Friday, July 30, 2021

Sisters In Arms By Kaia Alderson


 Kaia Alderson’s debut historical fiction novel reveals the untold, true story of the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corps, who made the dangerous voyage to Europe to ensure American servicemen received word from their loved ones during World War II.


Grace Steele and Eliza Jones may be from completely different backgrounds, but when it comes to the army, specifically the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), they are both starting from the same level. Not only will they be among the first class of female officers the army has even seen, they are also the first Black women allowed to serve.

As these courageous women help to form the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, they are dealing with more than just army bureaucracy—everyone is determined to see this experiment fail. For two northern women, learning to navigate their way through the segregated army may be tougher than boot camp. Grace and Eliza know that there is no room for error; they must be more perfect than everyone else.

When they finally make it overseas, to England and then France, Grace and Eliza will at last be able to do their parts for the country they love, whatever the risk to themselves.

Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion (the Six Triple Eight), Sisters in Arms explores the untold story of what life was like for the only all-Black, female U.S. battalion to be deployed overseas during World War II. 

Pick up your copy here...


Kaia Alderson is a historical women’s fiction author with a passion for discovering “hidden figures” in African-American women’s history. Her debut historical women’s fiction novel Sisters In Arms will be published by William Morrow/HarperCollins in 2021. Kaia holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in sociology from Spelman College and Master’s of Education degree in media/ instructional technology from the University of West Georgia. She is an alumna of the creative writing workshops presented by Callaloo Journal, Voices of Our Nation (VONA), Hurston/Wright Foundation, Kweli Journal, and The Second City.

My Thoughts...
This was so well researched and such an interesting read. I have learned al lot from reading Sisters in Arms.
This should be a book required  for high school kids to read before they graduate high school.
I gave this book 4 stars and I hope you get the chance to read 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. 

Thursday, July 29, 2021

The Endling By Deborah Maxey

 

From the mountains of Virginia comes a spiritually enlightening and captivating tale of survival and trust.

Native American Emerson Coffee is the last surviving member of her tribe. An endling. After an internship in New York, she has returned to her chosen life of solitude in the stone cabin atop the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where her grandfather trained her to survive by seeking God’s guidance in nature. When US Marshals inform her she’s being hunted by a mob hit man, Emerson declines their offer of witness protection, believing she can best outwit a predator on her own turf. But when three innocent children living in the art colony below become caught in the crosshairs, Emerson must decide if she will risk it all—her mountains, her heritage . . . even her life—to secure their safety. 

Can a lone and unarmed endling stop the most ruthless family of all or will everything her ancestors fought to preserve die with her?

Pick up your copy here...


Deborah Maxey’s passion for stories began as an eavesdropping child who found the tales of adults intriguing. Her love for people, insight into emotions, and desire to be of service steered her to become a counselor. She developed a specialty in trauma and attachment, appearing as an expert witness in court hundreds of times, testifying for abused and neglected children. Training foster parents and other therapists on how to nurture relationships with traumatized children expanded her reach.

As she practiced, her “writer self” was being fully developed. Along with a Ph.D. in counseling, Deborah sought to learn through college classes, conferences, and coaching how to sharpen her writing skills, so that she could weave a great tapestry for readers, with rich characters that live out authentic emotions amid life’s plot twists.

When she was called to be re-purposed, she closed her counseling practice and now devotes herself full time to writing Christian fiction, short stories, and devotions. Her work has won numerous awards.

As wife, mother, grandmother, and worship leader at her church, Deborah leads a joyous life with her husband in their home on a small lake in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where two little Yorkshire Terrier rule the roost. Her favorite cathedral for prayer and worship is her daily walks deep in the forest.

An award-winning fine artist, Deborah paints large oil canvases in the style of photorealism. Her art sales helped fund her doctorate and provide a rich knowledge base for characters living in an art colony.

Deborah proudly proclaims she is an Appalachian writer with deep ancestral roots. All things Appalachian: the topography, people, faith, dialect, traditions, values, recipes, and culture, fuel her imagination, propelling her to share her inner world through well-crafted words.

