I'm a stay at home mom who runs 2 book clubs. The Page Ladies are a group of friends I have known since elementary school. we have been reading together for 8 years now. The Mighty Mini Lits is a group for young readers I started it 3 years ago with 5 kids we now have 16 kids ages 5 to 9.
BookReview............A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
20 Years ago
When Chloe was 12 years old, they arrested her father for the deaths of 6 teenage girls. From then o...
more
BookReview............A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
20 Years ago
When Chloe was 12 years old, they arrested her father for the deaths of 6 teenage girls. From then on, her life was never the same.
Present
It has been 20 years since her father was arrested. It has taken a long time, but Chloe has finally found some happiness in her life. Chloe is working as a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge. She is also busy with planning her wedding! On the outside she looks like a girl who has finally put the past behind her and in some ways she probably thinks she has, but pictures can be deceiving.
When a local woman goes missing, Chloe’s life is sent spinning. You see, this isn't just any girl, this is one of Chloe's patients and she was the last person to be seen with her! Could it really be a copycat?
A Flicker in the Dark is creepy, dark and filled with twists and turns! The writing in this book is fantastic! The character building is just as wonderful! The author did an amazing job with all the different layers that made up the characters! In the beginning, the pace is great and then it slows down and at the end everything just comes at once. It's chaos, but it’s good chaos! I am proud to say that I could guess some of the end, but I was not expecting that one twist! You guys are going to love this book when it comes out this winter!
Happy reading everyone!
Thank you Minotaur Books for sharing this book with me!
This was a fast-paced thrill with some odd twists and a page turner! The mysterious creepy deserted island setting I absolutely loved! The tension that comes from just the setting is great and then you add because you just know something isn’t 100% with each character makes it even better! I have always enjoyed how authors can make you feel certain things, like you just know something is off about a person or place, but you can’t quite put your finger on what the problem is!
The flashbacks were great, but also a necessity. It's like those “AHA” moments when you understand why something is happening! Now the ending, this is just going to be one of those books where you either like it or you don't. As a group, we all had mixed feelings on this part. But we all agreed that overall we still enjoyed the book! The world building, the suspense and the tension, and with so many twists it keeps hold of you! Plus, Rachel Hawkins writing is so descriptive you'll feel you're on the island with the scorching sun beating down on you! You want to keep reading because you can’t wait to see what way the story will go next!
Thank you The Book Club Cookbook and St. Martins Press for sharing Reckless Girls with us!
The other from the present
wants to find the past…
This was a beautif...
more
The Riviera House by Natasha Lester!
One house….
Two women……
One from the past
fighting for the future…
The other from the present
wants to find the past…
This was a beautiful story about loss, love, betrayal, bravery, and hope!
Once again, I am amazed at Natasha Lester’s writing. Have you ever read a book where you felt like you could actually taste, smell, and feel everything the characters are experiencing? That is how well this book is written! There are two timelines in this book. Which I know from personal experience can become frustrating, but this book moves seamlessly between the two! This is my 3rd book by Natasha Lester and just like with her other books, you can feel the dedication, time, love, and research she has put into her books! That alone can make a book come alive! Happy reading everyone!
Thank you The Book Club Cookbook for sharing another great read with me!
A chilling look into an alternate near future where a woman and her daughter seek refuge in a women-only colony, only to find that the safe haven they were hoping for is the most ...
more
A chilling look into an alternate near future where a woman and her daughter seek refuge in a women-only colony, only to find that the safe haven they were hoping for is the most dangerous place they could be.
Miranda Reynolds always thought she would rather die than live in Femlandia. But that was before the country sank into total economic collapse and her husband walked out in the harshest, most permanent way, leaving her and her sixteen-year-old daughter with nothing. The streets are full of looting, robbing, and killing, and Miranda and Emma no longer have much choice—either starve and risk getting murdered, or find safety. And so they set off to Femlandia, the women-only colony Miranda’s mother, Win Somers, established decades ago.
Although Win is no longer in the spotlight, her protégé Jen Jones has taken Femlandia to new heights: The off-grid colonies are secluded, self-sufficient, and thriving—and Emma is instantly enchanted by this idea of a safe haven. But something is not right. There are no men allowed in the colony, but babies are being born—and they’re all girls. Miranda discovers just how the all-women community is capable of enduring, and it leads her to question how far her mother went to create this perfect, thriving, horrifying society.
