Hello From Renn Lake By Michele Weber Hurwitz

The environmental activism of Hoot meets the summer friendship of Lemons in this heartfelt story about community, conservation, and standing up for the things you love.

Annalise Oliver's family has owned and run lakeside cabins in Renn Lake, Wisconsin, for generations. This summer, she gets to help out while her younger sister focuses on being an actress and her best friend is babysitting rambunctious twin boys. It's the perfect opportunity for Annalise to work and spend more time by her beloved lake.

When she was three years old, Annalise discovered that she could sense what Renn Lake was thinking and feeling. Now, at twelve, she still turns to Renn for comfort. But when a small patch of algae quickly becomes a harmful bloom, Annalise can no longer hear Renn, and the lake is closed. She and her friends must find a way to save the lake.

Writing from the perspectives of both the lake and Annalise, acclaimed author Michele Weber Hurwitz tells a sensitive and heartfelt story about community, activism, and fighting for the things you love.

Pick Up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Hello-Renn-Michele-Weber-Hurwitz/dp/1984896326/ref=sr_1_1?crid=28HU5TXRNTPDG&dchild=1&keywords=hello+from+renn+lake&qid=1593208231&sprefix=Hello+From+%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1

Michele Weber Hurwitz is a critically acclaimed author of five middle grade novels. Her newest, Hello from Renn Lake, is about kids in a small Wisconsin town who try to save their beloved lake after it's closed due to a harmful algae bloom. Michele's books have been nominated for state reading awards, received starred reviews, and several other honors. She lives in Chicago with her family. More at micheleweberhurwitz.com.

My Thoughts...

A great young adult read. Coming of age must read. In my opinion this should be in classrooms for our kiddo to read and learn from.
I have added this to my list to give as birthday gifts.
I am happy to share this 4 star read with you all and I hope that you will grab a copy of this fast , fun read.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

The Dilemma By B.A. Paris

Knowing the truth will destroy her. Keeping it secret will destroy him.
It’s Livia’s 40th birthday, and her husband Adam is throwing her the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding they never had. Everyone she loves will be there, except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But Livia is secretly glad Marnie won’t be there.

Livia has recently uncovered a secret about their daughter which, if revealed, will shake the foundation of their family to its core. She needs to tell Adam, but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together.

Adam, meanwhile, has his own surprise for Livia: he’s arranged for Marnie to secretly fly back for the party. But before Marnie arrives, Adam hears some terrible news. Now he too is faced with a dilemma: Does he share what he's learned with his wife? Is hiding the truth the same as telling a lie? And how far are Adam and Livia willing to go to protect the ones they love―and give each other a last few hours of happiness?

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Dilemma-B-Paris/dp/1250151368/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1593221235&sr=8-1

B A Paris is the internationally bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown and Bring Me Back. Having sold over one million copies in the UK alone, she is a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller as well as a number one bestseller on Amazon and iBooks. Her books have sold in 40 territories around the world. She has worked in both Finance and as a teacher. Having lived in France for many years, she recently moved back to the UK. The Dilemma is her fourth novel.

Follow B A Paris on Twitter
@BAParisAuthor

My Thoughts...
I devoured this book. It was not at all like Paris' first three books. It was more family drama, it was more heartbreak, it was a deep book about a few dilemmas. I want to know if you think the secrets being held were an act of love or an act of selfishness? You read the book and let me know what you think. 
Be sure to order your copy of this one. This was a great read, I HIGHLY recommend.
5 stars two times for sure.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Lucky's Beach By Shelly Noble

New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble takes her readers on another beach adventure where a young woman discovers the power of family and forgiveness.

School teacher Julie Barlow and her two best friends, Beth and Aggie, are looking forward to an adults only beach vacation. Julie also plans to use the time to figure out why her perfectly planned life has gone terribly amiss. They’ve barely hit the road when a frantic call from Julie’s mother hijacks their best laid plans. Uncle Tony “Lucky” Costa is missing. Always entertaining, often irresponsible, never reliable, Uncle Lucky was a favorite with her friends.  For Julie, for whom he’d been a sometimes surrogate father, not so much.

Her mother wants them to take a “teeny” detour to look for the irascible retired surfer. Julie makes excuses. After all, she was the one who decided she never wanted to see Lucky again. Overruled in this as she is in much of her life, Julie and her friends detour to   Lucky’s latest scheme, Lucky’s Beach Bar and Grill.  They find it tucked away in a quaint coastal town on the Delaware coast. With a crescent beach of white sand, large waves, plenty of tanned young men, a lively night life, it’s a perfect beach getaway.

