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Showing posts with label Family Secrets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family Secrets. Show all posts
Monday, July 20, 2026
Debut Novel About Missing Black Girls Absorbing and Surprisingly Hopeful
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
The statistics tell a disturbing story: not only do a disproportionate number of Black people go missing in the U.S. every year but their disappearances are also less likely to be widely covered by the media than those of their white counterparts. (See The Black and Missing Foundation.) I've long known about this disparity. However, I'm not sure I've ever read a book on the subject, fiction or non. We Don't Talk About Carol, a debut novel by Kristen L. Berry, brings the issue to light in a poignant and impactful story about one woman's plight to find answers about her missing aunt.
When Sydney Singleton's grandmother dies in Raleigh, North Carolina, Sydney flies out to help her mother and younger sister clean out Grammy's home so it can be sold. Formerly an investigative journalist, Sydney's curiosity is piqued when she discovers a hidden photograph of a young woman who looks just like Sydney. Although her deceased father professed to be an only child, she soon discovers that he, in fact, had an older sister who vanished without a trace in 1965 when she was 17 years old. Not only that, but she was one of six teenaged girls who disappeared from the same Black community around the same time. Sydney's even more shocked—and angry—to discover that the string of disappearances were barely mentioned in the newspapers at the time or investigated by local law enforcement. After suffering a mental break caused by covering a heart-wrenching story, Sydney is no longer a reporter. In the middle of IVF treatments, she's supposed to be avoiding stress. Plus, her mother insists she forget all about Aunt Carol, citing her famous refrain: what happens in this house stays in this house. Sydney knows she should let it go, but she can't.
Sydney launches her own investigation into the disappearances of the Raleigh Six 60 years ago. It's not an easy task. While some people are eager to talk, others are reticent. It's clear that, in spite of the decades that have passed, someone out there knows what really happened to the girls. As Sydney digs deeper and deeper, she unearths dark secrets about her family and herself, secrets that only deepen her questions about her identity and her uncertainty about her ability to be a good mother. The more her investigation disrupts Sydney's ordered life, the more dangerous it becomes. Desperate to find answers, she puts everything on the line to solve six very cold cases.
Although We Don't Talk About Carol presents as a mystery/thriller, it's actually more of a family drama. Yes, suspicious deaths are being dug into, but the story is mostly about Sydney and her struggle to define herself within her roles as a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a journalist who has settled for a less-than-satisfying career in PR. As she probes Carol's life for clues, she also examines her own repressed memories of a tense childhood, her mother's reluctance to talk about anything of substance, her sometimes rocky relationship with her sister, and her conflicting feelings about the possibility of becoming a mother. Her personal struggles makes her sympathetic and relatable, while her determination to find the Raleigh Six make her admirable. It's easy to root for Sydney. I wanted her to find all the answers she sought.
As far as plot goes, We Don't Talk About Carol moves a little slowly. It's not exactly a page turner, but I quickly got invested in the story, wanting to know what had happened to Carol and the other missing teens. Although the answers are a bit predictable, I was surprised by at least one plot twist. The story kept me turning pages. In the end, I found it to be an affecting read that is, despite its sad subject matter, surprisingly hopeful.
Because of its eye-opening subject matter and the fact that it's a solid, satisfying debut, I wish We Don't Talk About Carol was getting more attention. I received an e-ARC of the book from NetGalley last year, but forgot all about it until I randomly came across it again the other day. I'm glad I did. I recommend picking up this novel if you're looking for an absorbing, memorable read on an important subject.
(Readalikes: I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus occasional milder invectives), violence, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of We Don't Talk About Carol from the generous folks at Random House Publishing Group via those at NetGalley. Thank you!
