Free Friday Read: Love Blooms by Jennifer Faye

It's Friday in the summertime. If you have weekend plans at the pool, beach, lake, or even on your front porch, then you'll need a good book to read. And a free book is even better. Check out today's Free Friday Read.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. The ebook was free at the time of posting; please verify the price before purchasing.

Meeting the Author!

by Susan Roberts

I love to go to author events.  It’s great to get to know some of my favorite authors and to find out the ‘inside story’ about their books. Luckily, I live in an area with lots of indie bookstores within 50 miles, and all of them do events with authors both local and nationwide.  I was kind of nervous the first time I went to an author event by myself and was afraid that I would just sit quietly by myself.  What I soon found out is that when you put a bunch of book-loving women in the same room, they immediately bond over books and are soon treating each other like friends.  I’ve attended two fantastic events this month with two of my favorite authors and thought I’d tell you about them.   Question – Do you like to meet new authors and old favorites?  Do you go to author events?

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Mini Reviews ~ May Libby Library Borrows

by Donna Huber

I mostly read advance reader copies (ARCs) that I get through Netgalley or directly from the publisher/author, but I also get books from my library. Sometimes that means my brick-and-mortar library, but most of the time it means my digital library through Libby. It is usually my 2 book club reads for the month, but I also listen to a lot of audiobooks - more than I get through Netgalley. It is a way for me to catch up on older titles and sometimes to catch up on the ARCs that I didn't get to before they were published. I don't usually review the older titles or book club reads, but I realized I'm missing out on telling you about the great reads that are probably available at your library with little to no wait. Let me know if you enjoy this feature and I'll keep doing it monthly.

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The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang ~ a Review

by MK French

Dr. Jo Ness spends her days hidden away at an underfunded aquarium with her specimens and a draft of the jellyfish guide she and her best friend Aldo had been working on before he died seven months ago. Nadia is a friend she hadn't heard from in years contacts her with a grainy video of a giant jellyfish terrorizing a tiny island off the coast of Maine. Though it looks fake, Jo immediately flies across the country to help Nadia. When Jo arrives on Shattering Point, Nadia is nowhere to be found. The islanders have different stories about the jellyfish, and it's up to Jo to figure out what happened.

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

The Disaster Gay Detective Agency by Lev AC Rosen ~ a Review

by MK French

Brandon meets a cute guy named Jon, but witnesses a murder when trying to return his phone, and sees said cute guy fleeing the scene. Brandon had hit it off with Jon and is afraid that he might be a murderer. His friends Ollie, Nicole, and Ian agree to help him identify the victim, track down Jon, and figure out the truth. The "lovesick puppy" investigation soon snowballs from there, and the four friends are in over their heads.

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

5 Audiobooks for Summer Road Trips

by Donna Huber

Are you hitting the road this summer? I won't be taking my annual trip to the Smoky Mountains this summer, but I do have a series of day trips planned for that week. So I will need some good reads to listen to and I thought it would be fun to listen to books featuring a road trip or journey of some sort. Here's a list of audiobooks that I have listened to or am considering for my own trip.

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Celebrate International Jazz Day With These Books

by Donna Huber

Today is International Jazz Day. Jazz has its roots in New Orleans, all the way back to the 1800s. My college days were spent swing dancing to the big band music of the 1930s and 1940s. Whether you prefer the smooth sounds of solo artists or the larger ensembles of the big band era, queue up your favorites while reading a book or two about the music style. If you aren't sure if jazz is your thing, the first book will help you appreciate it more. The other books feature some of my favorite artists. And if rather not read nonfiction, there's a couple of fiction novels set during the Jazz Age on the list too.

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Friday Freebie: Lakehouse Promises by Jodi Allen Brice

It's Friday in the summertime. If you have weekend plans at the pool, beach, lake, or even your front porch, then you are going to need a good book to read. And a free book is even better.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. The ebook was free at the time of posting. Please check the price before purchasing.

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Marrying above your social class can come with unexpected consequences, as Elinor Coombes discovers when she is swept into a fairy-tale marriage with the son of an aristocratic English family. She soon realizes that it was the appeal of her father’s hard-earned wealth rather than her pretty face that attracted her new husband and his family. Curtailed by rigid social rules that include being allowed to see her nanny-raised infant son for only moments each day, Elinor resigns herself to a lonely future. So a present from her father—tickets for the maiden voyage of a luxurious new ship called the Titanic—offers a welcome escape from the cold, controlling atmosphere of her husband’s ancestral home, and some precious time with her little son, Teddy.

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

When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Based on the true story of an illegal women’s clinic at the center of a high-profile trial in 1940s Chicago and the nurse who risked her safety and freedom to work there, a thought-provoking, powerfully timely novel of courage, sisterhood, and women’s healthcare.

