Book Review: A Girl Within A Girl Within A Girl by Nanda Reddy

 

About

A girl takes on a series of identities to survive, shrouding herself in layers of secrets, until years later she is forced to reckon with her past.

On an ordinary day in an upscale Atlanta suburb, Maya is making breakfast for her two sons, when her husband drops a red-and-blue striped envelope on the counter and asks a devastating Who is Sunny?

Maya is sent reeling back to her childhood in Guyana—a time when Sunny was her only name. Unbeknownst to her husband, Maya is not who she claims to be. The letter, from her long-lost sister Roshi, now threatens to expose her true identity and shatter the seemingly perfect existence Maya worked so hard to build.

As she frantically weighs the impact of the truth on her future, Maya relives the harrowing details of her past—her journey to America on the “backtrack,” the shock of being delivered into the hands of an abusive family while being severed from her own, and her many evolutions of self as she struggles to find a path forward against all odds.

This striking debut transports the reader from the sugar cane fields of Guyana to the world of immigrant laborers in Miami to the affluent suburbs of Atlanta. Nanda Reddy takes us on a wrenching journey of assimilation, survival, and reinvention that explores the very construct of identity and the resilience of the human spirit.

My Thoughts

What an emotional rollercoaster!!!! Wow, where do I begin with this review? This book painted a vivid picture of immigration to the US and the lengths people.would go for the American Dream.

In the novel we meet 12 year old Sunny,.a.bubbly girl from Guyana who dreamed of life in the USA. That dream came through but at a cost...a very painful cost. Her family, being poor and in search of a better life grabbed an "opportunity" to get ahead and this involved Sunny going to the US under an alias.

Upon reaching America, Sunny became Neena eventually Maya. Her life in the US came with abuse, drugs, homelessness and despair. In spite of the odds against her and the people who were enemies, Sunny became a strong woman.

This book deals with a number of emotional issues but that is what made me want to get to the end. I enjoyed it.

Book Review: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

 

About:

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

My Thoughts

This book was a very good book.

I have been seeing Abby Jimenez everywhere but I didn't think too much of it because I do not gravitate towards romance novels, I am more of a mystery/thriller reader. But Emma and Justin had me invested. I loved everything about the story, and As I usually say I am drawn to romances only if there is a story line.

Although it was part of a series this story read as a standalone so even though I had not read the first two books (which you can bet I am going to devour now) I enjoyed it. Jimenez did not only focus on the love story of Emma and Justin, I loved how she included themes of family trauma, mental illness and friendship as well.

Go get this book, this exceeded my expectations. I am now a fan.

Book Review: Can't Get Enough Skylands 3 by Kennedy Ryan

 

About

“Kennedy Ryan pours her whole soul into everything she writes, and it makes for books that are heart-searing, sensual, and life affirming.”―EMILY HENRY, #1 New York Times bestselling author Hendrix Barry lives a fabulous life. She has phenomenal friends, a loving family, and a thriving business that places her in the entertainment industry's rarefied air. Your vision board? She’s probably living it.

She’s a woman with goals, dreams, ambitions—always striving upward. And in the midst of everything, she's facing her toughest challenge caring for an aging parent.

Who has time for romance? From her experience, there's a low ROI on relationships. She hasn't met the man who can keep up with her anyway. Until...him.

Tech mogul Maverick Bell is a dilemma wrapped in an exquisitely tailored suit and knee-melting charm. From their first charged glance at the summer's hottest party, Hendrix feels like she’s met her match. Only he can’t be. Mav may be the first to make her feel this seen and desired and appreciated, but he’s the last one she can have. Forbidden fruit is the juiciest, and this man is off limits if she plans to stay the course she’s set for herself.

But when Maverick gives chase—pursuing her, spoiling her, understanding her—is it time to let herself have something more?

A deeply moving and personal novel about sacrifice, self-reliance, and finding true happiness from “one of the finest romance writers of our age.” –Entertainment Weekly

My Thoughts

This was one of my anticipated reads for 2025, and it did not disappoint one bit. I felt every emotion under the sun with this third installment of the Skyland series. Hendrix was fierce, independent and kind. In the previous books she was the friend and rich auntie. I was very excited for her story.

As I always say, romance is never my go to genre simply because most of them never really have a storyline beyond the couple. While the relationship between Maverick and Hendrix was exceptionally written, I also loved again, how Ryan, included other themes and issues, the main one being dealing with Alzheimer's (which Hendrix's mom had) and the challenges that caregivers and family members go through dealing with that.

