"The Intern" by Michelle Campbell is a Fantastic Legal Thriller

The Intern by Michele Campbell is one of the best legal thrillers I ever read!  This is about a Harvard intern, Madison, to a crooked Judge, Kathryn Conroy.  Both women find themselves in compromising positions through no fault of their own.  I got into this book right from the start and kept turning pages very quickly!  The plot was well developed, the characters interesting and believable, suspense galore and a great ending!  The judge even had a cat that actually had a role in the book that I enjoyed very much. I loved this one and highly recommend it!  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 10/26/23:
In The Intern by Michele Campbell, Madison gets a dream job--an intern for a well-respected lady judge.  The judge likes her, and Madison feels she is on a fast track to where she wants to go.  However, soon her dream job turns into a nightmare!  This is a good read with good characters and an easy-to-follow storyline.  It has good action too in the second half of the book.  (5+ stars) 

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"Before and After" by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate

Before and After by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate is the sequel to Before We Were Yours.  From 1920 to 1950 Georgia Tann ran a black market baby business at the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis.  This book tells the true stories of some of those people who want to have a reunion of sorts and get connected to their real birth parents and siblings.  The stories these people tell are heart breaking and very interesting.  If you read Before We Were Yours, you have to read this one as well!  It is so good and full of hope!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Her One Mistake" by Heidi Perks

In Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks, Charlotte and Harriet are friends.  When Charlotte is looking after Alice, Harriet's daughter, she is fine with that until Alice turns up missing!  How could that have happened?  This book is told by both Charlotte and Harriet.  I thought this book was very good.  The story line kept things interesting and what I thought I knew, I really didn't!  This is a very enjoyable read that I highly recommend!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

Karen's review:

Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks is about two friends and a missing child.  Charlotte finally convinces Harriet that it's okay to let Charlotte take Harriet's little girl, 4-yr.-old Alice, to the fair along with her own kids.  Unfortunately, when Charlotte's kids come off the ride, Alice isn't with them.  They look everywhere but can't find her.  The police and many people also searched for her but she is gone!  

The surprise turn of events captured my interest.  This one had me fooled! It was narrated by both Harriet and Charlotte.  This might make for an interesting book club read.  I found myself first feeling sorry for Harriet and then for Charlotte.  I was wrong about what I thought happened to Alice as well!  (4 stars)  

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"Montana Bride by Christmas" by Linda Ford

Montana Bride by Christmas by Linda Ford is an historical romance that is very enjoyable!  Hugh, the preacher who just got his 4-yr-old son back seeks a wife of convenience.  Annie, having had her heart broken by Rudy, answers Hugh's ad.  She being quite a bit younger, he reluctantly agrees to a 4-week trial period.  The young boy, Evan, has been so badly treated that he won't talk, sits on the floor on a mat all day and shies away from people until Annie helps him trust.  

This is an enjoyable read.  I really liked how Annie gradually gained the boy's trust and helped him to be more normal.  The dog added to this story as well.  I enjoyed all the characters and loved watching the budding romance develop between Hugh and Annie.  I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction about families.  This is a heartwarming story!  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Playing Nice" by J. P. Delaney Has Lots of Twists--We Both Liked This One!

Playing Nice by J. P. Delaney is told by Pete and Maddie have been living together but are not married.  They have a 2-yr.-old boy named Theo who has some behavioral issues.  When Myles Lambert and his attorney show up on Pete's doorstep with the claim that Theo is really Myles' and Lucy's son and that their special needs son, David, is really Pete and Maddie's son, the nightmare begins!  The boys were both preemies and somehow got switched, but was it an accident or intentional?  Who would do that and why?

This book kept my interest all through, my favorite character being Pete.  I did not like Myles from the start and wasn't crazy about Maddie.  I felt kind of sorry for Lucy because she was married to Myles.  This book is well written in how it gradually develops the characters and has lots of twists throughout.  The ending was a surprise for me too.  (Karen's review, 5 stars) 

Playing Nice by J. P. Delaney is told by Pete and Maddie.  One day they are told that the 2-yr.-old boy they have is not their son at all!  He belongs to another family who want to switch their 2-yr.-old son for theirs!  This is a wild ride for sure!  I enjoyed this book very much and got through it very quickly.  The story line is good and I never knew what to expect from page to page.  Do not miss this one!  (Gerard's review 10/30/20, 5++ stars) 

Teaser from page 15 (large print version):  Disbelief, shell shock, horror, all paralyzed me.  I'm not fast in a crisis, unfortunately, Maddie's the one who thinks on her feet.

