Review of NO ONE SAW by Beverly Long

On July 6, 2020 By vickleaIn Uncategorized2 Comments

I loved this book! I really enjoy police procedurals and this one with Detective A.L. McKittredge and his partner Rena Morgan is one of the best that I have ever read. The story is a compelling one since five year old Emma is missing from her daycare. Her grandmother insists that she dropped her off with her teacher. Her teacher denies ever seeing her that day. Her mom is late to pick her up, so she is missing all day without anyone’s ever noticing. The clues are there, but there are also the red herrings that kept me guessing. The ending was unpredictable for me which added to my enjoyment of the book and led to the five-star rating. The bonus in the book was learning more about the private lives of the investigators, with details that flowed into the main story line. This is an outstanding police procedural with a fast-paced, relatable plot and characters that were well-developed. By the end of the story, I felt like I knew A.L. and Rena well and I was rooting for them to find the little asthmatic girl before it was too late. This is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. With themes of family drama, lies and lack of communication, I highly recommend this book to fans of gripping police procedurals.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

*My rating is based on* *the entertainment value that I found in the book, but it is not a clean read since there are multiple expletives used in the content.*

EXCERPT:

One

With a week’s worth of mail in one hand, A.L. McKittridge unlocked his apartment door with the other. Then he dragged his carry-on suitcase inside, almost tripping over Felix, who had uncharacteristically left his spot by the window where the late afternoon sun poured in. He tossed the collection of envelopes and free weekly newspapers onto his kitchen table and bent down to scratch his cat. “You must have missed me,” he said. “Wasn’t Rena nice to you?”
His partner had sent a text every day. Always a picture. Felix eating. Felix taking a dump. Felix giving himself a bath. No messages. Just visual confirmation that all was well while he was off in sunny California, taking a vacation for the first time in four years.
I can take care of your damn cat, she’d insisted. And while he hadn’t wanted to bother her because she’d have plenty to do picking up the slack at work, she was the only one he felt he could ask. His ex-wife Jacqui would have said no. His just turned seventeen-year-old daughter, Traci, would have been willing but he hadn’t liked the idea of her coming round to an empty apartment on her own.
Baywood, Wisconsin—population fifty thousand and change—was generally pretty safe but he didn’t believe in taking chances. Not with Traci’s safety. She’d been back in school for just a week. Her senior year. How the hell was that even possible? College was less than a year away.
No wonder his knees ached. He was getting old.
Or maybe it was flying coach for four hours. But the trip had been worth it. Tess had wanted to see the ocean. Wanted to face her nemesis, she’d claimed. And she’d been a champ. Had stood on the beach where less than a year earlier, she’d almost died after a shark had ripped off a sizable portion of her left arm. Had lifted her pretty face to the wind and stared out into the vast Pacific.
She hadn’t surfed. Said she wasn’t ready for that yet. But he was pretty confident that she’d gotten the closure that she’d been looking for. She’d slept almost the entire flight home, her head resting on A.L.’s shoulder. On the hour-plus drive from Madison to Baywood, she’d been awake but quiet. When he’d dropped her off at her house, she hadn’t asked him in.
He wasn’t offended. He’d have said no anyway. After a week together, they could probably both benefit from a little space. Their relationship was just months old and while the sex was great and the conversation even better, neither of them wanted to screw it up by jumping in too fast or too deep.
Now he had groceries to buy and laundry to do. It was back to work tomorrow. He grabbed the handle of his suitcase and was halfway down the hall when his cell rang. He looked at the number. Rena. Probably wanted to make sure he was home and Felix-watch was over. “McKittridge,” he answered.
“Where are you?”
“Home.”
“Oh, thank God.”
He let go of his suitcase handle. Something was wrong. “What’s up?” he asked.
“We’ve got a missing kid. Five-year-old female. Lakeside Learning Center.”
Missing kid. Fuck. He glanced at his watch. Just after 6:00. That meant they had less than two hours of daylight left. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