It was nice to read about Yasmen and Soledad again also. I really enjoyed this entire series.

Book Review: A Summer Affair Nantucket #1 by Elin Hilderbrand

 

About:

Claire Danner Crispin, mother of four young children and nationally renowned glassblower, bites off more than she can chew when she agrees to co-chair the Nantucket's Children Summer Gala. Claire is asked to chair the benefit, in part, because she is the former high school sweetheart of rock star Max West. Max agrees to play the gala and it looks like smooth sailing for Claire-until she promises a "museum-quality" piece of glass for the auction, offers her best friend the catering job, goes nose-to-nose with her Manhattan socialite co-chair, and begins a "good-hearted" affair with the charity's Executive Director, Lockhart Dixon.

Hearts break and emotions are pushed to the limit in this riveting story of one woman's attempt to deal with loves past and present, family, business, and high-powered social pressures. Elin Hilderbrand's unique understanding of the joys and longings that animate women's lives will make this her newest summer bestseller.

My Thoughts

Since watching The Perfect Couple on Netflix, and enjoying the series, I began looking into Elin Hilderbrand's novels to give them a try and I am glad I did.

A Summer Affair is the first of the Nantucket series. In this story we meet Claire, artist, devoted wife, mother and best friend. Claire had what many would refer to as the perfect cookie cutter life. Claire's desire to help in her community led her to co chair the Summer gala for a Nantucket Children's charity alongside the powerful Lock Dixon.

Lock and Claire began working closely together and what began as admiration and professional respect, ended up in an affair, one with dire consequences. The story explores relationships of all kinds and friendships. It was a rollercoaster ride.

The story was a bit longer than necessary, with long chapters but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I will continue the series.

Book Review: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

 

A wildly inventive spin on the supernatural thriller, about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.

Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.

Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.

Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.

Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.

My Thoughts

Why did I wait so long to read this book?? This was a very good book. When flipping through the pages when I bought this I was like brrrr why are there pictures in this? Honestly the illustrations are what made this story so great.

In Hidden Pictures we meet twenty one year old Mallory. Mallory was a recovering addict trying to start over after being clean for a while. She lands a job with Ted and Caroline Maxwell to be a nanny for.their.five year old son Teddy. While this family seems perfect, strange things begin happening as Teddy begins drawing pictures.

The pictures were becoming elaborate and seemed to be telling a very sinister story. These pictures unlock secrets that will have you shook. A gripping tale, Hidden Pictures is definitely a book to read.

Book Review: The Inmate by Freida Mc Fadden

 

There are three rules Brooke Sullivan must follow as a new nurse practitioner at a men's maximum-security:
1) Treat all prisoners with respect.
2) Never reveal any personal information.
3) Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.

But none of the staff at the prison knows Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary's most notorious and dangerous inmates. And they certainly don't know that Shane was Brooke's high school sweetheart―the star quarterback who is now spending the rest of his life in prison for a series of grisly murders. Or that Brooke's testimony was what put him there.

MY THOUGHTS 

Another action packed story from the author I refer to as "The Queen of Twists" Freida Mc Fadden. In The Inmate we meet Brooke the nurse practitioner who was assigned to work at the prison that houses her ex boyfriend and father of her son Shane Nelson. Shane was accused of some heinous crimes that occurred eleven years prior and it was Brooke's testimony that made him go to jail.

As they reconnect, Brooke begins to question the events of that night. She wonders if it was indeed Shane or was she mistaken....As the mystery unfolded I was at the edge of my seat eager find out who was guilty. It was indeed as usual a surprise at the end.
.

Book Review: Tempest Old West #3 by Beverly Jenkins

 

From USA Today Bestselling Author Beverly Jenkins comes a new novel in a mesmerizing series set in the Old West, where an arranged marriage becomes a grand passion . . .

What kind of mail-order bride greets her intended with a bullet instead of a kiss? One like Regan Carmichael—an independent spirit equally at home in denims and dresses. Shooting Dr. Colton Lee in the shoulder is an honest error, but soon Regan wonders if her entire plan to marry a man she’s never met is a mistake. Colton, who buried his heart along with his first wife, insists he only wants someone to care for his daughter. Yet Regan is drawn to the unmistakable desire in his gaze.

