Caroline never thought she would be returning to her childhood home of Oysterville and definitely not with two children that weren't her own.

Caroline had wanted to leave as badly as any young person and head to New York City. Caroline did make it big in New York until a famous designer stole her clothing line.

Her loss and the death of her friend had Caroline returning with her friend's two children because Caroline had no idea how to take care of a child let alone two.

Caroline had a loving, supportive family to help her and ideas on how to help women of domestic abuse since that is what took her friend who left her the two children.

We get a glimpse into Caroline’s life as a teenager as well as her life now. Her teenage years were just as full of love as her adult life with her family.

THE OYSTERVILLE SEWING CIRCLE was a sweet, beautiful read with lovable characters and a setting you will want to make your own.

If you enjoy sewing, the fashion world, being on a beach setting, learning about running a restaurant, being with loving characters, and seeing women helping other women, THE OYSTERVILLE SEWING CIRCLE will be a wonderful addition to your reading stack.

A truly cozy, heartwarming read for readers of women’s fiction.

France, wine, WWII, present day, and love - all of this wrapped into one amazing, difficult-to-put-down read.

We meet Inez, Celine, Michel, Thor, Liv, and Liv's French grandmother, Edith, as the story moves back and forth in time.

We find out about the lives of the winemakers during the war and a secret that grandmother has kept for many years as well as a connection that the vineyards, a restaurant, and the characters have to both time periods and to their lives.

Grandmother Edith was my favorite character…mysterious and stubborn all rolled into one.

Liv was likable as well.

Inez, Celine, Michel, and Thor were interesting, and their wine tunnels were fascinating.

We learn more of the war, the resistance, the French people involved in the resistance, and how the danger of making one simple mistake could alter the safety of many people.

THE WINEMAKER’S WIFE is another marvelous, intriguing read about the resiliency and determination of the French people and the entire European population.

Those of us who were not living during this time, do not have any idea of the horrors and hardships endured by the European people.

Ms. Harmel weaved a beautiful tale filled with authentic characters and a story line that kept me turning the pages to learn more as well as cry with the characters.

Absolutely LOVED this book. Do not miss reading this book. 5/5

Living without Mac was like not living for Ani, but she had to make the best of it. When she moved to Thirroul, Ani thought it would be wonderful for the rest of her life, but the railroad accident changed it all.

Everything reminded Ani of Mac. The slightest sound or sight would trigger memories

THE RAILWAYMAN'S WIFE moves back and forth between the times before the railroad accident and after the accident and the war.

THE RAILWAYMAN'S WIFE is beautifully written with wonderful description and has odd as well as endearing characters.

You will love Ani, Mac, and Isabel. You can feel the love between Mac and Ani oozing from the pages as well as Ani's grief and her quest for healing.

You will definitely dislike Dr. Frank and pity Roy. Iris was a pessimistic one. The town of Thirroul seems like a city that would be a great place to live with most of the residents being ones you would want to meet.

Ms. Hay definitely gives us a glimpse into the beauty of South Wales and the hearts and desires of the characters.


THE RAILWAYMAN'S WIFE is filled with love, loss, and thoughts to ponder.

THE RAILWAYMAN'S WIFE is a book women's fiction fans won't want to miss. Even though the ending was sad, it was a very positive read about healing, hope, and everyday issues.

What a fun, interesting place The Chelsea Hotel must have been.

Hazel was in a family of performers, but Hazel wasn’t a performer. Hazel was a playwright.

We meet Hazel when she was on tour with the USO during the war. Hazel met many actors and became friends with them.

We follow Hazel as she moves out of her childhood home and into The Chelsea Hotel during the McCarthy Era. When her friend, Maxine, from the USO moves in too, their friendship is renewed.

The description of the hotel's decorations, the secret places and passages in it, and the furnishings was fascinating. The impeccable research Ms. Davis had to do definitely shows. I had do a bit of googling of the hotel myself. :)

History buffs and theater goers will again be treated to a very descriptive story line that has Ms. Davis taking you back in time.

