Release Day! The Storm by Rachel Hawkins ~ My Thoughts #TheStorm

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Rachel

on the release today of

The Storm!

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

Mystery, Thriller, 288 pages

Published January 6, 2026 by St. Martin's Press

St. Medard's Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that's survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard's Bay on the map, she's less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn's bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn't come to St. Medard's Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she's returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard's Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive--and as deadly--as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping...

My thoughts about The Storm ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"'It's worse when they come at night'"

Hurricanes are really scary to live through. And then throw in a woman accused of murder coming back to town to try to clear her name. Is she really innocent or is she really up to no good? 

As with all of the other stories by Rachel Hawkins, the reader is taken on a journey with questions piling up before answers are given. Twists and turns, secrets and lies abound. Getting to the truth is what kept me turning the pages. And what a satisfying ending it was, after all that.

I have read all of Rachel's thrillers and I am never disappointed. The Storm is another great one and I can highly recommend.

I received an ARC of The Storm and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author

Rachel Hawkins is the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls, The Villa, and The Heiress, as well as multiple books for young readers. Her work has been translated into over two dozen languages. She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University and currently lives in Alabama.

Connect with Rachel

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Release Day! Dark Current Rising by Ashley Farley ~ My Thoughts #DarkCurrentRising

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Ashley

on the release today of

Dark Current Rising!

Dark Current Rising by Ashley Farley

(Sutherlin Files Series #1)

Women's Crime Stories, 242 pages

Published January 6, 2026 by AHF Publishing

A missing woman. A haunted detective. A town built on secrets.

When Detective Lane Sutherlin returns to Tidewell, Virginia, it isn’t by choice. She’s back in the small waterfront town she once called home to search for her childhood best friend, Addie, who’s vanished without a trace.

But coming home means more than chasing leads. Lane finds her father—the town’s respected former judge—slipping further into dementia. Old wounds with her brother flare, resentments deepen, and the house she grew up in feels less like a refuge and more like a reminder of everything she’s lost.

As Lane digs into Addie’s life, she uncovers more than she bargained for: a toxic marriage, whispered betrayals, and powerful men determined to protect their own. Every clue draws Lane closer to Tidewell’s polished elite—and to the rot lurking beneath their perfect façades. Soon she realizes Addie may not have been the only target.

In Tidewell, the past is never really past—and some secrets refuse to stay buried. Lane must untangle lies, face old enemies, and risk everything to bring the truth to light…even if it means becoming a target herself.

My thoughts about Dark Current Rising ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"I brace for impact. After weeks of tap dancing on a trapdoor, the hinges are ready to snap."

Whoa! The storyline of Dark Current Rising is Ashley going to a whole new place. It's really a different type of book from her other stories—more dark and dramatic—but still full of wonderful characters, which is what she does best. I loved every minute of it and am so excited that there will be more books in this series. 

Lane goes back home to help find her missing friend, but then finds a whole lot more than she bargained for. There is so much more going on than just the issues with the disappearance of Addie. Suddenly she finds herself in the midst of the 'old guard' vs. the 'good guys'.

I love this darker side of Ashley's story telling. And of course, there has to be family drama mixed in. Lane finds out that her father is slipping into the world of dementia so she has all of that to deal with as well. This struck a personal cord for me and I appreciate that Ashley incorporated a bit of her personal experiences into the story.

Coming to the end of the book left me with a huge desire for more and yay!, there will be more to the life of Lane, with a possible romance in the making, maybe? Who knows? I know I'm excited to read more! I highly recommend Dark Current Rising!

I received an ARC of Dark Current Rising and this is my honest opinion.

Dark Current Rising  - Available now!

Dark Current ~ Pub date April 7

Dark Current Reckoning ~ Pub date June 16

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About the author

Amazon Charts and USA Today bestselling author

Ashley Farley writes heartfelt, faith-infused women’s fiction about love, loss, and second chances. Her stories shine a light on everyday women—mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends—facing life’s toughest moments with courage, hope, and grace.

Originally from South Carolina, Ashley now makes her home in Virginia’s Northern Neck, but her heart still belongs to the Lowcountry—with its moss-draped oaks, salty air, and soulful Southern charm. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with family or wrangling her two opinionated Labradors. ~ Amazon

Connect with Ashley

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Release Day! She Took My Baby by Steena Holmes ~ My Thoughts #SheTookMyBaby

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Steena

on the release today of

She Took My Baby!

She Took My Baby by Steena Holmes

Psychological Thriller, 328 pages

Published January 5, 2026 by Bookouture

I look after her children. But I know she stole mine…

As a nanny for the wealthy Eatons, Trina watches every day as Rosalind Eaton cradles the baby close. Trina’s baby.

The sweet little boy won’t settle—he never does in Rosalind’s arms. It breaks Trina’s heart to see the tiny tears falling down his fat cheeks. His glossy hair is light auburn, and straight. Nothing like the Eaton family’s classic dark curls.

Trina has been watching the Eatons for years. And what she knows about their dark past could be their undoing.

