Review: The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley

The Moon Sister

by Lucinda Riley

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 544

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Tiggy D’Aplièse spends her days experiencing the raw beauty of the Scottish Highlands doing a job she loves at a deer sanctuary. But when the sanctuary is forced to close, she is offered a job as a wildlife consultant on the vast and isolated estate of the elusive and troubled laird, Charlie Kinnaird. She has no idea that the move will not only irrevocably alter her future, but also bring her face-to-face with her past.

At the estate, she meets Chilly, a gypsy who fled from Spain seventy years before. He tells her that not only does she possess a sixth sense passed down from her ancestors, but it was foretold long ago that he would be the one to send her back home…

In 1912, in the poor gypsy community outside the city walls of Granada, Lucía Amaya-Albaycin is born. Destined to be the greatest flamenco dancer of her generation—and named La Candela, due to the inner flame that burns through her when she dances— Lucía is whisked away by her ambitious and talented guitarist father at the tender age of ten to dance in the flamenco bars of Barcelona. Her mother is devastated by the loss of her daughter and as civil war threatens in Spain, tragedy strikes the rest of her family. Now in Madrid, Lucía and her troupe of dancers are forced to flee for their lives, their journey taking them far across the water to South America and eventually, to North America and New York—Lucía’s long-held dream. But to pursue it, she must choose between her passion for her career and the man she adores. The Moon Sister follows these two women on their journey to discover their true futures—but at the risk of potentially losing the men they had hoped to build futures with. 

Kritters Thoughts:  Tiggy is the fifth sister in a very interesting family.  A man adopts 6 girls and names them after the stars and each girl is from a different country with a different story.  This book is the fifth in the series where each book centers around a different sister as they go looking for their past as their adopted father has left interesting clues for each daughter.  

I have loved this series from the beginning, some more than others and I have to admit that this one was not one of my favorites.  The thing that I missed in this book was a check in or a glimpse of the other sisters.  It was so brief that I didn't feel as though I got to get a peek into their lives while reading Tiggy's story.  

I did overall like Tiggy's adventure and thought it was interesting that it felt as if the book was more than just her search for the past but also a search for her path in the present.  I actually enjoyed her trying to find her passion in her career path a bit more than her search for her heritage.

I am excited to read the next book, it is the last known sister, so I am intrigued to see where it goes!  


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Atria Books.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Friend Request by Laura Marshall

Friend Request

by Luara Marshall

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 385

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Maria Weston wants to be friends. But Maria Weston is dead. Isn't she?

1989. When Louise first notices the new girl who has mysteriously transferred late into their senior year, Maria seems to be everything the girls Louise hangs out with aren't. Authentic. Funny. Brash. Within just a few days, Maria and Louise are on their way to becoming fast friends.

2016. Louise receives a heart-stopping email: Maria Weston wants to be friends on Facebook. Long-buried memories quickly rise to the surface: those first days of their budding friendship; cruel decisions made and dark secrets kept; the night that would change all their lives forever.

Louise has always known that if the truth ever came out, she could stand to lose everything. Her job. Her son. Her freedom. Maria's sudden reappearance threatens it all, and forces Louise to reconnect with everyone she'd severed ties with to escape the past. But as she tries to piece together exactly what happened that night, Louise discovers there's more to the story than she ever knew. To keep her secret, Louise must first uncover the whole truth, before what's known to Maria--or whoever's pretending to be her--is known to all. 

Kritters Thoughts:  Louise has secrets from high school that still haunt her and they will come to impact her current life years later and she may have to be honest with what happens so she can maybe finally live with some peace.  There are two time periods in this book.  1989 in the middle of the high school years when the original drama happened and Louise's story comes out in bits and pieces.  The other time period is 2016 and Louise is currently a single mom with an ex husband who has created a family and a life with another woman and she must balance work, home life and all while still milling on the moments of the past.

I love when a book makes me question things I do in my real life.  With Facebook at the center of this book, I immediately thought of what I put online and make sure that it keeps me and my family safe.  There were many things that Louise put online that endangered her family and she wasn't even aware of who was looking at all of the clues in every post.

