My Three Dogs by W. Bruce Cameron

 

My Three Dogs by W. Bruce Cameron

 

Summary:  My Three Dogs is a charming and heartfelt new novel from the #1 bestselling author of A Dog's Purpose, about humankind's best, most loyal friends, and a wonderful adventure of love and finding home.

When a tragic accident separates three dogs from their human, they find themselves up for adoption -- separately. But Riggs, a dedicated, loyal Australian Shepherd, refuses to see his family torn apart. After the exuberant and fun-loving doodle Archie and quick-witted Jack Russell Luna are taken to new homes, Riggs' powerful herding instincts send him on a journey to bring his pack back together again.

 

Review: 5-Star

 I don’t know how I missed the line from #1 bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose. But it was the rest of the Summary that got me to request reading this book. I didn’t know it was such a wonderful writer until I read the Acknowledgments, so this whole journey took me by surprise. I’ve seen the movie A Dog’s Purpose and just love it. Now I want to read the book as books are always better than movies.  The story flows line is flawless as is the editing. Love how each character is developed and how the author captured all the emotions.  I don’t give 5- star rating all that much.  Everything has to be inline for me to do so along with the book being a page turner one you can’t put down for any reason and that is what this book is. From the first page to the last you can’t stop reading fear of missing something. The story paints a picture so well you can see it in your mind as you’re reading. I now can’t wait to buy other books by this Author so I can read.

 

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others     YES

Would I read other books written by this Autor  YES  

NetGalley

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

 

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

 

Summary:

"A stunning and accomplished debut, with hugely relatable characters and an addictive storyline that kept me turning the pages well into the night. Bravo!" --BA Paris, New York Times bestselling author

"Wow, The Business Trip was nonstop twists and turns. I loved the unusual way that the story was told, and I kept reading all day long because I couldn't wait to see how it ended!" -- Freida McFadden, New York Times bestselling author

THE BUSINESS TRIP is the gripping, page-turning debut from author Jessie Garcia.

Stephanie and Jasmine have nothing and everything in common. The two women don’t know each other but are on the same plane. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship. After a few days, they text their friends the same exact messages about the same man—the messages becoming stranger and more erratic.

And then the two women vanish. The texts go silent, the red flags go up, and the panic sets in. When Stephanie and Jasmine are each declared missing and in danger, it begs the questions: Who is Trent McCarthy? What did he do to these women— or what did they do to him?

Twist upon twist, layer upon layer, where nothing is as it seems, The Business Trip takes you on a descent into the depths of a mastermind manipulator. But who is playing who?

 

Review: 5-star

Wow, what a trip this book takes you on. The ending is not how I saw it ending.  Once you start reading the book engages you so much you can’t stop until you’ve finished the book.  One of the best page-turners I’ve read so far this year. The flow of the storyline is perfect, editing is spot on. 

 

Conclusion:

 

Would I recommend this book to others:  YES

Would I buy this book as a gift:  YES

Would I read other books written by this Autor: YES

 

 

 

The Story Collector by Evie Woods

 

Summary:

An evocative and charming novel full of secrets and mystery, from the million-copy bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop

In a quiet village in Ireland, a mysterious local myth is about to change everything…

One hundred years ago, Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help an intriguing American visitor translate fairy stories from Irish to English. But all is not as it seems and Anna soon finds herself at the heart of a mystery that threatens her very way of life.

In New York in the present day, Sarah Harper boards a plane bound for the West Coast of Ireland. But once there, she finds she has unearthed dark secrets – secrets that tread the line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen.

 

Review: 3-Star

I had high hopes for this story when I read the description, but to me the story feels dry and does flow flawlessly.  It was easy to put down for days at a time and then I would remember that I needed to finish it so I could do my review.  While I did enjoy it, it didn’t catch me up like I thought it would. The Editing is great I didn’t find errors that I find so often nowadays, but to me a book should engage me to where I don’t want to put it down and this didn’t do it at all.

 

Conclusion:

 

Would I recommend this book to others NO

Would I buy this book for another NO

Would I read other books by this Author Maybe

 

 

 

 

 

 

Framed by John Grisham; Jim McCloskey

 

Summary:

In John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction since The Innocent Man, “the master of the legal thriller” (Associated Press) teams up with Jim McCloskey, “the godfather of the innocence movement” (Texas Monthly), to share ten harrowing true stories of wrongful convictions.

John Grisham is known worldwide for his bestselling novels, but it’s his real-life passion for justice that led to his work with Jim McCloskey of Centurion Ministries, the first organization dedicated to exonerating innocent people who have been wrongly convicted. Together they offer an inside look at the many injustices in our criminal justice system.