Thank you Berkley Books and netgalley for the opportunity to read this absolutely dark, disturbing and oh so good book!
Well, this is definitely a dark and disturbing book. Its about a mother and daughter living in a world that has pretty much ended. Miranda the mother never wanted to go to femlandia. Femlandia is a women's only colony, or cult.So when Miranda's husband leaves her and her 16 year old daughter Emma with nothing she is left with no choice but to go. But it becomes very apparent that the colony is not a safe heaven, it's more like stepping right into the fire. I'm sure there will be a few people that will have a hard time reading it. It is disturbing but man is it good! I was hooked from the start! I look forward to reading more by Christina Dalcher!
Two best friends say I do to living together, for better or worse, in this bold women's fiction novel from Alexa Martin.
Jude Andrews is famous. Well, at least on Instagram. Her ...
more
Two best friends say I do to living together, for better or worse, in this bold women's fiction novel from Alexa Martin.
Jude Andrews is famous. Well, at least on Instagram. Her brand is clean eating, good vibes, Pilates, and casually looking like a sun-kissed goddess. In real life, however, she's a total disaster. She has a strained relationship with her fame-hungry mom and her latest bad decision emptied out her entire savings account.
Lauren Turner had a plan: graduate medical school and become the top surgeon in the country. But when she became unexpectedly pregnant, those plans changed. And when her fiancé left her, they changed again. Now navigating the new world of coparenting, mom groups, and dating, she decides to launch a mommy podcast with all the advice she wishes someone had given her.
Jude and Lauren don't have much in common, but maybe that's why they've been best friends since the third grade. Through ups and downs, they've been by each other's sides. But now? They're broke, single, and do the only thing that makes sense--move in together, just like they talked about when they were teenagers. Except when they were younger, the plan didn't include a five-year-old daughter and more baggage than their new townhouse can hold.
Thank you Berkley Books and netgalley for giving me the chance to read beautiful, heartwarming book!
This was such a beautiful story! It touches on so many things that myself and I'm sure a lot of you can relate too! It's touching story about motherhood, friendship, abuse, custody battle, alcoholism and so much more! Jude and Lauren find themselves in hard times, so they decide to move in together. But its not going to be like they thought it would be when they were teenagers. They each bring their own baggage. This is very different from the other books I have read by Alexa Martin but she did an absolutely amazing job with this book! I couldn't help liking this book! I look forward to read more books like this from Alexa Martin! Such a perfect book, beautifully written and much, much more!
Thank you St Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of The Living and The Lost by Ellen Feldman in exchange for an honest review!
The story is about brother and sister Millie and D...
more
Thank you St Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of The Living and The Lost by Ellen Feldman in exchange for an honest review!
The story is about brother and sister Millie and David Mosbach. They were some of the few who were able to escape to the United States before Kristallnacht. Leaving behind their father, mother, and little sister. Working for the US Army, they have taken on assignments that have them returning to Berlin, to a city that is scarred both mentally and physically, to help with the rebuilding. Now that they are home, they need to find the strength to forgive, to heal and deal with the guilt of surviving.
Will they be able to find the understanding and forgiveness that they both need?
Ok first a small history lesson, then I will tell you what I thought of the book! Kristallnacht, which was also called “Crystal Night” or “The Night of Broken Glass” It took place November 9th and 10th 1938. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after the windows of Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues were smashed. While all of that was going on, the German government did nothing, just sat and watched. Crazy!
I have read quite a few WWII books, but I can’t remember ever reading about after the war most of them take place during. This was a beautiful and shattering story. Ellen Feldman did a wonderful job describing not just the atmosphere of a post-war Berlin, the spies and the black markets, but also the feelings of the people, the desperation, the hate, and the hope. It was an emotional and thought provoking read! Happy reading everyone!
First, I want to say thank you to The Book Club Cookbook and Avon Books. We had so much fun with So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park!
That we all could relate to Jessie Kim made for...
more
First, I want to say thank you to The Book Club Cookbook and Avon Books. We had so much fun with So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park!
That we all could relate to Jessie Kim made for a lively discussion for us! We have a lawyer, police officer, teacher, a chief, bank manager and before I became a stay at home mom, I was a corporate manager for what was called Flying J! So each one of us has had to deal with something similar to Jessie! So you can just imagine the discussion that this book created for us!
