The Other Family By Wendy Corsi Staub

 

The watcher sees who you are...and knows what you did. 

It’s the perfect home for the perfect family: pretty Nora Howell, her handsome husband, their two teenage daughters, and lovable dog. As California transplants making a fresh start in Brooklyn, they expected to live in a shoebox, but the brownstone has a huge kitchen, lots of light, and a backyard. The catch: its previous residents were victims of a grisly triple homicide that remains unsolved.  

Soon, peculiar things begin happening. The pug is nosing around like a bloodhound. Nora unearths a long-hidden rusty box in the flowerbed. Oldest daughter Stacey, obsessed with the family murdered in their house, pokes into the bloody past and becomes convinced that a stranger is watching the house. Watching them.

She’s right. But one of the Howells will recognize his face. Because one of them has a secret that will blindside the others with a truth that lies shockingly close to home—and to this one’s terrifying history. 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: The Other Family: A Novel: 9780063084605: Staub, Wendy Corsi: Books 

New York Times bestseller Wendy Corsi Staub is the award-winning author of more than ninety novels, best known for the single title psychological suspense novels she writes under her own name. Those books and the women’s fiction she writes under the pseudonym Wendy Markham have also appeared on the USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookscan bestseller lists.

Wendy’s current releases, LITTLE GIRL LOST, DEAD SILENCE, and THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER comprise her fifth suspense trilogy for HarperCollins/William Morrow. She is writing a standalone psychological suspense to be published by William Morrow mid 2021. The first three titles in her Lily Dale traditional mystery series are NINE LIVES; SOMETHING BURIED, SOMETHING BLUE, and DEAD OF WINTER, with two more coming from Severn House in 2021-22.

Her novel HELLO, IT’S ME was a recent Hallmark television movie starring Kellie Martin. Her short story “Cat Got Your Tongue” appeared in R.L. Stine’s MWA middle grade anthology SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN (HarperCollins). Her short story “The Elephant in the Room” appears in Nasty Woman Press’s inaugural anthology SHATTERING GLASS.

A three-time finalist for the Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award, she’s won an RWA Rita Award, an RT Award for Career Achievement in Suspense, the 2007 RWA-NYC Golden Apple Award for Lifetime Achievement, and five WLA Washington Irving Prizes for Fiction.

She previously published a dozen adult suspense novels with Kensington Books and the critically-acclaimed young adult paranormal series “Lily Dale” (Walker/Bloomsbury). Earlier in her career, she published a broad range of genres under her own name and pseudonyms, and was a co-author/ghostwriter for several celebrities.

Raised in western NY's snow belt, Wendy graduated from SUNY Fredonia and launched a publishing career in New York City. She was Associate Editor at Silhouette Books before selling her first novel in 1992. Married with two young adult sons, she lives in the NYC suburbs. An active supporter of Planned Parenthood and the American Cancer Society, she was a featured speaker at Northern Westchester’s Relay for Life and a National Spokesperson for the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. She has fostered for various animal rescue organizations and has three beloved rescue cats. 

My Thoughts...

This started out on a good note but by the time I got to the end I was very disappointed. It fell flat and was just not a good ending at all. 

Maybe you will enjoy it but, It was just not a good one to me. I gave it 3 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.

Two Reasons To Run By Colleen Coble

 The gripping second installment of the Pelican Harbor series from USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble! Police Chief Jane Hardy has only just been reunited with her long-lost son when she learns of an impending terror attack that threatens everything she holds dear.

A lie changed her world. Police Chief Jane Hardy is still reeling from the scandal that rocked her small-town department just as she took over for her retired father—the man who wrecked her life with one little lie. Now she’s finally been reunited with her presumed-dead fifteen-year-old son, Will, and his father, documentarian Reid Dixon.

When a murder aboard the Gulf Coast oil platform Zeus exposes an environmental terrorist’s plot to flood Mobile Bay with crude oil, Jane and Reid must put their feelings for each other aside and work together to prevent the looming sabotage.

When the terrorist puts Will’s life on the line, protecting him could be the common ground Jane and Reid need . . . until ghosts from the past threaten to ruin their fragile relationship for good.

