Thirty Days to Home by Cathryn Rakich

 

Do you have any rescue pets?  Our dog Spot is a rescue dog originally from Texas.  His name was Spot the ranch dog and he was moved to Wisconsin to make way for dogs after Hurricane Harvey.  He still is not a fan of snow and ice but Spot the ranch dog is now a happy Wisconsin dog.

Marli May has faced the greatest heartbreak a mother can with the loss of her teenage son. Trying to reconnect with her husband after the loss, she goes with him on a work retreat to Escondido, Mexico.  While there, her world further falls apart when she discovers her husband is having an affair with a coworker.  On top of that, she receives a mysterious text stating that her son’s death may not have been an accident after all.  After finding a stray dog on the street who needs her help, will this be enough to bring Marli back from the brink of despair?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I liked the added mystery of what really happened to Marli’s son.

·       I love books the involve dogs and rescue dogs are even better!

·       I also loved Ben, the handsome widower vet that Marli meets in Mexico, but I also thought it was too soon for a new romance.

·       I liked that Marli’s friend Tammy came down to visit and support Marli in Mexico. On the other hand, something seemed off about her and she wanted to cheat on her husband while on vacation which gave me a weird vibe.

·       I also liked that Marli cared for her mother, Alice, who had Alzheimer’s.  It was a realistic description of how tough care can be in such a situation.  Caring for your parents at the end of their lives would be hard.

·       There was suspense near the end of the novel.

·       I thought I had the ending figured out – but I was surprised.  Great ending.

·       Marli and Ben were my favorite characters and were very well written.  I loved their compassion for dogs and people in need.

·       It was hard to believe that this was a debut novel.

·       This novel dealt with grief and was an emotional read.

·       I would classify this as contemporary, women’s fiction, family drama, dogs, second chance romance, mystery.

Overall, Thirty Days to Home by Cathryn Rakich was an entertaining and engaging novel featuring great characters and dogs.

Book Source:  Review copy from @booksparks. Thank-you!

The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon

 

Are you in any clubs or organizations?  I am in the local Lions club which is a fun organization and makes a difference in our community. 

A group of Golden Age mystery writers meet routinely at the Marie Antoinette Suite at the Ritz.  They are called the Cloak and Dagger Club.  A new member named Lucy has just joined.  She recently published a new mystery novel, but she also has a history with another member, Frank.  They mysteriously broke off their secret engagement three years ago.  When one of the group is found murdered and another member is accused of the crime, will Lucy and Frank be able to solve the crime?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This book will be out July 14^th.

·       The Cloak and Dagger Club is a cozy historical mystery.

·       I liked how each member in the group was investigated, and the reader was able to learn more about the character and their secrets.

·       I was surprised to learn that this was a debut novel – it was a great debut!

·       I enjoyed the romance between Lucy and Frank which was forced proximity and second chance.  Their romance the first time around was friends to lovers.

·       Lucy was my favorite character.  She had written one mystery novel and used her skills to solve this crime.  She was plucky and relatable.

·       This novel seemed written for those that love books and writing books.

·       It was set in 1930 England.

·       There was no spice, but some swearing.

·       The mystery was predictable, but I enjoyed the journey to get to the conclusion.

Overall, The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon was an entertaining historical mystery.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @jackiereadsandwrites for the review copy of The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon.

One Leg on Earth by 'Pemi Aguda

 

Title:  One Leg on Earth

Author:  'Pemi Aguda

Narrated by:  Délé Ogundiran

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 39 minutes

Source: Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @w.w.norton for the review copy of the physical book.  Audiobook purchased from audible.

What country is your current book set in?

Yosoye is a lonely women, excited to be in Lagos for an architectural internship.  After a one-night stand, she finds herself pregnant.  As other pregnant women start being found drowned in the sea, Yosoye feel herself pressed by a fear that she will be next.  Does it have anything to do with the new development she is working on that is located on reclaimed land that is meant for the rich?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       The title comes from a saying, one leg on earth and one leg in heaven.

·       This is a literary novel that is also a women’s contemporary fiction novel.

·       It was a slow paced, but short novel.

·       It was interesting on audiobook.

·       The story explores the loneliness of motherhood.

·       I thought it was an interesting look at the parallels of growing a city as a designer and growing a new life within you as a mother.

·       I really enjoyed the setting in Legos.

·       The story never does resolve why the women were drowning.

Overall, One Leg on Earth by 'Pemi Aguda was an interesting literary fiction novel with a riveting setting in Lagos.

