Monday, January 31, 2022

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain ~ My Thoughts #TheLastHouseOnTheStreet

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain
Historical Fiction, Mystery, 352 pages
Published January 11, 2022 by St. Martin's Press

From bestselling author Diane Chamberlain comes an irresistible new novel that perfectly interweaves history, mystery, and social justice.

When Kayla Carter's husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their four-year-old daughter. But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates, a new development in sleepy Round Hill, North Carolina, will always hold tragic memories. But when she is confronted by an odd, older woman telling her not to move in, she almost agrees. It's clear this woman has some kind of connection to the area...and a connection to Kayla herself. Kayla's elderly new neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it's clear she, too, has secrets that stretch back almost fifty years. Is Ellie on a quest to right the wrongs of the past? And does the house at the end of the street hold the key? 

Told in dual time periods, The Last House on the Street is a novel of shocking prejudice and violence, forbidden love, the search for justice, and the tangled vines of two families.


My thoughts about The Last House on the Street ~~

(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—"2010: I'm in the middle of a call with a contractor when Natalie, our new administrative assistant, pokes her head into my office. I put the call on hold."

I always know when I start a book by Diane Chamberlain that I am going to get lost in the wonderful world she has created. It happens every single time. It's her beautiful writing, her interesting settings, and her memorable characters. She weaves such amazing stories! 

The Last House on the Street is no exception. Told in dual time periods, as the times come together, we discover how interwoven everyone in the town is and how not everyone is who we think they are. I because totally immersed in the lives of everyone and loved my time in Round Hill, NC. I was sorry to have it come to an end but my memories of this unforgettable story will live on.

I highly recommend The Last House on the Street, especially if you're a fan of Ms. Chamberlain. And if you're not, this would be a great story to start with. You will be hooked. 

I received a copy of The Last House on the Street from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author


Diane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and (London) Sunday Times best-selling author of 27 novels. The daughter of a school principal who supplied her with a new book almost daily, Diane quickly learned the emotional power of story. Although she wrote many small “books” as a child, she didn’t seriously turn to writing fiction until her early thirties when she was waiting for a delayed doctor’s appointment with nothing more than a pad, a pen, and an idea. She was instantly hooked.

Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey and lived for many years in both San Diego and northern Virginia. She received her master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, she was a hospital social worker in both San Diego and Washington, D.C, and a psychotherapist in private practice in Alexandria, Virginia, working primarily with adolescents.

More than two decades ago, Diane was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which changed the way she works: She wrote two novels using voice recognition software before new medication allowed her to get back to typing. She feels fortunate that her arthritis is not more severe and that she’s able to enjoy everyday activities as well as keep up with a busy travel schedule.

Diane lives in North Carolina with her significant other, photographer John Pagliuca, and their odd but lovable Shetland Sheepdog, Cole. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Diane


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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? January 31, 2022 #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 Fashion Orphans
by Randy Susan Meyers & M.J. Rose
Pub date ~ February 1

Leverage in Death
In Death #47
by J.D. Robb
Narrated by Susan Ericksen

What I recently finished

Woman Last Seen
by Adele Parks
Pub date ~ February 1

What I am going to read next

With Love from London
by Sarah Jio
Pub date ~ February 8

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Saturday, January 29, 2022

This OR That #Giveaway Week 45 ~ The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See OR The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff #TheTeaGirlOfHummingbirdLane #TheOrphansTale

 

I have sooooo many books!

The This or That 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. It's a way for me to cull my collection and give someone else the chance to enjoy these treasures.

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

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The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
Lisa See
Hardcover ~ March 2017

In their remote mountain village, Li-yan and her family align their lives around the seasons and the farming of tea. For the Akha people, ensconced in ritual and routine, life goes on as it has for generations—until a stranger appears at the village gate in a jeep, the first automobile any of the villagers has ever seen.