Saturday, May 21, 2022
Much-Hyped The London House Severely Underwhelming
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Caroline Payne is surprised—and thrilled—when a handsome friend from college whom she hasn't seen in years shows up unexpectedly at her workplace. She is shocked—and dismayed—when she discovers why. Mat Hammond, an adjunct history professor who researches genealogical mysteries on the side, has honed in on Caroline's family. He's investigating Caroline's great-aunt, a British woman who he says ran off with a Nazi officer during the war, disgracing her family and betraying her country. A well-known magazine is already showing interest in what could be a shocking, sensational story. Caroline's convinced he has the wrong person. Her great-aunt, her namesake, died of polio as a child. When Mat shows her compelling proof, Caroline doesn't know what to think. If there's any truth to the matter, she knows such a public airing of dirty family laundry would finish off her already cancer-ridden father. She can't let that happen.
Begging Mat for time to launch her own investigation, Caroline flies to her father's ancestral home in London. There, she finds a collection of letters and diaries that are sure to hold the truth, whatever it may be. With Mat by her side, Caroline delves into the past, getting to know her Aunt Caro and her grandmother—Caro's twin, Margaret—in ways she never has before. The more intimately acquainted Caroline becomes with her great-aunt, the more she fears what she'll find out about her. She doesn't want her namesake to be who Mat claims she is, no matter how damning the evidence she's examining with her own eyes. What happened to Caro? Who was she, really? Caroline has to know. Whatever the truth, she must protect her family, even if it costs her a promising future with the irresistible historian/journalist who wields the power to destroy it.
I've seen nothing but rave reviews for The London House, Katherine Reay's newest novel. Considering all the glowing praise, I couldn't wait to dig into this book that was surely going to blow my socks off. It was quite a disappointment, then, when my socks stayed firmly on my feet throughout! The London House isn't a horrible read. In fact, it's got some elements I always appreciate: an intriguing people-in-the-present-digging-into-the-past premise; charactors who are mostly sympathetic and likable; a clean story, with no graphic language, violence, or sex; and a straightfoward narration that makes the book a fast, easy read. Unfortunately, it also has some issues that drove me batty. For one thing, the story is just...not too exciting. The characters are nice and all, but they're also not very complex or interesting. Even Caro, the center of the tale, doesn't manage to come alive on the page. Part of the problem is that the letters and diary entries through which we get to know her are not just dull but also distancing. Further, although there are two couples falling in love in the novel, there are no sparks between any of them. Where's the love? To complicate matters even further, there's not much action in the book, so it's not exactly a page-turner. It's also fairly obvious from the start how Caro's story is going to end. I kept waiting for some surprise twists to up the suspense and tension; it never happened. As a result of these annoyances, I found The London House severely underwhelming. I definitely wanted something more gripping, more intimate, more exciting, and more interesting. As is? Meh.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other ho-hum World War II novels, but no specific titles are coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Approachable DNA/Genealogy Book An Engrossing, Thought-Provoking Read
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
If you hang out here at BBB with any regularity, you know that I'm an adoptive mom as well as an avid genealogist. I'm so into family history, in fact, that I'm currently working on becoming accredited as a professional genealogist in two regions: U.S. Southwest and U.S. Great Lakes. COVID has slowed the process, but I'm hoping to finish my testing this year. I'm not a big tv watcher (I'd rather read, thank you very much!); however, I have been known to binge-watch shows like Finding Your Roots, Genealogy Roadshow, Relative Race, and Who Do You Think You Are?. I've been quietly researching my adopted daughter's birth family's genealogy since she was born. Bottom line? I go nuts over anything related to family history: research, DNA, adoption reunions, family heirlooms, passed-down stories, etc. Given all that, I was immediately drawn to The Lost Family by Libby Copeland. How could I resist a book that promised to tick off so many of my favorite reading boxes?
