Raised by Wolves by James Patterson

 Two strangers. One small town. And a choice that could change everything.

 
The police respond to the arrival of two teens at the grocery store.  They don’t speak English.  They don’t speak at all.  They’re brother and sister and, for all anybody can tell, they’ve been raised in the forest.

Two teens appear out of nowhere, ransacking a small-town grocery and attacking the police officers who come to investigate. Their clothes are torn and filthy, their hands and bare feet callused, they have fangs. They’re sister and brother, alone against the world. Where did they come from? Raised by wolves, they say.

Kai and Holo are taken in by the police chief and his wife, and begin adjusting to life in a small town, attending school and going on dates. But humans, they find, are the most vicious animals. And the mystery of their upbringing brings dark and powerful forces to Kokanee Creek, tearing the town apart and threatening the lives of everyone they love. How will the wolves survive? How will Kai and Holo?

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Amazon.com: Raised by Wolves: From the Author of The Girl in the Castle: 9781538767016: Patterson, James, Raymond, Emily: Books

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Tiger Woods, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. Patterson has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, and collaborated most recently with Michael Crichton on the blockbuster “Eruption.” He has told the story of his own life in “James Patterson by James Patterson” and received an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

the Starlets by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne

 One perfect island. Two rivals. A star-studded cast.

But underneath the glitter, disaster is brewing.

Summer, 1958. Vivienne Rhodes thinks she’s finally landed her break playing Helen of Troy in Apex Pictures’ big-budget epic, A Thousand Ships, an anticipated blockbuster meant to resurrect the failing studio. Naturally, she’s devastated when she arrives on the remote Italian island of Tavalli and finds herself cast as the secondary character, Cassandra—while her nemesis, the fiancé-stealing Lottie Lawrence, America’s supposed “sweetheart,” is playing the lead role instead.

The tension on set, though, turns deadly when the ladies discover that members of the crew are using the production as a front for something decidedly illegal—and that they are willing to kill to keep their dealings under wraps. When the two women find themselves on the run and holding key evidence, Vivienne and Lottie frantically agree to work together to deliver the proof to Interpol, hoping to protect both their lives and their careers.

Staying one step ahead of corrupt cops and looming mobsters, the archrivals flee across the seas. Their journey leads them into Monaco’s casinos, Grace Kelly’s palace, on a road trip through the Alps—even onto another film set, before a final showdown back on Tavalli, where the lives of the entire cast and crew hang in the balance. Vivienne and Lottie finally have the chance to be real heroines—to save the day, the film, maybe even each other—but only if they can first figure out how to share the spotlight.

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                     Amazon.com: The Starlets: 9781400240661: Kelly, Lee, Thorne, Jennifer: Books

Lee Kelly is the author of CITY OF SAVAGES, a Publishers Weekly pick and a VOYA Magazine “Perfect Ten” selection, A CRIMINAL MAGIC, which was optioned and developed for a television series by Warner Bros., and WITH REGRETS, as well as THE ANTIQUITY AFFAIR and THE STARLETS (forthcoming in 2024), both of which are co-written with Jennifer Thorne.

Her short fiction and essays have appeared in Electric Lit, CrimeReads, Writer's Digest, Orca, and Tor, among other publications, and she holds her MFA degree from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. An entertainment lawyer by trade, Lee has practiced law in Los Angeles and New York. She currently lives with her husband and two children in New Jersey, where you’ll find them engaged in one adventure or another.

Jennifer Thorne is an American author of books for adults and young readers who writes from a nineteenth-century Cotswold cottage in the medieval market town of Minchinhampton alongside her husband, two sons, and various other animals.

Born in a small town in Tennessee, Jenn grew up bouncing between her parents’ homes in various other states and countries, with books as her constant companions, before returning to New York as a teen to study drama at NYU. Though acting had been her lifelong dream, she found that she was more fulfilled by writing performance vehicles for her friends than acting in them herself. After a move to Los Angeles, she detoured into writing and never looked back.

Published as Jenn Marie Thorne, Jenn debuted in 2015 with The Wrong Side of Right, an acclaimed YA contemporary novel set in the world of presidential politics. Two YA novels followed, advocacy comedy The Inside of Out, and classical musician romance Night Music, as well as picture book Construction Zoo, inspired by playtimes with her two imaginative young sons.

In England, finding her footing as an expatriate among the rolling hills and roving cows of Minchinhampton while a pandemic closed borders around her, Jenn wrote Lute, her first horror novel and first work for adult readers.