Slowly, Li-yan, one of the few educated girls on her mountain, begins to reject the customs that shaped her early life. When she has a baby out of wedlock she rejects the tradition that would compel her to give the child over to be killed, and instead leaves her, wrapped in a blanket with a tea cake tucked in its folds, near an orphanage in a nearby city.

As Li-yan comes into herself, leaving her village for an education, a business, and city life, her daughter, Haley, is raised in California by loving adoptive parents. Despite her privileged childhood, Haley wonders about her origins. Across the ocean Li-yan longs for her lost daughter. Over the course of years, each searches for meaning in the study of Pu’er, the tea that has shaped their family’s destiny for centuries.

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The Orphan's Tale
by Pam Jenoff
Paperback ~ Pub date February 2017

A powerful novel of friendship set in a traveling circus during World War II, The Orphan's Tale introduces two extraordinary women and their harrowing stories of sacrifice and survival.

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep. When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. And in a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night.

Noa finds refuge with a German circus, but she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. But as the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another - or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything.

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Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Release Day! The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf ~ My Thoughts #TheOvernightGuest

Happy Release Day!


Congrats Heather
on the release today of
The Overnight Guest!

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf 
Mystery Thriller, 352 pages
Published January 25, 2022 by Park Row

A woman receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm in this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf

She thought she was alone…

True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.

As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. Bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.


My thoughts about The Overnight Guest ~~

(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—"On August 20, 2000, Abby Morris, out of breath with sweat trickling down her temple, was hurrying down the gray ribbon of gravel road for her nightly walk."

The Overnight Guest is intense from the start. A strange pickup parked along a country road, two young girls being chased into a corn field, an uneasy sheriff having trouble sleeping—you just know things are going to get bad. And then we visit the present, where the characters are dealing with an intense snowstorm, a car crash, and people stranded in the cold. 

Then there is the unknown set of characters and prison-like setting. How do they fit into the story and what evil person is making them live that way? How is this all going to tie together? 

I loved it all. Although, like I said, it was intense at times and my heart was racing. The author does an amazing job of weaving all of the storylines together to make a spell-binding and very satisfying story. I have thoroughly enjoyed every single one of her books and highly recommend this one. Be sure to put The Overnight Guest on your TBR list!

I received a copy of The Overnight Guest via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author


Heather Gudenkauf is the Edgar Award nominated, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of eight novels. Her debut novel, The Weight of Silence, was an instant NYT bestseller and remained on the list for 22 weeks. Gudenkauf’s critically acclaimed novels have been published in over 20 countries and have been included in many Best Of lists including Seven Thrillers to Read This Summer by the New York Times, The 10 Best Thrillers and Mysteries of 2017 by The Washington Post, a Best Book of 2017 by NPR, and a Best Book for the Beach by ChicagoNow.com. Her upcoming novel, The Overnight Guest will be released on Jan. 25, 2022.

Heather was born in Wagner, South Dakota, the youngest of six children. At one month of age, her family returned to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota where her father was employed as a guidance counselor and her mother as a school nurse. At the age of three, her family moved to Iowa, where she grew up. Having been born with a profound unilateral hearing loss (there were many evenings when Heather and her father made a trip to the bus barn to look around the school bus for her hearing aids that she often conveniently would forget on the seat beside her). Heather tended to use books as a retreat, would climb into the toy box that her father’s students from Rosebud made for the family with a pillow, blanket, and flashlight, close the lid, and escape the world around her. Heather became a voracious reader and the seed of becoming a writer was planted.

Heather lives in Iowa with her family and a very spoiled German Shorthaired Pointer named Lolo. In her free time, Heather enjoys spending time with her family, reading, swimming, and hiking. She is currently working on her next novel. ~ Author's website

Connect with Heather


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Monday, January 24, 2022

Book Blitz! Nothing Left To Lose by A.J. Wills ~ Excerpt and #Giveaway #NothingLeftToLose

 

Nothing Left To Lose by A.J. Wills
Publication date: January 10th 2022
Genres: Adult, Psychological Thriller

When you’ve lost everything – revenge is all that’s left…

After securing the convictions of two violent murderers for a horrific and brutal attack on a pensioner in his own home, Henry’s wife, Abi should be celebrating.