Jessie Kim is a Wall Street investment banker. For years she has worked her butt off trying to climb the corporate ladder. When an opportunity for a promotion comes, she thinks after years of all nighters, layoff and doing Wyatt’s work will pay off. But in the end Wyatt gets the promotion! The last straw is when she overhears the sexist comments her bosses have to say about her is the final straw she walks out and moves back to her childhood home!
Now back home, she has to deal with her domineering mother hooking her up with her childhood nemesis, Daniel Choi! Even though it’s the last thing she wants, she can't help but like him.
“He was that guy. The obnoxiously endearing one who eventually burrowed his way into your heart.”
Deciding to make a career change, she starts a cooking vlog! But her mother, not being able to help herself, walks in during her show! Let the fun begin! Even though she isn't thrilled with having to work with her mom, especially when past experiences had been stressful, she has to admit with her mom the show had become an instant hit! I mean really what else could go wrong?
“Umma to the rescue!”
It was a heartwarming story about family, taking a chance and starting over and believing in your own self worth. The relationship between Jessie and her mother is hilarious, but it also feels real. Oh, and just a heads up eat before you read this book it might help, but probably not with the hunger and the cravings you will get from all the delicious food you will hear about! Happy reading everyone!
Eleven years ago, Shelby Tybow, Meredith Dicky and her six-year-old daughter Delilah just vanished!
Late one night after putting her daughter to bed, Shelby Tybow goes for ...
more
PAST
Eleven years ago, Shelby Tybow, Meredith Dicky and her six-year-old daughter Delilah just vanished!
Late one night after putting her daughter to bed, Shelby Tybow goes for a run, or at least that is what she tells her husband. Despite her husband’s warning, “when people do dumb shit like this, they always wind up dead” and the late hour she goes! But with her husband working and her at home during the day taking care of their baby, this is the only time she can get out and meet up with the other man! She knows her husband is having an affair. How else would lipstick get on his collar! But she never makes it to the meeting spot! Was it her husband? Did he know about the affair? Or was it someone else?
As a mother, wife, doula and yoga instructor, Meredith Dicky lives a busy but happy life! That is, until everything goes horribly wrong. She has a secret! When the secrets add up, she knows she needs to tell her husband, but how do you tell someone you love something that may change the way they think about you? Before she can figure out the how, where, and when, she and Delilah are gone!
PRESENT
For the first time in 11 years, Delilah is free! She has finally escaped from the dark, wet, cold and smelly basement her captors have kept her in! She doesn’t remember much of her life before the basement, but she remembers her father’s face. But can she trust her own memories or what the kidnappers told her?
Is Shelby, Meredith and Delilah’s disappearances connected?
Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out!
Have you ever put together a puzzle? You try to put the border together first, but as you go, sometimes you find pieces that go together for a part in the middle, so you put them together and go back to the border. As you go along, you get the complete picture of what the puzzle will be and where all the pieces link.
That's what this book was like: you get some foundation, then some odd and end pieces, then a few twists and then, just like flicking a light switch, it all falls into place! It's told from 3 different POV’s and with the way the timeline moves around the pace changes with it so it has a little bit of the slow burn and the fast paced! It's complex and full of twists and turns! Happy reading everyone!
Don’t you love it when you stumble across a new book and it turns out to be fantastic?
That's what happened to me! I was looking for a new mystery thriller series to start and I ...
more
Don’t you love it when you stumble across a new book and it turns out to be fantastic?
That's what happened to me! I was looking for a new mystery thriller series to start and I came across Shadow Man by Cody McFadyen! I ended staying up till 4:37 am to finish reading this book and I am already about a quarter of the way through the next book!
The Shadow Man is about Smoky Barrett, and she has lived through a nightmare. A Special Agent in the FBI, she hunts serial killers. Until one night, a monster attacks her and her family. She kills him, but not before her husband and daughter are killed. She is alone, broken, scared, and not wanting to live. When a new killer taunts Smoky and kills a friend of hers, leaving a child without a mother. Smokey finds herself again!
The character building was delightful! Even though it’s about Smoky, you get the chance to learn about the other characters as well. They all have their secrets, faults, and troubles. Cody McFadyen does not hold back with the blood and gory! He also does a wonderful job with allowing us to feel the emotions from the characters. This was a page turner for me! It's a gripping, dark, suspenseful and creative read! Happy reading everyone!