Unforgotten by Shelley Shepard Gray

 Even though Bethanne Hostetler has found some peace seven years after an attempted assault and the accidental death of Peter Miller, she is still haunted by the memory. When her Englisher cousin, Candace--who has just been crowned Miss Crittenden County--reveals that she has a stalker, all of Bethanne's old fears come rushing back.

Jay Byler had once been Peter's best friend, and the fact that he did not protect Bethanne that fateful night has haunted him ever since. To make matters worse, she continues to avoid him--even as he continues to love her. Jay can only hope and pray that one day Bethanne will see the person he is today and not the boy he used to be.

As Candace's stalker becomes bolder, Officer Ryan Mulany becomes her escort to various events. He knows he should only think of Candace as a job, but the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to maintain professional distance. And when everyone's worst fears are realized, all four must work together to prevent another tragedy before time runs out and another innocent person is hurt.

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Unforgotten: (Amish Romantic Suspense Story with Forgiveness and Second Chances): Shelley Shepard Gray: 9780800746032: Amazon.com: Books

Shelley Shepard Gray is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author. She's published over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She currently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time.

Shelley lives just an hour from Holmes County, where many of her Amish-themed novels are set. She currently writes contemporary romance and Amish fiction for a variety of publishers. When not spending time with her family or writing, she can usually be found walking her two dachshunds on one of the many trails in the Cleveland area.

She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.

Shelley also spends a lot of time on line! Please visit her website, www.shelleyshepardgray.com to find out her latest news or to sign up for her newsletter. Shelley can also be found on FaceBook, Instagram @shelley.s.gray

My Thoughts...

Romance and suspense, yes please. No one writes Amish fiction like Gray. It's not your typical story it's aways a unique plot like no other author writes.

This is a must-read series. Unforgiven is book one. Set in Kentucky makes it so much fun.

Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

The Bored Book: An Activity Book for Adults GIVEAWAY!

 The perfect antidote for any boredom crisis that may pop up during the day, The Bored Book features solo activities, games for multiple players, fun trivia, Bible memory verses, and more!

Designed to be compact enough to be taken on the go, The Bored Book is the perfect companion for those moments of monotony that drag on throughout the day—in doctor’s offices, on public transportation, or in any other “waiting” spaces. Instead of reaching for your phone, flip through this on-the-go activity book and discover mindful distractions ranging from tic-tac-toe and sketching pages to word searches and visual scavenger hunts. If you're looking for ways to dig deeper during “in between” moments, you will also find breath prayers, Scripture memory tips, and reflection questions.

Divided into two main sections—Solo Activities and Multiplayer Games—The Bored Book offers something for every instance of apathy that might come your way, whether you're feeling introverted or extroverted. A bonus section at the back of the book includes space for tracking when you're most likely to get bitten by the boredom bug and pages for charting your wins against it.

Everyone gets bored sometimes, but may The Bored Book be your antidote.

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Amazon.com: The Bored Book: Word Games, Quizzes, and Other Phone-Free Activities to Liven Up Your Dull Moments-An Activity Book for Adults: 9780593582152: Ink & Willow: Books

The Ink & Willow line infuses contemplation and inspiration into the regular spiritual practice of creative-minded Christians, wherever they are in their faith journey. Each thoughtfully curated gift product is based in biblical truth and sparks a reminder of how God reveals beauty in the midst of our ordinary.

Throughout literary history, willow trees have been symbols of growth, balance, learning, healing, and harmony. Since willows often grow near streams or rivers, the name Ink and Willow was inspired by the verse in Psalm 1 about the person who delights in God and therefore is deeply planted and able to thrive, bearing fruit and prospering through every season. The word ink has a dual meaning, first as a nod to the act and art of printing words on paper, and then, in the sense that ink symbolizes life. In combination, Ink & Willow becomes the perfect metaphor for what this thoughtfully curated line of products is designed to do, which is to inspire, nurture, and engage Christians.

www.inkandwillow.com and @inkandwillowgifts on social.

Better than Friends by Jill Shalvis

 

When Olive Porter’s off-the-grid parents go missing, she reluctantly seeks out Noah Turner, her ex and the only person she both trusts implicitly and not at all.

As a special investigative agent for the National Park Service, Noah’s used to living under intense pressure. Or he was until he got injured on the job. Now unhappily recuperating at home while being smothered by his loving but nosy family, he’d love nothing more than a good distraction.

