Release Day! Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs ~ My Thoughts #WaywardGirls @susanwiggs @WmMorrowBooks

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Susan

on the release today of

Wayward Girls!

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs

Historical Fiction, 400 pages

Published July 15, 2025 by William Morrow

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming novel based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption when six girls come together in a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Orphan Train, and The Berry Pickers.

It was a place frozen in time, an ancient fortress haunted by echoes that whispered against the gray stone in a mysterious, heavy rhythm, as though this place was entirely separate from the rest of the world. A sign by the inner door read Our Lady of Charity Refuge and Sisters of the Good Shepherd.

Mairin’s breath caught in her throat as comprehension crept over her. This place was the one mentioned in scandalized whispers from the older girls at school. It was the one people gossiped about when a girl suddenly stopped showing up to class. It was the place angry parents—like her own mother—threatened their daughters “I’ll send you to the nuns, just you see if I won’t.”

Amid the turbulence of the Vietnam Era, in the all-American city of Buffalo, New York, teenage girls were condemned to forced labor at the Good Shepherd, a dark and secret institution controlled by the Sisters of Charity nuns.

In 1968 we meet six teens thrust into confinement at the Good Shepherd—merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.

Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants was committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.

Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, was sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.

Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.

Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.

Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, dared to dream of a better life.

Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.

Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.

Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.

My thoughts about Wayward Girls ~~

(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 line.)

First line—"On November 14, 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation (S3419/A5494) allowing adoptees to receive a copy of their pre-adoption birth certificate when they turn eighteen years old."

Wayward Girls is a heart-breaking story of how 'bad' girls were treated in the 60's. It's hard to believe that the treatment these girls suffered through was an actual thing. But on the other hand, it was also a heart-warming story, full of caring, strong girls who pulled together to protect each other. I came to love and care for each and every one of them. 

Historical fiction is one of my favorites genres. I am in awe of the research that author's put into one of their books. And I love learning about the history of our past. Wayward Girls took me on a journey to my personal past, reliving the late sixties, all while seeing a world I had no knowledge of at the time. I could relate to some of the culture references but had no clue of the hard lives that some girls lived through. 

I loved Wayward Girls and highly recommend it to all historical fiction lovers. I will remember the girls of this story for a long, long time. 

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

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About the author

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She serves as author liaison for Field's End, a literary community on Bainbridge Island, Washington, bringing inspiration and instruction from the world's top authors to her seaside community. (See www.fieldsend.org) She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.

According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.

Connect with Susan

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Little Wishes by Michelle Adams ~ My Thoughts #LittleWishes

Little Wishes by Michelle Adams

Women's Fiction, 400 pages

Published November 17, 2020 by William Morrow

For anyone who loves One Day in December and Me Before You, a sweeping love story, written with tenderness, warmth, and a generosity of spirit, about first love and second chances, a lifelong dream and finding the courage to follow your heart.

On her favorite day of the year, Elizabeth Davenport awakens in her cottage on the wild and windy Cornish coast, opens her front door, and discovers a precious gift: the small blue crocus and a note that begins I Wish . . . The notes are never signed, but she knows they’ve been left by her first and truest love, Tom Hale. Each of these precious missives convey a simple wish for something they had missed, and the life they might have shared, if circumstances hadn't forced them apart all those years ago. She has kept them all. 

But on this day, what should have been the fiftieth anniversary of their falling in love, the gift fails to arrive. Could something have happened to Tom? Elizabeth has always been plagued by thoughts of “what if?” Propelled by worry and decades of pent up longing, Elizabeth packs a little suitcase, leaves Porthsennenon, and journeys to London . . . to find the love of her life once again. 

Finding him, Elizabeth is faced with the desperate knowledge that any time they might have now is running out.  Never before had she thought that she might truly lose time—forever. And now, knowing that life is too short, Elizabeth vows to fulfill as many of Tom’s wishes as she can. Yet she fears that her efforts may expose the shameful secret that, until now, has kept them apart.

Can she continue to hide the truth, or will she have the courage to reveal herself completely and finally make their dreams come true—before it’s too late?

My thoughts about Little Wishes ~~

(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 her favorite day of the year, Elizabeth Davenport awoke alone, as she had done for the best part of five decades."

Little Wishes is such a sweet, heart-warming love story. For almost fifty years, Elizabeth has received a little gift on her doorstep from the love of her life. But then, one year, there is no gift. Elizabeth sets out to find the man who stole her heart all those years ago and to possibly right a wrong. Hopefully it's not too late.

This is a story that stole my heart and filled me with hope and redemption. The love that these two people expressed for one another was such a beautiful thing to see. This book made me smile through my tears and I loved every second of it. 

I received a copy of Little Wishes from Goodreads and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

Michelle Adams grew up in the UK and now lives in Cyprus, where she occasionally works as a part-time scientist. Most of her time is spent writing love stories. She lives with her husband, children, and two cats.

Her next novel, Little Wishes, is set for release November 2020. She is also the author of two psychological thrillers, If You Knew My Sister (My Sister - UK) and Between The Lies. ~ Amazon

Connect with Michelle

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

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Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman ~ My Thoughts #LadyInTheLake

Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman

Historical Mystery, 352 pages

Published July 23rd 2019 by William Morrow

The revered New York Times bestselling author returns with a novel set in 1960s Baltimore that combines modern psychological insights with elements of classic noir, about a middle-aged housewife turned aspiring reporter who pursues the murder of a forgotten young woman.

In 1966, Baltimore is a city of secrets that everyone seems to know--everyone, that is, except Madeline "Maddie" Schwartz. Last year, she was a happy, even pampered housewife. This year, she's bolted from her marriage of almost twenty years, determined to make good on her youthful ambitions to live a passionate, meaningful life. Maddie wants to matter, to leave her mark on a swiftly changing world. 

