Review: Master Class by Christina Dalcher

Master Class

by Christina Dalcher

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The future of every child is determined by one standardized measurement: their quotient (Q). Score high enough, and they attend a top tier school with a golden future ahead of them. Score low, and they are sent to a federally run boarding school with limited prospects for future employment. The purpose? Education costs are cut, teachers focus on the best students, and parents are happy.

Elena Fairchild is a teacher at one of the state's elite schools. When her nine-year old daughter fails her next monthly test, her Q score drops to a disastrously low level and she is immediately forced to leave her top school for a federal school hundreds of miles away. As a teacher, Elena knows intimately the dangers of failure in their tiered educational system, but as a mother who just lost her child, all Elena wants is to be near her daughter again. And she will do the unthinkable to make it happen.


Kritters Thoughts:  Elena Fairchild is a teacher at one of the elite schools and she has two daughters, two very different daughters.  One daughter excels at school and loves living by the Q score.  Her other daughter has struggled for a bit and after a failed test is doomed to move to a state school where she will be put to work at a camp and life sounds more work than school.  

With hints of history repeating itself and without wanting to spoil a thing, I will keep my review short and simple.  I loved the plot and the ability for the author to make nods to the past and making the reader really think about how this society was set up and the good and the bad that can come from it.  I loved the characters.  The characters are amazing.  They have depth and they are put in crazy situations and their reactions are just so interesting to follow.  

The "world" in this book doesn't seem as far off from reality as her first book.  I think because it was closer to reality it was easier to get into this book and it flew by.  I read this in one sitting.    

I read Christina Dalcher's first book, Vox, and LOVED it, so the minute I heard about the second book, I was counting down the days.  I had very high expectations for this book and it outdid them all!  I love when a sophomore novel lives up to all the expectations, now I will read Dalcher's books without even reading a synopsis.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

  Ebook 2020 Challenge: 34 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  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: Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Feels Like Falling

by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pages: 400

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  It’s summertime on the North Carolina coast and the livin’ is easy.

Unless, that is, you’ve just lost your mother to cancer, your sister to her extremist husband, and your husband to his executive assistant. Meet Gray Howard. Right when Gray could use a serious infusion of good karma in her life, she inadvertently gets a stranger, Diana Harrington, fired from her job at the local pharmacy.

Diana Harrington’s summer isn’t off to the greatest start either: Hours before losing her job, she broke up with her boyfriend and moved out of their shared house with only a worn-out Impala for a bed. Lucky for her, Gray has an empty guest house and a very guilty conscience.

With Gray’s kindness, Diana’s tide begins to turn. But when her first love returns, every secret from her past seems to resurface all at once. And, as Gray begins to blaze a new trail, she discovers, with Diana’s help, that what she envisioned as her perfect life may not be what she wants at all.


Kritters Thoughts:  I was already a Kristy Woodson Harvey fan going into this book and continue to be after!  

A great piece of women's fiction set in the south with a great main character that intrigued me so much that I couldn't help reading the book in two sittings!  Gray Howard is an older sister who is going through a divorce that unfortunately happened right after she lost her mother.  She is navigating maintaining her business while also co parenting and her ex already has a new woman in his life.  Summer is starting and she heads to her summer home for a change of pace and hopefully to regroup.

Diana Harrington is the other main character that shares her perspectives also.  Each chapter is divided between the two women as they push the story along.  Diana has had a rough go of it recently and has always landed on her feet, but this time she may need to accept a little help and maybe through a new experience she could find a new passion in life.  

I loved Gray and Diana, but I also loved the people they had around them.  They each had their own great storylines and enough drama, but not too much.  There are just enough moments of romance in Kristy's books that make you smile and giggle, but not enough to make you roll your eyes!  If you are looking for a book that has heart and soul, then you can read each of Kristy Woodson Harvey's books, but I can absolutely suggest you start here with Feels Like Falling.

This was a great book to read in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic as a breather from the news and real life.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Gallery 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: The First Date by Zara Stoneley

The First Date

by Zara Stoneley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Right place.
Right time.
Wrong guy …

After breaking up with her childhood sweetheart, clueless dater Rosie has found herself in a boyfriend-drought. So when she finally swipes right on a guy who seems interested, she can’t wait to meet up IRL.

Until she’s left standing alone. In a bar. Ghosted.

Enter Noah. Confident, funny … and a serial first dater. Offering to give Rosie a crash course in seduction, this could be just what she needs. Until her matchmaker turns out to be the best date she’s ever had – and Rosie wonders if she wants the fake dates to be the real ones after all …

Kritters Thoughts:  Rosie, the main character, ends up at a bar hoping to meet up with an online date and dip her toes into the online dating world for the first time.  She doesn't end up meeting up with her intended date, but instead a man named Noah who has had a checkered dating past himself and dubs himself a serial first dater and will teach her the ropes of casual dating.  As this is a romance book, the reader knows that this story will only end with a happy ending, but there will be some bumps and bruises along the way.  