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"Home Before Dark" by Riley Sager

In Home Before Dark by Riley Saser, Maggie Holt's dad wrote a book called House of Horrors, a true story about a haunted house his family lived in.  It made a lot of money.  On his death bed, he told Maggie to never go back to that house and she agreed.  But Maggie did not keep her word and goes back to that house.  Will anything happen?  

For the first 200 pages, I was bored.  However, the next 354 pages were good, very good!  This has one of the best ending I've come across in a book for a long time!  Maggie was a great character!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 21:  It wasn't safe, my father told police.  Something was wrong with Baneberry Hall.  Unaccountable things had happened there.  Dangerous things.

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"The Playground" by Jane Shemilt Lives up to the Hype

The Playground by Jane Shemilt takes place in London and is about three families, one with three children, one with two kids and one with an only child.  They all meet and socialize through having one of their kids being tutored by Eve.  The parents have no clue what their kids are up to.  Each family has some sort of problem, some worse than others!  

Several different issues are packaged in this book:  marital abuse, mental illness, alcoholism, friendship and rape.  The interaction among the characters is what moves this book along.  I would have enjoyed it more if I actually liked more of the characters.  As it is, I only really liked three, Eric, Grace and Charley.
(Karen's review3 stars) 

Gerard's review7/6/20:
The Playground by Jane Shemilt centers on three women, Eve, Melissa and Grace.  They all have children and over time, they become close and socialize along with their husbands.  The children go off to play on their own.  What could possibly go wrong with that?  I flew through this book because I enjoyed the interactions between the adults and the children so much.  The ending was the best!  This is a great read!  (5++ stars)

Teaser from page 30:  She wishes she had some of those earphones that cancel out noise.  She'd cancel out her whole family if she could.

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"The Gifted School" by Bruce Holsinger

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger centers on four moms who live in the same community.  They all have children about the same age.  A new school is going to open and only the best and brightest will be able to get in!  The moms want what is best for their children.  How far are they willing to go to make sure their kids get in?  What about the dads?  Finally, do the kids even want to go to this school?

I enjoyed this book very much.  The author did a great job of bringing the mom characters out.  The kids were good too, and out of the dads, I enjoyed Beck best.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 31:  Everyone was rooting for her, or so Azra claimed.  Rose wasn't so sure.  Samantha in particular seemed to take a guilty pleasure in watching for latent signs of Tessa's next catastrophe.

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"The Deepest Blue" by Sarah Beth Durst (Fantasy) We Both Loved This One!

The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst is a fantasy about bloodthirsty nature spirits, love, adventure, sea monsters and politics on the Belene Islands south of Renthia.  Mayara successfully kept her spirit power a secret for years, only confiding in her best friend, Kelo who is now her fiance.  Unfortunately, on her wedding day, she used her special power to stop the big spirit storm from destroying her island.  That is when her adventure starts and she finds out what she is truly made of.  When the "Silent Ones" eventually find her, she is faced with a difficult choice:  denounce her family, leave her home forever and don't talk to join the Silent Ones or take her chances at trying to survive for a month on an island that is home to many nature spirits who are hungry and then become heir to the queen of Belene with the opportunity to visit her loved ones again.

I enjoyed reading this book very much, it is so good!  I liked the humorous parts and the characters.  The plot had twists I did not see coming at all and I was turning pages quickly eager to find out what would happen next.  My emotions were all over the place with this one--amusement, sadness, joy and curiosity.  This is a stand alone with a great ending!  I finished reading this one in just two days and recommend to anyone who enjoys uncomplicated fantasy.  (I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review--this book comes out March 19, 2019.)
(Karen's review 3/15/19, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 3/18/19:
In The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst, it starts off with Mayara's wedding day--a day to celebrate. But even before the vows are said, Mayara makes a decision that puts her future in doubt!  Can she get her and her husband's plans back on track, or is their future doomed?  The pacing of this book is very well done.  The best thing about this book to me was the interaction between all of the characters.  I really cared about what was going to happen.  The ending of the book was a wild ride to say the least!  Great job, Sarah!  (5++ stars) 

Teaser from page 73:  "Because you've arrived, we all get to die that much sooner.  Hurray.  So happy to meet you."