I do have to say THE CHELSEA GIRLS was a bit tedious to read, but I loved the history of the hotel and its inhabitants. The characters in the book were believable and most were likable.

The ending was satisfying and nicely wrapped up the story line..

What else could happen on Emerald's birthday....her step-father leaves for one day to try to save their home, a friend isn't coming for her birthday, a suitor who isn't anyone she likes gives her a gift, a train accident that causes twenty or more "uninvited guests" to stay at their home, grumpy servants, and then Smudge's decision to carry out a ridiculous undertaking.

The Torrington family definitely had a situation on their hands mostly caused by the folks who have been in the morning room all day from the accident site and had only been given tea. Would they be staying there for more than that evening or would the railway station drop by and take them to their original destinations? No communication from the railway station was bad enough, but if the Torringtons thought the uninvited guests were a bad situation, wait until they find out what Smudge has done...their uninvited guests may not be considered a bad situation.

This book was filled with the propriety of an English household along with things that were not. The descriptive writing style of Ms. Jones is phenomenal....you feel as though you are right on the scene and can see all the details of the surroundings and furnishings. The characters are devilish, fun, and of course proper....well proper for the most part. You will feel each character's mood whether it be fear, pleasure, anger, or irritation. Most of the characters were filled with irritation at the things going on except Smudge who was in a world of her own.

Smudge is loveable and comical, but I felt sorry for the poor neglected girl. I can see why she did the things she did. Clovis was lazy, Charlotte was helpless and whiny and had a secret that became revealed to the horror of her family, Emerald was the responsible one, and the servants worked but complained. Charlotte couldn't handle anything out of the ordinary and would hide in her room....Charlotte was the mother of Clovis, Emerald, and Smudge. The children were more able to handle things than she could.

The book took a few pages to get going, but don't put it down....it is humorous and a bit odd. I enjoyed the book because of its being a bit absurd and because the proper English household wasn't a usual proper household. You will love the characters as I mentioned above. There is one chapter that is frightening because of the behaviors of one of the uninvited guests who was allowed to associate with the family, but overall it was an amusing look into an English household. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher and TLC Tours without compensation in return for an honest review.

Can lies be deadly? Can lies ruin your life? Can lies be undone?

I think we know the answer to those questions, and Joe definitely knew the answer to two of these questions. His life was turned upside down because of lies his wife was telling him and lies that someone else was spreading about him.

Finding out your wife has been cheating on you for the past five months and then having to deal with what someone was doing to your life via social media is what Joe was dealing with.

How could this be happening and how could one person be orchestrating it alone. Someone had to be helping each other to bring Joe down.

LIES doesn't immediately pull you in, but once it does you won't be able to put the book down. The tension mounts with the turn of each page.

And…the ending...WOW!!

This is a must-read end-of-summer treat.

LIES will also have you considering canceling all of your social media accounts.

Avery is left with her grandmother's house after she passes, a wealthy family buys it, and they hire Avery to manage this house and their entire neighborhood of exclusive, rented summer cottages.

Avery is an excellent manager, becomes friends with the Lowman's daughter, Sadie, and is treated like family, and then is faced with Sadie's death that is being ruled as a suicide. Avery knows Sadie wouldn't kill herself and especially on the night of the annual Plus-One end-of-the-summer party.

Avery stuck to her theory that Sadie didn't commit suicide, and she found a few things to prove the police investigation hadn't been thorough and that no one could be trusted.

Her investigation made me nervous, though, because of the way she went about gathering evidence.

We move from chapter to chapter telling the before and after of Avery and Sadie's friendship and of the goings on at the rental community. Was Sadie really Avery’s friend or did she think of Avery as the help and pretend to be her friend? Was anyone really Avery's friend?

I was a bit confused at first about what was going, but once Avery found evidence and clues about what really happened and things were revealed, the interest kicked up.

THE LAST HOUSE GUEST will be for you if you enjoy a beach setting, characters that have secrets, characters that are broken, and a mystery that keeps you guessing.