With the nation watching, it was her biggest test as a criminal lawyer.

But someone’s not happy.

First, there’s the hooded stranger who follows her home in the dead of night.

Then comes the attack on her car and a death threat in an anonymous hand-delivered letter.

Someone’s trying to scare them.

Someone wants revenge.

And they’ll stop at nothing until they’ve brought the couple to their knees – and exacted a deadly retribution…

Nothing Left To Lose is an electrifying psychological thriller from the No. 1 bestselling author of His Wife’s Sister.

Goodreads | Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Where the hell is she?

It’s gone half nine and a niggle of worry rumbles in my gut. A vision of Abi on a hospital trolley flashes through my mind. I shove it away. I’m being silly. Worrying unnecessarily. I’m sure she’s fine.

I snatch up my phone and hit the redial button, willing her to answer, hoping for a slurred apology and the sound of music thumping in the background. At least I would know she was safe.

I listen to a long hiss-filled silence, the blood gushing through my ears.

A click.

Her voice.

And for a split second, I dare to believe I’m through.

‘Abi?’

‘You’ve reached Abigail Pilkington-Hutton. I can’t take your call right now but leave a message.’

I slump in my chair and pinch the bridge of my nose as I ring off, my heart beating a little faster and a little harder. A kaleidoscope of images of my wife’s body dumped by the side of the road, bleeding, lifeless, her eyes staring blankly, spiral through my head.

Stop it.

I refuse to be that husband. She’s perfectly capable of looking after herself. She’s not a child. And yet, I can’t help but worry.

Of course, the lasagne’s ruined. A fiery blast stings my face as I flip open the oven door. I step back to let the curls of steam rush towards the ceiling and peer inside despondently at the charred remains. Shavings of Parmesan cheese are blackened beyond salvation and crusty tracks of meat sauce have bubbled up and hardened over the sides of the ceramic dish. It’s as good as cremated, even though I turned the heat down hours ago.

I slam the door shut. Wasting good food irks me, especially when I’ve put effort into cooking. It’s not as if it’s one of those vile cardboard-tasting ready meals, straight out of a packet. It’s an authentic Italian recipe from a dusty old cookbook I picked up in a secondhand bookstore in town. I used a pinch of rosemary and cubes of pan-fried pancetta for the ragu and a sprinkling of nutmeg in the bechamel sauce. A surprise treat to celebrate the end of Abi’s trial.

I’ve lost count of the number of evenings and weekends she’s given up working on the case. The missed bedtime stories with the girls. The hours going through witness statements “one more time”. After everything she’s sacrificed over the last couple of months, I thought tonight we could spend some time together.

But she’s not come home and her phone’s off.

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About the author

AJ Wills is the number one Kindle bestselling author of multiple psychological thrillers.

He was a journalist for 20 years and also ran the communications department at a national charity in the UK.

He has been writing full time since March 2021 and runs the small independent publishing company, Cherry Tree Publishing, with his wife, AJ McDine, a fellow thriller author.

“I've always loved thrillers, but psychological thrillers hold a special interest for me because they're about the scary, insane, disturbing things that happen to ordinary people - and we can all relate to them on some level,” he said.

He lives in Kent in the UK with wife, Amanda, their two teenage sons and two cats.

You can find out more about him by visiting his website: ajwillsauthor.com

Or contact him directly at adrian@ajwillsauthor.com

Connect with AJ

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? January 24, 2022 #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

Woman Last Seen
by Adele Parks
Pub date ~ February 1

Leverage in Death
In Death #47
by J.D. Robb
Narrated by Susan Ericksen

What I recently finished

My Name Is Lucy Barton
Amgash #1
by Elizabeth Strout

The Overnight Guest
by Heather Gudenkauf
Pub date ~ January 25

Cinderella-ish
Happily Ever After #1
by Joslyn Westbrook

In an Instant
by Suzanne Redfearn
Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky

What I am going to read next

The Fashion Orphans
by Randy Susan Meyers & M.J. Rose
Pub date ~ February 1

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, January 22, 2022

This or That Giveaway Week 44 ~ The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santo OR Inheriting Edith by Zoe Fishman #TheRootsOfTheOliveTree #InheritingEdith

 

I have sooooo many books!