The Lakeside Learning Center on Oak Avenue had a fancier name than building. It was a two-story building with brown clapboard siding on the first floor and tan vinyl siding on the second. There wasn’t a lake in sight.
The backyard was fenced with something a bit nicer than chain link but not much. Inside the fence was standard playground equipment: several small plastic playhouses, a sandbox on legs and a swing set. The building was located at the end of the block in a mixed-use zone. Across from the front door and on the left were single-person homes. To the right, directly across Wacker Avenue, was a sandwich shop, and kitty-corner was a psychic who could only see the future on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
A.L. took all this in as he beached his SUV in a no parking zone. Stepped over the yellow tape and made a quick stop to sign in with the cop who was at the door.
everybody who entered and exited the crime scene.
Once he was inside, his first impression was that the inside was much better than the outside. The interior had been gutted, erasing all signs that this had once been the downstairs of a 1960s two-story home. There was a large open space to his right. On the far wall hung a big-screen television and on the wall directly opposite the front door were rows of shelves, four high, stacked with books, games and small toys.
It was painted in a cheery yellow and white and the floor was a light gray tile. There was plenty of natural light coming through the front windows. The hallway he was standing in ran the entire length of the building and ended in a back door.
There was a small office area to his left. The door was open and there was a desk with a couple guest chairs. The space looked no bigger than ten feet by ten feet and was currently empty.
He sent Rena a text. Here.
A door at the far end of the hallway opened and Rena and a woman, middle-aged and white, dressed in khaki pants and a dark green button-down shirt, appeared. Rena waved at him and led the woman in his direction. “This is my partner, Detective McKittridge,” she said to the woman. She looked at A.L. “Alice Quest. Owner and director of Lakeside Learning Center.”
A.L. extended a hand to the woman. She shook it without saying anything.
“If you can excuse us,” Rena said to the woman. “I’d like to take a minute and bring Detective McKittridge up to speed.”
Alice nodded and stepped into the office. She pulled the door shut but not all the way. Rena motioned for A.L. to follow her. She crossed the big room and stopped under the television.
“What do we have?” he asked.
“Emma Whitman is a five-year-old female who has attended Lakeside Learning Center for the last two years. Her grandmother, Elaine Broadstreet, drops her off on Mondays and Wednesdays between 7:15 and 7:30.”
Today was Wednesday. “Did that happen today?”
“I have this secondhand, via her son-in-law who spoke to her minutes before I got here. It did.”
The hair on the back of A.L.’s neck stood up. When Traci had been little, she’d gone to day care. Not at Lakeside Learning Center. Her place had been bigger. “How many kids are here?” he asked.
“Forty. No one younger than three. No one older than five. They have two rooms, twenty kids to a room. Threes and early fours in one room. Older fours and fives in the other. Two staff members in each room. So four teachers. And a cook who works a few hours midday. And then there’s Alice. She fills in when a staff member needs a break or if someone is ill.”
Small operation. That didn’t mean bad. “Where are the other staff?”
“Majority of the kids get picked up by 5:30. According to Alice, she covers the center by herself from 5:30 to 6:00 most days to save on payroll costs. Emma Whitman is generally one of the last ones to be picked up. Everybody else was gone tonight and she’d already locked the outside door around 5:45 when the father pulled up and pounded on the door. At first, she assumed that somebody else had already picked up Emma. But once Troy called his wife and the grandmother, the only other people allowed to pick her up, she called Kara Wiese, one of Emma’s teachers, who said that Emma hadn’t been there all day. That was the first time Alice had thought about the fact that the parents had not reported an absence. She’d been covering for an ill staff member in the classroom that Emma is not assigned to.”
Perfect fucking storm.