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"What You Hide" by Natalie D. Richards

In What You Hide by Natalie D. Richards, Spencer is the son of a wealthy family.  He is nearing the end of high school and his family has plans for him.  He want to do his own thing.  Mallory lives with her mom and step dad.  She fears for the safety of her mom and herself with a baby is on the way.  Mallory takes off and finds shelter in a library where Spencer does community service.

I thought this book was pretty good.  It kept my interest and the pacing was good so I never got bored.  I enjoyed both Mallory and Spencer and think it was worth the read.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 3:  I start my ascent, slow and steady.  The world slips quietly away.

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"DRY" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

DRY by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman is teen fiction about a drought, or Tap-Out in southern California and the story of how teens Kelton, Jacqui, Alyssa and her younger brother Garrett evacuated on their own in search of a place with water. They pick up another teen, Henry, on the way who decided he couldn’t stay where he was. The group dynamics was both interesting and fascinating. Kelton and Alyssa were neighbors. Kelton’s dad was one who was a firm believer in being prepared to protect his family. Kelton was a bit weird and had a crush on Alyssa. Jacqui was a tough chick who helped save Kelton’s life and he offered to help her by giving her some antibiotics for her cut. Henry was an opportunist.  Alyssa and Garret even have a pet dog which I liked.

This book shows how quickly people can lose their humanity when they get desperate. This is a modern-day horror book. I enjoyed this book because of the adventure the teens went through to just survive and also the interaction and vying for leadership among them. I liked how the story is told from the different perspectives of the main five characters. It was easy to follow because the name of the person telling each part was at the beginning of the section. This made me realize how valuable water is and how much we take it for granted.
 (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Here's my husband's thoughts, very different from mine:
Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman is about a group of teens who are dealing with a tap out, which means there is no water to be had!  This book fell flat for me.  There were some exciting parts that made me think, "Okay, here we go," but no!  The story line was okay.  I had no trouble with that, but I only enjoyed a few of the characters and others I found annoying.  I give this book 3.5 because I just really never got into it at all.

Teaser from page 12: As I look around the stacks of drinks, I find a single case of water that someone abandoned there maybe yesterday, when it wasn’t such a precious commodity. I reach for it, only to find it pulled away at the last second by a thin woman with a beak of a nose.

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The Hidden Village by Imogen Matthews

The Hidden Village: A Story of Survival in WW2 Holland by Imogen Matthews is takes place during WWII in Holland. A whole village was built deep in some woods for the sole purpose of providing a safe place for Jews and German deserters to hide from the Nazis. Although this is an historical fiction novel, it gives the reader a look into what life was like for those helping the Jews. This book is about families and the underground. 
To learn more about the author, please visit www.imogenmatthewsbooks.com

Until reading this book, I never realized the Nazis reached into Holland. I really liked the characters and it is filled with adventure. It follows a boy, Jan, throughout his life and into adulthood. His father was working in the underground and Jan was eager to help others as well. He aided two pilots that were shot down. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in this time period.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 139-40: “In the meantime, we need to prepare for difficult times ahead. We may need to provide shelter to people unable to defend themselves.”


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"Tear Me Apart" by J. T. Ellison - WOW!

In Tear Me Apart by J. T. Ellison,  Mindy is a downhill skier.  She has a bright future ahead of her, but then she gets into a horrible crash during a competition.  She is taken to a hospital where they discover that not only is her leg broken, but she needs a stem cell transplant as soon as possible!  The good news is that her parents and her aunt are there.  One of the three has to be match to give Mindy the blood she needs.  Right?

WOW!  This book is so good!  All the characters were very well developed.  The story line is believable and the twists and turns in this book will make your head spin!  Do not miss this one!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 31:  Yet, as they wheel her away, Lauren has a moment of sheer panic.  A premonition of sorts.  Something is not right with their world.  Little does she know, this is only the beginning.

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"White is the Coldest Colour" by John Nicholl

White is The Coldest Colour by John Nicholl is about a child Psychiatrist who is a sexual predator and part of a ring of many pedophiles in Wales. This is a work of fiction, but is based on the author’s experiences as a police office and child protection social worker. This book reflects the reality of how much harm sexual predators inflict on their victims. This book shows the depravity of man and is a very disturbing read! It also includes physical abuse and a lengthy investigation.

