Review: Sadie by Courtney Summers

Sadie by Courtney Summers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: September 2018

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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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: Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

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

Published: October 2018

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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Review: Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones

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

Published: May 2019

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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Review: Daughter by Asha Bandele

Daughter by Asha Bandele

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Published: January 2005

Aya has made mistakes in her life, but she has worked hard to turn her life around and is now on the straight and narrow. When she is out for a jog, she is mistakenly shot by the police. As her mother waits to find out what is going to happen to her daughter, she reflects back on her own life and how they have arrived to this point.

This was recommended by @browngirlreading on Instagram.

This book made me think about how well I knew my own mother when she was in her teens and early 20s. I really don't know too much about what her personal life was like. I know she went to community college and got married and had me by the time she was 24. But I don't know if she went to parties or what she and her friends did on the weekends. I'm sure she doesn't know much about what I did in my late teens and early twenties either.

Miriam, Aya's mother looks back on the life she lived before Aya was born and the years right after she arrived. Each choice she made was to make a life for her daughter. Aya's father was killed shortly after she was born and the manner in which this happens I think is the most chilling part of the experience for Miriam.

This is a touching story that will make you think about mother/daughter relationships as well as how to be the best parent and protect your children as best as you can.

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Review: To Catch a Dream by Audrey Carlan

To Catch a Dream by Audrey Carlan
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: March 2021

For her entire life, Evie Ross has felt alone. Her mother was a wanderer, leaving her and her sister Suda Kaye with their grandfather, Toko, on the reservation. Her father was in the military and didn't spend too much time at home when he was off of deployment. Her sister was much like their mother and had just decided to settle down after 10 years of wandering around herself after the death of their mother. Now all Evie has left are a stack of letters from her mother and her thoughts of always being left behind. When her childhood crush makes a declaration that he wants to be hers, it makes Evie even more confused about the state of her life right now. Will she be able to put the past behind her and make room in her lonely life for Milo or will she continue to be alone.

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

I wasn't expecting this to be a mostly romance story when I started reading it, so I wasn't prepared for that being the main focus of the story. I was disappointed that the parts I was looking forward to, mother/daughter relationships, were not prevalent, instead, it was quite repetitive. Overall I enjoyed the story and may have given it more stars if I knew it was romanced centered. The description talks about a secret the mother had been hiding, but that isn’t even mentioned until the last part of the book.

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Review: The Round House by Louise Erdrich

The Round House by Louise Erdrich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: September 2013



Joe is thirteen years old and he and his family live on a reservation in North Dakota. When Joe's mom is attacked, she goes into lockdown in their house refusing to eat or speak to anyone about what happened. Joe doesn't think the adults are working hard enough to find out what happened to his mother, so he takes it upon himself to find out what is going on. Will Joe be successful in his attempts or will his mother stay shut down forever.

This was our book club selection for April. I have seen this book before, but wasn't really something that I was interested in reading.

I can't imagine what I would do if someone were to hurt the person who I loved most in the world. I remember one time when I was maybe 10 or 11 years old and I was staying with my grandmother for the day. She got a call from my mom that she had been in an accident and would be late picking us up. This was long before the days of cell phones. So when I finally saw my mother, her clothes were all ripped up from were the paramedics had checks for any external injuries. I was so scared I didn't know what to do.

Joe enlists the help of his friends and other members of the reservation to help find out what happened to his mother. This journey takes him from a boy to a man in ways he never would imagine. At the beginning of the book he's picking small trees from the cement outside of his house and by the end he's driving across the country with friends.

While this book wasn't the best for me, I encourage you to read it just for Joe's story.


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Review: Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: May 2019
 

Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope completed the police academy together. They began their rookie years as partners in the New York City Police Department, and then they moved in next door to each other. Francis' youngest daughter, Kate, and Brian's son Peter, instantly became the best of friends. The adults don't always get along, but the kids are inseparable. One day, a dramatic event separates Kate and Peter. They are brought back together as adults, but can they get over the past to have a future? Will their past forever destroy their relationship with one another as well as with others?