Jane has plenty of reasons to run. But what if she stays?                                                                                   

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                   Two Reasons to Run (The Pelican Harbor Series): Coble, Colleen: 9780785228486: Amazon.com: Books

 

Best-selling author Colleen Coble's novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 4 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at http://colleencoble.com.

Clever Cub Learns About Love and Clever Cub and the Easter Surprise

 Clever Cub is a curious little bear who LOVES to cuddle up with the Bible and learn about God.

 
Mama Bear teaches Clever Cub there are many ways to say “I love you!” as she tells him the story of Moses’s mommy, who loved Moses so much that she put him in a basket on the river to keep him safe.
 
This engaging picture book:

• Tells the story of baby Moses from Exodus 1 and 2.
• Helps children ages 3–6 think about ways they can show love to others.

• Includes questions about the story’s theme and ideas for learning more in the Bible.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Clever Cub Learns about Love (Clever Cub Bible Stories): 9780830782536: Hartman, Bob, Brown, Steve: Books

Clever Cub is a curious little bear who LOVES to cuddle up with the Bible and learn about God.
 
Papa and Mama Bear tell Clever Cub the exciting story of Easter morning when Jesus Christ rose from the dead and gave us the best surprise of all!
 
This engaging picture book:

• Tells the story of Jesus’ resurrection from Matthew 28.
• Helps children ages 3–6 discover the joyful surprise of Easter morning.

Includes questions about the story’s theme and ideas for learning more in the Bible. 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Clever Cub and the Easter Surprise (Clever Cub Bible Stories): 9780830782543: Hartman, Bob, Brown, Steve: Books

Bright Stars By Nora Roberts

 

Once More with Feeling

Celebrated musicians Raven Williams and Brandon Carstairs rose to the top of the charts―and to the front page of the gossip columns―before their relationship imploded. Heartbroken, Raven immersed herself into music, putting her career above life and love. Five years later, Brandon has been hired to score a potential blockbuster musical film―and wants Raven to co-write it with him. And as the melody and rhythm of their work flows, Raven and Brandon embrace the harmony of their hearts…

Opposites Attract

Once they ruled the tennis courts. Ty Starbuck reduced opponents to ash with his fiery athleticism. Asher Wolfe’s cool cunning skills left players frozen in their tracks. Their temperaments could not be more mismatched, but the drive that made them champions also propelled them into a steamy and scandalous affair that drove Asher from the sport and into a bad marriage. Now, three years later, she’s making a comeback that will bring her face to face with Ty only to discover their rivalry isn’t about defeating each other in Grand Slam victories, but about winning a tournament of the heart. 

Pick up your copy here...

Bright Stars: Once More with Feeling and Opposites Attract: A 2-in-1 Collection: Roberts, Nora: 9781250831873: Amazon.com: Books

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Shelter in Place, Year One, Come Sundown, and many more. She is also the author of the bestselling In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than five hundred million copies of her books in print. 

My Thoughts...

I have been reading Roberts books for years and this one just blew me away.  I really enjoyed it so much. 

Bright Stars is a romance full of all the feels. Opposites do attract. This is a must read for romance lovers.

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

Life's not Yoga... or is it? By Jacqui Burnett

 

She was born into a perfect family, but by age 16 Jacqui Burnett wants to kill her father.

Decades later Jacqui believes she's left her turbulent childhood past and the trauma of multiple near-death experiences behind her.

On the surface, she has everything she’s ever dreamed of – a solid education, success, and a wonderful husband.

What Jacqui doesn’t know is that she’s about to lose everything.

She was about to step into a board meeting but instead she slid from her office chair and cowered under her desk, sobbing. As managing director, she was meant to announce a year of outstanding results; instead, she was paralysed.’

In a desperate search for answers, Jacqui travels to America. Alone in the Rocky Mountains, her life starts unravelling and the truth of her chaotic childhood begins to emerge.

Amidst confused attempts to find love and meaning, Jacqui has to face death one more time, along with an avalanche of unexpected obstacles, before rising from the ashes to heal.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Life's Not Yoga: or is it . . .? Finding Love in the Chaos of Life: 9781990983924: Burnett, Jacqui: Books

Jacqui Burnett is an adventurer – both in journeys of the Spirit and in the world of financial strategy. Raised in South Africa, she is qualified in business studies, which has enabled her to help numerous businesses achieve their strategic and financial goals. However, Jacqui has always pursued a parallel interest in spirituality, which has guided her into her writing career.

