Julie's Review: Left to Chance

Author: Amy Sue Nathan
Series: None
Publication Date: November 21, 2017
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 288
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.5/5
Bottom Line: A sweet novel about coming home
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary: No one knows why Teddi Lerner left her hometown, but everyone knows why she’s back. Twelve-year-old Shayna― talented, persistent, and adorable―persuaded "Aunt Tee" to return to Chance, Ohio, to photograph her father’s wedding. Even though it's been six years since Shay's mother, Celia, died, Teddi can hardly bear the thought of her best friend's husband marrying someone else. But Teddi’s bond with Shay is stronger than the hurt. Teddi knows it’s time to face the consequences of her hasty retreat from family, friends, and, her old flame, but when she looks through her viewfinder, nothing in her small town looks the same. That’s when she truly sees the hurt she's caused and―maybe―how to fix it. After the man she once loved accuses Teddi of forgetting Celia, Teddi finally admits why she ran away, and the guilt she’s carried with her. As Teddi relinquishes the distance that kept her safe, she’ll discover surprising truths about the people she left behind, and herself. And she'll finally see what she overlooked all along in Left to Chance by Amy Sue Nathan. ~amazon.com  

Review: Left to Chance is a sweet novel about leaving home only to return home and find that you stayed away too long. Teddi left when her best friend died and she couldn't handle it. She fled to Chicago and ended up in San Francisco due to her job with the boutique hotel chain, Hester. Teddi is a well-known wedding photographer that is coming home to shoot her best friend's husband's second wedding. As hard as this will be for her, she's coming because Shay, Celia's daughter, has asked her to do it. She's not sure what she's in for coming home. She certainly didn't expect to see a thriving town with many things to offer. This Chance, OH is different than the Chance, OH she left 6 years prior.

Teddi left some baggage in her wake when she took off and now she's feeling the after effects. Most of the people she was the closest to have shut her out. To make matters worse, Shay is going through something but she won't open up to her Aunt Tee and no one is talking either. She's also getting the cold shoulder from her old-flame, who is Shay's Uncle and we slowly learn why. People are shutting Teddi out because they feel that she deserted them when they needed her most.

There were a couple of things that I wasn't expecting either, which was a nice surprise. I liked Teddi for the most part but there were a couple of times I wanted her to understand where other people were coming from a bit better. I know she didn't expect to just waltz back into their lives easily but she did think it would be somewhat easier to worm her way back in. Shay has been her only link to CeCe when she had other people she could have been remembering her with.

I enjoyed Left to Chance as a quick read during my holiday break. I found it to be a sweet story about friendships.

  Google+

Julie's Review: The People We Hate at the Wedding

Author: Grant Ginder
Series: None
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 336
Obtained: bought it
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 1/5
Bottom Line: Avoid it even with the hype
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Remove

Summary: Relationships are awful. They'll kill you, right up to the point where they start saving your life. Paul and Alice’s half-sister Eloise is getting married! In London! There will be fancy hotels, dinners at “it” restaurants and a reception at a country estate complete with tea lights and embroidered cloth napkins. They couldn’t hate it more. The People We Hate at the Wedding is the story of a less than perfect family. Donna, the clan’s mother, is now a widow living in the Chicago suburbs with a penchant for the occasional joint and more than one glass of wine with her best friend while watching House Hunters International. Alice is in her thirties, single, smart, beautiful, stuck in a dead-end job where she is mired in a rather predictable, though enjoyable, affair with her married boss. Her brother Paul lives in Philadelphia with his older, handsomer, tenured track professor boyfriend who’s recently been saying things like “monogamy is an oppressive heteronormative construct,” while eyeing undergrads. And then there’s Eloise. Perfect, gorgeous, cultured Eloise. The product of Donna’s first marriage to a dashing Frenchman, Eloise has spent her school years at the best private boarding schools, her winter holidays in St. John and a post-college life cushioned by a fat, endless trust fund. To top it off, she’s infuriatingly kind and decent. As this estranged clan gathers together, and Eloise's walk down the aisle approaches, Grant Ginder brings to vivid, hilarious life the power of family, and the complicated ways we hate the ones we love the most in the most bitingly funny, slyly witty and surprisingly tender novel you’ll read this year. ~amazon.com

Review: I want to say that it is rare for me to give a book a 1 star and still review it but I feel like with all the love/buzz this book is getting I wanted to give a different point of view. 

People We Hate at the Wedding is not funny in any way shape or form. Honestly, I found it super cringe-worthy. I typically don't like un-likable characters if there's a good story and I see them grow but with this family they are stuck in inertia and it really didn't seem like they would ever come out of it.

Alice is in a job that she doesn't like, sleeping with her married boss and still mourning over what happened in Mexico City 5 years ago. The mourning is the one thing I felt horrible for her on because what an awful thing to go through. Her way of dealing with it by snorting her Klonopin probably isn't the healthiest.

Paul is in a relationship that no matter what gender you are attracted to isn't healthy. He's doing a job that he isn't really passionate but took because it put him in Philly with his boyfriend Mark. Paul is super needy and lacks emotional maturity. So when Mark suggests that they spice things up in the bedroom, Paul is extremely hesitant. As you get to know Paul, you realize that he just wants to be loved and if this is what it takes to get Mark to love him, he'll end up doing it.

Eloise, is probably the most well-adjusted of the 3 siblings and that's not saying much. She's kept a lot of feelings repressed and of course with the pressure of the wedding, she's starting to crack a bit. She's the older sister that both Alice and Paul feel disconnected from since they really didn't grow up with since she was off at boarding school. For me it just seemed liked they were jealous that Eloise had a trust fund and grew up differently than them. It really inhibited their ability to form a meaningful relationship with her.

I also felt that all this build up to the wedding and we didn't even get the wedding in the book. If there ever was such a dysfunctional family then this one is it. Except sometimes you can find humor or at least identify with the dysfunction, but for me, not in this case.