A fundamental principle of our legal system is a presumption of innocence, but once someone has been found guilty, there is very little room to prove doubt. These ten true stories shed light on Americans who were innocent but found guilty and forced to sacrifice friends, families, and decades of their lives to prison while the guilty parties remained free. In each of the stories, John Grisham and Jim McCloskey recount the dramatic hard-fought battles for exoneration. They take a close look at what leads to wrongful convictions in the first place and the racism, misconduct, flawed testimony, and corruption in the court system that can make them so hard to reverse.

Impeccably researched and told with page-turning suspense as only John Grisham can deliver, Framed is the story of winning freedom when the battle already seems lost and the deck is stacked against you.

 

Review:  5-star

I don’t give out many 5-star review the book has to be a page turner where I don’t like putting it down.  I’ve always been a fan of John Grisham, so it was his name that got me to read the summary of the book to see if it was something I was interested in reading and when I read that I knew Yes, this was then next book I’d read and review.  I’ve heard a few stories of people wrongfully convicted and I never understood how it could happen, but John and Jim to such a wonderful job of telling these stories it opened my eyes to this problem we have. Each story was written with dignity to the person or persons involved. They stories were written in such away they engage the reader and draw them in where they don’t want to stop reading.  You feel all the emotions and it breaks your heart that there have been way too many people wrongfully convicted and the amount of money and time it takes to free them is something nobody will ever fully understand.

 

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others YES

Would I buy this book as a gift for someone YES

Would I read other books written by the Authors YES

 

 

 

Dust by Alison Stine

 

Dust by Alison Stine

 

Summary:

"An immediate classic that holds its own alongside the greats of American Literature, Dust brings the haunting echoes of our past to a weather-beaten future. Every word of Dust is as familiar as a childhood friend. You understand—instantly—that you will carry it with you for the rest of your life." – K. Ancrum, award-winning author of The Wicker King

In this haunting, speculative coming-of-age novel about finding your place in an unforgiving environment, a partially deaf teen questions everything she knows about family, love, and her future.

After her father has a premonition, Thea and her family move to the Bloodless Valley of southern Colorado, hoping to make a fresh start. But the rivers are dry, the crops are dying, and the black blizzards of Colorado have returned. Much like the barren land, Thea feels her life has stopped growing. She is barely homeschooled, forbidden from going to the library, and has no way to contact her old friends—all due to her parents’ fear of the outside world’s dangerous influence.

But to make ends meet, Thea is allowed to work at the café in town. There, she meets Ray, who is deaf. Thea, who was born hard of hearing, has always been pushed by her parents to pass as someone who can hear. Now, with Ray secretly teaching Thea how to sign, she begins to learn what she’s been missing—not just a new language but a whole community and maybe even a chance at love.

Review: 4-Star

I gave this book a 4-star review because it wasn’t a page-turner. A page-turner is a book I can’t put down, this book I put down for over a week before picking it back up and finishing it.  The story is very well written and the flow is perfect. I’m not sure what, it was that made me able to put it down.

 

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others YES

Would I read other books by this Author YES

 

The X-Files: Perihelion By Claudia Gray

 

The X-Files: Perihelion

By Claudia Gray

 

Summary:

Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are still reeling from the death of their son William as they struggle to find purpose away from the X-Files. Though their current relationship is tenuous, they hope to seize their second chance to be a family, despite the many questions surrounding Scully’s pregnancy.

Then the FBI asks for their help on a case that hits all too close to home: a serial killer in the Washington, DC area who targets pregnant women. The killer appears to possess a mysterious, uncanny power over electricity, which is enough for the Bureau to re-open the X-Files—if Mulder and Scully are willing.

They cautiously agree, concerned about the safety of their own unborn child yet committed to finding justice for the killer’s victims. But their return to the FBI sparks the interest of a shadowy cabal, the heirs to the now-dead Syndicate, and Mulder and Scully soon discover that what at first seems to be just another X-File is connected to a worldwide threat on an unprecedented scale . . . one with their own future at its heart.

Review:4 Stars

As a die-hard fan of the X-Files I really enjoyed this story, it felt like an old comfy blanket on a cold day for the most part, but it wasn’t a page-turner, I could set it down and get other things done and come back to it later The overall flow was great, The editing was spot on. If it had been a page-turner which I couldn’t walk away from it would have been a 5-star for sure.

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others YES

Would I read other books by this Author YES

NetGalley

Seven Summers by Paige Toon

 

Seven Summers by Paige Toon

 

Summary:

Six summers to fall in love. One summer to change everything.