The ending is definitely a surprise. 4/5

This book was given to me as ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Avery is left with her grandmother's house after she passes, a wealthy family buys it, and they hire Avery to manage this house and their entire neighborhood of exclusive, rented summer cottages.

Avery is an excellent manager, becomes friends with the Lowman's daughter, Sadie, and is treated like family, and then is faced with Sadie's death that is being ruled as a suicide. Avery knows Sadie wouldn't kill herself and especially on the night of the annual Plus-One end-of-the-summer party.

Avery stuck to her theory that Sadie didn't commit suicide, and she found a few things to prove the police investigation hadn't been thorough and that no one could be trusted.

Her investigation made me nervous, though, because of the way she went about gathering evidence.

We move from chapter to chapter telling the before and after of Avery and Sadie's friendship and of the goings on at the rental community. Was Sadie really Avery’s friend or did she think of Avery as the help and pretend to be her friend? Was anyone really Avery's friend?

I was a bit confused at first about what was going, but once Avery found evidence and clues about what really happened and things were revealed, the interest kicked up.

THE LAST HOUSE GUEST will be for you if you enjoy a beach setting, characters that have secrets, characters that are broken, and a mystery that keeps you guessing.

The ending is definitely a surprise.

The title intrigued me from the start. Does it mean not looking back? Does it mean looking the other way? Does it mean keeping your secrets and your past hidden?

We meet Finn whose real name is Natalie, but she doesn't tell anyone because she wants to hide her past.

Finn left her home and moved to Arizona, worked in the office of a Senator's son, and then became the nanny for his four-year-old daughter.

Everyone seemed to have secrets, told lies, were manipulative, and users. Some of the characters were also odd but most were selfish.

GIRL IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR dragged a bit at first, and the story line was difficult to get straight, but the writing and the underlying hints about what was really going on kept me reading as the author has us mingling with the upper crust.

The chapters will keep your interest because of the author's skill of inserting subtle facts throughout the chapters and as the chapters end.

The story line increased in intensity and twists and kept me rapidly turning the pages to find out what really was going on, what really was happening, who could be trusted, and who was lying.

If you enjoy personal and family drama, seeing how the upper crust lives, and what lengths people go to in order to keep something hidden, GIRL IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR, will be something to add to your reading list.

A run-down sugar plantation was the last thing Emily thought her uncle would leave to her, but Emily was thrilled about it even though her cousin wasn't.

Emily, her cousin, and his wife traveled to Barbados to meet a few people and to see the plantation.

We meet the family from 1812 and the opulence of their home, food, and life style and then turn to 1845 and meet “friends” of the family.

The connection between the time periods was smoothly done. I really liked how Ms. Willig ended one chapter with a comment and started the next chapter with that comment but in a different time period.

Some of the characters were quite devious, and as the pages turned we find out there was more to the family than what was known or heard and something about the plantation and about the Davenant family that someone wanted to keep a secret.

Ms. Willig definitely knows how to use adjectives for describing the characters and settings with her beautiful prose. The characters are described and perfectly portrayed for the time periods.

It was as though I were right there immersed in the lives of the characters whether they were the wealthy or the indentured. I became attached to a few of the characters.

If you enjoy learning about past cultures, delving into life in another country and century, and finding out family secrets that were kept for years, THE SUMMER COUNTRY should be on your summer reading list.

You will definitely get a vocabulary work out. :)

THE SUMMER COUNTRY is another beautiful, enjoyable, well-researched read by Lauren Willig. 5/5

This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I fell in love with LETTERS FROM PARIS the minute Claire walked into the warmth of her childhood home as she returned to take care of her dying grandmother.

Claire had left Louisiana right after college for a high-paying job in Chicago, but returned because her grandmother needed her. While Claire was in Louisiana, she found a treasure in the attic that she remembered from her youth and a treasure that her grandmother suggested had a secret that Claire may find the answer to if she went to Paris.

Claire wasn't sure what she would find but complied with her dying grandmother's wishes and left for Paris.