There are interesting chapters included in italics and for the first few the reader doesn't know who is narrating those chapters, once the secrets came out, I went back and read them through a different set of eyes and was amazed at how they fit into the story.

What I critique about a mystery mostly is who in the end is the culprit and if I am satisfied with who the author has picked and how it is divulged to the reader.  I was completely happy with who dun it in this book and how it all unfolded.  It did give me the creeps because I wasn't expecting all of the things that they did, but I was satisfied with how it was all explained in the end.

I have now read both of Laura Marshall's books and am a fan.  I hope that continues to write stories of mystery that keep me guessing about characters until the end.  


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Grand Central Publishing.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Secret of Clouds by Alyson Richman

The Secret of Clouds

by Alyson Richman

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Katya, a rising ballerina, and Sasha, a graduate student, are young and in love when an unexpected tragedy befalls their native Kiev. Years later, after the couple has safely emigrated to America the consequences of this incident cause their son, Yuri, to be born with a rare health condition that isolates him from other children. Maggie, a passionate and dedicated teacher agrees to tutor Yuri at his home, even though she is haunted by her own painful childhood memories. As the two forge a deep and soulful connection, Yuri's boundless curiosity and unique wisdom inspires Maggie to make difficult changes in her own life. And she'll never realize just how strong Yuri has made her — until she needs that strength the most......


Kritters Thoughts:  What a fantastic story.  Katya and Sasha lived through the Chernobyl disaster and are now safely in the United States.  Most of the story takes place years after they moved and centers around their son who is living with a heart condition that has the ability to be fatal.  They are protective of their son which leads to Maggie a teacher coming to their home to tutor him to try to keep him up to speed.  Maggie will turn their world upside down in all the best ways.  

The big thing I loved about this book was the focus on teachers and the impact that teachers can make on children.  Maggie was not a perfect character, by no means.  She had things going on, but when she entered the classroom or Yuri's home she put it all aside and put the kids first and really wanted to teach them in the best way possible.  I really enjoyed reading about a teacher working and succeeding to inspire her pupils to learn to love to learn.  

I liked the few chapters that went back in time and place to when Katya and Sasha met and their lives before they moved and before they had their son.  It was great to get a glimpse into their lives that led them to where they were now and informed the decisions they were making for their family.   

This was just a solid story and I would recommend it to all sorts of readers.  


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Penguin Random House.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

What a quiet gloomy weekend which was perfect for reading!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

An Engineered Injustice by William Meyers Jr.
Beyond the Garden by Ashley Farley
A Killer's Alibi by William Meyers Jr.
The Woman in the Lake by Nicola Cornick

Currently Reading:

The Goodbye Cafe by Mariah Stewart

Next on the TBR pile:

Woman 99 by Greer Macallister

Review: The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman

The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman

by Denis Theriault

Publisher: Hesperus Press

Pages: 128

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Bilodo lives a solitary daily life, routinely completing his postal rounds every day and returning to his empty Montreal apartment. But he has found a way to break the cycle—Bilodo has taken to stealing people's mail, steaming open the envelopes, and reading the letters inside. And so it is he comes across Ségolène's letters. She is corresponding with Gaston, a master poet, and their letters are each composed of only three lines. They are writing each other haikus. The simplicity and elegance of their poems move Bilado and he begins to fall in love with her. But one day, out on his round, he witnesses a terrible and tragic accident. Just as Gaston is walking up to the post-box to mail his next haiku to Ségolène, he is hit by a car and dies on the side of the road. And so Bilodo makes an extraordinary decision—he will impersonate Gaston and continue to write to Ségolène under this guise. But how long can the deception continue for?


Kritters Thoughts:  This book was one of those books that I received from Netgalley and I am trying to read through my list in 2019.  I won't accomplish it, but want to make a dent.  

A very quirky book that made me raise an eyebrow a few times.  A postman with no friends and a secluded life decides to snoop in the mail that he is to deliver and ends up caught in the middle of a bit of drama due to the mail.  He ends up pen paling with someone and when they want to meet him he has to make a decision.  

