Review: The Runaway Heiress by Meg Tilly

The Runaway Heiress

by Meg Tilly

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Sarah Rainsford has been on the run for more than three years. She's changed identities yet again in hopes of throwing her violent estranged husband, a police lieutenant, off her trail. Since she's still legally married to him, and he is willing to bend any laws to get his hands on her inheritance, he'll stop at nothing to locate her.

With a new name and fake ID papers, she lands a job as a personal assistant to none other than Hollywood's golden boy director Mick Talford. He's a difficult client but she senses hidden depths to him. Once Mick and Sarah combine forces in a desperate attempt to keep Sarah out of harm's way, they build a strong bond . . . but with danger trailing them, is it enough to keep them both alive? 

Kritters Thoughts:  Sarah Rainsford has been on the run for years and while she should be living the nice life with her trust fund giving her opportunities, instead she is barely scraping by and running from her estranged husband who has the law on his side.  Sarah ends up in Los Angeles and on the doorstep of a movie director who with time helps her to confront the demons of her past and they may even fall in love while doing so!

Sarah was such a fun character to follow and while the reader doesn't know all of the details they are divulged at just the right pace.  Mick was great also and I enjoyed his character arc while contrived in a few moments in the book, he was still a great character to put next to Sarah.  

A combination of mystery and romance, this book was a fun read.  They were fast enemies to lovers and I don't know how or why, but it didn't feel like instalove to me at all.  While I must warn that there is a long love scene that was quite open door, but it was easy to skim if that isn't your thing and there is more than enough plot to enjoy without that moment.  

This was my first Meg Tilly read and will by no means be my last.  I am intrigued to read a few synopsis and dive into more of her books, especially if they have this great combo of mystery and romance!

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 92 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: Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell

Kill All Your Darlings

by David Bell

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 416

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  After years of struggling to write following the deaths of his wife and son, English professor Connor Nye publishes his first novel, a thriller about the murder of a young woman.

There's just one problem: Connor didn't write the book. His missing student did. And then she appears on his doorstep, alive and well, threatening to expose him.

Connor's problems escalate when the police insist details in the novel implicate him in an unsolved murder from two years ago. Soon Connor discovers the crime is part of a disturbing scandal on campus and faces an impossible dilemma--admit he didn't write the book and lose his job or keep up the lie and risk everything. When another murder occurs, Connor must clear his name by unraveling the horrifying secrets buried in his student's manuscript.

Kritters Thoughts:  Connor Nye is an English professor that has been in need of a book to publish to get tenure at his university and one has fallen in his lap when a student submits a thesis and then disappears.  He steals the manuscripts and publishes it as his own, but upon publication she returns and then the dominos start to fall.  

Before reading this book, I was already a David Bell fan, so I didn't even read the synopsis before starting and just dove in.  It was so easy to get into these characters and get attached to each of them and want to know everything about the situations they found themselves in.  Not only were the characters built quickly, the plot was moving fast from the very beginning.  

I tend to judge a mystery book based on the final culprit and while this book had some great twists and turns, I was completely satisfied with the culprit and how the book came together.  This book solidified my love for David Bell and I will keep reading his books without any synopsis!

Rating:  absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 91 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: The Woman in the Water by Kelly Heard

The Woman in the Water

by Kelly Heard

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 345

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  My sister Holly is dead.

I still can’t bring myself to say those words out loud. Even as I catch my first glimpse of sunlight on the lake, as I approach the small town where we grew up. I promised myself I would never go back there. That it would be safer for us both if I stayed away forever…

But Holly’s little girls need me. They have no-one else. And they might be in danger.

Because I know Holly’s death wasn’t an accident.

She didn’t slip and drown out by the old boardwalk, surrounded by trees and dark water. She would never have gone there, if she had a choice.

Someone has done this to keep her silent.

If whoever killed Holly knows my secret too, then I need to find them before they find me.

Otherwise, I’ll be next.

Kritters Thoughts:  A woman is found dead in the water and this water has a past in this small town to be a haunted place.  The younger sister of the deceased heads back home to get the details of her death and check on her daughters and maybe even confront some things from the past.  

First, let me say I read this book during a very busy week in my personal life and could only read it in bits and pieces which is not typically how my reading time goes. For me the simple fact that this book had a lot of short chapters made me distracted and created too many easy breaks and distractions.  I think these things skewed my reading and I hope to read Kelly Heard again and be able to be pulled in for longer reading situations.  

