"The Nature of Fragile Things" by Susan Meissner is Thrilling Historical Fiction

In The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner, an Irish woman comes to America to marry a man she has never met and knows nothing about.  That is just one of the multiple storylines in this book, all of which were interesting.  You will be engaged and get lost in this wonderful book.  There is lots of action and plenty of twists and turns.  Do not miss this one, it's a must read!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review Jan. 23, 2022:

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner is the story of a mail order bride from Ireland coming to San Francisco to marry a widower and become a mother to his 7-yr.-old daughter shortly before the great earthquake of 1906.  The full story unfolds slowly, but there is enough action along the way to keep the reader interested.  Sophie answers Martin Hocking's ad for a wife and mother because she is not happy living in bad conditions in New York and wants a home and a child to love.  Martin wants a wife to keep up appearances and to care for his daughter when he's away on business.  It is a loveless marriage purely of convenience.  This book is very good!  It is about family secrets, fraud, friendship and love.  (5 stars)

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"He Started It" by Samantha Downing

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In He Started It by Samantha Downing, grown up children from the same family have to take a long road trip because there is a huge amount of money waiting.  Will they play nice and all make it to the end?  This is a good easy read with short chapters, good storyline and a great ending!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Girl A" by Abigail Dean

Girl A by Abigail Dean is based on a true story.  Lex and her siblings grew up in a "house of horrors."  When the parents die, Lex and her sister want to turn their house into a house of goodwill.  

This book goes back and forth in time which got tedious after awhile; however, the strength of the story is good enough to overcome that.  I think this would make an ideal Lifetime movie for sure!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Honey Bus--A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees" by Meredith May is Very Good!

I read The Honey Bus by Meredith May hoping to learn about bees because I am terrified of them and thought it might help if I understood them.  This book lived up to my expectations.  I did learn a lot about bees but also was interested in the author's story about her family.  I felt bad for Meredith throughout the book but her life did get better as she got older.  Learning about bees with her step grandfather helped her to find comfort and cope with her mother's neglect.  It shows how child abuse repeats through generations.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)  

Gerard's review 4/4/21:
The Honey Bus:  A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees By Meredith May is a true story.  Meredith's parents separated when she was only five.  Then she, her younger brother (Matthew), and her mother went to live with her grandparents.  Meredith's grandpa was a beekeeper and taught her all about bees.  This book is more than just bees though.  

Meredith tells personal stories about growing up which was my favorite part of the book.  It was interesting learning about bees, maybe more than you want to know; but the personal stories more than make up for that!  There are some fun and touching moments in this book too.  I liked it a lot and recommend it!  (5++ stars)

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"The Pale-Faced Lie" by David Crow (True Story)

The Pale-Faced Lie by David Crow is about his terrible childhood, his abusive parents, and his struggle to be free from his father’s control and the guilt and shame he felt most of his life. He also had an older sister and a younger brother and sister. This is a sad story and one that is hard to believe families like his actually exist. It sheds light about life on an Indian reservation and how much damage can be caused by abusive parents. His dad was an ex-con who got away with murder and expected David to help him in his criminal activities. The only times David’s father was pleased with David was when he did mean things to people that his father thought was hilarious. Although David had a lot of obstacles to overcome, including his upbringing, hearing loss, poverty and dyslexia, he had a lot of determination and mental toughness. He barely graduated high school and went on to graduate college, majoring in political science. This book made me want to keep reading to see what was going to happen next and how he succeeded (I knew he did since he wrote the book). This was heartbreaking, but at the same time, extremely interesting.
 (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 9/25/19:
The Pale-Faced Lie by David Crow is the true story about his family.  He had three siblings and they idolized their dad who told them stories about his World War II feats.  But, there was another side to Thurston Crow, the dad.  David tells the story of growing up with his dad and his mentally ill mother including plenty of action!What I enjoyed most about this book is that I really never knew what was going to happen next.
(5++ stars)

Teaser from page 8:  Other days, Dad tied me to the pine tree in our front yard.  He'd wrap a thick, scratchy rope around my chest and ankles and tug on it hard to make a tight know.