  Google+

Julie's Review: The Wife Between Us

Author: Sarah Pekkanen & Greer Hendricks
Series: None
Publication Date: January 9, 2018
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Pages: 352
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Suspense
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Holy smokes!
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: When you read this book, you will make many assumptions. You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife. You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love. You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle. Assume nothing. Twisted and deliciously chilling, The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage - and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love. Read between the lies. ~amazon.com  

Review: Wife Between Us is one of those books that is impossible to review because to do it justice would be to give away its secrets. I will say that whenever a favorite author moves to a different genre, you always hope that it will be a smooth transition and for Ms. Pekkanen, she hit it out of the park. She partnered up with her long time editor, Greer Henricks to write this one. What I want to know is who wrote what character because they were so seemless.

Things are not what they appear in the novel. You will think you have it all figured out. Jealous wife who can't quite let her husband go. He's been patient, perhaps even kind but the harassment of his new fiance needs to stop. It can't though because Vanessa feels like she needs to save her. It's not quite clear in the beginning exactly what she's trying to save her from other than Vanessa. Vanessa is off-kilter. She's slowly losing it. She's focusing on what she's lost, instead of moving forward with her life.

 You kind of want to shake Vanessa, you want her to wake up and move on. Yet you don't know the full story quite yet. When the shoe drops and then the other shoe drops, it might leave your mouth dropped open.

So that's where I leave it because if I say much more I'll spill the beans. If you think this is a typical domestic thriller, then you'll need to read to the end because it's when it all comes together. Wife Between Us will be the suspense book of the Winter, so don't miss out. 

 Google+

Julie's Review: Reconstructing Amelia

Author: Kimberly McCreight
Series: None
Publication Date: December 3, 2013
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Pages: 400
Obtained: friend
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: A cautionary tale for all parents
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: In Reconstructing Amelia, the stunning debut novel from Kimberly McCreight, Kate's in the middle of the biggest meeting of her career when she gets the telephone call from Grace Hall, her daughter’s exclusive private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Amelia has been suspended, effective immediately, and Kate must come get her daughter—now. But Kate’s stress over leaving work quickly turns to panic when she arrives at the school and finds it surrounded by police officers, fire trucks, and an ambulance. By then it’s already too late for Amelia. And for Kate. An academic overachiever despondent over getting caught cheating has jumped to her death. At least that’s the story Grace Hall tells Kate. And clouded as she is by her guilt and grief, it is the one she forces herself to believe. Until she gets an anonymous text: She didn’t jump. Reconstructing Amelia is about secret first loves, old friendships, and an all-girls club steeped in tradition. But, most of all, it’s the story of how far a mother will go to vindicate the memory of a daughter whose life she couldn’t save. Fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl will find Reconstructing Amelia just as gripping and surprising. ~amazon.com  

Review: Reconstructing Amelia is one of those books that all parents and teens should read. It touches on many things including bullying, social media and the complexities of teenage relationships/friendships. It makes me happy that I grew up when I did when being a teen wasn't easy but it sure was a lot less complex.

Kate feels that her and Amelia have a strong relationship even if Kate works long hours as an attorney. She makes sure she carves out time on Fridays and Sundays for them to spend together. Still Kate isn't stupid, she knows that her daughter surely keeps secrets from her, what teenager doesn't. It isn't until she gets the call from the school that Kate wonders exactly what her daughter is keeping from her.  Except when Kate gets to the school, she's informed that her daughter has jumped from the roof of the school because she was caught cheating.

As Kate delves into her daughter's life, she wonders how well she knew her and what she could have done differently. Guilt eats at Kate.  As she starts to think that maybe Amelia didn't jump to her death, she starts to push for the truth. She uncovers various things that are going on in her daughters life and how her own choices affected Amelia.

Ms. McCreight does an excellent job of exploring how much of a teenagers life can a parent really know, especially these days with social media. What lengths would you go to for proof that your child didn't commit suicide? What if the truth was more complex and hurt more than you could ever imagine, would you still want to know?

Reconstructing Amelia examines all of these things in a way that will petrify you but also serve as a wake up call.


  Google+

Julie's Review: Don't Let Go

Author: Harlan Coben
Series: None
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 368
Obtained: Library
Genre:  Mystery
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Never, ever a let down from Mr. Coben
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Suburban New Jersey Detective Napoleon “Nap” Dumas hasn't been the same since senior year of high school, when his twin brother Leo and Leo’s girlfriend Diana were found dead on the railroad tracks—and Maura, the girl Nap considered the love of his life, broke up with him and disappeared without explanation. For fifteen years, Nap has been searching, both for Maura and for the real reason behind his brother's death. And now, it looks as though he may finally find what he's been looking for. When Maura's fingerprints turn up in the rental car of a suspected murderer, Nap embarks on a quest for answers that only leads to more questions—about the woman he loved, about the childhood friends he thought he knew, about the abandoned military base near where he grew up, and mostly about Leo and Diana—whose deaths are darker and far more sinister than Nap ever dared imagine. ~amazon.com

Review: Honestly, every time I pick up a book from Mr. Coben I'm not disappointed and he's done it again with Don't Let Go. Nap is a character that you will like even if some of his actions are questionable but he's a great detective. This time the case is personal when the prints of his long-ago girlfriend show up at a crime scene where a cop is killed.

Nap has never gotten over the fact that his girlfriend from 15 years ago disappeared into thin air right after his brother died. He's never really bought the story that his brother and his girlfriend committed suicide together, something always nagged at him about it. So when cops from Philly show up to question him about why he put Maura's fingerprints into the national system, Nap is pulled back into the mystery that shrouded her disappearance years ago.

As Nap starts to ask questions and un-bury long harbored secrets, he begins to find out that things aren't always what they seem and some conspiracy's are not only true but sometimes wilder than the theory itself.

It's not that the outcome is shocking or that there are a bunch of "shoe dropping" moments but its the story telling by Mr. Coben that solidifies this novel as one of my favorite of 2017. He makes you care about the characters, what happens to them and the resolution of the mystery.