Beth and Aggie see good times ahead, Julie is determined to get through it as quickly as possible. But that will change as she gets to know Lucky’s friends and confidantes. The taciturn bartender, the loyal housekeeper, the local fortune teller, the whole town shares a determination to protect him. But from what?

Soon Julie and her friends are swept up in an effort to save the town's―and Lucky’s― most closely guarded secret. And Julie begins to see her uncle in a new light.

Julie Barlow has a few things to learn about life―and love―and sacrifice. Her lesson begins this summer at Lucky’s Beach.

Pick up your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/Luckys-Beach-Novel-Shelley-Noble/dp/0062953532/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29YULLAC0SC5Q&dchild=1&keywords=lucky%27s+beach+noble%2C+shelley&qid=1592597838&sprefix=Lucky%27s+beach%2Caps%2C227&sr=8-1

SHELLEY NOBLE is the NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author of the women's fiction novel BEACH COLORS, a #1 Nook bestseller, STARGAZEY POINT three novellas, Holidays at Crescent Cove, Stargazey Nights, BREAKWATER BAY and WHISPER BEACH.

As SHELLEY FREYDONT she is the author of the CELEBRATION BAY FESTIVAL MYSTERIES (Berkley Prime Crime) as well and two other mystery series, and the upcoming Gilded Age Newport Mystery series. Her mysteries have been translated into ten languages.

A former professional dancer and choreographer, she most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa Smile and The Game Plan. Shelley lives near the New Jersey shore where she loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses and vintage carousels.

My Thoughts...

I love a good beach read.  I love a characters that I have a connection with and can understand.

This was my first Noble book and I was so pleased to  dive into this summer beach read. I read it right through to the end in one hot summer evening.

Thanks to William Morrow for this 4 star summer fun read. 

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

Out of the Shadow By Rochelle Garfield Giveaway!

Lori is a highly acclaimed psychologist running an innovative anorexia clinic, with a devoted husband and two adorable children. But her fairy-tale existence comes to an abrupt end when a blow-up with a client and a mysterious upcoming event force her to face the demons of her past. Lori identifies with her clients in a literal sense when she bravely chooses to embark on her own therapeutic journey by entering psychotherapy.

This fast-paced, absorbing novel takes you into the therapy room with Lori and Dr. Wilson, as they sort through Lori's chaotic emotions against the backdrop of her fascinating life story. Growing up as the younger sister of a child prodigy was always front and center in Lori's life, affecting her relationships, her career, and her emotional health. The journey is wide-ranging and surprisingly enlightening, with many exciting twists along the way, including Lori's own struggle with anorexia, her resentment towards her parents and sister, her sister's unique struggles, and her relationship with her husband and children. It's a captivating read that will give you a deeper understanding of your own emotions and motivations, and those of your loved ones.

Pick up your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/Out-Shadow-Rochelle-Garfield/dp/9657041120/ref=sr_1_1?crid=DYI9SL6BZYK8&dchild=1&keywords=out+of+the+shadow+rochelle+garfield&qid=1592583283&sprefix=Out+of+the+Shadow%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-1

Rochelle Garfield is a speech/language pathologist, photographer and dyslexia lecturer. When she has free time, she enjoys running and inline skating. She lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and six awesome kids. She is now jumping into the writing world with her debut novel, OUT OF THE SHADOW.

My Thoughts...

Mental health has been the bases of so many books that I have read in the last couple of months.

Garfield has given us a gift with her first book. Family, struggles and much more between  these covers.

I hope you will grab a copy of this one and see if it is one for your book shelf.

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

Afraid of The Light By Cynthia Ruchti GIVEAWAY!

Clinical psychologist Camille Brooks isn’t put off by the lifestyle of her hoarder clients and the distress of their families. She lost her mother to the crippling anxiety disorder--so she’ll go a long way to help others avoid the same pain.

Despite Camille’s expertise, her growing audience for her Let In the Light podcast, and the recognition she’s gaining for her creative coaching methods, she’s not prepared for the pushback. A client who looks uncannily like her mom catches her off guard and raises long-dormant issues. And the revelation that Camille has her own hoarding problem sends her spinning.

