The Hope Keeper: A Novel
by Heather Webb
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - A mysterious tale with and extremely likable main character (5/19/2026)
Will the Hope Diamond and Evalyn McLean save Elisabeth Beaumont’s jewelry business or will it curse her like history has said?
Elisabeth’s jewelry business was in debt after her brother died, and her father blames his death on the McLeans and the Hope Diamond.
When Elisabeth becomes obsessed with Evalyn, she gets deeper into her dark world, but she can’t get away from her.
She needs her and her wealthy friends to bail her business out of debt, and she wants to know more about how her brother died because Elisabeth knows that Evalyn and her family and the group of women who frequent Evalyn’s home had something to do with her brother’s death.
What does Elisabeth get herself into?
Does the Hope Diamond itself keep her in the clutches of Evalyn McLean?
THE HOPE KEEPER seemed to be a study in choices and people and will be of interest to those who want to know more about the Hope Diamond.
We also get to hear from the Hope Diamond.
Find out what that means when you read this mysterious tale with an extremely likable main character.
I do have to say I had some difficulty following the storyline at times. 4/5
GORGEOUS COVER!!
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The May House: A Novel
by Jillian Cantor
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - Sisters and Making Memories (5/12/2026)
The May sisters, Julia, Emily, and Nora, met every year in May at Grandma’s beach house in Coronado since they were children.
Wonderful memories were made with Grandma with the same traditions happening every year - the favorite was the making of s’mores.
Grandma Vera left the girls the house with the stipulation that they had to get together the same week every last weekend in May.
All was good, and they met every year to keep Grandma’s memories alive until one year Julia didn’t show. What happened to her - she was the most reliable of the three sisters.
Find out about the connection between the sisters, what happened to Julia, and what the secret was that was kept.
The book was difficult to follow at first because of how it jumped around from date to date, but it did get easier to follow as the book continued.
THE MAY HOUSE is about sisters and making memories. 4/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Good Joy, Bad Joy: A Novel
by Mikki Brammer
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - Uplifting - Beautiful - Heartwarming (5/11/2026)
What a perfect name for the main character and what a beautiful, heartwarming read!!
Joy brings joy and makes you laugh at how she misbehaves at age 89 which explains the title.
Joy and her best friend since they were eight years old still support each other, and Joy now needs to support Hazel more than ever since she is dying from cancer.
Even though the topic is a bit depressing, the way Ms. Brammer writes and puts laughter into the book makes it actually a feel good book.
GOOD JOY, BAD JOY is a tribute to lasting friendship, doing things you have never done before as you age, and knowing you CAN do anything at any time in your life.
If you need an uplifting read with wonderful characters, you will want to add this book to your TBR. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block
by Jesse Q Sutanto
Elizabeth Silver's Reviews - Do NOT miss this book - Loved Mebel (4/29/2026)
You are leaving me for our chef? She isn't even twenty-five.
That is what Mebel was dealing with at age sixty-three, but she will get through it.
Her son was going to help by moving in with her, but that wasn't enough.
Mebel knew what to do to make her husband realize he made a mistake. She would enroll in a cooking school and win him back.
Could she do it? She never cooked a meal in her life.
And…will she get her husband back or is she enjoying her life at the school with the young cooking students?
Then...the student who is paired with her for a cooking contest disappears. What happens now?
This is a very enjoyable read, and Mebel makes it so.
Don't miss this read - you will love Mebel, feel sorry for her, and be laughing out loud too. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher
Mad Mabel: A Novel
by Sally Hepworth
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - so good - don't miss it!! (4/24/2026)
Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick also named Mad Mabel in her childhood definitely had a rough upbringing, and was blamed for many things.
Her sister died of polio that they say Elsie gave to her on purpose, her mother fell off a balcony and they said Elsie pushed her, she also was blamed for an accident a classmate had, and a few other murders. All of this stayed with her for her entire life, and she was called Mad Mabel because of it.
Then at 81 she found her grumpy neighbor dead in the apartment next to her and was blamed for his death simply because of her history. Why would they blame an old lady?
MAD MABEL is heartwarming and heartbreaking as you see how Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick was ignored as a child and still had only one true friend as an adult.
Well...she made friends with a seven-year-old who you will love.