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"Under Currents" by Nora Roberts

Under Currents by Nora Roberts is a very interesting read about overcoming domestic violence. Zane, 14, who dreamed of becoming a pitcher for the Orioles, and his younger sister Britt are physically and emotionally abused by their well-respected parents and comprise the main story line which follows them into adulthood.

 I really liked Zane and his sister as well as their aunt Emily. Another subplot is Darby who divorced her abusive husband pretty quickly and after her mother died in an automobile accident, moved to Walker Lakeside Bungalows in North Carolina to buy her own home and start up her landscaping business. Darby took self-defense classes after her divorce so knows how to defend herself. (Zane and her are my favorite characters so was happy when they became an item.) The third subplot is about Clint and Traci Draper, another domestic violence situation where Clint’s family lives all around and spies on Traci constantly. This book has bright spots though too, it is not all fighting. I enjoyed the addition of Zod, the ugly dog and liked learning some about a landscaping business. I also enjoyed the happy family interactions.

I liked this book a lot because it was interesting to me how people helped those who were in the abusive situations. It has some violence, action, love, family, romance and mystery. It is contemporary fiction and one I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about relationships and family issues. It could also be considered inspirational for anyone who is suffering from domestic violence or abuse.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review:
Under Currents by Nora Roberts centers on Zane Bigelow.  Zane has a rough childhood as he has an abusive father who gives beatings to everyone in the family!  Zane feels he has to do something to put a stop to this.  He also deals with this when he grows into manhood.  The book is divided into four parts.  The first part is very good and action packed.  The fourth part is also very good and has good action in it. 

The second and third parts I did not enjoy as much.  The author has a good flow to this book and keeps things moving along.  I liked Zane, Darby and Zod the best!  On the strength of the first and last parts, I give this book 5 stars.

Teaser from page 390 (Large print version): “All of them, every one, had played a part in ruining his life, in humiliating him. He would ruin theirs, every one.”


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"Blood Sisters" by Jane Corry

Blood Sisters by Jane Corry is a slow moving psychological thriller about Alison and Kitty, two step sisters. Vanessa though, being an only child, is envious of Alison and talks Kitty into making a pact to be blood sisters. One little act causes big trouble for all of them all and secrets are abundant. The day of the accident, Vanessa, Kitty's best friend, dies and Kitty suffers brain damage and is unable to speak. Alison feels enormous guilt and begins cutting herself.

This book shows how people are not all good or all bad and is about loyalty, friendship, relationships, special needs, prison, revenge, betrayal and lots of lies. I liked it but found it hard to really connect with the characters. They were so conniving!
(Karen's review 4 stars)

Teaser from page 10: She didn’t have a speech impediment, the doctor had explained to Friday Mum, as if Kitty wasn’t there. Her brain just wouldn’t translate her thoughts into words.


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"The NoWhere Child" by Christian White - (a Child Abducted)

The Nowhere Child by Christian White is about a child abduction that is never solved until the brother finally tracks down his missing sister who is all grown up and lives in Australia!  Stuart was 9, his younger sister, Sammy only two when she disappeared.  Kim Leamy grew up in Australia with her mother who died of cancer, her step-dad, Dean and her younger sister, Amy.   Kim is a photographer professor but one day finds out her life is a big lie and she's really Sammy Went who went missing from her home in Kentucky!  Kim decides to go to Manson, Kentucky, her supposed hometown, to see if she can find answers.  She can't believe her mom was a kidnapper!

This was pretty good mystery, but it kept jumping from past to present just about every chapter which I found annoying.  I liked Kim and felt bad for her.  The cult stuff in this book creeped me out. 
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 13:  Were Jack and Molly Went still waiting for answers?  Did every phone call or knock at the door fill them with hope or dread or some bitter mixture of both?  Did they see Sammy's face in every woman they passed on the street, or had they found a way to move on?

