Review: If You Must Know by Jamie Beck

If You Must Know by Jamie Beck

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Published: June 2020

Here is another book from 2020 I read, but didn't get around to reviewing.  This is a great mother/daughter contemporary story.  

The Turner women have reached a point in their lives where they really need each other. Sisters Amanda and Erin have never gotten along. Erin and their mom were always contentious and since the death of their father, they have all been a little lost. When Amanda finds out her husband is leaving her while she is pregnant, she will have to lean on her family in order to make it through.

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

I really enjoy books that deal with sisters and mothers. This book did not disappoint. It kept me invested from the very beginning. The moral of the story is that even though we may not always like our family, we love them and know that they will always be there for us when we need them.

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Review: Forgiven by Garrett Leigh

Forgiven by Garrett Leigh

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: Jan. 2021

Mia has just returned to her hometown of Rushmere to open her own flower shop. She'll be living with her brother Gus. Little does she know, Luke, the man who broke her heart 10 years ago is also back in town. Her brother works for him. Will they be able to rekindle their romance, or will the pain of heartbreak be too much to overcome.

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

We all have that one lover who broke our hearts without an explanation. What would you do if you saw them again? Would old sparks reignite or would the pain remain? For Mia and Luke, they were both broken hearted and confused by the other's actions. Luke fled to the Navy, and Mia to France. Unfortunately, being apart didn't make the hurt go away. No one they dated or married could compare either.

I like second chance romances, but this one just missed the mark for me. I'm not sure if it was because of the repetition or what. Mia and Luke would see each other around town and with just a look there was an attitude issue. Neither one of them can say what is on their mind and admit how much they have feelings for each other now and how much they loved each other in the past.

This is the first book in a series and the first book I have read by this author. The next book in the series, Unforgotten will be released next month (Feb.2021).

EXCERPT

Mia Amour. Her name had haunted me so much my bunkmate had once found me sleep-scrawling it on our cabin wall. He thought it had meant something—that I was writing a message from another dimension in a language he didn’t understand—but the reality had been far more simple: even on the other side of the world, I couldn’t get her out of my head.

Somehow, though, over time, I’d forgotten what her eyes did to me. How they could root me to the spot with a single glance and empty my mind of anything but her. Mia. I counted my heartbeats as they thundered in my ears. One, two, three, four. And then she tore her stormy blue gaze away from mine and walked out of the chip shop.

I reached for the empty space she left behind, and my faculties slowly returned to me as her footsteps echoed in my shell-shocked brain. As drawn to her as I’d always been, I drifted after her, but when I got outside, she was gone.

A thousand emotions warred in my gut, but the age-old frustration was so familiar I felt sick. Fucking Mia Amour. Deep down, I’d always hated her as much as I’d loved her, because there was no one else on earth who could make my heart pound like she did, my palms sweat, and my fingers tremble.

Cursing, I hauled myself back into the van. Gus followed a moment later, an open bag of chips in each hand. “Where’d you get to? It was your turn to buy tea.”

I tossed him a crumpled-up fiver. “Why didn’t you tell me your sister was in town?”

“Oh fuck.” Gus held out a bag of chips, then set it on the dashboard when I made no move to claim it. “Are we really doing this?”

I gave him a flat look.

He sighed. “Fuck’s sake. Why would I tell you? You two aren’t exactly friends, and you haven’t been a couple since I was fourteen and nicking Mayfair Lights from her school bag.”

Shit, had it been that long? Why was it that just a glimpse of her face could set me back a decade? The weight in my chest increased and I started the van, gunning the rickety diesel engine with a roar. “Either way, a fucking heads-up would’ve been nice.”

“But why, though?” Gus pointed a chip at me. “You want her number so you can catch up on old times?”

I wondered if he’d actually give it to me. Then pictured myself calling Mia and her reaction to hearing my voice for the first time in ten long years.

A legit shudder passed through me. I was done torturing myself for putting my family first, for giving up my entire life to keep a roof over my mum’s head, but that didn’t make the obvious anger in Mia’s eyes easier to bear. Her temper had fascinated seventeen-year-old me—sometimes I’d wound her up on purpose, just to revel in her flushed skin and sharp tongue—but I didn’t have the stones to take it now. My Mia angst tolerance was at an all-time complacent low.

“Luke?”

I spared Gus another glare. “What?”

“Can I eat your chips?”

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Review: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: Oct. 2016 (audiobook)

It's coming out season in 1813 London. Daphne Bridgerton is the diamond of the season, her dance card is quite full with all the men wanting a moment of her time. But Ms. Bridgerton is quite picky with her suitors. When the Duke of Hastings finds her fighting one of those suitors off, they devise a plan that could help them both out for this season. He will not have to persued by eligible maidens and their mothers, and she will get to hold out for the perfect person to choose as a husband.