Regan’s far from the docile bride Colton was expecting. Still, few women would brave the wilds of Wyoming Territory for an uncertain future with a widower and his child. The thought of having a bold, forthright woman like Regan in his life—and in his arms—begins to inspire a new dream. And despite his family’s disapproval and an unseen enemy, he’ll risk all to make this match a real union of body and soul.

My Thoughts

Yet another hit Ms. Jenkins!!!

This book had everything. Romance, Action. History. The writing was excellent and Regan and Dr. Colton Lee's chemistry was off the chains. 

Book Review: Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

 

Mother. Hero. Liar. Killer. How can you tell when all you have is...

PIECES OF HER

What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all...?

Andrea knows everything about her mother, Laura. She knows she’s spent her whole life in the small beachside town of Belle Isle; she knows she’s never wanted anything more than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she’s never kept a secret in her life. Because we all know our mothers, don’t we?

But all that changes when a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura, she was someone completely different. For nearly thirty years she’s been hiding from her previous identity, lying low in the hope that no one would ever find her. But now she’s been exposed, and nothing will ever be the same again.

The police want answers and Laura’s innocence is on the line, but she won’t speak to anyone, including her own daughter. Andrea is on a desperate journey following the breadcrumb trail of her mother’s past. And if she can’t uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either one of them...

My Thoughts

I loved this book. The action, the drama, the intrigue. Karin Slaughter is now a go to author for me.

Andrea thought she knew everything about her mother, Laura. After a mall visit, turned attempted robbery, Andrea discovers things about her mother that she couldn't even imagine possible. Laura is not your average middle aged suburban professional she has a past. This past is one of a young woman from a wealthy influential family, a young woman who was abused by a father, a young girl who was abused by a boyfriend who seemed like a narcissist cult leader, Laura was a damaged girl, with a dangerous past.

As Andrea peels the layers off her mother's past she realizes that maybe her life could be in danger. She needed to RUN.... This is where the action in the book becomes amazing. I am looking forward to reading more books by Karin Slaughter in the future.

Book Review: The Crash By Freida Mc Fadden

 

About

The nightmare she’s running from is nothing compared to where she’s headed.

Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn’t realize she’s heading straight into a blizzard.

She never arrives at her destination.

Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she’s made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears.

But something isn’t right. Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn’t what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.

And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself—and her unborn child.

A gut-wrenching story of motherhood, survival, and twisted expectations, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a snowbound thriller that will chill you to the bone.

My Thoughts

Freida never disappoints me one bit. The Crash really had me on edge the entire time and in true FMF style there was an unexpected twist in the end. In this story we meet twenty three year old Tegan. Tegan is eight months pregnant for a guy she barely knows, so it seems she is destined to be a single mother. After an invitation to go spend some time with her brother Dennis, Tegan hits the road but soon crashes in the middle of a blizzard.

Hank upon discovering the crash and Tegan decides to take her home to assist her until the snowstorm blows over. His wife Polly seems kind as well, a nurse by profession, Tegan thought she was in good hands. Except everything is not as it appears with this couple. Polly has sinister plans for the young mother to be.....

This is a tale of how far some people will go to get what they want. It is Freida in her best form. I enjoyed this just like the others..

To Feel Like This Again by Christopher Lai

 

About

Nicholas Thomas is young and handsome and he’s moving up the corporate ladder at State Foods. He’s also a womanizer. When his crush, Lisa Davis, the CEO of State Foods visits Jamaica for a conference, Nick is determined to get her, despite their age difference.

Lisa is smart and successful. As CEO, she’s at the top of her game, having made her mark in the corporate world, but Lisa is in a dead-end marriage and longs for more.

At the conference Lisa meets Nick, whose boldness intrigues her and so she accepts his invitation to tour a coffee farm in the Blue Mountains. What begins as a weekend fling becomes much more.

Things get complicated when Nick meets Emily, the daughter of Lisa’s best friend. Emily is not only beautiful, she’s also smart; a quality that Nick admires. The chemistry between them is undeniable. Nick is drawn to both Lisa, his crush, whom he looks up to and Emily with whom he feels a deep connection — but he can’t have them both.

Faced with this dilemma, Nick is forced to choose, but at great cost.

My Thoughts

Excellent!!! This book was short, but full of entertainment. 