Thank you again, The Book Club CookBook! We were getting together to discuss our last book and planned to read another book, but when we all crowded in my kitchen and they saw thi...
more
Thank you again, The Book Club CookBook! We were getting together to discuss our last book and planned to read another book, but when we all crowded in my kitchen and they saw this sitting on the table, we did a last-minute switch! Definitely glad we did!
A Woman of Intelligence is about Katharina Edgeworth, born and raised in New York. In the 1940s, she was a single woman during the day; she devoted her time to her job as a translator for the United Nations and spent her nights doing what most young single females did and still do now!
But now, in the 1950s post-war New York, Katharina is now a married woman and on the outside seems to live the ideal life. The doctor's husband, two kids, and a fifth avenue apartment. But she isn't happy or content to be just a homemaker she wants more in her life, something that is her own. So when the FBI offers her a job to work as a spy/informant, she jumps at the chance!
I think as a mother or wife, I and everyone else have been in Katharina’s shoes. It can be hard not to lose ourselves in helping our kids discover who they are. It's a balancing act, one that can be hard to maintain from time to time. The time frame that Katharina is living in sure didn't help or encourage a woman to be more or that it was ok to feel you needed something more to your life.
So obviously this was a very thought-provoking book for us to read together! Could you imagine living back then? They sent all the men off to war, so to keep the country moving and to care for their families, the women went to work! So they get a taste of what it’s like to be independent and prove that your sex shouldn’t matter! But now the men are home so you need to go back home, cook, clean and be the lovely, perfect housewife again! That is just crazy!
Normally now I would tell you our thoughts on the book, but this time the author's note says it perfectly!
“What about, the woman stays in the picture?
“As Adrienne Rich wrote in her book “Of Woman Born,” which I so wish I'd read as a new mother, “we have no familiar, ready-made name for a woman who defines herself, by choice, neither in relation to children nor to men, who is self-identified, who has chosen herself.”
Four minutes, a lollipop, a Santa suit, and a busy shopping mall, Sebastián was gone.
That i...
more
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
Secrets..
Twists...
Turns….
And more secrets…
Four minutes, a lollipop, a Santa suit, and a busy shopping mall, Sebastián was gone.
That is all it took to turn Marin and Derek Machado’s life completely upside down.
The twists and turns this book takes are great! Just when you think you figured out what happened, something else will happen and have you second guessing yourself! Reading these kinds of books is one reason I enjoy mystery thrillers! The cast of characters in this book are likeable and easy to relate to. Once you get into the juicy parts (it doesn’t take long) you won’t be able to put it down! I started this Saturday morning and finished at 11:17pm on Saturday! Oh, and the ending…. What I’m not going to tell you what happened, lol but man, that was great! Happy reading everyone!
20 Years ago
When Chloe was 12 years old, they arrested her father for the deaths of 6 teenage girls. From then o...
20 Years ago
When Chloe was 12 years old, they arrested her father for the deaths of 6 teenage girls. From then on, her life was never the same.
Present
It has been 20 years since her father was arrested. It has taken a long time, but Chloe has finally found some happiness in her life. Chloe is working as a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge. She is also busy with planning her wedding! On the outside she looks like a girl who has finally put the past behind her and in some ways she probably thinks she has, but pictures can be deceiving.
When a local woman goes missing, Chloe’s life is sent spinning. You see, this isn't just any girl, this is one of Chloe's patients and she was the last person to be seen with her! Could it really be a copycat?
A Flicker in the Dark is creepy, dark and filled with twists and turns! The writing in this book is fantastic! The character building is just as wonderful! The author did an amazing job with all the different layers that made up the characters! In the beginning, the pace is great and then it slows down and at the end everything just comes at once. It's chaos, but it’s good chaos! I am proud to say that I could guess some of the end, but I was not expecting that one twist! You guys are going to love this book when it comes out this winter!
Happy reading everyone!
Thank you Minotaur Books for sharing this book with me!
Seven people with something to hide,
A deserted island
One person missing
And another dead
Will any of them make it off the island?
This was a fast-paced th...
Seven people with something to hide,
A deserted island
One person missing
And another dead
Will any of them make it off the island?
