The Family Home by Miranda Smith ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

 

There’s a dead man in my apartment. Only me and my ex have a key. But neither of us would have done this. We have too much to lose...

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Ten years ago, Molly and Andrew happened to sit next to each other on their Christmas flight home to Ireland. What started as a coincidence turns into a regular, planned occurrence. Though they occasionally cross paths during the year, the Christmas flight home is the time they spend together. Andrew is all about Christmas and family and Molly is ambivalent about the holiday and visits her family out of obligation. The flight is the highlight for Molly because she gets to spend the 7+ hours with Andrew. They catch up, discuss who they are dating or broken up with, and just enjoy being together. 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

A soul-stirring new novel about what we choose to keep from our past, and what we choose to leave behind.

 Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The White Hare by Jane Johnson ~ a Review

by MK French

In 1954, Magda and Mila buy a new home in White Vally, Cornwall for cheap because of its bloody history. Magda wants to restore the house, and Mila just wants to start over with her daughter Janey. Janey has a vivid imagination, especially toward her rabbit, but stories of an enchanted white hare are frequently told. They don't know if the Hare is a good or evil omen. Or what would happen if it's seen. 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Funeral Train: A Dust Bowl Mystery by Laurie Loewenstein ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"The train's desolate song suited the time and place - December, 1935 - smack in the crosshairs of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.  Together, they had done their worst to this raggedly piece of the Oklahoma panhandle.  Some farmers and merchants had packed up and deserted the meagerly populated High Plains.  Some had stayed but shrank into themselves, ashamed of their collective poverty."  (p13)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria by George Jreije ~ a Review

by MK French

Shad Hadid never fit in at school, so he focused on his family and dreams of opening an Arabic bakery. When Shad is attacked, he discovers his late baba was an alchemist and he’s one as well. This skill earns him an invitation to the Alexandria Academy, a school for alchemists. Shad hopes to learn more about alchemy and that he'll be safe from monsters, but no one at the school knows what alchemy even is. Shad soon discovers evil, and only he holds the key to stopping or fulfilling their plans.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

A Death at Neptune Cove by Emma Jameson ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

A ruined birthday cake leads to a dead body. A relocated birthday party leads to buried treasure. Can Jem, Pauley, and the rest of the gang solve the mystery before one of their own is wrongfully charged with the crime? 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson ~ a Review

by MK French

 

Marion Shaw grew up in the slums of Prane, a city caught between the decadent North and the industrial South. She has no way out until she sees an ad for a bloodmaid, someone from whom the Northern lords drink blood from. When she applies and is accepted into the House of Hunger, Marion is swept up into that decadent life and the court of Countess Lisavet. The countess takes a special interest in her, and Marion is eager to please. Marion soon learns there are dangerous secrets in the House, and if she can’t learn how to navigate her way through the cat and mouse games, she’ll die there.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Silent Sisters by Robert Dugoni ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

In the third book of Robert Dugoni's Charles Jenkins series, Russia is on a witch hunt for the remaining "sisters" who were raised from birth to spy on Russia. It's up to Charles Jenkins to make contact and coordinate the extraction of the two remaining sisters. However, there is a kill order for Jenkins in Russia. He has narrowly escaped during his last two trips to Russia. Can he rescue the two women and safely return home himself?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang ~ a Review

by MK French

Misery Nomaki (she/they) hears the voice of God, but thinks it's a hallucination brought on by hereditary space exposure. Survival depends on mastering the holy mech they are supposedly destined for, and convincing the Emperor of the Faithful that they are the real deal. While Misery thinks this is a con, is it really? What if they really do hear God?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

A sweeping World War II tale of an illusionist whose recruitment by British intelligence sets her on a perilous, heartrending path.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young ~ a Review

by MK French

As a teenager, Emery Blackwood’s best friend was found dead and August Salt, her greatest love, was accused of murdering her. As an adult, Emery lived on Saoirse Island to run Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings. The island is steeped in folklore and magic, and odd signs herald August's return. He's not welcome on the island but wants to bury his mother’s ashes. The community wants him gone, and soon betrayals and hidden promises spanning generations may explain what happened fourteen years ago.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Death Among the Diamonds by Fliss Chester ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is an independent woman in the 1920s. She enjoys a good time and saving family friends from interior design disasters. She also sees herself as something of an amateur sleuth. But when she travels to her friend's house party for fun, to salvage the drawing room curtains, and hopefully discover the missing diamonds, she's not counting on having to solve a murder, let alone two!