Liv and Finn meet six summers ago working in a bar on the rugged Cornish coastline, their futures full of promise. When a night of passion ends in devastating tragedy they are bound together inextricably. But Finn’s life is in LA with his band, and Liv’s is in Cornwall with her family – so they make a promise. Finn will return every year, and if they are single they will spend the summer together.

This summer Liv crosses paths with Tom – a mysterious new arrival in her hometown. As the wildflowers and heather come into bloom, they find themselves falling for one another. For the first time Liv can imagine a world where her heart isn’t broken every autumn. Now Liv must make an impossible choice. And when she discovers the shocking reason that Tom has left home, she’ll need to trust her heart even more . . .

 

Review: 3-star

 

When I get a book to review, I try my best to read and follow through with the review, this one was so close to becoming a DNF, but I kept going and started to enjoy it towards the end of the story.  I felt disconnected from the characters for most of the story.  The only reason it’s getting the 3 stars is that the story finishes strong and the editing is spot-on.

 

Conclusion:

Will I recommend this book to others?  NO

Will I read other books by this Author? Unsure might give one more a try because you can’t judge an Author by just one book.

 

I received this book for my honest review.

 

 

 

 

 

The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore

 

The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore

 

Summary:

A downtrodden female doctor takes up with a traveling medicine show to support her disabled son, joining a German giantess, a bowlegged musician, an indentured Creek poet, and a handsome tinker under the thumb of a charismatic but menacing swindler on a collision course with the deadliest natural disaster in American history – the Galveston Hurricane of 1900.

Readers of Christina Baker Kline, Sandra Dallas, and Sara Donati will be captivated by this story of medical historical fiction by Amanda Skenandore, registered nurse and acclaimed author of The Nurse’s Secret and The Second Life of Mirielle West.

Once a trailblazer in the field of medicine, Dr. Tucia Hatherley hasn’t touched a scalpel or stethoscope since she made a fatal mistake in the operating theater. Instead, she works in a corset factory, striving to earn enough to support her disabled son. When even that livelihood is threatened, Tucia is left with one option—to join a wily, charismatic showman named Huey and become part of his traveling medicine show.

Her medical license lends the show a pretense of credibility, but the cures and tonics Tucia is forced to peddle are little more than purgatives and bathwater. Loathing the duplicity, even as she finds uneasy kinship with the other misfit performers, Tucia vows to leave as soon as her debts are paid and start a new life with her son—if Huey will ever let her go.

When the show reaches Galveston, Texas, Tucia tries to break free from Huey, only to be pulled even deeper into his schemes. But there is a far greater reckoning ahead, as a September storm becomes a devastating hurricane that will decimate the Gulf Coast—and challenge Tucia to recover her belief in medicine, in the goodness of others—and in herself.

Review 4-star

While this story is very well written it’s not a page-turner, I could put the book down and do other stuff and not even think about the story at one point it didn’t pick it back up for three days., and this makes it a 4-star and not a 5-star in my eyes.

The story flow is spot-on, as is the editing. The characters are where the story fails and makes it where it’s not a page-turner.  I don’t know what anyone looks like and I couldn’t picture the story at all in my mind.  These two things are important to me to make a great story. 

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others? YES

Would I read other books by this Author? Maybe

I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

His Unexpected Grandchild by Myra Johnson

 

His Unexpected Grandchild by Myra Johnson

 

Summary:

This toddler will steal his heart

Just in time to open it…

The last thing Lane Bromley wants is to leave his remote mountain cabin. But when his struggling daughter shows up with a grandson he didn’t know he had, Lane’s search for the boy’s father leads him to the other surprise grandparent: veterinarian Julia Frasier. They can’t seem to agree on anything, but maybe they can find common ground long enough to create a loving environment for their grandchild…and each other.

Review 3-star

I so wanted to give this story a higher rating, but there was a major error at the beginning of the story. At Location 535 23% 2 paragraph 2^nd sentence, He and Tate had just finished lunch and then at Location 583 25% 2 Paragraph No sooner had she cleaned up Tate after Lunch…  So, I guess Tate had 2 lunches in just a few minutes. This mistake is hard to let go. For the rest of the story, I didn’t find any errors.  The story flows and the overall feel is great. Besides that, one big error, the editing of the story is spot on.  This so could have been a 5-star book as the story is a page-turner and I read it all in one sitting.

 

Conclusion:

Will I recommend this book to others YES

Will I read more books written by this Author Yes

 

I received this book from NetGalley for my Honest review.