This was a fast-paced thrill with some odd twists and a page turner! The mysterious creepy deserted island setting I absolutely loved! The tension that comes from just the setting is great and then you add because you just know something isn’t 100% with each character makes it even better! I have always enjoyed how authors can make you feel certain things, like you just know something is off about a person or place, but you can’t quite put your finger on what the problem is!
The flashbacks were great, but also a necessity. It's like those “AHA” moments when you understand why something is happening! Now the ending, this is just going to be one of those books where you either like it or you don't. As a group, we all had mixed feelings on this part. But we all agreed that overall we still enjoyed the book! The world building, the suspense and the tension, and with so many twists it keeps hold of you! Plus, Rachel Hawkins writing is so descriptive you'll feel you're on the island with the scorching sun beating down on you! You want to keep reading because you can’t wait to see what way the story will go next!
Thank you The Book Club Cookbook and St. Martins Press for sharing Reckless Girls with us!
One house….
Two women……
One from the past
fighting for the future…
The other from the present
wants to find the past…
This was a beautif...
One house….
Two women……
One from the past
fighting for the future…
The other from the present
wants to find the past…
This was a beautiful story about loss, love, betrayal, bravery, and hope!
Once again, I am amazed at Natasha Lester’s writing. Have you ever read a book where you felt like you could actually taste, smell, and feel everything the characters are experiencing? That is how well this book is written! There are two timelines in this book. Which I know from personal experience can become frustrating, but this book moves seamlessly between the two! This is my 3rd book by Natasha Lester and just like with her other books, you can feel the dedication, time, love, and research she has put into her books! That alone can make a book come alive! Happy reading everyone!
Thank you The Book Club Cookbook for sharing another great read with me!
Miranda Reynolds always thought she would rather die than live in Femlandia. But that was before the country sank into total economic collapse and her husband walked out in the harshest, most permanent way, leaving her and her sixteen-year-old daughter with nothing. The streets are full of looting, robbing, and killing, and Miranda and Emma no longer have much choice—either starve and risk getting murdered, or find safety. And so they set off to Femlandia, the women-only colony Miranda’s mother, Win Somers, established decades ago.
Although Win is no longer in the spotlight, her protégé Jen Jones has taken Femlandia to new heights: The off-grid colonies are secluded, self-sufficient, and thriving—and Emma is instantly enchanted by this idea of a safe haven. But something is not right. There are no men allowed in the colony, but babies are being born—and they’re all girls. Miranda discovers just how the all-women community is capable of enduring, and it leads her to question how far her mother went to create this perfect, thriving, horrifying society.
Thank you Berkley Books and netgalley for the opportunity to read this absolutely dark, disturbing and oh so good book!
Well, this is definitely a dark and disturbing book. Its about a mother and daughter living in a world that has pretty much ended. Miranda the mother never wanted to go to femlandia. Femlandia is a women's only colony, or cult.So when Miranda's husband leaves her and her 16 year old daughter Emma with nothing she is left with no choice but to go. But it becomes very apparent that the colony is not a safe heaven, it's more like stepping right into the fire. I'm sure there will be a few people that will have a hard time reading it. It is disturbing but man is it good! I was hooked from the start! I look forward to reading more by Christina Dalcher!
Jude Andrews is famous. Well, at least on Instagram. Her ...
Jude Andrews is famous. Well, at least on Instagram. Her brand is clean eating, good vibes, Pilates, and casually looking like a sun-kissed goddess. In real life, however, she's a total disaster. She has a strained relationship with her fame-hungry mom and her latest bad decision emptied out her entire savings account.
Lauren Turner had a plan: graduate medical school and become the top surgeon in the country. But when she became unexpectedly pregnant, those plans changed. And when her fiancé left her, they changed again. Now navigating the new world of coparenting, mom groups, and dating, she decides to launch a mommy podcast with all the advice she wishes someone had given her.
Jude and Lauren don't have much in common, but maybe that's why they've been best friends since the third grade. Through ups and downs, they've been by each other's sides. But now? They're broke, single, and do the only thing that makes sense--move in together, just like they talked about when they were teenagers. Except when they were younger, the plan didn't include a five-year-old daughter and more baggage than their new townhouse can hold.
Thank you Berkley Books and netgalley for giving me the chance to read beautiful, heartwarming book!