With the help of a cadre of unexpected friends, an enigma of a man who refuses to be discouraged, and the God who created and loves her, can she face her fears, pull back the curtains, and let the light into her own life?

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Afraid-Light-Cynthia-Ruchti/dp/0825446570/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1592580237&sr=8-1

Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in hope through award-winning novels, novellas, devotionals, nonfiction, and through speaking events for women and writers. She makes potato corn chowder for her husband of 44 years and loves on her three kids and five grandchildren. Cynthia recently retired from 33 years of writing and producing a daily radio broadcast called THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME, is past president of the 2,700-member American Christian Fiction Writers, and now serves as ACFW's Professional Relations Liaison, all while working on more book projects in addition to the fifteen already on the shelves. Her books have been honored with two Selah Awards, three Christian Retailing's BEST Awards, and awards from CAN Golden Scrolls and AWSA Golden Scrolls, as well as finalist and top honors in awards programs such as ACFW's Carol Awards, ForeWord Book Reviews Book of the Year, RT Reviews Book of the Year, Family Fiction's Book of the Year, Cascade Awards Book of the Year, Inspirational Readers' Choice, and the Christy Awards, among others. You can connect with her at www.cynthiaruchti.com, at www.facebook.com/cynthiaruchtireaderpage, at www.twitter.com/cynthiaruchti, or in the kitchen, brewing herself another cup of tea.

My Thoughts...
What a read. I loved it. The Characters were perfect. I loved how Ruchti  handled the mental heath issue in this story. How loving she was with the characters. She handled this story so well. I just don't have the words for this review to do this book justice. All I can say that this is a 5 star read that I HIGHLY recommend.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

The Mountains Wild By Sarah Stewart Taylor

In a series debut for fans of Tana French and Kate Atkinson, set in Dublin and New York, homicide detective Maggie D'arcy finally tackles the case that changed the course of her life.

Twenty-three years ago, Maggie D'arcy's family received a call from the Dublin police. Her cousin Erin has been missing for several days. Maggie herself spent weeks in Ireland, trying to track Erin's movements, working beside the police. But it was to no avail: no trace of her was ever found.

The experience inspired Maggie to become a cop. Now, back on Long Island, more than 20 years have passed. Maggie is a detective and a divorced mother of a teenager. When the Gardaí call to say that Erin's scarf has been found and another young woman has gone missing, Maggie returns to Ireland, awakening all the complicated feelings from the first trip. The despair and frustration of not knowing what happened to Erin. Her attraction to Erin's coworker, now a professor, who never fully explained their relationship. And her determination to solve the case, once and for all.

A lyrical, deeply drawn portrait of a woman - and a country - over two decades - The Mountains Wild introduces a compelling new mystery series from a mesmerizing author.

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Wild-Sarah-Stewart-Taylor/dp/1250256437/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2AIWCQTH78H7Q&dchild=1&keywords=the+mountains+wild+by+sarah+stewart+taylor&qid=1592582443&sprefix=The+Mountains+wild%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1

Sarah Stewart Taylor is the author of the Sweeney St. George series and the Maggie D'arcy series. She grew up on Long Island, and was educated at Middlebury College in Vermont and Trinity College, Dublin, where she studied Irish Literature. She has worked as a journalist and writing teacher and now lives with her family on a farm in Vermont where they raise sheep and grow blueberries. 

My Thoughts...

I love a good mystery and this was the first book by Taylor that I have read. It was a good mystery to say the least. 
I plan to grab her past books and adding them to my to be read pile.
I like surprises in the plots, it makes the story so much more fun to read.
I gave this book 4 stars.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Montauk By Nicola Harrison

Montauk, Long Island, 1938.


For three months, this humble fishing village will serve as the playground for New York City’s wealthy elite. Beatrice Bordeaux was looking forward to a summer of reigniting the passion between her and her husband, Harry. Instead, tasked with furthering his investment interest in Montauk as a resort destination, she learns she’ll be spending twelve weeks sequestered with the high society wives at The Montauk Manor―a two-hundred room seaside hotel―while Harry pursues other interests in the city.

College educated, but raised a modest country girl in Pennsylvania, Bea has never felt fully comfortable among these privileged women, whose days are devoted not to their children but to leisure activities and charities that seemingly benefit no one but themselves. She longs to be a mother herself, as well as a loving wife, but after five years of marriage she remains childless while Harry is increasingly remote and distracted. Despite lavish parties at the Manor and the Yacht Club, Bea is lost and lonely and befriends the manor’s laundress whose work ethic and family life stir memories of who she once was.