Being one half of a sister sibling relationship and having a sister who has kids that were close to Holly's kids ages, it made for a few times where the book felt a little too close to home!  When Felicity arrives back home and has to confront secrets of the past and the death of her sister, I was personally invested and the way the author built the sisters and the characters that surrounded was the main driver that kept me reading through all my personal crazy!  I wanted to know the stories from the past and the present and find out how the sisters ended up estranged and then how Felicity was going to solve all the things.  

For me the characters were the focus of this story and the plot was enough to support these great characters and I know for me it had a few moments where the pacing fell off, but I can also see that it could have been my own personal things in the way of my reading experience.  

This was my second Kelly Heard read and I would love to read more of her backlist and the ones to come.

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 90 out of 100

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

A busy week hosting my niece, but squeaked in some good reading time!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The Woman in the Water by Kelly Heard

Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell

The Runaway Heiress by Meg Tilly

Currently Reading:

Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey

Next on the TBR pile:

The Dating Dare by Jaycie Lee

Review: The Witness by John Ryder

The Witness

by John Ryder

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 327

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  “I need you to find and protect my daughter. I can’t even tell you where she is. All I can say is that I’ve been told she’ll be dead by noon tomorrow.”

Kyle Roche is a man who people hire to fix problems. But this time he’s been hired to protect a woman who doesn’t officially exist anymore. And he’s the only man who can find her and keep her safe in less than twenty-four hours…

The daughter’s name is Savannah Nicholls. She had to go into Witness Protection because of a tragic mistake. She moved to the small town of Pagosa Springs nine days ago but even hidden as she is, she’s in mortal danger. Savannah’s mother says her daughter is just a nice girl, from a good family, that she’s never gotten in trouble in her life.

But she also says someone knows where she is. And they want to kill her. Within minutes of making contact with Savannah, as Roche feels a bullet whistle by his ear, he knows instinctively that she’s right.

But who is after Savannah? And how can Roche protect her when he isn’t allowed to know anything about who she is—or who her enemies are?

Kritters Thoughts:  Kyle Roche is a man who is hired to take care of things who need big things fixed.  A mother of a child who is in the Witness Protection Program needs his help as her daughter's life has been threatened and these bad people know where she is and how to get here which means there are bigger fish to fry - within the government and the program.  So Kyle is off to first fine the target and then to find the real problem within.  

This was an interesting book as it was not just a story about rescuing the damsel in distress, but also trying to find the leak within.  For me these two parts of the book were great as it was a lot of cat and mouse and chasing and outsmarting, but the book went south for me when the hunted became the hunter.  I don't want to share too much and spoil the book, but Savannah's storyline itself just didn't fit for me in the book.  It felt as though too much was revealed too late in the game and I wish the reader knew more earlier in the book to understand her decisions and her motives.  

This was my first John Ryder read and while I didn't love all the details in this book, I did enjoy the overall plot and storyline, so I would be intrigued to try his other series and see if I enjoy those a bit more than this one.

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 88 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  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: Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman

Radar Girls

by Sara Ackerman

Publisher: MIRA

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Daisy Wilder prefers the company of horses to people, bare feet and salt water to high heels and society parties. Then, in the dizzying aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Daisy enlists in a top secret program, replacing male soldiers in a war zone for the first time. Under fear of imminent invasion, the WARDs guide pilots into blacked-out airstrips and track unidentified planes across Pacific skies.  

But not everyone thinks the women are up to the job, and the new recruits must rise above their differences and work side by side despite the resistance and heartache they meet along the way. With America’s future on the line, Daisy is determined to prove herself worthy. And with the man she’s falling for out on the front lines, she cannot fail. From radar towers on remote mountaintops to flooded bomb shelters, she’ll need her new team when the stakes are highest. Because the most important battles are fought—and won—together.

Kritters Thoughts:  Hawaii must have seemed like the ideal place to live until the attack on Pearl Harbor and although Daisy Wilder had been through some things, a house on the beach and working with horses was the perfect set up.  Once the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, the military were looking for women to fill some of the roles that men were having to leave as they left for war and Daisy and some of the local women were trained and able to help in the air defense group.  

Another great historical fiction that takes a detailed view of a part of history that some of us may not know about, while I knew that women took a part in the military effort, to read specific stories of women and the jobs they filled was entertaining.  I loved that the author included a variety of women and we got to know different women who were living in Hawaii and their different responses to the jobs they were taking on and the men off at war.  

With a bit of romance sprinkled in, but still maintaining a focus on the women and their jobs, this book was great.  I say this often, but if you feel as though you have read ALL the World War II historical fiction books, I would try this one, it felt unique with a focus on women and the location of Hawaii. 