This was such a beautiful story! It touches on so many things that myself and I'm sure a lot of you can relate too! It's touching story about motherhood, friendship, abuse, custody battle, alcoholism and so much more! Jude and Lauren find themselves in hard times, so they decide to move in together. But its not going to be like they thought it would be when they were teenagers. They each bring their own baggage. This is very different from the other books I have read by Alexa Martin but she did an absolutely amazing job with this book! I couldn't help liking this book! I look forward to read more books like this from Alexa Martin! Such a perfect book, beautifully written and much, much more!
The story is about brother and sister Millie and D...
The story is about brother and sister Millie and David Mosbach. They were some of the few who were able to escape to the United States before Kristallnacht. Leaving behind their father, mother, and little sister. Working for the US Army, they have taken on assignments that have them returning to Berlin, to a city that is scarred both mentally and physically, to help with the rebuilding. Now that they are home, they need to find the strength to forgive, to heal and deal with the guilt of surviving.
Will they be able to find the understanding and forgiveness that they both need?
Ok first a small history lesson, then I will tell you what I thought of the book! Kristallnacht, which was also called “Crystal Night” or “The Night of Broken Glass” It took place November 9th and 10th 1938. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after the windows of Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues were smashed. While all of that was going on, the German government did nothing, just sat and watched. Crazy!
I have read quite a few WWII books, but I can’t remember ever reading about after the war most of them take place during. This was a beautiful and shattering story. Ellen Feldman did a wonderful job describing not just the atmosphere of a post-war Berlin, the spies and the black markets, but also the feelings of the people, the desperation, the hate, and the hope. It was an emotional and thought provoking read! Happy reading everyone!
That we all could relate to Jessie Kim made for...
That we all could relate to Jessie Kim made for a lively discussion for us! We have a lawyer, police officer, teacher, a chief, bank manager and before I became a stay at home mom, I was a corporate manager for what was called Flying J! So each one of us has had to deal with something similar to Jessie! So you can just imagine the discussion that this book created for us!
Jessie Kim is a Wall Street investment banker. For years she has worked her butt off trying to climb the corporate ladder. When an opportunity for a promotion comes, she thinks after years of all nighters, layoff and doing Wyatt’s work will pay off. But in the end Wyatt gets the promotion! The last straw is when she overhears the sexist comments her bosses have to say about her is the final straw she walks out and moves back to her childhood home!
Now back home, she has to deal with her domineering mother hooking her up with her childhood nemesis, Daniel Choi! Even though it’s the last thing she wants, she can't help but like him.
“He was that guy. The obnoxiously endearing one who eventually burrowed his way into your heart.”
Deciding to make a career change, she starts a cooking vlog! But her mother, not being able to help herself, walks in during her show! Let the fun begin! Even though she isn't thrilled with having to work with her mom, especially when past experiences had been stressful, she has to admit with her mom the show had become an instant hit! I mean really what else could go wrong?
“Umma to the rescue!”
It was a heartwarming story about family, taking a chance and starting over and believing in your own self worth. The relationship between Jessie and her mother is hilarious, but it also feels real. Oh, and just a heads up eat before you read this book it might help, but probably not with the hunger and the cravings you will get from all the delicious food you will hear about! Happy reading everyone!
“UMMA APPROVED”
Eleven years ago, Shelby Tybow, Meredith Dicky and her six-year-old daughter Delilah just vanished!
Late one night after putting her daughter to bed, Shelby Tybow goes for ...
Eleven years ago, Shelby Tybow, Meredith Dicky and her six-year-old daughter Delilah just vanished!
Late one night after putting her daughter to bed, Shelby Tybow goes for a run, or at least that is what she tells her husband. Despite her husband’s warning, “when people do dumb shit like this, they always wind up dead” and the late hour she goes! But with her husband working and her at home during the day taking care of their baby, this is the only time she can get out and meet up with the other man! She knows her husband is having an affair. How else would lipstick get on his collar! But she never makes it to the meeting spot! Was it her husband? Did he know about the affair? Or was it someone else?
As a mother, wife, doula and yoga instructor, Meredith Dicky lives a busy but happy life! That is, until everything goes horribly wrong. She has a secret! When the secrets add up, she knows she needs to tell her husband, but how do you tell someone you love something that may change the way they think about you? Before she can figure out the how, where, and when, she and Delilah are gone!
