Ohhhh..this is a good one!!

Hazel’s father died, and in addition to the shock of his death was the shock that he left the family home ONLY to her and not her brothers. That caused a good deal of bad feelings.

While she was home for the funeral more shocking things happened.

One of these things had to do with their mother who had taken every penny out of her husband's bank accounts, any jewelry in the house, and anything else of value and just left without notice or any trace of her when Hazel was sixteen.

Things seemed to have gone the wrong way after their mother left and since the years that Hazel had left Mirror Lake.

Or had things always been going the wrong way for Hazel in this small town and with her family and she hadn't realized it?

How could Hazel have missed all that had been going on while she was growing up and especially for the past few years?

What else could happen?

What else would be revealed?

Who really knew what happened and knows what is happening now?

Find out in this tense family drama that reveals secrets and more missing characters.

Ms. Miranda certainly knows how to weave a storyline that keeps you turning the pages with a surprising, reveal-all ending.

You won’t be able to put DAUGHTER OF MINE down. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own

How could a mansion with such a beautiful name - Marbrisa - be the scene of murders?

Peacocks screaming and dying and then construction workers and guests found dead.

1918 - Robert and Anna came from New York to Florida after the Great War, built an outlandish mansion, but it didn’t make them happy.

A drowning at their lavish party didn’t help with things. But was it an accident or murder?

1940 - Years later Carolina and Asher bought the house, fixed it up, and Carolina’s sister, Carmen, came to live with them after their parents died.

Another death happens and Carmen worries about her safety, especially since Asher controls her estate until she’s 21.

We follow both storylines as the mansion seems to be the center of attention and drama and as we meet characters that keep and tell secrets.

A marvelous Gothic-style read with undercurrents of menace that you can’t figure out if the menace is coming from a person, place, or thing.

Don't miss this one!! 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

It’s the 1960s.

What became of girls who found themselves pregnant and with no support?

We meet Lorraine Delford, an only child, a girl who was going to be valedictorian of her senior class, a girl who wanted to be an astronaut, a girl who did not want to be the typical mother, teacher, or secretary.

All her dreams were slashed when her boyfriend told her “if you want to keep it, you’re on your own.”

THE GIRLS WE SENT AWAY has a main character that you will love from the minute you meet her.

You will cheer for her and for her dreams, but your heart will break when she has to deal with her pregnancy and a mother that has always been critical and unsupportive especially when she needed her the most.

Lorraine gets sent to a home for wayward girls not really knowing her fate.

Ms. Church has written another heartwarming, but heartbreaking book that you won’t want to put down.

Ms. Church’s writing is pull you in and makes you feel the emotions of each character as well as the sentiments and feelings of this time in the 1960s.

Don’t miss this well-researched, poignant heartwrenching, fabulous, tissues-needed book. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own

It is post World War II, and we meet Fanny Fabricant, her husband, Max, and their daughter Chloe. Fanny was the lucky one because her husband came back from the war. She wasn’t lucky for too long, though, because her life changed one night.

We follow Fanny as she goes to work much to the gossiping of other women at this time because women didn't work, but she had no choice.

THE TROUBLE WITH YOU dragged until mid point, caught my interest after that, but it still wasn’t a book I was anxious to get back to even though Ms. Feldman’s writing and research were well done.

My favorite character was Chloe…she was so sweet and innocent. Fanny was a well-thought-out character and one ahead of her time. I enjoyed following Fanny and was hoping for the best for her in the social attitudes of this era.

The ending was satisfying, and the book will be enjoyed by historical fiction fans and women’s fiction fans. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Escaping a raging Australian bush fire wasn’t the only horrendous thing Allison had to endure in her life.

Something else from her past was waiting.

When she felt it was safe to leave her home, she found a dead woman sitting in her driveway with Allison‘s address written on a slip of paper.

Allison has no idea who this woman is, but it is the address of where Allison used to live.

We follow Allison as she tries to figure out what meaning this has, and she constantly feels someone is watching her.

Did she really know this woman? What is going on?

How are Allison and this woman connected?

We find out as Allison relives the past and lets us know what’s going on currently.

Her abusive boyfriend is trying to find her because he said she has something that he wants.

Allison knows nothing about what he could want, is frightened, runs, and tries to solve this on her own without giving all the information to the police.

RADIANT HEAT was somewhat confusing because of all the back-and-forth in time right in the same paragraph or chapter, but the writing was very good and the tension, the intrigue, and the underlying fact that something was going on that I needed to know kept me reading, even though it took until about 50 to pull you in.

It is worth the wait, but be aware there is domestic violence. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A lot is going on in this small lakeside resort town which has a woman sheriff and only two other police officers - one being her son Eli who has PTSD from his time in Afghanistan.