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 89 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: A Light in the Window by Marion Kummerow

A Light in the Window

by Marion Kummerow

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 282

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Berlin, 1941: Margarete Rosenbaum is working as a housemaid for a senior Nazi officer when his house is bombed, leaving her the only survivor. But when she’s mistaken for his daughter in the aftermath of the blast, Margarete knows she can make a bid for freedom…

Issued with temporary papers—and with the freedom of not being seen as Jewish—a few hours are all she needs to escape to relative safety. That is, until her former employer’s son, SS officer Wilhelm Huber, tracks her down.

But strangely he doesn’t reveal her true identity right away. Instead he insists she comes and lives with him in Paris, and seems determined to keep her hidden. His only proviso: she must continue to pretend to be his sister. Because whoever would suspect a Nazi girl of secretly being a Jew?

His plan seems impossible, and Margarete is terrified they might be found out, not to mention worried about what Wilhelm might want in return. But as the Nazis start rounding up Jews in Paris and the Résistance steps up its activities, putting everyone who opposes the regime in peril, she realizes staying hidden in plain sight may be her only chance of survival…

Can Margarete trust a Nazi officer with the only things she has left though… her safety, her life, even her heart?

Kritters Thoughts:  Another World War II historical fiction, but again another angle that made the book feel unique even within this sub genre that has quote a plethora of work.  A bombing of a home changes the life for the Jewish housemaid who survives and takes on the identity of the daughter of the family to escape and hopefully start a new life where she can survive the wrath of the Nazi regime, but she doesn't account for the brothers that want to find their surviving family member.

This was an interesting combo of historical fiction with a little romance on the side.  Margarete is hiding in plain sight as she is trying to hide in a place where the identity she was born into is hated by many and she just wants to survive.  Without technology and the things we live with now, I wondered while reading this book how often people were able to take on identities and hide to escape what was going on.  I would love to read an article or a piece of non fiction that recounts the people who did something similar to Margarete to survive the war.  

I have read one other Marion Kummerow historical fiction books and I loved it also, so I hope to read more of her backlist and the books that are to come in the future.  

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 87 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  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 Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

The Final Girl Support Group

by Grady Hendrix

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 352

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In horror movies, the final girl is the one who's left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?

Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she's not alone. For more than a decade she's been meeting with five other actual final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette's worst fears are realized--someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up. 

Kritters Thoughts:  Lynnette is a final girl.  She went through a horrific tragedy and she was the sole survivor of an event that took her whole family.  There are other girls who are final girls and they have been meeting to support one another, but as the book begins, something happens and the girls are being hunted.  

This was such an interesting spin on a mystery/thriller with the victims in this book being victims of crimes in the past and me, the reader, wanting to know what happened in the past while also following what is happening in the present day.  With great, "chase scenes," as women are running from someone (can't spoil!) I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book and thank goodness I had a Saturday to start and finish this book in a few sittings, but in one day.

I loved the final culprit and while I won't share much here, I loved how it all unfolded and the final twists and turns until the end.  This was my first Grady Hendrix and while I am not sure I will read all of her backlist, but I may have to try one.  

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 86 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from St Martin's Press.  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: Those I Have Lost by Sharon Maas

Those I Have Lost

by Sharon Maas

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 430

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  India, 1940. and Rosie is devastated by the sudden death of her beloved mother. The parties, smiles and games disappear, and although Rosie is desperate to stay in her home, her father cannot look after her. All alone in the world, she is sent to Sri Lanka, to live with her mother’s friend Silvia and her three sons.

Time passes and Rosie flourishes in her new home amongst the mango trees and canna lilies. And one day, under the heat of the Sri Lankan sun, she falls in love for the first time. But her happiness is short lived, for the brutal war that has devastated families and torn Europe apart is creeping closer to their island. One by one the men depart Sri Lanka leaving Rosie with just memories and a broken heart she must hide.

As Rosie waits for letters that never come, tortured by stories of torpedoed ships and massacres of innocent families, she realizes that she cannot just sit and wait for news. She volunteers to help the army, working in military intelligence to protect her island paradise. But then her work brings shocking news that makes her blood run cold. The man she loved is missing, feared dead. Yet Rosie cannot lose hope – even as more women are left widows, more children left without fathers. But when the much longed-for news comes that the war is ended, and a limping wasted figure returns home, will one final devastating revelation tear Rosie’s world apart?

Kritters Thoughts:  Rosie is a young girl at the beginning of this book and after the death of her mother, a family friend arrives to insist that Rosie come and live with her and her husband and three sons and have access to a family life full of love and opportunities that her father cannot provide alone.  This is where this story starts and it moves through World War II, but from the perspective of a family in Sri Lanka and how different the worldview is from there.  

