Current read - love this series!

I watched the TV series first which prompted me to read the book. An unlikely love story between two extraordinarily unique characters that are both emotionally damaged. The eclectic mixture of characters and side storylines created a wonderful book that is unforgettable.

Find Me In California is the perfect summer read/listen. The story follows Julia and Matt who both have grandmothers that raised them living in the same assisted living facility in California. Unbeknownst to them, their grandmothers have kept a lot of life altering secrets from them that gradually unfold throughout the story. The ending gave me great joy!

A realistic story highlighting the experience of a young nurse during the Vietnam War and her long journey of healing after coming home.

Lucy is suspected of viciously killing her best friend Savvy. Due to amnesia and lack of evidence she is not charged with the crime. She returns home for her grandmother's birthday and everything from the night she can't remember begins to resurface as her case is dissected by a well known crime podcast. This book was fantastic with a mix of humor, mystery, romance, paranormal and a great plot twist!

Childhood best friends Emma and Chess are both writers and spend a summer together in a villa that was the site of a murder. Both women become interested in writing a book about the murder that occurred years ago at the villa. The house holds clues within it to what really happened that night and history begins repeating itself. Predictable but worth the read.

This is the first book in the The Lost Bride Trilogy. Sonya is starting over after ending an engagement and leaving her job when an unexpected visitor tells her she has been left an inheritance by her father's twin brother. She is stunned by this news since her father has passed away and had no known siblings since he was adopted. She moves to Maine to live in the manor left to her and begins to learn about her father's strange family history.

Amanda moves to the countryside & begins volunteering her time at a local farm where she meets Dean. Amanda & Dean start liking each other after spending so much time together on the farm. Amanda decides to stop helping out since Dean is engaged to get married. Dean's fiancée senses a shift & after an argument with Dean has an indiscretion with his brother Stuart. Sometimes unfortunate things happen but in the end things work out for the best.

The ending tying in characters from the other books written by the author was my favorite part. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time getting into the book due to the narrator of the audiobook.

My January reads - obsessed with The Grant County and Will Trent series!

I loved this book on audio and the reference to Nina Riva and the book Daisy Jones & the Six. The father daughter relationship between Carrie and her dad was beautiful. The way the book was written you could easily envision yourself there - the moment Carrie sees Princess Diana in the stands at Wimbledon - and says to herself "they can't make us go away just because they are done with us"was powerful!

So many twists, turns, aliases, and back stabbing! A great thriller with a different style - I listened on audio and followed along with the book.

Mads and Waynoka are traveling East from California to New York in search of water and food. During their journey they stop in Nevada and stumble into the dark history of the area. I listened to this book on audio and really enjoyed how it told two stories simultaneously tying the current time to the past. I kept envisioning the movie The Descent as I listened.

My December reads

Skyler receives a call letting her know she's been left with a significant amount of money in a trust by a man she spent one night with 12 years earlier. During that time her life changed forever when her younger sister was found dead on the grounds of a friend's house and her death remains unsolved. Secrets come to light and Skyler soon realizes that everything is connected. Great story but the end left me wanting more.

Good narration on audio and a great story to remind us to be the best version of ourselves and give to the less fortunate.

I loved this romantic comedy so much and I could not stop laughing. The storyline was original and I loved Penina's character so much. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were the cherry on top.

Great thriller keeps you guessing

Shocking to know that this happened and I don't remember ever hearing about it. Informative and heartbreaking.

I had always been curious how this relationship started & continued considering the age gap/logistical distance once Elvis left Germany. I am still in shock that Priscilla's mother & stepfather went to such great lengths to facilitate this inappropriate relationship for such an extended period of time. She attempts to make it seem like they had rules. It will be interesting to see how this looks on film.

This was a very honest autobiography. I hope that writing this book provided Britney with some healing; it's been a long lonely road.

It is an unlikely love story that crosses into the unknown and I absolutely loved it. The love of my life passed away and I like to think he's still with me as the quote from the book says, “And I‘ll love you when we‘re young, and I‘ll love you when we‘re old, and I‘ll love you when we‘re gone.” I listened primarily on audiobook but followed along on kindle when I was at home.

Jason is on a mission to find his family and salvage the life he has with them but he has obstacles created by different versions of himself.

Incredible historical fiction novel about unlikely friendships, life during the civil war and sacrifice for loved ones. Beautifully written and wonderful on audio.

Two almost identical girls go missing 13 years apart. One was released by her capture after three years of daily abuse and now she is one of the prime suspects in Olivia's disappearance.