If you haven't read Harlan Coben, Don't Let Go is a great stand alone to start with and then work your way through his back list.



  Google+

Julie's Review: Hello, Sunshine

Author: Laura Dave
Series: None
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 256
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3.75/5
Bottom Line: A good read about being true to yourself
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary: Sunshine Mackenzie has it all…until her secrets come to light. Sunshine Mackenzie is living the dream—she’s a culinary star with millions of fans, a line of #1 bestselling cookbooks, and a devoted husband happy to support her every endeavor. And then she gets hacked. When Sunshine’s secrets are revealed, her fall from grace is catastrophic. She loses the husband, her show, the fans, and her apartment. She’s forced to return to the childhood home—and the estranged sister—she’s tried hard to forget. But what Sunshine does amid the ashes of her own destruction may well save her life. In a world where celebrity is a careful construct, Hello, Sunshine is a compelling, funny, and evocative novel about what it means to live an authentic life in an inauthentic age. ~amazon.com

Review: Hello Sunshine is a story about falling from the pedestal of stardom into the abyss being ostracized. Sunshine is at the peak of her career, she's beloved by her millions of fans and is about ready to launch a Food Network show that she couldn't be more excited about. Her public persona is all about good, farm to table food but there's a secret; Sunshine can't even cook let alone put together a recipe. So when her carefully cultivated career comes tumbling down and everyone close to her bails, she has no where to go except back home where she's tried to escape from for years.

Except things at home have changed as well. Her older sister, isn't exactly happy to see her and in fact doesn't really want Sunshine around. Except within a short period of time Sunshine and her niece, Sammy have formed a pretty strong bond much to Rain's chagrin.

By the end of the novel, I'm not quite sure if Sunshine's learned her lesson but I think she's on the way based on some of her actions. For a while she keeps thinking that she can build herself up for fame again but maybe that should have never been her goal in the first place. I figured out the twist pretty quickly and was waiting for her to figure it out.

There were a few strings that weren't tied up in the story, which probably should have been but they weren't so important that they took away from the book. If you are looking for a quick read and a peek into foodie celebrity, Hello Sunshine is the book for you.

Google+

Julie's Review: Perfectly Undone

Author: Jamie Raintree
Series: None
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
Publisher: Graydon House
Pages: 304
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5
Bottom Line: A bit predictable at times but has a great message
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary: Dr. Dylan Michels has worked hard for a perfect life, so when her longtime boyfriend, Cooper, gets down on one knee, it should be the most perfect moment of all. Then why does she say no? For too many years, Dylan's been living for her sister, who never got the chance to grow up. But her attempt to be the perfect daughter, perfect partner and perfect doctor hasn't been enough to silence the haunting guilt Dylan feels over her sister's death—and the role no one knows she played in it. Now Dylan must face her past if she and Cooper stand a chance at a future together. But when Cooper makes a startling confession of his own, can Dylan find the courage to define her own happiness before her life becomes perfectly undone? Set among the breezy days of a sultry Portland summer, Perfectly Undone is a deeply moving novel of family secrets, forgiveness and finding yourself in the most surprising of places. ~amazon.com  

Review: Perfectly Undone shows us that appearances aren’t always what they seem and this is true for Dylan and Cooper. On the outside they seem to have it all; great careers, great house, great relationship but nothing is perfect. Obviously, they are picture perfect but there are cracks. Dylan throws herself into her work because she's dedicated, loves what she does but she's also obsessed. When she gets passed over for a grant,she starts to lose her grip and question her path in life. How can she make a difference if she's not given the means to do so?

Dylan holds herself responsible for her sister’s death and believes that she can fix this wrong by dedicating herself to her work to help women. Of course she starts to crack under the pressure she’s put on herself. It's how she starts to pull herself together that the real story emerges. It is how we respond in trying times that show us what we are made of.  Dylan has always relied on other people to push her or to be her reason, it's time for her to learn to trust herself.

There are a few cliches that are weaved throughout the novel but if you can get over them, then it's worth it to find Dylan coming into her own.

Perfectly Undone is about letting go and forgiveness on a few different levels.

 Google+

Julie's Review: Camino Island

Author: John Grisham
Series: None
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
Publisher: Doubleday
Pages: 304
Obtained: Local Library
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: An ode to book lovers with some mystery
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary: A gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a secure vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library. Their loot is priceless, but Princeton has insured it for twenty-five million dollars. Bruce Cable owns a popular bookstore in the sleepy resort town of Santa Rosa on Camino Island in Florida. He makes his real money, though, as a prominent dealer in rare books. Very few people know that he occasionally dabbles in the black market of stolen books and manuscripts. Mercer Mann is a young novelist with a severe case of writer’s block who has recently been laid off from her teaching position. She is approached by an elegant, mysterious woman working for an even more mysterious company. A generous offer of money convinces Mercer to go undercover and infiltrate Bruce Cable’s circle of literary friends, ideally getting close enough to him to learn his secrets. But eventually Mercer learns far too much, and there’s trouble in paradise as only John Grisham can deliver it. ~amazon.com  

Review: Camino Island is a great novel for those of us who love books and a shout out to independent book stores. If you are expecting a fast-paced, thriller for this Grisham novel, you won't get it. Now, that doesn't mean there isn't action, there is, but it's more of a slow burn and a mystery more than a thriller. It's a case of "is he guilty, or is he not".  At times, I also wasn't sure who was fully trustworthy.

Mercer is young, out of work and in extreme debt due to her college tuition. She's got no prospective employers and is at the end of her time on campus with no next move. So when she gets a mysterious call with a very unique proposition, she really has no choice but to take the opportunity. Plus it takes her back to the place where the her fondest memories are of her childhood.

It doesn't take long for Mercer to endear herself to the locals since she's pretty much a local herself having spent most of her summers there as a kid. She starts to learn the personalities of the local writers and even gets advice even if it isn't necessarily requested. As she starts to get invited to book signings and dinners, things start to heat up for her. It's the fact that she's genuine that doesn't truly make anyone suspicious but it's not like she's really good at the spy trade. She's also a bit naive as to whom to trust and who to fall in bed with. I mean Elaine even clues her in about Bruce and she still falls for the charm. So whom is using whom?