As she drifts further from the society women and their preoccupations and closer toward Montauk’s natural beauty and community spirit, Bea finds herself drawn to a man nothing like her husband –stoic, plain spoken and enigmatic. Inspiring a strength and courage she had almost forgotten, his presence forces her to face a haunting tragedy of her past and question her future.

Desperate to embrace moments of happiness, no matter how fleeting, she soon discovers that such moments may be all she has, when fates conspire to tear her world apart…

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Montauk-Novel-Nicola-Harrison/dp/1250301785/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PWY3V4VW9ACS&dchild=1&keywords=montauk&qid=1592580826&sprefix=Montau%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-1

Originally from Hampshire, England, Nicola Harrison moved to California when she was 14. She studied Literature at UCLA and received an MFA in creative writing at Stony Brook University. She is a member of The Writers Room and has short stories published in The Southampton Review and Glimmer Train as well as articles in Los Angeles Magazine and Orange Coast Magazine. She was the fashion and style staff writer for Forbes and had a weekly column at Lucky Magazine. Nicola is also the founder of a personal styling business, Harrison Style. She has spent many summers in Montauk and currently lives in downtown Manhattan. Montauk is her first novel.
www.NicolaHarrison.com

My Thoughts...
I was transported to another time and place and it was all that I had hoped it would be.
This is a must read for people whole loved to live in the pages of the book.
I Highly recommend this 5 star read.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

The Summer Deal By Jill Shalvis

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes a friends-to-frenemies-to-lovers story… Add in a few secrets. Shake. Stir. Then read on a lazy summer day at the beach…

Brynn Turner desperately wishes she had it together, but her personal life is like a ping-pong match that’s left her scared and hurt after so many attempts to get it right. In search of a place to lick her wounds and get a fresh start, she heads back home to Wildstone.

And then there’s Kinsey Davis, who after battling serious health issues her entire twenty-nine years of life, is tired of hoping for . . . well, anything. She's fierce, tough, and she’s keeping more than one bombshell of a secret from Brynn -- her long-time frenemy.

But then Brynn runs into Kinsey's best friend, Eli, renewing her childhood crush. The good news: he’s still easy-going and funny and sexy as hell. The bad news: when he gets her to agree to a summer-time deal to trust him to do right by her, no matter what, she never dreams it’ll result in finding a piece of herself she didn’t even know was missing. She could have real connections, possibly love, and a future—if she can only learn to let go of the past.

As the long days of summer wind down, the three of them must discover if forgiveness is enough to grasp the unconditional love that’s right in front of them.

Pick up your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Deal-Novel-Wildstone/dp/0062897918/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1592010963&sr=1-1

Multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is … mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning heartwarming and full of humor novels wherever books are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures. Her most recent book, ALMOST JUST FRIENDS, was just published last month and her next book, THE SUMMER DEAL, comes out in June.
www.facebook.com/jillshalvis
www.twitter.com/jillshalvis
www.instagram.com/jillshalvis
http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com/
or email her at contact@jillshalvis.com

My Thoughts...

Book number 5 in the Wildstone series can be read as a stand alone. I loved the drama, I really loved the two romances. I thought about how messed up they all were and how well they fit together at the same time. I loved that they ended up close and never gave up on each other.

This is a 4 star read and one that you don't want to miss.

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

The Laundress By Barbara Sapienza

Twenty-six-year-old Lavinia Lavinia is burdened by her unknown heritage―but her uncle Sal, who raised her in San Francisco, has always kept silent, refusing to reveal the devastating secret of her origin. And now, following the death of his wife, he’s left for Italy.
In the wake of her uncle’s departure, Lavinia has quit school. Now she works as a personal laundress to a diverse cast of San Francisco residents―people with stories as complicated as her own. As time progresses, through the sacred ritual of washing clothes―and with the help of a friend and her nurturing, flamenco dancing mother―Lavinia begins to recover memories of her past. Gradually, her gifts of receptivity multiply, and she communes with nature, finding messages from birds and the leaves of her garden’s fig tree. And when she recovers Raggedy, a beloved doll that accompanied her from Naples when she was four years old, she experiences a tangible connection to her own mother.
Even as Lavinia makes these discoveries, she is busy building new relationships―discovering healing dance with her lover, a barista in a North Beach coffee shop; learning to understand Time and forgiveness with an elderly client; and even getting to know her father, a man who has never been a part of her life. Poetic and poignant, The Laundress is a coming-of-age story for anyone who’s ever sought to understand where they came from in order to figure out who they’re meant to become.