I've heard so much talk about this series on Netflix, I had to see what it was all about. I decided to listen to the first book in the series before I binged the show. I'm not sure if the show will follow the series, or if this is just a one and done season like a few other shows.

I can say both the book and the series held my interest. I usually do not enjoy period pieces, but this story felt like it could be reworked for any time period. I look forward to reading about the other Bridgerton children and finding out how they make their way in this world.


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Review: Pretending by Holly Bourne

Pretending by Holly Bourne

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Published: Nov. 2020

April has lived a tragic life. She can't trust men no matter how many chances she gives them. She works with a charity where she hears more horrible stories of the ways men treat women. When it all gets to be too much, she decides to do a little experiment and be what every man wants in a woman. She pretends to be Gretel and meets Joshua. Will she be able to prove herself right or will Joshua prove to be different?

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

**TRIGGER WARNING**This book is heavy with conversations about rape and abusive relationships.

This book took me a lot longer to read than it typically takes me. I think the theme really threw me off, I wasn't expecting there to be so much talk about date rape in the book, it is heavy throughout. April is the kind of girl we all know and are probably friends with. A girl who is done with men for good until another one comes along. April takes it a step further though, pretending to be someone she isn't. A carefree girl who doesn't let anything get to her. But with this attitude, will she really be able to be in a relationship? April has a lot of issues to work out. She tries to find help with a local boxing group and therapy.

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EXCERPT

I hate men.

There, I’ve said it. I know you’re not supposed to say it. We all pretend we don’t hate them; we all tell ourselves we don’t hate them. But I’m calling it. I’m standing here on this soapbox, and I’m saying it.

I. Hate. Men.

I mean, think about it. They’re just awful. I hate how selfish they are. How they take up so much space, assuming it’s always theirs to take. How they spread out their legs on public transport, like their balls need regular airing to stop them developing damp. I hate how they basically scent mark anywhere they enter to make it work for them. Putting on the music they want to listen to the moment they arrive at any house party, and always taking the nicest chair. How they touch your stuff instead of just looking; even tweak the furniture arrangement to make it most comfortable for them. All without asking first—never asking first.

I hate how they think their interests are more important than yours—even though twice a week all most of them do is watch a bunch of strangers kick a circle around a piece of lawn and sulk if the circle doesn’t go in the right place. And how bored they look if you ever try to introduce them to a film, a band, or even a freaking YouTube clip, before you’ve even pressed Play.

I hate their endless arrogance. I hate how they interrupt you and then apologize for it but carry on talking anyway. How they ask you a question but then check your answer afterward. I hate how they can never do one piece of housework without telling you about it. I hate how they literally cannot handle being driven in a car by a woman, even if they’re terrible drivers themselves. I hate how they all think they’re fucking incredible at grilling meat on barbecues. The sun comes out and man must light fire and not let woman anywhere near the meat. Dumping blackened bits of chicken onto our plates along with the whiff of a burp from their beer breath, acting all caveman, like we’re supposed to find it cute that we may now get salmonella and that we’re going to have to do all the washing up.

I hate how I’m quite scared of them. I hate the collective noise of them when they’re in a big group. The tribal wahey-ing, like they all swap their IQs for extra testosterone when they swarm together. How, if you’re sitting alone on an empty train, they always come and deliberately sit next to you en masse, and talk extra loudly about macho nonsense, apparently to impress you. I hate the way they look at you when you walk past—automatically judging your screwability the moment they see you. Telling you to smile if you dare look anything other than delighted about living with stuff like this constantly fucking happening to you. 

I hate how hard they are to love. How many of them actually, truly, think the way to your heart is sending you a selfie of them tugging themselves, hairy ball sack very much still in shot. I hate how they have sex. How they shove their fingers into you, thinking it’s going to achieve anything. Jabbing their unwashed hands into your dry vagina, prodding about like they’re checking for prostate cancer, then wondering why you now have BV and you still haven’t come. Have none of them read a sex manual? Seriously? None of them? And I hate how they hate you a little just after they’ve finished. How even the nice ones lie there with cold eyes, pretending to cuddle, but clearly desperate to get as far away from you as possible.

I hate how it’s never equal. How they expect you to do all the emotional labor and then get upset when you’re the more stressed-out one. I hate how they never understand you, no matter how hard they try, although, let’s be honest here, they never actually try that hard. And I hate how you’re always exhausting yourself trying to explain even the most basic of your rational emotional responses to their bored face.

I hate how every single last one of them has issues with their father.

And do you know what I hate most of all?

That despite this, despite all this disdain, I still fancy men. And I still want them to fancy me, to want me, to love me. I hate myself for how much I want them. Why do I still fancy men so much? What’s wrong with me? Why are they all so broken? Am I broken for still wanting to be with one, even after everything? I should be alone. That’s the only healthy way to be. BUT I DON’T WANT TO BE ALONE. I hate men, that’s the problem. GOD I HATE THEM SO MUCH—they’re so entitled and broken and lazy and wrong and…and…

Hang on…

My phone.