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Roller Rink Starlight By William Hart

 


William Hart’s true coming of age memoir begins when at fourteen he joins an amateur roller racing team comprised of both sexes and loaded with RSROA national champions. A varsity sprinter in track, he soon excels at speed skating.

Insiders know roller rinks are conspiracies to turn singles into couples.

The main storyline follows Hart’s early education in romance—piquant, humorous, harrowing, and laced with major life lessons. The setting: Wichita, Kansas, early 1960s, when the sexual repression of the 50s still prevails, except in rare zones of marked liberation. Adults have their watering holes, teens the rink, where they can experiment with their budding sexualities. Immersed in powerful mood music they glide in pairs through darkness under stars and make out in the bleachers. Falling in love is ridiculously easy, as we see in the adventures of teammates, parents, and certainly the author. Hart fell hard for a gifted racer, his kindred spirit, costar of many of his most indelible memories.

This sports memoir about love and roller skating chronicles poignantly the ecstasies and perils of 60s high school romance against a backdrop of flat-out athletic competition. 
Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                 Roller Rink Starlight: A Memoir: Hart, William: 9781951937782: Amazon.com: Books
William Hart is a novelist and poet living in Los Angeles. After earning a doctorate in English from the University of Southern California, he taught college writing courses in LA and wrote. Now he writes--fiction mostly--while helping produce the documentaries of filmmaker Jayasri Majumdar, his wife. Hart's work has appeared in several hundred literary journals, commercial magazines, newspapers, and anthologies, and fourteen books. A pair of one-hour documentaries from Hartfilms aired nationally on PBS, the latest receiving Emmy nominations.

My Thoughts...
Hart shares his memories with us and with so much Heart. His personal story is one that we will be talking about for a long time.
This book brought back so many memories for me I loved roller skating and the roller rink was my favorite place to be.
Please grab a copy of this and go back to the 60's and 70's with me.
4 star heartfelt 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.

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

The Daily Bible Project By Ink and Willow


 For anyone looking to deepen their spiritual walk by reading through the Bible in a year, this keepsake journal offers a reading schedule with daily Scripture assignments and room to record three years' worth of responses.


Derived from the popular Daily Question series, The Daily Bible Project follows the same three-year structure in this new keepsake journal. Instead of a prompt, however, each page offers a Scripture reading assignment for the day, along with brief journaling spaces to fill with your favorite verses or your own questions and revelations experienced while reading.

The daily reading plan is specially designed to keep you on track but not overwhelmed:
    The daily readings are chronological but include chapters from the Old and New Testaments.
    Each day's reading prompt assigns roughly three chapters of Scripture.
    You'll read through the entire Bible each year, for three years.
    Indicating just the Scripture reference, the journal can be used with any Bible translation or version.

With room for three years' worth of responses, The Daily Bible Project offers a unique opportunity to track your spiritual growth and progress year over year. 

Pick up your copy here...

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.

My Thoughts...
This is such an easy to use Bible Planner and the pages are dated Like Day 1 Day 2 and so on it has the books of the Bible listed by day as well.  This would make a wonderful gift also. 
I love that it is a 3 year planner so you can go back and read your thoughts from a few years ago.
I gave this Bible planner 5 stars and I hope you grab a copy.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Monday, July 26, 2021

Mother Of The Accused By Leanne Treese

 

After the tragic death of her husband, Meredith Morgan spends a decade raising their son, Zach, alone. On the verge of Zach's graduation from high school, Meredith moves in with her fiancé, Dr. Reed Edwards, excited to begin a new chapter. But, when Zach is accused of sexually assaulting the daughter of a prominent lawyer, Meredith's life spins out of control. Reed's ex-wife does not want their daughters in the same house as Zach; Meredith's best friend distances herself and her sons from the fray. Only childhood friend and lawyer, Peter Flynn, remains by Meredith's side.As Peter and Meredith team up to prove Zach's version of the events, long buried feelings resurface, complicating an already difficult circumstance. Meanwhile, evidence mounts against Zach and Meredith faces the ever-increasing likelihood her son is guilty. Struggling to cope with the idea of Zach behind bars, Meredith learns just how far a mother will go to protect her own.

Pick up your copy here...