This book started off really good, but started to slow down toward the middle. This is a very dramatic story that will have you questioning how well you know your neighbors and the parents of your children's friends.

What would you do if your best friend's mother, did something to change your family's life forever? Do you think you would be able to remain friends with that person? When we are children, it's difficult to see things from the point of view of our parents, it's not until we get older that we understand all of the things our parents tried to teach us and shield us from through our lives.

This book spans over 40 years. The beginning is very concise, but the ending jumps around that at times you're not sure where in the book you are.


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Review: Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman

Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: February 2019


Daphne has just inherited her mother's yearbook from the class of 1968 at Pickering High School in New Hampshire. That year her mother was not only the English teacher, but also the yearbook advisor. Mrs. Maritch has gone to every reunion and each year she has added notations to the yearbook to all of the students. Daphne has no need or room for the yearbook in her small New York City apartment, so she puts it in the recycling. A neighbor who is also a budding documentarian finds the yearbook, and is determined to make a movie with her findings. When Daphne finds out a dark secret at the 50th reunion they attend, she will stop at nothing to make sure the yearbook is not made public. With family secrets around each corner, Daphne will try her best to keep her mother's legacy in tact and her father's heart from being broken.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I remember the thrill of getting my yearbook from middle school all through high school and having all of my friends sign it. I don't think that I ever had or even wanted any of my teachers to sign it though. And I've been to one or two of my reunions and I surely didn't go back and makes notes on what everyone is up to now.

This was a quirky story that had quite a few different elements in it. A little bit of romance, some mystery, and an annoying neighbor. Daphne is newly divorced and trying to find her way in New York City. Her apartment is small and there isn't any room for much more than her. She is going to school to be a chocolatier, but that's not really working out. She tries going back to teaching at Montessori school which she did before she was married. But with the contents of the yearbook and rumors about her mother maybe reaching the public Daphne's plate seems to be overflowing. Can she keep her mom's legacy alive and keep herself from going crazy at the same time?

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Review: How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson

How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: 2018

Kate Reddy is about to be 50 years old. She has been out of work for a few years, but now its time to get back out there. Her husband, Rich, has started training to be a counselor and they are trying to renovate the house they have just bought. When Kate learns that a job has opened up at her old company, she jumps on the opportunity. Kate knows she is perfect for the job, but will her age hinder her from getting back in the workforce.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for an Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read I Don't Know How She Does It last month in order to prepare myself for this book. I had seen the movie prior to reading the book an enjoyed it, but the book was just okay for me. I felt the same way about this sequel. You definitely want to read the first book in the series as there is a lot of continuation from that story.

Kate Reddy is a character I thought I would be able to relate to, but such is not the case. I'm not sure if it was the setting o the book or what that made me not as compelled to want to read the book. It took me 12 days to read, which is very rare for me. I will say that I enjoyed this book better than the first, but not by much. If there is a movie for this book, though, I will be happy to see it.

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Review: Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh

Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Published: March 2018

It is the one year anniversary of the death of Anna Johnson's mother when she receives an anonymous note that makes her question everything about her parents deaths. The previous year both her parents had taken their lives within months of each other, but did they really? When Anna goes to the police with her note, more disturbing events take place and she doesn't know what to do. Full of twists and turns you won't see coming, this book is definitely one to read.

I read this book as part of a buddy read and I loved it!! I didn't see any of the twists and turns coming.

Can you imaging grieving the deaths of your parents for a year just to find out that they might not even be dead? What would you do? Do you think anyone would believe you? I wasn't sure what was going to happen with this book and it's hard to give a concise review without giving away too many details.

I thought I knew what was going to happen in the end and who was behind all of the incidents happening in Anna's life, but I was way off. I couldn't have imagined the ending at all.

I highly recommend this book to everyone who like a thriller with unimaginable twists.

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Review: Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land

Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Milly is 15 years old. She has just been placed with a foster family because she has just turned her mother in to the police. Why would a 15 year old need to turn their parent in to the police? Her mother is a serial killer who kills children. Milly is afraid that she may turn out just like her mother. Does she have it in her to be good, or is she bad like her mother? How much of our make up is nature and how much is nurture?