I liked this book, but didn't love it.  There were a few moments in the book where I felt as though the story was going in circles and getting a little repetitive, but the characters more than made up for it.  Rosie was just great.  I could believe that she had really not been deep in the dating world ever and was tentative about all things dating.  Noah was a great antithesis.  Although it took awhile to get to the heart of Noah and find out why he was the way he was, I still enjoyed learning about him and the journey.

This is my second Zara Stoneley read and I liked the other one better, but I would still continue to read her stories as they are great, easy reads to pepper between the heavy ones or the mind boggling mystery/thrillers that I read.  



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

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 31 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Rachel's Random Resources.  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 Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci

The Ingredients of You and Me

by Nina Bocci

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pages: 304

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  After selling her famous bakery back in New York, Parker Adams visits Hope Lake, Pennsylvania, to figure out her next steps. And soon she’s wondering why she ever loved city life in the first place. Between the Golden Girls—the senior women who hold court—and Nick Arthur, her equally infuriating and charming former flame, Parker finds a community eager to help her get her mojo back.

But even though Hope Lake gives her the fresh start she’s been looking for, Parker discovers that it’s not so easy to start over again with Nick. Their chemistry is undeniable, but since Nick is a freshly taken man, Parker is determined to keep things platonic. With a recipe for disaster looming, Parker must cook up a new scheme, figuring out how to keep everything she’s come to love before she loses it all.

Kritters Thoughts:  The third in a series where I highly suggest you start at the beginning as each book builds on another.  In each book there are different main characters, but they show up in each other's books and they all take place in a small town.  

This book centers around Parker Adams who has just recently sold her bakery to a large company and isn't sure what she wants to do next.  She ends up in the small town that her best friend has just moved to and Charlotte is establishing herself as a florist and Parker decides its a good place to land for the time being.  Nick Arthur is a part of a friend group that has been together forever and to bring a girl into this group could be close to impossible, so Nick hasn't dated a ton, could Parker be the one to be his love and fit in the group.  

I have LOVED this series.  They are great storylines in a small town with minimal sexy times.  Each book has a great plot which I love even though its a romance and you know where the story will end, these journeys are so worth the read.  

I hope this series continues, I enjoy each one of the books in their own unique way.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

I feel like life is just on repeat from week to week at this point!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

Dark Tomorrow by Reece Hirsch

My Kind of People by Lisa Duffy

Happy & You Know It by Laura Hankin

Currently Reading:

The Sun Sister by Lucinda Riley

Next on the TBR pile:
Administrations of Lunacy by Mab Segrest

Review: The King and Mrs. Simpson by Erin Schulz

The King and Mrs Simpson

by Erin Schulz

Publisher: W.S. Beetle & Company

Pages: 154

Format: eARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:   In December of 1936, King Edward VIII of Great Britain shocked the world by giving up his kingdom in order to marry a twice-divorced American commoner named Wallis Simpson. "The King and Mrs. Simpson" recounts, in a novella-sized work, the extraordinary love story between the popular king and the enigmatic woman that began at a party in England and culminated with the downfall of his reign nearly six years later.

Kritters Thoughts: A great little short book about the courtship and eventual marriage of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.  Told through a limited number of pages, this book cuts straight to the facts and isn't a characterization of what happened, it is what happened.

Wallis Simpson was invited to an event that King Edward VIII attended before he was crowned king and as they spent more and more time together they realized that there was something growing between them and they had some tough decisions to make.  I appreciated hearing the real truth as to Wallis' reaction to his possible abdication and how this would truly impact the family and the world.  

As a fan of the show The Crown, this read was great to make me see a behind the scenes of how Elizabeth ended up on the throne and how this truly impacted her and her family.  I would love more small concise books like this on other subjects.    

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

  Ebook 2020 Challenge:  35 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 Socialite by J'nell Ciesielski

The Socialite

by J'nell Ciesielski

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Pages: 368

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  As the daughter of Sir Alfred Whitford, Kat has a certain set of responsibilities. But chasing her wayward sister, Ellie, to Nazi-occupied Paris was never supposed to be one of them. Now accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle that her Nazi boyfriend provides, Ellie has no intention of going back to the shackled life their parents dictate for them—but Kat will stop at nothing to bring her sister home.

Arrested for simply trying to defend himself against a drunken bully, Barrett Anderson is given the option of going to jail or serving out his sentence by training Resistance fighters in Paris. A bar owner serves as the perfect disguise to entertain Nazis at night while training fighters right below their jackboots during the day. Being assigned to watch over two English debutantes is the last thing he needs, but a payout from their father is too tempting to resist. Can Barrett and Kat trust each other long enough to survive, or will their hearts prove more traitorous than the dangers waiting around the corner?


