Linda

Lisa Scottoline writes intriguing mysteries, and this one is no different. I don't know how many times during the reading did I decide who the villain must be, only to change my mind again in the next chapter. Lots of red herrings and interesting side journeys to get to the final conclusion. I do think I would have liked more insight into the stalker and a few more actual clues along the way, but overall, I enjoyed it and it was all wrapped up neatly in the end.

I liked the premise of this book, but I was disappointed in the way it all played out. With such a compelling topic I felt the author concentrated too much on the characters romantic entanglements and not enough on the war efforts of the women.

I also wasn't a fan of a woman willing to sacrifice everything for a man she met a few months ago. With a daughter at home, I thought that was very irresponsible of her and totally self-absorbed. I'm all for love, but how about the love you should have for your daughter.

That being said, it did have a decent ending and I felt it managed to redeem itself somewhat in the last few chapters.

A coming of age novel told by a 12 year old boy who has lost his mother to cancer. The character of jake is well crafted. The reader can feel his emotional struggle and anger over his mother's death and the trials of middle school. He has vivid dreams where he learns to control many of the things happening to him. In his day to day life, however, things often feel very out of control. He is dealing with bullying at school and the strong emotions of grief. He doesn't want to tell his father everything he is feeling, and is trying to deal with it all on his own.

This is a young adult book, but anyone who has ever lost a loved one can relate to the turmoil of emotions that Jake is feeling. I think it would be a great addition to middle school libraries and classrooms.

The Light Over London was really good. More light and fluffy than I expected, but it had some twists and turns in the story which made it enjoyable. It's one of those novels that goes between present day and the 1940's. In this case it's because of a diary that is found by the main character. I enjoy stories with a past and present plot line, however, if you find that confusing or it just annoys you than this isn't the book for you.

Otherwise this is a good Summer read in spite of the fact that much of it takes place during WW2. It's a coming of age story and involves romance and mystery. What more could you ask for as you're lying on the beach?

I really enjoyed the story of Lali and Gita. I'm not sure how much poetic license was taken with the story as I have seen a lot of people claiming it wasn't factual. But it really doesn't matter. It is a good story either way and told from the perspective of someone doing a job we do not necessarily think about when we think of the atrocities of WWII. Some people would say Lali was forced to do something horrendous to save his life, others would simply see him as a collaborator. I don't think anyone who wasn't there or who hasn't been put in that position should judge.

Eleanor Wilde is a medium, but really she doesn't even believe in ghosts. She is a good fake, however, and feels she is helping families to move on, for a price.

She is looking after her sister, who is in a coma and medical care isn't cheap. Her brother, however, doesn't approve of her methods and when Nicholas Hartford III comes to hire her, he isn't happy about it.

Nicholas knows she's a fake, but he doesn't care. His mother believes there is a ghost in their family home and he is hiring her to get to the bottom of it.

It turns out there is a lot more going on at Castle Hartford than she realizes though and she may be in for more than a fake medium can handle.

This was a fun read with some well thought out characters and lots of spooky twists and turns.

This is the second Kate Quinn book I have listened to; the first being The Alice Network, and she has captured my imagination again. This was another riveting story spanning between WWII and the first few years after the war ended. What happened to all the people who were Nazis? What about the ones who weren't captured, the ones who escaped prosecution for war crimes. This novel takes those questions and shows us a glimpse of what could have happened, people who might have become part of our lives or the lives of those we know. Like The Alice Network the story is told in alternating chapters between the main characters and lends a slightly different perspective from each person. If you are interested in captivating historical fiction, I urge you to give this novel a try.

Sunni has moved back to Firefly Junction where her sisters live, to fix up an old inn and turn it into a bed and breakfast. To raise some money she is working at the local newspaper, but all she is being given is fluff pieces. She is told to go to the high school to do a story on the custodian who has just retired. When she gets there she finds out that his retirement may have been forced and it turns out there are a lot of secrets surrounding it. When he then turns up dead, Sunni goes into full investigator mode and starts searching for the truth.

The story is interesting with a good mix of characters and the potential love interest between her and the local police officer is cute. The only thing that I didn't feel fit the story was the addition of the inn being potentially haunted and her sister holding a seance.

Overall a great read though with a satisfying ending.

Jacqueline Frost has quickly become an auto read as her stories are all top notch. This one starts with Holly's friend Caroline being manipulated by her parents into having dinner with Derek. Derek gets handsy and Caroline jumps up and makes a bit of a scene.

It quickly makes the news, but when Derek ends up dead, Caroline becomes a prime suspect and Holly gets involved trying to clear her friend's name.

The Reindeer Games are always fun and I love the small town characters and the Christmas atmosphere. The murder is always well thought out and it's just amazing writing.

I found this was a really interesting take on the conversations in your career that can either propel you forward or can make it so you stay stuck in the same place for years. Although much of it might be considered common sense, I found quite a few takeaways that I will be using from now on. Definitely worth a read whether you are just starting out or you have been in the business world for many years.

I love Nora Roberts books in general. This one though appeared to be written by someone else entirely. The writing was clunky and juvenile and the story “barely” was recognizable with the first book. I'm not sure if she hired a ghost writer or what she did, but I won't be reading the 3rd installment. I was very disappointed and I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

Bittersweet story about actress Ruth Marshall and her struggles and triumphs after being diagnosed with a tumour and having to deal with the consequences of that.