HE MESSAGED BACK!!!

WITH A KISS ON THE END!

Never mind.

Forget I said anything. It’s all good.

Excerpted from Pretending by Holly Bourne, Copyright © 2020 by Holly Bourne. Published by MIRA Books. 

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Review: One of the Good Ones by Maika & Maritza Moulite

One of the Good Ones by Maika & Maritza Moulite
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Published: Jan. 2021

Kezi Smith knows that someone has to speak up in the world for those who are unable to speak out for themselves. She has her own Youtube Channel called generationkeZi. On her channel, she points out the inequalities bestowed upon black and brown people in the United States and she does her part to point out and try to change those inequities. On her 18th birthday, Kezi decides to do more than just speak out, she is participating in her first protest. Things don't go as planned, and her family has to end up burying their daughter. But her younger sister, Happi, doesn't believe the story they have been told about her sister's death. She and her other sister, Genny, along with Kezi's friends, embark on the journey Kezi was set out to participate in after her graduation. This trip will allow for Happi to get to know her sister better. Told mostly from the perspective of Kezi and Happi, we find out what happens when you lose a sister you thought you knew.

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

This book really touched me. As a mother to a little black boy and two black girls, this world is extra precarious for them. We want them to be able to speak up for themselves and for others, but not at the sake of their own lives. I don't know what I would do if I found out one of my children had been killed just for standing up for what is right.

There is a twist in this book that I didn't see coming and when it hit me, I nearly fell to the floor. The Moulite sisters have truly put together a book that will be remembered just as fondly as The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I look forward to reading more books by these ladies.

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EXCERPT

chapter two

Kezi

Monday, April 16—1 Day Before the Arrest Los Angeles, California

I must have died and gone to hell.

Right?

Because why else would I have heard that outrageous bleat- ing from my alarm at 5:30 (in the morning!) and chosen to wake up? It was mid-April of twelfth grade. I should have been suffering from a severe case of senioritis that could be cured only by sleeping in. But there I was, doing my Mon- day morning countdown to study.

“Eight…seven…six…five…four…four…four…three… why, oh, why…two… ONE!”

I yanked the covers shielding my head down to my waist and leapt out of bed before the just-right firmness of my mat-

tress and perfectly f luffed pillows could lure me back into their warm nest.

Bang bang bang.

Couldn’t even blame her. I dragged my feet over to the wall I shared with my baby sister, Happi, and knocked twice. Two syllables. Sor-ry. (For counting so loudly that I woke you up while I was trying to wake myself up.)

Silence.

I slipped on cozy padded knee socks and plodded to my desk, where my notes were spread neatly across my laptop, right where I’d left them the night before. Mr. Bamhauer, my AP US History teacher and the miserable Miss Trunchbull to my precocious Matilda, was a stickler for the “old way” of doing things and insisted our notes be handwritten on wide- ruled paper so that the letters were big enough for him to see without his glasses while grading.

I skimmed over the major moments of the Civil Rights Movement that I knew the Advanced Placement test makers were likely to ask about when I sat for the exam in less than a month: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Emmett Till. The March on Washington. The Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Voting Rights Act of 1965. Each bullet point was like a twist unscrew- ing the faucet of my brain, f looding my skull with facts. To me, Brown v. Board of Education wasn’t just some case. It was the rebuttal to Plessy v. Ferguson, the racist court decision that dictated the “separate but equal” ideology. It was one of many nails in the giant coffin of Jim Crow laws and had ushered in the legacy of the Little Rock Nine. But before the Nine, we’d had students like Linda Brown, the Topeka One. Mr. Bamhauer lectured about the past, of course…but he made it stale and removed. To him, the people involved in all this world-changing were just names and dates in a book. Noth- ing more. They hadn’t had souls. Or dreams.

Brown v. Board of Education propelled my thoughts directly to that little girl. I envisioned how Linda Brown must have felt when she’d learned at nine years old that she couldn’t go to the school down the road, the one her white friends in the neighborhood attended, just because of her skin color. I felt her heart hammering when she saw how shaken up her daddy was on the walk home after his talk with the school principal. I imagined the hushed conversations Oliver and Leola Brown had over the kitchen table when they decided to move for- ward with the case, knowing what it would mean. I thought of all the parents hunched over in exasperation, fear, and de- termination, the folks in Delaware, Washington DC, South Carolina, and Virginia, who decided they could no longer accept segregation either.

I drank in American history, in all its problematic glory, like water. It was mine after all. My dad’s grandmother Eve- lyn had embarked on the Great Migration to California after her husband was killed overseas in World War II. He died for a country that didn’t think he deserved to call it home. My mom’s grandfather Joseph had been killed right here in America’s Jim Crow South. And their tales were just the fam- ily history that had been passed down.

