An amazing, uplifting read of a rich young lady, Lauren, breaking free from her expectations in society in the early 1930s. Giving up her own status, she chooses to take on a private orphanage that was destitute and failing with the help of Becky and Mary. Powerful relationships, realizing what true wealth really means, and always having hope make this a beautiful and emotionally charged must read for fans of historical fiction!

The immersion of Vietnam - tragic injuries, constant loss, faithful hope, senseless chaos,& everyday life at the O club was phenomenal. friendship between women, the love between Frankie& Jamie, lust with rye, & with family dynamics of the McGraths w loss of brother Finley. The second half of the book seemed long winded with quick punches in plot changes that didn‘t match the first half of the book. incredible esp for fans of historical fiction!!

Tate is in nursing school, working around the clock & living with her brother. When she stumbles into one of her brothers neighbors, miles, her heart skips a beat. They form a relationship that should have no future, but together they find healing& fulfillment in one another. Miles has a traumatic past he never wanted to expose to Tate, but in doing so he freed his pain. Lots of repetitive romance scenes but a feel good book that keeps you hooked!

It reads like a creative writing essay, but Nora Sneed is down on her luck and decides to take her own life. In the interim between life and death, she stumbles into Mrs Elm and a library where she can erase her regrets, try different lives, see how other choices change her could-be life, and explores what it means to really live. Emotionally poignant overall!

Martha Ballard was a woman ahead of her times as the town midwife who has a penchant for justice, especially against men who have committed crime that she has experience with. Her loving husband and children become intertwined in the storyline and each character brings their own impact to the story. When the local judge is the person of interest in a rape charge from a woman, how will it play out? Well-written but a bit drawn out in my opinions.

All the trappings of a romance novel, a grieving widowed wife crosses path with a well-known artist, Ian while trying to escape in a tiny town. With her nursing skills, she helps deliver a baby in town but loses the mom during labor. After promising to raise the baby, Wren, Tess finds herself immersing herself into the community and dancing her way out of grief from loss & possibly falling head over heels for Ian, too.

A beautiful love story in so many ways - a love of space/science and the human relation to it all, between Vanessa and Joan and finding yourself by finding the one, and of course sweet, young but wise beyond her years Frances. A gripping space plot to rev it all together, all I want to do now is order a strawberry milkshake and pb&j!

The Durants own a dance academy and have a sordid family life. Sisters Marie and Dara grow up with substance and physical abuse parents until they die in a car crash. Left on their own - alongside Charlie, who Dara eventually marries - they take on continuing the dance academy. While preparing for Nutcracker their studio suffers from a fire and the contracted, Derek, has bad intentions. Bizarre and choppy writing overall.

A beautiful love story that intertwines science with love. Like an exquisite meal made of simple ingredients, this book is fast paced and easy read, but the heartfelt emotions it causes is deeply layered and multifaceted. How one day and a few decisions can completely alter the universe for several people, Natasha, Daniel and even Irene have their life altered because their paths crossed. Poignant, beautiful and hits you in the heart!

Reads more like an anthology of short stories instead of a novel, although it does tie characters/theme/plot line throughout the story breaks. An insight into the plight of women‘s expectations and roles in India and how he underscore of their resilience and hint of change and revolution coming in the future. Beautiful prose but not my personal cup of tea.

A feel good romance that is part of series, but reads excellent as a stand alone. Traveling nurse Emma and Justin share a curse - everyone meets the one right after dating them. Thanks to Reddit, they jokingly give dating each other a try. Neither one expected to fall so fast and furiously though. Each of them have parent drama to deal with that causes turmoil, so can they navigate their families while forming their own relationship?

a breezy yet informative and empowering read! As someone who never loved Barbie as a young child, I developed an admiration for the resilience and fortitude Ruth handler possesses in her executing her dream. as a powerhouse at work, but lost at home, we see Ruth navigate some of life‘s toughest moments inside and out of the office. Also have a deep affection for troubled yet genius soul Jack Ryan! Entertaining story the whole way through!