Thank you to Flatiron Books and Ali Land for an advanced reader's copy of this book.

I was so excited to read this book. I couldn't wait. The description alone is enough to get you intrigued. While reading the book, I kept waiting for something to happen. Something big, something major!!! It never happened. Milly did a few little things to "test" her limits on the side of good or bad, but nothing I don't think a typical teenager who was being bullied would have done in her same situation.

After turning in her mother to the police, Milly is sent to live with a foster family. The father is her psychiatrist, the mother is in need of one, and the daughter is jealous and a bully from the time Milly moves in. Milly tells the story as if she is talking to her mother. It covers a span of a few months, while Milly is waiting to give her testimony in her mother's trial. Overall it's a good story. I don't think I would put it in a category of psychological thriller, because it didn't leave me on the edge of my seat and there wasn't a major WOW moment.

This is a debut novel from author Ali Land, and I will see what her next book will be.


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Review: The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green

The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ronni Sunshine was not a very good mother. Her career as an actress was always most important to her. But when life throws her a curve ball she isn't expecting, she will call her three daughters home together to try to make up for lost time.

Each daughter dealt with their mother's selfish ways the best way they knew how. Nell, the eldest,was unemotional; Meredith, in the middle, took everything to heart; and Lizzy, the youngest ignored her mother and did whatever she wanted to do anyway. They have all gone on to lead separate lives, and rarely spoke to each other. Their childhood and their relationship with they mother have shaped them into the women they became as women. Nell has lived her life being a mother to her son and running a farm, even though she loves her work and her son, is she really happy? Meredith is engaged to be married and has a great job, but is this the life she envisioned? Lizzy is a celebrity chef and is married with a son, but her life isn't as perfect as it looks from the outside.

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

I love Jane Green's books. They always send a wave of emotions. This book grabs at your heart strings and makes you feel for these characters How do you reconnect with family when you've been apart for so long. I don't think there has ever been a time when I didn't speak with my mom and my sister. I don't know what I would do if anything would happen to either one of them. The character I most connected with in this story was Meredith. I've always been the type of person to always make sure the people around me are taken care of before I've taken care of myself.

This book immediately makes you think of family and how to stay connected to them. Make sure your relationships are well maintained before it's too late. Life is so short and the next day is not promised to anyone. For those you love, you need to always keep them close so that when they go, as we all will someday, you will not feel as though there was something that you should have or could have done.

Jane Green is currently on tour for this book, click here to find out dates.


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Review: A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan

A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Alice Pearse is faced with a dilemma when her husband decides to leave his job. She leaver her part-time job that she really enjoys to find full-time work. She thinks that she may have found the perfect job(I would think so too) getting to work with books all day long. It's a dream come true. Unfortunately, this job also comes at a time when there is so much going on in her personal life. Will Alice be able to still be present for her family as well as her new job? Will this job live up to the excitement that was offered to her at the beginning, or will things change?

I was very enthusiastic to read this book. Imagine a job where all you do is read books and talk to publishers all day long. That is my dream job. The story moved very slowly for me. Taking me 10 days to read this book, and I wasn't drawn to it in my down time to pick it up, although I was curious to find out the outcome of the book. The second half moved along a bit quicker for me.

The thing that really drew me to this book was the main character Alice. She is a book lover and her job is to read and vet books for a new concept of bookstore. Who wouldn't want a job like that, especially as a book lover. I'm not sure why is always seems that when one thing is going right in your life, other things seem to go terribly wrong. Alice is faced with many challenges after taking this position and they seem to be all flying at her face at the same time. From issues with her parents health, to marital problems and guilt of not being there for her kids as often as she was before she took the job. These are things we all face in life and how we handle them will determine our strength and character. How Alice handles these problems will be a test to her as a woman, wife, mother, daughter, friend and employee. How many balls can we juggle before they all come crashing down upon us?

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

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