Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Release Day! Counting on You by Laura Chapman

Happy Release Day!

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Counting on You by Laura Chapman
Series: Amarillo Sour #1
Print and e-book, 306 pages
Published August 17th 2018 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing

Is love worth the risk?

Math teacher Haleigh Parde has no desire to change her single status until she receives an invitation to her high school reunion. With her ex spreading rumors she needs a date and fast. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Haleigh finds herself meeting a blind date at a neighborhood bar called Amarillo Sour . . .

After watching Haleigh crash and burn, app developer Ian Henning makes her a proposition. If she'll provide honest feedback on his new dating app, he'll guarantee her a date to knock the socks off her former classmates. Even better, he—and the other Amarillo Sour regulars—will help her navigate the rocky road of dating.

Through setups ranging from awkward to absurd, Haleigh discovers her matchmaker might just be better than the matches. And Ian wonders if she's the answer to everything he's worked for professionally. Or is she something much, much more . . .


Purchase Counting on You

Congratulations Laura
on the release today of
Counting on You!

I've already read Counting on You and loved being swept up in Haleigh's world. My thoughts will be posted next week. And be sure to stop by on Sunday for my blitz stop which will include an excerpt and a giveaway!!

About the Author

Laura Chapman

Laura Chapman is the author of sweet and sexy romantic comedies. A born and raised Nebraska girl, she loves watching football, traveling, crafting, and baking. When she isn’t writing her next story, she is probably working at a museum by day and binge-watching Netflix with her cats Jane and Bingley at night. So, basically, she’s living large.

Connect with Laura


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Release Day! Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

Happy Release Day!

40216800

Sold on a Monday

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris
Print and ebook, 352 pages
Published August 28th 2018 by Sourcebooks Landmark

From New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes another unforgettable novel inspired by a stunning piece of history.

2 CHILDREN FOR SALE

The sign is a last resort. It sits on a farmhouse porch in 1931, but could be found anywhere in an era of breadlines, bank runs, and broken dreams. It could have been written by any mother facing impossible choices.

For struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching scene evokes memories of his family’s dark past. He snaps a photograph of the children, not meant for publication. But when it leads to his big break, the consequences are more devastating than he ever imagined.

At the paper, Lillian Palmer is haunted by her role in all that happened. She is far too familiar with the heartbreak of children deemed unwanted. As the bonds of motherhood are tested, she and Ellis must decide how much they are willing to risk to mend a fractured family.

Inspired by an actual newspaper photograph that stunned the nation, Sold on a Monday is a powerful novel of love, redemption, and the unexpected paths that bring us home.


Congratulations Kristina
 on the release today of
Sold on a Monday!

 Early Praise for Sold on a Monday

“The sale of two young children leads to devastating consequences in this historical tearjerker from McMorris... A tender love story enriches a complex plot, giving readers a story with grit, substance, and rich historical detail.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“A vivid and original story… McMorris brilliantly chronicles the way in which a moment’s fateful choice can result in a lifetime of harrowing consequences. A masterpiece that poignantly echoes universal themes of loss and redemption, Sold on a Monday is both heartfelt and heartbreaking.”
—PAM JENOFF, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale

“McMorris shines in this poignant and compulsively readable novel… Based upon a haunting historical photograph, and told with finesse and compassion, this story will linger long after the pages have all been turned.”
—STEPHANIE DRAY, New York Times bestselling author of America’s First Daughter

“Kristina McMorris once again plucks a devastating heartstring… A real-life photograph stands as evidence to the heart of this novel: truth revealed, forgiveness found, and a story never to be forgotten.”
—SARAH McCOY, New York Times bestselling author of The Baker’s Daughter

About the author

Kristina McMorris

Kristina McMorris is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her novels have garnered more than two dozen literary awards and nominations, including the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, RWA’s RITA® Award, and a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction. Inspired by true personal and historical accounts, her works of fiction have been published by Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Kensington Books.

Her forthcoming novel, Sold on a Monday (Sourcebooks Landmark, 8-28-18), follows her widely praised The Edge of Lost, The Pieces We Keep, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, and Letters from Home. Additionally, her novellas are featured in the anthologies A Winter Wonderland and Grand Central.

Prior to her writing career, Kristina hosted weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, and has been named one of Portland's "40 Under 40" by The Business Journal. She lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest, where she is working on her next novel.