I haven't read a Grisham book in a while but I was happy to get back to him with Camino Island. It was like putting on a pair of your most comfy pants and settling in for what you know will be a satisfying evening. While this isn't his typical legal thriller it is definitely still engaging and intriguing. I'm happy to know that I can return to his books and know I'm getting a great read.
 Plus he really does give props to the independent and rare book stores out there. So a little bit of an insiders look into the business side of books.

If you haven't read Grisham in a while,  Camino Island is a great way to spend some hours with one of our iconic authors.


 Google+

Julie's Review: UnSub

Author: Meg Gardiner
Series: UnSub #1
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 368
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.75/5
Bottom Line: Not for the faint of heart
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Caitlin Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An UNSUB—what the FBI calls an unknown subject—the Prophet terrorized the Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case. The Prophet’s cryptic messages and mind games drove Detective Mack Hendrix to the brink of madness, and Mack’s failure to solve the series of ritualized murders—eleven seemingly unconnected victims left with the ancient sign for Mercury etched into their flesh—was the final nail in the coffin for a once promising career. Twenty years later, two bodies are found bearing the haunting signature of the Prophet. Caitlin Hendrix has never escaped the shadow of her father’s failure to protect their city. But now the ruthless madman is killing again and has set his sights on her, threatening to undermine the fragile barrier she rigidly maintains for her own protection, between relentless pursuit and dangerous obsession. Determined to decipher his twisted messages and stop the carnage, Caitlin ignores her father’s warnings as she draws closer to the killer with each new gruesome murder. Is it a copycat, or can this really be the same Prophet who haunted her childhood? Will Caitlin avoid repeating her father’s mistakes and redeem her family name, or will chasing the Prophet drag her and everyone she loves into the depths of the abyss? ~amazon.com  

Review: Meg Gardiner, is one of my favorite thriller writers and she doesn't disappoint with her latest, Unsub. Meg writes the most kick-ass, strong female leads that you'll read and yet they are so relatable.

It is no different with Caitlin, Cat. She's a fantastic Narcotics cop but she's always been haunted by the case that destroyed her father, the murders by a serial killer called the Prophet. Now, he's back and his murders are getting more frequent and more violent. Since her father was the lead detective 20 years ago, the current team is hoping that she'll be the conduit to getting him to open up about the case.

Caitlin allows herself to be consumed by the case and is close to losing herself. As she starts to piece together the previous murders, she begins to see a pattern but will she crack the code in time? Why has the Prophet zoned in on her? Why have the murders escalated and how they stop him?

This is a book that is fast-paced but it has a depth to it as well. If you are uncomfortable with getting into the mind of a killer, then you will want to stay away. I loved how Caitlin started coming into her own and then came out of her father's shadow. How she put all the pieces of the puzzle together to stop the killer. I'm very excited to see how Caitlin develops in the next book which is out in January!

I can't recommend Unsub enough. I can't do a detailed review because that would ruin the book. 😊😊😊

 Google+

Julie's Review: Seven Days of Us

Author: Francesca Hornak
Series: None
Publication Date: October 17, 2017
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 368
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3.75/5
Bottom Line: A family drama that lacks real drama
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary: It’s Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew’s elder daughter—who is usually off saving the world—will be joining them at Weyfield Hall, their aging country estate. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. Having just returned from treating an epidemic abroad, she’s been told she must stay in quarantine for a week…and so too should her family. For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity—and even decent Wi-Fi—and forced into each other’s orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of being immersed in first-world problems. As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down. In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who’s about to arrive. ~amazon.com

Review: Seven Days of Us is a novel that most will find comfort in reading because it hits all the right buttons especially coming up on the holidays. I found that I expected much more than what I got but I still enjoyed it. I was looking for something a little more than typical family strife. The Birch family is an interesting clan and they all have their little quirks.

Emma, the matriarch, is hiding something from her family that will impact them all and it only adds to her typical frenetic personality. Andrew, the patriarch, has been living with secret for years and now he's going to have to own up to it in a big way. Olivia, the eldest, is the person to cause this quarantine because of her work in Liberia treating people with a deadly disease. Then there's Phoebe, she's the youngest and none to pleased about this quarantine. She just got engaged and she has a wedding to plan.

Each of them are self-absorbed in their own way and can't really see other's points of view. At times it's infuriating how disconnected all of them are to each other but then I'm sure that's how some families are with grown children.

For a family drama novel, I didn't feel that there was real drama. There were opportunities for there to be more of it but I felt it was all brushed under the rug or resolved too quickly. There weren't any real twists or turns and while yes it's not a suspense or thriller, sometimes you want something out of left field to happen in a family drama that isn't so cookie cutter.

I had high expectations for this one going in and while overall I did enjoy it, I felt there could have been a bit more depth to it. If you are in the mood for novels about family this season, then Seven Days of Us will fill that need.

 Google+

Julie's Review: The Bear and The Nightingale

Author: Katherine Arden
Series: Winternight Trilogy
Publication Date: January 10, 2017
Publisher: Del Rey
Pages: 336
Obtained: friend
Genre:  Fairy Tale, Fantasy
Rating: 3.75/5
Bottom Line: A gorgeously written novel that evokes a world of Russian Fairy Tales
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary: Winter lasts most of the year at the edge of the Russian wilderness, and in the long nights, Vasilisa and her siblings love to gather by the fire to listen to their nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, Vasya loves the story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon. Wise Russians fear him, for he claims unwary souls, and they honor the spirits that protect their homes from evil. Then Vasya’s widowed father brings home a new wife from Moscow. Fiercely devout, Vasya’s stepmother forbids her family from honoring their household spirits, but Vasya fears what this may bring. And indeed, misfortune begins to stalk the village. But Vasya’s stepmother only grows harsher, determined to remake the village to her liking and to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for marriage or a convent. As the village’s defenses weaken and evil from the forest creeps nearer, Vasilisa must call upon dangerous gifts she has long concealed—to protect her family from a threat sprung to life from her nurse’s most frightening tales. ~amazon.com

Review: The Bear and the Nightingale isn't really my usual book because it really does fall into the fantasy category even though in essence it's a Russian Fairy Tale. Having said that I'm glad my friend recommended it and sent it to me.

