Liberty Island by Virginia Hume

 

This was not a novel to my enjoyment as I did not connect with it on any level. I thought I would enjoy another book by Ms Hume as I did so enjoy Haven Point.

Where the Girls Were by Kate Shatz

 

The story related in this novel is heartbreaking and very true for the many young women of the 50s and 60s that found themselves pregnant and unwed. The sentiment of that time period was that the status of the women created humiliation and shame for their family and was to be hidden at all cost. Homes existed for that sole purpose-to house the women until the child was born and adopted. 

This novel deals with the circumstances of a seventeen year old in 1968 whose family sends her away and of her coming to terms with her particular situation. She and her roommate form a tight bond and she, as a budding journalist, begins to capture their stories along with her own.

It is a story that resounds with anger, bewilderment, humiliation, and shame, all woven together to relate a piece of history easily forgotten.

Love, Lies and the Lost Lord by Karla Kratovil

 

Regency romance filled to the brim with deceit, aggression, secrets, and of course, sizzling romance.

Bumblebee Season by Eileen Garvin

 

An interesting and inviting novel filled with informative introductions to each chapter regarding the life of bees. The role that bees play in the novel revolve around two characters and play a minor role in another’s. The heated role of immigration causes tension and anxiety for many who reside in the town and touch directly on the life of an immigrant teen.

Once and Again by Rebecca Serle

 

I liked this novel even with its slower pace and often overly emphasized points. The three generations of women face life with all its hardships, mistakes and decisions. Each woman has uniquely her own traits, none seeming to dovetail. The story is heavy on the unsettling side and lightheartedness becomes a welcome relief.

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer

 

If you are in the mood for a fun, funny, quirky, and loveable plot, this book is easy to lose yourself in. It is delightful from page one when you meet Rainy March and carries you through all of her book adventures and mysteries. I enjoyed every section and its chapters.

The Wild Card by Carolyn Brown

 

An absolutely endearing story told in the first person perspective of a woman who finally finds home and family and love. Clara was eight when her mother died and her father taught her poker. Poker became her life until she lost all her money but won a diner in the middle of nowhere Texas. The diner and the woman who ran it, a waitress, and two more women became her first ever friends. Jackson enters the picture and never leaves. It is a story of hard pasts, relevant truths, and rebirth.

Don't Tell Me How It Ends by Adrienne Thurman

 

This novel ended up as a DNF for me. I struggled to connect with the characters but to no avail. It felt that everyone had a major problem that overtook the main plotline. It simply struck me as too much drama all at once.

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

 

This novel hooks you from the first page and never lets go. It is intriguing and swift paced as the main characters engage in a battle to find a sex trafficked teen, picking up stray people along the way. Each person has a story which moves the story increasingly further down the eastern Florida coast. 

Definitely a must read for those who enjoy creative dialog, well formed characters, and a hold on to your hats story.

You and Me and You and Me and You and Me by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees

 

A rollickingly crazy novel-so captivating, so heartbreaking, and so delicious. Adam and Jules are middle aged in an imperfect life and have grown detached from each other. Adam accidentally stumbles on a mysterious way to go back in time. It involves the mix tapes they made each other during their lives and an old Sony tape/CD player. Sharing the experience with Jules sets in motion small changes that impact the now, especially when both of them start going back in time without the other knowing. Very, very engaging.

Life in the Old Girls Yet by Celia Anderson

 

Where there are secrets, there are the chances for problems. So true for this cute story. Secrets have been hidden for years for so many reasons but the time has come for them to be revealed. A woman back to her childhood home harboring a big secret. A contractor hired to clean up her house has his own secret. And, the two of them retain a secret together that could destroy one of the town matrons. 

A sweet story of friends, both new and old, and of untangling so many secrets.

Home to Montana by Jeannie Watt

 

A very satisfying and fun novel. The main character, Felicity and Danny, met at four and have verbally sparred and practical joked with each other ever since. She is home to Holly, MT to finish a contracting jobe for her injured father. Danny volunteers to help. Still sparring leads to real feelings that she is seriously fighting. Frenemies on the horizon?

The Moonshine Women by Michelle Collins Anderson

A thrilling, hard to put down novel. It relates the grit and determination of three sisters and grandmother during Prohibition in the Ozarks of Missouri. Each woman is extremely well defined and one can feel their joys, sadness, and struggles. This is a well worthwhile novel with clearly researched experiences of the people at that time and of the governmental impact on them.

 

So Old, So Young by Grant Grinder

 

The progression of twenty years of friendship for six people is told in five segments at different times in their lives. Relationships grow, change, and fall apart. Support systems break. It is a sad story to read. There is an excessive amount of alcohol and drug use that is a regular focus of the relationships. 

The Whispers of Hideaway House by Alexandra Barber

 

A truly lovely novel of recovery from painful hurt and deceit. Hideaway House on the Isle of Wight offers safe shelter for those in need of care and love. It is a peaceful respite protected by a ghost couple that once lived there. 

