Tag: booklife

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A Cold Trail by Robert Dugoni- Book Review

I have loved the Tracy Crosswhite series for years now and I’m always excited when Robert Dugoni writes another book in this series. It’s empowering to read a series with a strong female lead and while this book gave me a glimpse into the life of Dan (her husband), it also focused on Tracy and her career. If you haven’t read this series or even heard of it, then I encourage you to check it out. There are 6 books in the series now and this is the 7th book which comes out February 4, 2020.  Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the ARC. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫. Also a plus if you have Kindle Unlimited this book is free to read so put a star by this one.

Synopsis: The last time homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite was in Cedar Grove, it was to see her sister’s killer put behind bars. Now she’s returned for a respite and the chance to put her life back in order for herself, her attorney husband, Dan, and their new daughter. But tragic memories soon prove impossible to escape.Dan is drawn into representing a local merchant whose business is jeopardized by the town’s revitalization. And Tracy is urged by the local PD to put her own skills to work on a new case: the brutal murder of a police officer’s wife and local reporter who was investigating a cold-case slaying of a young woman. As Tracy’s and Dan’s cases crisscross, Tracy’s trail becomes dangerous. It’s stirring up her own haunted past and a decades-old conspiracy in Cedar Grove that has erupted in murder. Getting to the truth is all that matters. But what’s Tracy willing to risk as a killer gets closer to her and threatens everyone she loves?

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Lost You by Haylen Beck- Book Reviews

Whoa! I started this book honestly not knowing what it was about. I knew it was a suspense/thriller but that’s all I knew going into it. I started reading the book and thinking, okay I know where this is going. A woman says she will give up her child for adoption because she is getting the money she needs to survive but towards the end of her pregnancy she decides to keep the child but then it took a crazy turn of events. I couldn’t put this book down and I felt for the both of these women in this story. Libby, the one that couldn’t have children of her own so she put all her worth into adopting a child and Anna, the one who grows to love the baby in her womb and decides she can’t live without him. I loved the edge of suspense in the middle of the story being told because I did not see it coming. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫. Although, I enjoyed this story, it’s one of those that isn’t quite believable but still worth reading. Thank you to Penguin Random House for gifting me this book.

Synopsis:

Libby needs a break. Three years ago her husband split, leaving her to raise their infant son Ethan alone as she struggled to launch her writing career. Now for the first time in years, things are looking up. She’s just sold her first novel, and she and Ethan are going on a much-needed vacation. Everything seems to be going their way, so why can’t she stop looking over her shoulder or panicking every time Ethan wanders out of view? Is it because of what happened when Ethan was born? Except Libby’s never told anyone the full story of what happened, and there’s no way anyone could find her and Ethan at a faraway resort . . . right?  But three days into their vacation, Libby’s fears prove justified. In a moment of inattention, Ethan wanders into an elevator before Libby can reach him. When the elevator stops and the doors open, Ethan is gone. Hotel security scours the building and finds no trace of him, but when CCTV footage is found of an adult finding the child wandering alone and leading him away by the hand, the police are called in. The search intensifies, a lost child case turning into a possible abduction. Hours later, a child is seen with a woman stepping through an emergency exit. Libby and the police track the woman down and corner her, but she refuses to release Ethan. Asked who she is, the woman replies: …“I’m his mother.”

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Happy International Book Lovers Day!

So far I have had a great year of reading and I have read so many great books. Being only half way through the year, I can’t wait for all the other amazing books to read. Here are a few of my favorites. I also loved The Unhoneymooners but I don’t have a hard copy of that one so it’s not pictured. What have been your favorite reads so far this year?

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The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh- Book Review

This was such a great book. I had a hard time putting it down and read it in two nights. This book was captivating. It was not an easy read because of some of the subjects, like addiction and grief, but this book was also touching on so many levels because of the realistic setting. The characters were well written and this book offered so much with the secrets, suspicion and family loyalty. I felt for the main character, Sadie, the whole way through this book. Every emotion she was feeling, I was feeling it for her. It was a heavy read but had just enough suspense and mystery involved to keep it a little light hearted and intriguing. I didn’t get a little confused in the story with the back forth of the characters but still really enjoyed it. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 This book was just published on August 6th, 2019 and I definitely recommend that you pick it up. Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhousefor the ARC.

Synopsis:

Sadie Keller is determined to find out how her brother died, even if no one else thinks it’s worth investigating. Untimely deaths are all too common in rural Blackwater, Kansas, where crime and overdoses are on the rise, and the small-town police force is consumed with the recent discovery of a child’s skull in the woods. Sadie is on her own, delving into the dark corners of a life her brother kept hidden and unearthing more questions than answers.Eighteen-year-old Henley Pettit knows more than she’d like to about the seedy side of Blackwater, and she’s desperate to escape before she’s irreparably entangled in her family’s crimes. She dreams of disappearing and leaving her old life behind, but shedding the past is never easy, and getting out of town will be far more dangerous than she ever imagined.As more bones are found in the woods, time is running out for Sadie to uncover the truth and for Henley to make her escape. Both women are torn between family loyalties and the weight of the secrets they carry, knowing full well that while some secrets are hard to live with, others will get you killed.