Drawing on her own secrets, she helps Baltimore police find a murdered girl--assistance that leads to a job at the city's afternoon newspaper, the Star. Working at the newspaper offers Maddie the opportunity to make her name, and she has found just the story to do it: a missing woman whose body was discovered in the fountain of a city park lake. 

Cleo Sherwood was a young African-American woman who liked to have a good time. No one seems to know or care why she was killed except Maddie--and the dead woman herself. Maddie's going to find the truth about Cleo's life and death. Cleo's ghost, privy to Maddie's poking and prying, wants to be left alone. Maddie's investigation brings her into contact with people that used to be on the periphery of her life--a jewelry store clerk, a waitress, a rising star on the Baltimore Orioles, a patrol cop, a hardened female reporter, a lonely man in a movie theater. 

But for all her ambition and drive, Maddie often fails to see the people right in front of her. Her inability to look beyond her own needs will lead to tragedy and turmoil for all sorts of people--including the man who shares her bed, a black police officer who cares for Maddie more than she knows.' 

My thoughts about Lady in the Lake ~~

(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 line.)

First line—"I saw you once. I saw you and you noticed me because you caught me looking at you, seeing you. Back and forth, back and forth."

Lady in the Lake has a lot going on—a woman who suddenly makes changes in her life to fulfill a life long dream, a dead woman who just wants to be left alone, motherhood, murder, corruption, newspaper stories, racial issues, secrets—like I said, a lot. 

But all of that made for a compelling story that drew me in and held my interest until the very end. Maddie became a character that I cared about and I wanted her to succeed, in life and with her story. And I loved the fact that the timeline was set in the 60's. That gave it a whole different, interesting flavor. 

I am never disappointed by a Laura Lippman story and I always know I'm in for a treat when I start one of her books. Lady in the Lake is a definite read for anyone who likes mysteries, thrillers, and historical stories. 

I received an ARC of Lady in the Lake from Goodreads and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Laura Lippman is a New York Times bestselling novelist who has won more than twenty awards for her fiction, including the Edgar Award—and been nominated for thirty more. Since her debut in 1997, she has published twenty-one novels, a novella, a children’s book, and a collection of short stories. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages. LitHub named her one of the “essential” female crime writers of the last hundred years. 

She also has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Vulture, Real Simple, and T magazine. The film of her novel Every Secret Thing was produced by Frances McDormand and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, starring Diane Lane, Elizabeth Banks, and Dakota Fanning. Laura lives in Baltimore with her husband, David Simon, and their daughter. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Laura

Website |  Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Release Day! The Curiosities by Susan Gloss ~ My Thoughts #TheCuriosities #TallPoppy

Happy Release Day!!



Congratulations Susan
on the release today of
The Curiosities!

The Curiosities by Susan Gloss
Print and e-book, 368 pages
Published February 5th 2019 by William Morrow

The follow-up to Susan Gloss’s successful debut, Vintage, is a charming mid-western story of artists, inspiration, and how to reinvent your life with purpose and flair.

Nell Parker has a PhD in Art History, a loving husband named Josh, and a Craftsman bungalow in Madison, WI. But her last pregnancy ended later in the second trimester, and rather than pausing to grieve, she pushes harder for testing and fertility treatments. Urging Nell to apply for jobs, Josh believes his wife needs something else to focus on other than a baby that may never be.

Finding a job turns out to be difficult for an art historian . . . until Nell sees the ad seeking a director for a new nonprofit called the Mansion Hill Artists’ Colony. The colony is the brainchild of the late, unconventional society dame Betsy Barrett, who left behind her vast fortune and a killer collection of modern art to establish an artist-in-residency program to be run out of her lakeside mansion. The executor of Betsy’s estate simply hands Nell a set of house keys and wishes her luck.

Nell dives into the new role and discovers that while finding artists to fill the three residency slots is easy, managing their eccentric personalities is not. There’s Odin, a young metal sculptor, who keeps the other residents awake with his late-night welding projects. And Annie, a dreadlocked granny known for her gritty photography, whom Nell is almost certain is dealing pot out of the basement “studio.” Lastly, Paige, an art student from the university, takes up residence in the third-floor turret, experimenting with new printing and design techniques, as well as leading a string of bad boyfriends upstairs when she stumbles home late at night.

Despite all the drama, Nell finds something akin to a family among the members of the creative community that she’s brought together. And when her attraction to Odin begins to heat up, Nell is forced to decide what will bring her greater joy—the creative, inspired world she’s created, or the familiar but increasingly fragile one of her marriage.

     

My thoughts about The Curiosities ~~

(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—"Nell stood atop a stone retaining wall, next to a frozen lake, clutching a shoebox full of the remnants of a dead woman's dreams."

I was immediately captivated and drawn into this story after reading the prologue. What had happened to Nell to get her to the point where her life didn't make sense anymore and she found herself keeping secrets from her husband? 

The Curiosities is very well written and I was immediately at ease with the characters and the story. Nell finds herself thrown into the dream of another woman, becoming the director of an artist's colony. It's a way for her to move on with her life. As Nell's life becomes intertwined with the three artists, who are the first residents of the colony, she also discovers a lot about herself. 

All three of the artists bring a unique aspect to the overall story-line, each with their own quirky personalities and their own story. It was interesting to learn how they got to this place in their lives. And where they were going to go from here. 

The Curiosities is a story that will stay with me as the characters, and their experiences, were very memorable. This was an amazing introduction to a new-to-me author and I'm excited to read more of Susan's stories. 

I received The Curiosities via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest opinion.

About the author

Susan Gloss is the author of the novels VINTAGE and THE CURIOSITIES. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where she majored in English and Spanish, and the University of Wisconsin Law School. She lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Susan

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads

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