I wasn’t much of a morning person, but once I rubbed the crust out of my eyes, I couldn’t close them again. Not with all these stories of individuals insisting they be remembered calling out to me at once. I had to listen to them.

After almost an hour of studying, my alarm rang again to drag me out of my bubble. I walked back over to my and Happi’s shared wall and knocked out another syllabic mes- sage: Hap-pi! Wake! Up! Her groan was loud and miserable. I

chuckled. The only human being on earth less of a morning person than me? Her.

As I waited to shower, I checked the email account I used for my YouTube page, marking off the usual spam, replying to short messages, and noting the invitations and requests I had to think on more and get back to.

But then. I paused.

Oh Kezi. I was reading this ridiculous article about parasocial relationships. It was describing those pathetic people who feel like they know media personalities but don’t. You know, those freaks who get excited when they catch a glimpse of a celeb- rity’s baby or read every interview to see what brand of sham- poo they use. Like that would make them closer. I thought it was fine. But I stayed up all night. All night. All night wondering if you would see me that way too. Like some random weirdo on the internet.

But I told myself over and over, she’s much too good, way too smart, to not realize that some of her subscribers are more special than others. And I’m more than a subscriber. I’m a sup- porter. A lifeline. We get each other. No one understands the struggle and what you’re fighting for like I do. But all night I thought of this. Going insane. Running in circles in my mind until I tripped on something that made me stop. It was some- thing you said, actually.

I tried to swallow but couldn’t get past the sand in my throat. Nausea washed over me in waves, and I clutched my stomach to steady myself.

You said: We’re in this together. You remember that don’t you? It was that youth panel you spoke on two weeks ago at

city hall and you made this beautiful, beautiful comment on how to have hope in the face of hopelessness. You promised that “even in the darkest moments, when you feel completely alone, like you’re the only one who cares, just remember that I care. Our community cares. And the people who came be- fore us and behind us and the ones who come up beside us care too. So long as we keep caring and trying, there is hope.” I cried when your words came to me. And I’m going to sleep well tonight knowing that I’m not alone. I’m not hopeless. I

have you.

There was a video attached to the email, sent from an ad- dress named mr.no.struggle.no.progress. My eyes widened and my pulse pounded against my ears when I registered whose face was in the thumbnail. Mine. I clicked on the preview button with a shaky hand and watched myself at the event the email sender mentioned. There I was, speaking animatedly and pro- nouncing the very words this stranger had taken the time to transcribe. The camera panned slowly across the room as my voice continued in the background.

I remembered that day. I almost hadn’t made it in time, be- cause Happi’s audition for our school’s Shakespeare play had gone longer than planned. Instead of taking my sister home after her tryout, I had dragged her with me straight to the panel. There she was in the video, seated between Derek and Ximena, who’d also come to show their support. The cus- tomary sounds of an audience wove in and out of the audio, a fussy baby babbling merrily, a chorus of a dozen sheets of paper rustling, a sniff ly man’s sneezes punctuating every few sentences.

The camera continued its survey of the room, and I noticed a group of people standing along the back wall. The space had

been remarkably packed for a city hall meeting, and I recalled that quite a few members of the audience had come because they were subscribers to my YouTube channel, generationkeZi. When the meeting was adjourned, more than half in atten- dance had made a beeline to where I was seated, to chat. I’d greeted a lot of people, but others had stood on the sidelines and watched from afar, never approaching.

Who was the person who had sent this message? A fan I hadn’t gotten to speak with? The cameraperson? A local citi- zen who was feeling particularly inspired?

The slow creak of the bedroom door opening diverted my attention. I spun in my chair, not even sure when I’d grabbed the silver plaque I’d received from YouTube for reaching one hundred thousand subscribers, noting the instinct I had to hold it in the air menacingly.

“Bathroom’s all yours,” Happi said, pausing midyawn to look at me strangely.

“Thanks, I’ll be right in,” I replied to the back of her head as she stumbled to her room.

Instead, I gripped the plaque in my lap and sat there, frozen. Him again.

Excerpted from One of the Good Ones Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite © 2021 by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, used with permission by Inkyard Press/HarperCollins. 

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Review: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Published: Oct. 2012

When Clay is hired as the overnight clerk for Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour bookstore he feels he will kill a few hours while getting to read some books. What he doesn't expect is there to be a secret society trying to solve a secret code. While the front of the bookstore is your average bookstore (kind of), there is a wall full of books in the back, that can only be checked out, but certain people. Will Clay be brought privy to this information or will he have to assume what is going on? With the help of his friends and Mr. Penumbra, he will try his best to solve the mystery.  

This was a book club selection for January. Overall I thought the book was pretty good. I really didn't see the point of it all, to be honest. These people were all mostly older, in the society, looking for immortality. But we all know that is impossible.  One cool thing about this book is that the cover glows in the dark. 