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch ~ a Review

by MK French

Emmeline and William Pershing had a marriage of convenience to fulfill rules for an inheritance, and it's worked out well for them even though William longed for more from Emmeline. When Emmeline's grandfather summons them for his birthday, William discovers that Emmeline lied about having children to live in their home. They find two orphans to be their children, and the chaos that results brings them closer together.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Don't Judge a Book by Its Hover by Amy McNulty ~ an Audiobook Review

by Donna Huber

Nimue's grandmother announces her retirement just days before a big book expo. That's not a problem since the convention center is in Cauldron Cove and run by witches. They can have the expo set up with a mere swish of their wands. No, the problem is that her grandmother has appointed Nimue and her nemesis co-managers. How will they ever work together? When a famous author winds up dead they'll have no choice but to set aside their difference if they want to save the convention center.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"People still search the woods for remains of lost children." (p 1)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore ~ a Review & Excerpt

by MK French

Yaga is a half goddess with magic, but heartbreak led her to live an isolated life in the forest. Her old friend Anastasia had married Tsar Ivan, and Anastasia's fate is tied to that of the Russian nation. Life in sixteenth-century Russia is unstable, and Ivan the Terrible is more volatile and tyrannical as Anastasia sickens. Yaga believes she's being poisoned, but Ivan is also being manipulated by darker forces.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Dustborn by Erin Bowman ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

In a harsh post-apocalyptic world where water is a scarce commodity, clans and communities trust one another about as far as they can throw them. Yet, at times they are dependent on each other. There is a fabled Eden called the Verdant where water flows plentifully yet no one knows where it is - even with a map.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.i

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

A youthful indiscretion costs Veronica her dream job and sees her black-balled in the New York publishing circle. With few options, she and her mother decide to move to California where her uncle has offered them his vacation bungalow in Santa Monica. Veronica gets a job as a typist and soon learns that her boss is an American Fascist with strong anti-Semitism and pro-Nazi Germany views. While Veronica is of German descent (her mother is German-American), she detests what Germany is doing. She won a prize in college for the newspaper story she wrote after going undercover at a pro-Nazi rally in New York City. Can she go undercover again to rout out the American fascist in Los Angeles?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Next Time I Die by Jason Starr ~ a Review

by MK French

Steven Blitz didn’t think twice about defending a woman being forced into a car. After getting stabbed, he woke up in the hospital of a different world. There was a different president, a loving family waiting for him, and money in the bank. In this world, however, Steven wasn’t a good person, and he didn’t know who was coming after him.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Winter Orphans by Kristin Beck ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

During WWII the Swiss Red Cross ran homes for French and refugee children. Many of the refugee children are Jewish. Ella Rosenthal and her sister Hanni reside in such a home near the Pyrenees Mountains. They feel as if they have found a safe haven after having fled Belgium where their parents had sent them when it became apparent that Germany would not be safe for Jews. Unfortunately, the Vichy government wants to play nice with the German aggressors and have started rounding up Jewish refugees over the age of 16. Director Rösli Näf feels she must do something to protect her children. Will she go against the directives of the Swiss Red Cross, and risk losing her job, to save these teens?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca ~ a Review

by MK French

This volume contains three psychological horror stories by Eric LaRocca, and the title novella was nominated for the Bram Stoker award. The tag line compares him to Clive Barker, Stephen Graham Jones and Caitlín R. Kiernan. While there can be allusions to bloody events, the biggest issue as with any good psychological horror stories is the connection with others and the soft slide deeper into the darkness of a human soul.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Daughter of Auschwitz by Tova Friedman & Malcolm Brabant ~ an Audiobook Review

by Donna Huber

The Daughter of Auschwitz is Tova Friedman's memoir. She has the distinction of possibly being the youngest survivor of the notorious death camp Auschwitz. She was just a year old when war broke out. She was 4-years-old when her family moved into the Jewish Ghetto. She was 5-years-old when she and her family were sent to Auschwitz and just 6-years-old when the camp was liberated.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.

Dark Observation by Catherine Cavendish ~ a Review

by MK French

Violet works in Churchill's secret War Rooms in 1941, and citizens are generally unaware of this work. Air raids are common, but she's not afraid of those. Instead, she has other problems: a mysterious man, a room only she can see, memories she can't trust, and a best friend who denies their shared past. Someone seems to be targeting her. 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

A Bend of Light by Joy Jordan-Lake ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

A quiet coastal village in post–World War II America is shaken when the secrets of the past and present collide in a riveting novel.   