Leanne Treese spent over two decades as family law attorney before writing her first novel, Their Last Chance. When Leanne is not writing, she can be found at home with her husband, three children, and two beloved dogs. Leanne’s favorite places include Martha’s Vineyard, the Jersey shore, and any place that sells books or coffee, preferably both. Her latest novel, Mother of the Accused, is set to be released on June 1, 2021. Join Leanne’s newsletter at www.leannetreese.com for details on her latest stories.

My Thoughts...

A mother and son who will never be the same after this life altering mess. This was such an emotional read and as a mother who lost her only child I was drawn in and could not turn the pages fast enough.
This is a must read for all mothers. You will not put this book down until you have rad the very last page. You will still be thinking about the Mother and son long after you finish reading this one.
4 stars and one I 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. 

Friday, July 23, 2021

Wolf's Blood By Meagan Poetschlag

 

Wolves, A Plague, A Secret Destiny 19 year old vegetarian, Clair Wilson, and her parents suddenly move away from their cozy apartment in San Diego to find themselves in the rural forest town of Snowbrook, Oregon. Rachel Wilson, a microbiologist from the University of San Diego, had been hired to help the town research a deadly disease that was killing off endangered animals on the wildlife reserve. Dean Wilson, Clair's father, was offered a promotion to a detective position at the town's local police station. So Clair was now stuck tagging along for the ride. Soon she began to make friends with the mysterious local, Aidan Wolff, who helps her get her bearings around town. He and his family try to mostly keep to themselves, for they risk exposing a dark family secret, and also themselves to the deadly plague. Clair's dreams soon become haunted by a black, blue eyed wolf who saved her life in the forest and she begins to get herself caught up in the secrets of a dangerous existence. Why would a wolf bother to save her life? What was the true cause of the deadly plague? Would she survive this place long enough to return to the life she loved back in San Diego, or will her fate leave her and her loved ones as bait for the wolves? Meagan is a very busy and devoted wife and mother. What time she does not spend at work, she prefers to give to her family and array of pets at home. Sometimes she will have time to work on her next book. Wolf's Blood was inspired by her love for animals at a very young age. Wolves are majestic, beautiful, smart, and intriguing. Meagan would also like to make note, that given the choice of choosing to be a Lycan or vampire, she would always go with the wolf. Besides the book Wolf's Blood: Plague of Snowbrook, she has also started a fantasy adventure series, staring an array of enjoyable characters in an amazing parallel world. 

Pick up your copy here...


Thursday, July 22, 2021

The trickster's Sister By Chris Reeder


 After getting kidnapped by a demigod and imprisoned in another dimension, Makayla was really hoping that her life would get back to normal. Or at least as normal as life could be when you had a goblin for a best friend.

But now her sleepy midwestern town is being invaded by shadows. Her neighbors are being stolen away and replaced by changelings. And when she tries to escape, her path threatens to take her to the one place she never wanted to return to: the mysterious and dangerous Land of Annwfyn.

In this sequel to The Changeling’s Daughter, Makayla and Brynn must confront their deepest fears and their worst enemies as their journey takes them to the farthest ends of the Earth and beyond.

Pick up your copy here...


R. Chris Reeder grew up in a tiny town you’ve never heard of and attended college in Walla Walla, Washington. He founded a theatre company, worked across the country as a professional Shakespearean actor, traveled the globe as an international courier, took a year and a half detour to be a singing activist, and then settled down into the comfortable life of a stay-at-home father and part-time author.

He currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin, with his wife, two children, and a pair of cats named Monster Jack and Tiny Jill.

This is book two of The Coblyn Chronicles series, you may want to order a copy of book one and read it first. The Changeling's Daughter.

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Discipled Leader By Preston Poore

 

Preston Poore has spent decades in corporate America. Despite all the excellent advice he was given for growing in leadership, there was something missing: a way to bring his Christian beliefs to bear in his professional life, not just his personal life. So Preston sought his own answer to how his faith could impact his management of hundreds of employees.

What he discovered was this: the first step wasn't adjusting his leadership style. Instead, he needed to let God change him before he could effect real change in his workplace. And in order to model discipleship to his team, he needed to first be discipled by the Spirit. Here, in the day-to-day practice of being a disciple of Jesus Christ, Poore found where his faith and exceptional leadership intersect.