Nick was a young and handsome professional a catch with the ladies. Lisa was the CEO of State Foods, very bright and attractive and admired by Nick, but Lisa was in a marriage that was cold. So on a business trip to Jamaica's State Foods she met the young and charming Nick who in his attempt to please, showed Lisa the best time of her life and I mean THE BEST.

After having a time of her life and unable to get Nick off her mind, when Nick visited her in New York she was eager to spend time with him. In walks Emily, young beautiful and bright and the daughter of Lisa's best friend who was like a daughter to her. After following one another on IG, imagine Nick's surprise in meeting her in person in New York. This set the stage for a romance between the two.

Nick found himself in a dilemma he is connected to both Lisa and Emily. The result was epic.

Great book if you are looking for a quick easy read....

Here is the AMAZON LINK for this book. 

Book Review: To Catch a Raven (Women Who Dare #3) by Beverly Jenkins

 

About:

Lying and cheating may be sins to some people, but for Raven Moreaux, it is a way of life. She comes from a long line of grifters and couldn't be prouder...Until she's forced to help the government.

A former Confederate official is suspected of stealing the Declaration of Independence, and Raven, posing as his housekeeper, is tasked with getting it back. Her partner is the too handsome Braxton Steel. Masquerading as a valet/driver, Brax is also supposed to be her "husband." He has his own reasons for doing this job, but when their pretend marriage ignites into fiery passion, they'll have to put everything--including their hearts--on the line.

My Thoughts 

Yet another hit by my new favourite historical romance author Beverly Jenkins. This became available on Libby and while I didn't read the second book in this series, I checked it out and let me tell you something I enjoyed it a lot. I have not yet read a bad book by this author.

In this book we meet Raven Moreaux a member of a family from New Orleans who is known for their 'con artist tendencies'. Raven's paths cross with Braxton in a most unlikely way as both of them were called upon to do a job for a detective Welch which involved stealing a copy of the Declaration of Independence. (I kid you not). Anyways as most romances go they soon connect and it is that connection that makes this story a big hit.

Book Review: Breathless (Old West #2) By Beverly Jenkins

 

About:

A strong-willed beauty finds herself in the arms of the handsome drifter from her past, in this second book in the sizzling series set in the Old West, from USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins.

All it takes is one touch . . .

As manager of one of the finest hotels in Arizona Territory, Portia Carmichael has respect and stability—qualities sorely missing from her harsh childhood. She refuses to jeopardize that by hitching herself to the wrong man. Suitors are plentiful, but none of them has ever looked quite as tempting as the family friend who just rode into town…and none has looked at her with such intensity and heat.

Duchess. That’s the nickname Kent Randolph gave Portia when she was a young girl. Now she’s a stunning, intelligent woman—and Kent has learned his share of hard lessons. After drifting through the West, he’s learned the value of a place to settle down, and in Portia’s arms he’s found that and more. But convincing her to trust him with her heart, not just her passion, will be the greatest challenge he’s known—and one he intends to win…

My Thoughts

In this second installment of The Old West Series, we follow Portia Carmicheal, an ambitious young woman intent on being nothing like her prostitute mother Corrine. Portia had always been extremely focused on building a career in bookkeeping and kept busy running her uncle Rhine's hotel. She had little interest in men, at least until the cowboy Kent Randolph showed up.

In Kent she found a man who understood her..

I loved this everything about this couple. Again like the first installment Forbidden, Jenkins gave us not only romance, but history and excitement. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Book Review: Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson

 

About

In the tradition of Wench and Twelve Years a Slave, this harrowing story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.

Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Brown was promised her freedom on her eighteenth birthday. But when her birthday finally comes around, instead of the idyllic life she was hoping for with her true love, she finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half-Acre, a jail where slaves are broken, tortured, and sold every day. Forced to become the mistress of the brutal man who owns the jail, Pheby faces the ultimate sacrifice to protect her heart in this powerful, thrilling story of one slave’s fight for freedom.

My Thoughts 

No words....What an emotional rollercoaster.

In Yellow Wife we follow Pheby Delores Brown, a slave on the Bell Plantation. She led a somewhat privileged life for a slave until an accident caused her to be sold off to the Lapier Jail. The Jailer as he was referred to throughout the book saw Pheby as an opportunity and took her to be his wife. But life as the Jailer's wife was not the best. Throughout the book we are taken through the many horrors of what life was like as a slave and it solidifies that slavery was indeed the greatest crime against humanity.

