Fast and Fastidious by RM Caldwell

 

Thank you @bibliolifestyle for my review copy of Fast and Fastidious by RM Caldwell.

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England, 1810. Lucy Elliot has often been described as fastidious, given her belief that there is an objectively correct and logical way to do things. And while she strives to be proper in every way, she does have one rather scandalous secret: Lucy, the prim and gentle lady, is  a frequent attendee of the entirely disreputable and illicit Night Races, where unchaperoned men and women from all social classes gather on dark country lanes to gamble on the outcomes of furiously fast carriage races.

But her secret might become more than just a danger to her reputation when her mysterious new neighbor, Captain Dashwood, begins partaking in the races. Lucy can’t help but feel there’s something more to the handsome Captain Dashwood than meets the eye, and she suspects that his arrival in the neighborhood in the midst of a spate of curious and alarming carriage robberies is no mere coincidence—something is most certainly afoot in the county, and it’s a mystery Lucy intends to solve.

 Though Lucy prides herself on her preparedness, she never could have anticipated the web of lies, deceit, and espionage that she finds herself and Captain Dashwood entangled in; nor could she have known that the very fate of Britain would hang in the balance. But will her meticulous nature be the very thing that saves her, or will it be her—and England's—undoing?

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Amazon.com: Fast and Fastidious: A Novel: 9780063477070: Caldwell, R. M.: Books

R.M. Caldwell is based in Hamilton, New Zealand, and writes and directs theatre, as well as being on the board of an independent theatre.

250 great Things about America by Marcie Gourley

 No matter which way the wind blows, we sometimes need a reminder of what makes the United States of America so special―or perhaps 250 of them. 

Here, in one volume, is an inspiring journey through two and one half centuries of the people, places, and events that have made this nation remarkable as we celebrate its 250th anniversary. 

Visit the incredible moments―often quiet and common―that have lifted the United States from a struggling cluster of colonial communities to the world’s greatest superpower. 

Meet the individuals, from peasants to presidents, who have created a heritage like none other in history. Themes of faith, courage, and servanthood shine through the decades and centuries of the American experience. It is the stories, large and small, that have created our identity. Some of them will be familiar, many have been seldom told, and all are laid out in joyful detail.

If the past is prologue, 250 Great Things About America: Places, People, and Principles Worth Celebrating lays a brilliant foundation for our country’s future. This is a book for families to study and enjoy together, not just once, but as a perennial reminder of the meaning of citizenship in a nation of destiny.

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250 Great Things About America: Places, People, and Principles Worth Celebrating: Gourley, Marcie: 9798887696478: Amazon.com: Books

Marcie Gourley is a licensed professional counselor with a master’s degree in Professional Counseling, whose lifelong passion for history, America, and faith began in childhood. Her father often took her and her sisters to historical sites, graveyards, and political events, instilling in them a deep pride in their American heritage. That early love of history has grown into a calling to share the stories that shaped our nation and inspire future generations. Marcie and her husband, Ed, have five amazing adult children and continue to call Pennsylvania home. Marcie placed in the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Genesis Contest as well as Susan May Warren’s My Book Therapy Frasier contest. Marcie has served as ACFW Pennsylvania chapter coordinator and cofounded a women’s ministry called Wonderfully Woven, for which she wrote articles, did radio spots and radio interviews, and spoke at various women’s ministry events. Her writing, stories, and devotionals have been featured on radio programs and on college campuses in various parts of the country. Her clinical research on counseling is used in everyday life, as she focuses on clinical help, curriculum, and court reports. 

Ruby Ridge by Jess Walter

 On the last hot day of summer in 1992, gunfire cracked over a rocky knob in northern Idaho, just south of the Canadian border. By the next day three people were dead, and a small war was joined, pitting the full might of federal law enforcement against one well-armed family. Drawing on extensive interviews with Randy Weaver's family, government insiders, and others, Walter traces the paths that led the Weavers to their confrontation with federal agents and led the government to treat a family like a gang of criminals.

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Ruby Ridge: The Truth and Tragedy of the Randy Weaver Family: Walter, Jess: 9780060007942: Amazon.com: Books

Jess Walter is the author of ten books, most recently the story collect The Angel of Rome (2022) and the national bestselling novel The Cold Millions (2020). His novel Beautiful Ruins (2012) was a #1 New York Times bestseller. He was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award for The Zero and winner of the 2005 Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel for Citizen Vince. His short fiction has appeared three times in Best American Short Stories. He lives in his hometown of Spokane, Washington.

Sit, Cinderella, Sit by Lisa Cheek

 Lisa Cheek loved editing TV commercials—almost as much as she loved her dog, Ron Howard. Then, she “aged out” of advertising, at 45. After being let go, Lisa got a call—at 2:45 AM—from a director who, like everyone in Hollywood, had a film he wanted to make: the original Cinderella story. Now, his dream could come true—if Lisa granted his wish.

In Sit, Cinderella, Sit, Lisa Cheek shares her adventures in editing a film made on location in China—along the Tibetan border—where Mandarin was the only language spoken by everyone but her. Stuck in a house with fourteen men she couldn’t understand, literally, she yearned for conversation and coffee.

But there were moments of wonder and laughter. Lisa forged a bond with her translator and a woman named Sunny. She rescued one dog, and then another. “Everyone speaks Cinderella,” the director had assured her. Maybe he was right.

Told with humor and heart through a fairy tale lens, with flashbacks into the author’s not-always-happy childhood, Sit, Cinderella, Sit is a story about what can happen when you take a leap of faith, look and hear beyond people’s differences, and dare to believe in yourself.