Fast and Fastidious by R.M. Caldwell

 

Title:  Fast and Fastidious

Author:  R.M. Caldwell

Narrated by:  Fiona Hardingham

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 22 minutes

Source: Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the review copy of the physical book.  Audiobook purchased from audible.

Do you like to watch any type of racing?  My daughter is in track so I’m often at track meets these days.

Lucy Elliot strives to be a proper lady, but she secretly attends the Night Races.  The Night Races are carriage races on country lanes where unchaperoned men and women gather from all social classes.  When her new neighbor, Captain Dashwood starts racing, Lucy is afraid her secret will come out.  As carriage robberies start to take place in the neighborhood, will Lucy and Captain Dashwood be able to find the culprit?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This a fun adventure story which was what I needed during a stressful week.

·       This novel is set during the Regency time period.

·       I loved how Lucy is a mechanical engineer at heart with her “fastidious” mind and she works on several item to make racing carriages go faster.  I love engineers in novels – especially lady engineers as I am an engineer myself.

·       Lucy seems like she is on the spectrum and it was interesting having her as a neurodivergent character.

·       The audiobook was entertaining.

·       I liked the unique concept of having racing in this novel.

·       The description on this book cover was Pride and Prejudice meets Fast and Furious which is accurate.

·       This is not really a romance even though it is labeled as one, it is more a mystery with espionage.

·       The loved the relationship between Lucy and her very different sister, Margaret.

·       This is a debut novel.

Overall, Fast and Fastidious by R.M. Caldwell was a light and fun regency historical mystery.

Sorry for Your Loss by Georgia McVeigh

 

What is a thriller novel, show, or movie that you have enjoyed lately?

Iris has recently lost her fiancé and has joined a local grief group to work through her loss.  While there, she meets the very handsome Jack who has recently lost his wife to cancer.  As Iris plots ways to win Jack’s affections, she discovers things are not what they seem.  What is real and what is deception in Iris and Jack’s world?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is a contemporary psychological thriller.

·       It’s hard to write a review for this one as I don’t want to give anything away.  It’s best to go in not knowing much about the story.

·       There were many twists and turns in this one, some I figured out, and some where a surprise.

·       The story alternates between the present and the past.  Iris lost her twin sister, Marcie, growing up and it details their relationship and Marcie’s fate.

·       The story is set in London.

·       Iris is not a very likeable person, but I was intrigued to see what she would do next.  I also felt sorry for the losses that she had in life.

·       The novel was very action packed at the end and I couldn’t put it down.

·       The story is told as Iris’s inner monologue.

·       I can’t believe this is a debut novel.  I’m interested to see what Georgia McVeigh writes next.

·       The ending did leave me wondering what could happen next. 

Overall, Sorry for Your Loss by Georgia McVeigh was an intriguing contemporary psychological thriller. 

Book Source:  Review copy from Penguin Random House.  Thank-you!

No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What's a book that you wish more people knew about?

Bridget Littleton is a vicar’s daughter and loves history and antiquities.  She is very excited to find a Roman mosaic in a neighborhood farm field.  Capitan Rafe Hawthorn has returned from fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, and he is the new viscount in the neighborhood.  He confronts Bridget as he believes she is excavating on his land.  Will Bridget be able to prove she is actually on the Peterson farm, and will she be able to convince Rafe that the work is worthwhile?  Will love bloom?  Who else is trying to steal the mosaics?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a sweet Regency romance and a clean read.  It has a slow burn and enemies to lovers’ romance.

·       I loved Bridget. She is an educated woman who knows her own mind.  She has a passion for archeology and Roman artifacts.  She loves to read Gothic fiction and she is kind to others.

·       I also love Rafe.  Rafe had a broken childhood filled with abuse.  His mother was able to escape with him.  He also suffered a grave wound and loss of a friend in the war.  He has returned with his terrible memories to the estate, and he wants to repair the estate and help the tenants.

·       Bridget and Rafe had great banter and dialogue between them.

·       Roman archaeology is fascinating to me.  I loved reading about the dig, their finds, and early Christianity amongst the Romans.

·       I enjoyed the quotes at the start of each chapter.  Many are from Lord Byron, Seneca, and John Wesley amongst others.

·       The novel is told through a dual narrative between Bridget and Rafe. The story is told through the first-person point of view.

·       There were mysteries throughout the novel that kept me intrigued.

·       There is a great author’s note on the real Roman discoveries that occurred in England in the 18^th and 19^th century.

·       There are also great discussion questions at the end to challenge yourself with or use at a book club.

·       This was an excellent debut novel!  I can’t wait to see what Jenelle Hovde writes next!