It is the story of family, love, history and of finding your own way. Vasya has been different from her siblings since day one but her mother told her father she would. Unfortunately, her mother isn't around to teach Vasya the ways of her ancestors. So, Vasya through her younger years and as she becomes older has to rely on herself.  Obviously because of this factor she has limited understanding and doesn't understand her place in the current struggle between the old ways and the church. It doesn't help that her step-mother has forbidden practicing the old ways which honored the spirits and protected the village.

Vasya needs to learn to trust herself and her instincts very early. She needs to learn that she is different and that she needs to be the one to protect her family. She will need to rebel against her father, step-father and the local priest. Vasya is a strong, independent heroine that will need to learn how to harness her powers because not everyone will understand.

Ms. Arden has done a fantastic job of creating a unique world that enraptures you from the very beginning. It is one that gets your imagination going and you can vividly see the forest that they live in.

While I did feel that some of the middle of the novel could have been edited down, I loved the climax and very much look forward to the next book, The Girl in the Tower, which is released in December.
If you are a fan of Harry Potter and/or The Lord of the Rings trilogy, you will want to check out this series.

Google+

Poll Results: Next Read

Thanks to those who voted last Friday!  The result is:



I've been looking forward to this one! Stay tuned for a review and the next poll!

Google+

Julie's Review: Love and Other Consolation Prizes

Author: Jamie Ford
Series: None
Publication Date: September 12, 2016
Publisher: Ballatine
Pages: 320
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Another winner from Mr. Ford about finding your place in the world no matter your start
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab or Library

Summary: For twelve-year-old Ernest Young, a charity student at a boarding school, the chance to go to the World’s Fair feels like a gift. But only once he’s there, amid the exotic exhibits, fireworks, and Ferris wheels, does he discover that he is the one who is actually the prize. The half-Chinese orphan is astounded to learn he will be raffled off—a healthy boy “to a good home.” The winning ticket belongs to the flamboyant madam of a high-class brothel, famous for educating her girls. There, Ernest becomes the new houseboy and befriends Maisie, the madam’s precocious daughter, and a bold scullery maid named Fahn. Their friendship and affection form the first real family Ernest has ever known—and against all odds, this new sporting life gives him the sense of home he’s always desired. But as the grande dame succumbs to an occupational hazard and their world of finery begins to crumble, all three must grapple with hope, ambition, and first love. Fifty years later, in the shadow of Seattle’s second World’s Fair, Ernest struggles to help his ailing wife reconcile who she once was with who she wanted to be, while trying to keep family secrets hidden from their grown-up daughters. Against a rich backdrop of post-Victorian vice, suffrage, and celebration, Love and Other Consolations is an enchanting tale about innocence and devotion—in a world where everything, and everyone, is for sale. ~amazon.com

 Review: Love & Other Consolation Prizes  covered a part of history that I wasn't aware of and I love when books do that. It is amazing that even in the early 1900s people were sold to be servants but I guess I shouldn't be so shocked. Ernest was an orphan after coming over from China and ends up in a home for boys with a benefactor who decides to auction him off  to the highest bidder during the 1909 AYP World's Fair. While the benefactor might not have been enthusiastic about the fact that the highest bidder was a Madam, it turned out to be the best thing for Ernest. It seems his destiny was set in motion on that boat from China.

As Ernest gets settled at Madam Flora's he learns where he's living and how they make their living. It is also where he falls in love with two very different girls but yet very similar. Both of them also love Ernest is a very true and pure sense. Both girls are destined to be strong women who succeed in what they do but one needs Ernest more than the other. I enjoyed that Ernest told his story to his daughter, JuJu, because she was researching the previous world's fair and found out that he had been the young man that was auctioned off. He was hesitant to tell his story because of the way it intertwined with their mother, Gracious. Gracious is in failing health and her memories come and go, she doesn't always remember Ernest but ever since JuJu mentioned the world's fair, she's been talking more about the past.

While most of the story was a bit predictable there were a couple twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed the symbiotic relationship between Fahn, Maisie and Ernest. I'm fairly certain both girls knew the other one was in love with Ernest but they didn't fight over him and they didn't let it get in the way of their friendship.

I appreciate the amount of detail that Mr. Ford goes into for both time periods. Especially in earlier parts of the novel it felt that you were really there. I could hear the sounds and could picture the brothel. I could see the spectacles that Madam Flora put on for her clientele. Any author who can transport you to another time period, is well worth reading. Love & Other Consolation Prizes is well worth the read.

 Google+

Friday Fun

It's that time again, help Julie chose her read for the next week. You have until Sunday at Noon to cast your vote!! *You will need to view the Full Website in order to vote if viewing from mobile*

What Book is Julie's Next Read?

Julie's Review: The Rules of Magic

Author: Alice Hoffman
Series: Practical Magic #0
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 384
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Magical Realism
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: It's like meeting up with old friends
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man. Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk. From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse. The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy. Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, The Rules of Magic is a story about the power of love reminding us that the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself. ~amazon.com  

Review: Before you dive into The Rules of Magic, you might as well carve out a few hours because you won't want to put it down. Also,  you don't have to have previous experience with the Owens' to thoroughly enjoy this novel. I loved how each of the Owens' siblings grew and changed but they always, always had each other and supported each other.

You have Franny who is the eldest, the most realistic and the most stern. You know she has a good heart but she's far too fearful of her family's legacy. As she begins to experience life it makes her harder and she puts her walls up to protect herself and those she loves. She's definitely the leader of the 3 of them and the one who might sacrifice the most for her siblings.