Excerpted from No One Saw by Beverly Long, Copyright © 2020 by Beverly Long.
Published by MIRA Books

NO ONE SAW
Author: Beverly Long
ISBN: 9780778309659
Publication Date: June 30, 2020
Publisher: MIRA Books

Buy Links:
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Amazon
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Social Links:
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Author Bio:
Beverly Long’s writing career has spanned more than two decades and twenty novels, including TEN DAYS GONE, the first book of her A.L. McKittridge series. She writes romantic suspense with sexy heroes and smart heroines. She can often be found with her laptop in a coffee shop with a cafe au lait and anything made with dark chocolate by her side.

Review of THE CRUSHING DEPTHS by Dani Pettrey

On June 22, 2020 By vickleaIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Dani Pettrey exhibits her signature style and gift of creating ordinary characters doing extraordinary things. In the second book of her Coast Guard series, the setting is an oil rig that seems to be cursed. Two members of the CGIS team are sent to investigate and end up endangering themselves in their dogged quest for the truth. The book was well-researched and I received a lot of knowledge about how the investigative team works as well as what the crew of an oil rig does. The vivid descriptions placed me mentally right into the scene, with the ocean rolling and the storms rushing in. I loved how the author created a suspenseful and intricate plot that kept me enthralled as I read. The most remarkable part of the book, in my opinion, was the effective and strong characterization. The relationship between Mason and Rissi is a stunning and emotionally charged trip into an exploration of young and tentative love. Each character had a special role in the book, with all of them contributing to a phenomenal picture of the service and private lives of those who are willing to risk their lives to save others. Noah, my favorite character and the leader of the team, displays a unique ability to perceive what the strengths are of each member of his team. Noah is also dealing with his own awakening of romantic feelings for a young woman, and I was genuinely pleased with his final acceptance that his feelings were real and should be pursued. The author’s sharp, perceptive look at members of the investigative team was riveting. The action was intense and intriguing, and I was compelled to continue to read long into the night by the absorbing story of the ill-fated oil rig. I found the entire book exceptionally well-written, with a stunning glimpse into the dangerous and sacrificial world of members of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This is a completely clean Christian romantic suspense.

Available on June 30, 2020, but you can pre-order it today!

Purchase Links:

Author bio and information:

Dani Pettrey

Review of WHAT YOU WISH FOR by Katherine Center

On June 19, 2020 By vickleaIn Uncategorized2 Comments

With the magical and flowery prose that is the signature of Center, this book explores relationships, love, loss, honesty, grief and self-discovery. Samantha Casey fled California from a love interest that didn’t reciprocate and ended up in Galveston, Texas. She is the librarian at a small private school there and is loving it. Max Kempner, the co-founder and principal of the Kempner School, encouraged curiosity, investigation and artistic freedom there, and Sam is in her element. When Max suddenly dies, everyone is grieving but determined to find a good principal to carry on his legacy. When Duncan Carpenter arrives, Sam remembers him from California and expects him to be fun and charismatic, much like Max. But Duncan seems to be the antithesis of Max, demanding changes in the entire atmosphere and physical appearance of the school, all in the name of safety and security. Although Sam knew Duncan in California, she was not at all ready for this new form of him who has lost his hope and love of life. The scene is thus set for conflict, lots of emotions and plenty of cheering for one side or the other. Should Duncan be fired or should he be allowed to continue his reign at Kempner? As a former teacher and a rules person, I was kind of on Duncan’s side, but I did think he went too far in some of his demands and was expecting an explosive reaction from the faculty who were all more used to laid-back Max. Duncan seemed determined to get rid of freedom of expression at the school, and Sam was equally determined to save it. I really liked both characters, because Center is a master at strong characterization, creating a siren’s call for me to an emotional connection with her characters. I think that this book had a slower start for me that her other books, but about a third of the way into the book, I was captured and the magnetic pull of the charm and intrigue in the book just wouldn’t let go until I had finished it. Fans of Center will really love this book and I encourage fans of romance with multiple themes interwoven to try it. I love to feel happy after I read a book, and that is always how I feel after a Center book. This one also made me think about what I really want in life and what I am willing to do to grab it.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