Connect with Kristina


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Monday, August 27, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? August 27, 2018


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 Art of Hiding
by Amanda Prowse
Working on my NetGalley TBR backlog.

Before I Knew (The Cabots #1)
by Jamie Beck
(audio-book)

What I recently finished

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Bridge to Terabithia
by Katherine Paterson
Another oldie but goodie, just because.

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Small Great Things
by Jodi Picoult
Just as good the second time around. It'll be a good book club pick, a lot to discuss.

40775429
Counting on You
by Laura Chapman 
Pub date 8/28
My thoughts will be posted next week.

What I am going to read next

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Lies
by T.M. Logan
Pub date 9/11

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Book Spotlight Giveaway! The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman


I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures.

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The book I am featuring this week is a book that my book club read a while back. We all enjoyed it and we had a great discussion. What's on your life list? 

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

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The Life List

The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman
Paperback, 354 pages
Published July 2nd 2013 by Bantam

In this utterly charming debut — one woman sets out to complete her old list of childhood goals, and finds that her lifelong dreams lead her down a path she never expects.

1. Go to Paris
2. Perform live, on a super big stage
3. Have a baby, maybe two
4. Fall in love 

Brett Bohlinger has forgotten all about the list of life goals she’d written as a naïve teenager. In fact, at thirty-four, Brett seems to have it all—a plum job at her family’s multimillion-dollar company and a spacious loft with her irresistibly handsome boyfriend. But when her beloved mother, Elizabeth, dies, Brett’s world is turned upside down. Rather than simply naming her daughter the new CEO of Bohlinger Cosmetics, Elizabeth’s will comes with one big stipulation: Brett must fulfill the list of childhood dreams she made so long ago.

Grief-stricken, Brett can barely make sense of her mother’s decision. Some of her old hopes seem impossible. How can she possibly have a relationship with a father who died seven years ago? Other dreams (Be an awesome teacher!) would require her to reinvent her entire future. For each goal attempted, her mother has left behind a bittersweet letter, offering words of wisdom, warmth, and—just when Brett needs it—tough love.

As Brett struggles to complete her abandoned life list, one thing becomes clear: Sometimes life’s sweetest gifts can be found in the most unexpected places. 


About the author

Lori Nelson Spielman

Lori Nelson Spielman is a former speech pathologist, guidance counselor,  and homebound teacher. She enjoys fitness running, traveling, and reading, though writing is her true passion. Her first novel, The Life List, has been published in thirty countries and optioned by Fox 2000. Her second novel, Sweet Forgiveness, releases in June, 2015. She is currently working on her third book. She lives in Michigan with her husband and their very spoiled cat.

Connect with Lori




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Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Release Day! Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey ~ My Thoughts #NotHerDaughter #NetGalley

Happy Release Day!

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Not Her Daughter

Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey
Print and ebook, 352 pages
Published August 21st 2018 by St. Martin's Griffin

Gripping, emotional, and wire-taut, Not Her Daughter raises the question of what it means to be a mother—and how far someone will go to keep a child safe.

Emma Grace Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes. Brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma Townsend is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.

Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Abandoned by her mother. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal--and when a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her, far away from home. But if it's to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?

Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure she wants her daughter back.

Amy's life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now she's gone without a trace.

As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But her real mother is at home, waiting for her to return--and the longer the search for Emma continues, Amy is forced to question if she really wants her back.


Congratulations Rea
 on the release today of
Not Her Daughter!

My thoughts about Not My Daughter ~~

(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—"I grip her hand. Dirt clings to her small palm and makes caked half-moons under her nails."

Not Her Daughter is a captivating story that had me bouncing back and forth between the women in the book. I didn't know how I felt about either one of them. One of the women is the mother to little Emma. A mother should be a loving and warm person, doing everything she can to keep her children safe. But Amy is just the opposite—she is a horrible mother to her daughter and she made me so angry. 

And then there's the other women, Sarah, the one who just wants to protect the little girl. But is kidnapping the way to save her? She provides the love and comfort that Emma needs but she is breaking the law. Both women's actions are wrong so who should end up the hero of this story? 

This is a story that will grip you from the first and keep you turning the pages as Sarah and Emma try to keep ahead of the authorities at the same time that Amy and her husband come under scrutiny from the police. Such messed up lives!  

I am totally amazed that this is a debut novel from Rea Frey. What an amazing book! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her next book. 