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Laundress-Novel-Barbara-Sapienza/dp/1631526790/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5WBWIN53C3VN&dchild=1&keywords=the+laundress+barbara+sapienza&qid=1592010358&s=books&sprefix=The+Laundress%2Cstripbooks%2C150&sr=1-1

Barbara Sapienza is a retired clinical psychologist who practiced
in San Francisco. At sixty-six she enrolled in the graduate program in Creative Writing at SFSU. She lives in Sausalito with her husband and enjoys her granddaughters, Milla and Isa.

My Thoughts...
I wanted to find out the secret so bad. I had to know as bad as Lavina wanted to know I wanted to know. The sense of self she finds is so worth reading this one.
I gave this book 4 stars.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

The White Rose Resists By Amanda Barratt

Inspired by the incredible true story of a group of ordinary men and women who dared to stand against evil

The ideal of a new Germany swept up Sophie Scholl in a maelstrom of patriotic fervor--that is, until she realized the truth behind Hitler's machinations for the fatherland. Now she and other students in Munich, the cradle of the Nazi government, have banded together to form a group to fight for the truth: the White Rose. Risking everything to print and distribute leaflets calling for Germans to rise up against the evil permeating their country, the White Rose treads a knife's edge of discovery by the Gestapo.

Annalise Brandt came to the University of Munich to study art, not get involved with conspiracy. The daughter of an SS officer, she's been brought up to believe in the Führer's divinely appointed leadership. But the more she comes to know Sophie and her friends, the more she questions the Nazi propaganda.

Soon Annalise joins their double life--students by day, resisters by night. And as the stakes increase, they're all forced to confront the deadly consequences meted out to any who dare to oppose the Reich.

A gripping testament to courage, The White Rose Resists illuminates the sacrifice and conviction of an unlikely group of revolutionaries who refused to remain silent-no matter the cost.

Pick up your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/White-Rose-Resists-German-Students/dp/0825446481/ref=sr_1_1?crid=FIMOLDAGUL3V&dchild=1&keywords=the+white+rose+resists+by+amanda+barratt&qid=1591374710&sprefix=The+White+Rose%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1

ECPA best-selling author Amanda Barratt fell in love with writing in grade school when she wrote her first story—a spin-off of Jane Eyre. Now, Amanda writes romantic, historical fiction, penning stories of beauty and brokenness set against the backdrop of bygone eras not so very different from our own. She's the author of over a dozen novels and novellas including The White Rose Resists: A Novel of the German Students Who Defied Hitler and My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Lost Love.

Amanda lives in the woods of Michigan with her family, where she can be found reading way too many books, plotting her next novel, and jotting down imaginary travel itineraries for her dream vacation to Europe.

Connect with her on Facebook and visit her online at amandabarratt.net.

My Thoughts...

Wow. What I can say. There are no words. This is a must read book. Barratt has  shared her heart on the pages of this book and I just don't know how to put words to what I read. The story telling was like no other.

I don't want to  say this but if you don't read any other book this year, please read this book. I gave this book 4.5 stars.

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

At Love's Command By Karen Witemeyer

Haunted by the horrors of war, ex-cavalry officer Matthew Hanger leads a band of mercenaries known as Hanger's Horsemen who have become legends in 1890s Texas. They defend the innocent and obtain justice for the oppressed. But when a rustler's bullet leaves one of them at death's door, they're the ones in need of saving.

Dr. Josephine Burkett is used to men taking one look at her skirts and discounting her medical skills. What she's not used to is having a man change his mind in a heartbeat and offer to assist her in surgery. Matthew Hanger's dedication to his friend during recovery earns Josephine's respect, and when she hears of her brother's abduction, he becomes her only hope for rescue.

Matt has stared down ruthless outlaws, betrayal, and injury, but when a bossy lady doctor crawls under his skin, his heart is tempted to surrender. And when she is caught in the crossfire, he may have to sacrifice everything--even his team--to save her.

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/At-Loves-Command-Hangers-Horsemen/dp/076423207X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1592057181&sr=1-1

For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warm-hearted historical romances with a flair of humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. A transplant from California, Karen came to Texas for college, met a cowboy disguised as a computer nerd, married him, and never left the state that had become home.