Jacqui wrote her memoir in a quest to make spiritual sense of the traumatic life events she has experienced. Inspired by her discoveries on her life journey, Jacqui created the Dare to Be Love platform, which quickly attracted an audience of over 43 000 followers also seeking answers on how to deal with life’s challenges and trauma. The Dare to Be Love platform is a space for readers to share and learn how this connection is made through LOVE. Here, she also shares her inspirational thoughts, poetry and personal life stories told through the lens of her unique Dare to Be Love self-enquiry practices.

As an impassioned student of life, Jacqui continues to practise and promote living a Spirit-led life of courage, kindness, compassion and LOVE.

Jacqui has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of South Africa in Industrial Psychology and Economics, and a MBA from the University of Witwatersrand, including a semester abroad at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) Erasmus. Jacqui is also a certified Integral Coach through New Ventures West, and trained as a yoga teacher with Yoga Tree, acquiring both these certifications in San Francisco, California.

This memoir, Life’s Not Yoga, is Jacqui’s first published book.

Website: https://jacquiburnett.com

Facebook: @jacquiburnettauthor

Instagram: @jacquiburnettauthor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquiburnett

My Thoughts...                                                                                                  This is not your average memoir, it's not all positive and sugar coated. This is a true from the heart memoir. You are going to enjoy this one.        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 Cage By Boonie Kistler

 Combining the propulsive narrative drive of The Firm with the psychological complexity of The Silent Patient, a gripping and original thriller about two professional women—colleagues at an international fashion conglomerate—who enter an elevator together . . . but only one is alive when they reach the ground floor.

On a cold, misty Sunday night, two women are alone in the offices of fashion conglomerate Claudine de Martineau International. One is the company’s human resources director. Impeccably dressed and perfectly coiffed, she sits at her desk and stares somberly out the window. Down the hall, her colleague, one of the company’s lawyers, is buried under a pile of paperwork, frantically rushing to finish. 

Leaving at the same time, the two women, each preoccupied by her own thoughts, enter the elevator that will take them down from the 30th floor.

When they arrive at the lobby, one of the women is dead. Was it murder or suicide?

An incredibly original novel that turns the office thriller on its head, The Cage is a wild ride that begins with a bang and picks up speed as it races to its dramatic end.

Pick up your copy here...

The Cage: A Novel: Kistler, Bonnie: 9780063089143: Amazon.com: Books

Bonnie Kistler is the author of The Cage and House on Fire, and, writing as Bonnie MacDougal, several other psychological thrillers. A former Philadelphia lawyer, she and her husband now live in Florida and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

My Thoughts...

This was such a unique thriller.  Well legal thriller. I was glued to the pages until the very end. I had to find out what happened and how it happened.

4 star read, I recommend this one.

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 By Lisa Jackson GIVEAWAY!

 

Headlined by blockbuster #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson, with fellow bestselling suspense stars Alexandra Ivy and Lisa Childs, a trio of never-before-released, linked novellas about dark secrets and revenge, all connected by St. Cecilia’s School for Girls. An elite boarding school and a haven for the daughters of the rich and famous, it’s a place where scandals are buried and secrets hidden. But for three former students, evil is about to resurface…

LUCY
Lucy Champagne was sent to St. Cecilia’s after her movie-star mother was brutally attacked by her sleazy boyfriend, Ray Watkins. Lucy’s damning testimony landed Ray a twenty-five-year sentence. But now, Ray is free. And he’s going to find Lucy and make her pay, no matter how far and how fast she runs . . .
 
RAYNE
Rayne Taylor found unexpected happiness at St. Cecilia’s, until her roommate, Natalie, committed suicide. Only when Rayne finds a box of mementoes from that time does she realize how wrong she may have been about Natalie’s death—and how far someone will go to keep the truth hidden . . .