I received Not Her Daughter from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

About the author



Rea Frey is the author of four nonfiction books. Her debut novel, Not Her Daughter, will be released by St. Martin’s Press August 21, 2018.

When she’s not exercising, mothering, adulting, wifing, eating, or writing about herself in the third person, you can find her hard at work on her next book and ghostwriting for other people.

Connect with Rea


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Release Day! Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

Happy Release Day!

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Pieces of Her

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter
Print and ebook, 480 pages
Published August 21st 2018 by William Morrow

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. . . .


Congratulations Karin
 on the release today of
Pieces of Her!

I sooooo want to read this book!! 

About the author

Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her eighteen novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and the instant New York Times bestselling novels Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter.

Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programing. A native of Georgia, Karin Slaughter lives in Atlanta. Her Will Trent series, Grant County series, and standalone novel Cop Town are all in development for film and television.

Connect with Karin


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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Monday, August 20, 2018

Release Day! Beneath the Same Stars by Phyllis Cole-Dai ~ My Thoughts

Happy Release Day!

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Beneath the Same Stars: A Novel of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War by Phyllis Cole-Dai
Print and e-book, 330 pages
Published August 2018 by One Sky Press

"Perhaps every woman will lie for the man she lies with."—Sarah Wakefield

August 18, 1862. On the Sioux reservation in southwestern Minnesota, Indians desperate for food and freedom rise up against whites in the region. Sarah Wakefield, the wife of a physician, is taken captive with her two babies. Their fate falls into the hands of the warrior Ćaske, with whom she has slim acquaintance. As war rages, little does she know how entwined their lives will become.

Beneath the Same Stars is the gripping story of two people, caught between worlds, who are willing to do almost anything to defend those they care about—including each other. But the drama is bigger than themselves. Tragic forces have been set in motion.…

Inspired by actual events surrounding the U.S.-Dakota War.


The e-book was only $.99 on Amazon, 
the last time I checked! 

My thoughts about Beneath the Same Stars ~~

(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—"'Here is where I'm to live? This is where you've brought me?'"

Beneath the Same Stars taught me so much about the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. So much of our history concerning the interactions and confrontations with the Native Americans is not discussed in depth unless you are taking a U.S. history class. This book gave me a better understanding of the hardships that were endured at the time, by both the whites and the natives and opened my eyes to the unfairness of the way the natives were treated. 

I have always been fascinated with the history and stories of the Indian ways. Their world seemed to be almost perfect until the white man came along. The author does a fabulous job of taking the events of this horrible time and creating a story that is well worth reading. She brings the characters come to life and humanizes them so that the reader can empathize with the rough life that they had to live.  

As I was reading, I was constantly impressed with the research that Cole-Dai had to have done in order to piece the facts together and create this engrossing story. Before reading Beneath the Same Stars, I wasn't familiar with this war. I learned so much about it and this memorable time in our U.S. history. 

I received a copy of Beneath the Same Stars from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Congratulations Phyllis
 on the release today of
Beneath the Same Stars!

About the author

PCD for web

Phyllis has authored or edited nine books in multiple genres, including historical fiction, spiritual nonfiction and poetry. The most recent is Beneath the Same Stars, a novel of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 (One Sky Press, 2018). With Ruby R. Wilson she also co-edited Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poetry (Grayson Books, 2017).

She is perhaps best known as the co-author of The Emptiness of Our Hands: 47 Days on the Streets, written with James Murray. Bell Sound Books issued the third edition in 2018. The book chronicles the forty-seven days in 1999 that the authors spent living by choice on the streets of Columbus, Ohio, the nation’s fifteenth largest city and home to both at the time. Practicing Presence: Insights from the Streets is a free companion e-book to The Emptiness of Our Hands. In this volume Phyllis elaborates further on practicing presence while continuing to bear witness to those who are homeless. She first published this lightly edited compilation of blog posts in 2009 on the tenth anniversary of her streets experience.

An interview with Phyllis was published in 2014 as a chapter in First We Imagine: 22 Creative South Dakotans Speak on the Subject of Creativity, compiled and edited by John E. Miller.
.
Connect with Phyllis


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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? August 20, 2018


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

40775429
Counting on You
by Laura Chapman 
I love Laura's stories!
Pub date 8/28

41184421
Before I Knew (The Cabots #1)
by Jamie Beck
(audio-book)

What I recently finished

40852143
Beneath the Same Stars: A Novel of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War
by Phyllis Cole-Dai
Happy pub day!!
Read my thoughts here.

