- A happy Catastrophe

 A Happy Catastrophe

by Maddie Dawson

My first book by this author and I really liked it. Apparently, there is a book before this one called A matchmaking for beginners, but this book can be read a standalone.

Marnie and Patrick are happily married, a perfect couple with an amazing life. But life is so full of unpredictable beauty and strange surprises and it is no different for Marnie and Patrick when a surprise lands on their doorstep. This causes the two to grow apart, as Marnie wanted children and family while Patrick was reluctant to be be a father. 

Things change when the 8 year old Fritzie appears at the door step, a surprise from Patrick’s past , now he is father. An insecure person who is harming his life by keeping secrets from Marnie. And he is afraid that he is not good enough for any of them. 

The story is emotional, truly endearing and satisfying. A story full of hope with loving characters. 

 I was able to easily relate with Marnie, while I found Patrick’s stubbornness really annoying, which is another sign that the choice and description of the characters was good. 

If you are looking for a happy, fast and feel good read then this is what I recommend.

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- Bear Necessity

 Bear Necessity

by James Gould-Bourn

Did I just laughed reading this heart-breaking story? Yes!!!!!!! Did I have tears falling down my face while laughing? absolutely 

 the story is about Danny and his son Will. It’s been a year since the death of Dannys wife. the tragedy cause Will to stop talking since his mother’s death and it seems like everything has gone wrong since then. After being fired Danny dresses as panda and starts dancing in the street. But he doesn’t know how to do it, he is so close to give when suddenly his son starts talking to him not know the Panda is really his father.

I found both the story and the writing style with the extraordinary sense of humor combined with a unique sarcasm very interesting.

The selection of character (Ivan, Ivana and Yuri) was unique and magnificent. They are fun and fully developed. I really enjoyed how they all came together to help Danny win the first prize so he can pay his rent.

The focus of the story is heartbreaking but by the same token it is uplifting and comical. I do want to say so many things about this story, but I don’t want to spoil it.

Overall, it is a great read, perfect choice of characters, colorful detail and perfect story line. I am a new fan of the author now.

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- The First To Lie

 

The First to Lie

by Hank Phillippi Ryan

This is my first book by this Author. I will keep my review simple and will try not to give any spoiler.

 This mind-blowing and twisted story is about Pharminex, a fictitious pharma company that is marketing a drug while offering promises to treat women’s infertility.

 The story talks about family who are hopeless and are willing to do anything to have a baby. There is a great deal of lies and deception in this story with so many qualities to get to know. 

I really liked the artistic way the author created the lies and deceits. There are several characters involved in the story and are perfectly developed easy to connect with. I really enjoyed how the author weaved the detail and how she penned the plot.

At times I was sure I knew what was happening and the twists made me doubt my thoughts.

The First to Lie is a fast-paced, puzzling and heart-pounding thriller. I recommend it to thriller lovers and am looking forward to the next book by this author.

 

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-The Queen of Paris

The Queen of Paris: A Novel of Coco Chanel

by Pamela Binnings Ewen

This a story about Coco Chanel and her collaboration with the Nazi Regime that Occupied Paris. Regardless Of the glitz and glamour Coco had a lonely and selfish life. Some people believe this way of living is a way to survive but, in my opinion, she was traitor. And as a strong believer in karma I think she well deserved the lonely life she had. 

What everyone know about Coco Chanel is different from what her real life was about. Coco’s resiliency to beat poverty is admirable however I don’t think being abandoned by her father and all the difficulties she went through in her life, gives her the permission to betray her country.

As much as I disliked the main character, I was eager to read the book. the story is very well researched and creatively penned. It is a very well transcribed historical fiction and the author did an amazing job with the plot. It is very difficult to dislike the main character yet wanting to read the story and find it interesting.

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- What You Wish For

What You Wish For

by Katherine Center 

 Sam is a librarian at an elementary school on the island of Galveston, Texas. The story starts with Max (the school principal) tragic death at his 60th birthday party. His death is very shocking to all of them. The school year is starting soon, and Sam learns that Max’s replacement is Duncan Carpenter, her crush from her previous job.

The Duncan she knew what a lighthearted and a loving person comparing to the one showed up at school and he was ready to make major changes.