This was one of those epic stories that spans some years and has a lot of ups and downs.  Rosie goes through a whole range of emotions as she is living in a different home where she feels as though she only half belongs and still yearns for the home that she was born into.  While at the same time a war is going on and they are wondering if it will reach their shores and if their sons will have to be involved.  

I have read a lot of historical fiction and a lot of those take place during World War II, so to have a book set in a different location that I have never read about during a time that I have read a lot about was great.    

This was my first Sharon Maas book and I am excited to see her future books, but also want to dive into her backlist and see what else I could enjoy by her.  

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 85 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  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 Lost Girl of Berlin by Ella Carey

The Lost Girl of Berlin

by Ella Carey

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 289

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The truck stopped for a moment in the freezing, bombed-out street and Kate caught sight of a little girl in a ragged dress on the steps of a once-beautiful mansion. The child’s eyes were startling blue, a pair of endless pools, drawing Kate towards her…

1946, Berlin. War correspondent Kate Mancini is in Germany, reporting on the aftermath of the devastating war. For her readers back home in New York, she tells the stories of innocent families, trying to rebuild the wreckage of their lives now the soldiers have left at last. But in the Russian-held sector of Berlin on an icy winter’s day, Kate breaks all the rules, rescuing Mia Stein, a silent orphan who she fears will otherwise perish.

Together with her fellow journalist, handsome Rick Shearer, Kate manages to find a safe house for Mia before she returns to America and vows to keep in touch. Back home, the reality of post-war life for women is stark. Whilst Rick walks into his dream job, no newspaper will hire a woman. The editors laugh her out of their offices, telling her to get married and raise a family. Rick does all he can to support her, as she takes her first steps towards the new medium of television news, and their friendship deepens into something more.

Then tragedy strikes: Rick is falsely named as a communist sympathizer. He is arrested, blacklisted and faces prison.

Kate knows she must do all she can to free the man she loves. But that means returning to Germany, to seek out the little orphan girl who is her only chance at salvation. Kate and Rick saved Mia—will she help them both now? And even if Kate succeeds, freedom might never be hers when she returns home…

Kritters Thoughts:  Kate Mancini is a hopeful journalist who while the profession is still dominated by men, she has dreams and aspirations that she will find a place in journalism that will allow her to talk about the political stories just like a man does.  Rick Shearer is one of those said man journalists who have the opportunity to build the career of their dreams and after a chance encounter abroad that will go on a long and bump journey.

So to start the synopsis of this book lead me a bit astray.  The tragedy that is described doesn't arrive until the very end and the timing of the whole book just felt off for me.  I like the characters and especially enjoyed that Kate was based on a historical figure with some truth backing up her narrative, I felt as though the tragedy forced some events and it just didn't read right for me.  

Ella Carey can write great women and that is what kept me staying in this book.  I read this book more to hear about women in journalism in this moment and time and in this place.  The encounters that Kate had and the interesting career choices she made were great to read and those are the things that I liked in this book.  

I want to say I am an Ella Carey fan and although this one didn't hit the mark for me, I will absolutely continue to read her historical fiction and I am going to assume that I will enjoy them more than I did this one.  

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 84 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  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: America's Promise by Celeste de Blasis

America's Promise

by Celeste de Blasis

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 227

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  1780. Addie looks around at the soldiers celebrating their latest victory. American independence is within reach, but her heart feels heavy with grief. With her husband gone, she must leave the army camp, and the people she has come to love, and choose a respectable path to guard the secret she now carries alone.

Seeking shelter with her aunts in Virginia, Addie tries to mold herself back into the proper and dutiful woman she was before the war, and before the love of a fierce, dark-eyed warrior, changed her forever. But when a band of rogue British soldiers arrives on the farm, will the strength she has gained from traveling with the Revolutionary army be enough to save her loved ones?

Fighting turmoil in Virginia, Addie faces an even worse trial when terrible news arrives from the front: should she stay silent and keep her family safe, or divulge her secret and save an innocent man’s life?

Kritters Thoughts:  The third in a series and be warned as my discussion below of this book will have spoilers that will spoil book one and two.  This is a series where you absolutely need to start with book one as each book builds on the previous one.  

In this third installment, Addie is heading to Virginia to spend time with her family as she must disguise a pregnancy that could cause some controversy if the details got out.  She spends the conclusion of the war at the family home getting updates while the rest of her family continues the pursuit of freedom.  

I enjoyed this book more than the second one as it focused on Addie's point of view and how the war was coming to an end.  With fewer scenes on the front lines, I enjoyed the human aspect that this story took as this focused more on the people impacted by the conflict.  As much as I was up and down about this series, I wouldn't mind more in this series, so we could follow Addie and her family as the country builds and decides how they want to operate after the British have left.   