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

Tom Clancy Rules of Engagement by Ward Larsen ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

The White House is stunned when the Secretary of Commerce is killed in a plane crash in Turkey. President Jack Ryan isn't ready to write this off as a simple accident. Not only has he lost a good friend, but the Secretary was on an important on the surface, he was making an appearance at an economic conference, but the CIA was also using the flight as cover to extract an important asset from the Middle East.

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

Sutherlin File by Ashley Farley ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Ashley Farley has long been one of my favorite authors with her Southern women's fiction novels.  This new series is her first foray into suspense and she proved that she can write anything!

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

The Tuxedo Society by Paul Rudnick ~ a Review

by MK French

Andrew Birnbaum is a struggling actor working in a candle shop when he's invited to dinner with the exclusive Tuxedo Society. The wealthy socialites are actually involved in espionage, and Andrew is invited to join a covert mission to protect national security. Working with Navy SEAL Reggie O’Malley, Andrew gets amazing gear and gadgets to track spies, thwart assassinations, and address threats. It becomes even more dangerous when Andrew and his comrades are sent on a mission to uncover the truth about an ancient artifact. 

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

Murder at 30,000 Feet by Susan Walter ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Under the cover of turbulence, a killer strikes. With nowhere to land and nowhere to hide, who will save the passengers from this nightmare at 30,000 feet?

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

Books to Read for Memorial Day

by Donna Huber

Monday is Memorial Day, which for many in the United States marks the unofficial start of summer. If you are heading to the beach, lake, or pool this summer, we have featured several books that would be perfect for a relaxing weekend. But if you are looking for books that will help you appreciate the true purpose of the holiday, keep reading for some recommendations.

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Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies by Breanne Randall ~ a Review

by MK French

Eléa Deniz returns to her childhood home and finds that the estate is now the Shadowcraft Academy, an elite graduate school meant to train mages to fight wraiths. Her father is the headmaster with an agenda of his own, and her magic remains finicky. Eléa stays to learn,  and is torn between her first love, Alex, and the irreverent Logan. Elia is also caught between family secrets, a secret society, and the weight of her own magic.

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

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

A traditional American woman, a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers, suddenly awakens cold, filthy, and terrified in the brutal reality of 1855—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in the Good Morning America Book Club's April pick.

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

Off Indigo Station by Marc Alan Edelheit ~ a Review

by MK French

As the unexpected head of the Confederation task force, Jim Garrett was responsible for decisions that could save or end millions of lives. Lima-66 is a star system that is central to the factories that the enemy is using to build fleets that can break humanity. They're preparing a secret weapon, so attacking Lima-66 is not only central to saving humanity, but gaining that weapon can ensure survival.

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

The Last Page Café by Kate Storey ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Sometimes the last page is just the beginning…

I didn’t discover Kate Storey until late last year but I enjoyed her first two books so much that I couldn’t wait to read her new book and she didn’t disappoint me. (Read my reviews of her first two books The Memory Library and The Forgotten Book Club.)  I really enjoy reading books about books and books that take place in bookstores and I like books about book clubs that bond together to help out members of the club so this book was a real winner for me.

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A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity by Rachel Linden ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Paris trained chocolatier and single mother Emmie Wynne gave up her own dreams six years ago when she returned to her Pacific Northwest coastal tourist town to run her family's struggling candy store. Now on her thirty-fourth birthday, Emmie has only one wish, to be granted the vision that every Wynne woman is given once in her lifetime—a shimmering glimpse of her true destiny. This year, when she blows out her candles, it finally comes true.

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

Beach House Hotel series Books 6 - 12 by Judith Keim ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

This is a fun series with two feisty women who own the Beach House hotel.

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

Bone of My Bone by Johanna Van Veen ~ a Review

by MK French

In 1635 Bavaria, Sister Ursula and a peasant named Elsebeth escape soldiers and war by fleeing into the forest. They find the gilded skull of a saint with a dying man, and know that reuniting it with its body can grant a wish. Ursula and Elsebeth search the countryside, but they're not the only ones. A necromancer is drawn to the relic's power, and the saint herself is whispering at night. And as the lines between blessing and curse blur, the women must face a harrowing truth: the magic they seek comes at a cost.

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

Chasing the Clouds Away by Debbie Macomber ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Maisy Gallaher has always dreamt of becoming a nurse, a beacon of hope and healing for those in need. But when her father passed away, she selflessly set aside her aspirations to help her family. Despite knowing it was the right thing to do, she can’t help but wish for the path not taken.

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

The Last Letters of Sally and Walter by Cammie McGovern ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

A heartwarming story of a curmudgeon and a newcomer who strike up an unlikely friendship over cutthroat Scrabble at their retirement home, outrageously starting something new in their golden eras.

