- 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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