Favorite Quote: “Leave no stone unturned.  How can we learn or grow if we do not understand the past?  How can we heal if we do not fully examine what happened to us?”

Overall, No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde was a beautifully written Regency romance with great main characters and growth, interesting mysteries, and Roman archaeology. I greatly enjoyed this novel.

Book Source: Thank-you to @jenellehovdeauthor @tyndalehouse @austenprose for a review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.

The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What country would you set a new book?  I realized that while I love L.M. Montgomery, I don’t read many books set in Canada.  The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Sutz is set in Toronto Canada in 1837.  I read this while on a camping trip to Duluth, Minnesota.  I just returned this evening and I am a bit late with my post.

Sara O’Conner is a young widow trying to make ends meet as a laundress.  She befriends a motherless child, Evie, and through her, her father James.  After Evie falls ill with scarlatina, Sara nurses her back to health and stays on as her governess.  Sara’s new role in the home causes scandal across town.  Why is a laundress so educated?  What secret is she trying to hide?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I loved the romance between Sara and James.  It was slow burn, and a marriage of convenience.

·       I loved Sara and Evie’s relationship.  It was made all the more special as Sara had lost her own mother as a child. She sympathized with Evie and did not want her to have the hard life that she herself endured.

·       I loved Henry, a poor young waif, who is sharp and knows all that is going on around town.  He helps Sara, Evie, and James through many pickles.  They help him too.

·       Ivanhoe is featured prominently throughout the novel and the characters enjoy reading and discussing it.  I still need to read Ivanhoe!

·       I had never heard of the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837.  I enjoyed learning about it in the story and the author’s note at the end of the novel.

·       This is my first book by Christine Hill Suntz and it won’t be my last!  It is hard to believe this was her debut novel.  It was very beautifully written with great characters.

·       Sara has lost her faith through life’s trials, but James has kept his own faith.  Sara has a journey back to faith in this novel. 

·       This was a clean read.

·       There were great discussion questions at the end of the book.

Overall, The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz was an engaging historical romance with wonderful characters set in Toronto in 1837.  I highly recommend this fabulous debut.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @christinehillsuntz @tyndalehouse @crazy4fiction @austenprose for the review copy as a part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

 

If you could find out how long you had left in your life, would you want to find out?

One day every adult in the world received a box with a string in it.  The strings vary by size.  It doesn’t take scientists long to determine the length of your string is how long you have left in your life.  How will this impact the world and those with “short strings” versus “long strings.”

My thoughts on this book:

·       The Measure was the September pick for the Rogue Book Club.  It made for an interesting book club discussion.  I am still thinking about this book.

·       The story follows eight characters and their stories.  Their stories intertwine at times.

·       Prejudice starts with “short stringers” with people not wanting to give them jobs.  Can your life have an impact, even if it’s a short life?

·       There are two love stories in this novel that were very touching.

·       The ending goes into the future to give closure to all the characters, which I appreciated.

·       It was hard to believe that this novel was written by a debut author! 

·       The novel was an interesting look into how we dehumanize people by grouping them together and deciding everyone in that group must follow the same principles.

·       This was a good character driven novel.

·       The reader never finds out where the strings come from and why they keep arriving for young people as they come of age.

·       Politicians use the situation and people to further their own gains.  This seemed like something politicians would do.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick is a beautifully written novel with an intriguing concept that is great for book club discussion.

Book Source:  Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

 

Have you ever had a job that you dread going to?  I love my current job, but the job I had immediately before this job was one that I dreaded every day.  I only stayed at that job briefly.  Co-workers and bosses can make a big difference on whether you have a good experience at work or not.  Luckily, I was only at this bad job for a few months.

Jolene has been living life in a drunken fog, paralyzed by anxiety.  She has no friends, is estranged from her parents, and has no love life.  All Jolene has is her job.  She entertains herself by writing her true thoughts on the bottom of emails and then changing the text color to white.  One day she forgets to change the text color and she is reported to HR.  She is sentenced to sensitivity training with the new HR guy Cliff.  She soon discovers that when IT updated her computer, they accidentally gave her access to everyone in the office’s emails and chats.  She tries to report it to Cliff but is not believed.  When she discovers that layoffs are coming, she decides to use her new powers to help her keep her job.  What could go wrong?

My thoughts on this novel:

·     
  This novel was set in Canada.

·       The start of this book was bleak and felt like a downer.  Jolene’s life and outlook is depressing.  Luckily the mood changed as the book continued and it grew more lighthearted, sarcastic, and fun.

·       I loved the theme that once you get to know people, you will find out that everyone has something going on and we can all give others grace.