So when Olive shows up looking like a million bucks, he has to do a gut and heart check. Because nope, no matter what, he can’t fall for her again, the woman who once blew up his entire life and never looked back. How ironic then that his own personal hell (Olive) is also his ticket out of town. The question is, will the risk be worth the reward?

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                     Better Than Friends: A Novel (The Sunrise Cove Series, 7): Shalvis, Jill: 9780063353381: Amazon.com: Books

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes contemporary romance and romantic comedies filled with madcap adventures and shenanigans and sexy times. (just don’t tell her mom). She’s sold 20 million plus copies worldwide to date and lives with her family in a small mountain town near Lake Tahoe full of quirky characters (Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is mostly coincidental).

Facebook @JillShalvis

Instagram @Jillshalvis 

My Thoughts...

I am enjoying this Sunrise Cove series. I would love to live on these pages. I really need more time with the characters.

Shalvis never fails to surprise me she always gives me the best getaway.

Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

Shell Games by Bonnie Kistler

 Julie’s mother Kate is a force of nature––a glamorous woman of seventy, a self-made real estate developer, a grande dame in Florida society, and a power broker in Florida politics. It wasn’t easy for Julie to grow up in the shadow of such a dynamo, but she loves her mother, and she and her husband Eric are thrilled when Kate marries her long-lost high school sweetheart, a salt-of-the-earth man named Charlie.

But their storybook romance ends abruptly. On their wedding night, Kate calls the police in hysterics to report that Charlie just confessed to a notorious unsolved crime from decades before. 

Charlie says she imagined it. Eric says that Kate has dementia. And the FBI says that Charlie couldn’t possibly have committed that crime.

Julie doesn’t know what to believe. Is her brilliant mother losing her mind? Or is sweet, lovable Charlie gaslighting Kate to gain control of her fortune?

As Julie tries to navigate through this maze of paranoia and mind games, cracks start to develop in her own marriage as it seems that Eric is keeping secrets . . .

Set against a backdrop of rampant development and devastating climate change, Shell Games is a psychological thriller that will make your head spin and the pages turn as you wonder exactly who is doing what to whom.

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Amazon.com: Shell Games: A Novel: 9780063378964: Kistler, Bonnie: Books

Bonnie Kistler is the author of SHELL GAMES (on sale November 19, 2024); HER, TOO; THE CAGE; and HOUSE ON FIRE.

A former trial lawyer, she was born in suburban Philadelphia and educated at Bryn Mawr College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

After law school, she decided to seek adventure in Alaska––or at least as much adventure as she could mange while toiling away as a junior lawyer in a law firm. Perhaps her greatest adventure there was meeting her husband, coincidentally also a Philadelphian. She soon moved with him to Arkansas, and a few years later, full-circle back to Philadelphia. Having endured three different states' bar exams in four years (!), she decided to stay put.

Bonnie spent the remainder of her law career in private practice with major Philadelphia firms. She specialized in corporate litigation and successfully tried cases across the country.

But her love of writing eclipsed all else, and ultimately she left the law behind to become a full-time author.

She and her husband now live in Southwest Florida and the mountains of western North Carolina. 

This book was perfectly done. Kistler did a great job at keeping me captivated from the beginning until the end.

Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

How Does that Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? by Anna Montague

 Most days, Magda is fine. She has her routines. She has her anxious therapy patients, who depend on her to cure their bad habits. She has her longtime colleagues, whose playful bickering she mediates. She’s mourning the recent loss of her best friend, Sara, but has brokered a tentative truce with Sara’s prickly widower as she helps him sort through the last of Sara’s possessions. She’s fine.

But in going through Sara’s old journal, Magda discovers her friend’s last directive: plans for a road trip they would take together in celebration of Magda’s upcoming seventieth birthday. So, with Sara’s urn in tow, Magda decides to hit the road, crossing the country and encountering a cast of memorable characters—including her sister, from whom she’s been keeping secrets. Along the way she stumbles upon a jazz funeral in New Orleans and a hilarious women’s retreat meant to “unleash one’s divine feminine energy” in Texas, and meets a woman who challenges her conceptions of herself—and the hidden truths about her friendship with Sara.

As the trip shakes up her careful routines, Magda finally faces longings she locked away years ago and confronts questions about her sexuality and identity she thought she had long put to rest. And as she soon learns, it’s never too late to start your next journey.

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Amazon.com: How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund?: A Novel: 9780063353640: Montague, Anna: Books

Anna Montague is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn. How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? is her first novel.

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