Winner of the HOLT Medallion, ACFW Carol Award, Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, National Reader's Choice Award, and a finalist for both the RITA and Christy Awards, Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She also loves to reward her readers. Every month she gives away two inspirational historical novels to someone from her newsletter list and offers substantial bonus content on her website. To learn more about Karen and her books, or to join her subscriber list, please visit www.karenwitemeyer.com.

My Thoughts...
Such a fun cowboy read. I love the romance and the way Witemeyer brings the story together. I am happy to say I have not read a cowboy story in some time but this one had a great swoon worthy cowboy that made this story a good one.
I gave this sweet romance 4 stars and I recommend it.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

It Started with a Secret By Jill Mansell

Readers of Sophie Kinsella and Elin Hilderbrand will love this perfect vacation read from Jill Mansell, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of Maybe This Time!

Their happy-ever-after is within reach...but only if they're willing to tell the truth.

Lainey and Kit arrive at their new jobs in blissful, summery Cornwall only to find themselves in the midst of a lovable but chaotic family―where every member is having an identity crisis at the same time. Widowed mom Majella has done her best for years, but can't quite grasp why things are falling apart. It's what she doesn't know that's causing the chaos, because everyone is keeping secrets.

In classic Jill Mansell style, our heroine and her friends are drawn through a hilarious multi-generational soap opera in which, by the end, happily-ever-afters are available to anyone willing to tell the truth about their heart's desire.

Pick up your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/Started-Secret-Jill-Mansell/dp/1728211050/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Hi, I'm Jill Mansell and I live in Bristol in the UK with my family. I worked for many years in a neurological hospital but for the last two decades have been a full time novelist of happy, sad, funny, feel-good fiction. Sales of my books around the world now total nine million and I've only just realised as I'm typing this now that over the years I must have made an awful lot of people laugh and cry. Sorry!

My Thoughts...

What a great light summer, fun read. Lots of stories with great characters. This was my first  book by Mansell, but it won't be my last. I am on the look out for more as you are reading this review.
I recommend this 4 star summer fun read.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own. 

The Pleasure Plan By Laura Zam

Fifty percent of adult women have some form of sexual difficulty at some point in their lives, preventing them from enjoying vibrant, soul-satisfying sex. Such was the case with Laura Zam, who suffered the shame and embarrassment of feeling "bedroom broken." 

For her, delving between the sheets meant physical pain, zero desire, and emotional scars from being molested in her early years. However, in her forties, after meeting and marrying the love of her life, Zam was determined to finally fix her sensual self.   

The Pleasure Plan is what happened when she decided to challenge her hopelessness. In partnership with her initially reluctant husband, Zam visited 15 healers and tried 30 pleasure-enhancing methods, including hypnosis with a bawdy therapist; Tantra with a geriatric mistress; and cutting edge workshops in desire, arousal, and orgasm. She also learned about pelvic floor mishaps, hormonal imbalances, and female erections! Amidst these adventures, the author seamlessly interweaves her recovery from child abuse, tales of her Auschwitz-surviving mother, and a clear-eyed view of how medical and mental health professionals might better serve women with sex problems. 

Packed with humor, heart, and a healthy dose of prescriptive advice, this memoir also chronicles how Zam and her husband grow, in and outside the bedroom. Her healing becomes their healing. In this #MeToo era, partners can learn from Zam's journey how to support a significant other who's been affected.

Today, Laura works as a sexuality educator, wellness coach, and speaker helping other women who suffer from sexual dysfunction, the effects of trauma, or those who would simply like more pleasure (of all kinds) in their lives. She also consults with health care providers so they may better assist their clients in achieving sexual well-being. 

The Pleasure Plan is a roadmap for sexual healing that empowers women to speak up, seek help, and take charge of their health.

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Pleasure-Plan-Womans-Search-Healing/dp/0757323502/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Pleasure+Plan%3A+A+Sexual+Healing+Odyssey--1+Woman%2C+6+Sex+Problems%2C+30+Curative+Adventures&qid=1591663256&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmr0

Laura Zam is a Sexuality Educator, Certified Trauma Professional, wellness trainer, award-winning solo performer, HuffPost blogger, TEDx speaker, and workshop leader, whose work focuses on sexual healing. Her writing appears in The New York Times (Modern Love), Salon, HuffPost, SheKnows, NextTribe, the Forward, in international journals, and in five book anthologies. Her solo pieces have been performed in New York at The International Fringe Festival, The Public Theatre, the United Solo Festival (Off-Broadway), and others. National venues include The Kennedy Center, The National Theatre, and the U.S Holocaust Memorial Museum, as well theaters, conferences, schools, libraries, and universities across the U.S. and abroad. Laura has been awarded numerous grants, including a Tennessee William's Fellowship and five Artist grants from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. She has also taught at a number of universities including Brown University and UC Berkeley.