Jet is the one that everyone gravitates towards because she wears her emotions on her sleeve. She's the sensitive one. She's the one most likely to fall in love and not care what the family "curse" is. She wants to love and be loved. Jet is also the one, whom perhaps loses the most as well. She never seems to get over the loss of her love but maybe that was her destiny.

Vincent is the sibling that is most in-tune with their family legacy and gifts. He never denied who he was and he accepted it early on. While he appears to be aloof, he's sensitive like Jet but pragmatic like Franny. 

Usually when there's a cast of characters, I end up liking one over the others but in this case, I loved them all because they each had unique voices. I loved how they were always there for each other and while they might not have always agreed with each others choices, they were supportive.

What it really boils down to is that no matter what path you follow in life, always be true to who you are and what you are. Learning to accept yourself is the key to a life without remorse. I loved how Ms. Hoffman brought us to the Owens' we love so much from Practical Magic. It definitely makes me want to curl up with them again, plus have a new appreciation for Jet and Franny.

This is the perfect blend of magic, family, love and acceptance. If you are a fan of Alice Hoffman, then you won't want to miss this novel. If you've never read her, what are you waiting for?

 Google+

Julie's Review: The Child Finder

Author: Rene Denfeld
Series: None
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 288
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Mystery, Suspense
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: A slow burn of a novel that will stay with you long after you close it
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Three years ago, Madison Culver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest. She would be eight-years-old now—if she has survived. Desperate to find their beloved daughter, certain someone took her, the Culvers turn to Naomi, a private investigator with an uncanny talent for locating the lost and missing. Known to the police and a select group of parents as "the Child Finder," Naomi is their last hope. Naomi’s methodical search takes her deep into the icy, mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, and into her own fragmented past. She understands children like Madison because once upon a time, she was a lost girl, too. As Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce the defenses that have protected her, reminding her of a terrible loss she feels but cannot remember. If she finds Madison, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life? Told in the alternating voices of Naomi and a deeply imaginative child, The Child Finder is a breathtaking, exquisitely rendered literary page-turner about redemption, the line between reality and memories and dreams, and the human capacity to survive. ~amazon.com

Review: The Child Finder is definitely a novel that is a slow burn because not only are you looking for a current child that is missing, but you are also peeling back the layers of Naomi and trying to figure her out as well. She searches for missing children because she herself is a missing child in some ways. There is something about this current case though, that has her memories becoming more vivid through her dreams than ever before. Will this be the key to unlocking her past?

As the stories weave in and out, we learn the hell that Madison has been through and pieces of Naomi's past start to creep back. It is Madison's story that is the most compelling though. How she creates an alternate life/person to protect the girl she was before. As a reader, you hurt for her and also realize that she's stronger than most kids. She's smart enough to learn to separate herself from the hell that she's living in.

There are parts of the story that will make you queasy and make you extremely angry. Yet, as the story begins to unfold you can only feel sorry for her captor because there is more to his story. Some how there is must more sinister history that Naomi is aware of as she begins to puzzle it together.

Naomi is a complex character. Her past is blank until she runs out into the strawberry fields to be rescued by the migrant workers. She feels drawn to save children who can't save themselves because she was able to save herself.  Her relationship with Mrs. Cottle and Jerome are her anchors throughout her life. Yet, she's still searching for something and unable to rest until she helps all the kids she can.

With the ending of the novel, I'm hoping that Ms. Denfeld brings Naomi back for another book that focuses on her search, trying to find her history.

  Google+

Poll Results: Next Read

Thanks to those who voted last Friday!  The result is:



Stay tuned for a review and the next poll!


Google+

Julie's Review: The Marriage Pact

Author: Michelle Redmond
Series: None
Publication Date: July 25, 2017
Publisher: Bantam
Pages: 432
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Suspense, Psychological Thriller
Rating: 3/5
Bottom Line: Dragged on too long and ending fell flat for me
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary: Newlyweds Alice and Jake are a picture-perfect couple. Alice, once a singer in a well-known rock band, is now a successful lawyer. Jake is a partner in an up-and-coming psychology practice. Their life together holds endless possibilities. After receiving an enticing wedding gift from one of Alice’s prominent clients, they decide to join an exclusive and mysterious group known only as The Pact. The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact. And most of its rules make sense. Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly. Plan a trip together once per quarter. . . .Never mention The Pact to anyone. Alice and Jake are initially seduced by the glamorous parties, the sense of community, their widening social circle of like-minded couples. And then one of them breaks the rules. The young lovers are about to discover that for adherents to The Pact, membership, like marriage, is for life. And The Pact will go to any lengths to enforce that rule. For Jake and Alice, the marriage of their dreams is about to become their worst nightmare. ~amazon.com  

Review: Marriage Pact would be a really good action thriller movie with the right cast but as a novel the middle dragged a bit. I felt that it took a bit to long to get the crux of the story and then it ended abruptly. Not only that but I have to admit I wanted the ending to go the other way.

Saying all that, I enjoyed learning about Jake and Alice through Jake's eyes. Part of me thought that it was sweet that he wanted to marry her so that he wouldn't use her and then apart of me was kind of put off by it. As you get to know Jake it wasn't that he wanted to own her, it was that he loved her so much he didn't want to have a life without her. Alice was a bit more reserved with her devotion to Jake but as the book progresses, you see how much she loves Jake as well. The Pact organization was a bit like Fight Club, you don't talk about it. They are a very exclusive club designed to help couples succeed at marriage.

At first it seems like a bit of fun with the parties and the mystery but things go very weird quickly. There are rules, known as The Manual, that neither of them have read thoroughly. They find out very quickly that there is much they need to learn so they don't break the rules. Although, it is already too late for Alice, apparently she talks a bit too much.

Jake, being curious by nature, starts digging into the organization and isn't so sure that they have made the right decision. Of course, this leads them down a path that is cause for much running and discussion for them.

Ultimately, it was a fast-paced novel that perhaps could have been edited down a bit but it was a good ride. Also, my takeaway from this is, you don't sign anything to do with a secret organization, even though it sounds cool/exclusive.