The book tells the story of Alice Collins Plebuch, a woman who took a DNA test that returned results that were unexpected and perplexing. To say the least. The confusing information led her on a journey that required painstaking research, uncomfortable questions, and an almost complete overhaul of everything she knew about herself and her family. Copeland uses Plebuch's incredible story as a framework for discussing the relatively new technology of DNA home-testing, which allows anyone to spit in a tube, upload very personal information to a very public forum, and share all the secrets hiding in their genes with the world. While doing so has led to joyous reunions between biological family members, answers to heart-wrenching questions, and even the bringing to justice of the Golden State Killer, they've also been the catalyst for broken hearts, renewed feelings of abandonment, privacy breaches, and the revelation of long-buried secrets that maybe should have been kept that way. Copeland poses some deep, thought-provoking questions on the subject like:
- Should the public posting of DNA results be more regulated to protect those who are not actively seeking answers?
- What makes a family?
- How much does one's genetics really influence the person they become?
- Should DNA results be automatically shared with law enforcement agencies in the pursuit of greater-good justice-seeking in spite of privacy issues?
- Do the children of adoption and sperm donation have the right to seek their birth families, regardless of whether those people want to be contacted?
Copeland's exploration of these questions and more makes for fascinating food for thought. If your book club is looking for a discussion-worthy read, you just found it!
Although The Lost Family digs into complex science and even more complicated philosophical questions, it's actually a very readable book. Copeland's style is laidback and conversational, making her book a great pick for experienced genealogists as well as family history newbies. The stories she includes—about Alice and many others—makes her subject intimate and personal. It's not often that I race through a volume of non-fiction, but I cruised through this one eagerly lapping up every word. Needless to say, I enjoyed the read immensely.
I choose paper books over their e-versions on most occasions, but I purposely bought this one digitally so that I could mark it up and easily search for memorable passages. Here are a few of my favorites:
"Secrets, we are all discovering, have a propulsive power all their own, and time and complicity only make them more powerful. Once you decide to keep a secret, the secret maintains a circular logic, even when circumstances change. Many seekers say the fact of the secret is the thing that nags at them, more than the nature of the secret itself" (3-4).
"The sheer girth of those numbers means that even if you don't choose to send away for a kit, it increasingly doesn't matter. Especially in the United States, where DNA testing is more popular than anywhere else, all of us are already drawn in by the decisions of other people who share our genetic material—people who, in many cases, we've never met. As bioethicist Thomas H. Murray told me, 'You don't get to opt out.'" (4)
"We look for ourselves in our family histories and in our genes, but such things alone do not make identity. We human beings are the meaning-makers, each of us a product of a particular time and place, with ideas about what we value and, indeed, what we hope to find when we look" (28).
"...when one person spits into a vial or swabs her cheek, her whole family is implicated" (50).
"For science to use someone's body to attempt to disprove something sacred to that person—is that the uncovering of truth or a violation?" (67).
I could go on, but I'll stop there and just encourage you to read the book for yourself. Also, I'd love to know your experiences with and feelings on DNA testing. I find the whole subject utterly fascinating. My husband, adopted daughter, and I all did ours through Ancestry years ago. Like Copeland, I was "at once disappointed and relieved not to find any big surprises in my results...boring results can be a blessing" (32).
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and disturbing subject matter (rape, incest, murder, etc.)
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Lost Family with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Highly Anticipated 2021 Release a Disappointing Read
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When her documentary becomes instrumental in freeing a man she feels was wrongfully convicted of murder, filmmaker Tessa Shepherd is thrilled. She spent countless hours interviewing Oliver Barlow, even coming to think of him as a friend. Tessa believes—beyond a shadow of a doubt—that he's innocent, a victim of bungled policework. After fourteen years in prison, Oliver Barlow can finally return to his wife and kids. And he has Tessa to thank.