Told in a punchy and direct way from multiple characters, their viewpoints weave a story that is haunting and twisted. Poppy is the spitting image of missing Ellie Mack. Laurel, Ellie‘s mom, never got over the disappearance but the rest of her family moves on. She meets Floyd whose daughter poppy bears a striking resemblance to her missing daughter and suppressed memories and coincidences reveal the missing link of Noelle Donnelly.

An intricate look at the Dozier Reform School for Boys that has over a century of tortured times for young boys, mostly African Americans, who were sent here for bad behavior. The author explains her time digging unmarked graves& finding family members so these souls can rest in peace that was not there. The story of these families, Marianna& the school history is interwoven with the scientific aspect revealing a harsh and heartfelt truth.

Louisa is grieving the loss of her human, fish when she literally stumbles straight into her lifelong icon, artist C Jatz. He bequeaths his most valuable painting to her. his human, Ted finds Louisa to gift it to her. She latches onto him for a train ride that will turn into one of the greatest tales she‘s ever heard - what C jat really stands for and how they all wound up together. Heart wrenching, beautiful but a bit redundant throughout

If this book didn‘t bounce back and forth so much between verb/writing tense, I‘d give it a higher score. It seems erratic in the visions Elaine seas seeing versus the current storyline that weaved a tale of getting Arthur to king with the support of his wild love, Gwen, valiant confidante Lancelot and sister and protector, magical Morgana.

An earnest lieutenant misses her detective days and gets thrown a case where a woman is found dead in a hotel room with no trace of anything amiss other than her wedding ring. She doesn‘t shake the oddities in this case and when she runs across an identical scene in a different town while visiting, she knows there must be more. What seemed random may be a precise, obsessive and WOW Playing character as the evil genius behind these crimes.

Although the heart of this story takes place during frosty December, the love will melt your all the ice in your veins! Friendships, romantic trysts, and the fated great love alll make a tricky love triangle with an emotional plot line. Great and easy one to devour

A fast paced read Percy, spends her first summer at the lakeside cottage. Little does she know, Sam & Charlie, the boys next door are going to be in her thoughts for longer than summer. Sam and Percy build a beautiful friendship while fighting their feelings for one another, but fate persists& their relationship begins. One event aruptbly ends it though and many years go by until Charlie calls Percy when their mother, passes away

A delve into the overthrowing of gilead and releasing all the deceptive, degrading and devious acts they have masked as holiness. Lost Baby Nicole is the key to the rebellion and she is able to reunite with her sister. Aunt Lydia is a mastermind but it is selfless Becka who really is the unsung hero in this tale. “Love is as strong as death.”

Hammond cross, D.A in South Carolina town, finds himself at the epicenter of mobster Luis pettijohns murder. What does dr Alex Ladd have to do with the murder? As she is prime suspect, and the prime heart throb of Hammond, finding out who really shot the criminal will be pivotal in maintaining integrity and innocence.

While a bit predictable, this story is centered around the impact love has on our hearts and how we get to choose who our family is if you‘re not so fortunate to have one from the get go.

“The antidote to fear…is faith… faith lets me trust that God is good and in control, that ive loved and have love to give# and that even if I make a bad decision or mistake, it‘s never so bad that some good can‘t come out of it.”

Extremely well written prose that immerses readers in the Salina‘s Valley in California at the turn id the twentieth century. A glimpse into the conflict on familial ties and emotions, the dark underbelly of sordid characters and whorehouses, and wholesome inspiring humans, such as Sam Hamilton. Told over the span of generations, we see how characters develop and live out their lives. Beautiful and classic Americana!

The Van Lars run a prestigious survival camp in their small town, yet 2 of their own children have wound up missing on the grounds. Alice, the mom, is sick with grief after her son Bear mysteriously disappears without a trace at 8. She has Barbara years later who never fills the void in her mom‘s heart. What will the van lars do to cover their family reputation& at what cost? Loved the PI Judyta who was a woman ahead of her time in 1970s.