 Google+

Friday Fun

I've been wanting to try some new stuff here on Girls Just Reading, so here's the first thing: Help me pick at one of my reads for next week. We will see the response and determine if this is something we do 2x a month or so.

What Should Julie Read Next?

Google+

Julie's Review: Where The Light Falls

Author: Allison Pataki, Owen Pataki
Series: None
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
Publisher: The Dial Press
Pages: 384
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: A wonderful novel about the French Revolution
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Three years after the storming of the Bastille, the streets of Paris are roiling with revolution. The citizens of France are enlivened by the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The monarchy of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette has been dismantled—with the help of the guillotine—and a new nation is rising in its place. Jean-Luc, an idealistic young lawyer, moves his wife and their infant son from a comfortable life in Marseille to Paris, in the hopes of joining the cause. André, the son of a denounced nobleman, has evaded execution by joining the new French army. Sophie, a young aristocratic widow, embarks on her own fight for independence against her powerful, vindictive uncle. As chaos threatens to undo the progress of the Revolution and the demand for justice breeds instability and paranoia, the lives of these compatriots become inextricably linked. Jean-Luc, André, and Sophie find themselves in a world where survival seems increasingly less likely—for themselves and, indeed, for the nation. Featuring cameos from legendary figures such as Robespierre, Louis XVI, and Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, Where the Light Falls is an epic and engrossing novel, moving from the streets and courtrooms of Paris to Napoleon’s epic march across the burning sands of Egypt. With vivid detail and imagery, the Patakis capture the hearts and minds of the citizens of France fighting for truth above all, and for their belief in a cause greater than themselves. ~amazon.com

Review: Where the Light Falls takes you on a ride through the dirty, backroom of the French Revolution. While people screamed for revolution and overthrew the crown to get it, you have to wonder who was truly benefiting from it? Were the people of France better off for it? Certainly not right away as there was even turmoil within the ranks of the leadership of it as they turned on each other. Ms. and Mr. Pataki introduce characters that will stay with me long after I have finished the novel. Each of them, Jean-Luc, Sophie and Andre are fighting their own personal revolutions.

Jean-Luc came to Paris with his wife and young son to create a better life for them and to serve the Revolution. He has great potential but is currently cataloging the belongings of nobility to give back to the people. Through his diligent work he is introduced to some of the most powerful men in France and given the opportunity to join their ranks. Something about that meeting turns him off and he instead goes up against them. I admired Jean-Luc, he took the tougher path and stuck by his beliefs in the fact that all people deserved Justice, even if the forces were against you. Believe me, he made some powerful enemies but never once did he back down. He believed that what he was doing was right.

Andre Valiere is a Captain in the French Army serving his country valiantly at Valmy where his troops helped to defeat the Prussians. Although for some it doesn't matter because he's of noble blood. Andre spends a great many years in love with Sophie without being able to truly be with her due to being gone and then her Uncle keeping them apart. He even has her thrown in jail to keep them apart.

What I loved about these 3 is that they never gave up, they persisted even when things looked bleak. What it also showed me is that sometimes the people who lead the revolution are no better than the people who are in power. What are their motives? What do they hope to gain or what's in it for them? No one is every fully altruistic, even if they initially start out that way.

If you are looking for a novel that gives a behind the scenes look at the French Revolution, then look no further than Where the Light Falls.


 Google+

Julie's Review: The Blackbird Season

Author: Kate Moretti
Series: None
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Publisher: Atria
Pages: 352
Obtained: Friend
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction,Mystery
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Small town life and how rumors + poor decisions = ruined lives
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Known for novels featuring “great pacing and true surprises” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) and “nerve-shattering suspense” (Heather Gudenkauf, New York Time bestselling author), New York Times bestselling author Kate Moretti’s latest is the story of a scandal-torn Pennsylvania town and the aftermath of a troubled girl gone missing. “Where did they come from? Why did they fall? The question would be asked a thousand times… Until, of course, more important question arose, at which time everyone promptly forgot that a thousand birds fell on the town of Mount Oanoke at all.” In a quiet Pennsylvania town, a thousand dead starlings fall onto a high school baseball field, unleashing a horrifying and unexpected chain of events that will rock the close-knit community. Beloved baseball coach and teacher Nate Winters and his wife, Alecia, are well respected throughout town. That is, until one of the many reporters investigating the bizarre bird phenomenon catches Nate embracing a wayward student, Lucia Hamm, in front of a sleazy motel. Lucia soon buoys the scandal by claiming that she and Nate are engaged in an affair, throwing the town into an uproar…and leaving Alecia to wonder if her husband has a second life. And when Lucia suddenly disappears, the police only to have one suspect: Nate. Nate’s coworker and sole supporter, Bridget Harris, Lucia’s creative writing teacher, is determined to prove his innocence. She has Lucia’s class journal, and while some of the entries appear particularly damning to Nate’s case, others just don’t add up. Bridget knows the key to Nate’s exoneration and the truth of Lucia’s disappearance lie within the walls of the school and in the pages of that journal. ~amazon.com

Review: Blackbird Season is a novel where it's true intent comes out during the final pages of the novel. You are going in one direction the entire novel until you aren't and it all makes sense. It wasn't a ploy but a way of showing the reader how only knowing one part of a story skews our entire view.

I'm not entirely sure if there were many truly likable characters in the novel but they each played their part. While Nate was a solid teacher and coach, he inserted himself into the lives of his students where perhaps he shouldn't have with long-lasting consequences. He was more engaged with the lives of his student than he was with his son and wife. For someone looking in from the outside, it seemed like he was trying to run away from the hard job of raising a son with autism and at times I felt that he wanted to be a teen again. He enjoyed basking in the glory of his baseball players.

Alecia, Nate's wife, is the one who runs their son's life which includes multiple therapy sessions and working with him constantly throughout the day. So when Nate is late or not helping, she gets angry. She used to be social and she used to be fun but now she feels exhausted all the time. Gabe is her life and her focus, as it is for most moms, but should it be? Maybe Nate is feeling resentful because all of her attention is focused on Gabe. One thing I did notice is that even while Nate was under suspicion of having an affair and then of making Lucia go missing, not once did Ms. Moretti have Alecia blame herself. His actions are his responsibility not hers and it was refreshing.