Claire found more than the secret of the mask when she arrived. What else is there an abundance of in Paris? Love, of course.

As for her mission, Claire found a mask creator in Paris who made copies of “L’Inconnue” - The Unknown Woman, obtained a temporary job there, and learned how to sculpt while learning the ?mask's story and about the family legacy behind the mask.

Meanwhile LETTERS FROM PARIS takes us back to the life of the model for the mask and her tragic, difficult life. The tragedy and story of "L'Inconue" was well known in France and was part of many French households.

Ms. Blackwell did another marvelous job of taking you to Paris and experiencing the life there. I enjoyed Claire's adventures and loved the description of the market and the delicious, mouth-watering meals made by the French people.

Being taken to Paris and its countryside through Ms. Blackwell's descriptions was a marvelous treat. I would have loved to join in the fun at the gorgeous family estate. A family anyone would love to be a part of.

LETTERS FROM PARIS left me with a warm, cozy feeling because it was filled with history, family, Paris, love, and was simply a lovely read.

Anne Morrow the quiet, unassuming daughter. Anne Morrow the shy sister of Elisabeth Morrow who hid in Elisabeth's shadow. Anne Morrow the woman no one thought would marry before her beautiful sister, Elisabeth married. Anne Morrow.....who did marry and who married a famous man....Charles Lindbergh, behind whom she continued to be a shadow.

Anne's life was beautifully detailed by Ms. Benjamin in terms of Anne's feelings and personality especially during the kidnapping. The era was nicely portrayed as well. It covered how women from wealthy families went to prestigious schools and never used their education, but were expected to be the perfect wife and mother. Ms. Benjamin will definitely get you involved in the story through her outstanding, exceptional, in-depth writing style.

I enjoyed reading about the era and about Anne Morrow and Charles Lindbergh. I would not have wanted to live Anne's life, though...she had no life of her own per say. She had to follow Charles on his adventures, be his wife, be in the public eye, and heartbreakingly leave her children. Despite all of this, she willingly allowed him to control her and willingly backed him no matter what. Anne did come out of the shadows as she aged and was actually a very strong woman.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but don't think a man would enjoy it simply because of the domestic factors and the details of Anne Morrow's family and all of their lives. It is more geared toward women and the feelings and beliefs we as women share and that we like to know about other women's lives....especially famous ones. Anne, Charles, and the Morrow family led very interesting lives. I, as I am sure you will do, found myself looking up information on the life of the Morrows and Lindberghs just as the author said we would. :) ENJOY!!! 5/5

Three women, three generations, common interests, but mostly secrets.

Floss, Grace, and Neva are grandmother, mother, and daughter. They all are midwives, and they have secrets that they have held a short time, secrets they have held for their entire lives, and most importantly secrets that they do not want to have to reveal. The secrets are personal secrets and not secrets about midwifery. These secrets bring the characters close together but also far apart.

THE SECRETS OF MIDWIVES is a wonderful book addressing family relationships and how the delivering of babies is something so personal and intimate that a midwife can't help but become involved with her patients.

You will love the wonderful mix of characters. All the characters are loveable and all are characters you will want to get to know better, characters you will admire, and characters you will miss once the book has ended.?

Women's fiction fans won't want to stop reading THE SECRETS OF MIDWIVES for many reasons. The main reason being that you will find yourself bonding with every character and feeling as though you are sharing the pain and joy along with them.

If you are like me, you will have tears throughout the book as you become involved with the characters and enjoy the smooth, enjoyable, delightful writing style of Ms. Hepworth.

Don't miss reading THE SECRETS OF MIDWIVES. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

A thirty-eight year old with early stages of Alzheimer's disease and in an assisted living facility...very difficult for Anna as well as her family.

Anna lived with her brother and his family once they found out she couldn't live alone, but then it got to the point where she needed constant supervision, and the assisted living facility was the only safe place for Anna.

Anna had enough wits about her to know she needed to be at Rosalind? House?, but also was sad she was there.

