Review: The Book of Rosy: A Mother's Story of Separation at the Border

The Book of Rosy: A Mother's Story of Separation at the Border by Rosayra Pablo Cruz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to #Netgalley #HarperCollinsPublishers #HarperOne for the early review copy of this book.
I have read American Dirt and given all the controversy surrounding that book's release, I felt as though reading an #ownvoices story of immigration from Mexico or in this case, Central America, would be a good counter-balance. A sort of check to my response to AD and the issues raised.
Personally, although there are some similarities in the topics, this is a more personal story in my opinion than AD. I appreciated the chapters told from Rosayra"s perspective. These detailed the reasons for needing to flee Guatemala and the experiences she and her children faced in this process. She emphasizes the fact that no one chooses to flee their home country lightly. This is a difficult and courageous choice for those in need of protection for themselves and their children. Then to be met at the border, first by compassionate men and women doing the job of Border Patrol and then the second time, by the opposite response. Her faith is inspiring and I hope continues to grow.
Julie's contribution of telling the story from an activist side of the picture and how she and others were able to quickly put this community of helpers in place is also an interesting and inspiring part of this book. The vast network that Julie was able to put together is impressive. There are also websites and other information at the end of the book that tells readers how they can help if they are interested.
Thank you to both of these women for the powerful voices and this truly incredible story.

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Review: The House Guest

The House Guest by Mark Edwards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story! A real page-turner, that just builds steam as it races to the conclusion.
First off, the pacing of this thriller was terrific. The author’s ability to bring in characters and ideas, while continually building towards the conclusion was spot on. Well done.
The story itself begins with two couples who meet during a cruise. One couple is living in NYC and the other is from the UK. The English couple, Adam and Ruth are young, dating and each trying to improve their career standing. Ruth is an actress who is set to star in her first Broadway show and Adam is a struggling writer/playwright. The NYC couple, Jack and Mona, are married and planning a summer visit to a retreat that requires them to need house sitters. They offer their home to their new friends. All is going well until a young woman claiming to be friends with Jack and Mona comes to the door claiming that she was planning to stay with them. As Adam and Ruth befriend Eden, they offer to let her stay with them. Everything seems great but imagine how you would handle this sort of situation. It’s rather easy to think you would never allow a stranger into your home to stay. But most of us are fairly naive in this kind of social situation and may very well make similar decisions. This is a key ingredient for a great story.
There are twists and turns throughout. Who do you really know? Who can be trusted?
This is an entertaining and highly readable book. I highly recommend it.
Thank you for the early copy for review.
#TheHouseGuest #Netgalley #AmazonPublishingUK #MarkEdwards

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Review: Catherine House

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a gothic, atmospheric, suspenseful debut about a group of students at an elite university. I adore books about universities or boarding schools, so this was right up my alley. The protagonist is a troubled, isolated and poor girl who is encouraged by a teacher at her high school who was a graduate of “Catherine House”, an intense and challenging school that isolates the students to the school for a three-year degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. Depending on their gifts, they are separated into fields of study. The most secretive and intense, that Catherine House is most known for, is the study of “plasm”. This is a unique concept that some students are extremely competitive about studying.
The protagonist is not the sort of student who wants to be absorbed by her studies and she struggles at times. But she perceptive and attentive to those around her. She is also skeptical of this selective program and the work being done in it.
This book was somewhat slow at the beginning but about halfway through it I was captivated by the story and zipping through the pages.
Well done story in the end that I really enjoyed.
Thank you to #Netgalley and #HarperCollinsPublishers and #CustomHouse for the eARC.
4/5

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Review: Sister Dear

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was really about the relationship between sisters when life doesn’t hand them gifts equally. I found this to have some thriller components but as a whole did not read like a typical thriller. I liked the ending more than the rest of the book. This pacing or plot setup wasn’t my favorite. I would say that it was an okay read. I would try other books by this author.
Thank you to #Netgalley and #HarlequinTradePublishing and #MIRA for the eARC for review.
3/5