Sally Hepworth brings us another brilliant, emotional, difficult-to-put-down read featuring characters that will pull you right in and with a twist you won’t see coming. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Too Close to Home: A Novel
by Seraphina Nova Glass
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - A bit long and disconnected for me (4/19/2026)
Cloverhill Lakes is an exclusive neighborhood but apparently not exclusive enough to be without secrets and without families who don't show their real colors.
Cars getting blown up, bombs at an elementary school, kids sneaking around, one of the women missing, one of the women hiding her body, and another woman seeing her dead husband in town.
So many things are going on in this town with so many secrets.
TOO CLOSE TO HOME will be for those readers who enjoy seeing long-held and current secrets revealed and outrageous things happening that will have you shaking your head.
I do have to say it’s very confusing about what event is connected to what character, and it didn’t get intense until around 60.
I normally enjoy Ms. Glass’s books, but this one was a bit long and seemed disconnected to me.
Even after it was wrapped up, I wasn’t sure what happened. 3/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Where the Girls Were: A Novel
by Kate Schatz
Elizabeth@Silver'sReviews - A wonderful read (3/15/2026)
Baker is slated to be the valedictorian and has been accepted to Stanford, but then she meets Wiley.
Baker had no experience, Wiley was wily, lured her in, got her pregnant, and then left.
Baker was left with the consequences.
At least her parents didn’t throw her out.
Her mother made secret arrangements because she didn’t want Baker to run away if she found out what she had planned.
The arrangements weren’t too bad, but will Baker have any say about the baby and her future?
WHERE THE GIRLS WERE is a familiar book topic, but Ms. Schatz puts a twist and take on it with a little bit of mystery about the girls in the home for unwed mothers.
The mystery involves a letter one of the girls left asking for help and what helped Baker make a decision she should not have had to make.
Her book leaves the reader with thoughts about how this time in the lives of these girls affected their entire life.
Find out what happens while Baker is in this all-too-familiar scene during the 1960s where education could have prevented girls from going through this ordeal. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The Bookstore Diaries
by Susan Mallery
A light, uplifting read with wonderful characters (3/4/2026)
The Painted Lady Bookstore houses more than books. It has wonderful characters and a main character you can't help but love.
The owner, Jax, loves her books, loves her African Gray Parrot Ramon, and loves control.
She seems to be losing control when it comes to co-parenting with her ex-husband and also with a wall that holds diaries from the residents of the town.
Her wall must be torn down so the bookstore doesn't collapse, but that also means the diaries will need to be claimed.
But...when one of the construction workers cleaned the bricks, the diaries are now not able be to identified by the owner’s name.
The only way to find out who the diaries belong to would be to read them.
How could Jax tell everyone she needed to read them to get them to the right person especially if she found secrets that may just get revealed.
THE BOOKSTORE DIARIES is a lovely read with lovely characters with some struggling with love in their lives.
Do the love problems and a few other problems get resolved?
If you need a light, uplifting read with wonderful characters, this book fits the bill. 5/5
Thank you to? the publisher for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
A Sociopath's Guide to a Successful Marriage: A Novel
by MK Oliver
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - you won't believe what she does. (2/17/2026)
Lalla definitely knows how to use, manipulate, blackmail, and frame people, and she does it a lot.
She also kills people and gets away with it along with many other devious things.
You will wonder how Lalla does what she does or thinks up the schemes.
The book kept me reading just because I wanted to know what else she would do and if she would get caught even though she never got caught for a crime she committed many years ago.
You have to read the book to believe her antics and how things play out.
Readers who enjoy a character you love but also hate will enjoy this book. 4/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This Book Made Me Think of You
by Libby Page
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - Sweetest read ever and uplifting (2/7/2026)
Tilly gets a call from a bookstore telling her she has a book ready to pick up, but she doesn't understand because she didn't buy a book.
The bookstore owner suggested that she stop in so he can explain.
What a surprise!! Her husband who had passed has surprise books scheduled to be delivered to Tilly every month for an entire year.
Tilly wants all the books, but the bookstore owner said he promised that he would only give them out one month at a time.
The books have a note from her husband that makes Tilly feel he is right there with her. Each book has something to help her get back into reading and to help herself cope.
This was the sweetest read. I was excited to see what book was next for Tilly and what adventure Joe wanted her to experience.
If you need an uplifting book with wonderful characters, please read this book.
You will get many book recommendations and also visit the Library Hotel in Manhattan.