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"Never Tell" by Lisa Gardner

Never Tell by Lisa Gardner is about Evie and her family of secrets. Coming from a very wealthy family whose father was a mathematical genius, Evie at 16 took the blame for accidentally shooting her father while cleaning his shot gun to save the family embarrassment of his suicide. Now, recently pregnant, she faces murder charges for killing her husband, Conrad. Poor Evie! She did not kill her husband, but then the question is who did? She did shoot up his computer because of what she saw on the screen from the dark web when she found him dead in his chair with his gun in his lap. Not only that, but then her house is burned down to the ground the very next day! Her mother takes her in after posting bail, but Evie thinks her mom hates her. Evie really freaks out when she begins learning about her husband’s dark secrets and wonders if she knew him at all! Is he really a predator or a hero?

This is quite the murder mystery with lies, arson, secrets, betrayal and lots of detective work. My favorite character was Flora, a survivor of an abduction who assists Detective D.D. Warren in solving the case and comes to Evie’s rescue. I liked this book because I got into it right away from page 1 and liked how it unfolded. I liked how the author handled the darkness in this story without a lot of gore. I dare you to read this one without feeling bad for Evie!
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 13:  Had I known all along?  Turning into the drive?  Pulling into the garage?  The interior door open, open, open.

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"The Last Straw" by Ed Duncan is Full of Violence

The Last Straw by Ed Duncan is adult fiction with several story lines and several main characters.  First is the story line of why a Chicago crime boss is ordering a hit on a teenage girl who witnessed a car jacking in which the driver was killed.  The other is about the relationship between Paul (a well-respected lawyer and friend of the witness's family) and a hit man named Rico.  There is a lot of killing and action from the get-go in this dark adult fiction book.  It has racketeers, hit men, a prostitute, an inter-racial affair, murder and suicide.  

I got this book in exchange for a review and that's really the only reason I finished it.  There are a lot of characters in this, to which most I could not relate.  Rico was a hit man with a conscience which to me made him the most interesting character; however, this book is mostly about action and killing.  I felt the characters could have been developed more.  This book was just too dark for my taste with the only wholesome thing about it being the teenage eyewitness who was willing to testify.       
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

Teaser from page 13:  Jerry was the closest thing he had to a friend.  Yet when he found out about his death, he had felt nothing akin to grief.  Indeed, what he felt was almost nothing at all, except that he might be next.

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"Educated" by Tara Westover (Hubby and I disagree on this one!)

Educated by Tara Westover is her memoir of leaving her Mormon family in Idaho to pursue a formal education.  This is a long journey.  Tara is from a large family whose father owned a scrap yard and who kept her working for him as long as he could.  It is an amazing story of how she was accepted at BYU and went on to Cambridge and Harvard without having graduated high school!  In fact, even her "home schooling" was not at all regular.

I found this book very hard to read.  The father and brother made me very angry and it was difficult to fathom how dysfunctional this family was.  In some ways it reminded me of The Glass Castle and A Child Called It.  The domestic violence and abuse is heart wrenching.  I did enjoy Part 2 better when she got away from her family and into college.  I was never engrossed in this book and for the most part had to plow through.  I would have liked to know what kind of actual job the author wound up with after all that education.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Gerard's review:

Educated by Tara Westover is a true story and what a story it is!  Tara first stepped foot in a classroom at the age of 17, but now she received a BA degree from Bringham Young University and a scholarship to Cambridge in England where she was awarded a PHD in history!  WOW!  She tells her story so well.  She wanted more of a life than her family could give her, and overcame long odds to do it.  She went through a lot both in and out of the classroom!

I highly recommend this memoir, don't miss it!  Put it on your TBR list right now!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 39:  There was never any more talk of a hospital.  The moment for such a decision had passed, and to return to it would be to return to all the fury and fear of the accident itself. 