It is a novel to cherish as one character finds the rest, recovery and friendship she sorely needs.

Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

 

A very moving novel. The harrows of illicit love and the wake of the hardship it creates could cause one to cry. Lives are finally right when others are uprooted in anger and humiliation. Does one wish it could all be corrected and bettered? Yes, but then the story would have lost in a rosy view of real life. Fabulous novel.

A Very English Christmas by Jane Porter

 

I absolutely loved this novel. The growing love of a surgeon and a short term nanny is tempered and affected by a thirteen year old daughter who is afraid she will lose her father to the nanny. It plays against the lightness of her sister. The nanny is sensible and fair-perfect for the father but threatening to the daughter. 

Love by the Book by Jessica George

 

A wonderful novel cover to cover. The delicate, painful, and truthful elements of friendship color each page and create a depth of emotion that paints a relatable picture of a developing relationship between two very opposite women. It will cause you to remember friends you have had and cherish those who have endured through the years.

Go Gentle by Maria Semple

 

The life of a woman is upended when she meets a mysterious and handsome man by accident. Hers is a world of philosophy, her life principle. All she relishes, the surety and steadfastness of philosophy come into question when he engages her in a dangerous plot.

A very interesting and fact filled novel.

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm

 

On the flight to a huge conference in New York, Frances meets her nemesis in her post doctoral work, Lewis. She is thrown by how different he is from what she has envisioned. When a gross mistake of being seen as a couple turns into two weeks of fake dating, the challenge turns into more. With both of their insecurities battling, are their problems insurmountable?

Clutch by Emily Nemens

 

I almost gave up on the novel as the beginning chapters were not catching my attention. I decided to continue on and found this to be a very captivating novel. The friendship of five college friends who developed a deep connection is related over the next twenty years. They stay in contact and  offer support through all of life’s joys and trials. It is an engaging portrait of the extent to which very close friends will go the yard to be present for each other.

The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

 

Friendship comes in all sizes and for three women living on Balboa Island in 1956, friendship becomes a well needed lifeline. They assist each other lovingly through trials and struggles.

A fascinating look at women’s roles in the mid fifties and of friendship in any time.

Every Other New Year's Eve by Michelle Dayton

Part magic, part reality, full romance. A dreamy novel of time magic possibilities and hopes. The enchanting meetings over New Year’s Eve of Paige and Will will melt your heart and also pain your heart as their romance might never exist outside the mystical Charley’s bar.

Magic at its best.

The Hired Man by Sandra Dallas

 

This is an excellent yet rough story that takes place during the Dust Bowl in Colorado. It is a narrative of fortitude and loss, of the ugliness that becomes pervasive in the lives of people who have lost everything. Within the ugliness is the Kessler family, a family of compassion and honor. Their upstanding convictions set against the bleak and hopeless era create a story to remember. The novel led me to investigate the Dust Bowl in Colorado.

Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin

 

An intriguing novel. It considers mental illness recovery and over zealous book/content protesters at the library. But, it is mainly the story of a lesbian woman through her mental illness recovery and therapy. A rich narrative.

The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman

 

A magical and marvelous story of unusual happenings at a library and of love. Characters from books come to life for two weeks through sheer magic. A library assistant meets her book crush and more magic occurs plus a big oops and lots of book character fun.

A very captivating novel.

Wrapped Up in Christmas Faith by Janice Lynn

 

Sweet and wrapped in peppermint is this adorable romance. Love grows over Christmas time. One person whole heartedly embraces love. The other whole heartedly is in denial. Christmas magic can only go so far.

Run for Your Life, Callie Kingman by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans

 

A crazy fun novel with delightful characters and the possibility of a second chance romance.

Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson

 

A moving novel about the three lives of Black Americans affected by the racial barriers prior to and during the Civil Rights era of American history. Their stories poignantly reflect the constraints and injustices of those times and of how they are affected. A very impactful story.

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

 

An engrossing novel full of secrets, lies, murder, and revenge. The Rosalie Inn is in the center of it all. Three friends, an elite playboy, a journalist/writer, and a hurricane join together to create a breathtaking story.

Promise Me This Christmas by CJ Carmichael

 

Strange occurrences are happening at the Bramble House B & B, things that could ruin their 5 star ratings. There is a grumpy guest who might be the culprit but no one is certain. Journalist Larkin is staying at the inn with her recovering grandmother and is collecting clues about the events. She is being wooed by Carson, a long time friend and more who broke her heart. Will the Bramble House work its magic on Larkin and Carson? And, who is the culprit? A story full of love to happen and a mystery to be solved.

The Truth about You and Me by Emma Cooper

 

This is my second Emma Cooper novel and once again I love her stories. They are filled fondly and tenderly with emotion that causes the heart to ache and then rejoice.

The Truth about You and Me tells of the relationship between Jack and Maggie. Each of them have unique problems that play problems with their chances for a lasting love. This uniqueness draws them together yet also pulls them apart. It is a stay up late to finish novel.