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Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center- Book Review

I had some catching up to do with Katherine Centers’s books. I read Things You Save in a Fire first because I was given the ARC through Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press. I read this book in two nights because I couldn’t put it down and loved it. I was immediately loved the main character Cassie, she was strong, capable and knew exactly what she wanted…until a hot young Rookie firefighter stepped into her life. I loved that she came a little damaged because that made her even more relatable. She wasn’t perfect, she had a back story and that made her even more like able. Also picturing what that Rookie looked like and his sense of humor and likable also helped. I loved this story and so glad I was able to read it. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. It was the perfect book to read in between my usual thrillers.

Synopsis:

Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she’s seen her fair share of them, and she’s a total pro at other people’s tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own. The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie’s old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren’t exactly thrilled to have a “lady” on the crew—even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn’t seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can’t think about that. Because love is girly, and it’s not her thing. And don’t forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping…and it means risking it all—the only job she’s ever loved, and the hero she’s worked like hell to become.


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The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell- Book Review

When you are sent a copy of Lisa Jewell’s newest book then you drop everything and read it immediately which is exactly what I did. This book takes you down a story of family drama and secrets that will rock you to your core. The beginning was a little confusing because it is told from different characters but once I was understanding what was being told, I couldn’t put this book down. The story completely swallowed me and I was so intrigued by the secrets this family held all from different perspectives that I had to keep going. I read this book in two days and really enjoyed it. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Synopsis:

Be careful who you let in. Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she’s been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am. She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London’s fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby’s life is about to change. But what she can’t possibly know is that others have been waiting for this day as well—and she is on a collision course to meet them. Twenty-five years ago, police were called to 16 Cheyne Walk with reports of a baby crying. When they arrived, they found a healthy ten-month-old happily cooing in her crib in the bedroom. Downstairs in the kitchen lay three dead bodies, all dressed in black, next to a hastily scrawled note. And the four other children reported to live at Cheyne Walk were gone.

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Favorite Summer Reads

I can’t believe it’s already July. I feel like this summer is going by so fast, but I’m not complaining. I have three kiddos at home this summer and while I love them I am counting down until school starts back. 😂 I have read so many great books so far this summer but these two books have been my favorite summer reads so far. The Unhoneymooners by Christina lauren was an easy, fast paced, hilarious book that I had a hard time putting down. I caught myself laughing out loud through out this book. The setting takes place in Hawaii with an amazing character named Olive and a chiseled man named Nate. They have a funny back and forth witty relationship. You see there friendship/relationship unfold and it takes you on a fun ride. My next favorite book I’ve read this summer is The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda. This is more of a thriller/suspense summer read and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. It focuses around a friendship between Avery and Sadie who are inseparable until Sadie is found dead. While the police rule it as a suicide, Avery must uncover what really happened to her best friend. If you have time this summer to read then I highly recommend both of these books.

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Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane- Book Review

This book beautiful and heart rendering. It dives into the lives of two neighbors Kate and Peter, who have a bond of being born close together and living right next door to each other. Both their father’s are police officers but behind closed doors their lives are very different. Everything changes in one night when the unbelievable happens (not going to say because I don’t want to give too much away). Years later they find each other and build a life together but once again life throws them a curve. I really enjoyed this book although it did take me a few chapters until I really got into the story and then I couldn’t put it down. This story touches so many different emotions and reminds you that everyone has that own problems even if you can’t see them going through it. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Scribner for this copy to read and review.

Synopsis:

Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie cops in the NYPD, live next door to each other outside the city. What happens behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne, sets the stage for the explosive events to come.


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Run Away by Harlan Coben- Book Review

I’ve heard of author Harlan Coben but this is the first book I’ve read by him. I was give an ARC of this book by Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing in exchange for a review. This was a great quick thriller read with a lot of twists that continued until the end. I felt that is was easy to get into from the first page and really enjoyed the story dynamics. Not only was this book full of action and also had a deep emotional underlying story as well. The storyline was a little hard to follow because I felt as if there were so many characters that I couldn’t quite keep track of everyone where they connected in the story. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2. It was fast paced but it was also easy to get lost behind all the characters that continued to be presented.

Synopsis:

You’ve lost your daughter.
She’s addicted to drugs and to an abusive boyfriend. And she’s made it clear that she doesn’t want to be found. Then, by chance, you see her playing guitar in Central Park. But she’s not the girl you remember. This woman is living on the edge, frightened, and clearly in trouble. You don’t stop to think. You approach her, beg her to come home. She runs.  And you do the only thing a parent can do: you follow her into a dark and dangerous world you never knew existed. Before you know it, both your family and your life are on the line. And in order to protect your daughter from the evils of that world, you must face them head on.

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Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate- Book Review

Grab a box a tissues and get read to go an emotional roller coaster with this book. I hope that doesn’t discourage you from reading it but this book will definitely pull at your heart strings and to imagine that things like this actually happened to kids is completely mind blowing. This story centers around a little girl name Rill and her four sibling who are kidnapped and put into a brutal orphanage for wealthy families to adopt. This book was well written and difficult to put down because I couldn’t wait and hoped for a happy ending for these sweet children. It’s also so compelling because it’s based off of true events. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. It was a hard read but also a great one because makes you put yourself in other shoes and see things that go on around that we some times turn a blind eye to.

Synopsis:

Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty. Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.