This book is meant for a beachy backdrop. Irene‘s late husband Russ Steele had a secret family in St John‘s, and as Irene is grappling his death and this new discovery, the FBI is investigating also. Irene‘s sons, secret lover through her diaries, Huck and Ayers who are island locals but finding their lives intertwined with the Steeles. Hidden cash, illegitimate children, a proposal, and life changing decisions make this a quick page turner!

A tight knit mom squad develops fissures in their group during the competitive and high stakes entry rounds for their children ti be approved ti attend a new gifted school. Shocked at the lengths parents go to push their children into what they think is best for them. Tessa &Xander the chess guru was my fav! A slow start but fast finish as this story grips you!

A family saga centered around young runaway Felice, who is drop dead gorgeous but insistent on punishing herself for a traumatizing loss she experienced. Avis, her mom, is heartbroken and loses herself in the tenuous work of baking. The dad struggles with health, how to navigate brokeness and feeling adrift, and Stanley - the stable& sensical older brother- who just is always overshadowed by the phantom of his sister. The family reunites in hope

This mystery immerses readers in the bayou parish is st Augustine LA. A detective is convinced a string of seven missing or murdered girls are connected, but the corrupt police don‘t want him looking too much into it. The detective calls on his former navy buddy who is now in the FBI to assist. Drugs, brothels, family ties and southern tradition (and sweet tea and humidity) make this a great “whodunnit” book.

Another well-crafted and gripping addition to the Cormorán Strike detective series! Robin goes undercover in a cult to work on the case for Colin edensor trying to save his son Will. She endures starvation, humiliation, near drowning and sexual encounters to try to find an angle to disempower this malevolent group posing as do-gooders. Learning about what really happened to the Drowned Prophet will unveil the truth and prove criminal action.

Salacious and suspenseful, this has all the trappings of a Sandra brown plot. A picture perfect family who seems to have it all is upended a Memorial Day weekend when big sister Susan is murdered. Did the wrong victim get sentenced? Eighteen years later, her sister Bellamy writes a novel that opens the case wide again and as she befriends dent, former suspect and down-trodden pilot, there are people who want the case to stay closed.

Maybe the translation from Swedish left me wanting more, but a promising storyline of impending nuclear warfare and the lengths humans go to protect or destroy humankind. Unfortunately, the plot was far fetched and difficult to follow. Erasmus, treasure and dear friend of Ingrid, explore deep caves, make great escapes and prepare for war.

A strong start, but a bizarre storyline that is drawn out. Newlyweds go to bora bora for their honeymoon where they stumble upon a plane wreck undersea and large fortune and diamonds locked in a bag. They decide to keep the assets for themselves, but soon realize there are people hot on their trail. Will these average joes be able to evade high end criminals?

“I have seen the bravery and intellligence that it takes one of color to survive under the cruelest of conditions.” The story of James, Sukey, Pan, Robert, Henry and so many others may be difficult to read because of the injustices they face in slavery is so abhorrent, but their story is powerful and representative of a crucial piece of history. Different character POVs and development, this is a story that will stay with me.

Jude wants what all mothers want - the very best for her children. As she navigates her twins high school trajectory, the family practically adopts Lexi, a girl who has gone through way too much in her short life. Friendships and first love blossom, dream colleges acceptance, but when a seemingly innocent night turns deadly, it devastates the family dynamic.

Book two of this series gives readers hades POV in his relationship with his destined wife, Persephone. Repetitive storyline from book one and same ole sexy scenes make this feel like a longer read than it should. Romantsy, with an emphasis on romance and not much else.

“Don‘t fuck with a woman who knows how to pray.” The first half of this book was tremendous and as a young girl who grew up loving Britney‘s music, I found myself enthralled with her plight and journey in the biz. However, the last part of this book becomes repetitive and one note, but it is still great overall! You can feel Britney through the pages, which I believe is always her intent - to connect with the audience genuinely.

