Recent Reads

                           

The Mirror by Nora Roberts

Synopsis - When Sonya MacTavish inherits the huge Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine, she has no idea that the house is haunted. The footsteps she hears at night, the doors slamming, the music playing, are not figments of her imagination. In her dreams she sees glimpses of the past. In the present she finds portraits of brides. And when she has visions of an antique mirror, she is drawn to it, sensing it holds dark family secrets.
Then one night the mirror appears and Sonya glides through this looking glass, into the past—and sees a bride murdered on her wedding day, the circle of gold torn from her finger. It is a scene that will play out again and again—a centuries-old curse that must be broken—and a puzzle she must solve if there is any hope of breaking the curse.

Thoughts - This is book two in the Lost Brides Trilogy. I really enjoyed book one. I try not to read books that are still being written. I rather wait and consume them all at once then wait. I don't know why but I thought Inheritance was a stand alone. Then I thought it was a duology. But no.. it is a trilogy. Meaning I have to wait one more year to finish this story. Some part of me thinks the books could have lost some of the side stories and the story could have been wrapped up in two books. But the other part of me loves these characters.. wishes I could be one of the gang and live in this quaint little Maine town. The friendship the four main characters have created is enviable. And all the side characters are just as amazing. 

Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle

Synopsis - Molly Marks writes Hollywood rom-coms for a living—which is how she knows “romance” is a racket. The one and only time she was naive enough to fall in love was with her high school boyfriend, Seth—who she ghosted on the eve of graduation and hasn’t seen in fifteen years.
Seth Rubinstein believes in love, the grand, fated kind, despite his job as, well…one of Chicago’s most successful divorce attorneys. Over the last decade, he’s sought “the one” in countless bad dates and rushed relationships. He knows his soulmate is out there. But so far, no one can compare to Molly Marks, the first girl who broke his heart.
When Molly’s friends drag her to Florida for their fifteenth high school reunion, it is poetic justice that she’s forced to sit with Seth. Too many martinis and a drunken hookup later, they decide to make a bet: whoever can predict the fate of five couples before the next reunion must declare that the other is right about true love. The catch? The fifth couple is the two of them.
Molly assures Seth they are a tale of timeless heartbreak. Seth promises she’ll end up hopelessly in love with him. She thinks he’s delusional. He has five years to prove her wrong.

Thoughts - Let me start by saying I am not a big fan of romance. I do read of a few a year just to mix things up and on occasion I really do enjoy them. I did not love this one. I did finish it and it did have its moments but it felt so drawn out and it wasn't even a long book. It was the hopelessly romantic vs the cynic. They get together and break up more than a few times or it was a wrong timing issue then Covid happened.. and well I don't know. It was just not for me. 

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

Synopsis - No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world. For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that's exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he's got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin’s shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she’s starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her—and he’s still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there.
The only people who know they exist are a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper's old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn't show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred—and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch’s growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. After a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding—or finally face the sins of his past.

Thoughts - This book is described an a mystery thriller and that is where this book lost me. If it had been described as a slow atmospheric suspense I would have gone in with different expectations and enjoyed it more. The stranger that wanders into their woods putting everything in danger doesn't enter the book until the 75% mark. I just kept waiting for the twist. For that reason this was a two star read for me. 

Now putting my expectations aside.. yes this was a slow read but they descriptions were beautiful.. and the last 15% of the book had all my emotions going.. there was so much love in this book. Love without all the showiness, without the Hallmark spin. I would have added another 1.5 stars to my initial review. 

The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea

Synopsis - Two abducted girls—one who returns, one who doesn't.
The night they go missing, high school seniors Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are at a beach party in their small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Police launch a massive search, but hope is almost lost--until Megan escapes from a bunker deep in the woods...A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has made Megan a celebrity. It's a triumphant story, except for one inconvenient thing, Nicole is still missing.
Nicole's older sister, Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole's body will be found and her sister's fate determined. Instead, the first clue comes from another body--that of a young man connected to Nicole's past. Livia reaches out to Megan to learn more about that fateful night. Other girls have disappeared, and she's increasingly sure the cases are connected.
Megan knows more than she revealed in her book. Flashes of memory are pointing to something more monstrous than she described. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you've been looking for...

Thoughts - This is my third Charlie Donlea book. The first I didn't love the second two books have been much better. I didn't know who the bad guy was till the very end. The story went back and forth to the time before the abduction, right after Megan was found and a year later. Three women at the center of the story, each different with their own personalities, their different struggles. I found myself turning the pages to get to the end. Learning a bit more about forensic pathology was also interesting. 

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Synopsis - Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a perfectly normal boy. Well, he would be perfectly normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the world of the dead.
There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard: the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer; a gravestone entrance to a desert that leads to the city of ghouls; friendship with a witch, and so much more.
But it is in the land of the living that real danger lurks, for it is there that the man Jack lives and he has already killed Bod's family.

Thoughts - Just as I was finishing this book news of Neil Gaiman being accused of sexual misconduct by eight women broke. Now this is certainly worthy of a whole separate post but can you separate the art from the artist? Should all his work be cancelled due to him allegedly being a piece of shit. How do you feel about Roald Dahl or Kevin Spacey? 

Anyway.. getting back to the book. The accusations against him do not affect my opinions of this book. This book is considered a great coming of age story and while that may be true.. another truth is that I have already come of age. This book may have had a different effect on me had I been a teen. Kind of like The Outsiders. But how would I feel about the Outsiders now into my 40's.. I don't know. So I will say I did not love it. It was a story about a boy being raised by ghosts in a graveyard. It was sad. It had a few nice moments but overall I could have done without reading it. 

       

Defy the Night series by Brigid Kremmerer

Synopsis - A desperate prince. A daring outlaw. A dangerous flirtation.

In the Wilds of Kandala, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade has been watching people suffer for too long. A mysterious sickness is ravaging the land and the cure, Moonflower Elixir, is only available for the wealthy. So every night, she defies the royal edicts and sneaks out, stealing Moonflower petals and leaving the elixir for those in need.
In the palace of Kandala, Prince Corrick serves as the King's Justice, meting out vicious punishments and striking fear into the hearts of agitators and outlaws. Corrick knows he must play this role convincingly--with a shortage of elixir and threats of rebellion looming ever closer, the King's grip on power is tenuous at best, and Corrick knows his brother is the kingdom's best hope for survival.
But when an act of unspeakable cruelty brings the royal and the outlaw face to face, the natural enemies are faced with an impossible choice--and a surprising spark. Will they follow their instincts to destroy each other? Or will they save the kingdom together . . . and let that spark ignite?

Thoughts - This is my second series by Brigid Kremmerer. This first was the Cursebreaker series. That one started out really strong but faltered towards the end. This series on the other hand just got stronger and better with every book. The series is complete so I was able to devour these books. I absolutely loved them. The characters, the story, the adventure.. the brotherly love.. everything. Love. 

I am currently in the midst of two more series... will share more when I finish them. 

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