A Simple Kindness in Flatsboro by Heather Norman Smith

 A small dose of kindness can go a long way

Andy Clark has always been different. But it isn't just the tumorous mass covering half his face that sets him apart—it's his quiet kindness. As an anonymous do-gooder in Flatsboro, North Carolina, Andy lives out what his mama taught him, even though she's no longer there.

Della Rose Miller, a well-known former beauty queen, escapes her crumbling marriage to arrogant Wade Miller and moves back to her hometown in hopes of finding reprieve. She and her daughter settle into a little Flatsboro apartment and quickly learn that they’re in the same complex as a childhood classmate whose heart Della Rose broke in third grade.

With her life turned upside down, Della Rose is uneasy about starting fresh, but when unassuming Andy turns his generosity toward her daughter, an unlikely friendship rekindles. When a heroic act suddenly pushes Andy into the spotlight, he risks his anonymity and quiet day-to-day habits to stand up for what's right.

As Della Rose navigates the end of her marriage and Andy continues his secret philanthropy, they navigate grief and trusting God. Heather Norman Smith weaves a charming and heartwarming Southern story to remind you of the power of simple kindness.

Pick up your copy here..                                                                                                                                      Amazon.com: A Simple Kindness in Flatsboro: A Southern Novel: 9780825455643: Smith, Heather: Books

Heather Norman Smith is a Christian Fiction and devotions author. Her goal is to use the written word to entertain and encourage while illuminating the redemptive love of God. She is proud to be a life-long North Carolinian and aims to present the beauty of the Tar Heel State in her fiction. Her home is just outside Winston-Salem, NC, where she lives with her husband, their four children, and several pets. Along with writing and spending time with family, Heather also enjoys singing about Jesus.

Blind Trust by Rachael Eckles

 In Blind Trust, the third installment in Eckles’s series featuring financier and complex heroine Celeste Donovan, Celeste is mourning the death of loved ones while trying to conjure newlywed bliss. As one of the richest self-made women in the world, she appears to have it all—a penthouse apartment, meteoric business success, and a supermodel’s physique with a mathematician’s mind. Beneath the surface, however, she is haunted by how much she has lost.

Now that Celeste has the opportunity to move on from the turmoil of the past few years, she is committed to eliminating any threats to her new life. But the past comes knocking. Entangled with a global crime syndicate that will stop at nothing for revenge, she cannot turn a blind eye to the destruction it has caused. Though she gives the appearance that she has joined her close friends in an alliance with rogue federal agents, she continues to partner with ruthless characters who move through the shadows.

With secrets surfacing and enemies closer than ever, Celeste must navigate betrayal from unexpected sources. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes no one is safe—and nothing is what it seems.

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Amazon.com: Blind Trust (Celeste Donovan Series): 9798999064707: Eckles, Rachael: Books

An Indiana native, Rachael Eckles moved to New York City after law school. There, she worked in the finance industry, where she found inspiration for the elusive Trading Secrets world. She currently lives in Manhattan, where she is working on her next novel.

Rachael donates a portion of her proceeds to local and global programs that empower women and girls through her foundation, Aphrodite Gives.

rachaeleckles.com

instagram.com/rachaeleckles

Risky Assets by Rachael Eckles

 Risky Assets, the sequel to Trading Secrets in Eckles’s series featuring financier Celeste Donovan, is brimming with mystery and failed alliances. Celeste appears to have everything a modern woman dreams of—a doting fiancé, a penthouse apartment, and a supermodel’s physique with a mathematician’s mind. But all that glitters is not gold.

A high-powered finance executive with a dark past, she has experienced unspeakable loss at the hand of her abusive ex, Omar. She has healed from the trauma now and is ready to move on as one of the world’s richest women and settle back into her glamorous jet-setting lifestyle.

As Celeste sets out to plan her future, she realizes she cannot live the rest of her life in fear that Omar will strike again. She vows to get rid of him and anyone else who stands in the way of the happy ending she’s fighting for. Her plans become complicated after discovering that Omar has become an agent of the US government. When her friends approach her to finally join forces with them and rogue federal agents, she’s boxed into a corner.

Now Celeste is living with secrets so tortured that if discovered, they could destroy what she’s so carefully built. Will she be successful in making the world a safer place? Or will her appetite for vengeance jeopardize it all?

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Amazon.com: Risky Assets (Celeste Donovan Series): 9781734901849: Eckles, Rachael: Books

An Indiana native, Rachael Eckles moved to New York City after law school. There, she worked in the finance industry, where she found inspiration for the elusive Trading Secrets world. She currently lives in Manhattan, where she is working on her next novel.

Rachael donates a portion of her proceeds to local and global programs that empower women and girls through her foundation, Aphrodite Gives.

rachaeleckles.com

instagram.com/rachaeleckles

The Board by Katy Farber

 Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies, The Board is one mother's attempt to uncover the dark secrets that pervade her small New England town. Has she uncovered a criminal enterprise run by members of the school board? Or is it all in her head?

So much for fresh starts. When single mom Liv and her third-grade daughter move to a small New Hampshire town from Boston after a messy divorce and an even messier job loss, they soon find themselves dealing with major culture shock. Within days, Liv is on the "problem" list of the man who acts both as principal and superintendent in her district, and he shuts down her concerns at a school board meeting. Liv's daughter, who suffers from anxiety, struggles to adapt at a school run like an army barracks.

When Liv discovers that a former teacher was bullied, intimidated, and forced to resign by the board, she begins a quest to uncover what's really happening at the school. But as she comes into conflict with her ex-husband and the law, she begins to wonder if all of her suspicions are only in her mind. Is she only imagining things? Or will she be able to reveal the dark truth about unchecked power in this small town--before more people disappear?