The cover is as adorable as the book. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This Book Made Me Think of You
by Libby Page
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - So sweet - don't miss it. (2/6/2026)
Tilly gets a call from a bookstore telling her she has a book ready to pick up, but she doesn't understand because she didn't buy a book.
The bookstore owner suggested that she stop in so he can explain.
What a surprise!! Her husband who had passed has surprise books scheduled to be delivered to Tilly every month for an entire year.
Tilly wants all the books, but the bookstore owner said he promised that he would only give them out one month at a time.
The books have a note from her husband that makes Tilly feel he is right there with her. Each book has something to help her get back into reading and to help herself cope.
This was the sweetest read. I was excited to see what book was next for Tilly and what adventure Joe wanted her to experience.
If you need an uplifting book with wonderful characters, please read this book.
You will get many book recommendations and also visit the Library Hotel in Manhattan.
The cover is as adorable as the book. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Family Drama: A Novel
by Rebecca Fallon
Elizabeth@Silver'sReviews - Beautiful writing, but wasn't of interest (2/4/2026)
We meet twins, Sebastian and Viola, who rarely saw their mother but are now watching her body lowered into the water.
Their mother was a soap opera star that came home infrequently and carried on a long distance marriage with Al her husband.
We go back and forth in time as we learn of the days before she met Al, when they are married, as her career takes off, when she has children, and when she gets sick.
It was very difficult to follow since the time kept changing as well as who was talking.
The writing is beautiful, but the storyline just didn't keep my interest. 3/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Watching Over Her: A Novel
by Jean-Baptiste Andrea
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - beautiful writing that flows with wonderful characters (1/10/2026)
We meet Mimo in the monastery where he has lived for decades as he is dying and reliving his life while the other monks stand by.
His mother named him Michelangelo “Mimo” Vitaliani because she knew he would be a sculptor.
We read of Mimo's life of poverty and as the apprentice of Alberto. Mimo was a dwarf, and Alberto didn't really want him, but he did take all the money Mimo's mother sent with Mimo.
Mimo then met Viola when he had to repair a statue that fell and broke on the rooftop of their villa. They became lifelong friends.
We learn of a secret statue in the monastery and of the love between Mimo and Viola that never could be because he was poor and she was an aristocrat.
Beautiful writing that flows and wonderful characters detailed to perfection. 4/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Wildwood: A Novel
by Amy Pease
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - A bit slow, but turns out. (1/7/2026)
Shaky Lake, Sherman County, Wiconsin, and Sheriff Marge and her deputy officer Eli welcome us back for another crime investigation.
For a small town of one thousand, there are always brutal crimes happening.
This time they are investigating a missing undercover agent, Trinity, but it doesn't look good from the bloody scene in her trailer.
That isn’t the only brutal scene they come upon, and this person was connected to Trinity.
We follow the investigation and enjoy the detailed writing of Miss peace. It is the second book in the series, but you can still follow what’s going on. It’s the same characters, but just a different situation.
Readers who enjoy thrillers, surprises, great characters, and great descriptions will enjoy WILDWOOD.
It is a bit of a slow start, but you will get invested in the story and the characters and enjoy how it all cleverly turns out. 4/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The Lies They Told
by Ellen Marie Wiseman
Elizabeth@Silver'sReviews - A MUST read (10/18/2025)
Lena made the awful boat trip from Germany to the United States for a better life for her family and especially her daughter.
When she arrived, she realized it wasn’t that much better.
She arrived in the 1930’s during a time when eugenics was a prime topic, and her brother who couldn’t speak English was sent back because they said he was feeble minded.
Her sponsor who is a distant cousin lived in the mountains in Virginia with two children who always had to hide when the authorities arrived.
A social worker arrived one day and accused Lena of being promiscuous because she is living with her cousin and says that she is an unfit mother to her daughter.
The unthinkable happens and Lena‘s worst nightmare comes true.
THE LIES THEY TOLD is heartbreaking and upsetting and a piece of history that I really wasn’t aware of how widespread it was and how other countries adopted this.
An excellent read and history lesson. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The Mad Wife: A Novel
by Meagan Church
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - Unsettling, but also enlightening (10/12/2025)
It's the 1950s and we meet the happy, perfect wives who know how to entertain and take care of their family.
Everything isn't as perfect as it seems, though.
Lulu knew she had to make good impressions on everyone especially since they loved her jello salads.