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"The Second Opinion" by Michael Palmer

The Second Opinion by Michael Palmer is an interesting book with about a medical conspiracy, greed, betrayal, murder and a dysfunctional family including two adult children with Asperger's.  Their father who is a prestigious internist at a well-known hospital is in a coma from being involved in a hit-and-run accident.  His oldest son, Dimitri who has Asperger's, believes it wasn't an accident, but only his sister, Thea, believes him.  She also has Asperger's and came back to Boston from working with Doctors Without Borders in Central Africa to see her dad.  She believes there is a slight chance he could recover but the twin brother and sister want to let him go.  Thea agrees to take over her father's patients and senses something is off.  Her life is threatened shortly after she starts asking too many questions.

This is quite the mystery that also includes a bit of romance, suspense and insights into adult Asperger's.  I liked it once I finally started it and looked forward to getting back to it.  I liked Thea and her devotion to her dad.  The ending was a shock to me that I did not see coming.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)  

Teaser from page 25:  There remained unfinished business between them.  The man had never, in all her memory, told her that he loved her, nor had she taken the initiative and told him.  At the very least, she needed that exchange to happen between them before the end.

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"Being Fishkill" by Ruth Lehrer (Updated)

Being Fishkill by Ruth Lehrer is about a young girl who makes her first name Fishkill because it sounds tough.  She feels she has to be tough because her mom is gone, and there is no one else!  This book was way better than I thought it would be.  I really wanted only the best for Fishkill.  The pacing of this book was very good and I was always glad to get back into it!  I liked that it had twists and turns that I did not see coming.  Pick it up, you will be glad you did!

Teaser from page7:  "I'm not in your gang."  I said.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to be or not, even if it was a real gang.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Karen's review, 12/22/17:
Being Fishkill by Ruth Lehrer is about a 12-yr.-old girl who is poor and lives in a shack with her drunk/druggie mother and her abusive grandfather. Her father is unknown. She finally built a friendship with a girl who called herself Duk-Duk and moved in with her and her lesbian mother who was very nice to Fishkill. After the mean grandfather died, Fishkill’s mother tried to sober up so she could get back custody of her daughter. Most of this story is sad.

I liked this book all right but could have done without the Lesbian angle. I felt bad for Fishkill and her biological mother. My favorite character was Duk-Duk because I liked how she wanted to be a lawyer and tried to view everything logically. This book had some interesting situations and really addressed the emotions one feels when a loved one dies. It also had a bit of humor when Fishkill and Duk-Duk came up with their secret mission to get revenge on the girl who bullied them—that was very cool and my favorite part of the book! (4 stars)

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"One of the boys" by Daniel Magariel is a Wild One!

One of the Boys by Daniel Magariel is the story of a dad and his two sons.  The dad and his wife have divorced and now they are going through a custody battle.  The dad has the boys for now and he wants to keep it that way! 

Teaser from page 6:  "This will end the war," he said.  "No custody.  No child support."

This book was wild to say the least.  The dad was not very likeable at all and I felt bad for the boys.  There was action throughout and the ending was like the rest of the book, wild!
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

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"Emma In The Night" by Wendy Walker (Updated)

In Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker, one night Cass and Emma disappear.  Three years pass and Cass shows up at home, but Emma does not.  Cass tells her story about the three years she has been gone, but to psychologist Dr. Abby Winter, it does not seem to add up.

I thought this book was really good!  It is told by Abby and Cass.  The pacing of the story is so well done that I did not know how it would turn out until the very end.  LOVED IT!  Add this to your TBR list.  You will be glad you did.
(Gerard's review 5++ stars)

Karen read it too, 8-29-17:
Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker is about a dysfunctional family and lots of despicable behavior! It is full of creepy sick characters, fantastic storytelling manipulation and injustice. When Cass returns home without her sister after both being missing for three months, everyone is all ears about what happened to her, where she was, where and what happened to her sister, Emma. The FBI reopens the case in their search for Emma and the reader gets the back story in bits and pieces as told by Cass and the forensic psychologist, Dr. Winter, who is an expert on narcissistic personality disorder based on her own experience.