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Review: This Is How I Lied

This Is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was able to listen to the audiobook of this as I read and it kept me up way past my bedtime. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plot.
The story is based around a cold case murder that has occurred 25 years previously. It is now being investigated in the light of new evidence by a detective who was the best friend to the murdered girl. The nuances of this story really kept me reading. I also thought the plot twists were terrific and unexpected.
My only critique is that I felt that a major plot point was never fully resolved to my preference, it would be a spoiler to say what it was, so I will leave it at that. It detracted from the story slightly.
Overall, I recommend this for any thriller lovers.
Thanks for the early release copy to review.
#Netgalley #ThisIsHowILied #HarlequinTradePublishing #ParkRow

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Review: The Burning

The Burning by Laura Bates
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I appreciated this story of a mother who moves her children to a new country, Scotland, to try to protect her daughter from the bullying directly and through social media techniques previously. As a teen who is facing the ongoing bullying over a single event that labeled her as a "slut" and other negative terms, she is trying to rebuild her life in her new town. One of the assignments she is given is to research a town person whose history might be unique or interesting. She chooses a woman accused of witchcraft and this leads her down fascinating roads. Unfortunately, she is unable to keep the separation between her prior life and her current life. This leads to an interesting story and conclusion.
Overall, this was a good book and I listened to part of it on audiobook which enhanced the story.
I recommend this, especially for YA readers who want a unique story that takes on the issues of bullying and harassment that teens often face.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy.
#TheBurning #Netgalley #SourceBooksFire

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Review: The "I Love My Air Fryer" Keto Diet 5-Ingredient Recipe Book: From Bacon and Cheese Quiche to Chicken Cordon Bleu, 175 Quick and Easy Keto Recipes

The "I Love My Air Fryer" Keto Diet 5-Ingredient Recipe Book: From Bacon and Cheese Quiche to Chicken Cordon Bleu, 175 Quick and Easy Keto Recipes by Sam Dillard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful collection of recipes that are simple to prepare and specific to using your Air Fryer. I bought an Air Fryer about a year ago and have loved it so far but have not liked that my old cookbooks are not made for its use. So I was relying on some online sources and a lot of trial and error. This book offers a lot of straight forward recipe ideas that can all be used in the Air Fryer. The added benefit is that they are also specific to a keto diet. The recipes choose ingredients that are generally easy to obtain in all the meal categories and are tasty as well. The added bonus is the recipes that are specifically "kid friendly". I appreciate this as many cookbooks are great for an adult palate but not necessarily approved by children.
Highly recommended. Thank you for the early copy.
#Netgalley #TheILoveMyAirFryerKetoDiet5IngredientRecipeBook #AdamsMedia
4.5/5

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Review: The Herd

The Herd by Andrea Bartz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a tough one. The premise of this book sounding promising to me. It is about a group of women, elite in their positions in the workplace, who follow their leader, Eleanor, the founder of The Herd. The idea is for this to be highly respected women to work together as members of The Herd and be supportive of each other. Then one night Eleanor goes missing. The mystery evolves around her disappearance and many who work with her are suspects.
I think my reluctance on this review is that I didn't really enjoy these characters or feel invested in their stories. And then the ending was not the great conclusion that I expected it to be. Overall, it is a good story but could have been even better.
#Netgalley #TheHerd #RandomHousePublishingBallantine #BallantineBooks

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Review: What Lies Between Us

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am officially hooked on John Marrs books! I first read The Passengers about a year or so ago and then What Lies Between Us came up and I grabbed it.
This was another page-turner that did not disappoint. Interestingly though, it is a very different thriller than his previous books. There is nothing futuristic or Science Fiction feeling in this one. It is a pure domestic thriller, but different from others in this group, because the tension is between mother and daughter.
For reference, I did not read (and have not read) the blurb about this book so I went into it without a frame of reference. This added to the suspense, in my opinion. This begins as a mother/daughter pair who live in the family home together in England. The daughter works at the library and appears to be caring for an ailing mother at their home. The story quickly becomes twisted as you realize that Mummy Dearest is not just a recluse (I was initially thinking The Woman In the Window), but actually something more sinister. As you turn the pages, the story is told in both dual POV and dual timelines. This backstory alters your impression of these characters as well as your understanding of events.
The chapters are short and page-turning. The story moves with twists and turns and is well worth the ride.Another terrific story from this author.
Highly recommend.
#Netgalley #WhatLiesBetweenUs #AmazonPublishingUK

