can't see it happening that fast. But I liked Poppy as a character. She doesn't have a strong relationship with the women in her family and when she finds out that her sister is pregnant at the same time she is, it brings even more strain to those relationships. Finding the relationship with Rhiannon, she finds someone who accepts her completely as she is, without trying to make her "better".

This is the first book I've read by Hettie Bell. I think she writes under a couple of different names. I would be interested to read some of her other books.



EXCERPT

It doesn’t take long for everybody in the group to set aside their own projects to focus on me and mine.
Grace has my ball of yarn in her hands, twisting the strand between her fingers critically. “If you’re knitting for a baby, you should really consider a nice bamboo…”
Louise is scrutinizing my choice of project. “You know, I started with dishcloths, then graduated to scarves. It’s not as glamorous, but it does let you get the fundamentals down.”
“Oh, my, no.” Mary flips the free pattern card I picked up in the craft store and scans the back with critical eyes. “You don’t want to do this, this is for a completely different weight of yarn than what you’ve got here. Where did you pick this up? They should be putting these patterns next to the suggested yarn. This one calls for fingering. What 
you need to do is get an account on Ravelry and find a pattern that’s been user-rated so you know it’s accurate and suitable for your skill level, and do that. You can search by yarn weight on there, too. This yarn is a DK…” She pulls out her phone, trailing off as she opens her web browser.
Damian, who has been sitting silently so far, takes this chance to finally speak up. “Do you have needles?” he asks plainly, no judgment in his tone. Nobody else has bothered with that crucial detail to this point.
Now those, at least, I do have. I reach into my purse and pull out the needles I scavenged from my last failed scarf project. I hold them up for the group’s inspection proudly.
“Poppy, no!” they say in unison, and even Damian joins in their exclamation of dismay. “These will never work!”
My shoulders slump. “What? Why?”
Louise clucks at me. “Much too big! Too long for a tiny baby pattern and too thick for this yarn. You’re going to end up with stretched out knitting full of gaps and holes.”
The familiar urge to just give up and quit hits me hard and fast, like a gut punch. I gust out a breath, slumping in my seat.
A hand closes around my shoulder. Rhiannon. “Hey, don’t feel bad. First time I tried to knit, I got my needles secondhand from the thrift store and accidentally bought two different sizes.” She laughs and shakes her head. “Here. If you don’t mind that they’re not high-tech Addi Turbos, you can borrow some needles from me.”
“She needs a pattern first,” Mary puts in. “And personally I think she should start by knitting mittens before she graduates to booties.”
“I guess that sounds all right.” I know they’re just trying to help, but I feel overwhelmed and outnumbered. But what would the alternative be? For them to sit there focused on their own projects, socializing with each other and ignoring me as I struggle?
It’s Rhiannon, once again, who calms the chaos, both the stuff going on around us and the stuff in my head. “Okay, okay, give the girl some space, now. Mary, can you search Ravelry for a pattern for a set of mittens and booties? And Grace and Louise, can you wind Poppy’s skein real quick so she doesn’t get stuck untangling yarn barf on her very first project?” My fellow stitch n’ bitch members nod, immediately turning to their tasks. She turns to me. “I left my straight needles with the rest of my stuff back at my place. It’s just a short walk from here. You wanna come and keep me company?”
“You’ll need a size five needle by the looks,” Mary calls, eyes glued to her phone.
Rhiannon looks at me expectantly, awaiting my answer. I get the sense that if I said no to her invitation, she’d be totally cool about it. But I don’t want to say no.
“Sure, yeah. Can I leave my stuff here?”
“We’re not leaving any time soon,” Damian flaps a hand. “Go, go. Sooner you go the sooner you get back, sooner you get back the sooner you can get started, and the sooner you get started the more time you have knitting with people who can pick up your dropped stitches.”
“Gotcha.” I nod. “Thanks.”
“Ready?” Rhiannon asks. She grabs a cookie for the road, stuffing it halfway into her mouth and holding it there comically.
I fight down the sudden image of myself biting that half a cookie right out from under her nose.
Wow, do I need some air. And some semblance of hormonal balance.
Instead, I’m getting alone time with Rhiannon.
Crash and burn time, here I come.

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April 6, 2021

Review: Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones



Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: May 2019

Getting Schooled (The Wright Brothers, #1)
Reese works as a grad assistant for her mother at BSU. Most of her job consists of reading over papers. On the latest assignment, there is one paper that really stands out from the rest and catches her attention. Written by the mysterious J. Wright. She doesn't know which student this is, but she is definitely attracted to his writing. Jason Wright is not happy with the grade he got on his paper. When he goes to talk to the professor about it, he is met by her sassy outspoken Grad assistant instead. While she is sexy and has a perfect ass, she is probably way too young for him and he won't deal with her attitude. Chance encounters between these two, keep happening ... what will happen next?

Christina C. Jones is a new author for me. I have read one other book by her, but I love her writing style and the cute romantic stories she writes. I fall in love with the characters each and every time. Reese and Jason are nontraditional college students, both older than they should be for their place in school. Each encounter they have with each other whether it be in or out of the school environment, there is a lot of sexual tension between them.

If you love a good romance with strong female characters, you will love this one.

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