This book did keep me interested though, and I wanted to know if they were going to find the secret to all these books or if it was going to remain a mystery. I'm not sure if I will read more of Robin Sloan's books but I have read this one and it has been on my TBR for a while.


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Review: Loving Donovan by Bernice McFadden

Loving Donovan by Bernice L. McFadden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars.

Published: May 2015

Campbell and Donovan were meant to be together. It took them nearly half of their lives to find each other, and when they do the connection is immediate. But they both have been on their own for so long, will they be able to navigate a relationship? Their romance is not conventional and that has a lot to do with their pasts. The story is told from both of their perspectives, starting when they are young children. We see how the events of their youth, affect their future.

Thanks to @melantedreader on Instagram for this recommendation. She is doing a buddy read of this on Instagram so check it out. 

I love a good love story and this is one for the books. The love between Campbell and Donovan is not simple and easy, even though it should be. They each have their own issues to work through, and for Donovan that proves to be more difficult. They each get in their own way of finding and keeping love in their lives. Will they be able to get out of their own ways in order to make the relationship work?

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Review: Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: October 2020

Saffyre Maddox has had a rough life in her short 17 years, the worst part of it happening when she was just 10 years old. When she gets help from a therapist, Roan Fours, she really feels like he has helped her, for part of her issues, but they never touched on the big one. After their sessions end, Saffyre decides to follow Roan around and see what he does when he isn't working. She makes a lot of interesting discoveries. Cate and Roan have been married for 20 years. When their daughter comes home one night upset about being followed by a creepy neighbor, it puts Cate on high alert. Then Saffyre goes missing and the neighbor is charged with her disappearance. But something doesn't add up.

Thanks to Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I was a little leary about reading Lisa Jewell since I really didn't like her previous book, The Family Upstairs. This one was a lot better. The story is told from three different points of view. Saffyre, the girl who goes missing; Owen, the creepy neighbor; and Cate, Roan Fours wife. These three are connected by a terrible incident. In the midst of Saffyre's disappearance, other women in the neighborhood are also being accosted. Is it the creepy guy who is behind all of this, or is it someone else?

This book really kept me enthralled for the entire time I was reading.


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Review: A Promised Land by Barack Obama

A Promised Land by Barack Obama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Published: November 2020

**I highly recommend that you listen to this book on audio.**

Barack Obama, our 44th President of the United States, gives a personal look at his first four years in office. Listening to him speak about his days leading up to becoming President through his first term, made me like him even more. He feels like someone we all would know and could sit and talk to about our day. He talks about playing spades on Air Force One, sneaking cigarettes, and working out with Michelle in the mornings. He shared his fears and accomplishments but was still humble. He talked about how his family dealt with his Presidency and fame. He could no longer just take his daughters to a museum or the zoo without people following and the Secret Service.

I really enjoyed this book, holding it though, gave me carpal tunnel. I look forward to the next volume. 

Here's a funny story about this book.  About a week before Christmas, my hold for this became available at the library.  My husband saw me listening to it and told me to stop.  He's not a reader and he frequently tells me to find something else to do besides reading.  So, I was skeptical of him telling me this.  Well, my daughter got me a copy of the book for Christmas.  The book weighs a ton, so I continued to listen to the audio and followed along.  

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Review: Running Away with the Bride by Sophia Singh Sasson

Running Away with the Bride by Sophia Singh Sasson

Nights at the Mahal #2
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: Jan. 2021

When Ethan crashes a wedding in Las Vegas he has no idea it's the wrong one. He's hoping to win back his fiance Pooja, when he inadvertently crashes the wedding of Divya. Divya is so excited to get out of her marriage, she is quick to run away with Ethan without knowing a thing about him. Ethan comes to her rescue at the right time. They travel around the country for the next few days trying to decide what to do next. What will happen on this journey around the country? Will they find the things that they have been looking for or will they end up back in their old lives?

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

I was able to read this book in one day. I was eager to find out what was going to happen between Ethan and Divya. I had no idea whether they would be friends or if this crazy encounter would turn into something more. Maybe they would go back to their old life and treat these few days as a memory. They each come from upstanding families and they both have their own money, but something is missing from their lives. So what is holding them back from being together? Divya is Indian and Ethan is from America and while their relationship isn't ideal in the eyes of some, could it work? Is each one of them willing to give up something in order to be together? Will their short courtship be enough for a long-lasting relationship?
The thing I liked best about this book was the adventure. You never knew what was going to happen next.
If you like romance books that will keep you wondering what is going to happen next then you need to read Running Away With the Bride.

EXCERPT

“Stop this wedding!”

Ethan Connors searched the stage on the back lawn of the Mahal Hotel where a mandap had been set up. The couple was seated on floor-level settees under a pergola-like structure in front of a small fire. A priest dressed in loose orange clothing chanted and threw things into the fire, making it crackle and smoke.

Ethan wished he’d paid more attention to the wedding sequence the one time he’d been to an Indian wedding with Pooja. He had no idea if he’d made it in time to stop hers.

