FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
My Sister’s Mother by Donna Solecka Urbikas was a fantastic book. From the first page of this book right through the end, I was in love with this book and this author. I love that is about real people and what they went through during WWII and the aftermath of it all. I also liked how she went back and forth between when the author was growing up and when her mother and sister were going through during the war.
There was one sentence that stuck out to me and still sticks out me now. I am going to share that right here because I think it is something that most people could relate to. “Just as the last weeks of pregnancy make life so unbearable that a woman rushes joyfully into the pain of labor and delivery, so do the last weeks of life in old age prepare one for death.” What do you think of this statement?
I love most books that have something to do with WWII, but this book was so different from others that I have read over the years. I have to say that this book might be my favorite because I felt like I really connected with the characters. The authors writing all spoke to me and I was sad when the book was over because I missed the characters. If you love WWII books and also like real stories, then I think you will enjoy this book as much as I do.
About The Book
Donna Solecka Urbikas grew up in the Midwest during the golden years of the American century. But her Polish-born mother and half sister had endured dehumanizing conditions during World War II, as slave laborers in Siberia. War and exile created a profound bond between mother and older daughter, one that Donna would struggle to find with either of them.
In 1940, Janina Slarzynska and her five-year-old daughter Mira were taken by Soviet secret police (NKVD) from their small family farm in eastern Poland and sent to Siberia with hundreds of thousands of others. So began their odyssey of hunger, disease, cunning survival, desperate escape across a continent, and new love amidst terrible circumstances.
But in the 1950s, baby boomer Donna yearns for a “normal” American family while Janina and Mira are haunted by the past. In this unforgettable memoir, Donna recounts her family history and her own survivor’s story, finally understanding the damaged mother who had saved her sister.
Finalist, Best Traditional Non-Fiction Book, Chicago Writers Association
About The Author
Donna Solecka Urbikas was born in Coventry, England, and immigrated with her parents and sister to Chicago in 1952. After careers as a high school science teacher and environmental engineer, she is now a writer, realtor, and community volunteer. She lives in Chicago with her husband.
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
Reunion by Carl Brookins was a good book. The one thing I was left with when I was done reading this book was that I am never going to attend a high school reunion. I really enjoyed this author writing and the characters in this book. This is one of the few books lately that I haven’t want to put down, so I stayed up way too late reading the book. This book wasn’t super suspenseful, but it did keep my interest. I really liked Jack right from the start of the book. Lori was a character that I didn’t like at first, but she did grow on me, and by the end of the book I liked her. This author made me feel like I was there with the characters, so I was able to understand why they did the things that they did during the book. If you are looking for a mystery book to read this fall, I would for sure recommend this book to you.
About The Book
While still exploring their relationship, Jack Marston persuades his companion, psychologist Lori Jacobs to attend her high school class reunion with Jack as her escort. After a classmate is discovered brutally murdered at the reunion, Jack and Lori are drawn into the search for the murderer, and themselves targeted as they begin to reveal years of passion and corruption beneath the placid small-town surface of Riverview.
About The Author
Before I became a mystery writer and reviewer, I was a television program producer, a counselor and faculty member at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul and a mystery fiction reviewer for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and Mystery Scene Magazine. I’m an avid recreational sailor (hence my sailing series and a member of Sisters in Crime, and Private Eye Writers of America, as well as MWA. You can frequently find me touring bookstores and libraries with my companions-in-crime, The Minnesota Crime Wave. You can also catch me on tv! Just check out the Minnesota Crime Wave website, http://www.MinnesotaCrimeWave.org.
I live with my wife Jean, a retired publisher and editor, in Roseville, Minnesota.
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
The Color of Fear by Judy Alter was an okay story. I did feel like the story was rushed, but I am sure that is only because it is a short story. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I can see myself picking up other books by her in the future. I did wish from time to time that there was more conversation and less of what Keisha was thinking. I felt like I spent more time in her head than actually knowing what was going on in the book. If you are looking for a short story to read and you like mystery books, I would pick this book to read.
About The Book
The Color of Fear marks Judy Alter’s return to mystery fiction and the Kelly O’Connell series after an absence of more than a year. This time, the indomitable Keisha narrates the short tale wherein Kelly and her family live under the threat of infant Gracie’s kidnapping. The story serves as a reprise of many of the previous novels in the series, as Keisha, in her search for the kidnapper, recalls Kelly’s earlier adventures.