While I want to say that I saw both sides of the coin on the subject matter, I was definitely more Team Alicia than Team Nate. The whole time I felt that Nate didn't understand that while a bold line wasn't crossed, a smaller line was definitely ran over. I never felt that he owned up to his part in this whole entire mess. While I appreciated that Bridget stood by him and really was the only one who believed him; Nate himself didn't do much to help plead his case. He actually looked and acted guilty most of the time.

I enjoyed how Ms. Moretti led you down one trail but then veered off into the woods but it wasn't like it was out of left field either. Once all is revealed you see how she laid the ground work for it.
I highly recommend  Blackbird Season for those who are fans of mysteries.


  Google+

Julie's Review: The Crows of Beara

Author: Julie Christine Johnson
Series: None
Publication Date: September 1, 2017
Publisher: Ashland Creek Press
Pages: 402
Obtained: Author
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: A wonderful story of losing yourself and then finding yourself again
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: When Annie Crowe travels from Seattle to a small Irish village to promote a new copper mine, her public relations career is hanging in the balance. Struggling to overcome her troubled past and a failing marriage, Annie is eager for a chance to rebuild her life. Yet when she arrives on the remote Beara Peninsula, Annie learns that the mine would encroach on the nesting ground of an endangered bird, the Red-billed Chough, and many in the community are fiercely protective of this wild place. Among them is Daniel Savage, a local artist battling demons of his own, who has been recruited to help block the mine. Despite their differences, Annie and Daniel find themselves drawn toward each other, and, inexplicably, they begin to hear the same voice--a strange, distant whisper of Gaelic, like sorrow blowing in the wind. Guided by ancient mythology and challenged by modern problems, Annie must confront the half-truths she has been sent to spread and the lies she has been telling herself. Most of all, she must open her heart to the healing power of this rugged land and its people. Beautifully crafted with environmental themes, a lyrical Irish setting, and a touch of magical realism, The Crows of Beara is a breathtaking novel of how the nature of place encompasses everything that we are. ~amazon.com  

Review: The Crows of Beara is about losing yourself, becoming some one you don't recognize, to gaining back the control in your life. Annie is at the end of her rope with her marriage and her job. Her life has been derailed for some time and this trip to Ireland for work is her way of trying to get back on track. Annie has been lost for so long that she's not sure where to start and how to start.

Her mission while in Ireland is to convince the locals that the jobs the mine would bring out weighs the cost to the environment around them. She partners with the CEO of the mine to outline what their agenda and strategy is going forward. Except there's something a bit unsettling about how James feels completely comfortable with her right from the beginning.

As she's hiking along the Beara Peninsula, she feels drawn to the land and to what it is trying to say to her. The longer she's there the more time she spends on it, the more she feels the pull of it. She knows this job could end her career but she's not so sure any more that its a bad thing.

Annie is a character that you cheer for, that you want her to find her way. You know she's going to stumble but can she recover from that bump in the road.  You want her to forgive herself for her past mistakes and move on from them. Self-loathing will get her no where.

What I love about Ms. Johnson's writing is that she adds a mystical bend to the plot that adds mystery and intrigue into it. In this case it's the legend of the Old Hag of Beara and the song that sings to both Annie and Danny. It is about how a place can heal you and help you find who you are meant to be. Home isn't always a place but a feeling and often the people you surround yourself with as well.

If you love books about finding yourself and how sometimes you need to have setbacks to put you on the right path, then pick up The Crows of Beara.


 Google+

Julie's Review: The Other Girl

Author: Erica Spindler
Series: None
Publication Date: August 22, 2017
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 256
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Suspense, Crime
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: A great crime/suspense novel that doesn't rely on the unreliable narrator
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary: Officer Miranda Rader of the Harmony, Louisiana PD is known for her honesty, integrity, and steady hand in a crisis―but that wasn’t always so. Miranda comes from the town of Jasper, a place about the size of a good spit on a hot day, and her side of the tracks was the wrong one. She’s worked hard to earn the respect of her coworkers and the community. When Miranda and her partner are called to investigate the murder of one of the town’s most beloved college professors, they’re unprepared for the brutality of the scene. This murder is unlike any they’ve ever investigated, and just when Miranda thinks she’s seen the worst of it, she finds a piece of evidence that chills her to the core: a faded newspaper clipping about that terrible night fifteen years ago. The night she’d buried, along with her past and the girl she’d been back then. Until now that grave had stayed sealed…except for those times, in the deepest part of the night, when the nightmares came: of a crime no one believed happened and the screams of the girl they believed didn’t exist. Then another man turns up dead, this one a retired cop. Not just any cop―the one who took her statement that night. Two murders, two very different men, two killings that on the surface had nothing in common―except Miranda. ~amazon.com  

Review: The Other Girl is story that spins how our past can come back to haunt us and how it can effect our present lives. We are told the story of a recent murder through Detective Miranda Rader and how she's been tapped to lead the investigation. Miranda is the top detective in the force but when she see the clipping from an article about a crime that happened years ago, she starts to make some stupid mistakes.

Miranda starts to question how the pieces of this murder fit into the traumatic events in her past. Why has she been pulled into this? What is she going to do about it? Before she can learn any more, she's pulled off the case. Which lends itself to even more suspicion? If she's a strong detective, why pull her off?

Ms. Spindler weaves a quick moving suspense novel that will have you quickly turning the pages. You root for Miranda (and her with Jake). You want her to figure out why this is all coming down on her 15 years later. What ties her to the victim? As a woman you want her to stuff it to the old boys network and prove that the victim, while yes was murdered, that maybe he wasn't the person he wanted people to believe.

Fans of a crime/suspense novel won't want to miss this one. I will be checking out some of her other suspense novels.


 Google+