A Kiss of Southern Magic by Sinclair Jayne

 

Will the magic cookbook strike again and bring love to Forster and Sarah? He has battled with the mother of his daughter with her mother and has finally won full custody. Sarah and her entire family bring love and stability to Daughter Sage and to Forster. A loving story, truly wonderful.

One Last Christmas Wish by Elle Douglas

 

The last Chrisrmas at Butterfly Lake Lodge will be exceptional due to the planning of Quinn. One invitee, Declan, is not in a Christmas mood. Quinn’s bubbly spirit-along with her long ago crush on Declan, works magic on him and on his heart. A heart warming Christmas story.

The Firefighter's Christmas by Nicole Flockman

 

A young woman who usually backs out of things when they get hard has developed a live nativity program for Marietta. Her past of failures follows her everywhere and she really wants this event to happen. She is partnered with a new firefighter with his own problems but the two of them meld well together and maybe this time will be the best. A delightful story.

Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg

 

A beautiful novel of an engaging story of the end of life musings and events of a 92 year old woman. Through a long letter lovingly written to a dear friend to the daily occurrences, it is a tale of love, of woes, and of wonders that weaves through the pages. A more than enjoyable and wonderful novel.

The Outback Cowboy's Christmas Baby by Kelly Hunter

 

A sweet and endearing story of love and of struggles. The pain and fears of the main characters are well written and convey to the reader the depth of emotion they feel.

Wings of Madness by R. John Dingle

 

Oh, wow!

 This psychological thriller is so scary that it made my stomach twirl. Chilling and shiver-inducing. A definite must for psychological thriller lovers.

The Rancher's Christmas Bride by Elsa Winckler

 

It is a love that is meant to be but the fears of an artist are way too hard to overcome. Willow has very acute ESP and cannot allow herself to fall in love and risk the pain if a loss occurs. Hunter fell for Willow a year before. They fall into a fake engagement and chemistry spice is way too overpowering for her. Can Willow overcome her fear in this touching and engaging story?

The Lady on Esplanade by Karen White

 

The spirits are active and present communicating clues to the deaths and disappearances of families in this engrossing novel of the supernatural. In a house under renovation, a kindly spirit protects a child spirit and those seeking answers about a murder within it. The son with psychic abilities is fighting any contact from his deceased mother even though it would answer all his fearful questions.

A whirlwind of a psychic novel which holds your attention from beginning to end.

Fireworks at Pennycress Inn by Sarah Hope

 

A sweet and touching story of enemies to lovers.

The Weekend Crashers by Jamie Brenner

Great book. The lives of a knitters retreat insect with the men of a bachelor’s party over a weekend. The main characters Maggie, her daughter, Piper, a bachelor’s party member, Aidan, and his son, Cole, are striving to have better relationships during the weekend. Trouble for Maggie and Piper brews. Aidan is at a loss as to what is bothering Cole. All along, Maggie and Aidan may have a romance in the offing. Other relationships ebb and flow at the retreat and combine to create a winning novel.

 

Hot Christmas Cowboy by Eve Gaddy

 

A love story of something meant to be, at least for one person, Riley. Letty is determined not to fall for him or any man. She lost her parents at seventeen and has committed herself to never loving someone who could be gone like her parents. Riley is set on winning her over but to no avail. Very spicy, heartbreaking, yet hopeful.

A Starry Christmas Night by Barbara Hannay

 

Jaxon and Bea were grade school friends until his grandmother moved him away after his family was killed in a car accident. Later, she returned to Wirralong and is suffering from Alzheimer's. He is back in Wirralong to care for her as is Bea for her grandmother. Love begins to stir for them but the mystery of why their grandmothers immensely dislike each other is keeping them wary. A secret, a wrong assumption and love create a lasting story.

Never Too Late by Maxine Morrey

 

A delicious second chance romance for two people over 50. The characters are delightful and true to their personalities. The setting of Paris is wonderful. A delightful book.

Alabama Christmas Wedding by Susan Sands

 

What a mess could happen for a young couple in love. They do not know that their respective father and mother were once engaged. This is such a sweet story of young love and second chances.

Any Cowboy of Mine by Kristine Lynn

 

If you like spicy romances, this one is for you. There is romance, tension, miscommunications, more romance, and spice. Throw in a terrible ex-girlfriend and an angry mother and it is something else.

The Midwife's Christmas Miracle by Fiona McArthur

 

Love blooms in the outback when Gabi meets Cormac. The chemistry is instant, however, he is due to return home to Texas in a couple of weeks. They struggle to deal with his leaving as their unstoppable love grows. Sweet and spicy story.

The Art Collector's Wife by Susan Knetch

 

An intriguing novel of hidden and long kept secrets that have strained relationships and involved secreted art works since WWII.

Poisoned Past by Emmie Lyn

 

Nona is a kind, friendly mom raising her daughter. Things go awry when her ex-husband sends her a letter after seven years of no contact. Weird things start happening, even causing near death. This is an engaging cozy mystery.