Review: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

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

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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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

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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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

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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Review: Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Published: January 2021

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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Review: Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield

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

Published: May 2021

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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Review: The Marriage He Demands by Brenda Jackson

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

Published: April 2021

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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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

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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