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Sit, Cinderella, Sit: A Mostly True Memoir: Cheek, Lisa: 9781647427283: Amazon.com: Books

Lisa Cheek’s writing career started after a twenty-five-year career editing films and TV commercials. Her first memoir, Sit, Cinderella, Sit, was a People Magazine pick, an Amazon bestseller, a Next Generation Indy Award finalist in Women’s Literature, and made Zibby’s Most Anticipated Books for 2025 list. You can find Lisa’s musings, One Minute Thoughts From A Pink Head, on Substack. She lives with two dogs, two cats, and her husband, Big Johnson, in LA, where she has several scripts in various stages of development and is working on her next memoir.

When She Was Ours by Anna Nordberg

       

 

Thea Erickson, a renowned surgeon, is filled with both joy and grief as her family gathers at their home on a summer night in 1995. Her elder daughter Phoebe is getting married, but even the happiness of the day feels bittersweet, as Thea grapples with a terminal cancer diagnosis. She worries she won’t be around to support her younger daughter Astra, who’s still in college, but even Thea cannot foresee what is to come―a terrible accident the night of the wedding that changes Astra’s life forever.

In a last-ditch effort to protect her family, Thea arranges a secret meeting with an old family friend and extracts a promise that will reverberate long after she’s gone.

Years after her mother’s death, Astra has moved forward with a career and relationship, but she still struggles with her grief. When a man reaches out to her and Phoebe, offering a window into their mother’s past, Astra must make a choice, and her decision forces her to face what it means to love someone after they’re gone, who we decide to forgive, and how families reckon with the past.

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Amazon.com: When She Was Ours: A Novel: 9781662539206: Nordberg, Anna: Books

Anna Nordberg is a journalist and culture writer whose essays have appeared in Slate magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. She grew up in New York City and now lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children. When She Was Ours is her first novel.

The Unraveling of Micheal Galler by Steven Rubin

Thank you, Spark Press, for my review copy of The Unraveling of Michael Galler by Steven Rubin.

Release May 12, 2026

After observing multiple terminal effects of varying illnesses of those close to him that he perceives as cancer, Michael Galler gains a heightened cognizance of the physical threats that can grow unknowingly inside a person. As a result, he dedicates himself to healthily fortifying his body against any comparable assault.

While growing up with his loving, widowed father and the younger brother he feels compelled to protect, Michael is able to balance the pressures of his young life—academic achievement, high school athletic competition, and even training for the Boston Marathon. But as he moves toward college life, he develops a promising relationship with a girl who too easily fills the gaps of his motherless upbringing—and his long-held fear of what he now thinks of as capital-C Cancer begins to take over. Everything he experiences, he experiences through the filter of trying to outrun a disease he thinks is pursuing him.

A dramatic coming-of-age tale with a dark psychological twist, The Unraveling of Michael Galler explores the motives of a teenage boy so overwhelmed by an obsessive fear that he loses his grip on reality.

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Amazon.com: The Unraveling of Michael Galler: A Novel: 9798896363743: Rubin, Steven M.: Books

Steven M. Rubin was raised in a suburb of Boston, MA, played football at the University of Pennsylvania, and spent his career developing, negotiating, and implementing employee benefit strategies for large employers. He has completed the New York Marathon, the 100th running of the famed Boston Marathon, and the Marine Corps Marathon. Although a heart attack ended his third marathon at the halfway mark, he returned five years later to successfully finish what he started. After raising three children with his wife, Kerrie, he now lives in Weston, Connecticut.

Buried Scars by Kristi Copeland

 Kennedy

The scars of domestic abuse are firmly buried in the past, but I am reminded of how delicate life is when I meet Vanessa. On the few occasions she and I have spent time together, she hints that her marriage is unstable. I recognize the warning signs and ask our girls’ group to keep their eyes open for a chance to gain her trust.

Jake, my fiercely protective hero, stands by my side as I drive to save others in Talkeetna who find themselves trapped in situations similar to my own horrid past. Ready to confront any threat lurking in the shadows of Denali, I vow to break the cycle of abuse.

I’ll do anything to save my friends. Anything.

Vanessa
Hidden in plain sight, I work diligently to conceal my bruises from the community. My husband has made it painfully clear that I will never escape his grip. Guilt from my twin sister passing away caused me to lose hope that I would ever really be happy. Reminders of her linger and encourage me to find my strength.

Running the sled dog tour company allows me to connect with local women, which lights a flicker of possibility that I’ll make friends one day. Kennedy has invited me into her world; her kindness is like a lifeline. I’m afraid if I reveal my truth, though, I may lose everything I’ve worked so hard to accomplish.

The truth hurts, but so does being pummeled into submission.

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Amazon.com: Buried Scars: (A Vigilante Justice Alaskan Suspense: Kennedy-Book 3): 9798988964599: Copeland, Kristi: Books

All my life, writing, sharing experiences through story-telling, and intensive research has interested me. All of these loves are combined to give my readers an experience through the written word. I reside in a small town in northeast Texas and originate from a small town in Michigan. Both MI and TX are prominent in my writing.

Everywhere I look, I see someone begging me to write about them. Music, every day life, and even my husband’s dreams inspire ideas about new books! Like so many of my favorite novels have done for me, I sincerely hope to connect with you through my writing. My simple communication style brings words off the page to a vision in your mind.

Join me as I create scenarios that could happen to anyone…and probably have. Maybe me, maybe you.