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco ~ a Review

by MK French

Remy Pendergast is the only son of the Duke of Valenbonne and an elite bounty hunter of rogue vampires. At the same time, he's an outcast among his fellow Reapers because his mother had eloped with a vampire. His entire life is devoted to being a weapon for the kingdom of Aluria despite the rumors about him. He's determined to investigate the new breed of vampire outside of the city, but Remy isn't alone. Vampire heiress Xiaodan Song and her fiancé, the vampire lord Zidan Malekh, are also investigating. Remy knows working with them won't help his reputation, but it might be his only chance to save the kingdom from the Rot spreading. As they work together, he begins to question everything he knew about vampires, his family legacy, and the kingdom itself.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Best is Yet to Come by Debbie Macomber ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Hope teaches at the local high school and volunteers at the animal shelter. When a "dangerous" dog is brought in, Hope knows he just needs someone to show him the world isn't as bad as he has experienced so far. But when Cade shows up at the shelter to work off his community service, is her heart open enough to let him in too?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

My Name Is Ona Judge by Suzette D. Harrison ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

My Name is Ona Judge by Suzette D. Harrison is a dual timeline historical fiction/modern-day novel about Ona Judge and her life as a slave.  Who is Ona Judge, you ask?  She was a real person who was a slave in the George Washington household in Mt Vernon and traveled with the family to Washington DC after Washington was elected president.  Since I'd never heard of her before or been taught about her in school, I googled her and found many books written about this woman and her escape from slavery.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

4 Must Read Books for Fans of Young Adult Fiction

by MK French

School is back in session and students are needing books for daily reading assignments and book reports or, you know, just enjoyment. If you have a teen looking for something new to read or you enjoy young adult fiction, you will want to add these to your fall reading list.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

One Hundred Saturdays by Michael Frank ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Michael Frank met Stella Levi at a lecture. Stella connected with something inside Michael and asked him to correct a speech she was set to give. This started their Saturday meetings. Over the course of 100 Saturdays, Stella and Michael met in her New York City apartment where she shared her life story. In her 90s she shares stories that she has rarely shared with anyone. But it's not just her stories that she shares. She also shares commentary on her life history. Michael records these stories and insights while also sharing some of his own research on some of the history she touches on. Stella is one of few Jews who survived the deportation of 1600+ Jews from Rhodes during World War II.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Death Down the Aisle by Verity Bright ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Lady Eleanor Swift is back at Henley Hall and getting involved in village life as a member of the Women's Insitute. Typically, titled ladies are allowed but seeing as she does so much for the village (and doesn't really act the part of Lady of the Manor) they made an exception. They want her to organize the rally to reinstate females as police officers. They worked as police officers when the men were off fighting during the Great War but were removed when the war ended. In addition to the rally, Ellie is also serving as a bridesmaid for friend Constance. Eleanor is plenty busy but when a murder threatens the wedding, she steps up to help find the real killer.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Curse of Wolf Falls by Brenda Whiteside ~ a Review

by MK French

Elidor MacKenzie, like every other MacKenzie, has a special ability. She's spent her entire life running from the ability to absorb the emotions and suffering of others. With her best friend dead and possessing the secret of an archaeological discovery, Elidor has returned home to Joshua. Her first love Jules has also returned after a twenty-year career in journalism. The scavengers, determined to find Elidor's secret, have followed her to Joshua. It isn't just rekindling a relationship on her mind now, but also saving their lives.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

In a future where human genetic modification is possible, Logan Ramsay doesn't realize at first that things are different. When he realizes that his memory is improving, process information faster, and other small improvements he starts wonder what is going on. Unfortunately, upgrading your genetics isn't totally legal and the authorities want to know what Logan and his mother (who he thought was dead) are planning.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Take My Husband by Ellen Meister ~ a Review & Excerpt

by MK French

Laurel gets a call that her husband was in an accident. While she's upset, she's also greatly relieved;  Doug's death could solve all her problems. The strain in their marriage is gone, and the insurance money would help her. The problem is, Doug is very much alive. Now Laurel has to decide if she is going to do something about that.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais ~ a Review & Excerpt

by MK French

Queenie leads a group of five octogenarian witches in Moonshyne Manor, where they've fallen behind on the mortgage. They assume Ruby, who left thirty-three years ago, will help them, but one man is determined to avenge a family legacy. The witches want to save their home, and Ruby isn't the salvation they had hoped she would be. With help from a young TikToker, the witches work to save the manor. Relationships are tested, secrets exposed, and confrontations will be had.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Three New Books of Christian Fiction From Revell

by Susan Roberts

Even though Revell is a new publisher for me, it's been publishing books for over 100 years. Based in Ada, Michigan, their goal is to bring the Christian faith to everyday lives.  I have read many of their new books and find them very comforting without being preached to.  Here are reviews for three of their books publishing between August and October 2022.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for honest reviews.