Their Second Chance at Love by Kayla Tirrell

 

Their Second Chance at Love by Kayla Tirrell

 

Summary:

Erin’s a single mom doing her best to make ends meet. She and her children live with the eccentric widow in town, and she’s finally getting her head above water when a familiar face from her past returns. Logan’s back to fix up the house he grew up in and get it ready to sell, but he never thought he’d find the woman he once loved living there with her two young children.

While Erin’s looking for a way to buy the old Victorian, Logan’s looking for a way out of town. But neither one expected to find love in the process.

Their Second Chance at Love is a Christian romance that will make you believe in second chances and remind you of God's faithfulness even in the darkest of storms.

Review 2-Star

I had high hopes for this book, but was sadly disappointed in the fact that I could not picture any of the characters cause besides the color of Aunt Betty you don’t learn anything about how Erin, Logan, or even the kids look like. When I’m reading, I like to be able to paint a picture in my mind for the book to come alive.  Not even a real description of the house wasn’t given and the term old Victorian can cover a few different styles of homes. Even the old red convertible we don’t know the make and model so it’s just a car.

The overall story is well-written, and the editing is spot on. It just lacks the stuff that makes a story stand out and be memorable.

Conclusion:

Will I recommend this book to others?    NO

Will I read other books written by this Author? Maybe

 

I was given this book by NetGalley for my honest review

Red Dead's History by Tore C Olsson

 

Red Dead’s History by Tore C Olsson

 

Summary:

Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption II, set in 1911 and 1899, are the most-played American history video games since The Oregon Trail. Beloved by millions, they’ve been widely acclaimed for their realism and attention to detail. But how do they fare as recreations of history?

In this engaging book, award-winning American history professor Tore Olsson takes up that question and more. Weaving the games’ plot and characters into an exploration of American violence between 1870 and 1920, Olsson shows that it was more often disputes over capitalism and race, not just poker games and bank robberies, that fueled the bloodshed of these turbulent years. As such, this era has much to teach us today. From the West to the Deep South to Appalachia, Olsson reveals the gritty and brutal world that inspired the games, but sometimes lacks context and complexity on the digital screen. Colorful, fast-paced, and dramatic, Red Dead’s History sheds light on dark corners of the American past for gamers and history buffs alike.

 

Review -5-star

As someone who loves history and gaming and is very much into the game of Red Dead, this was a fun read, I loved the history lesson I got and I was correct in my thinking that the game was out of the time frame they are trying to portray. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the book and was pleasantly surprised at how the author broke it down. Even knowing that the game is out of the time frame they wanted to portray I will still enjoy the game and continue to play it.  I enjoyed the writing style of this author and would love to read more.

I received this book for my honest review.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

 

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

 

Summary:

Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading.  

But this is no ordinary book…

It is the Book of Doors. 

Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just need to know how to open them.

Then she’s approached by a gaunt stranger in a rumpled black suit with a Scottish brogue who calls himself Drummond Fox. He’s a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes. The tome now in Cassie’s possession is not the only book with great power, but it is the one most coveted by those who collect them.

Now Cassie is being hunted by those few who know of the Special Books. With only her roommate Izzy to confide in, she has to decide if she will help the mysterious and haunted Drummond protect the Book of Doors—and the other books in his secret library’s care—from those who will do evil. Because only Drummond knows where the unique library is and only Cassie’s book can get them there. 

Review: 4-star

Wow, what a ride this book took me on.  I so wish I could have given it a 5 star, but it was easy to put down and do other things and come back to it.  To me, a 5-star read is one I can’t put down. It kept me on my toes as I couldn’t figure out what was going to happen and it kept me surprised and satisfied.  As this a the first book from this author I will be looking out for more books written by him as I know it will be a journey well worth my time and money.

 

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

 

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

 

Summary:

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans is a safe haven after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent in the middle of the carnival season, Celine is quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music to its fancy soirées and even its danger. She becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's enigmatic leader, Sébastien Saint Germain.

When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in Sébastien's own lair--the second dead girl to turn up in recent weeks--Celine battles her attraction to Sébastien and suspicions about his guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.

After a third murder, New Orleans becomes gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose--one who has now set Celine in his sights. As the murderer stalks her, Celine finally takes matters into her own hands, only to find herself caught in the midst of an age-old feud between the darkest creatures of the night, where the price of forbidden love is her life.

Review: 3-star

The overall book is very well written, I just didn’t connect with it the way I like to connect so, it was easy to put down and walk away for days at a time. Not sure what the author could have done differently to make me connect.  I think it was just me at the moment I was reading this book. I can say that the editing of the book was above my standards which is a great thing when I read so many that are riddled with errors.

I received this book for my honest review.