My Thoughts...
Ladies do  you want to get down the the nitty gritty about your sexual health? Zam has put it all in this book and is is full of helpful advice and serious talk as well as humor.
 In This memoir Zam  helps us understand what she went through medically and how we can help ourselves. I recommend this 4 star memoir. 
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own. 

Stories That Bind Us By Susie Finkbeiner

Betty Sweet never expected to be a widow at 40. With so much life still in front of her, she tries to figure out what's next. She couldn't have imagined what God had in mind. When her estranged sister is committed to a sanitarium, Betty finds herself taking on the care of a 5-year-old nephew she never knew she had.

In 1960s LaFontaine, Michigan, they make an odd pair. Betty with her pink button nose and bouffant hair. Hugo with his light brown skin and large brown eyes. But more powerful than what makes them different is what they share: the heartache of an empty space in their lives. Slowly, they will learn to trust one another as they discover common ground and healing through the magic of storytelling.

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Stories-That-Bind-Us-Novel/dp/0800735706/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3G07CF5EJ5868&dchild=1&keywords=stories+that+bind+us+by+susie+finkbeiner&qid=1591371115&sprefix=Stories+that+bin%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-1

Susie Finkbeiner is a story junkie. Always has been and always will be. It seems it's a congenital condition, one she's quite fond of.
After decades of reading everything she could get her hands on (except for See the Eel, a book assigned to her while in first grade, a book she declared was unfit for her book-snob eyes), Susie realized that she wanted to write stories of her own. She began with epics about horses and kittens (but never, ever eels).

It takes years to grow a writer and after decades of work, Susie realized (with much gnashing of teeth and tears) that she was a novelist. In order to learn how to write novels, she read eclectically and adventurously (she may never swim with sharks, but the lady will jump into nearly any story). After reading the work of Lisa Samson, Patti Hill, and Bonnie Grove she realized that there was room for a writer like her in Christian fiction.

Her first novels Paint Chips (2013) and My Mother's Chamomile (2014) have contemporary settings. While she loved those stories and especially the characters, Susie felt the pull toward historical fiction.

When she read Into the Free by Julie Cantrell she knew she wanted to write historical stories with a side of spunk, grit, and vulnerability. Susie is also greatly inspired by the work of Jocelyn Green, Rachel McMillan, and Tracy Groot.

A Cup of Dust: A Novel of the Dust Bowl (2015), Finkbeiner's bestselling historical set in 1930s Oklahoma, has been compared to the work of John Steinbeck and Harper Lee (which flatters Susie's socks off). Pearl's story continues with A Trail of Crumbs: A Novel of the Great Depression (2017) and A Song of Home: A Novel of the Swing Era (2018).

What does she have planned after that? More stories, of course. She's a junkie. She couldn't quit if she wanted to.

My Thoughts...
A read of the times, topics such as mental heath, racism, and death. Family that is not perfect. I found it a refreshing read. I loved Aunt Betty so much her kind heart. She was Hugo's hero as much as he was her hero.
I was worried that the story was not going to turn out well with Aunt Betty's sister. But I will tell you it's all good.
I recommend this 4 star book . Grab your copy and kick back to relax it's a good read. The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Closer Than She Knows By Kelly Irvin

A serial killer bent on revenge . . . and striking too close to home. 

Teagan O’Rourke has always loved murder mysteries. In her job as a court reporter, she has written official records for dozens of real-life murders. She’s slapped evidence stickers on crime scene photos. She’s listened to hours of chilling testimony. But she’s never known the smell of death. And she never thought she might be a victim. 

Until now. 

A young police officer is murdered just inches away from her, and then a man calling himself a serial killer starts leaving Teagan notes, signing each with the name of a different murderer from her favorite mystery novels. 

Panicked, Teagan turns to her friend Max Kennedy. Max longs for more than friendship with Teagan, but he fears she’ll never trust someone with a past like his. He wonders how much of God’s “tough love” he can take before he gives up on love completely. And he wonders if he’ll be able to keep Teagan alive long enough to find out. 