ERIN

Erin MacDonald remembers little about the long-ago night she and her sister, Anna Beth, were kidnapped. While Erin was found safe, Anna Beth vanished forever. Now Erin has reluctantly come back to the family estate, where Detective Rafe Montego hopes to finally crack the case. But as flashes of Erin’s memory reemerge, she learns how deep the danger goes . . . 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Afraid: Three Riveting Stories of Suspense: 9781420153637: Jackson, Lisa, Ivy, Alexandra, Childs, Lisa: Books

Alexandra Ivy graduated from Truman University with a degree in theatre before deciding she preferred to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage. She started her career writing traditional regencies before moving into the world of paranormal with her USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times bestselling series The Guardians of Eternity. Now she writes a wide variety of genres that include paranormal, erotica, and romantic suspense.

Stop by www.alexandraivy.com to stay update! 

My Thoughts...

This story was woven together so well you would have never known three people wrote it together. I am a fan of Jacksons so I devoured this book really quick.

This was a 4 star read and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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

Deadly Declarations By Landis Wade

 It's modern day in the New South City of Charlotte, North Carolina, when three retirees at the Independence Retirement Community, a/k/a The Indie, team up to investigate two mysteries related to the death of a 96-year-old resident. Why was his manuscript about the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence missing when they found his body? And why did his handwritten will dated the day he died disinherit his beloved granddaughter (his only heir), and leave his $50 million fortune to Sue Ellen Parker, the most despised resident at the Indie? 

Pick up your copy here...

Deadly Declarations: Wade, Landis: 9781736305584: Amazon.com: Books

Landis Wade is a recovering trial lawyer, dog lover, host of Charlotte Readers Podcast (where he has conducted more than 300 author interviews), and author of books and stories whose third book—"The Christmas Redemption"—won the Holiday category of the 12th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards.

He writes light-hearted legal and historical mystery thrillers.

He won the 2016 North Carolina State Bar short story contest for "The Deliberation" and received awards for his non-fiction pieces, "The Cape Fear Debacle" and "First Dance." His short work has also appeared in Writersdigest.com, The Charlotte Observer, Flying South, Fiction on the Web and in various anthologies, including by Daniel Boone Footsteps.

Visit his podcast website here: www.charlottereaderspodcast.com

Visit his personal website here: www.landiswade.com

Contact Landis here: landis@charlottereaderspodcast.com

My Thoughts...

Living in North Carolina this one was a hit for my Wade hit the nail on the head with the history of North Carolina. I was really impressed with the story, and I recommend this book.

4 stars and one for the books.

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

Trust Me By Kelly Irvin GIVEAWAY!

 

Her best friend is murdered the same way her brother was years ago. Is there anyone she can possibly trust?

A decade ago, Delaney Broward discovered her brother’s murdered body at the San Antonio art co-op he founded with friends. Her artist boyfriend, Hunter Nash, went to prison for the murder, despite his not-guilty plea.

This morning, Hunter walks out of prison a free man, having served his sentence.

This afternoon, Delaney finds her best friend dead, murdered in the same fashion as her brother.

Stay out of it or you’re next, the killer warns.

Hunter never stopped loving Delaney, though he can’t blame her for not forgiving her. He knows he’ll get his life back one day at a time, one step at a time. But he’s blindsided to realize he’s a murder suspect. Again.

When Hunter shows up on her doorstep asking her to help him find the real killer, Delaney’s head says to run away, yet her heart tells her there’s more to his story than what came out in the trial. An uneasy truce leads to their probe into a dark past that shatters Delaney’s image of her brother. She can’t stop and neither can Hunter—which lands them both in the crosshairs of a murderer growing more desperate by the hour.

In this gripping romantic suspense, Kelly Irvin plumbs the complexity of broken trust in the people we love—and in God—and whether either can be mended. 

Pick up your copy here..                                                                                                                                      Trust Me: Irvin, Kelly: 9780785231936: Amazon.com: Books                                                                           

Best-selling novelist Kelly Irvin's latest Amish romance, Love's Dwelling, debuted in July. The first novel in the Amish Blessings series takes place in Yoder and Haven, Kansas. The series takes a look at adoption in Amish communities. It follows the Amish of Sky Country series, which featured Amish communities 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 Her Every Move and Closer Than She Knows, both set in San Antonio and South Texas. Publishers Weekly says of Closer Than She Knows, "this brisk, smoothly written thriller from Irvin pits court reporter Teagan O’Rourke, a murder mystery lover, against a cunning and vicious serial killer. Fans of serial killer fiction with a Christian slant will be satisfied."

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.