This one was just ok.  With 128 pages, it was easy to finish it and if it had been longer it may have been one of the few that I put down and DNFed.  I didn't fall in love with this quirky postman and the book rests solely on his shoulders, if you can't enjoy him then you can't get into this book.  I like the idea of the plot, but I just couldn't get pulled in by this character.  


Rating:  not such a good read

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 7 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Sisters by Rosalind Noonan

The Sisters

by Rosalind Noon

Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Pages: 352

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Twelve years ago, Glory abandoned her two daughters--four-year-old Ruby and baby Aurora--at a fire station, running off to a man who promised love and protection. Though the refuge she hoped for turned out to be a sham, she believes Ruby and Aurora are better off without her. But Glory has since given birth to another daughter, who's clamoring for a life beyond their close-knit, tightly controlled world.

Sixteen-year-old Ruby loves her adoptive parents, but she hasn't forgotten Glory. Now that she has her driver's license, Ruby sets out in search of her birth mother. What she finds is a ramshackle house of castaway women, referred to as "sisters," ruled over by a charismatic bully who monitors their every move.

Glory would take ten-year-old Luna away in a heartbeat if they had somewhere to go. On good days, the girl is confined to the fenced-in yard; on bad days, she's sent to the dusty attic as punishment. When Ruby makes contact, Glory seizes on a chance for escape. Ruby is desperate to help, but how much does she owe to family she barely knows--and how can she fix someone else's life when she has so little power over her own?

Kritters Thoughts:  Glory abandoned her two daughters in hopes that they would have a better life and that she could start a new life.  Twelve years have passed and her oldest daughter Ruby still wonders about her birth mother and why their lives took a drastic turn.  When she stumbles upon her birth mother and finds the truth she realizes how much her mother really did for her all those years ago.

Although this seems weird to say, I have been a fan of cult books both fiction and non fiction for a long time.  I love reading about people forgoing their own safety and human priorities for the good of a group or a leader.  The way that the mind can be manipulated just fascinates me, so when I read the synopsis of this book and found out it was Rosalind Noonan, I was excited to read it.  

I appreciated that this story started in the past and gave the context as to why this mother made this decision and helped her become a sympathetic character so you could enjoy the present day story.  If I hadn't had that background, I am not sure I would have enjoyed this story as much.

I was a fan of Rosalind Noonan before reading this book and continue to be after.  Her writing is easy and has a great flow, but isn't elementary.  She creates great vivid characters that make you want to care about their futures. If you haven't read this author yet, I would suggest starting with this one.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 7 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Victory Garden by Rhys Bowen

The Victory Garden

by Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 305

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  As the Great War continues to take its toll, headstrong twenty-one-year-old Emily Bryce is determined to contribute to the war effort. She is convinced by a cheeky and handsome Australian pilot that she can do more, and it is not long before she falls in love with him and accepts his proposal of marriage.

When he is sent back to the front, Emily volunteers as a “land girl,” tending to the neglected grounds of a large Devonshire estate. It’s here that Emily discovers the long-forgotten journals of a medicine woman who devoted her life to her herbal garden. The journals inspire Emily, and in the wake of devastating news, they are her saving grace. Emily’s lover has not only died a hero but has left her terrified—and with child. Since no one knows that Emily was never married, she adopts the charade of a war widow.

As Emily learns more about the volatile power of healing with herbs, the found journals will bring her to the brink of disaster, but may open a path to her destiny.

Kritters Thoughts:  I love a solid historical fiction and this one is. Set during World War I, Emily Bryce is turning 21 and is ready to be a part of the efforts of the war despite what her parents want her to do - find a suitable boy and marry him!  She goes against her parents wishes and enlists to be a land girl where she helps out on farms where the men have gone off to war.  

I love it when I read a historical fiction book set in a time and a place that I have read about before but takes a unique viewpoint and makes me think about the time and place in a whole new way.  I didn't know anything about the land girl program before this book and didn't even think about how the farmers survived while their sons and even the husbands went far to fight the war.  I know I have said it before but I love it when I learn something when reading a historical fiction but it isn't obvious until I am done reading the story!