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Review: Take Me Apart

Take Me Apart by Sara Sligar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a thrilling story told with a dual timeline from the POV of Kate, an archivist hired for the summer and her subject, Miranda, a successful artist who suffered a mysterious death. Miranda's son Theo hired Kate to work in his home going through his parents' things and getting it ready for auction. Through her work, Kate becomes engrossed in the reasons behind Miranda's death and uses the clues that she finds in the home, including Miranda's own words. This sets up a mystery that was never fully elucidated at the time of her death. It is rich in the family dynamics, mental health issues, physical and mental abuse, what we might do for the ones we love and ourselves, and relationships.
This is an intriguing thriller that checks a lot of boxes.
Highly recommended read.
Thank you for the early copy.
#Netgalley #TakeMeApart #FarrarStrausandGiroux

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Review: Inside the Sun

Inside the Sun by Alexis Marie Chute
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The Paris Mysteries

The Paris Mysteries by Edgar Allan Poe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the atmospheric feel that an Edgar Allen Poe story brings to any mystery. This is an intriguing collection of three of Poe’s finest. I love this edition. I first read Poe in elementary school and have loved his writing ever since. This is a wonderful way to reread some of his best.
Highly recommended.
#Netgalley #TheParisMysteriesDeluxeEdition #PushkinPress #PushkinVertigo

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Review: Ruthless Gods

Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Emily A. Duncan’s first book in this trilogy, Wicked Saints but this second book is definitely superior. I love the gothic, dark writing. The characters are more developed in this second book as well. If you like a dark, YA series, keep these in mind.
Now I have to wait, impatiently, for book three!
#Netgalley #RuthlessGods #StMartinsPress #WednesdayBooks

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Review: Hello I Want to Die Please Fix Me: Depression in the First Person

Hello I Want to Die Please Fix Me: Depression in the First Person by Anna Mehler Paperny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was very interested in reading this because it is a personal account of dealing with a mental health illness and navigating the psychiatric services. I work in this field on the clinical side so it is always interesting to see how someone utilizing services feels. This was an honest and insightful account of what it is like to live with mental illness and to have your life disrupted by the treatments. It’s an intimidating system that often puts patients privacy low on the agenda due to possible safety concerns.
I completely appreciated this account and highly recommend it for those who are dealing with an illness, as well as family and caregivers who want greater insight into the system of care.
Thank you for the early copy.
#Netgalley #HelloIWantToDiePleaseFixIt #The Experiment

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Review: The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Erik Larson knocks another one out of the park. I’m not sure there are many writers that do historical works as brilliantly and make them pleasantly readable as Larson. This is yet another work that lives up to the hype. This is an intriguing and informative book about Winston Churchill during the time when he was forced into being a wartime leader. This book gives a perspective of who Churchill was and why he was the type of leader that he was.
Brilliant book!
Thank you for the early copy.
#Netgalley #TheSplendidandTheVile #CrownPublishing

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Review: She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be

She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be by J.D. Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had no idea how massive of a tale this was when I first picked it up. Wow! Not only is it a tome of a book but it a saga of a story. It is centered around Dickens’s Great Expectations and the two main characters are Jack/Pip and Stella. As Barker weaves the story around an early meeting between these two as young children on August 8th and then almost yearly thereafter, you get the story of each of their lives throughout childhood and into adulthood.
This is a fantastical story that is also a romance and thriller and suspense in one. There is something for almost every reader and it is brilliant and intriguing throughout.
I highly recommend this. It is entertaining throughout and keeps you guessing.
Thank you for the early copy #Netgalley #HamptonCreekPress #SheHasABrokenThingWhereHerHeartShouldBe

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