Cruel Venom Wine by Allyssa-desiré Brinker ~ a Review

by MK French

In 1860s Athena's Plateau, the human representative of Poseidon is the mayor and the human representative of Athena is the sheriff. Both are used to getting their own way and look down on humans and witches alike. When eighteen-year-old Meredith Gorgon refuses to let Poseidon attack her without a fight, she marks herself as a target. Escaping the town and a hanging, Meredith soon discovers that her magic backfired so that she turns people to stone once she makes eye contact. Caring for her rattlesnakes won't help her now.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Peter Grant is a London detective constable and apprentice wizard. In Lies Sleeping, the seventh book in Ben Aaronovitch's fantasy police procedural series Rivers of London, he's on the trail of Michael Chorley aka Faceless Man 2. 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided.

Be the Serpent by Seanan McGuire ~ a Review

by MK French

October is married and is officially on a break from being a hero for the Queen of Mists. She's adjusting to her new normal, but apparently, there is an old ally who actually isn't. Toby is soon back to fighting for her life and the life of her community and found family, paying for sins that were never hers.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

3 Inspirational, Informative, and Instructional Books for Homesteaders

by Donna Huber

Homesteading is a movement focused on self-reliance and often uses environmentally sustainable methods. While homesteading may bring forth thoughts of the 1800s when homesteaders went west, modern-day homesteaders don't necessarily live on large farms - there are urban homesteaders in apartments, suburbanite homesteaders on an acre or less (and some deal with HOAs), and there are the rural homesteaders on small hobby farms. It's really about doing something at "home in"stead" of at the store, restaurant, etc. I belong to a ladies homesteading group and my homesteading efforts are more focused on cooking and home improvement projects. 

If you are homesteading or interested in this movement, I have three book recommendations that will inspire and instruct.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook of The Grace-Filled Homestead and a free ebook of Blooms & Dreams were provided for an honest review.

Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck ~ an Excerpt

Be sure to read MK's review of Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

The world Sangu Mandanna has created is similar to our own. Here witches exist but they must hide their powers from regular people and even hide from one another. All witches are orphaned at birth or soon after as an old curse causes the parents to die. They grow up largely in isolation as it is dangerous for witches to gather together - their magical powers will draw attention. Mika Moon keenly feels this isolation and never stays in one place too long so as to not form an attachment to anyone. The only time she gathers with other witches is on the third Thursday every third month and it is in largely desolate places. How long, though, can she hide herself away without totally losing who she is?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Aphrodite and the Duke by J.J. McAvoy ~ a Review

by MK French

Everyone praises her looks, but Aphrodite du Bell hates her name and finds it difficult to live up to the name of the goddess of beauty. Her beauty didn't stop the Duke of Everely from jilting her four years ago, and she would happily avoid London. However, she's called back to help with her sister's debut, and the Duke is everywhere. He's a widower now, and the connection between them still exists. But the reason he jilted her still exists, and can still tear them apart.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Second First Chance by Mona Shroff ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

The Second First Chance is a big, wonderful, messy love story about family, heartbreak, strength, and courage. It shows us that sometimes what we want is what we least expect and that everything we need is often right in front of us.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter ~ an Audiobook Review

by Donna Huber

Andrea Oliver has just graduated from U.S. Marshal Service training and her first case assignment hits pretty close to home. Assigned to protect a judge is just part of her assignment. Her uncle wants her to investigate an unsolved murder from 1982 in hopes of keeping her father behind bars.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.

Darling by Mercedes M. Yardley ~ a Review

by MK French

Cherry LaRouche left Darling, Louisiana at sixteen, but now is returning after her mother's death. She and her children now live in her childhood home, with whispering walls and something on the roof at night. Evil lives in the town, and several children are murdered. Once Cherry's daughter goes missing, she must confront the truth about Darling.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The School for German Brides by Aimie K. Runyan ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

In this intriguing historical novel, a young woman who is sent to a horrific "bride school" to be molded into the perfect Nazi wife finds her life forever intertwined with a young Jewish woman about to give birth.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Fall of the King Saber by JF Lee ~ a Review

by MK French

Li Ming and Shu Yan continue to fight against Shazha Kui, but his power is growing. Li Ming must defeat him before the entire kingdom falls.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

All the Lies They Did Not Tell by Pablo Trincia #OTRPR

Are you a fan of true crime? Are you wanting to try translated nonfiction? Then check out this new book from Amazon Crossing, All the Lies They Did Not Tell by Pablo Trincia.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

The Forgotten Cottage by Courtney Ellis ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Audrey, a recovering alcoholic, impulsively flees to England following the death of her grandmother. Her grandmother had basically raised her and her sister after their mother died and when Audrey's life spiraled out of control, it was her grandmother who helped her pick up the pieces. Now, having inherited a cottage that the family knew nothing of, she is looking for answers. But will she find more answers than what sent her grandmother to America in the first place?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.