The Best of Friends by Lucinda Berry Book Review

 I was fortunate enough to have won this book through a Facebook giveaway. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Berry and I am sure I will read more.

Lindsey is married to Andrew (their children Jacob, Wyatt, and Sutton).

Dani is married to Bryan (their children Luna and Caleb).

Kendra is married to Paul (their children Sawyer and Reese). 

This story is told in three voices, those being Lindsey, Dani, and Kendra. There was a party that Sawyer, Caleb, and Jacob went to. There was alcohol. There were drugs. There was a gun. There was an accident resulting in Sawyer’s death, Jacob’s vegetative state, and Caleb pretty much going catatonic. There are marital conflicts intertwined. There is domestic abuse of the emotional sort (which may be a trigger for some folks). There are so many layers to this story being told as the three mothers just want to get to the bottom of things … the why of what happened. The interesting thing is that these three ladies all went to school together and thought nothing could break up their friendships. Is this the final straw for them or will the truth ultimately bring them back together? Will the truth destroy these families? 

If you like twisty psychological reads, I highly recommend you get yourself a copy. This book will keep you turning the pages as more than one truth unfolds.

She Lied She Died by Carissa Lynch Book Review

 

(Not my picture.)

I downloaded an early copy of this from Net Galley.

Julie Juliott was murdered when Natalie was nine years old. She watched the commotion from her brother’s bedroom window after Julie’s body was found on her family’s farm. Natalie moved away from home when she was old enough but ended up coming back home to take care of the family farm, or at least what was left of it. Chrissy, the woman accused of Julie’s murder, was released from prison (having confessed to the crime) and Natalie reached out to her. It had always been Natalie’s dream to write a book some day and to her this seemed like the perfect opportunity, a chance to tell Chrissy’s side of things. As the story unfolds, Natalie is led down a path that leads her to the truth … a truth that she was not expecting. 

Ms. Lynch just keeps getting better and better. She has totally knocked this one out of the park. Releasing December 2020. Don’t miss this one!

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Steena Holmes Book Review

Not my picture.

As a member of Ms. Holmes’ reader/influencer team, I had the opportunity to read her latest release early.

Paige and Jessica are twins. How ironic is it that Paige ends up working for CHILD, an organization who helps search for missing girls, when her own sister went missing so long ago? Paige serves as a liaison to families who are in the same situation as she finds herself, sometimes feeling guilty at the “jealousy” she feels when families are successfully reunited. In this story you will meet some intriguing characters from Paige herself to the people she works with at CHILD and those in her personal life including Detective Lindsay, Jamie (Paige’s significant other), Paige and Jessica’s mom (Sarah), Monique (another CHILD worker), Anita (CHILD receptionist), Father Jeremy, Detective Meri Amber, to name a few. Together they are all working tirelessly to reunite families … or at least find the missing girls.

This is a captivating story about the finding of a sex trafficking ring in their own neighborhood. Join the above-listed characters as they go about finding out who the bad guys are and helping reunite the families with the two Jane Does they were able to locate. Sadly, this happens in our world today … probably more than we hear about. Kudos to Ms. Holmes for writing a story she felt needed to be told.

What's Not Said by Valerie Taylor Book Review

 

I have had my eye on this book since I started seeing posts on Facebook about it. I am also fortunate enough to be connected to Ms. Taylor through one of the many groups on Facebook. I reached out to her to see if she was selling signed copies of her book – turns out she was!

This is a gorgeous book with an entertaining tale inside its pages. Kassie is married to Mike, and their marriage is full of deceit and lies on both sides. Kassie finds out that Mike is sick, something he had been hiding, and is suddenly torn – does she continue with her plan to leave or does she stay to take care of him?

This tale is full of all the elements I personally enjoy and has a lot of realism mixed in. Readers will find themselves connected to and rooting for Kassie, some may even find themselves connected to Mike and rooting for him. There is always a best friend (at least one can hope and be so lucky) … in this case, Annie. There are the secrets that are revealed … even some from Kassie’s mom who has been gone for a year before her attorney gave Kassie her final letter. And another deep-seated secret that comes to the surface.

All in all, I found this a great debut novel (read in one sitting) and look forward to the next one. Well done, Ms. Taylor, well done!

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon Book Review

  

I was fortunate enough to have won this book through a Book Trib giveaway. I have to admit that I was hooked from the very first page ... a welcome break from my online course.

Eleanor, a self-employed web designer who has some inner demons, finds out the man who raised her was not her biological father. The road she goes down leads her to Lewis who couldn't possibly be interested in her, or could he? Follow Eleanor as she scores a couple of new clients that lead her down a path that she was not expecting.

This is a twisty read filled with dysfunctional family relationships, a bit of a love story, and an ending that you will not see coming. Get your copy!