Eighteen months later, Tessa is shocked when Oliver posts a video online. In it, he confesses that he has kidnapped a young woman and plans to kill her. It's not long before a stunned Tessa is being vilified by the outraged public, all of them wondering how she could have been hoodwinked by a monster like Oliver. When he mentions her name in a subsequent video, Tessa feels not just trapped but also hunted. After the will of her recently deceased mother reveals that Tessa and her sister have inherited an old family home they didn't know existed, she decides to hide at Fallbrook. The crumbling mansion is the site of an old, mysterious tragedy. Now, it's inhabited only by ghosts. Its elderly caretakers know what really happened there, but they're not talking. Tessa is determined to unearth Fallbrook's secrets, no matter what it takes. What went on in the isolated home? What are the caretakers hiding? Tessa has always been adept at reading people, but she was oh so very wrong about Oliver ...
As you can tell from the plot summary, there's a lot going on in The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell. I went into the book thinking it would be an intriguing family drama with a little mystery thrown in along with a lot of creepy Gothic atmosphere. So, I was a bit confused when the story seemed to center more on Tessa's investigation of Oliver Barlow. Frankly, I cared little about anything happening in her present; my interest was in Fallbrook. Unfortunately, Maxwell just couldn't seem to decide whether she was writing a cat-and-mouse mystery/thriller or a spooky drama/ghost story. The mash-up didn't work for me. The Caretakers ended up feeling unfocused, melodramatic, and weirdly paced. I still whipped through the novel in a day because I wanted to see what would happen next, but overall, the tale felt dissatisfying to me. This was one of my most highly anticipated novels of 2021, so I'm bummed.
(Readalikes: The Gothic-y bits remind me of novels by Carol Goodman and Emily Carpenter)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (two F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Caretakers from the generous folks at Lake Union Publishing via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Friday, March 26, 2021
Moody, Broody Psychological Thriller a Gripping Read
(Image from Amazon)
When cancer steals her mother's life before she has even turned sixty, 38-year-old Kal feels surprisingly adrift. Over the years, she's gotten used to the fact that her mercurial mother never loved her. Elena MacKenzie had plenty of affection for her younger daughter, Alice, but none for Kal. Grief-stricken by the loss of a woman she never understood, Kal is thrown for a shocking loop when she finds a stack of mysterious postcards in her mother's things. Going back more than 20 years, each was written on the same day of the year and signed the same way by the same Canadian woman: "Thinking of you." Kal knows Elena studied marine biology in North America before marrying and moving to England, but she knows little about those early years and she's never heard her mother mention a woman named Susannah Gillespie. Who was this Canadian artist to Elena? Why did she send a postcard every year? What's the significance of the date on the cards?
Already feeling bruised from suspicions that her husband is cheating on her, Kal makes an impulsive decision to travel to British Columbia and find Susannah. With her toddler in tow, she sets out for remote Spring Tide Island, hoping to find the answers she so desperately seeks. Meeting Susannah, a potter who claims to have been Elena's best friend, just creates more questions. The woman, who seems to have been obsessed with Kal's mother, has also formed a strange attachment to Kal's son, 18-month-old Finn. Despite frantic calls from her husband and warnings from her father to stay away from Susannah, Kal refuses to leave Canada until she understands who her mother was and what happened between her and her old BFF. The more Kal learns, the more distressed she grows. Something horrible happened to Elena, that much is clear and—as Kal finally realizes—the past is about to repeat itself if she can't get herself and Finn off the island. With a storm threatening to cut off all communication with the mainland, Kal will have to risk her own life to save them both.
Everyone who hangs out around here knows I can't resist an atmospheric thriller. The moodier and broodier, the better. The Missing One, a 2014 debut by journalist Lucy Atkins, certainly qualifies. Atkins does an excellent job painting Spring Tide Island in thick, foggy grays that make it feel cold, isolated, and eerie. It's a shivery backdrop, perfect for a gripping psychological thriller, which is exactly what The Missing One is. The book is not an edge-of-your-seat kind of read (at least not until the end), but it is engrossing and compelling. Overly long, yes, but not boring. Predictable to a point, indeed, but not without its plot surprises. As far as characters go, it's tough to find a truly likable one in this story. They're a pretty messed up group, with plenty of selfish obsessiveness to go around. While Kal is the most appealing of the bunch, I still found her irrational, whiny, and slow on the uptake. Still, I definitely wanted to find out what was going to happen to her. That need to know kept me reading. In the end, then, I liked The Missing One well enough, but I can't say I loved it. I'm up for more from Atkins, though, and that's saying a lot.