Before reading this book I was a Rhys Bowen fan and I will continue to be after reading this one.  There are a few times when I wouldn't mind a sequel to see where these characters are a few years after I close their story and this was one of them!  I wouldn't mind checking back in on Emily Bryce a few years from now and see where she is and what is going on with her a few years after this story concluded.  


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from LIttle Bird Publicity.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Three Beths by Jeff Abbott

The Three Beths

by Jeff Abbott

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 345

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  My mom would never leave me.

This has been Mariah Dunning's motto. Her compass. Her belief. So when she glimpses her mother--who's been missing and presumed dead for the past two years--on the other side of a crowded food court, Mariah's conviction becomes stronger than ever. Or is she losing her mind?

Her mother disappeared without a trace and--even without a body or any physical evidence--suspicion for her murder immediately fell upon Mariah's father, leaving both father and daughter ostracized from their close-knit community.

Until one day, Mariah stumbles upon the fact that two other women have also disappeared recently from Lakehaven. And all three women had the same name: Beth.

Is it merely an unlikely coincidence? Or is there a deeper, sinister connection between the three Beths?

Mariah would give anything to find out what happened to her mother. But the truth may be worse than she could have imagined...

Kritters Thoughts:  Mariah Dunning's mother vanished over a year ago and she has searched endlessly to find her and bring her home safely.  When she thought all clues had come up short she meets a a guy who is into unsolved crimes and sends her down a path she could have never predicted.  Could her mother's disappearance have something to do with the disappearance of another Beth?

I always love a book where the person hunting down the clues is an amateur.  I appreciate their innocence of following a clue that ends in a dead end and then when the case finally breaks open it is overwhelmingly exciting.  I like these types of mysteries because I feel as though I am on the same playing field as the main character, they don't have any extra detective skills that I do not!

I loved how the clues weaved you in and out of Austin and Houston.  There almost seemed to be multiple questions and mysteries to be solved at the same time. I liked how some of the clues ended up solving the main mystery and then some did not, but there were still a clue worth keeping in your pocket.  

This was my first Jeff Abbott read although I own a few so I will definitely have to pick up the others quickly because I just truly enjoyed the writing.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Grand Central Publishing.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

What a busy week and weekend, I am happy with what I did read.

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

A Criminal Defense by William Meyers Jr.
Magnolia Nights by Ashley Farley
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - reread for book club

Currently Reading:

An Engineered Injustice by William Meyers Jr.

Next on the TBR pile:

Beyond the Garden by Ashley Farley

Review: Map of the Heart by Susan Wiggs

Map of the Heart

by Susan Wiggs

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 351

Format: book

Buy the Book: Harper

Goodreads:  An accomplished photographer, widow, and mother, Camille Palmer is content with the blessings she’s enjoyed. When her ageing father asks her to go with him to his native France, she has no idea that shes embarking on an adventure that will shake her complacency and utterly transform her. 

Returning to the place of his youth sparks unexpected memories—recollections that will lead Camille, her father, and her daughter, Julie, who has accompanied them, back to the dark, terrifying days of the Second World War, where they will uncover their family’s surprising history.

While Provence offers answers about her family’s past, it also holds the key to Camille’s future. Along the way, Camille meets a handsome American historian who stirs a passion deep within her she thought she’d never experience again. 

Kritters Thoughts:  When a traumatic event happens to Camille Palmer it sends her life down a completely different path and affects the way she lives and the way she parents her daughter.  She now lives with fear and it has limited what she is willing to do.  When some interesting artifacts end up in her father's life it sends them down a road that could possibly change her life forever.

This was a women's fiction and a historical fiction all tied up together.  It had just a hint of historical fiction, but it was so perfect.  If you are hesitant to read historical fiction, don't hesitate on this one, it was just the right dash!  For the women's fiction parts, it had great heart and characters with a story that centers around a woman who is stuck and you really watch her grow in this book.  

Susan Wiggs knows just how to write a story that makes you curl up and lose track of time.  I really care about her characters and she sends them on a journey that is so satisfying with a few ups and downs along the way.  If you are looking for that great read that is entertaining and heartwarming, then Map of the Heart is it!