·       This novel has great character development, and I grew to care for so many of the characters.  They were very relatable.

·       Jolene is a great character. She is working through the trauma of her high school best friend dying and she has great growth throughout the novel.  She is half Persian and must deal with her Persian mother’s expectations.

·       Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. 

·       This novel had a sweet and believable romance between Cliff and Jolene.

·       This was a fantastic debut author, and I can’t wait to see what author Natalie Sue has next.

·       This novel was witty and well written.  I loved the sarcasm and dry humor.

·       I read and enjoyed this novel in May and I’m working on catching up on reviews.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue has romance, comedy, office politics, anxiety, family drama and heart-warming moments.  I enjoyed this unique novel and highly recommend it.

Book Source:  Giveaway copy from Book Club Girls and William Morrow Books. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

 

Title: The Return of Ellie Black

Author:  Emiko Jean

Narrated by:  Mizuo Peck, Tessa Albertson, Nicole Lewis, Rebecca Lowman, Joy Osmanski, Angel Pean, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Erin Ruth Walker, CJ Wilson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 11 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you!

Do you prefer books with one POV or multiple POVs?  I like both.

Ellie Black disappeared two years ago.  The trail went cold until one day, she appeared alone on a trail.  Detective Chelsey Calhoun receives the call about Ellie’s return.  She tries to get more information from Ellie on what happened, but Ellie is a closed book.  Chelsey’s own sister met a violent end, and she becomes obsessed with the case of Ellie Black.  Where was Ellie Black at for two years and were other missing girls at the same location?

My thoughts on this book:

·       Wow!  I thought I was very smart and had this book figured out and then it took a hard left at the end.  I enjoyed the thrills!  There were many twists and turns in this story, and it was very engaging.

·       Even more impressive was that this was the debut novel of author Emiko Jean.

·       Detective Chelsey was an intriguing figure.  An adoptive daughter of a past police chief, she feels she is always trying to live up to impossible standards.  As an Asian female cop, she knows people underestimate her.  She is haunted by the tragic death of her sister, and it drives her to figure out the mystery of Ellie Black to potentially help other victims.

·       The novel had an interested discussion on how the disappearances of women of color are not treated the same as the disappearances of white women. Ellie Black is Native American.

·       The story was told through multiple points of view. There were different narrators in the audiobook for each point of view which worked great.

·       There were disturbing scenes of violence in this book.  It was creepy and scary at times.  It left me feeling unsettled.

·       I don’t want to give too much of the plot away as it is great to discover it on your own.

If you are looking for an engaging thriller that you can’t put down, I highly recommend The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean.

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title:  A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure

Author:  Angela Bell

Narrated by:  Beverley A. Crick

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 28 minutes

Source: Purchased from Amazon.com.  Thank-you Bethany House and Austenprose for the Review copy of the physical book.

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure is a historical fantasy novel set in 1860s London.  Clara feels the weight of the world on her shoulders.  Her engagement is broken, and her fiancé has been spreading the rumor that madness runs in her family.  Her family is …eccentric.  When her Grandfather Drosselmeyer sets off on a European trip on his flying owl, he leaves her clues to find him.  She sets off on an adventure around Europe with her mother, and her Grandfather’s apprentice, Mr. Arthur.  Will they be able to find her grandfather before it is too late?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The adventure, clues, and travel made this a very fun read.

·       Clara’s eccentric mother was a hoot.  She was an animal activist before her time.  There was no creature too small for her care.

·       Mr. Arthur has a sad back story of his own and is really Mr. Theodore Kingsley.  He is a former soldier that struggles with a leg disability and with PTSD.  His family had shunned him because of this.   There was little support for veterans during the Victorian age.

·       Clara and Theodore had wonderful enemies to lovers’ romance.

·       I enjoyed the Christian message in the novel that Clara and Theodore needed to give their worries to the lord and move on with their lives.  The message was a part of the plot, and it was a larger focus in the second half of the novel.

·       This was a wonderful debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what author Angela Bell works on next. 

·       This novel is a clean romance.

·       I loved the steampunk vibe with the automatons that grandfather invented including the giant owl that he flies around Europe on.  He also invents an automaton that hatches from an egg and other neat items.  This leant a fantasy/sci fi element to an otherwise historical fiction novel.

·       The only weakness in the novel to me was the villain.  His back story and actions didn’t quite make sense to me. 

·       I read the first half of this book physically and finished it on audiobook as I had a lot of driving to do for work.  I enjoyed both formats!

Overall, A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventures is a fun, unique adventure and I highly recommend it.