As Teagan, Max, and Teagan’s police officer father race to track down the elusive killer, they each know they could be the next victim. Desperate to save those she loves, Teagan battles fears that once haunted her in childhood. Nothing seems to stop this obsessed murderer. No matter what she does, he seems to be getting closer . . .

Pick up your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/Closer-Than-Knows-Kelly-Irvin/dp/0785231862/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2SLEDRGAF9VMX&dchild=1&keywords=closer+than+she+knows+by+kelly+irvin&qid=1591373183&sprefix=Closer+than+she%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1

Best-selling novelist Kelly Irvin's latest series, The Amish of Sky Country, features an Amish community in Northwest Montana affected by wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres in the state in recent years. The first book, Mountains of Grace, debuted in August 2019, and delves into the impact on not only an Amish man and woman, but also a smoke jumper, a sheriff's deputy, and a young English woman forced to confront her past because of the fires.

Kelly also writes romantic suspense novels. Her most recent forays into this genre include Tell Her No Lies and Over the Line, both set in San Antonio and South Texas. Of Tell Her No Lies, The Library Journal says, "Irvin creates a complex web with enough twists and turns to keep even the most savvy romantic suspense readers guessing until the end. Known for her Amish novels, this two-time Carol Award finalist shows that her talents span subgenres from tranquil Amish stories to rapidly paced breathless suspense.”

Kelly is also the author of the Every Amish Season series, which included four books that chronicle the lives of Amish widows who are in different seasons in their lives. These women are linked by life altering experiences that bring them together as wives, mothers, and grandmothers in the small town of Jamesport, Mo. The first book, Upon a Spring Breeze, received critical acclaim from the Library Journal: "A moving and compelling tale about the power of grace and forgiveness that reminds us how we become strongest in our most broken moments."

Kelly Irvin is also the author of The Amish of Bee County series, which includes the critically acclaimed The Beekeeper's Son. Publishers Weekly called the first book in the series a beautifully woven masterpiece and Romantic Times Magazine called Kelly a storyteller extraordinaire. It was followed by The Bishop's Son and The Saddle Maker's Son, which is an ECPA bestseller.

A two-time ACFW Carol finalist, Kelly's novellas have been included in numerous anthologies, including An Amish Summer, The Amish Christmas Gift, An Amish Market, an Amish Christmas Love, and Amish Quilt, An Amish Reunion, An Amish Picnic, and An Amish Christmas Bakery.

She also penned the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Hope Amish series, both published by Harvest House Publishers. Love Still Stands, the first book in the New Hope series, debuted in September 2012, and the follow-up, Love Redeemed, released March 1, 2014. The final book in the series, set in Branson, MO., was A Plain Love Song, released in July 2014.

The Bliss Creek Amish series, set in Kansas, includes To Love and to Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love's Journey Home.

In the New Hope series, familiar characters from Bliss Creek move to Missouri to start a new district and a new life.

Kelly is also the author of two romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine, set in San Antonio, Texas. Two more romantic suspense novels are on the horizon, with the first, Tell Her No Lies, slated for publication by Thomas Nelson Publishing in January 2019.


The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the ACFW San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers, as well as Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Sisters in Crime.

A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly wrote nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso, where she was exposed to culture and language that serves as fodder for her fiction writing. She has written hard news, features, entertainment pieces, restaurant critiques, editorials, and weekly columns. Writing awards include the Silver Star Award from the Texas Mental Health Association for articles pertaining to mental health and numerous awards in news, feature, and editorial writing from the Texas Press Association and Texas Press Women.

Kelly retired in 2016 from her position of 22 years as public relations manager for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, where her duties included writing and designing an employee newsletter, writing news releases, collaborating on marketing campaigns, coordinating ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings, coordinating press conferences, updating the web site, and acting as a media spokesperson.

Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for more than 30 years, and they have two young adult children and three grandchildren. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories, read books by her favorite authors, and visit the babies.


For more information, visit http://www.kellyirvin.com

My Thoughts...

Irvin is better known for her Amish Fiction, but let me tell you she can write a romantic suspense book with a great plot twist that will keep you guessing until the end. Just when you think you have it figured out  she turns you in another direction.

I'm hoping for more of these romantic suspense books from Irvin.

This is a 4 star read I recommend this book.

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