While she was there, she met another young patient, Luke, as well as Eve who was a single mother that had lost everything when her husband was involved in a Ponzi Scheme.

Eve became very protective of Anna and Luke, the two young residents of Rosalind House, and secretly allowed them to meet against the family’s wishes.

Eve had trouble and worries of her own, though, but made the best of her current situation until her daughter started having trouble at school because of the situation they were in.

As you read, you become attached to all the characters and sympathize with their situations. You will learn about Alzheimer's disease and how it affects the patient as well as the family.

THE THINGS WE KEEP is a book that makes you begin to think about all the times you have forgotten things and about how love can be the best medicine. :)

THE THINGS WE KEEP is different from THE SECRETS OF MIDWIVES, addresses a well-known problem, and is well researched by Ms. Hepworth.?

The ending was heartbreaking but redeeming. Break out the tissues from the warmth you will feel and from the sad but wonderful ending.

THE THINGS WE KEEP is a reminder that memories are "the things we should keep." 4/5?

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation in return for an honest review.

A mother-in-law who didn't like you from the second she met you.

A mother-in-law who had a secret from her youth.

A mother-in-law who loved her charity more than she loved her kids, and told them they just can't have things given to them.

A mother-in-law who disinherited her children a few days before her death but had her reasons.

A mother-in-law who was found dead with a suicide note but with circumstances that didn't point to suicide.

And...a mother-in-law who actually wasn't that bad after all was said and done.

But....could a family member be involved in her death? Would you think a family member would do that to their mother/mother-in-law?

THE MOTHER-IN-LAW moved along quickly with the short chapters revealing all present and past family situations and giving information about how Diana treated her children and their spouses and how she felt about her charity.

The book is filled with secretive characters that keep you from actually knowing what they are thinking or planning to do or even if they are telling the truth.

THE MOTHER-IN-LAW is an all-around good domestic suspense with a few twists that pop up and that might have you looking at some of your family members in a different light.

It will also keep you guessing if a family member did kill Diana or if she committed suicide.

Ms. Hepworth has written another book with family at the heart of it as always as well as other things to ponder. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A murder that followed Laura from her youth, a breakup via a text message, and a blind date.

All of these things and more had Laura having a difficult time coping and made her decide to move home to live with her sister and her brother-in-law.

After a few months, Laura decided it was time to date again so she joined a dating site, went on a date, and never returned home.

THE NIGHT BEFORE is told in alternating chapters of before and after in Laura's life. The before tells of the horrible incident that happened in her youth. The present tells of her blind date and things that happened before the date that Laura never told her sister.

We also meet Rosie, Laura's sister, as Rosie relives the incident from Laura's youth and still wonders what really happened back then. And we follow Rosie as she tries to figure out where Laura could be and hoping for the best.

THE NIGHT BEFORE pulls you along and into the story line because of all of the what if's and the question of who is really the one orchestrating all this drama.

THE NIGHT BEFORE was a difficult-to-put down, well-carried out psychological suspense that will have you guessing but not guessing correctly.

If you enjoy characters that you won't be able to figure out, secrets kept, and a shocking ending, THE NIGHT BEFORE needs to be in your to-be-read stack. 4/5

This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A small town, a perfect town, a town with secrets, and a town with the not so perfect residents they think they are.

The night Jenny Kramer is attacked is the night that the town gets turned upside down along with her fami?ly. Jenny's father is obsessed with finding her attacker, and the town can't believe something like this could happen in Fairview, Connecticut.

The horrible attack on Jenny brought about a decision her parents ?had to make concerning a drug that would erase Jenny's complete memory of the attack.

Mr. and Mrs. Kramer were at odds about the drug, but they did agree to go ahead with the treatment.

Along with the treatment comes a psychiatrist, Dr. Forrester, who administered the treatment as well as the doctor who provided therapy for the entire family.

The author definitely expands the reader's knowledge about psychiatric therapy? as Dr. Forrester interviews Jenny, her family, and a character named Sean.

?We the reader follow the investigation and question who really is the attacker.

ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN is a powerful, amazingly written read. The story line is highly developed, carried out in an organized fashion, and gives the reader a lot to think about.

You will be frustrated at first because you don't know who the narrator is, but it becomes apparent and is revealed a few chapters in.?

By chapter 18 you will be biting your fingernails and be on the edge of your seat with the suspense, possible findings, and seeing how cunning and evil some of the characters are.?

Reading ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN? was a definite treat on an intellectual leve?l, ?and the approach to the book's subject was unique.

ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN was a tense, stay-with-you psychological thriller and will make you wonder if folks are really who they appear to be. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation in return for an honest review.

THE BOOKSHOP OF THE BROKENHEARTED moved along slowly but was an interesting read. We learned about Auzchwitz and the life Hannah lived after she was free, how it all affected Hannah and her moods, and how her intensity about love, Tom, and her life was based on those experiences.

We learned about farm life and how lonely Tom's life was and how Hannah brought new things into his life such as books. We learned how Hannah made Tom happy because she gave him compliments about everything he did and filled his lonely days even though Hannah had her dark days that made Tom's days difficult.

I enjoyed the eccentric characters and the different story lines going on at once even though a few of the story lines were a bit intense. The characters had some quirky, and at times dangerous habits, but the characters were easy to like except for a few.

The author's writing style was fluid, easy, and pulled me in. I do have to say the book was a bit odd at times and difficult to follow.

THE BOOKSHOP OF THE BROKENHEARTED had many feelings going on...heartbreak, tragedy, loving someone even when they weren't lovable, and being hopeful for happiness in it all.

ENJOY if you read this book. 4/5

This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Before, during, and after the war Marianne was there to support everyone even though she had lost everything except her castle and her children.

Marianne previously lived in a castle with her husband, Albrecht and her children before the Germans took it over. Her husband was a member of the resistance but was killed by the Germans along with other members. His request was for Marianne to take care of the families of other members if he and his fellow members were killed.

Marianne complied with her husband's wishes and found two women including Benita who had married a man Marianne actually had loved at one time and who was a family friend.

These women and their children lived together and endured the hardships after the war as well as sharing their lives before and during the war.

Marianne was an organizer, Benita was a follower, and Ania was a great help to Marianne. All three women had endured a lot and were there for each other in their own way as they recovered after the war.

THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE gives us insight into how families lived in Europe before, during, and after Hitler's regime. The book ends with the year 1991.

THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE is well written, well researched, and with authentic characters and descriptions that draw you in...descriptions that allow you to share the experiences every character is dealing with whether good or bad. Some of the experiences are quite grizzly.

It took me a few chapters to get connected and to warm up to the characters, but once I did, I became fully involved with their lives as well as becoming familiar with yet another piece of WWII's history.

Historical fiction fans and women's fiction fans will love THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE. Be prepared for a heart wrenching, but very thought-provoking read.

The historical aspect and the friendships between the three women draw the reader in and keep the pages turning while you also don't want the book to end. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.?

A secret from her past and someone who happens to show up that may ruin everything.

During their regular, monthly book club meeting a knock on the door brings a new member who as the evening wears on definitely isn't welcome.

Roux knows something about Amy and innocently suggests they play a game called Never Have I Ever.

What dark secret could Amy be hiding, how does Roux know about it, and how did Roux find Amy?

Roux demanded money, and Amy had it.

Who would have thought after all this time someone would find out and take the time to look into what Amy did as a fifteen-year old?

Roux did just that, and she was pretty clever, but Amy was pretty clever too so the game gets intense for both of them, but who has the most to lose?

Both women are strong and determined. Both know how to play games, but will the winner take all or will both players lose?

A tiny bit on the slow side at first, but not for long. Ms. Jackson took a nightmarish incident that could very well happen and turned it into a story line that will grab you and will have you wondering how someone would even think about doing something like this to someone and how they were able to acquire the information they found or how they even found the person.

You will be on the edge of your seat as you turn the pages and anxiously await how this game ends.