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

The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego ~ a Review

by MK French

Aria Stokes lives in a tiny New York apartment, works as a bookseller, and has a burgeoning relationship with bookstore regular Jasper. As a Valentine’s Day surprise, Jasper gets the two of them tickets to an exclusive, after-dark tour of the grandiose and probably haunted Daedalus Library. Aria normally enjoys the macabre, but the last time she was here, she left a body behind. When the automatic door entry malfunctions, Aria, Jasper, and the five other people in their tour group are trapped. They are forced to venture through the rooms and hidden passageways of the Daedalus in search of escape. Then the group learns there’s a murderer in their midst.

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

The Afternoon Tea Murders by Helena Dixon ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

London, 1942. Miss Jane Treen is at her desk in Whitehall sipping a strong coffee when she receives an urgent message about her colleague, codebreaker Arthur Cilento. He’s in danger in Devon, and Jane needs to get there sharpish. But before her bags are properly unpacked, the local teashop owner in Arthur’s village is found lying amidst the scones and teacakes… and she’s dead.

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

Your Soulmail Is Attached by Joan F. Smith ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

 

What if everyone in the world found out who their soulmates are at the same time?

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

The Library of Flowers by L.C. Chu ~ a Review

by MK French

The Hua women create magical perfumes, and every fifth generation, an eldest daughter can summon true love. Lucy is a fifth-generation daughter, but when her magic failed, she fled Vancouver. Years later, she runs a tiny perfume shop tucked away in Toronto's Kensington Market, keeping her past behind her. A death in the family brings her home again, and she inherits the centuries-old Hua family register, brimming with secrets, formulas, and forgotten truths. As she begins working her way through stories about past generations, she begins to wonder if her magic was truly gone, or simply waiting for her to decide for herself what it means to be a daughter of the House of Hua.

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

Double Shadow by Andrew Ludington ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Time-traveling archaeologist Rabbit Ward returns to the past to help save his former adversary and track down a murderous thief in first-century Jerusalem.

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

The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Set in the dual timelines of present-day and 1950s Ireland and based on real historical events, a powerful, poignant novel of feminism and resilience that follows the life of a young woman consigned to work in a home for “fallen girls” who quickly realizes she must risk everything to protect them.

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

Accumulation by Aimee Pokwatka ~ a Review

by MK French

Tennessee Cherish retired from making documentaries and is now a stay-at-home mom moving into a brand new house her husband bought. He's working long hours, leaving her with their two young children. They begin acting out more, and she feels incredibly lonely, so she misses the odd things happening in the house. It builds up over time, as do her children's outbursts. Tenn soon realizes that they're caught up in behavior loops, becoming more and more devastating. If she can't find the source of what haunts her family, it might kill them all.

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

Five Star Summer by Sarah Morgan ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Running a five-star Cornish hotel should have been Evie Hamilton’s dream job. But restoring it to its former glory is going to take a miracle. All Evie has is grit, and a hoard of unruly staff who love to speculate about her love life. She needs back-up, and fast.

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

The Family Man: Blood and Betrayal in the House of Murdaugh by James Lasdun ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

 

An immersive account of a seemingly loving father’s transformation into family annihilator.

In March 2023, Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife and younger son at Moselle, their home in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. In The Family Man, James Lasdun takes a new angle on this story of corruption in high places, massive fraud, opioid abuse, fake suicides, suspicious accidents, and the generational recklessness of the wealthy legal dynasty at its center.

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

3 New Books In Young Adult Fiction

by MK French

School will be out soon, and it is important to keep kids reading during the summer months. Some great young adult novels are coming out this month. (P.S. You don't have to be a teen to enjoy these books)

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

Cat on a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer Quinn ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Chet the dog is less than enthusiastic about the Little Detective Agency’s next case. Chet and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, have been hired to find a missing person—only the missing person is a cat. Miss Kitty, an internet sensation, has disappeared, and Chet and Bernie have been hired to find her before her many followers realize something is wrong.

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

South of Somewhere by T.I. Lowe ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

 

A young mother filled with regret returns to Sullivan’s Island to rebuild her life and finds compassion in the most unexpected places in this heartfelt women’s fiction story of self-discovery and second chances

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

Hex House by Amy Jane Stewart ~ a Review

by MK French

Pregnant and in her wedding dress, Elly is on the run from her new husband. He wasn't who she thought he was, and he will likely hurt her in the future. While wandering the forest, a beautiful house appears. Hex House is a refuge able to help those in need. Four years after Siobhan met Elly there, Siobhan is haunted by the horrors she saw there when she intended to make a documentary about the house. Her life is in shambles, and someone is now reaching out with news about Hex House that could change everything. Siobhan always thought she was destined to return, and now it's time.