Eli only has the job because of his mother, and he tries to medicate himself with alcohol.

When Eli is asked to check on a cabin that has a radio blaring, he finds no one inside, but finds something worse - a dead child in a boat.

The autopsy indicates that the child was hit over the head and also injected with drugs.

Another interesting part about finding the child is that he was with another resident of the campgrounds during the day, but now she is missing.

We follow the investigation and hope Eli can help solve the murder and redeem himself and get some help with his problems.

NORTHWOODS was a bit confusing at first, but once the investigation got going, my interest picked up.

There were a few people I had in mind as the murderer and kidnapper and a few surprises, but I never suspected the real murderer.

Also addressed was PTSD and how it affects those suffering from it. Also addressed was alcohol abuse.

Enjoy if you read this well-written debut. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

WOW - another beautiful read by Susan Meissner!!

After Rosanne's parents were killed in an accident, she moved into the house of the vineyard owners where her parents worked.

Celine and Truman Calvert were always good to Rosanne and her family, but Celine said Roseanne couldn’t be treated like family but could be their domestic help.

Rosanne enjoyed her time as the family’s domestic until she was betrayed by their son when he told the Calverts she sees colors and which during this time society didn’t accept people who were different.

Seeing colors was considered different and a defect.

Another misfortune fell on her when she became pregnant by a member of the household.

Rosanne was sent to a home, but not one for unwed mothers. This home sterilized young women who had defects.

Meanwhile the Calvert’s daughter, Helen, was working in Europe as a nanny and kept in touch with Rosanne even though the contact lessened over the years.

When Helen came home after WWII and found out what happened to Rosanne nine years ago, she was saddened and shocked thinking of her young charge in Austria who was not perfect and was killed because of her defects.

Beautifully written with the main character, Rosanne, who you will love and who will pull at your heartstrings.

You will also become fond of Helen and praise all the good she did to help during WWII and when she came back to America.

ONLY THE BEAUTIFUL is another marvelous, marvelous read by Susan Meissner that fans will not want to miss and one I didn’t want to put down.

Enjoy, and have some tissues ready!! 5/5

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

Theo left her university studies in Australia because she didn’t want to be an attorney like her brother. She wanted to be an author.

Her brother Gus was surprised when she showed up on his doorstep in Kansas because they were told they had to follow their grandfather‘s orders that stated in the trust fund that they had to become attorneys.

Gus was even more surprised when Theo met another author, Dan Murdoch, at a cafe and became friendly with him. Was this meeting an accident or one that was on purpose?

Gus wanted to know who this author was and how they became friendly so quickly, so Theo went to Dan’s house to ask him to come for dinner since he never answered her calls all day, but found him murdered.

Now Theo is involved and the only suspect.

How did she get herself in this mess?

Why would anyone murder Dan?

Theo didn’t know him that well, but hints and conversations at the beginning of a few chapters indicated he was involved in finding out something about an organization.

Apparently, Dan's murder wasn’t the end of it, though. More murders happened, and someone kept following Theo.

Was she in danger too just by association?

Was the murderer closer than they knew?

THE MYSTERY WRITER has a slow start, but the tension and intrigue pick up as the investigation and many other things happen.

Some odd characters, but all in all it is a book mystery readers will enjoy and won't want to put down once the book continues. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Who is Zora Lily Hough?

She is a character you will fall in love with as you follow her through her days helping her family cope with poverty and tragedy and as she works as a day nanny for the Harringtons as she waits for her dreams to come true.

Zora and her friend, Rose, take us through speakeasies and their lives as young women in the 1920's.

We follow them through heartbreaks and Zora's wish to become a fashion designer and to own her own boutique. I loved hearing about her sewing skills and fashion ideas.

You will be pulled in immediately with Ms. Salazar's marvelous, detailed writing and story line.

I didn't want the book to end because of Zora. She is a character who made you want all good things happen to.

Do not miss this gem.

It is such a beautiful read, I was actually crying. Not sad tears, but just overwhelmed at the beauty of the story.

Thank you to the publisher and BookBrowse for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

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 goes. 5/5

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

A successful career, an ailing grandmother, a one-night stand, and a Southern family with untold secrets.

Leia had always been close to her grandmother, but did she really know her grandmother? After finding out her grandmother has been suffering with dementia for over 10 years, Leia puts the job she loves on hold and goes to Alabama to see what actually is going on.

What Leia finds at her grandmother's home isn't what she had expected, and coupled with her unexpected pregnancy was a bit ?overwhelmed.

Grandmother Birchie and her life-long friend, Wittie, are delightful characters and characters that can no longer live alone, but are putting up a fight.? When the secret in their attic is found, they get a reprieve from having to leave their home becaus?e the Sheriff ordered them to stay in the state.