PRESENT
For the first time in 11 years, Delilah is free! She has finally escaped from the dark, wet, cold and smelly basement her captors have kept her in! She doesn’t remember much of her life before the basement, but she remembers her father’s face. But can she trust her own memories or what the kidnappers told her?
Is Shelby, Meredith and Delilah’s disappearances connected?
Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out!
Have you ever put together a puzzle? You try to put the border together first, but as you go, sometimes you find pieces that go together for a part in the middle, so you put them together and go back to the border. As you go along, you get the complete picture of what the puzzle will be and where all the pieces link.
That's what this book was like: you get some foundation, then some odd and end pieces, then a few twists and then, just like flicking a light switch, it all falls into place! It's told from 3 different POV’s and with the way the timeline moves around the pace changes with it so it has a little bit of the slow burn and the fast paced! It's complex and full of twists and turns! Happy reading everyone!
That's what happened to me! I was looking for a new mystery thriller series to start and I ...
That's what happened to me! I was looking for a new mystery thriller series to start and I came across Shadow Man by Cody McFadyen! I ended staying up till 4:37 am to finish reading this book and I am already about a quarter of the way through the next book!
The Shadow Man is about Smoky Barrett, and she has lived through a nightmare. A Special Agent in the FBI, she hunts serial killers. Until one night, a monster attacks her and her family. She kills him, but not before her husband and daughter are killed. She is alone, broken, scared, and not wanting to live. When a new killer taunts Smoky and kills a friend of hers, leaving a child without a mother. Smokey finds herself again!
The character building was delightful! Even though it’s about Smoky, you get the chance to learn about the other characters as well. They all have their secrets, faults, and troubles. Cody McFadyen does not hold back with the blood and gory! He also does a wonderful job with allowing us to feel the emotions from the characters. This was a page turner for me! It's a gripping, dark, suspenseful and creative read! Happy reading everyone!
A Woman of Intelligence is about Katharina Edgeworth, born and raised in New York. In the 1940s, she was a single woman during the day; she devoted her time to her job as a translator for the United Nations and spent her nights doing what most young single females did and still do now!
But now, in the 1950s post-war New York, Katharina is now a married woman and on the outside seems to live the ideal life. The doctor's husband, two kids, and a fifth avenue apartment. But she isn't happy or content to be just a homemaker she wants more in her life, something that is her own. So when the FBI offers her a job to work as a spy/informant, she jumps at the chance!
I think as a mother or wife, I and everyone else have been in Katharina’s shoes. It can be hard not to lose ourselves in helping our kids discover who they are. It's a balancing act, one that can be hard to maintain from time to time. The time frame that Katharina is living in sure didn't help or encourage a woman to be more or that it was ok to feel you needed something more to your life.
So obviously this was a very thought-provoking book for us to read together! Could you imagine living back then? They sent all the men off to war, so to keep the country moving and to care for their families, the women went to work! So they get a taste of what it’s like to be independent and prove that your sex shouldn’t matter! But now the men are home so you need to go back home, cook, clean and be the lovely, perfect housewife again! That is just crazy!
Normally now I would tell you our thoughts on the book, but this time the author's note says it perfectly!
“What about, the woman stays in the picture?
“As Adrienne Rich wrote in her book “Of Woman Born,” which I so wish I'd read as a new mother, “we have no familiar, ready-made name for a woman who defines herself, by choice, neither in relation to children nor to men, who is self-identified, who has chosen herself.”
Secrets..
Twists...
Turns….
And more secrets…
Four minutes, a lollipop, a Santa suit, and a busy shopping mall, Sebastián was gone.
That i...
Secrets..
Twists...
Turns….
And more secrets…
Four minutes, a lollipop, a Santa suit, and a busy shopping mall, Sebastián was gone.
That is all it took to turn Marin and Derek Machado’s life completely upside down.
The twists and turns this book takes are great! Just when you think you figured out what happened, something else will happen and have you second guessing yourself! Reading these kinds of books is one reason I enjoy mystery thrillers! The cast of characters in this book are likeable and easy to relate to. Once you get into the juicy parts (it doesn’t take long) you won’t be able to put it down! I started this Saturday morning and finished at 11:17pm on Saturday! Oh, and the ending…. What I’m not going to tell you what happened, lol but man, that was great! Happy reading everyone!