Persephone, daughter of Demeter, strikes a deal with Hades in his nightclub while disguised as a mortal college student. Persephone has six months to figure out how to create life in the underworld. She‘ll come to find a life worth living while doing so. Meanwhile, hades has another deal with aphrodite in the works that may impact this one. Steamy and sinful, yet focusing on the overall underlying good in humanity, this is romantsy at its best!

Nine seemingly unconnected strangers receive a strange piece of mail with only their names brandished on the letter. They start being killed via drownings, shooting, carbon monoxide poisoning, etc one by one. Will they figure out why they are being targeted and how to stop them before it‘s too late?

For a thriller, this was a bit slow and too far fetched for me personally.

Listened to this on audio which was done by the author herself. Amazing style of quick witted writing that has an emotional punch. The story of a child actors plight with fame and an obsessed mother who will go to any extreme for her daughters success, even if it‘s hurting her in the process.

A story set in 60s and 70s political tumult in Mexico. The hawks, formed by America CIa, work against communist groups . Protagonist “Elvis” has had a tough life, works hard and loves music. Trying to make his way with some thuggish skirmishes, he catches eyes for Maite, one of the ladies he is suevelling. a plain Jane brought into this dangerous story over some pictures her neighbor took that she possesses. A bit long winded, the time/settinng

A bit of a slow start/middle, but finishes at the speed of lightning. Betrayals, navigating family, detecting true friendships, and escaping powerful purviews all while wishing on stardust makes this a great fantasy read! Sisters Beatriz and Daphne find self reckoning as they cope with the aftermath of their sister Sophie‘s death and the role their mother, empress Margaux played in it.

A series of short stories that are immersive, poignant and entice the reader to reflect and inspect the trappings of relationships and decisions we do (or don‘t) make that impact relationships.

A perfect summer read that is the essence of a Hilderbrand novel. I could feel the ocean breeze as I devoured through the story of Martin, retired judge, who is aging with Alzheimer‘s and his family. Louise, his daughter, struggles with marriage issues, raising3 children,trying to juggle motherhood and a successful career, aging parents - and now a half sister she knew nothing about. There‘s love, friendship, & family issues to keep you hooked

A beautiful book of thirty daily short readings to help you reflect, re-examine and possibly rebuild close relationships in your life. Contemplative with a tie to Christian faith, this had nuggets of wisdom sprinkled throughout l. Thought provoking and helped you look at yourself and own actions in relationshop. Well done!

A behind the scenes perspective on the underbelly and unethical inner workings of American and foreign politics and the role PR firms play in shaping the narrative and creating their version of an agenda. A firsthand account of the mental toll this can take, also. ( audiobook listen)

Once you read the first third of this book, you‘ve read it all. With a promising start - an exciting story of Herr Hoffman developing LSD, but like a bad trip this story lingered on with the despair of Joanie and Fitz, a psychologist who is a grad student , that take the “sacrament” in hopes of achieving second light. There is communal living and a cultish drug house masquerading “research” with their tripping to achieve group consciousness.

A beautiful, but challenging book that makes u look mortality straight in the face. On a delayed flight filled with frustrated passengers, the Death Lady tells each passenger their date& cause of death. As several predictions come true, passengers come to see the meaning of life once they realize it‘s something we won‘t always have. Following several characters makes this a speed read with a hopeful ending, despite some sadness along the way!

A heartbreaking journey of Noa and Astrid‘s & their circumstances that lead to their involvement of the circus during WWII. When there is so much sadness & brokenness, the circus serves as a beacon of hope for the circus employees and show goers. Enduring raids, loss of lives & love, and being ostracized, the unlikely pair form a sisterly bond through the trapeze. Life is fragile, but their resilience is strong as the rope that holds in the sky.

An enrapturing fantasy read that follows the triplet sisters who are betrothed to other kings/ kingdoms through a mastermind plan of their mother, the empress. Magical stardust, reckoning of self, and treason make this a quick read. The ending was heartbreaking but left me salivating for the sequel!

Beautifully motivational and relatable. Love yourself!