THE ALMOST SISTERS had a lot of drama? and a lot of love?. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline, the Southern charm, and especially the characters. They all were lovable, authentic, and sweet in their own way.

THE ALMOST SISTERS was a very enjoyable first book I have read by ?Ms. Jackson?. She has a marvelous writing style and a women’s-fiction-theme-based story with some characters having unusual problems and others with normal, everyday problems that the reader can relate to.

THE ALMOST SISTERS is a touching, endearing book about family.

I would recommend THE ALMOST SISTERS to readers who enjoy Southern living and adorable characters you wish you could spend some time with and will miss once you turn the last page.

THE ALMOST SISTERS is a book that will bring you closer to your own loved ones. 5/5

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

FANTASTIC as always!!

Friends, mothers, choices.

Everyone had to make difficult choices during the war, but a mother's choice to leave her children in the care of someone else was necessary and heartbreaking.

We meet Elise and Juliette who became fast friends and friends who would do anything for each other.

Juliette agreed to keep Elise's daughter Mathilde so Elise could safely escape being arrested since her husband was tortured and killed by the Nazis because he was in the resistance.

Both women suffered terrible losses as many did.

We follow both women through the war and after.

Ms. Harmel has given us another beautifully written, marvelously researched but heartbreaking book with wonderful characters and a book about choices, motherhood, and healing.

You won’t want to put the book down or want the book to end.

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

Did Lucy's wish come true? She needs a very big wish to come true.

Lucy had met Jack Masterson, children's author, who lived on Clock Island when she was a young girl.

Lucy and three other contestants are called back to the Clock House for a game to win his latest and last book.


Will a contest on the famous Clock Island with the famous Jack Masterson and with the prize of Jack’s last book worth six figures if you sell it save her so she can have enough money and a suitable life to adopt Christopher?

The house and the game Jack had for them on Clock Island was very clever, and the book was a magical one filled with books, love, hope, and lovable characters.

THE WISHING GAME is a different read that at times was a bit odd, but you will love Lucy and Christopher and their journey to become a family.

In the beginning, I was curious about the plot, but soon enough you will be part of the warm feelings flowing from the characters and will be rooting for Lucy to achieve her life-long dream of winning the contest and becoming a mother.

A sweet, uplifting read that also addresses the difficulties of the child foster program. 5/5

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

A notebook of regrets?

Were these regrets a way to live your life so you don't have any?

Clover was a death doula who was familiar with seeing people die.

Clover would write down the last words or regrets of the person she comforted in their last hours.

She would try to honor one of the regrets or incorporate it into her life so she wouldn't have that particular regret.

There was a special woman, Claudia, she stayed with whose family didn't tell her she was dying. Sort of odd to have a death doula in this situation.

Claudia was wonderful for Clover, though. Clover felt she replaced her mother that she didn't have when she grew up.

And Clover was good for Claudia because she found out that the love of Claudia’s life she gave up to marry someone else may be living close by.

Would Claudia be sadder knowing he was close by all these years?

THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER seems like it would be a depressing read, but the main character pulled you right in, and her thoughts and caring were what will keep you reading. You will LOVE Clover.

Her introverted personality was sad, but her relationship with her grandfather and her neighbor Leo was heartwarming and endearing.

This book made me think about what I would regret as my life was ending.

Readers who are looking for something different, wonderful characters, wonderful writing, and an actual heartwarming theme will like this book. 5/5

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

A book's nightmare coming true all because of a negative review?

The book Emma reviewed was terrible in her opinion, gave it a rating of ONE, and then the author wouldn't let up as he told her take down the review.

Emma refused, but then the author found her and terrorized her just like in the book that was rated a ONE.

As Emma is living the nightmare of the killer one inch away from her, she hears poor Laika, her dog, whining upstairs in pain from the poison the killer fed her.

The tension in THE LAST WORD is so palpable, you will be jumping at any sound in your surroundings as you are reading.

The book is very cleverly written as the real drama unfolds and we read the story the author is playing out - Emma knows what will happen because she is living it.

Read it and find out what happens, but have a lot of time on your hands, and read this book in broad daylight.

It is pretty gruesome, but those who know the work of Mr. Adams don’t need to be forewarned.

Warning top reviewers - you never know who may retaliate from a bad review. :) 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher for an honest review.

A new teacher in town.

Will she stay since none of the other teachers last a year?

They don't last in Wallace because it's so small, and the winters and summers are brutally cold and brutally hot.

Ellen wasn't sure how things would work, but she was willing to give this small Western town a try.

When she met Charlie, a handsome cowboy, she decided to stay no matter what.