At his outcry, the bride, groom and the dozen or so people surrounding them looked at him with surprise. The priest froze and the chatter of the crowd behind Ethan died. He could feel the stares of hundreds of guests on him. He tried to catch Pooja’s eyes but the heavy bridal veil covered her head and fell halfway across her face. The smoke from the fire swirled around her. He looked at the older Indian couple seated next to her. Were they Pooja’s parents? If the glare they were shooting him was any indication, they were.

A knot twisted in his stomach. After six months of dating, including three months of living together, she’d never introduced him to her parents, and he couldn’t pick them out based on the pictures he’d seen on her bookshelf.

A younger man seated next to the bride stood and made his way to Ethan. “I don’t know who you are but you’re interrupting my sister’s wedding. You best leave quietly before I call security.” The man’s voice was low and icy.

But Ethan was determined he wasn’t going to lose her again. He may have come to his senses in the eleventh hour, but he was going to save himself, and Pooja. She’d known the guy sitting next to her for three months. How could she marry him? I want to know my husband and be sure that we’re compatible, she’d said to Ethan. He and Pooja were compatible. Why hadn’t he seen that sooner? When she’d first brought up marriage—and how her family wouldn’t approve of her relationship with a white Midwesterner unless he put a ring on her finger—he’d thought he needed more time to figure things out. But what was left to think about? He was pushing forty. His brother was ten years younger and had been married for nine years and had two kids. Pooja was the only woman who had deemed him worthy enough to even discuss marriage. He wasn’t going to let her get away a second time.

Pooja was now standing, but Ethan still couldn’t get a clear line of sight through the crowd that was gathering around him. He hadn’t spoken to her since she walked out three months ago, but she’d sent him an email telling him she was getting married today. Why would she do that if she didn’t want him to make a grand gesture? It would’ve been helpful if she’d sent him some details other than that her groom was planning “a grand baarat down the Vegas strip.” He’d spent the entire morning driving up and down the strip, looking for a groom on a horse surrounded by a bunch of people dancing. The traditional Indian baarat, the arrival of the groom’s party, would be hard to miss, or so he thought. He’d been on the other side of the strip when he’d heard on the radio that traffic was snarled because of an Indian wedding, and he’d driven like a madman to get there.

He had charged in ready to take on the world, or at least a bunch of angry relatives, but now doubt snaked its way through him. Did Pooja really want him to rescue her? And how the hell was he going to get out of the hotel without hundreds of guests and hotel security guards stopping him?

Take off your veil and look at me, Pooja. He wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to succumb to her parents’ pressure and marry whichever Tom, Dick or Hari they had found for her. He was ready to step up and make a commitment. 

Another man who bore a family resemblance to the one who’d identified himself as Pooja’s brother broke through the crowd and strode toward him. Who knew how many family members there were, and Ethan had zero backup. When will you stop being so impulsive? His mother’s familiar recrimination blared in his head.

He focused on Pooja, who was clearly looking in his direction, despite the veil on her face. “I’m sorry I was such an ass and didn’t realize how much you meant to me. I want to marry you. Run away with me.” Brother One whispered something into a phone, no doubt calling security. “We must go now!”

“Yo dude, this isn’t some Hollywood film. What do you think you’re doing?” Brother Number Two was now within punching distance and didn’t seem quite as reserved as Brother One. “My sister doesn’t know who you are. Get out before I…” He pulled his arm back, clearly preparing to punch Ethan in the face.

“Wait!” Pooja’s voice sounded strange.

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Best of 2020--Five Star Reads

 

This year, I read more books than I have before.  At least in my adult life.  I can say I had a really good reading year, although my reviewing fell off considerably.   You know I haven't posted here in a while, and I feel terrible about that.  But 2020 was a year like one none of us have ever seen.  Having to work from home, school from home, and just always be home, was not something I was prepared for.  Now it's time for a new year and a new lease on life.  

Even though reviewing took a back seat in 2020, reading did not.  I was able to finish 106 books.  39 of those being audiobooks and 6 of them were non-fiction.  There were only 2 books I wasn't able to finish and 4 books I gave less than a 3-star rating.  

So here, in no particular order, are the books that I gave a 5-star rating to.  Let me know if you've read any of these or if you will add any to your TBR for 2021.  

A Love Hate Thing by Whitney Grandison

When Tyson Trice reappears in Nandy Smith's life 10 years after she had last seen him, she knew right away, he wasn't that same seven-year-old boy she used to play with. Trice is coming to live with the Smith's after the tragic death of his parents. He is angry and hurting and this is the last place he wants to be. But will he be able to come out of his funk and find the friendship he once had with Nandy? Will he be able to step away from his old life and try to build a new one with these people who are nothing like him?