*This book has some mature content so it is not suitable for all readers.*

Available on July 14, 2020, but you can pre-order it now. Purchase links:

Review of More Than Neighbors by Shannon Stacey

On June 18, 2020 By vickleaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

This is a predictable but a really fun-tastic read because it’s light, humorous at times and romantic. Meredith Price and her precocious six year old have moved to Blackberry Bay for a new start after the death of her beloved husband two years before. There she meets her new workaholic neighbor Cam Maguire and the sparks begin. Meredith isn’t sure that she is ready for a new relationship and Cam is certain that he doesn’t. Nevertheless, the antics of little Sophie keeps pulling the two together, along with the fact that his cat loves to tease her dog. Meredith goes from wanting to build a fence to being amenable to sharing his hammock. The journey from reluctance to love is a light-hearted one that is filled with romantic moments and just what you would expect from a lovely story like this one. Fans of romance will enjoy this new book in a new series.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

About Shannon Stacey: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her two favorite activities are writing stories of happily ever after and off-roading with her friends and family. You can contact Shannon through her website, http://www.shannonstacey.com, as well as sign up for her newsletter.

Author Social Links:

• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49875473-more-than-neighbors?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=BPmoRsG1Za&rank=1
• Author website: https://shannonstacey.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/shannonstacey
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannonstacey.authorpage
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonstacey/

Purchase Links:

• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/More-than-Neighbors-Blackberry-Book-ebook/dp/B08337V9GG/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=more+than+neighbors%2C+stacey&qid=1587390776&s=books&sr=1-1
• B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/more-than-neighbors-shannon-stacey/1135744197?ean=9781335894694
• Google: https://books.google.ca/books/about/More_Than_Neighbors.html?id=7DQGzQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
• IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335894694
• Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781488069901_more-than-neighbors.html
•

Excerpt, MORE THAN NEIGHBORS by Shannon Stacey (Harlequin Special Edition)

“So you’re staying for the summer, you said? Where do you usually live?”

“New York City, actually.”

Her hazel eyes widened. “Wow. That’s quite a change in pace.”

“It is, but I was ready to get away for a while.” “What do you do in the city?”

“I work for my dad,” he said, which wasn’t technically a lie, but wasn’t entirely accurate, either. “A lot of accounting and paperwork and boring stuff like that.”

She was cute when she wrinkled her nose. “I’m not a fan of boring math-related paperwork.”

A yelp from across the yard caught her attention and she turned to see Elinor swipe at the white puff-ball. Sophie was frowning and picked the dog up, turning her body so the cat couldn’t see him any-more.

“Your cat appears to be bullying my dog.”

“She’s not my cat. And you’re embarrassing your dog by even making that claim right now.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “If you don’t think cats can bully dogs, you don’t spend a lot of time on the internet.”

“She just wants the dog to know who’s boss, I guess.”

“It’s his yard,” she pointed out.

“She’s a cat.”

“Point taken.” A genuine smile lit up her face and made her eyes crinkle. “They’ll get used to each other. And speaking of that, now that I know you’re going to be my neighbor for a while, I should prob-ably introduce myself properly. I’m Meredith Price, and that’s Sophie and Oscar.”

“Calvin Maguire,” he said, extending his hand. “But everybody calls me Cam.”

As she shook his hand, he noted how soft the skin was and had to resist rubbing his thumb over it.

She tilted her head as she smoothly pulled her hand away from his. “How do you get Cam from Calvin?”

“My initials. Calvin Anthony Maguire.” His mouth twisted in a wry smile. “The fourth.”

“Interesting.”

“It was a better alternative than being Little Cal for my entire life.” He didn’t really want to open him-self up to more questions about his family, since they were the last thing he wanted to talk about. “Since Oscar’s from California, let me guess. Oscar de la Renta?”

She laughed. “Oscar the Grouch.”