Through personal stories, biblical principles, and hands-on workplace guidance, Poore offers readers a unique look at this seldom-discussed connection. He challenges struggling leaders to engage in the hard work of daily discipleship. And he charges experienced leaders to return to the fundamentals of their faith, encouraging them to disciple other Christians with leadership potential.

For anyone wrestling with how to bring faith to the workplace, whether it be a cubicle or a boardroom, Discipled Leader reveals that leadership doesn't begin behind the desk--it begins in the soul. 

Pick up your copy here...


After working in upper-level management for companies like Coca-Cola and Hershey’s and small business ownership, I long to convey my hard-won leadership knowledge to the Christian community.

My thirty-plus years of experience have positioned me to write and speak on the paramount importance of leadership, discipleship, and communication and how those necessary abilities translate from the secular marketplace to the church.

Authentic, inspiring, and results-oriented in my work leading teams of dozens to hundreds, I bring the same abilities to bear on my writing and speaking. Additionally, I have extensive training experience in personal and professional development after working with Dale Carnegie Training and becoming a John Maxwell certified executive coach, speaker, and trainer.

I hold an MBA from Samford University and a BS in Management from Colorado State University.

My wife, Carla, and I live in the Atlanta metro area, and we have two children, Caroline and Benton. During my spare time, I like to work out, bike, boat, write, read, and travel.

This is a great edition to those wanting to be, or all ready in a leadership role. To help guide them in the right direction to be ineffective leader.

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

The Summer Sisters By Sara Richardson


 The Buchanan sisters share everything—including their inherited Juniper Inn. But when their mother won’t let go of a decades-long feud with their Aunt Sassy to attend the inn’s grand re-opening, the sisters decide a family reunion is long overdue.


Youngest sister Rose is determined to put together an extravagant celebration. Only she needs to convince a certain surly hardware store owner to help finish the inn’s renovations.

After a heartbreaking end to her marriage, Dahlia and her kids are just starting to rebuild their lives. Dahlia’s even considering opening herself up to love again, but will that upset the stability she’s worked so hard to give her children?

Sassy McGrath has never stopped missing her sister, Lillian, and though they’ve both been too stubborn to reconcile, some shocking news might finally change everything. As family bonds are tested, will these two very different generations of women find the strength to believe in themselves and each other?

Pick up your copy here...


Contemporary romance author Sara Richardson has been a communications manager, copy writer, magazine editor, and whitewater rafting guide. The day after graduating with a master’s degree in journalism, Sara realized she was too empathetic to be a journalist and starting writing her first novel instead. A lifelong fascination with true love quickly led her to the romance genre.
Her Heart of the Rockies series was published by Grand Central Forever in 2015. In 2016, her debut novel, No Better Man, was nominated for a RITA in the best first book category. Sara is passionate about writing stories that inspire people to believe in love and always enjoys connecting with readers. Learn more at www.sararichardson.com. 

My Thoughts...
This was such a fun read, the drama, the family, the sweet slow romance. I did read the first book in the Juniper Springs series  but this one could be read as a stand alone. You would not be lost and you would love it just the same.
I love a realistic romance and this one was spot on. 
Get this 4 star read and kick back by the pool and enjoy it. 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.

Monday, July 19, 2021

The Magic of Found Objects By Maddie Dawson

 

From the bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners comes a feel-good story about becoming who you were meant to be all along.

Phronsie Linnelle was conceived at Woodstock in a serendipitous liaison between a free-spirited hippie and a farmer’s son and was born with magical wonder flickering in her DNA and rationality knit into her bones. All her life she’s been torn between the two. But now that she’s been betrayed by both love and the mother she once idolized, her rational side is winning.

So when her best friend from childhood proposes that they give up on romance and marry each other, Phronsie agrees. Who better to spend your life with than your best friend? Maybe the connection they already have is love. Maybe there’s no falling to be done. But immediately after they announce their engagement, she encounters someone who makes a very charming and compelling argument for revisiting romance.

While her even-keeled stepmother argues for the safety that comes with her new engagement and her mother relays messages from the universe to hold out for true love, Phronsie must look to her own heart to find the answers that have been there all along.

