It took me a few chapters to get into the story, as Lalla is unlike any character I’ve encountered before. Full of selfish scheming, murder, and affairs, Lalla still ends up growing on you. A lot of twists and turns and laugh out loud moments. I couldn’t decide if I very much disliked her or was rooting for her! The author did a really great job with character development and in the end the story was overall just a fun read.
4/5 stars
We’ve all done it- sent a message intended for a certain person to someone else. The embarrassment and regret varies, but when Susan does it- it sets off a wave of chaos in her neighborhood. Envy, affairs, murder, bullying- this book is full of secrets and drama. The book has at least six POV so that was a struggle to keep everyone straight- but I like seeing what is going on in everyone’s head. Once I was near the end I had to stay up late to see what happened. Many unpredictable twists. Enjoyable read. 4/5 stars
3.5 rounded up to 4. The plot of this book was very unique. Mother & Daughter, both very insecure, fall in love with and are manipulated by the same man at different times. I liked the different Point of Views and the different time lines to really get a picture of all that was going on in this wild family drama. The characters often frustrated me by their decisions and internal dialogues. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters; they were all slightly annoying, but it fit the storyline for them to be such. One character (Ron) surprised me with his POV and the role he played in the final pages of the book. Overall I enjoyed this read, though there were come clunky parts. The repetition of inner dialogues became grating; to be more specific when one character continually repeats how awful they are for a past choice. There was also a section where it seemed to turn into an education piece and soapbox related to the characters situation. Those pages read more like non-fiction article rather than a fictional conversation. It’s worth the read if you like lots of family drama with twists!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to experience this read and review it!
4/5 stars
Two Truths and a Lie is one of my favorite games to play, so I was immediately drawn to this title. When Brad says he once killed a man as one of his statements, his wife sees a chilling look in his eyes and essentially . The wife, Maia, a grieving, overprotective mother in a very controlling relationship spirals, trying to get to the truth. And as she searched for the truth, she continued to make choices that made me crazy-seemingly putting herself and others in danger. I appreciated reading the story from the two points of view and enjoyed the twist.
thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read this unique thriller.
I recently joined a book club. I’ve never been too interested in book clubs; I like to read what I want, at the pace I want, and am usually not that interested in discussing things.
When I picked this book up- it was only because it was a book club choice. I gravitate towards mysteries and thrillers and try to especially stay away from books that are too popular and may be over hyped. Imagine my surprise when I enjoyed myself thoroughly.
This book jumps from the past to the present and back again, following Beth’s life. From first love and a broken heart, to a comfortable life on the farm. Secrets, betrayal, and twists…this book blew me away. There was just something so beautiful and engaging about the writing. It only took me 3 days to read. The story of the messiness of humanity and the beauty of forgiveness-it was a lovely read.
5/5 stars
I’ve been reading Mary Higgins Clark book since I was a teenager and have read all of the Under Suspicion books, so I was more than thrilled to be given the opportunity to read an ARC copy of “It had to be You.” I’ve loved following the lives of Laurie Moran and her family through the series, and this one was no different. I’m so glad the story gets to live on with the help of Alafair Burke. What a great team! The story of identical twins accused, but never convicted, of killing their parents tears their family apart. Interesting plot with plenty of family drama. Because I’ve read so many by the author, I knew early on who I thought was the guilty one, but I was taken on a nice journey before it was revealed. Another excellent read.
4/5 stars
The Next Mrs. Parrish was a solid 4 stars. It was fun to dive back into the lives of the rich and ridiculous. You will want to read The Last Mrs. Parrish and The Last Shot before reading this one. Amber and Jackson are the characters you love to hate and are still up to no good with new plans of deception. Daphne is navigating divorced and single mom life with her girls who were protected from the truth about their father. Desperate to make her girls happy she agrees to go back for the summer so they can see their father, not ready to trust Jackson’s claims of being a changed man, but with no idea of the trouble that awaits. Full of family drama, greed, revenge, and twists you won’t see coming, Liv Constantine does it again.
This book will be released June 18, 2024. I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley.
When I was a child I remember going to the library and checking out large stacks of books to read. If I wasn’t playing outside or at a friend’s house, I was reading. My favorite book was The Secret Garden, which is probably where my love for mysteries began.
I read the Mandie books, which was a children’s Christian mystery series. As I grew older my sister introduced me to Mary Higgins Clark. I continued to read and find new authors, but as I reached college my love for reading was stifled by all the required reading. This lasted for years as I continued on to seminary and then slowly working on my Masters degree. Add in two sweet little girls and an exhausted momma and I found myself reading just a handful of books each year.
For years as more and more books collected on my shelf, waiting to be read and as I watched people around me share about great books-I kept thinking and saying to myself, “I should read more.”
Finally in 2021 I made a commitment to do something about it. It always felt like I didn’t have enough time to read. And then I started paying attention to how much time I was on my phone…essentially reading! Scrolling social media-reading. Checking email-reading. News articles and blogs-reading. So I put my phone down and picked up a book, and I haven’t stopped since! My love for reading has returned.
There was never a doubt in my mind that someday I wanted to be a mom. I have always loved children and spent many years babysitting and working with children at church and summer camp. At 21, I married my husband and a few years later we knew we were ready to begin our family. It was when I was pregnant with my first daughter that I fully realized the gravity of what my mother experienced through her pregnancy and relinquishment of me. When I held my newborn daughter, it was the first time I had ever seen a person who was related to me by blood. People-especially in the adoption community-emphasize the importance of love over blood in creating a family. While certainly love is important, blood matters too and this moment was significant to me. As she grew she began to look like me, and I could see so much of myself in her little personality.
Now I have two children and another one on the way. I love my children with every part of my being. But it wasn’t until after I reunited with my mother that I realized I was missing an important piece-an understanding of the bond of mother and child. My children are very much bonded and attached to me…to the point where it often felt needy and overwhelming. I could not grasp it all-I had never felt this way about my adopted mother and so I didn’t understand the need my children had………until I met my birth mother. Suddenly, I understood this powerful bond, this need to communicate and be near her- much like my children acted towards me. I realized that I must not take this for granted in my children. So I snuggle them a little longer, listen carefully to the things they want to tell me, answer all their questions because I finally get it. And I don’t want to miss a thing. I know how quickly they will be grown and gone and I will never retrieve those moments again. Just like I can never retrieve the moments I missed with my mother.
As an adoptee the world has generally left me with two fates: abortion or adoption. Dead or “unwanted.”
My self-worth does not benefit from either of these choices.
Turns out they weren’t the only choices. Because they are not opposites. They are not either or.
My other fate: being raised by my mother. Not too many want to give me that option.
Not too many want to give young single women or women in poverty that option.
Not too many want to understand the pain and loss in adoption.
I just want the world to see there are more choices.
I just want the world to stop thinking separating mother and child has no consequences.
I just want the world to stop telling adoptees be glad you aren’t dead.
I just want the world to know that abortion was never my fate. ever. so stop asking me to be grateful I’m alive.
I already am-but not because I was adopted instead of aborted.
I’m grateful because-shouldn’t we all be?
anyone who thinks adoption is “easy” clearly has no experience
I Sat in Silent Musing 