Things changed after her husband was trying to get a promotion, she had a second baby, new neighbors moved in, and Lulu became obsessed with the new neighbor Bitsy and overwhelmed with her life.
Lulu struggled every day and tried to cope with no help from her husband, and she couldn't figure out why Bitsy was always smiling?
We follow Lulu as she tries to be the perfect wife, tries to figure out if she is going mad, and tries to find out what really is going on with Bitsy.
Then you will have your jaw drop at the twist and will be glad you weren't a housewife at that time….housewives who cared for everyone but themselves.
THE MAD WIFE is an unsettling read, but also an enlightening one.
This book will be another favorite for fans of Meagan Church. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The Hitchhikers: A Novel
by Chevy Stevens
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - So good, but terrifying. (10/7/2025)
A well-planned vacation for Good Samaritans Tom and Alice turned out to be a nightmare.
They felt sorry for the hitchhikers and welcomed them to ride along with them.
That was the biggest mistake of their life.
dared two people and were on the run.
When Alice heard a news bulletin that perfectly described the hitchhikers, she became frightened and accidentally called one of the hitchhikers by her real name and things went from cordial to horribly wrong.
You will be so nervous while reading this book, but you won’t be able to put it down. I was as afraid as Tom and Alice were.
This is another edge-of-your-seat, very tense read by Chevy Stevens.
Fans of Chevy Stevens and thrillers do not want to miss this one. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The Wasp Trap: A Novel
by Mark Edwards
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - Well written, but a bit too brutal for me (9/20/2025)
Friends who haven’t seen each other for 25 years were invited to spend the weekend to celebrate the life of their boss who had passed.
Was that really the reason? It was more like tell your secret or die.
As a few guests arrived and stood on the porch, they heard a scream and once they were in the house, their guests dead bolted the door.
Pretty odd, and to top it off, there was no phone service.
Everything seemed cordial and casual, but all of this was concerning.
Just what was going on?
We find out once dinner was over.
The chefs who prepared the dinner are actually thieves and murderers and told the group they have to tell them the secret they were keeping from 1999 or they won't get out alive.
Everyone is dumfounded - no one has a clue what secret the chefs are talking about.
A very tense, slow-moving read at first, but once the evil characters come on the scene it picks up.
This is my first book by this author. I do have to say the book was a little too brutal for me and a bit too long, but it was well written, cleverly put together, and the tell-all at the end was good. 4/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
A Murderous Business: A Harriman & Mancini Mystery
by Cathy Pegau
Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - A good one (9/17/2025)
Margot became the owner of the family business once her father died.
As she was stopping by the office a few days before their canning complex opened for the season, she found one of the employees dead and with an unfinished note addressed to her.
The note hinted at some illegal things that have been happening for a few years.
Margot hid the note so the police wouldn't see it but then hired a private investigator to help figure out what was going on.
And then when she found out and confronted the culprit, he turned up in the river the next morning with a bullet in his head.
What has really been going on all these years?
Despite the murder, A MURDEROUS BUSINESS was an enjoyable read with great characters.
This is the first time I read a book by this author, and I truly enjoyed the book.
I haven’t read cozy mysteries too often, but I think this could be considered a cozy mystery. 4/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Forget Me Not
by Stacy Willingham
Elizabeth@Silver'sReviews - It's a good one. (8/28/2025)
Claire Campbell quit her job after a co-worker/boyfriend got the promotion she should have had.
She didn't know what to do until her father called and said her mother broke her leg and needed some help.
Claire hadn't been home for about twelve years, and she and her mother were estranged.
It was uncomfortable from the minute she arrived. Nothing had changed since she left and since her older sister was murdered.
Her mother didn't want to talk about it.
On a whim Claire stops at Galloway Farms where her sister worked. She gets a job and stays there which is good because she doesn't have to spend time with her mother.
Claire finds a diary hidden in the cabin she is staying in. It is the diary of the wife of the owner of the farm.
She can't put the diary down and learns things that might connect the diary to her sister.
How could that be? The incidents are ten years apart, but Marcia's story sounds very similar to her sister's.
Claire finds out things she shouldn't and puts herself in danger. I would have gotten out of there immediately.
It takes a bit to get going, but once it does, you won't be able to stop reading.
When you find out secrets that have been kept for years, your jaw will drop.
It is a good one, Stacy Willingham fans. 4/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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