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Lies, Love and Breakfast at Tiffany's

Lies, Love and Breakfast at Tiffany's

by Julie Wright

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Pages: 320

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  
The Lie
Women in Hollywood are just pretty faces. But Silvia Bradshaw knows that’s a lie, and she’s ready to be treated as an equal and prove her worth as one of Hollywood’s newest film editors.
 
The Love
She and Ben Mason had worked together as editors before Silvia got her big break, so he’s the perfect person to ask for feedback on her first major film. But even as their friendship begins to blossom into something more, a lawsuit surfaces, jeopardizing both Ben and Silvia’s jobs—as well as their fledgling romance. Audrey Hepburn once said: “The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.” Silvia agrees. Or she used to. It’s one thing to risk her job and her heart, but can she really risk Ben’s, too? Does she have the right to make decisions for her own happiness when they affect so many other people?
 
The Breakfast
With everything to lose, Silvia meets Ben for breakfast at his favorite diner, Tiffany’s, for one last conversation before the credits roll on true love.


Kritters Thoughts:  The perfect sweet romance with a behind the scenes look of Hollywood that is different from most behind the scenes.  Most behind the scenes of Hollywood take you into the actor's point of view, this one takes you behind the scenes into the editing bay.  Silvia Bradshaw loves being a part of the process in editing, she is slowly working her way up the ladder project by project, but her current boss is making life a little difficult.  Ben Mason was her previous boss and helped her get her to where she is now and when looking at things after they have happened, Ben and Silvia begin to see each other with different eyes.

I love romance books and I read a lot of them.  What makes a great romance for me is a good plot and two people who you can root for their love.  I don't tend to love romance books with a lot of sexy times, especially if I feel as though the author is leaning on that instead of putting in a great plot - not the case in this one.  It is all plot and I loved it.  

With most romance books, you know where the story will end, but the journey to that end is the joy of the book.  I loved the plot of this book, it had ups and downs as they all do, but it felt believable and real, yet still sweet and a great escape from life.  Silvia and Ben had just the right story.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Shadow Mountain Publishing.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Killer Holiday by Amy Korman

Killer Holiday

by Amy Korman

Publisher: Witness Impulse

Pages: 176

Format: ebook

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Kristin Clark and her offbeat crew of Bryn Mawr pals are ready for a festive holiday—one that involves sipping Blitzen’s Bourbons by a yule log, hot guys beneath the mistletoe, and a holiday cabaret starring ex-Mafia wife Sophie Shields. But this year, Saint Nick has something more dangerous in store.

A stranger dressed as Santa has Kristin’s friends on his naughty list. First, Sophie’s favorite handbag is blasted by a bullet. Then, Father Christmas shatters local golf-shop owner Chip Delaney’s car window with a 5-iron and leaves a threatening note demanding $50,000. When Chip goes missing, the stakes become deadly.

Much-hated Powerball winner Eula Morris is also back from a luxury cruise, more boastful than ever and toting a handsome new boyfriend (who looks oddly familiar), as well as a Samsonite filled with gold bars. When the suitcase is snatched, Eula implores Kristin and the gang to track it down.

Is Chip on the run, or was he kidnapped? And who stole Eula’s gold? The Killer WASPs and Kristin’s basset hound, Waffles, are on the case—before this white Christmas turns dark . . .

Kritters Thoughts:  Just over novella length, this short book is the final in this series for now.  Kristin Clark owns an antique store that isn't doing well, so she ends up spending her time solving mysteries in this Pennsylvania town.  Along with her large cast of characters they end up embroiled in one another's messes and antics.

As I mentioned yesterday it was some time between reading book one and two and then reading three and four.  I had the same feeling when I read this book as the previous.  They felt less edited and finessed than the previous two.  I don't that it is particularly the book's fault or more my reading tastes have changed.  

I did seem to like the mysteries that were needing solving more in this book compared to the previous and felt as though the adventure was just a bit more fun.  

I am glad to have finished the series and I am not sure if I would revisit if there are more to come.


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2018 Challenge: 100 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.