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

12 Must Read Books You Might Have Missed

by Donna Huber

I was looking through the Goodreads Editors' Top Genre Picks of the Past Five Years list and noticed that we had read quite a few of them. I hope you haven't hated these lists over the last couple of weeks that I put together in preparation for being on vacation. I thought it was fun to look back at books we've read, and for new readers, this might be the first time you've seen our reviews of these books. I'm back home tomorrow, and new reviews start back then as well.

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8 Big Books to Read this Summer

by Donna Huber

I'm not surprised that we haven't reviewed many books on Goodreads' list of 100 Doorstopper Books to Level Up Your Spring Reading. As a book blogger, I feel pressured to read books quickly so that I will have content to post, so longer books aren't as appealing, knowing that they will take me longer. Also, looking at the list, I see that it has a large number of classics (great, as you can often find them free or cheap, so you can take as long as you want to read them without breaking the bank). I wonder if authors and publishers are shying away from longer books as well, given the shortening attention spans of the public in general. 

Several years ago, I participated in the Big Book Summer Challenge hosted by Book by Book. I remember reading the new Mary Kay Andrews book that summer (they are usually 400+ pages). The challenge usually starts Memorial Day Weekend (end of May for non-US readers), if you want to participate.

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The Sea Spinner by Julie Johnson ~ a Review

by MK French

Blazing with reawakened magic, a young woman challenges the tides of fate in this highly anticipated installment of Julie Johnson’s romantasy series.

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

Looking Ahead to Beach Reading Season

by Donna Huber

As the calendar shifts from April to May, we shift to "beach reads". Beach reads, while often considered romance or women's fiction, can really encompass any genre as they are meant to be engrossing reads that you enjoy while relaxing. And I do have a mystery on the list. Here are a few that I have on my radar for May and June, in case you are packing for an upcoming vacation and want to plan your reading material.

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

Her Daughter by Fran Hawthorne ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"I'm only telling you in case the police contact you. Esme was arrested, but I'm handling everything, and she doesn't want to hear from you."

 

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

A Murder Most Camp by Nicolas Didomizio ~ a Review

by MK French

Mikey Hartford IV coasted through life, but now his father changes the terms of his trust and requires a positive contribution to the world before his thirtieth birthday. Mikey decides to work at the struggling Camp Lore, where his twelve-year-old aunt will be. His campers become obsessed with a local legend set at an abandoned cabin on the grounds, and it turns out an actual murder took place at Camp Lore. Someone is determined to keep it hidden, so surely Mikey can earn his inheritance if he solves it. He just has to stay alive long enough to do it. 

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

14 Buzz-Worthy Books You Should Read

by Donna Huber

Have you ever felt like no one is reading the books you are reading? I feel like that a lot. I sifted through Goodreads' list of "Hot & Fresh: The New Hit Books, According to Fellow Readers" and I might be right, as I've only read 3 books on that list. Susan has read 5 books, and MK has read 7 books. So if you are looking for "well-kept secrets" of great books to read, then you should be checking out our reviews.

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Celebrate the Great Outdoors with These Books

by Donna Huber

There are several days this month that celebrate the great outdoors: National Gardening Day (April 14), Earth Day (April 22), and Arbor Day (April 24). I would also point out that April is Stress Awareness Month, and enjoying the outdoors can lower your stress levels by lowering cortisol and increasing dopamine. Here are a few books that might inspire you to get outside this month.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

Dark Is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce ~ a Review

by MK French

The woods are known as the place to avoid. What goes in, doesn’t come out.

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

Inside Man by John McMahon ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI’s hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve.

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

Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Caroline Bicks ~ a Review

by MK French

Caroline Bicks was named the University of Maine's inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, the first scholar to be granted extended access by King to his private archives. Bicks focuses on five of his most iconic early works—The Shining, Carrie, Pet Sematary, 'Salem's Lot, and Night Shift—to reveal how he crafted his language, storylines, and characters. We see King’s margin notes and editorial changes, scenes, and alternative endings that never made it to print. The book also includes interviews Bicks had with King along the way that reveal new insights into his writing process and personal history.

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

17 Must Read Mysteries from the Past Decade

by Donna Huber

I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers. Even before I started attending a local mystery book club, it was one of my go-to genres. Susan also reads a lot of mysteries and thrillers. Goodreads recently published 136 Reader-Approved Mysteries & Thrillers of the Past Decade, and I thought it would be fun to see how many we had read - 17 books! (I included books I read but didn't review on the site for myself, but Susan's recommendations are based on those she has reviewed on this site.)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. 

Celebrate We Gullah Geechee by Yvette R. Murray ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Celebrate We Gullah Geechee invites the reader along on a dynamic exploration of Gullah culture.

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