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 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   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                                                                                           Thoughts...                                                                                                

I love a good suspense book. Irvin usually writes Amish fiction, but she has found her new genre. She really can write a suspense novel to keep you guessing. It's sprinkled with romance, and you will have to read it to find out how that works out.

This is a 4-star read 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.

Garden Variety By Christy Wilhelmi

 

If you thought community gardening was nothing but pulling weeds and planting seeds think again. In this fresh and delightful debut, Christy Wilhelmi shows that there’s more to gardening than merely keeping pests at bay …

Each time Lizzie steps through the gates of the Vista Mar Community Gardens, she knows she’s left the chaos of the outside world behind. Here, the rows are even, tools are properly stored, and each season brings new life. But even the shiniest apple can hide a worm, and behind the leafy green façade there is hidden heartbreak, tomato hornworms, and inter-garden political powerplays.

And to make things worse—a long forgotten loophole enacted by a nasty neighbor brings the outside world crashing in. The members are feuding, Lizzie’s budding romance is wilting on the vine, and the very existence of Vista Mar is threatened. Can Lizzie and her fellow gardeners fight to save their urban oasis while they struggle to stay grounded in this chaotic city? 

Garden Variety is as much about growing food and flowers as it is about life’s growing pains, and how a community rallies and comes together to save their own. 

Pick up your copy here...

Garden Variety: A Novel: Wilhelmi, Christy: 9780063113480: Amazon.com: Books

Christy Wilhelmi empowers people to grow their own food, to be more self-reliant, and to reduce pollution and waste, one garden at a time. Christy is founder of Gardenerd, the ultimate resource for garden nerds, where she publishes newsletters, her popular blog, and podcasts. She also specializes in small-space, organic vegetable garden design and consulting. She holds regular organic gardening classes in California, and was a board member of Ocean View Farms Organic Community Garden in Mar Vista, California for over 20 years. Between 70-80 percent of her family's produce comes from her garden of less than 200 square feet. She is author of Grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden (Cool Springs Press); Gardening for Geeks (Fox Chapel); 400+ Tips for Organic Gardening Success: A Decade of Tricks, Tools, Recipes, and Resources from Gardenerd.com (Amazon Kindle); and her debut novel, Garden Variety (William Morrow). 

My Thoughts...

This made me long for a community that has a garden. This was a fun, fast read and you would never know it was Wilhelmi's debut book.  Not only was this an entertaining read but also very educational as well.

I would give this 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.

Enough Already By Valerie Bertinelli GIVEAWAY!

 

Beloved actress, Food Network personality, and New York Times bestselling author Valerie Bertinelli reflects on life at sixty and beyond.

Behind the curtain of her happy on-screen persona, Valerie Bertinelli’s life has been no easy ride, especially when it comes to her own self-image and self-worth. She waged a war against herself for years, learning to equate her value to her appearance as a child star on One Day at a Time and punishing herself in order to fit into the unachievable Hollywood mold. She struggled to make her marriage to Eddie Van Halen — the true love of her life — work, despite all the rifts the rock-star lifestyle created between them. She then watched her son follow in his father’s footsteps, right up onto the stage of Van Halen concerts, and begin his own music career. And like so many women, she cared for her parents as their health declined and saw the roles of parent and child reverse. Through mourning the loss of her parents, discovering more about her family’s past, and realizing how short life really is when she and her son lost Eddie, Valerie finally said, “Enough already!” to a lifelong battle with the scale and found a new path forward to joy and connection. Despite hardships and the pressures of the media industry to be something she’s not, Valerie is, at last, accepting herself: she knows who she is, has discovered her self-worth, and has learned how to prioritize her health and happiness over her weight. With an intimate look into her insecurities, heartbreaks, losses, triumphs, and revelations, Enough Already is the story of Valerie’s sometimes humorous, sometimes raw, but always honest journey to love herself and find joy in the everyday, in family, and in the food and memories we share.  