The writer did an excellent job with this one.

Destiny's Embrace (Destiny #1) by Beverly Jenkins

 

About

Gentleman Seeks Housekeeper. Must be willing to travel.

Desperate for another life away from Philadelphia, headstrong and beautiful Mariah Cooper answers an advertisement for a housekeeper at the other end of the continent. Waiting in California is the most breathtaking—and arrogant—man she has ever met...and he'd like nothing better than for Mariah to go back home!

Logan Yates has run Destiny, the family ranch, since he was a boy. He doesn't need this Eastern miss his stepmother hired, though his home's chaotic state suggests otherwise. Still, he's secretly pleased that Mariah gives as good as she gets—and he must fight the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her whenever she proudly stands her ground. But when he's in danger of losing her, Logan will have to choose between pride...and his heart's true desire.

MY THOUGHTS

Destiny's Embrace is my third Beverly Jenkins in a row. I cannot get enough of this author all three books were equally good. I read Rebel and Forbidden both were amazing and this one I tell you had me expressing every emotion. Love her work. Mariah and Logan were an amazing match, and their banter was wonderful. I highly recommend this book and the author. Now for the rest of the series.

Forbidden (Old West #1) by Beverly Jenkins

 

About

Rhine Fontaine is building the successful life he's always dreamed of—one that depends upon him passing for White. But for the first time in years, he wishes he could step out from behind the façade. The reason: Eddy Carmichael, the young woman he rescued in the desert. Outspoken, defiant, and beautiful, Eddy tempts Rhine in ways that could cost him everything . . . and the price seems worth paying.

Eddy owes her life to Rhine, but she won't risk her heart for him. As soon as she's saved enough money from her cooking, she'll leave this Nevada town and move to California. No matter how handsome he is, no matter how fiery the heat between them, Rhine will never be hers. Giving in for just one night might quench this longing. Or it might ignite an affair as reckless and irresistible as it is forbidden . . .

My Thoughts

I have now officially found my new favourite author for romance. Rebel was good but Forbidden was GREAT. Rhine and Eddy was the most epic couple you can read about. I spent my entire weekend just reading this story. Yes it wad that good.

In Forbidden, we meet Rhine Fontaine an ex slave who started over his life passing for white. After amassing a great fortune and influence in his town, for the first time he questioned whether this was how he wanted to live when he literally stumbled upon Eddy.

Determined to make it on her own terms in life, Eddy set her sights on California, however some terrible circumstances left her almost dead in the desert. Being rescued by the handsome Rhine led Eddy to a life that she never expected.

Full of love, emotion and everything else. Forbidden is the type of book that makes you want to reread.

Excellent.

Sweetness in the Skin by Ishi Robinson

 

About

A Jamaican girl is determined to bake her way out of her dysfunctional family and into the opportunity of a lifetime.

Pumkin Patterson is a thirteen-year-old girl living in a tiny two-room house in Kingston, Jamaica with her grandmother (who wants to improve the family’s social standing); her aunt Sophie (who dreams of a new life in Paris for her and Pumkin); and her mother Paulette (who’s rarely home). When Sophie is offered the chance to move to France for work, she seizes the opportunity and promises to send for her niece in one year’s time. All Pumkin has to do is pass her French entrance exam so she can attend school there. But when Pumkin’s grandmother dies, she’s left alone with her volatile mother, and as soon as her estranged father turns up—as lazy and conniving as ever—the household’s fortunes take a turn for the worse.

Pumkin must somehow find a way to raise the money for her French exam. In a moment of ingenuity she turns her passion for baking into a true business. Making batches of sweet potato pudding, coconut drops and chocolate cakes, Pumkin develops a booming trade—but when her school and her mother find out what she’s up to, everything she’s worked so hard for may slip through her fingers.

My Thoughts

One word.

Brilliant.

I enjoyed this novel from start to finish. In Sweetness in the Skin we meet teenager, Akisha Patterson aka Pumkin. She was a girl with a dream to live in France which was born out of her aunt Sophie's love for everything French. But Pumkin's less than ideal life in Jamaica with an abusive mother, absentee father makes that dream almost impossible. That is until aunt Sophie gets an opportunity to work in France.

Determined to get to her aunt, Pumkin was prepared to fight against the odds to fulfill her dream. There were sad and emotional moments in the novel but there were equally joyous ones as well. I really enjoyed the story and highly recommend this book. One of my best reads for 2025 so far.