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll

Anna and Sarah have decided to take a trip to London after school has let out. They are two young girls on their own and Ella a woman alone on the train has a slight worry for the girls. This worry intensifies when a couple of guys who just got out of jail board the train and start to entertain the girls. A few days later, Ella learns about Anna's disappearance, and she feels guilty about not calling someone when she saw the girls on the train. One year after the disappearance, there seems to be some new evidence in the case. Will Ella use this opportunity to speak up? Will Anna be found?

When I Was You by Amber Garza

Kelly Medina lives in Folsom, CA. She is married with a son. Folsom is a pretty small town where everyone knows everyone. One morning, Kelly gets a call from the pediatrician to confirm the appointment with the doctor for the next day. Only problem is that Kelly's son is 19 years old and wouldn't need a well baby checkup. The mother of the child has the exact same name, Kelly Medina. What are the chances? When she goes to the gym later in the day, this woman has been there as well. Kelly is determined to find out who this woman is and what she is doing in her town. When Kelly sees the woman's child, she thinks he looks just like her son when he was that age. Kelly has been through some mental issues in the past and her friends and family aren't sure they believe her about her new "friend". What will happen when these two women get closer? Will both Kelly's survive?

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon

Eleanor is heading to the hospice to see her father, when she overhears a conversation between him and her mother. She and her mother have never had a good relationship, but the conversation she hears stops her dead in her tracks. The man she has known as her father her entire life is not her father. So who is and will he want anything to do with Eleanor? When Eleanor finds out that she also has a sister, she decides to try to meet her father that way. The things she finds our in her quest to find her father will shock you.

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

Adunni is 14 years old and lives in a small village in Nigeria with her father and two brothers. The only thing she wants in life is to be able to get her education and teach other girls in her village as well. When her mother passed away, her father promised that he would allow Adunni to get an education, but money talks louder than promises and so Adunni is given as a bride, the third bride at that. When something happens to one of the other wives, Adunni sees her opportunity to change her life, but what she finds isn't much better and she still isn't getting her education. Refusing to give up, she spends the year trying to fulfill her dream. Will she be able to do it?

Jubilee by Margaret Walker

Vyry was born a slave. She was born to a mother who was a slave and a father who was the Marster. When her mother died, Vyry was brought to the big house to work. She was only seven years old. She helped the cook in the kitchen and helped with her half-sister, Lillian. Jubilee follows Vyry's life and the life of those around her from the time she walks into that kitchen until she has her own family. From the Civil War to Emancipation. This book is long, but you will immediately be drawn into the story and will want more even when the story is over.

Custom Built by Chantal Fernando

Bronte lost her mom at a young age, so it’s just her and her dad and her uncle Neville. When Bronte suddenly loses her job she must find something new. Her uncle suggests she starts to work at a local motorcycle shop, Fast & Fury. Bronte doesn’t know anything about motorcycles, but she is a fast learner, it also doesn’t hurt that the manager of the place, Crow, is drop-dead gorgeous. When there is an unexpected death in her family, Bronte will question everything she has known about her life. Will she be able to get her life together to find out what is going on or will she lose her family and friends?

Fumbled by Alexa Martin

Poppy & TK were high school sweethearts, but his future looked a lot more promising than hers.  When their paths cross again, there is a lot they need to catch up on.  Will they be able to move past hurts and misunderstandings to make a future with each other?

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

Thea and Gavin have only been married for a few short years, so it's a shock to him when she asked for a divorce. Gavin is a professional baseball player, married to Thea and they have twin daughters. He is crushed when she asks for the divorce and drowns his sorrows in a bottle of alcohol. His friends and teammates come to his rescue as they had been down that road and know they can help. Their methods are quite unconventional, reading romance novels, but it can't hurt right?

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris

It’s Livia’s fortieth birthday and tonight she’s having a party, a party she’s been planning for a long time. The only person missing will be her daughter, Marnie. But Livia has a secret, a secret she’s been keeping from Adam, her husband, until the party is over. Because how can she tell him that although she loves Marnie, she’s glad their daughter won’t be there to celebrate with her? Adam is determined everything will be just right for Livia and the party is going to be perfect… until he learns something that will leave him facing an unbearable decision.

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Shay Miller is having a rough time in life. She's in between jobs, feels like she's being forced out of her house, her best friend just had a baby, and oh yeah, she just saw a woman commit suicide. She feels quite alone. On the way to her temp job one morning, she sees Amanda jump in front of the train she is supposed to be taking. After that, Shay becomes overly interested in Amanda's life, attending her memorial service, meeting her friends, and becoming friends with them. It feels like things are starting to really turn around, until ... the craziness begins.

A Lie for a Lie by Helena Hunting

I stayed up way past my bedtime to devour this book.

Rook is looking forward to this Alaska trip with his brother. They go every summer when hockey season is over. The break is much needed. When his brother lets him know he won't be able to make it, Rook decides to go anyway and enjoy the peace and quiet. Lainey is headed to Alaska for a few weeks this summer to study the mating patterns of dolphins and whales for her thesis. This is her third masters and she may finally be done with school. When she literally falls into Rook's lap, she doesn't know how that will change her summer plans.