This was a sexy psychological thriller - my jaw dropped when the real killer was revealed.

A wonderful story about a mother who lost her son and gets a chance at life with the help of an unlikely source. I absolutely loved this!

Sometimes romanticizing difficult parts of our past is how we cope and Rachel has been doing that for the past 15 years. On a trip back to Greece with her husband her past and future collide and she is forced to see things for what they actually were. The book showed how easily young teens can be manipulated and coerced into unfortunate situations. The narration was great.

Everyone really is lying in this book. Avery the young nine year old daughter is very calculated and reminded of an older version of the daughter in Baby Teeth. It was a great thriller that I couldn't put down.

This book was so beautifully written it literally brought me to tears. Lolly is at a point in her life where she is wondering what happened - the love of her life is living on the other side of the country, married & living out all of his dreams. She has the opportunity to live out 3 different days in what her life could have been like had she made different choices. I feel like everything you want to happen happens just not when you expect it to.

It was like enjoying two stories simultaneously. Morgan lives a quiet life until she crosses paths with the wrong man. She was his target and her will not rest until she's dead.

Wonderful thriller that kept me guessing who was behind the murder - so many twists and possible suspects!

My July reads:
The Ten Thousand Doors of January 📓
The Thorn birds 📓 🎧
Daisy Jones & The Six 📓 🎧
Her Deadly Game 📓 🎧
The Space Between 📓 🎧
How To Walk Away 🎧
The Deep End of The Ocean 📓
Summer of '69 🎧

Great summer family drama. We follow four siblings journeys in the summer of 1969 all in very different times of their lives.

A touching story of a family dealing with the disappearance of their three year old son and how it affects the family over 9 years.

Great narration, it really brought this story to life. Margaret has just been proposed to in a plane that her fiancé Chip is flying when something goes terribly wrong and they crash. Margaret finds herself questioning if Chip is the right person for her as he is nowhere to be found when she needs him most. This story shows how strength comes from within and sometimes change can be the thing you never knew you needed.

The Space Between was beautiful on audio bringing two very different love stories to life. Andrea & Jace meet by chance & begin a whirlwind romance. Andrea comes from a wealthy family & Jace is an orphan being brought by his brothers. Andrea & Jace think their love is invincible but it gets put through tests and people they trust interfere and separate them. This story is special allowing you to fall in love with two different love stories.

An enjoyable mixture of fantasy and romance - a pleasant surprise!

My June reads:
The Fountains of Silence - historical fiction 🎧
The Bodyguard - contemporary romance 🎧
Wrong Place Wrong Time - thriller 🎧
Paris: The Memoir - autobiography 🎧
Sam - coming of age 🎧
Tell Me Lies - psychological fiction 🎧
The Secret Garden - classic 📘🎧
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - biography 📘🎧

Incredible historical fiction novel that I enjoyed on audio bringing light to the thousands of babies stolen from families in Spain during Franco's rule.

So many unexpected twists - loved it on audio

Absolutely loved this audiobook and they role reversal of the bodyguard role.

No More Secrets is the third book in the No More series. This book focuses on Lucas and his story. He was a troubled youth spending time in a juvenile detention center; he is now contemplating ending it all. He carries a lot of guilt for not helping his younger sister. He crosses paths with a young runaway that reminds him of his and he'sdriven to help her the way he wishes he had helped his sister. This book was the perfect ending to the series.

This was such a beautiful and heartbreaking story that literally brought me to tears. The story highlights the complexity of relationships, PTSD, domestic violence, living of the grid, sacrifice, hope and everlasting love. This book has easily become a favorite.

I am a huge fan of Sam Heughan and enjoyed listening to his audiobook with personal stories from his life.

My January reads 📘

A young couple moves out to the country to live a more relaxed life and quickly find themselves surrounded in mysteries. Things start going missing and then they both start things that they cannot believe or understand. A great mystery with a touch of supernatural elements.

This was a group read selection and an absolutely wonderful historical fiction read. I listened to it on audiobook.

I watched the Netflix movie first and was gifted the book. I read it and listened to it on audiobook simultaneously. It was different from the movie and a great read.

Tess DeMello was never meant to marry Henry Kraft from Hickory, NC. It is 1944 and suddenly the sleepy town of Hickory is on the map due to the polio epidemic and a hospital being opened there to treat the affected. Tess comes face to face with the fiancée she left behind and finally learns the secret life her husband has been hiding. A fantastic historical fiction book with mystery and romance mixed in. I listened to it on audio and loved it.