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                    Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today: Bertinelli, Valerie: 9780358567363: Amazon.com: Books 

Valerie Bertinelli is the host of her own daytime series Valerie’s Home Cooking and co-hosts Kids Baking Championship on the Food Network. The two-time Golden Globe award-winning actress takes her fans into her kitchen with her new cookbook “Valerie’s Home Cooking” (Oxmoor House, an imprint of Time Inc. Books, October 2017). Her fun flavor combinations, like Brown Sugar Sriracha Bacon Bites, Lobster BLTs, and Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons, transform traditional classics into crave-worthy and exciting new dishes to enjoy with friends and family. Bertinelli first became a household name for her role as Barbara on CBS’s long-running series, One Day at a Time. Over the years, her career expanded from acting to include hosting, spokesperson, business entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author. She has also helped develop, produce, and star in several television movies and mini-series, and in August 2012 she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She most recently starred as Melanie Moretti in TV Land’s critically acclaimed sitcom Hot in Cleveland. 

My Thoughts...                                                                                                  Sitting down and reading Enough Already was like sitting at a table with Val and talking. Her real voice was so calming, and it was just like an afternoon with a friend. I loved how real she was and honest. This is a 5 star two times book. Ladies this is a must 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.

I have two extra copies for 2 lucky blog followers.

Geographies of the Heart By Caitlin Summie

 

Sarah Macmillan always puts family first, but she can’t quite stretch her arms wide enough to hold on to everyone as they all age: her career-minded, inattentive younger sister, Glennie; their grandparents, who are slowly fading; or a pregnancy Sarah desperately wanted. But it’s her tumultuous relationship with Glennie that makes Sarah feel the loneliest. She’d always believed that their relationship was foundational, even unbreakable. Though blessed with a happy marriage to Al, whose compassion and humor she admires, Sarah shoulders both caregiving and loss largely alone and grows bitter about Glennie’s absences, until one decision forces them all to decide what family means—and who is family. Narrated by the chorus of their three voices, this elegantly told and deeply moving novel examines the pull of tradition, the power of legacies, the importance of forgiveness, and the fertile but fragile ground that is family, the first geography to shape our hearts. 

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Geographies of the Heart: Summie, Caitlin Hamilton: 9781953236395: Amazon.com: Books

Caitlin Hamilton Summie earned an MFA with Distinction from Colorado State University. Her short stories have been published in Beloit Fiction Journal, Wisconsin Review, Puerto del Sol, Mud Season Review, and Long Story, Short, among other journals. Her first book, a short story collection called TO LAY TO REST OUR GHOSTS, was published by Fomite Press in 2017 to excellent reviews. It placed Silver, Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in Short Stories and won the 2017 Philip H. McMath Post-Publication Book Award. Her first novel, GEOGRAPHIES OF THE HEART, is due out from Fomite Press in January 2022. She co-owns the book marketing firm, Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity, founded in 2003. Find her online at https://caitlinhamiltonsummie.com.

My Thoughts...

I enjoyed getting to know Sarah and Al. This was a good story all the way around. the writing was so easy to get into. Like the author was talking to me. I have to say this is one I will be recommending to friends looking for a new author to try.

4 stars from this reader.

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

Secrets of Our House By Rea Frey

 

Desi is the mastermind behind her dream getaway house. Nestled high into the mountains of North Carolina, it is a sleek place, a luxurious place, a dark place.

A place full of secrets.

Secrets about the man she longs for, a man who is not her husband. Secrets about the roots of her family that must never, ever, see the light of day. When Desi and her family arrive from Chicago to spend the summer in the mountains, the seeds for the tumultuous months to follow are planted―her marriage on the rocks, not knowing which way they’ll go. Her seventeen year-old daughter Jules, falling in love for the first time with a local boy―and forging a new path that will take her to uncharted places. And Carter―a man Desi knew long ago, before she expunged him from her life for good.

All hurtling toward events none of them can undo.

Engaging, propulsive, and with a dramatic, heart-pounding final act, Secrets of Our House is a dazzling novel, richly-drawn, that shows no matter how hard outside forces may shake you, the bonds of family are stronger than the harshest winds. 

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Secrets of Our House: Frey, Rea: 9781250241603: Amazon.com: Books 

Rea Frey is the celebrated author of Not Her Daughter, Because You're Mine, and Until I Find You. She also is the founder and CEO of Writeway, where aspiring writers become published authors. To learn more, please visit reafrey.com or writewayco.com. 

My Thoughts...

What a good read. I loved the turn of events in the end. As with all of Frey's books you never know what is going to happen next. But this ending had me like what. It was just so good. This 4 star book is not to be missed.

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