41064713
Stealing Light
by Julie Cassar
(audio-book)
Read my thoughts here.

36504901
Not Her Daughter
by Rea Frey
Read my thoughts here.

What I am going to read next

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Sold on a Monday
by Kristina McMorris
Pub date 8/28

I'm waiting on Sold on a Monday from the publicist, so if it gets here, I'll start it. Otherwise I'll reread Small Great Things for my book club. I loved it the first time I read it!

41021501
Small Great Things
by Jodi Picoult

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Stealing Light by Julie Cassar and Kelley Ernst ~ My Thoughts


Stealing Light

Stealing Light by Julie Cassar
Narrated by Kelley Ernst
Audible Audio
Published August 2nd 2018 by Julie Cassar

"Tonight, everything could change. I wasn’t ready to let go of anyone just yet."

If you could change what you know is coming, would you? Cecelia Walker discovers an amazing ability deep within herself that gives her the power to change the future. When mysterious outsiders enter her life, she begins to question everything and everyone she once knew. 

Years earlier, CeeCee’s life changed forever the day her parents were killed in a horrific car accident. Suddenly extraordinary people and bizarre events began to seep into her very small world. Surviving for years on her addiction to coffee and running, life suddenly deals her a game-changing wildcard and all bets are off. Her magnificent Gift of Light awakens a tremendous dark power wanting to steal what is hers. 

Will Cecelia be able to change what she’s seen and set a new course? Has she met her otherworldly match against evil and found her true soul mate? Or, is nothing is as it seems as the power of darkness threatens to consume her and those she loves.

   

My thoughts about Stealing Light (audio-book)~ 

I originally read Stealing Light in 2016 and absolutely loved it. I recently listened to the audio-book and fell in love with the story all over again. The narrator, Kelley Ernst, does a fabulous job reading the book and really nailed CeeCee's character. She made CeeCee come to life for me. I've also read book two, Chasing Darkness and I can't wait for the opportunity to listen to it.

Here is my original review that was posted on May 12, 2016.

Oh. My. Gosh! Stealing Light is a unique and very awesome story about love, light, guardian angels, dark evilness, discovering one's true self, and learning about the power within. And I loved every minute of it! I was so sad when it ended. But...... I learned from the author that she is currently working on the sequel! Yay! Yay! Yay!! 

I loved CeeCee and I loved watching as she discovers her Gift of Light and as she comes to terms with the fact that she has had a guardian angel all these years. She and her brother lost their parents in a horrible car accident four years ago and she has felt so lost and alone since then. Discovering all the beautifulness around her is a wonderful thing, but along with all this beauty and love comes darkness and evil. Is she strong enough to survive all that evil?

I love the idea of guardian angels watching over us so I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Julie's, centering around these angels. It was amazing to read how she was able to put human thoughts and emotions into these beings. What a beautiful, intense, and captivating story! Hurry up with book #2, Julie! 

About the author 


Julie Cassar's debut Young Adult Fantasy "Ruby Blue" Series has been met with rave reviews and has spent weeks on Amazon's Fantasy Series Best Seller List as well as it's Top Rated list. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor Degree in Fine Art, specializing in Graphic Design, Cassar has also worked as a production artist, designer, painter and photographer. She has been featured in Fitness Magazine, "Outdoor Athlete," and publishes a monthly blog.

Connect with Julie

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Saturday, August 18, 2018

Book Spotlight Giveaway! Cinder by Marissa Meyer


I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures.

****************************

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!


Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, #1
ARC, 400 pages
Published 2012 by Feiwel & Friends

A forbidden romance.

A deadly plague.

Earth's fate hinges on one girl . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

This is not the fairytale you remember. But it's one you won't forget.


About the author

Marissa Meyer

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg. Learn more about me and my upcoming books at http://www.marissameyer.com.

Connect with Marissa


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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Monday, August 13, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? August 13, 2018


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

36504901
Not Her Daughter
by Rea Frey
Pub date 8/21

41064713
Stealing Light
by Julie Cassar
(audio-book)

What I recently finished

32148570
Before We Were Yours
by Lisa Wingate

39653501
Rattling the Heat in Deadwood 
(Deadwood #8)
by Ann Charles 
(audio-book)

What I am going to read next

40852143
Beneath the Same Stars: A Novel of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War
by Phyllis Cole-Dai
Pub date 8/20
(Enter the Goodreads giveaway here)

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

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