The This or That 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. It's a way for me to cull my collection and give someone else the chance to enjoy these treasures.

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

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The Roots of the Olive Tree
Courtney Miller Santo
Paperback ~ Pub date August2012

Set in a house on an olive grove in northern California, The Roots of the Olive Tree is a beautiful, touching story that brings to life five generations of women--including an unforgettable 112 year-old matriarch determined to break all Guinness longevity records--the secrets and lies that divide them and the love that ultimately ties them together.

I loved this story!

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Inheriting Edith
by Zoe Fishman
Paperback ~ Pub date October 2016

A poignant breakout novel, for fans of J. Courtney Sullivan and Elin Hilderbrand, about a single mother who inherits a beautiful beach house with a caveat—she must take care of the ornery elderly woman who lives in it.

For years, Maggie Sheets has been an invisible hand in the glittering homes of wealthy New York City clients, scrubbing, dusting, mopping, and doing all she can to keep her head above water as a single mother. Everything changes when a former employer dies leaving Maggie a staggering inheritance. A house in Sag Harbor. The catch? It comes with an inhabitant: The deceased’s eighty-two-year old mother Edith.

Edith has Alzheimer’s—or so the doctors tell her—but she remembers exactly how her daughter Liza could light up a room, or bring dark clouds in her wake. And now Liza’s gone, by her own hand, and Edith has been left—like a chaise or strand of pearls—to a poorly dressed young woman with a toddler in tow.

Maggie and Edith are both certain this arrangement will be an utter disaster. But as summer days wane, a tenuous bond forms, and Edith, who feels the urgency of her diagnosis, shares a secret that she’s held close for five decades, launching Maggie on a mission that might just lead them each to what they are looking for.

Another fabulous story!

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Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Release Day! Somebody's Home by Kaira Rouda ~ My Thoughts #SomebodysHome

 Happy Release Day!


Congrats Kaira
on the release today of
Somebody's Home!

Somebody's Home by Kaira Rouda 
Mystery Thriller, 299 pages
Published January 18, 2022 by Thomas & Mercer

A quiet neighborhood. A lovely home. A promising new beginning. In a heartbeat everything can change in this propulsive novel of suspense by USA Today bestselling author Kaira Rouda.

Julie Jones has left her suffocating marriage. With her teenage daughter, Jess, she’s starting over. Their new house in Oceanside is the first step toward a new life. Even if it does come with the unexpected. The previous owners, a pastor and his wife, have left something—or rather someone—behind…

Tom Dean has a bitter hatred for the father who considers him a lost cause, and for the woman who’s moved into their family’s house. The only home he’s ever known. He’s never going to leave. She thinks he’ll be gone in three days, but Tom has the perfect plan.

For a newly single mother and her daughter, a fresh start is the beginning of a nightmare. Before the weekend is over, somebody is going to get exactly what they deserve.


My thoughts about Somebody's Home ~~

(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—"Somebody is in my home. I don't know what to do."

Ok, this starts out creepy enough, a stranger wandering around in the house. And then it escalades from there. We know it's going to get intense, we just have to learn how it gets to that point. Who is that stranger and what do they want? 

All kinds of drama unfolds and the characters are in it deep. Good guys, bad guys, and everyone in between. I couldn't predict the outcome nor figure out who would be left standing. I love these kind of stories that keep me enthralled and guessing to the end.

Somebody's Home is a page-turning thriller that will suck you in and leave you breathless. I highly recommend it for an exciting read!
 