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, violence, blood/gore, scenes of peril, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Monday, September 28, 2020
Hopeful Family Secrets Novel Thought-Provoking and Touching
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Reporter Elizabeth Balsam will do anything to break a huge story about a local politician's secret involvement in the 1967 Detroit race riots. Her dodgy methods don't get her the scoop, however; they get her sacked. Finding herself with a lot of extra time on her hands all of the sudden, Elizabeth decides to follow up on an odd request from a stranger who asks her to deliver an old camera and a stack of photos to a relative she's never met. Her curiosity is piqued by her visit to Lapeer County, Michigan, where Elizabeth meets Nora Balsam, her great aunt, for the first time. It's clear from the get-go that Nora is hiding a very intriguing story. Her journalistic Spidey senses tingling, Elizabeth determines to uncover her family's secrets. What she finds is a startling tale of love, strength, resilience, courage, tragedy, and a past that isn't nearly as distant as one would think ...
I'm a sucker for books about family secrets, especially those that stretch back through the generations. We Hope for Better Things, a debut novel by Erin Bartels, fits that bill perfectly. It tells a surprising tale that's full of action, romance, mystery, history, and more. The book is populated with likable, sympathetic characters. They're all flawed, imperfect people who struggle through challenges, make mistakes, and yearn for redemption. Plot-wise, this novel is engaging and compelling. Although We Hope for Better Things is a Christian novel (it won a Christy Award last year), it's more inspirational than preachy. Overall, it's an appealing story that is clean, uplifting, thought-provoking, and timely. I enjoyed it very much.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of novels by Susan Meissner and Lisa Wingate)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and mild sexual innuendo/content
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of We Hope For Better Things from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Saturday, September 05, 2020
Whiny Heroine + Overly Long Story = Putdownable Family Secrets Novel
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When Patrick Walsh's dementia gets too debilitating for him to live alone, his children relocate him to a nursing home. Since she's on maternity leave, child psychologist Beth Evans volunteers to clean out her father's house. The place has always been spic-and-span, so she's stunned when she discovers that a padlocked room holds a chaotic mess of Patrick's paintings, papers, and assorted junk. Among the detritus, she discovers loose pages from a journal that seems to have been written by her mother. Patrick always told his kids that their mother died in a car accident when they were small. The diary entries tell a different story. Beth reads about her mother's struggles with postpartum depression—which mirror her own—as well as descriptions of a Patrick Beth doesn't recognize at all. Who are her parents, really? What was their marriage truly like? And why is Patrick hiding dark secrets from his own children?
I'm always up for a tantalizing family secrets novel, so I was intrigued by the premise of Kelly Rimmer's newest, Truths I Never Told You. While the book is definitely about secrets, they're not all that tantalizing. Plus, the plot crawls along at such a glacial pace that I struggled to stay invested in the story. While I empathized with Beth, I found her to be a difficult MC to care about. She's whiny, self-centered, and victimy—my least favorite kind of heroine. Add in about 100 pages of unnecessary text and, yeah, this novel is just ... putdownable. It took me a few days, but I did finish it. Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy it. Bummer.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, disturbing subject matter, and references to sex
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Friday, June 12, 2020
Tender and Empowering, The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season Makes Me Smile
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Fear of a vengeful abusive boyfriend sends Hope Wright scuttling to get to the only place she has left to go—The Orchard House. Her mother never had anything good to say about her ancestral home, but Hope is praying she and her traumatized 10-year-old daughter, Tink, can find refuge there. At least for a night or two until she can find them a better hiding place. She only hopes her estranged aunt Peg, caretaker of the house and surrounding orchards, will be receptive to unexpected visitors.