Let Me Free You by Alexandria House

Neil McClain is the screw-up, the one everyone hopes will win but expects to lose. He wants to live a better life, one that his late mother would be proud of, but his belief in himself is weak.

Sage Moniba is in need of a major miracle or she’ll be forced to give up the only life she’s known.

Neil is searching for freedom from the demons of his past.

Sage is in desperate need of help.

Could it be that what each one needs resides in the other?

Moth to a Flame by Ashley Antoinette

In the little city of Flint, MI, the good die young and the people left standing are the grimiest of characters. With reign over the city's drug trade, Benjamin Atkins made sure that his precious daughter, Raven, was secluded from the grit that the city had to offer. But when Raven's young heart gets claimed by Mizan, a stick-up kid in search of a come-up, there's nothing Benjamin can do about losing her to the streets. She chooses love over loyalty and runs off with Mizan, but her new role as wifey soon proves to be more than she can handle.

Puppy love always feels right, but things turn stale, and she soon finds that everyone she loves has disappeared. All she has is Mizan, but when hugs and kisses turn to bloody lips and black eyes, she realizes that Mizan is not who she thought he was.

Raven becomes desperate for a way out, but this time, Daddy can't save her. Every time she finds the courage to leave, fear convinces her to stay. Like a moth to a flame, Raven is drawn to Mizan, even though she knows he'll be the death of her.

When the hood life she chose becomes unbearable and the only way out is in a coffin, what will she do?

Verity by Colleen Hoover

When Lowen Ashleigh is chosen to finish writing two books in a series for author Verity Crawford, she's not sure why. But the offer couldn't have come at a better time since Lowen is broke and about to be evicted. The Crawford family has experienced an unprecedented amount of tragedy in the past few months with the loss of two children and Verity's accident. Will Lowen's presence make things easier on this family or are there secrets that Verity is hiding? Will the secrets come to light or be hidden forever?

If You Must Know by Jamie Beck

Sisters Amanda Foster and Erin Turner have little in common except the childhood bedroom they once shared and the certainty each feels that her way of life is best. Amanda follows the rules—at the school where she works; in her community; and as a picture-perfect daughter, wife, and mother-to-be. Erin follows her heart—in love and otherwise—living a bohemian lifestyle on a shoestring budget and honoring her late father’s memory with a passion for music and her fledgling bath-products business.

The sisters are content leading separate but happy lives in their hometown of Potomac Point until everything is upended by lies that force them to confront unsettling truths about their family, themselves, and each other. For sisters as different as these two, building trust doesn’t come easily—especially with one secret still between them—but it may be the only way to save their family.

A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

In Oak Knoll, a verdant, tight-knit North Carolina neighborhood, professor of forestry and ecology Valerie Alston-Holt is raising her bright and talented biracial son. Xavier is headed to college in the fall, and after years of single parenting, Valerie is facing the prospect of an empty nest. All is well until the Whitmans move in next door - an apparently traditional family with new money, ambition, and a secretly troubled teenaged daughter.

Thanks to his thriving local business, Brad Whitman is something of a celebrity around town, and he's made a small fortune on his customer service and charm, while his wife, Julia, escaped her trailer park upbringing for the security of marriage and homemaking. Their new house is more than she ever imagined for herself, and who wouldn't want to live in Oak Knoll? With little in common except a property line, these two very different families quickly find themselves at odds: first, over an historic oak tree in Valerie's yard, and soon after, the blossoming romance between their two teenagers.

Told from multiple points of view, A Good Neighborhood asks big questions about life in America today―What does it mean to be a good neighbor? How do we live alongside each other when we don't see eye to eye?―as it explores the effects of class, race, and heartrending star-crossed love in a story that’s as provocative as it is powerful.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Gifty is a fifth-year candidate in neuroscience at Stanford School of Medicine studying reward-seeking behavior in mice and the neural circuits of depression and addiction. Her brother, Nana, was a gifted high school athlete who died of a heroin overdose after a knee injury left him hooked on OxyContin. Her suicidal mother is living in her bed. Gifty is determined to discover the scientific basis for the suffering she sees all around her.

But even as she turns to the hard sciences to unlock the mystery of her family's loss, she finds herself hungering for her childhood faith and grappling with the evangelical church in which she was raised, whose promise of salvation remains as tantalizing as it is elusive. Transcendent Kingdom is a deeply moving portrait of a family of Ghanaian immigrants ravaged by depression and addiction and grief--a novel about faith, science, religion, love. Exquisitely written, emotionally searing, this is an exceptionally powerful follow-up to Gyasi's phenomenal debut.

Tell me about your favorite books of 2020.  Click on any book cover above to learn more about the book or to order a copy. 

Happy Reading!!