It wasn't an easy life for her or any of the residents of Wallace.
She and Charlie made it through all the difficulties because of their love for each other.

WHERE COYOTES HOWL was a sweet but tragic, sad read.

Despite all the hardships, I enjoyed hearing the characters say they ordered from Montgomery Wards.

If you need something different with genuine characters and would like to learn of the difficult life on the prairies of Wyoming, give WHERE COYOTES HOWL a try.

You will not want to have to close the last page because of the characters. 4/5

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

WOW - another beautiful read by Susan Meissner!!

After Rosanne's parents were killed in an accident, she moved into the house of the vineyard owners where her parents worked.

Celine and Truman Calvert were always good to Rosanne and her family, but Celine said Roseanne couldn’t be treated like family but could be their domestic help.

Rosanne enjoyed her time as the family’s domestic until she was betrayed by their son when he told the Calverts she sees colors and which during this time society didn’t accept people who were different.

Seeing colors was considered different and a defect.

Another misfortune fell on her when she became pregnant by a member of the household.

Rosanne was sent to a home, but not one for unwed mothers. This home sterilized young women who had defects.

Meanwhile the Calvert’s daughter, Helen, was working in Europe as a nanny and kept in touch with Rosanne even though the contact lessened over the years.

When Helen came home after WWII and found out what happened to Rosanne nine years ago, she was saddened and shocked thinking of her young charge in Austria who was not perfect and was killed because of her defects.

Beautifully written with the main character, Rosanne, who you will love and who will pull at your heartstrings.

You will also become fond of Helen and praise all the good she did to help during WWII and when she came back to America.

ONLY THE BEAUTIFUL is another marvelous, marvelous read by Susan Meissner that fans will not want to miss and one I didn’t want to put down.

Enjoy, and have some tissues ready!! 5/5

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

Duke Kincaid was someone you didn't want to cross. He always had to have his way.

Well...his second wife had him not getting his way and having him send away his daughter, Sallie, because his wife said she caused her son to have a terrible accident.

Sallie went to live with her Aunt for nine years…yes, nine years...he never allowed her to come back until his wife died because he needed her to take care of the child who had no mother.

It was an ok return, but not until Sallie asked to be part of the business did her father think she was good for something other than being a man's wife.

Then Eddie died, and things changed.

HANG THE MOON was well written as all of Ms. Wall’s books are.

You will love Sallie for her strength and how she grew as the story unfolded.

It got a bit slow at times, but the story line still held my interest with all its drama.

This book will be enjoyed by those who like books about prohibition, family, and Ms. Wall’s books. 4/5

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

Who would pass up a trip to Italy?

Ginny, a radio show host who specializes in helping relationships, booked a trip for her thirtieth wedding anniversary, but when she told her husband about it, he answered with: I want a divorce.

Heartbroken and embarrassed because she fixes everyone else's problems but didn't know about her own, Ginny spontaneously invites any four listeners on the trip with her.

Find out what happens as four strangers get to know each other and Ginny and her husband do too.

THE LITTLE ITALIAN HOTEL Is a heartwarming read that will have you falling in love with Italy and the characters who learned to care about others, learned to care about themselves, learned to not give up on their present-day situations, and learned to forget about the past.

Enjoy!! 5/5

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

Beautifully told in her mesmerizing style, Jennifer Rosner introduces us to four characters who suffered through the war and beyond.

We meet Ana and Oskar whose mother had to give her children to a Polish family who would raise them as their own to keep them safe.

The children had a wonderful life of learning and love but a life that heart-wrenchingly changed after the war.

Where will Ana and Oskar end up?

We meet Roger who grew up in a convent to be kept safe, who was very inquisitive, a clever, witty writer of stories and jokes, and sadly had no parents to go home with on holidays.

We find out what happens to him and where he goes.

We meet Renata as an adult who is a scientist in Israel at an archeological dig. We learn of Israel’s beauty as Renata takes side trips to Tel Aviv and other places.

On her shopping trip she finds a hand-chiseled chessboard and an ornately carved set of nesting boxes.

Could the craftsman in the shop be none other than Oskar whose uncle taught him to whittle and make beautiful shapes out of wood?

I will dearly miss the characters…especially Oskar….he was my favorite.

It also was fun to see our favorite violinist again from THE YELLOW BIRD SINGS.

Another beautiful, beautiful but heartbreaking-to-the-core read based on true events.

ONCE WE WERE HOME does have some happy stories tucked inside as well, along with comments you will ponder, and thoughts about life’s worries and lessons.

Historical fiction fans will devour this marvelously written, impeccably researched read where Ms. Rosner introduces readers to a little known program organized after the war for displaced children.

Ms. Rosner’s writing is exquisite. 5/5

The book was given to me by the author for an honest review.