Kritters Thoughts:  Another World War II historical fiction, but this one felt unique and different.  Two sisters are in Paris, France and one has become quite close to a Nazi general and the other is trying to get her sister out and return to the safety of their family home.  With secrets galore this story is about love and family in a time that isn't easy for France and the world.  

I have read many a book set both in this time and this place, but this one felt so different from the crowd.  Through the eyes of the privileged, but they interact with all sorts of people in the book.  This sounds weird to say, but I loved reading of their interactions with Hitler and his wife.  The dinner at his home and their conversations were so interesting.  I don't know that I have ever read a historical fiction book that had him included in the story.  I believe it was right for the author to include him since her lover would obviously have interacted with him and I am thankful that the author gave us the reader that inside glimpse.  

The story was a great combination of women's fiction with a good mystery inside.  The pacing was so great, I just kept reading and reading.  It had the feel of a great heist at the end and I loved that part.  

This was my first read from J'nell Ciesielski and I will have to check out her backlist to read another one or more.


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 Berkley  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?

Another week in the quarantine life with extra reading time!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

Hello Summer by Mary Kay Andrews

Postcards From a Stranger by Imogen Clark

Postcards From Christmas by Imogen Clark

Her Quiet Revolution by Marianne Monson

Currently Reading:

Administrations of Lunacy by Mab Segrest (audiobook)

Dark Tomorrow by Reece Hirsch

Next on the TBR pile:

The Sun Sister by Lucinda Riley

Review: Who Speaks for the Damned by C.S. Harris

Who Speaks for the Damned

by C.S. Harris

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 336

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  It's June 1814, and the royal families of Austria, Russia, and the German states have gathered in London at the Prince Regent's invitation to celebrate the defeat of Napoléon and the restoration of monarchical control throughout Europe. But the festive atmosphere is marred one warm summer evening by the brutal murder of a disgraced British nobleman long thought dead.

Eighteen years before, Nicholas Hayes, the third son of the late Earl of Seaford, was accused of killing a beautiful young French émigré and transported to Botany Bay for life. Even before his conviction, Hayes had been disowned by his father. Few in London were surprised when they heard the ne'er-do-well had died in New South Wales in 1799. But those reports were obviously wrong. Recently Hayes returned to London with a mysterious young boy in tow--a child who vanishes shortly after Nicholas's body is discovered.

Kritters Thoughts:  Nicholas Hayes is found murdered very early on in this book and his murder sets off a whole host of dominoes as it was believed that Nicholas was dead and had been for years.  His return and murder brings out some long held animosity between quite a few people, but who was mad enough to murder.

This was the first book by CS Harris that I have read and I enjoyed it, but it didn't wow me when I compare it to other books in the genre.  What I didn't love about the story was the who dun it of it.  I felt as though the detective was clunky of sorts and it circled and circled and I wanted to feel as though the detective was just a bit smarter.  

The thing that kept me reading and that I enjoyed the most about the book was its pacing.  For me when I read mystery/thriller books, they must have good pacing and the book must keep moving forward or else I can loose attention and fast.  This book kept the pacing and at the end of each chapter I was ready to read the next.  

I don't know that I would go back and start this series at the beginning.  Thankfully starting on book 15 wasn't a problem as there wasn't much of a focus on the personal life of the main character and the plot was entirely about the murder that was enclosed in this one book.  


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

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley  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: Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay

by Robyn Carr

Publisher: Mira

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Sometimes the happiness we’re looking for has been there all along…

Adele and Justine have never been close. Born twenty years apart, Justine was already an adult when Addie was born. The sisters love each other but they don’t really know each other.

When Addie dropped out of university to care for their ailing parents, Justine, a successful lawyer, covered the expenses. It was the best arrangement at the time but now that their parents are gone, the future has changed dramatically for both women.

Addie had great plans for her life but has been worn down by the pressures of being a caregiver and doesn’t know how to live for herself. And Justine’s success has come at a price. Her marriage is falling apart despite her best efforts.

Neither woman knows how to start life over but both realize they can and must support each other the way only sisters can. Together they find the strength to accept their failures and overcome their challenges. Happiness is within reach, if only they have the courage to fight for it.


Kritters Thoughts:  Adele and Justine are sisters, but are basically a generation apart.  They have not been in each other's life and as both are going through some major life changes at the same time, they will end up leaning on each other and using the other for support through some hard times.  A look at sisterhood and even though sisters aren't close when they are young, there is always room for a relationship to change and improve.  