“You’re kidding.” He looked at the dog again, who looked like the kind they put on the packaging of fancy dog food. “I don’t really see the resemblance, but maybe it’s a personality thing.”

“He’s actually named after Sophie’s favorite book at the time, and trust me, we spent days explaining to her why we couldn’t make his hair green.”

“He doesn’t bark a lot, does he?”

“I wouldn’t say he barks a lot.” She glanced at the dog before giving him a sheepish look. “It’s more like a really high-pitched yip.”

“That’ll be fun while I’m reading over spread-sheets,” he said, picturing spending his summer being harassed by a stubborn cat and a high-strung dog. “Maybe I should have packed my noise- canceling headphones.”

She looked startled for a second and then her eyes narrowed. “I have a child and a dog, so I guess you’ll just have to figure out how to make it work.”

“Maybe a muzzle?” he asked, but he wasn’t re-ally serious. Yipping dogs weren’t his favorite, but he wasn’t a total jerk.

She stared at him for a long moment before giving him an arch look. “I don’t know if I can find one in your size, but I can try.”

Cam chuckled, appreciating her comeback, but she didn’t even crack a smile. Maybe she hadn’t been joking. And maybe she’d thought he wasn’t, either.

“If you’ll excuse me, we just arrived and I have a lot to do.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said as she walked, and she held up her hand in what looked more like a dis-missive gesture than a wave.

That was fine. If she wanted to play that game, she’d find out he didn’t really care that much. She and her yipping dog could stay in her yard and he’d stay in his.

He had better things to do, anyway. Like learning more about Carolina Archambault, and figuring out how to convince her cat he was the boss.

I highly recommend this fun and happy trip to Blackberry Bay! Available now!

Review of A MILLION LITTLE LIES by Bette Lee Crosby

On June 16, 2020 By vickleaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The story of Suzanna Duff is a tale of a woman who feels the need to lie in order to survive in life. She lost her mom when she was ten, her dad was an awful example of love, so on her own she decides to make her way in the world. Along the way, she got pregnant as a teen and had baby Annie to take care of, again without any support system. Hooking up with a drunk named Earl meant years of hopeless abuse, but Suzanna escaped and was determined to start a new life. At a bus stop in Georgia, she meets her destiny in the form of Ida, a widow who is seeking family and chooses to believe that Suzanna and Annie are family. Not meaning to continue to lie, Suzanna decides to harmlessly go along with Ida’s belief that she is Darla Jean, her long-lost step-granddaughter. I loved the way Suzanna was a strong female character with gumption and independence. Of course, I didn’t like her continued lies, but the author presented her dilemmas in such a way that they were understandable and fascinating. I was totally absorbed in “Darla Jean’s” story and how Annie kept making wishes that she saw fulfilled, one after another. The author does a great job of tying up all of the loose ends in Suzanna’s life and giving her reason to hope for a better future. I love happy endings, and Suzanna’s was particularly appreciated since she suffered so much to get there. That’s not to say that everyone in the book had a happy ending; you will have to read it to find out who does and who doesn’t end up with happy endings. Fans of women’s fiction will really enjoy this book that offers a laugh or two, a happy ending and a hope for more wishes come true for little Annie. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I will look for more by her since this was a perfect book to read during this current pandemic…offering hope and healing and second chances at love and happiness.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

A basically clean read that I can recommend to all audiences who enjoy a good story with flawed characters who are seeking to be better.