Keisha remains outspoken and independent as she balances her need to protect Kelly and her family with her love for new husband, José Thornberry. Some but not all of Kelly’s friends and foes from previous stories appear here, along with such new characters as Clyde, the guard dog, and Cowboy, the homeless guy with a soft heart.
About The Author
A novelist and author of books for both adults and young readers, Judy Alter is the author of the Kelly O’Connell Mysteries, Skeleton in a Dead Space, No Neighborhood for Old Women, Trouble in a Big Box,Danger Comes Home and Deception in Strange Places Her second series is the Blue Plate Café Mysteries–Murder at the Blue Plate Cafe and >Murder at the Tremont House.=She has also written frequently about women and girls of the American West, and many of those books are available as ebooks. Her Web page is http://www.judyalter.com.
The mother of four and grandmother of seven, she lives in Texas.
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
Five Ways To Kill A Man by Alex Gray was a good book. I like that it took place somewhere other than the United States because it made the book different from some of the other books that I have read in this genre. Unlike a book that I reviewed earlier this week, I didn’t have to keep reminding myself that this story took place in Europe because they spelled everything more American than European. I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book as well as the setting. I wasn’t one that kept me on the edge of my seat, but it had just enough mystery in it to make me want to keep reading, so I knew how it ended. I would even consider reading more books from her in future especially the other books in this series. If you were looking for a new mystery author, I would give this author a chance.
About The Book
Genre: Procedural Published by: Witness Impulse Publication Date: July 11, 2017 Number of Pages: 368 ISBN: 0062659189 (ISBN13: 9780062659187) Series: DCI Lorimer #7, All are Stand Alone
An unpredictable killer is loose on the streets of Glasgow, experimenting with death. Beginning with brute force, the murderer moves on to poison and drowning, greedy for new and better ways to kill.
Faced with a string of unconnected victims, DCI Lorimer turns to psychologist and friend Solomon Brightman for his insights. Lorimer is also assigned to review the case of a fatal house fire. His suspicions are raised by shocking omissions in the original investigation. Some uncomfortable questions have been buried but Lorimer is the man to ask them.
As the serial killer gets closer to Lorimer’s family, can the DCI unmask the volatile murderer before the next victim is found too close to home?
About The Author
Alex Gray was born and educated in Glasgow. After studying English and Philosophy at the University of Strathclyde, she worked as a visiting officer for the Department of Health, a time she looks upon as postgraduate education since it proved a rich source of character studies. She then trained as a secondary school teacher of English.
Alex began writing professionally in 1993 and had immediate success with short stories, articles, and commissions for BBC radio programs. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers’ Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing.
A regular on the Scottish bestseller lists, she is the author of thirteen DCI Lorimer novels. She is the co-founder of the international Scottish crime writing festival, Bloody Scotland, which had its inaugural year in 2012.
Connect with Alex Gray on her Website 🔗 & Twitter.🔗
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
The Sullivans by Bella Andre (Boxed Set Books 1-3) was a great set of books. I have gone back and forth on how I want to review the set. I think I am just going to talk about them as a whole and not focus so much on the details from each of the stories. I am doing it this way because each of the stories is different stories, but they all follow the same pattern. I have loved this author and her books for years and years so when I saw I could get these to review I knew I had to get them. I loved this series because you are following along with the one family and you are always getting to check in with the characters from the other books. I love this author writing, and I can’t wait to finish this series and check out other books by her as well. I found myself getting lost in the stories and I was able to read the books super quick, and they were great books that I would pick up and read when I was bored with the other books I had to read. If you love romance books, I will check out this book because I am sure you will love it as much as I did.