Rosalind isn’t coping. She isn’t sleeping and she’s barely eating. It is Trina who rocks the baby in the dead of night, whispering soothing words of comfort. Surely Rosalind is just one step away from slipping up and revealing the truth Trina is so certain of…

Trina’s baby was stolen.

The Eatons seem perfect, but they can’t be trusted.

And she’ll do anything to get her baby back.

Fans of The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and John Marrs will be totally obsessed with this gripping psychological thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Steena Holmes!

My thoughts about She Took My Baby ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"A baby is crying. No, two babies."

How horrible to give birth and then know that your best friend stole that baby from you to raise as her own. But Trina is going to stick around to get revenge, and to get her baby back. 

I found myself going back and forth between the characters, not knowing who to believe and basically not liking anyone. Because weren't they all lying to cover up the truth? As frustrating as that is for me as the reader, it's what kept me turning the pages—to figure it all out and get to that truth. 

Once again, Steena Holmes has created an amazing thriller with twists and turns, before landing the very satisfying ending. Her stories never disappoint!

I received an ARC of She Took My Baby and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author

Steena Holmes is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with nearly 3 million copies of her titles sold worldwide, including The Patient, The Forgotten Ones, and Sister Under the Stairs.

Named in the Top 20 Women Author to Read by Good Housekeeping, she won the National Indie Excellence Award for her breakout novel Finding Emma and the USA Book News Award for The Word Game. Steena has been featured in various newspapers and magazines, websites such as Goodreads, BookBub, RedBook, Glamour, Coastal Living and Goodhousekeeping.

One of Steena's passions is to travel with her readers, so she created her Sweet Tours, where she shares her love for the sweet life with her readers, whether in Paris, Italy, or exploring Christmas Markets.

To learn more about her books and join her on the next Sweet Tour, visit her website at http://www.steenaholmes.com.

Connect with Steena

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? January 4, 2026 #IMWAYR

         

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

The Fair Weather Friend

by Jessie Garcia

eARC for review

Pub date ~ January 20

A Tiny White Light: A Memoir of a Mind in Crisis

by Linda Bass

print ARC for review

Pub date ~ January 20

Her Last Christmas

by Claire McGowan

audio-book from Audible

Published November 10, 2025

One last Christmas story for the season.

What I recently finished

A Box Full of Darkness

by Simone St. James

eARC for review

Pub date ~ January 20

What I am going to read next

The Tattooist of Auschwitz

(The Tattooist of Auschwitz #1)

by Heather Morris

print from my TBR shelf for a challenge

Published January 2018

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Nineteen by Leslie Johansen Nack ~ My Thoughts #Nineteen

Nineteen: A Daughter's Memoir of Reckoning and Recovery by Leslie Johansen Nack

Memoir, 368 pages

Published October 14, 2025, by She Writes Press

For fans of Stephanie Thornton-Plymale's American Daughter and Cea Sunrise Person’s North of Normal comes Leslie Johansen Nack’s emotional follow-up memoir about her battle with addiction following a traumatic childhood—and her inspiring journey toward healing and happiness.

In the mid-1970s, Leslie Nack’s family returned from sailing to French Polynesia and began the integration process into American life again, which included being tossed back and forth between an alcoholic, mentally ill mother and an abusive, overbearing father.

To find love and acceptance, Leslie chases a myth that throws her into the path of nefarious older men, where she eventually falls into drug and alcohol addiction. Her father dies in his plane in the jungles of Mexico when Leslie is nineteen, but his abuse lingers in her psyche. She spirals, her only solace her next fix—until, somehow, she finds the grace, despite her abjectly dysfunctional family background, to believe in her worth. This newfound self-love changes everything for her, and finally she is able to find her way to sobriety and recovery.

Raw and intense but ultimately hopeful, this sequel to the popular memoir Fourteen tells the rest of Nack’s turbulent—and incredible—story.

My thoughts about Ninteen ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"It was October 22, 1975, and we were three days from San Diego in the cold, North Pacific Ocean when I looked behind me as a wall of water three stories high rose. 

Nineteen is a story of family dysfunction, but also a story of family love and forgiveness. At times it was hard to read as it wasn't easy to see how Leslie's family treated her. Through a lot of grit and self-love she was able to overcome the damage done and end up in a better place. 

This is a very well written look into Leslie's life as we witness her ups and downs. This is actually the sequel to the book she wrote, Fourteen, which cover a slightly younger part of her life. I'm drawn to read that one too to get better understanding of the life she led. This is the perfect coming-of-age story that held my attention to the end. 

I received an ARC of Nineteen and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author

Leslie Johansen Nack is the author of two award-winning books: her debut memoir, Fourteen, and her historical novel, The Blue Butterfly. Her forthcoming sequel, Nineteen: A Daughter’s Memoir of Reckoning and Recovery, concludes her raw and deeply personal story, chronicling her path to sobriety and a renewed sense of hope. 

Nack graduated from UCLA with a degree in English literature and overcame past traumas to raise two children in a healthy, loving home. She is a member of NAMW, the Historical Novel Society, and the PNWA. She lives outside Seattle with her husband.

Connect with Leslie

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Facebook

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