Available now for purchase:

Amazon

Review of ALWAYS THE LAST TO KNOW by Kristan Higgins

On June 13, 2020June 13, 2020 By vickleaIn Uncategorized1 Comment

I read this book for a few hours and then had to put it down to think about what I had read. It is a book with a message, actually, to be accurate, with a lot of messages that made me reflect on my own choices and relationships. It is the story of Barb and John who have been married almost fifty years when John has a debilitating stroke. Their marriage was already broken, but Barb went though the motions until she was ready to just end it. They have two daughters, Juliet and Sadie. Juliet is Barb’s favorite and Sadie was John’s fave. Juliet is a successful architect, married to a Brit and with two daughters. Sadie is an artistic free spirit who rushes home to help take care of her father, leaving her life in NYC behind. This is the story of a fractured family that does not communicate or easily forgive. With the themes of sibling rivalry, infertility, lack of forgiveness and lack of communication, Higgins did a stellar job of drawing me into the lives of these four broken people. They all have wounds from the past and an uncertain future, much like everyone else I know plus myself. Thus, I related to the story and really enjoyed it, as their poor choices in the past were revealed as well as their current dilemmas. To me, John, with his stroke and inability to communicate clearly, represented the whole problem with the family. They were all lost in the condition of being too paralyzed by the past to grab hold of the future, until finally they realize their paralysis and start to do something about it. There was no fluff in this book; it was all meaningful, and deeply thought-provoking. It is contemporary fiction and domestic drama with Higgins’s humor thrown in to lighten the somber mood. I loved this book and highly recommend it as a novel of reflection and hope for the future.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkeley Publishing via a Goodreads contest. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Not a completely clean read because of the topics discussed in the book, but well worth the read and very worthy to be chosen as a Book Club favorite

Information above was found at www.kristanhiggins.com

Available now! Here are links where you can purchase this book:

Many, many thanks to #BerkleyPub for sending me the ARC to read and review! And thanks to Goodreads for their reader contests!

Review of STORIES THAT BIND US by Susie Finkbeiner

On June 11, 2020 By vickleaIn Uncategorized4 Comments

I really needed a distraction from the news, and this book totally provided it. The story of Betty Sweet, her sister Clara and her young nephew Hugo is one that I will long remember. It is the tale of love, loss, acceptance, addiction and family. Betty and her husband Norm share a love that is right out of fairy tales. Clara and Betty had not seen or spoken to each other in years, even though they were sisters. When Clara suddenly shows up on her doorstep, Betty opens her door, her home and her heart wide to accept Clara as well as her young nephew Hugo. The fact that Hugo is black does not seem to bother Betty at all and she shields him from the stares and glares when they go out in public. I think my favorite thing about this book was the family relationship between Betty and all of her in-laws. They loved her and helped her with her losses, being the ones who showed her that she needed to keep on living. I also really enjoyed the stories within the main story, the tales that Betty told little Hugo when she was tucking him in at night. They were imaginative stories, told from her heart and with so much love that the emotions that she felt for Hugo jumped off the page and into my heart. I cried, I laughed, I enjoyed, and anyone who loves historical fiction (although not that historical since I lived in this era), will delight in this newest book by Susie Finkbeiner. She has a real fan in me because her books are so real and so heart-warming that I just want to spend days with her creations and feel a sense of satisfaction and contentment when the book is done.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

*This is a completely clean read and more than worth your time to read it!*

Connect with the author at Susie Finkbeiner

Available for purchase:

Review of SISTER DEAR by Hannah Mary McKinnon

On June 1, 2020 By vickleaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

What a twisted story of love, loss, secrets, greed and revenge! At the beginning of the story, the main character, Eleanor, is in jail. The rest of the story is a look at how and why she got there. Nothing is as it seems in this novel! Each time I thought that I had figured out a plot twist, it jack-knifed and went the opposite direction. Fascinating plot! This book was edgy, dark suspense and an intense psychological thriller. I was taken inside the mind of poor Eleanor, an overweight, shy young woman who has been ridiculed her entire life by her mother and her Hollywood-bound sister Amy. Eleanor’s only advocate is her father who is dying of cancer. In the hospice, Eleanor discovers that he is not her real biological father, so becomes determined to find her family. Stan Gallinger, her biological father, is not in the running for father of the year since he flatly tells Eleanor to get lost! So Eleanor decides that she wants a relationship with her sister Victoria Gallinger. What a turn in the plot that was! The twists and turns continue all the way to the shocking ending! I enjoyed the plot twists and the characters, but sometimes I felt like I was getting whiplash from the quick turn-arounds from the deceit that is a part of the plot. A really enjoyable read for fans of suspense and thrillers!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