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Amazon.com: The Board: 9798228016880: Katy Farber: Books

Katy Farber, Ed.D, is an educator, teacher coach, and writer from Vermont. She is the author of three books about education: Why Great Teachers Quit and How We Might Stop the Exodus; and Change the World with Service Learning: How to Create, Lead and Assess Service Learning Projects; and its new edition, Real and Relevant: a guide for service and project based learning, released in June 2017. She also wrote a middle grade fiction novel called The Order of the Trees (Green Writers Press, 2015). Her writing has been published on CNN’s School of Thought blog, Educational Leadership, Edutopia, Huffington Post and the Synapse.

Connect with her on Twitter at @non_toxic_kids and @katyfarber, or at her website katyfarber.com.

The Spite Date by Pippa Grant

 

I might be the only person in the world not obsessed with Simon Luckwood, famous actor and newest resident of my hometown.

I don't trust the way he's always smiling. No one smiles that much.

And while I'm clearly in the minority here, I don't get everyone's fascination with Simon's cult hit TV show.

But revenge is a dish best served cold, just like the dishes on the menu at the restaurant my ex stole from me. So, when Simon feels guilty enough about his twin teenage boys accidentally getting me arrested that he wants to take me out on an apology date?

I see a perfect opportunity to get mine.

One night, one date, one very loud public scene at my ex's grand opening, and then I can wash my hands of men forever.

That's exactly how it has to go. Because my life can't handle one more plot twist...

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                     Amazon.com: The Spite Date: A Single Dad Romcom (Small Town Sisterhood): 9781955930543: Grant, Pippa: Books

Pippa Grant wanted to write books, so she did.

Before she became a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling romantic comedy author, she was a young military spouse who got into writing as self-therapy. That happened around the time she discovered reading romance novels, and the two eventually merged into a career. Today, she has more than 30 knee-slapping Pippa Grant titles and nine published under the name Jamie Farrell.

When she’s not writing romantic comedies, she’s fumbling through being a mom, wife, and mountain woman, and sometimes tries to find hobbies. Her crowning achievement? Having impeccable timing for telling stories that will make people snort beverages out of their noses. Consider yourself warned.

My thoughts...

Rom- Com queen has done it again. And the audio narrators were so much fun they made this book a fun one for me. The accent of the male narrator was so good. I love everything about this book.
A fun must read.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

Christmas Fling by Lindsey Kelk

 

Is a fake boyfriend really just for Christmas?

One fake romance. One magical Christmas. One chance to fall in love.

Laura was all set for a quiet solo Christmas – just her, a bottle of wine, and flat-sitting for a stranger. But when the stranger’s parents mistake her for his mystery girlfriend, she’s swept off to the snowy Scottish Highlands with Callum and his whole family.

Between the cosy sleeper train, charming pubs and breathtaking views, this could be the no-strings-attached Christmas of Laura’s dreams.

But stranger Callum is hot, hilarious and their ‘fake’ chemistry is off the charts.

So is this just a Christmas fling? Or the start of something more?

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Christmas Fling: Kelk, Lindsey: 9780008758745: Amazon.com: Books

Lindsey Kelk is the internationally bestselling author of romcoms for adults including Love Me Do, The Christmas Wish, the I Heart series, and the fantasy series, The Bell Witches.

As well as writing, Lindsey co-hosts Tights and Fights, a pro-wrestling podcast on the Maximum Fun network, and hosts and produces the award-winning beauty podcast, Full Coverage.

Born and raised in South Yorkshire, Lindsey lived in Nottingham, London and New York before settling in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband and two cats.

My Thoughts...

This was my ninth Christmas book so far this year and it was a bit different from all the others. It is also my first book by this author. I love finding new authors. Set in the Scottish Highlands also a first for me for a Christmas book. So, a lot of firsts with this book. that's always a good thing.

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

The Last Day I Saw You by Ruth Mancini

 

“I need to report a crime. My baby has been stolen.”

All Lauren wants is a new life in Spain. She’s suffered an unimaginable loss, but at last she has found a home in the pretty seaside town of Mantilla de Mar. Everyone deserves a new start, and Lauren needs to put her past firmly behind her.

Hope has everything: an interesting career as a therapist, an attractive husband, a dream home in the countryside - and, finally, the baby she always longed for. Sam. Her beautiful boy.

But Sam has gone missing.

So when the police tell her that a woman has been found in Spain with a child matching Sam’s description, Hope thinks that her nightmare might be coming to an end.

But Lauren is insisting Sam is her baby. She even has his passport and birth certificate to prove it.

So what really happened to Baby Sam? And who still has secrets to hide?

One child. Two mothers. And a past that won’t let them go.

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Amazon.com: The Day I Lost You: A Novel: 9780063340596: Mancini, Ruth: Books

Ruth Mancini is an author and criminal defence lawyer. Her background as a solicitor adds authenticity to her crime and psychological fiction. She has spent two decades representing those accused of crimes, navigating courtrooms and police stations. Her storytelling prowess and legal background combine to create thrilling reads that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Ruth was born in London and now lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two children.

Her fifth thriller, THE WOMAN ON THE LEDGE was published by Penguin (UK) and HarperCollins (US) in January 2024 and was a Sunday Times bestseller. Her sixth, THE DAY I LOST YOU will be published in July 2025.

My Thoughts...

This book was a little bit different than Ruth's last book. But all in all I read it really fast she kept me turning the pages. Thanks for my review copy Harper Perennial.