Pick up your copy here...



I grew up in the South, born into a family of outrageous storytellers—the kind of storytellers who would sit on the dock by the lake in the evening and claim that everything they say is THE absolute truth, like, stack-of-Bibles true. The more outlandish the story, the more it likely it was to be true. Or so they said.

You want examples? There was the story of my great great aunt who shot her husband dead, thinking he was a burglar; the alligator that almost ate Uncle Jake while he was waterskiing; the gay cousin who took his aunt to the prom, disguised in a bouffant French wig. (The aunt, not the cousin.) And then there was my mama, a blond-haired siren who, when I was seven, drove a married man so insane that he actually stole an Air Force plane one day and buzzed our house. (I think there might have been a court-martial ending to that story.)

And in between all these stories of crazy, over-the-top events, there was the hum of just daily, routine crazy: shotgun weddings, drunken funerals, stories of people’s affairs and love lives, their job losses, the things that made them laugh, the way they’d drink Jack Daniels and get drunk and foretell the future. There were ghosts and miracles and dead people coming back to life. You know, everyday stuff.

How could I turn into anything else but a writer? My various careers as a substitute English teacher, department store clerk, medical records typist, waitress, cat-sitter, wedding invitation company receptionist, nanny, daycare worker, electrocardiogram technician, and Taco Bell taco-maker were only bearable if I could think up stories as I worked. In fact, the best job I ever had was a part-time gig typing up case notes for a psychiatrist. Everything the man dictated bloomed as a possible novel in my head.

Still, I was born with an appreciation for food and shelter, and it didn’t take me long to realize that coupling a minor in journalism to my English degree might be a wise move, even though I had never for one moment felt that passion for news that my newspaper colleagues claimed beat in their breasts. I am famous for raising my hand in Journalism 101 and saying, incredulously, to the professor, “You don’t mean to tell me that every single detail in the story has to be true? Every one? Really?”

Learning to write only truth was a tough discipline, and as soon as I could, I left the world of house fires and political scandals and planning and zoning commission meetings and escaped into a world of column-writing, and then, magazine writing. (Way, way better to be assigned to think of 99 ways of getting him to declare his love, than to have to write about the bond proposal for the sewer lines.) But all along the way, in between deadlines and raising three children and driving them to their sports games and tucking them in at night and doing the laundry and telling them stories, I was really writing a novel about marriage and relationships and the way regret has of just showing up alongside your life, just when you think things are as rosy as they could be.

Today I live in Connecticut, and spend part of every day on my screened-in back porch with my trusty laptop, writing and writing and writing, looking out at the willow tree and the rosebush and the rhododendron that has a nice nest of cardinals, who I imagine to be yelling at me to get back to work whenever I wait too long to write the next sentence.

The lakehouse is gone now, and many of my more outrageous story-telling relatives are telling stories to the angels now. But even though I’m far from home, and far from the stories that nourished me in the beginning, I can still hear their voices on the breeze, still recall the buzz of the Air Force jet that had come to take my mother away until my father stepped in and said: “No. No. She’s mine.”

Wait. Is that what he said? Or was he not home that day? You know, now that I think of it, it might have been just my mother and me at home just then, running outside in our excitement, my mother’s cheeks burning red, her eyes frightened and dancing, as the wings dipped and did a little salute to her and to love and to unrequited passion…and probably to hope that she would leave my father and run away. I do remember being scared and exhilarated both, seeing that my mother had this power and this whole other life besides the one I spent with her.

And I remember the wide Florida sky and the heavy, humid air and the loudness drowning out everything but the thought that we never ever know what’s going to happen. And knowing, even at seven, that that was probably a good thing.

Keeps it interesting, you know.

My Thoughts...
Such colorful characters. A fun read that goes present day back the the main characters childhood. It was a great plot and the romance was sweet. I enjoyed the writing and was a little disappointed that it ended so fast.
I hope you will grab a copy of this 4 star read. 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.