Rebel (Women Who Dare #1) by Beverly Jenkins

About 

Valinda Lacey's mission in the steamy heart of New Orleans is to help the newly emancipated community survive and flourish. But soon she discovers that here, freedom can also mean danger. When thugs destroy the school she has set up and then target her, Valinda runs for her life—and straight into the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq.

As an architect from an old New Orleans family, Drake has a deeply personal interest in rebuilding the city. Raised by strong women, he recognizes Valinda's determination. And he can't stop admiring—or wanting—her. But when Valinda's father demands she return home to marry a man she doesn't love, her daring rebellion draws Drake into an irresistible intrigue.

My Thoughts

Hands down an excellent book. It has been a long time that I enjoyed a romance novel. I dont really read this genre but my goodness where have Beverly Jenkins been my entire life?

This story had everything, drama, suspense and lots of passion. The historical part was definitely wonderful. It really went into detail depicting the era. I couldnt get enough.

Oh and that Drake Le Veq....OMG what a character. The chemistry between him and Valinda left me speechless. I am going to binge read this entire series and get my hands on all Jenkins' books. Excellent writing.

Book Review: Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

 

The New York Times bestselling Queen of Twists returns…with a family reunion that leads to murder.

After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.

The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows…

Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed.

With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.

My Thoughts

What a twist at the end! I didn't see that one coming at all. Unexpected twists are what make me even more excited about books and Daisy Darker did not disappoint in this regard.

Daisy Darker was born with a broken heart (literally) which made her feel unseen in her family. With the exception of Nana, her grandmother, Daisy often felt alone and unloved.

On Nana's eightieth birthday, the entire family was invited to Nana's seaside mansion for the weekend. The family thought that Nana was going to read her will since she was somewhat wealthy having written successful children's books with Daisy as her inspiration.

The reading of the will was a disappointment but then things started taking a deadly turn as members of the family kept dying every hour. The person behind this you will be amazed to see....

In all I loved the suspense.

Book Review; The Lion's Den by Iris Mwanza

 

A missing boy. A corrupt system. A case that could change everything…

When young queer dancer Wilbess “Bessy” Mulenga is arrested by corrupt police, fresh-from-the-village rookie lawyer Grace Zulu takes up his cause in her first pro bono case. Presented with a freshly beaten client, Grace protests to the police and gets barred from accessing Bessy, who then disappears from the system—and the world—without a trace. As she fights for justice for Bessy, Grace must navigate a dangerous world of corrupt politicians, traditional beliefs, and deep-seated homophobia.

With the help of a former freedom fighter and the head of her law firm, who’s rallying for one last fight as AIDS takes its toll on him, Grace brings together a coalition of unions, students, and political opposition to take on the corrupt administration of President Kaunda. But will justice prevail in the face of such overwhelming odds?

The Lions' Den is a gripping and enduring novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. With unforgettable characters and a thrilling plot, Iris Mwanza has announced herself as a major new talent in fiction.

My Thoughts

Simply Put, a decent read.

Set in Zambia in the early 1990's, we follow Grace Zulu a young, bright attorney who has her first big case, one that is controversial as she is defending Willbess Mulenga, a young man charged with lewd homosexual acts. As the case unravels, we also get an insight of Grace's journey to become a lawyer which was of course not a smooth path.

I always like stories that helps readers understand the main characters by delving into their past for us to understand the present. This author did that expertly in this novel. Although the topic dealt with heavy issues, I would say this was definitely a well written novel.

Wonder by RJ Palacio

 

About

I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Wonder, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others.

My Thoughts 

You are probably wondering whaaaat? Yeah I read a middle grade book and absolutely loved it. This book was my school book club pick for January 2025 and I cannot wait to see what the kids think about it..

In Wonder, we meet August a ten year old, who was born with a rare condition that left his face somewhat odd. Having had a series of surgeries in his early childhood, Auggie (as he was called) had to be home schooled.

Now, at the cusp of fifth grade Auggie is about to start school for the very first time. What will his classmates think when they see his face? As he navigates this new experience, this book takes us through an emotional rollercoaster.

This book was indeed amazing and it is one of those stories that I think that is good for children to learn about empathy and kindness in spite of differences. I look forward to the book discussion and I highly recommend this book.