"Oliver Loving" by Stefan Merrill Block -- A Slow Read

Oliver Loving by Stefan Block starts with a school shooting.  Oliver is shot and now ten years later he is alive but cannot speak.  This book is more about how his family and a young lady he was fond of deals with this than the shooting.  I found this to be a slow read, but the family was interesting as they all had their own agendas concerning Oliver. 
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby

In Bone Gap by Laura Ruby, Finn lives in the small town of Bone Gap with his brother.  One day Roza goes missing.  People assume that she ran off, but Finn claims she was taken, and he will get her back!  The story line was okay to start off, but got a bit wild at the end.  I enjoyed Finn, but the other characters were shallow.  It was an okay read with a good ending.

Teaser from page 22:  "It's been two months today," said Finn.  "Why aren't you out there looking for her?"
(Gerard's review, 3 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"A Quiet Kind of Thunder" by Sara Barnard

In A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard, Steffi is a quiet girl and likes it that way.  She can talk but chooses not to.  The first day of the new school year, the principal introduces her to Rhys who is deaf.  Steffi is supposed to help him get used to his new school.  Soon she starts to have feelings for him, but will talking be the best thing for her?

Teaser from page 4:  Now they're parading strangers in front of me to mock my inability to speak in front of them?  I can feel a familiar choking panic start somewhere in my stomach.

I liked this book.  It was a good change of pace from the books I usually read.  I enjoyed both Steffi and Rhys!  Give it a chance.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)  

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Couple Next Door" by Shari Lapena

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena is one crazy read involving kidnapping, family secrets, betrayal, infidelity, greed and manipulation. Anne and Marco come home from a dinner party next door to find their little 4-month-old daughter, Cora, gone! Of course, the cops are called and keep questioning the parents who are the primary suspects. The whole book is about the police investigation and their efforts to find and return Cora. Eventually, the truth comes out.

Teaser from page 21:  She can feel him shaking, can feel the painful thumping of his heart.  She tells herself that together they will get through this.  The police will find Cora.

This contemporary fiction mystery was a page-turner for me that moves along very quickly with lots of twists. I enjoyed the writing style of this one because it was easy to follow and things gradually fell into place. If you enjoy books about scheming, dysfunctional families and very sleezy characters, I would recommend this book. I think this would make a good book club selection because I think it would make for interesting discussion of the characters.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Her Last Breath" by Linda Castillo (Updated)

Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo is gripping from the start, beginning with an Amish buggy hit-and- run accident that is fatal for the father and two of his three small children. Kate Burkholder, Chief of police, discovers that the hit-and-run “accident” was not an accident after all, but intentional! The widow was her best childhood friend. This is such a sad story with a surprise ending.

This book had my attention right from the start and held it all the way through. Kate Burkholder really needs to work on her hand-to-hand combat though! Anyhow, this is a good mystery and also had a bit of romance as well as some suspense. It had three storylines: the main murder mystery, Kate’s past catching up to her and the romance between Kate and Tomasetti with action near the end with a surprise twist.
(Karen's review 1/13/18, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 4:  Around him, the buggy exploded into a hundred pieces.  Paul thought he heard a child's cry and then the ground rushed up and slammed into him.

Gerard's review 1/23/18:
Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo starts off with a hit and run buggy accident in Amish country.  However, when the police investigate, there is more to it than it looks.  There is good stuff here.  I never knew how this was going to turn out!  The pace of the book is quick and the characters true to life.  (5 stars)


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!