The story was really simple and predictable as well as the characters that I thought were stereotypical. Unfortunately for me the characters were not relatable, I was hoping for more developed characters in this book.

I was expecting a bit of a suspense in the story, and better choice of characters.

In the same breath I do appreciate the subjects that the author covered, subjects such as school shooting, school safety, death, etc.

Overall, it’s a joyful story and a fast read.

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- Paris Never Leaves you

 

Paris Never Leaves You

by Ellen Feldman

The book is set in Paris during World War II the story is centered around Charlotte who works in a bookstore. There are several other characters that are involved in the story, but the main focus is on Charlotte.

The story alternated between the WWII time and 1950 when Charlotte works in a publishing house in New York which I really liked as most WWII stories do not alternated between times. In the same breath I found no transition between both times (being only 10 years apart).

The story is a slow burn was easier to read halfway through the book. I was mostly expecting Historical fiction, but romance was a big part of the story. I found the focus of this story mostly on the romance part of and that is what mostly disappointed me.

Overall, this was an OK story, I will not really categorize it as a historical fiction but a romance. So, if you like contemporary romance you will enjoy this story.

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- Hard Cash Valley

Hard Cash Valley (Bull Mountain, #3)

by Brian Panowich

This southern Noir was a new read for me, and I had no idea what to expect from this book. 

The story was pretty good, but I was not able to connect well with its characters. maybe because I have not read the first two book. 

I found Dane’s constant conversation with his dead wife interesting and creepy.

I have to say this book was an un-put-down-able read for me. it is a gritty crime novel, and I enjoyed the rural setting of the story. In the same breath the storyline presents an intellectual combination of suspense, mystery, and action. 

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- The Night Swim

 The Night Swim

by Megan Goldin

The night swim focuses on an investigative journalist, Rachel, who is featuring a controversial rape trial in her new podcast season. A death that happened 25 years ago in the city of Neapolis North Carolina and was called a drowning 

    I have not read the previous book by this author, but I am overwhelmed with the way this book was written, and how the topics were handled.

For a mystery and thriller reader, I found the book very captivating from the first page I had mixed feeling after the book was finished. I felt upset, shocked, tense and sad. 

The night swim plot is very clear, the topic of justice for a woman whose been raped and sexually assaulted was perfectly penned and looked into. I found the trial part was very well written, it transfers all the tense and sad and anxious feeling to the reader without it being excessively graphic.

I like how the character were developed and how the environment was vividly detailed. Be warned that the story is mostly mentioning sexual assault and traumatic and hard to read at times. 

I do recommend The Night Swim to those mystery and thriller lovers. One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year with so much suspense.

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- Until I Find You

 

Until I Find You

by Rea Frey

This was my first book by Rea Frey. It was a tense thriller and absolutely a page turner.

The story starts with Rebecca Gray, a new widow who has recently lost her mother. Bec has lost her eyesight when she was in her mid-20 and now twelve years later, she is taking her three months old son to the park every day. One day as she is going to the park, she feels like someone is following her, then when she comes back home she knows someone has been inside her house and has moved things around. 

Bec knows something is not right, yet she doesn’t accept anyone’s help and doesn’t let any of her friends to help her walk home or check her house for her. One day after going to the park she realizes that the baby in the crib is not her son.

I felt heartbroken with her frustration when she was walking to the park and I admire her strength that she wanted to take care of her baby and herself alone. Even though she knew someone was definitely inside her house.

I really appreciate how the author described Bec’s life, challenges she had to face and her fears as a blind person. It was a new perspective and added more twist to the story.

Until I find you is a gripping suspense and pulse-pounding family drama. It started off slow and it was difficult to engage at the beginning, but the story gets rolling once you get to know more about the characters.

Rebecca’s were fully developed. I also liked the way Crystal’s character was formed and how these two bonded. I was able to connect with the main character easily.

The Author had perfectly penned the details, the set up were vividly explained and the story flowed well.

A Truly tension filled domestic thriller.

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- Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture

 

Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture

by Emma DabiriI 

A genuine and thought-provoking book that educates the readers. I learned new terms reading this book (I had no idea that there are types for curls!!).

