- When Robins Appear

 

When Robins Appear

by Densie Webb 

Deborah is a freelancer with a loving family; her daughter is attending NYU next year and she thinks she and Richard (her husband) are going to be very lonely when she leaves. 

To her surprise, Amanda falls in love with a younger boy, named Graham and decides to postpone her school and stay with him. 

Deborah is uncertain about Graham, and watching her daughter rushing towards heartache, revives her memories and her secrets.

This is a story of family, honesty, heartbreak, and acceptance. It is a work of fiction with a bit of a twist about Deborah’s love for her family and her secrets. A captivating, heartbreaking story of a woman and her motivation to save her family when they are is in great danger.

what I loved the most was the dual perspective (Deborah and Amanda). The characters were amiable, and I was able to connect with them easily. I enjoyed how the author portrayed Deborah, and the ending sure did surprise me.

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** Book and Bookish Mail

 Started this week with these amazing book and bookish mail.⁣

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Many thanks to the publishers for sending me a copy of these books. 

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A special thanks to my friend at @tilisma_book_accessories for sending me these gorgeous and remarkable bookmark and book page holders. These reading accessories are⁣

handmade from the finest natural wood and smoothed to perfection. **Best Gift for Bookworms**⁣

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💬 Do you have any of these on your list? What’s your favorite bookish accessory? ⁣

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- Games We Played

 Games we played

By Shawne Steiger

The story is about Rachel, a 30-year-old Jewish Lesbian actress, who becomes an online “Nazi” bullies target after her recent interview. She is struggling with a part of her and identity and the online harassment is getting more serious and physical. She decides to travel across the country to visit her family. This is when she reunites with Stephen, her childhood friend. Stephen has been dishonorably discharged from the army when in Iraq. He has no money and trying to adjust himself to his new life. This is when these two friends connect despite all their differences. 

I have to say the story is a slow burner as we get to know both characters and up to the first half of the story.

I struggled a lot to get to the midpoint. But then I was hook once it was in full swing. It was a difficult book to read as the racist language is intense. However, I believe the story was very well written (for the second part). Both characters played touching roles in this story and I felt empathy for them throughout the novel.

I would recommend this book to those who are interested in reading about racism and all the shocks and suffering it causes to those who are affected by it. 

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- The Last Agent

 

The Last Agent (Charles Jenkins, #2)

by Robert Dugoni

I haven’t read book one, so I had to read a summary before reading The Last Agent. 

This was my first book by Robert Dugoni and I enjoyed it a lot. A story of betrayal and espionage. 

Charles Jenkins is a former spy in his sixties who is trying to escape Russia, and every time he escapes, he gets caught and he tries to escape again.

I found the choice of character brilliant; the level of reader engagement is extremely high.  I felt tensions being built as I went through each chapter. 

A perfectly written, suspenseful, and thrilling story. The details were portrayed artistically, and I enjoyed the plot very much.

I recommend it to those who enjoy suspense and thriller reads.

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- Bowled, but Not Out

 Bowled, but Not Out

by Ruchira Khanna

Bowled, but Not Out is a family drama that compares life challenges to the game of cricket.

A story of hoping to find happiness in marriage, life surprises, and challenges that are part of our real life.

Saru got married in the hope of having a loving and happy life, but her mother in law made their marriage experience more difficult, to the point that she had to get out of it. 

She decided to move to New York with her daughter to build a better life. to find love and happiness. I am not familiar with the game of cricket, yet I like all the touch on the game.

I always enjoy stories with a strong an independent female character, with that being said I enjoyed how she chose to live her life and built her future, on her own terms. The close relationship with her family was heartwarming, especially her relationship with her father and the way he encouraged Saru.

The storyline is truly pleasant and fast-paced. I enjoyed Saru’s character the most, in the same breath, I thought I could have connected more with each character if they were more developed.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who are interested in family drama.

Many thanks to Ruchira Khanna for sending me a kindle copy.

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- Under A Gilded Moon

Under a Gilded Moon 

by Joy Jordan-Lake 

This is a story of the Appalachians versus the Blue Ridge. Kerry Macgregor, a second-year college student, in New York City has to go back home due to family responsibilities. When she returns home to take care of her father, she realizes that the structure of her hometown is changing, and all the old houses are being sold since an heir of the Vanderbilt family has built a huge estate in the mountains.

A beautifully written historical fiction with an excellent plot. The story setting was beautifully described, the description of the scenery really made me not want to stop reading, I could easily close my eyes and find myself next to all the interesting characters. I could see myself walking next to Kerry and mounting stairs to the observatory. The fact that many characters were based on real people during that time made the story more engaging and charming for me.

The author did a great job researching and portraying the Vanderbilts and their famous Biltmore House

 

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- The Last Correspondent

 

The Last Correspondent

By Soraya Lane

The story is set in the early 1940's, during WWII. It introduces three courageous women who cross paths in France. they are all strong female characters in the story.

Ella is a Journalist who has been writing under a male pseudonym, but she loses her job once her editor finds out about it. After losing her job she decides to become a war correspondent. But the sad truth is that only male correspondents are allowed to cover the story of Normandy.

This is when Danni and Chloe are added to the story. The plot is very interesting and the story alternates between these three women.

I like how the author portrayed every detail. However, I was not able to connect with the characters as much I  thought I would.

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- Lie, Lie Again

 Lie, Lie Again

by Stacy Wise

Embry, Sylvia ,and Riki are neighbors at 1054 Mockingbird Lane. These three women all have their own complex life and a shared secret at the bottom of the staircase.

I enjoyed different voices in the narration and the connection between these three. They all have somewhat of a dark side.

Embry, my favorite character, has 2 kids and married to Brandon, who wants to be a movie star.

Sylvia, whom I think is the most selfish of all, has a boyfriend who is still dealing with his needy ex. 

Riki, who has a huge crush on Brandon, is a second-grade teacher and has a boyfriend. 

The story starts with a dead body at the bottom of the stairs to this complex. It wasn't a fast-paced thriller as I thought it would be, the first few chapters were rather slow and wasn’t really a thriller for me. It was a feel-good read. The plot is beautifully written, the descriptive writing brought the scenes to life. I found the choice of characters brilliant. I enjoyed Embry’s character with all the dialogues she has with herself about her insecurities. At the same time, I found Sylvia’s character very irritating and dark.

I would recommend this book not as a thriller but because of its amazing choice of characters.

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