About The Book’s
Title: The Sullivans Boxed Set Books 1-3 Author: Bella Andre Publisher: Oak Press, LLC Pages: 662 Genre: Contemporary Romance
More than 6 million readers have already fallen in love with the Sullivans! Now get ready to meet your new favorite family in Bella Andre’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romances with the first three books in the #1 hit series. “Not since Nora Roberts has anyone been able to write a big family romance series with every book as good as the last! Bella Andre never disappoints!” Revolving Bookcase Reviews THE LOOK OF LOVE Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. And when her car skids off the side of a wet country road straight into a ditch, she’s convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he? As a successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women, and whenever he’s home in San Francisco, one of his seven siblings is usually up for causing a little fun trouble. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is–until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has he never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, but he quickly realizes she has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, he is willing to move mountains to love–and protect–her, but will she let him? FROM THIS MOMENT ON For thirty-six years, Marcus Sullivan has been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered future he’s planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all. Nicola Harding is known throughout the world by only one name – Nico – for her catchy, sensual pop songs. Only, what no one knows about the twenty-five year old singer is that her sex-kitten image is totally false. After a terrible betrayal by a man who loved fame far more than he ever loved her, she vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is…or hurt her again. Especially not the gorgeous stranger she meets at a nightclub, even though the hunger – and the sinful promises – in his dark eyes make her want to spill all her secrets. CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco. But after learning a brutal lesson about professional boundaries, he knows better than to risk his heart to his fire victims ever again. Especially the brave mother and daughter he saved from a deadly apartment fire…and can’t stop thinking about. Megan Harris knows she owes the heroic firefighter everything for running into a burning building to save her and her seven-year-old daughter. Everything except her heart. Because after losing her navy pilot husband five years ago, she has vowed to never suffer through loving – and losing – a man with a dangerous job again.
About The Author
Bella Andre is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of “The Sullivans”, “The Maverick Billionaires”, “The Morrisons”, and the NYT bestselling “Four Weddings and a Fiasco” sweet romance series written as Lucy Kevin.
Having sold more than 6 million books, Bella Andre’s novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 32 times. She has been the #1 Ranked Author at Amazon (on a top 10 list that included Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, James Patterson and Steven King), and Publishers Weekly named Oak Press (the publishing company she created to publish her own books) the Fastest-Growing Independent Publisher in the US. After signing a groundbreaking 7-figure print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s “The Sullivans” series is being released in paperback in the US, Canada, and Australia.
Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her “One of the top writers in America” and she has been featured by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine. A graduate of Stanford University, she has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo America in New York City.
If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories by Celeste Fletcher McHale was a sweet story. I loved the plot of this book because I am sure it has happened in the real world before and I always love books that could happen. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I would like to read her other book that she has released. When I think about this book, I just keep thinking about what a sweet story this book was. I did find that this book was predictable, but I loved that I haven’t read a book with this plot before. I felt bad for Jacey and everything that she had to have gone through to get her to where we meet her in this book. I didn’t care that much about Colin throughout the book which isn’t uncommon when I read books in this genre. I was able to predict what was going to happen but I was okay with that because I did enjoy this author writing. If you are looking for a new Christian romance book to read I think that you would enjoy this book just as much as I did.
About The Book
Jacey met the man of her dreams a year ago—and hasn’t seen him since. Finally relocating him as the pastor at her best friend’s wedding was the very last thing she expected.
A year ago, Jacey was trapped on a rooftop during a flood with perfect strangers, including a family and a man named Colin. After two days there together, she had no doubt that Colin was the man of her dreams. When they were finally rescued he tucked his phone number into her pocket. But an accident with the rescue boat left her hospitalized with amnesia and PTSD . . . and his number nowhere to be found.
Now, Jacey has still only recovered bits and pieces of her memory from that time. She clearly remembers Colin—but not his last name or any other details that would help her locate him. She’s trying to immerse herself in the joy of her best friend’s wedding . . . when she looks up at the end of the aisle only to discover Colin there in the minister’s role. Shock is an understatement.
On one hand, she’s elated to see him again. And then reality sets in. She never intended to get married or have kids. And being a minister’s wife was definitely never on her list. Was Colin not the man she thought he was? Or has the amnesia changed her more than she realized?
With the typical wit and honesty Celeste Fletcher McHale is becoming known for, it’s time for Jacey to take a fresh look at her life. Could this string of unexpected events have been setting her up for something far better than what she had planned for herself?
About The Author
Celeste Fletcher McHale is a Southern Lit author from Central Louisiana. Her debut novel, The Secret to Hummingbird Cake, is being released through HarperCollins Christian Publishing in February 2016.
Celeste earned a history degree and currently lives on her century-old family farm. She enjoys family, writing, football, baseball, and raising a variety of animals.
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