Although Peg initially meets her surprise guests with the business end of a shotgun, she softens when she realizes just who is quivering on her doorstep. It's obvious Hope doesn't remember being at The Orchard House, doesn't remember Peg or any of what happened there. Vowing to leave the past where it belongs, Peg guards her secrets while doing her best to care for the skittish mother and daughter.
With cherry season in full swing, it's not long before the Wright women are laboring side-by-side, forming a tight bond. Even as Hope and Tink find healing in the comfort of family, newly-formed friendships, and the satisfaction of working the land, the threat of Hope's murderous ex looms. Tink's dug up some intriguing clues to the past in Peg's off-limits bedroom and Peg is wracked with guilt over the secrets she's keeping. What will happen when things come to a head, exposing the truth about the past? Can Peg keep Hope safe, not just from a physical threat but also from the emotional bomb that's about to go off? Or will Hope and Peg both end up losing everything that's most important to them?
You all know by now what a sucker I am for homecoming stories. If they feature juicy secrets, all the better! Not surprisingly, then, I was drawn to the premise of The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader. It stars a sympathetic trio of females, who are all wounded but fierce in their own ways. Rooting for them is a no-brainer. Plotwise, the novel moves along at a steady pace. It's obvious from the get-go what's going to happen in the story, all the way down to the role of the surprise item Tink finds in Peg's hidden box, but the tale is still compelling—even if there weren't any plot "twists" I didn't see coming. On the whole, then, I very much enjoyed The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season. It's a tender story about family, forgiveness, love, and the power of coming home. Although it deals with some difficult themes, overall it's an uplifting, empowering novel that made me smile.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other homecoming novels, although no specific titles are coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (1 F-bomb, plus milder expletives), violence, disturbing subject matter, and depictions of illegal drug use
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season from the generous folks at HarperCollins. Thank you!
Monday, May 25, 2020
Secret Sister Novel Pleasant, Enjoyable
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Although they're as different as three women can be, Liza, Maggie, and Tricia have always formed a tight trio. The Sweeney Sisters—daughters of the universally-beloved literary lion, Bill Sweeney—were a familiar sight around the small, seaside town of Southport, Connecticut, where they grew up. Now that they're adults, the women have spread their wings, with Tricia working as a hotshot lawyer in Manhattan, Maggie attempting to make ends meet as an artist-in-residence in western Connecticut, and Liza trying to balance marriage, motherhood, and ownership of a successful Southport art gallery. Tension and distance have strained relationships between the sisters. When their father dies unexpectedly, the threesome is reunited in their hometown for a raucous goodbye party and the reading of Bill's will.
The presence of a mystery woman at Bill's wake causes some confusion, then utter shock. Unbeknownst to Liza, Maggie, and Tricia, their father had an affair with a neighbor that resulted in another Sweeney Sister. Serena Tucker, a 38-year-old investigative journalist, grew up next door to her half-sisters without any of the girls knowing they were related. Until a DNA test Serena took six months ago revealed the truth. Suspicious of Serena's timing, the original Sweeney Sisters aren't sure what to think of the new addition. What does the woman want from them? Is she after an inheritance? Or does she want the memoir Bill was reportedly writing, the juicy tell-all that could expose all the family secrets and make its finder a very wealthy woman? As the four women hunt for the manuscript together, they will make some surprising discoveries about each other, their father, and what family and sisterhood really mean.
I love books involving family secrets, family history, and DNA discoveries, so I was excited to give The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan a go. While I didn't end up absolutely loving the novel, I did enjoy it. This is a character-driven story, with four interesting women at its heart. Each is well-crafted, empathetic, and admirable in her own way. I enjoyed reading about all of them. There's not a lot of action in The Sweeney Sisters, but there was enough to keep me turning pages. In the end, I found this tale to be a pleasant, funny, and entertaining read, even if I didn't fall head-over-heels in love with it.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Last Chance Matinee by Mariah Stewart and The Sisters Heminway by Annie England Noblin)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives) and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Sweeney Sisters from the generous folks at William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins). Thank you!