There are so many things we take for granted in our day to day life; using the bathroom, standing, walking, knowing where our limbs are and having control over them. When something happens to put that all at risk, we are left floundering. Ruth Marshall tells a compelling story as she deals with all of that and more.

This is the first of the Alaska Cozy Mysteries and the first one I have read set in Alaska. Sarah is a homicide detective that gave up her career and moved to the small town of Snow Falls, Alaska after her husband left her. She now writes mysteries under a pen name. When she finds a snowman in her yard similar to one she wrote about she is worried that someone she once put in prison may have figured out her pen name and be after her.

It's a good start to a series and although we don't get much of the small town vibes, we do get some and Sarah has a potential love interest as well as best friend side kick. I think it's a great beginning and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

I don't have an opinion as to whether this whether an accurate portrayal of Tara's life or not. It really doesn't matter when it comes to the story itself. I don't think anyone is completely accurate when it comes to remembering their life.

The main problem I had with the story was that I found the abuse in the novel disturbing and many times I had to put it up, as I even found myself angry with Tara for not only putting up with the abuse and not reaching out to anyone for help, but doing things to try and act as though it wasn't a problem.

I know this is part of being abused and I understand that. It's just difficult to not scream at the novel, “Don't go home!”, “Stay away from these people!”.

Would I recommend it? Probably not. It dragged on far past the point that it needed to and I still felt like she didn't really fit in anywhere by the end of the novel, so it didn't really feel like a “happy ending” either. Until nearly the end, she was still trying to fit in with her family. It was sad really.

Nora Roberts never fails to entertain and this latest book is no exception. I have read a few of her books that have had a pagan witchy feel to them, but this one added a dystopian element to it. It had me hooked from the very beginning and was creepy and scary at times. So if you are looking for a Nora Roberts romance novel, this isn't it. But if you enjoy a well written dystopian fantasy then you will be hooked by this one. My only question now, is how long do I have to wait for the next one?!

I enjoyed this book so much. The characters were interesting and I particularly enjoy a book that follows one family through their entire lives. You become invested in the characters and you feel as though you know them as the book progresses.

It wasn't full of a lot of action, but was a good character driven drama and it kept me interested through the whole thing.

I couldn't finish this book. I wanted to like it, I really did, but I felt it just dragged on and really became more a story of a woman with mental illness than anything else. Whether or not she was Anastasia Romanov, I don't know. I just know by the time I was half way through it, it was no longer important to me.

This is the first book by Rachel E. Carter that I have read and I enjoyed it. It reminded me in some ways of the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter. Three factions of students at the Academy all trying to become the best they could be to win a spot and be able to continue in one of the three fields of either Combat, Restoration or Alchemy.

The novel had lots of action, a little romance and the characters were interesting and complex enough to keep me interested. The story ended in a satisfactory way so that if you never read book #2 you would still be ok with the ending. I did just purchase the second one though, as I was interested in seeing what happened next.

Although this was the 3rd book in the series I didn't finish it. I felt it was just plodding along and I was getting very tired of the characters. I recommend you read the first one and don't bother going back for more.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It was the right combination of light romance, magic and mystery. Kind of a cross between Charmed and Murder She Wrote.

This was the most captivating novel I have read in ages. The story of Pino Lella is a coming of age story amid the worst of circumstances; the second World War. It is based on a true story of a young Italian boy with tremendous courage, tenacity and heart. I was often on the edge of my seat while reading it; unable to believe the horrendous things that Pino witnessed, the bravery he showed and his ability to continue doing the “right thing” through it all. I have been recommending this book to anyone who will listen. It's a “must read”.

I had never heard of Ms Tan or the adoption scandal and abuse by the Tennessee Children's home. Although this was a fictional tale I am sure there are many stories out there just like it. It was very well written and the audible performance really captured and held my attention.

This was such an enjoyable novel. I was gripped with the stories of Eve and Charlie from the very beginning. The story alternates between Eve's memories during WW1 of her time in “The Alice Network”, a network of female spies, and Charlie's time during 1947 as she meets Eve and begins searching for her dear cousin Rose who went missing during WW2.

As the two meet and begin the search for Rose they embark on a journey of kinship and transformation filled with Eve's courageous tales and the ghosts that haunt her. Definitely a book worth reading.

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me in some ways of A Man Called Ove. Eleanor Oliphant is a woman with very few social skills and as the story unfolds we begin to learn why. The relationship she has with “Mummy” is toxic and has coloured and shaped her entire life.

She begins to grow and change though when she meets a unlikely friend at work and learns how to interact with the world. Gail Honeyman takes you on a fascinating ride with Eleanor and although I was never really sure if I “liked” her, I did begin to root for her to have a better life.

A beautifully written story about a man who's son has special needs and he's trying to prepare him to be a responsible man. His son has so much love to give and when he hears about the animal shelter having a “Dog for Christmas” program he begs to get involved.

This story has well thought out characters and some sweet family moments. It's perfect for Christmas and is bound to have you rooting for everything to work out.