I received a copy of Somebody's Home via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author


Kaira Rouda is a USA TODAY and Amazon Charts bestselling author of contemporary fiction exploring beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Her suspense novels include BEST DAY EVER, THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER, ALL THE DIFFERENCE, and THE NEXT WIFE. Her latest novel, SOMEBODY'S HOME, is out January 18, 2022 and THE WIDOW releases November 15, 2022.

She lives in Southern California with her family and is at work on her next novel. Connect with her on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest: @KairaRouda; and on Facebook at Kaira Rouda Books.

If you'd like to host Kaira at your book club, please reach out through her website KairaRouda.com ~ Goodreads

Connect with Kaira


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Spirit Women by Rolando Garcia ~ My Thoughts #SpiritWomen

Spirit Women by Rolando Garcia
Short stories, 121 pages
Published October 17, 2021

What are spirit women? Are they real, or imagined? Are they an essence, or a hoax? Are they ethereal, or corporeal? Are they an aspiration, or a facade for something else? And most importantly, what do spirit women want? From the psychological to the supernatural, the narratives in this book deal with the mystery behind spirit women and their interactions with men. R. Garcia, the author of the family-friendly book of short stories, The Sun Zebra, presents to you in this book a set of very different stories and invites to share in the mystery of…Spirit Women.


My thoughts about Spirit Women ~~

Authors who write short stories and make them meaningful have got to be geniuses—to create a beautiful, lasting world with very few words takes a special talent. Rolando Garcia has penned an amazing book full of wonderful stories about women. Each story is impressive in its own way. 

Spirit Women is filled with stories showing the strength, power, and wisdom of women. Every story is unique and unexpected. I loved each and every one of them!

I wrote down my reaction after each story and these are my comments. "Not what I expected. Whoa! Beautiful story. Interesting, went back and read it again. Empowering. Unusual and unique ghost story. Choices, fate and destiny. The power and beauty of Mother Earth, her spirit." So you can see, there are all kinds of stories within the book, each invoking a different emotion or reaction. 

This is a great book with beautiful stories and I highly recommend it. I enjoyed it so much! 
 
I received a copy of Spirit Women from the author and this is my honest opinion.

About the author


R. Garcia, is a scientist with a Ph.D. who has worked in academia, industry, and the government producing several highly technical publications. However, one of his lifelong dreams was to write fiction. He began fulfilling this dream by posting his eclectic work on Scribd.com under the pseudonym Phantomimic where his documents accumulated more than 100,000 reads and hundreds of comments. 

Due in part to the enthusiastic response to his work there, he decided to take it to the next level and in 2011 published on Amazon an e-book of family-friendly stories entitled The Sun Zebra, which to this date has received 80 reviews and a rating of 4.4 stars out of five. After a long hiatus due to life, the universe, and everything, R. Garcia published a book of very different short stories entitled, Spirit Women. The author also writes a blog, Ratio Scientiae, about science, pseudoscience, and antiscience. ~Goodreads

Connect with Rolando

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Amazon

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Monday, January 17, 2022

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? January 17, 2022 #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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This is two weeks of read as I didn't post last Monday. I was actually in the hospital. A week ago Saturday I ended up in the ER with blood clots in both lungs. I had a nice 4-day hospital stay and am now on blood thinners for life. This is my second instance of clots. Sigh.

So even though this is two weeks, it's not up to my usual pace and I'm actually already behind on my Goodreads reading goal (thanks for the reminder, Goodreads!) but that's okay, I'll get there. Otherwise things are good. We got a lot of snow last Friday and schools all around us were closed. I guess we are in winter though, so it's to be expected. 

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

What I'm currently reading

Cinderella-ish
Happily Ever After #1
by Joslyn Westbrook

In an Instant
by Suzanne Redfearn
Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky

What I recently finished

Somebody's Home
by Kaira Rouda
Pub date ~ January 18

The Last House on the Street
by Diane Chamberlain

My Wife Is Missing
by D.J. Palmer
Pub date ~ May 10

What I am going to read next

The Overnight Guest
by Heather Gudenkauf
Pub date ~ January 25

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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