Monday, March 30, 2020
Despite Adorable Cover Model, Who Rescued Who Just an Okay Read
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When Elizabeth Barnes is fired after an off-the-cuff remark brings unexpected embarrassment to the tech company for which she works, the 32-year-old workaholic is at loose ends. She still has a horde of followers on her social media accounts, but with no job, no family left and no true IRL friends, Elizabeth's once-glamorous Silicon Valley life suddenly seems very empty. A surprise phone call from a British uncle she never knew she had comes at just the right time. Not only will a trip across the pond give her a chance to reboot (not to mention fill her feeds with attention-getting travel selfies) and connect with estranged family members, but the sale of her father's land should bring in enough cash to tide her over until she can find new employment.
Although Elizabeth receives a warm welcome in Fargrove, it's immediately apparent that she doesn't belong in the tiny backwater town. Without a reliable Internet connection, she's losing followers by the second. Still, when two intriguing opportunities—a temporary job organizing her uncle's artwork and an adorable puppy who's decided to adopt Elizabeth—land in her lap, Elizabeth finds she can't refuse either. Then there's the stunningly handsome James Holworthy, whose eye she simply must catch... As life in Fargrove teaches her to value a simpler way of being, Elizabeth must decide what she really wants, who she really is, and where she truly belongs.
Even though I'm not a huge animal lover, I really can't resist the sweet pup on the cover of Who Rescued Who by professional dog trainer Victoria Schade. I can't say I loved the novel, but I did very much enjoy gazing at its adorable cover model! I also liked the story's quaint setting as well as the warm-hearted townsfolk who inhabit the small village of Fargrove. For me, the secondary characters way upstaged the heroine and hero, neither of whom I found very appealing. Although Elizabeth does change over the course of the novel, she's still a stuck-up, self-centered brat with whom I never felt much of a connection. Perhaps it's because everything always turns up roses for her that I didn't feel invested in her "plight." James comes off as equally as shallow. Their insta-lovey romance feels forced—Elizabeth's bond with her dog is both more believable and better developed than her relationship with James. Plotwise, there was enough going on in the story to keep me reading, but the tale definitely feels longer than necessary, especially since it offers no real surprises. All in all, then, Who Rescued Who turned out to be just an okay read for me. That gorgeous furball on the cover, though? He/she gets an A+ all the way!
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other novels about unmoored city women finding their place in the back of beyond, although no specific titles are coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives) and sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Who Rescued Who from the generous folks at Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Monday, November 11, 2019
So-So Family Drama Clunky, But Ultimately Compelling
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Trying to write my own plot summary for If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman is not going well, so here's the back cover version:
For fans of This Is Us comes a story of a family divided and the secret that can possibly unite them – a life-affirming novel with a twist will break your heart and an ending that will put it together again.
A secret between two sisters.
A lifetime of lies unraveling.
Can one broken family find their way back to each other?
Audrey’s dream as a mother had been for her daughters, Jess and Lily, to be as close as only sisters can be. But now, as adults, they no longer speak to each other, and Audrey’s two teenage granddaughters have never met. Audrey just can’t help feeling like she’s been dealt more than her fair share as she’s watched her family come undone over the years, and she has no idea how to fix her family as she wonders if they will ever be whole again.
If only Audrey had known three decades ago that a secret could have the power to split her family in two, and yet, also keep them linked. And when hostilities threaten to spiral out of control, a devastating choice that was made so many years ago is about to be revealed, testing this family once and for all.
Once the truth is revealed, will it be enough to put her family back together again or break them apart forever?