Friday, July 16, 2021

Waiting For the Girl Next Door By Crystal Jackson

 

The Heart of Madison series is a light-hearted, warm, romantic story of rebuilding life after disappointment. Ms. Jackson is extremely talented at character development, making the reader fall in love with those characters and feel the emotions they are experiencing in the story. The author builds on each character and uses the real town of Madison Georgia as the back drop. The shops, streets, and buildings are part of the actual settings, giving a realistic and tactical sensory approach to the story.

Pick up your copy here...



Left on Main’ is Crystal Jackson’s first novel in the Heart of Madison series, an ongoing southern romance set in the charming real-life town of Madison, Georgia, where she lives with her two wild and wonderful children. A former therapist turned author, her work has been featured on Medium, Elephant Journal, Elite Daily, and The Good Men Project. When she’s not writing for Medium and working on her next book, you can find Crystal traveling, paddle boarding, running, throwing axes badly but with terrifying enthusiasm, hiking, doing yoga, or curled up with her nose in a book.  

Book Number 4 the final one. I hope that you check these books out.

Thursday, July 15, 2021

We Are The Brennans By Tracey Lange


 When twenty-nine-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. But it’s not easy. She deserted them all―and her high school sweetheart―five years before with little explanation, and they've got questions.


Sunday is determined to rebuild her life back on the east coast, even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiancĂ©. The longer she stays, however, the more she realizes they need her just as much as she needs them. When a dangerous man from her past brings her family’s pub business to the brink of financial ruin, the only way to protect them is to upend all their secrets―secrets that have damaged the family for generations and will threaten everything they know about their lives. In the aftermath, the Brennan family is forced to confront painful mistakes―and ultimately find a way forward, together.

Pick up your copy here...


Born in the Bronx and raised in Manhattan, Tracey Lange comes from a large Irish family with a few secrets of its own. She headed west and graduated from the University of New Mexico before owning and operating a behavioral healthcare company with her husband for fifteen years. While writing her debut novel, We Are the Brennans, she completed the Stanford University online novel writing program. Tracey currently lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, two sons and their German Shepherd.

My Thoughts...
Family drama, secrets, and unforgettable characters. This one has it all. You will not be able to put it down and there is even a little mystery that you will not believe. You have got to read this one.
5 stars and so much family drama that you will be reading with out stopping.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

The Therapist By B.A. Paris

 

The multimillion-copy New York Times bestselling author B.A. Paris returns to her heartland of gripping psychological suspense in The Therapista powerful tale of a house that holds a shocking secret.

When Alice and Leo move into a newly renovated house in The Circle, a gated community of exclusive houses, it is everything they’ve dreamed of. But appearances can be deceptive…

As Alice is getting to know her neighbours, she discovers a devastating secret about her new home, and begins to feel a strong connection with Nina, the therapist who lived there before.

Alice becomes obsessed with trying to piece together what happened two years before. But no one wants to talk about it. Her neighbors are keeping secrets and things are not as perfect as they seem… 

Pick up your copy...


B A Paris is the internationally bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown, Bring Me Back and The Dilemma. Having sold over one million copies in the UK alone, she is a New York Times bestseller as well as Sunday Times bestseller and a number one bestseller on Amazon and iBooks. Her books have been translated into 40 languages. Having lived in France for many years, she and her husband recently moved back to the UK.
Her fifth novel The Therapist is out in April 2021

Follow B A on Twitter @BAParisAuthor

My Thoughts...

So many liars in this one, who is telling the truth. I was kept guessing the whole book. All the neighborhood drama and trying to find out who was who. I stayed on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading.
You are going to want to read this one, you will never see it coming until you are knocked up side the head. You won't put this book down.
4 stars and I recommend The Therapist.
 The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Ruby Falls By Deborah Goodrich Royce

Like the chilling psychological thriller The Silent Patient, Deborah Goodrich Royce’s Ruby Falls is a nail-biting tale of a fragile young actress, the new husband she barely knows, and her growing suspicion that the secrets he harbors may eclipse her own.

On a brilliantly sunny July day, six-year-old Ruby is abandoned by her father in the suffocating dark of a Tennessee cave. Twenty years later, transformed into soap opera star Eleanor Russell, she is fired under dubious circumstances. Fleeing to Europe, she marries a glamorous stranger named Orlando Montague and keeps her past closely hidden.