I am typically a super fan of Robyn Carr's books that stand alone.  I feel as though they usually have great character development and the plot takes precedence over sexy times or romance, but this one was hard for me to read.  I have been avoiding books for awhile where there is cheating and spouse issues for personal reasons and unfortunately I read this book without reading the synopsis - because of previously stated I usually LOVE Robyn Carr stand alones.  I had a hard time reading this book because of the subject matter and that is the only reason.  The characters were great and the plot moved along, so if this subject matter doesn't impact your reading, then I would recommend it along side any other Robyn Carr stand alone book.  

This is one that will be hard for me to recommend due to my want to distance myself from the subject matter, but I can always say it is due to personal reasons that keep me from praising this book.  The writing and the characters line up with other books by her, so this one is based solely on the subject matter.


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

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 30 out of 100


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins  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: No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez

No Bad Deed

by Heather Chavez

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Driving home one rainy night, Cassie Larkin sees a man and woman fighting on the side of the road. After calling 911, the veterinarian makes a split-second decision that will throw her sedate suburban life into chaos. Against all reason and advice, she gets out of her minivan and chases after the violent man, trying to help his victim. When Cassie physically tries to stop him, he suddenly turns on her and spits out an ominous threat: “Let her die, and I’ll let you live.”

A veterinarian trained to heal, Cassie can’t let the woman die. But while she’s examining the unconscious victim, the attacker steals her car. Now he has her name. Her address. And he knows about her children. Though they warn her to be careful, the police assure her that the perpetrator—a criminal named Carver Sweet—won’t get near her. Cassie isn’t so sure.

The next day—Halloween—her husband disappears while trick-or-treating with their six-year-old daughter. Are these disturbing events a coincidence or the beginning of a horrifying nightmare? Her husband has been growing distant—is it possible he’s become involved with another woman? Is Cassie’s confrontation with the road-side attacker connected to her husband’s disappearance? With all these questions swirling in her mind Cassie can trust no one, maybe not even herself. The only thing she knows for sure is that she can’t sit back while the people she loves are in danger.

As she desperately searches for answers, Cassie discovers that nothing is as random as it seems, and that she is more than willing to fight—to go the most terrifying extremes—to save her family and her marriage.


Kritters Thoughts:  Cassie Larkin is a veterinarian with two kids and a husband.  On the way home after a long day at the office, she stumbles upon a man and a woman and the woman is being attacked and she makes the split decision to jump to the rescue, this one night will change her life forever.  

I love a good mystery thriller with some good twists and turns, but this one felt just too unrealistic and way too many twists and turns and maneuvers.  Up to a certain point I was on board with the story and how things were going down, but towards the end when the chips were starting to fall it got weird and convoluted.  

I would read another by this author, but with caution.  I liked the characters and most of the plot, it was just the final culprits and their relationships that just didn't jibe with me. 

As always when I review mystery/thriller books, I try to be a little vague because I don't want to spoil any major plot points that could possibly ruin someone's reading experience of the book.    


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

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 28 out of 100


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins  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?

Another week under stay at home orders and a quieter weekend with a lot of reading hours!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

Master Class by Christina Dalcher

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster

The King and Mrs. Simpson by Erin Schulz

How to Be Fine by Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer

The Paris Hours by Alex George

The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs

Currently Reading:

Hello Summer by Mary Kay Andrews

Next on the TBR pile:

Dark Tomorrow by Reece Hirsch

Review: Who Rescued Who by Victoria Schade

Who Rescued Who

by Victoria Schade

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 336

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  A few rough breaks lead a woman at the end of her leash to journey across the pond to fetch a surprise inheritance--but the dogs she rescues along the way have other ideas.

The plan was simple: Elizabeth would suffer through a quick trip to her late father's family homestead in the English countryside, try not to think about how she was unjustly fired from her dream job, claim her inheritance, and hop on the next flight back to Silicon Valley where she can get her life back on track.

The plan does not include rescuing an abandoned black and white puppy. Or bonding with her long-lost aunt and uncle, their Border Collie, and their two very opinionated sheep. Or falling for the handsome local who runs the town's craft brewery. As Elizabeth's brief visit to Fargrove turns into an extended stay, she discovers that she has more in common with the new puppy than she realized.

Kritters Thoughts:  Elizabeth is recently out of a job and at a crossroads, while recovering from job loss she gets a call and some information that she has family in England that would like to meet her and give her her inheritance.  So with nothing to lose and no current ties to CA, she heads to England for what could be a quick trip, but of course it isn't!

I loved this story.  Although the plot isn't anything new - "oh I have family I didn't know about and inheritance", but for some reason this one felt unique and different and I liked it.  I think it is a combo of loving Elizabeth the character and dogs!  I love how there kept being great reasons for her to stay in England and to continue to get to know these new family members.  

This is one of those sweet cute books that is perfect for a weekend read or could even be a beach read.  I love when I come across a book that has a great storyline, but is all just nice and sweet and easy to read.  


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.