This novel has gotten really mixed reviews. My reaction falls somewhere in the middle—I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. The book's a sad, depressing read that tries to cover a lot of territory in a relatively short space. The tackling of such heavy subject matter, combined with a slow-building plot and characters that are immature and not all that likable, results in a story that is clunky, but ultimately compelling. Beckerman strings the reader along with promises of a juicy secret to be revealed. And I totally took the bait. Even though I saw the Big Reveal coming, I still wanted to know for sure, a curiosity that kept me reading. Overall, though, I found If Only I Could Tell You to be just an okay read.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs) and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of If Only I Could Tell You from the generous folks at William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins) in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Family Secrets Novel Engrossing and Enjoyable (with a Giveaway!)
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
With a degree in criminal justice and a job producing a true-crime podcast, Ryan Gracey is no stranger to solving mysteries. She's never had one touch her own life, however, until she receives a frantic phone call from her older sister. Wendy Wainwright refuses to divulge any details, but she begs Ryan to return home to Seabank, Florida, to watch her young girls while their father is deployed and Wendy is away. Although the last thing Ryan wants is to uproot her life in Delray and go back to the place where she screwed up all her most meaningful relationships, she can't let her nieces down.
Playing mom is tougher than Ryan could have imagined. Especially when her nieces hint that their mother is not what she seems. Wendy's mysterious, prolonged absence propels Ryan to start digging into her sister's perfect-looking life. The more she finds, the more she tends to agree with the girls—there's trouble lurking behind Wendy's flawless facade. As unsettling clues continue to turn up, Ryan will be forced to face some shocking truths about her sister, her family, and herself.
A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards (available June 25, 2019) starts with an intriguing premise, which leads to a compelling plot. The story gets a little long, but it kept my interest with its mix of mystery/suspense, family drama, and romance. While I saw some of the big reveals coming, others caught me by surprise, which made for an engrossing, enjoyable read. I would definitely spend more time with these characters if I could and I will for sure read more by the talented Emilie Richards.
(Readalikes: Hm, nothing is coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, mild sexual content/innuendo, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of A Family of Strangers from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
**
Want more opinions on A Family of Strangers? Follow along on the book's Instagram/blog tour by clicking on the links below:
Instagram tour:
Monday, June 17th: @tbretc
Tuesday, June 18th: @hollyslittlebookreviews
Wednesday, June 19th: @sweethoneyandbrei
Thursday, June 20th: @readwithjamie
Friday, June 21st: @novelgossip
Saturday, June 22nd: @jessicamap
Sunday, June 23rd: @readingbetweenthe_wines
Review tour:
Monday, June 17th: The Baking Bookworm
Tuesday, June 18th: Girls in Books and @girlsinbooks
Wednesday, June 19th: Girl Who Reads
Wednesday, June 19th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Thursday, June 20th: Helen’s Book Blog
Monday, June 24th: @my_book_journey
Tuesday, June 25th: Bewitched Bookworms
Wednesday, June 26th: Write Read Life
Thursday, June 27th: Book by Book
Thursday, June 27th: @crystals_library
Friday, June 28th: Run Wright
Monday, July 1st: Audio Killed the Bookmark and @
Tuesday, July 2nd: Treestand Book Reviews
Wednesday, July 3rd: @beauty_andthebook
Friday, July 5th: Booked on a Feeling
Friday, July 5th: @angelareadsbooks
Monday, July 8th: I Wish I Lived in a Library
Tuesday, July 9th: Lori’s Reading Corner – spotlight
Wednesday, July 10th: The Meganerd Blog and @meganthemeganerd
Wednesday, July 10th: @cassies_books_reviews
Thursday, July 11th: Books and Bindings
Friday, July 12th: Books and Cats and Coffee and @bookncatsncoffee
Monday, July 15th: @one_more_paige
Tuesday, July 16th: @sarahandherbookshelves
Wednesday, July 17th: The Lit Bitch
Thursday, July 18th: Books Before Bedtime and @
Friday, July 19th: The Pages In-Between and @
**
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