Together, Eleanor and Orlando start afresh in LA. Setting up house in a storybook cottage in the Hollywood Hills, Eleanor is cast in a dream role—the lead in a remake of Rebecca. As she immerses herself in that eerie gothic tale, Orlando’s personality changes, ghosts of her past re-emerge, and Eleanor fears she is not the only person in her marriage with a secret.

In this thrilling and twisty homage to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, the story ricochets through the streets of Los Angeles, a dangerous marriage to an exotic stranger, and the mind of a young woman whose past may not release her.

Pick up your copy here...

Deborah Goodrich Royce's first psychological thriller, Finding Mrs. Ford, was published in 2019 to rave reviews. Her second, Ruby Falls, will come out on May 4, 2021.
Deborah began her acting career in 1982 in the lead role of Silver Kane (sister of the legendary, Erica Kane) on ABC’s ALL MY CHILDREN. She went on to star in dozens of feature films, television shows, mini-series and TV movies.
After the birth of her daughters, she moved with her family to Paris and worked as a reader for le Studio Canal Plus. In the 1990’s, Deborah was the story editor at Miramax Films, overseeing readers, manuscript acquisitions and script development, including editing such notable screenplays as EMMA by Doug McGrath.
With writing partner, Mitch Giannunzio, Deborah won a grant from the Massachusetts Arts Council in 2002 to develop and workshop their original screenplay, SUSAN TAFT HAS RUN AMOK.
With her husband, Chuck, Deborah restored the1939 Avon Theatre in Stamford, CT. Under her leadership, the Avon hosts an ongoing series of film luminaries, most recently, Mira Nair, Richard Gere and Chloe Sevigny. The late Gene Wilder, a longstanding advisory board member of the Avon, was an early advocate for Deborah’s writing.
Deborah and Chuck have also restored several hotels (Ocean House, Deer Mountain Inn, and Weekapaug Inn), a bookstore (The Savoy in Westerly, RI), and numerous other “Main Street” buildings. Deborah serves on multiple boards, including the national council of the American Film Institute, the executive board of the Greenwich International Film Festival, and the governing boards of the New York Botanical Garden, the Greenwich Historical Society, and the PRASAD Project.

My Thoughts...
Griping, face paced, so many twists that will blow your mind. You will be shaking your head.
I love a good mystery and Royce gives you all this in one book.
I recommend this 4 star and I hope that you will grab a copy to enjoy.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own. 

Monday, July 12, 2021

The Lines Between Us By Rebecca D' Harlingue

 

In 1661 Madrid, Ana is still grieving the loss of her husband when her niece, sixteen-year-old Juliana, suddenly vanishes. Ana frantically searches the girl’s room and comes across a diary. Journeying to southern Spain in the hope of finding her, Ana immerses herself in her niece’s private thoughts. After a futile search in Seville, she comes to Juliana’s final entries, and, discovering the horrifying reason for the girl’s flight, abandons her search.

In 1992 Missouri, in her deceased mother’s home, Rachel finds a packet of letters, and a diary written by a woman named Juliana. Rachel’s reserved mother has never mentioned these items, but Rachel recognizes the names Ana and Juliana: her mother uttered them on her deathbed. She soon becomes immersed in Juliana’s diary, which recounts the young woman’s journey to Mexico City and her life in a convent. As she learns the truth about Juliana’s tragic family history, Rachel seeks to understand her connection to the writings―hoping that in finding those answers, she will somehow heal the wounds caused by her mother’s lifelong reticence.

Pick up your copy here...



Rebecca D’Harlingue has studied Spanish literature, worked as a hospital administrator, and taught English as a Second Language to adults form all over the world. The discovery of family papers prompted her to explore the repercussions of family secrets, and of the ways we attempt to reveal ourselves.

She shares her love of story both with preschoolers at a Head Start program, and with the members of the book club she has belonged to for decades. She lives in Oakland, California with her husband, Arthur, where they are fortunate to frequently spend time with their children and grandchildren.

My Thoughts...
I really did enjoy this historical. It was very well written and the plot was full of twists  on historic events and so well researched.
I am so happy that I got the opportunity  to read this.
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.