This is one crazy mystery that moved a bit slow for my taste, but has an interesting ending. This book centers around the mother who has narcissistic personality disorder and whether the cycle can be broken. As mysteries go, I have to give it 4 stars because I really could not figure out where Emma was; however, I cannot say I liked this one. This left a bad taste in my mouth due to the injustice and all the wickedness and evil in this book. It’s definitely written in a unique manner which is really what makes it a good read!


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"Pretending to Dance" by Diane Chamberlain

Pretending to Dance by Diane Chamberlain is the story of Molly, a woman who after a miscarriage, cannot have children and seeks to adopt with her husband, Aiden. They live in San Diego and are looking into an open adoption so the birth mother can still be involved with the child. Molly, having been adopted herself in an open adoption, keeps that from her husband. Molly grew up in North Carolina on a family mountain. Her birth mother lives on the mountain with the rest of Molly’s family and gives Molly dance lessons. Nora, Molly’s adoptive mother, actually has a civil relationship with her husband’s former lover and Molly’s birth mother. Talk about a dysfunctional family, this was it. Molly’s father had MS and Molly was only 14 when he died. Molly is haunted by her past and needs to forgive so she can move on with her life. This book is filled with emotion and is all about relationships and family secrets.

I enjoyed this book very much because it felt so real. The story line about Molly’s childhood is heartbreaking as her father’s illness gets worse and Molly begins rebelling against her parents, going through a coming of age period. There are funny parts that balance out the sad things and touching moments throughout the book. This was a bit of a tear-jerker for me. I think this would make a good book club read and highly recommend it. The part with the father and Molly reminded me a bit of The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I would love to see a sequel to this with Molly’s own family and how that would play out. (Karen's review, 5 stars)


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"Little Deaths" by Emma Flint is Based on a True Story

Little Deaths by Emma Flint is based on a true story. Ruth Malone lives a loose life, and that is putting it mildly. She has two kids and an on-again-off-again relationship with her husband. One night her kids are missing and in the days that follow, both are found dead. Did Ruth do it? The police and public opinion have her guilty. This book played out pretty good and kept my interest for the most part. It is worth reading for sure!
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Girl Before"

In The Girl Before by Rena Olsen, Clara Lawson lives with her husband Glenn.  She helps with the family business.  Then one day the FBI breaks in and Clara is separated from Glenn.  When she is asked questions, she starts to realize that maybe everything she thought was right was not so.

I enjoyed this book.  the story flowed really well and I felt for Clara.  This is going to be a movie!  I think you should check it out!  It has a real good ending too!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"The Darkest Corners" by Kara Thomas - A Mother/Daughter Mystery (Updated)

The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas is quite the mystery! Actually there are several mysteries in this one: (1) Who really is the serial killer?  (2)  Where is Tessa's sister and how did she find out their father died?  (3)  Will Callie and Tessa renew their friendship? and (4)  Will Tessa find her mother?   

This book is good, but I must admit, at one point I got pretty confused with all the different things going on.  However, the author soon cleared things up and it was a very good mystery.  I liked Tessa because she really wanted to make things right when she had doubts about her testimony she gave when she was 9 years old that contributed to a man being convicted of murder.  If you like stories about dysfunctional families and a good mystery with a surprise ending, this is it!    
(Karen's reviewed 5/6/16, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 4/30/16, 5+ stars:
The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas is about a young girl named Tessa and her friend, Callie. They have never really talked about a night that they both saw something that changed their lives. Tessa moved away but now she is back looking for answers, but some people want the past to stay hidden. I thought this book was pretty good. I enjoyed the two main characters very much and the book had a good flow to it. The ending completely surprised me!

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"This Raging Light" by Estelle Laure

This Raging Light by Estelle Laure is about a young teen girl named Lucille. Her dad is in a home trying to get his act together. Her mom left for a while and told her and her sister (Wren) that she would be back. That was a long time ago though. So Lucille had to do it all and hope that her secret does not get out. Will her parents come back? Does her secret get out?

I loved this book! Lucille and Wren are really good characters and the book flows along with action here and there with a real good ending! I look forward to reading book 2.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)


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