I still think that book one was my favorite as the main characters were dividing and figuring out their roles they would play, I can say that this book is my second favorite and I would read more books by this author, especially if she put her focus on the women in history that made impacts.    

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 83 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  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: Love Scenes by Bridget Morrissey

Love Scenes

by Bridget Morrissey

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Acting like she's in love with her handsome nightmare of a co-star--in a movie directed and produced by her complicated Hollywood royalty family--is Sloane's job. But what happens when the lines between script and reality get blurred?

Out-of-work actress Sloane Ford is in desperate need of something to do after losing her steady TV gig. When her famous family ropes her into working as a producer on their World War II-era romance, they neglect to mention that the film will be headlined by Joseph Donovan, her least favorite former co-star of all time. The roguish actor made her life a living hell the last time they worked together, using his movie star good looks and Irish charm to cover for his erratic professional behavior. On their new film set, he promises he's different now, but Sloane is far from convinced.

As filming gets underway, it becomes clear that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. When the lead actress is abruptly fired, Sloane agrees to step in and take over the role, and she starts to remember why she fell in love with acting in the first place. On camera, she and Joseph share an electric chemistry. Off camera, they've been honing their characters and, much to Sloane's surprise, growing closer. But playing the role of a woman in love with Joseph Donovan is a dangerous business, and the more time they spend together, the less Sloane can tell what's real between them, and what's just for show.

Kritters Thoughts:  Sloane Ford is the daughter of a Hollywood power couple and her entire family is in the business and she is hitting a low point in her career, so she helps her sister as she directs her first movie and Sloane takes the producer role to help her out.  Of course, the main actor in this movie is someone from her past and the last interaction they had wasn't positive, but she is bound and determined for her sister to complete this project with something she is proud of.  

I always love when a book gives you a behind the scenes look and within this great romance book the reader also gets to see life on a Hollywood movie set.  Also get a little view into a Hollywood dynasty and the extra pressure that brings onto the future generations of the family.  

With this pair having a history, this romance didn't have that instalove feeling and instead was a enemies to lovers and was a fun ride.  I loved how being co workers also added to the drama and just heightened things to the right level.  It was fun to watch these two orbit each other and then finally get things together - not spoiling, we all know how romance books go!

This was my first Bridget Morrissey read and it will not be the last!  

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 82 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: Lost and Found Family by Jennifer Ryan

Lost and Found Family

by Jennifer Ryan

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  She would do anything to protect her children, including keeping her secrets buried with her late husband…

All families have secrets, and no one knows it better than Sarah Anderson. Hiding the truth about her late husband from their children is only half of it. She’s let her mother-in-law, Margaret, hate her for years, just to keep the illusion that her son was perfect intact.

But when the older woman threatens to remove the boys from her home, Sarah strikes a bargain: she’ll bring them for a six week visit, even though it goes against her every instinct.

Complicating matters is attorney Luke Thompson. An old friend of the family, he’s agreed to investigate Sarah’s past, although he doesn’t feel comfortable poking around in her private life. What he finds is a truth very different from the one he’s been led to believe.

 All Sarah ever wanted was a family, and all Luke wants now is her love. The time has come to reveal the terrible secrets that have been kept for so long. In losing the past, a new love—and family—can be found.

Kritters Thoughts:  Sarah Anderson has picked herself up and put herself and her boys back together after the death of their father and her husband.  He left quite a lot for her to pick up and her mother in law blames her for all sorts of things as she has been living with truth that her son provided before his death.  She insists the boys come and visit her, so Sarah picks up her life and relocates for six weeks that will eventually change her life.

A great romance that of course the reader knows the outcome of the story from the beginning, but what a ride it was.  What I loved most about this story was the focus on Sarah as a career woman on top of being a single mom.  It was so interesting to read about how she sacrificed so much to build a business that her boys could be proud of and to keep up the facade that her mother in law had of her late husband.    

Sarah was a great character to follow for a story.  From a great work ethic to an interesting past to uncover, I really enjoyed how Jennifer Ryan built this character and this story.  Although this book could be on the cusp of instalove as this couple fell in love quickly as she was visiting her ex mother in law, for some reason it still felt as though it was a slow burn and it worked for me.

Be warned there were a few steamy sexy scenes, but for a girl who likes the door closed, the plot was so good, that I could skim right past and enjoy the story.  I have read a few Jennifer Ryan books and she is climbing the ladder to become an author that I am loving and really appreciating her variety of genres she writes.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 81 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from William Morrow.  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.