*My rating is based on the entertainment value to me, but I must warn my readers that this book deals with dark suspense, so it may not be suitable for all readers.*

Author Bio: Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favor of writing, and is now the author of The Neighbors and Her Secret Son. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons, and is delighted by her twenty-second commute

SISTER DEAR

Author: Hannah Mary McKinnon

ISBN: 9780778309550

Publication Date: May 26, 2020

Publisher: MIRA Books

Buy Links:

Social Links:

Twitter: @HannahMMcKinnon

Instagram: @hannahmarymckinnon

Facebook: @HannahMaryMcKinnon

Goodreads

Review of UNBRIDLED FAITH: DEVOTIONS FOR YOUNG READERS by Cary Whitney

On May 29, 2020 By vickleaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

This is a perfect devotional for teens and tweens who love horses. With personification of the wonderful animals, the author uses a scripture for each devotion, ties it to a lesson learned from the horse and how that can be applied to humans and ends with practical advice. Each devotion also includes a beautiful photo of a horse or pony, so that’s truly a bonus for young people who love horses. I am not a real horse lover myself, but I did enjoy the devotions and I know that my teen and tween grandchildren would relate to these stories and totally enjoy them.

Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Cary with her horse Gus
Photo courtesy of *Harper Collins Christian Publishing*

Author Bio:

Cara Whitney grew up on a cattle farm in Northern Wisconsin. After spending a decade as a radio personality in markets that included Las Vegas, she found herself in search of that simpler life everyone talks about. She soon discovered that there is no such thing as a simple life, but instead your best lived life is one that includes a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Cara Whitney speaks with humor, authenticity, and a no-nonsense directness, making her an instant hit with people of all ages. She is a wife, a mother, and an author. Her debut book, Unbridled Faith, generated major media interest, including a national TV segment with Ainsley Earhardt on “Fox & Friends” (Fox News Network). Her message is clear and simple: “God is real, and He can be trusted.”

Now in her early forties, Cara says her family and her faith in Jesus Christ are her most important relationships. She and her husband Daniel (known by millions as Larry the Cable Guy) own a 180-acre farm in Nebraska where they take care of 12 horses. The couple have been married for 14 years and have two young children: Reagan and Wyatt.
Cara enjoys strong coffee, fast Internet, and cautious driving. Between trips to the grocery store and juggling dirty laundry, she has been called to evangelism. “I get up every day and live my life appreciating God’s gift of eternal life,” she says, “the gift He had been trying to give me since birth, the gift I kept avoiding. I know I am forgiven, and
God is enough. I want to share this gift with everyone–everywhere.”

Purchase Link:

Thomas Nelson Publishing

Review of THE WIFE WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Michele Campbell

On May 25, 2020 By vickleaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I was drawn into the book immediately by the diary entry by Nina that basically said that she knew she was going to die. Then, the plot slowed down, but I persevered in reading and was thrilled when the pace picked up again all the way to the end. Nina is a wealthy and eccentric woman who is married to Connor, a younger man who is desperately unhappy about the pre-nup he signed with Nina. He meets up again with his high school love, Tabitha, a girl who seems ripe to be used since her life is a bad fairy tale. She is working a dead-end job as a waitress when Connor comes back into her life in his pricey sports car, sweeping her off her feet and taking her to a mansion hideaway to start an affair. When Nina is killed, the action truly increases. My heart raced as one suspect after another was vetted, with totally awesome clues as to whodunit. As an avid reader of mysteries, I think that helped me figure out the ending, but there were still some unexpected surprises. This book became totally absorbing about halfway through and was hard to put down. Fans of thrillers will enjoy it for sure!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”