 It’s a discovery of black women’s hair ( plus so many other subjects) and the author recounts some of her own personal experience with her type  4 hair and the struggles she had growing up in a culture that didn’t understand it. At times I felt heartbroken reading this book and found it saddening that she had to cry herself to sleep because of her hair.

More than anything the author has done a great job researching social history and adding her own personal experience to the story that makes it different from other books written on this subject. More importantly black hair as the topic shows is not the only subject that the author focuses in this book. 

Dabiri unifies the experiences of slaves in America, capitalism, art, and the computational abilities thrive in pre-colonial Africa, all highlighted by black hair.

I found this a truly fascinating read. Many thanks to Harper Perennial for giving me a chance to read this book.

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 The Weekend Wedding Assistant

by Rachel Gladstone

Julia is to be Mrs. Aaron DeMinthe in a couple of weeks. It has always been her dream to get married at Whitfield Chapel and she is just weeks away from her dream to come true.

But all she has planned for changes when her fiance dies before their wedding.

When dealing with her grief Julia makes strange decisions and one was to take a job as a wedding assistant at Whitfield Chapel!! When she was surprised for accepting the job offer herself. Working at the chapel and seeing all the couples getting married she was not sure if she could ever find try love again.

With all the ups and downs that life planned for her, she is blessed to be surrounded by her friends, family, and Lincoln in her life to support her during tough times. I found authors focus on friendship and support amazing.

I really liked Julia’s character, how she was trying to take charge and control her life while grieving for her fiancé. It was not really a light romance, the author did a great job detailing love, friendship, loss and family.

Many Thanks to Rachel Gladstone for this gifted copy.

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- Happily Whatever After

 

Happily Whatever After

by Stewart Lewis

Page is at the best time of her life; she has an amazing job at a New York City art gallery and a lovely boyfriend. but her life is crushed when she loses her job and her boyfriend at once.

To start a new life, she moves in with Brady, her brother, in Washington DC. She spends most of her time at the dog park and befriend dog owners. Other people found it very weird that she was there all the time without any dog. At the same time all she can think of is her dream of having her own art Gallery and someone to love her!

I found Page and Brady’s character loving, friendly and delightful. Stewart Lewis has created fully developed characters and I was able to connect with them easily.

Brady has a restaurant named Elbow, He is a loving, friendly, successful, and caring person. I enjoyed reading his conversation with Page. I loved the Looser to Winner chapter 

I really admired how page took charge of her life after all the things that happened to her in New York City.

The set-up of the story was very welcoming, and the details were carefully crafted. This Romantic Comedy Women’s fiction made me smile, laugh and emotional at times. I read the “What not to do at my funeral” several times. It was funny and touching.

Many thanks to Stewart Lewis for a gifted copy of this loving book.

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- It Started with a Secret

It Started with a Secret

by Jill Mansell

Lainey and her best friend Kit lose their jobs and come up with a lie to secure a job with a wealthy family of an old. Actor. They pretend to be a happy couple to get this job, but Lainey immediately falls for Seth, the handsome grandson.

With the growing Chemistry all Lainey thinks of is what would Seth think about her once he finds out about her secret. But Lainey is not the only one with a secret, Seth has his own...

A light, fast and entertaining read. The characters are amazingly entertaining. They all have their own secret that will unravel throughout the book. 

I enjoyed the bright and happy set up of the story, I felt happy and found myself smiling when the story was finished. 🌝

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Many thanks to Sourcebooks, bookmarked for this copy. 

- The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz

 

The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz: A True Story of Family and Survival

by Jeremy Dronfield

A fascinating and utterly captivating story, full of hope and dedication, played out against the horrors of the Nazi regime. 

Reading this book, I realized that there has been an extensive amount of research done to write this book. 

The story is heartbreaking and horrifying.  It focuses on love, loyalty, and family. It was a heart wrenching moment when the sixteen-year-old Fritz make this decision to follow his father to Auschwitz, and how their love gave him the strength and hope for fight and survival.

I found the plot perfectly written and the setting was vividly detailed. The characters were very well developed, and the characters advanced through the book.

I rated this book 5 star, and I recommend it to fiction reader. There are so many books written about Auschwitz and this is by far one of the best I read.

Many thanks to Harper Perennial for this wonderful gifted copy

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