I can’t say I enjoyed this book because it is so dark and the doctor was a horrible human being! I had to keep reading to find out if the cops would find the missing 7-yr-old boy in time and see the doctor brought to justice. The ending was better than I expected; however, I would have liked the story to have continued on a bit to end on a happier note. It seemed to end too abruptly.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 6: If a respected doctor such as himself could abandon any semblance of a conscience, learn to fully embrace his true nature, and view life and death from a purely Darwinian perspective, why the hell couldn’t Sherwood do likewise? That was the one thing which may have saved him.


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"A Gathering of Secrets" by Linda Castillo

A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo is a murder mystery that is extremely sad.  Right from the Prologue, this book blew me away!  It is downright gruesome at times with some suspense.  The Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder gets herself into a couple dicey situations in this book.  When she discovers what a slime bag the 18-yr-old Amish boy really was, it becomes a struggle for her to hunt down his killer.

This book had some surprises but I came close to figuring out who the murderer was.  I thought the plot was interesting and kept my attention throughout the book.  I finished this one in just two days.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review (3.5 stars):
In A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo, a teen-age boy is found burned to death in his own barn.  Foul play is suspected.  It is up to Kate to find out who did this and why.  This book is pretty much the same as her other books with it set in the Amish community, her in danger while trying to solve the case, and some of her personal life.  The names and incidents change, but pretty much follows the same pattern.  I thought it was okay.

Teaser from page 6:  Meet me in the barn at midnight.  I'll make it worth your while.

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"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)


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"This Adventure Ends" by Emma Mills is about Teen Friendship

This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills is about a group of friends and how they help each other. Vera and Gabe are twins whose mother painted until she died. Remy is Gabe’s best friend, Tash and Aubrey are Vera’s best friends Frank is a wealthy friend who likes to party. Sloane is a new friend who gets attention when she embarrasses the bully who was picking on Gabe at a party. Sloane’s dad is a teen romance writer who has writer’s block but gets inspiration from his daughter’s life. When one of the paintings gets sold that Gabe wanted to keep, Sloane decides to track it down for him and get it back.

This is an okay read if you like a bit of teen drama with a bit of romance. Of course, one of the relationships tossed in were a couple lesbians, but that was just a small part of the book. Overall, I thought the dialogue was done well but would have preferred less foul language. I liked how it ended and enjoyed the main characters. (Karen's review, 3 stars)


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"Summer of Promise" is Historical Christian Romance

I liked the dog in this one!

Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot is the first in the Christian Romance Westward Winds series. Back in the 1880s, Abigail teaches in an all-girls school in Vermont and is planning to marry a colleague named Woodrow who is very nice and well organized. Abigail is worried though about her older sister, Charlotte, who is married to an officer and lives at Fort Laramie in Wyoming. In reading her letters, Abigail got the feeling that something is not quite right so decides to visit her. On the way she meets Ethan, a lieutenant, on the stagecoach who saves the passengers from a couple robbers. Abigail finds that Charlotte is pregnant and seems very weak so stays to help her and cheer her up. When the army post gave orders to kill all the stray dogs running around, Abigail couldn’t help but pick a puppy for Charlotte who she named Puddles. Abigail discovers that Wyoming isn’t boring like she originally thought and finds that God has different plans for her than what she expected.

Teaser from page 58: “Oh, Ethan, he’s so cute. You can’t drown him.”

This book was pretty good but seemed to move a bit slowly. I really liked Ethan and Puddles the best! Although there is some mystery about who was robbing the stagecoaches and who was a traitor, it wasn’t really too hard to figure out. The romance was predictable, as is par for the course with Christian fiction books. I enjoyed some of the funny parts in this book very much, such as when Ethan was teaching Abigail how to shoot a gun. I will probably continue on with this series, but not right away. I need something a bit more gripping.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)


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"In 27 Days" by Alison Gervais (YA about Suicide with a Twist)

In 27 Days by Alison Gervais, Hadley Jamison has it all.  Her parents are very well off so she lacks for nothing.  She is pretty with lots of friends and lives in a real nice apartment.  When she finds out a classmate of hers has died, someone she hardly knows, she wishes she could have done something.  Sometimes wishes come true, but it comes with a cost.  In this case, the cost is plenty!

I was into this book from page 1!  The characters are believable and the story line kept me turning pages.  What more do you want out of a book?  I LOVED It! Do not miss this one!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review, 8/11/17: 
I liked In 27 Days by Alison Gervais too.  This is about two high school students in a prep school who come from very different backgrounds but develop a friendship through very unusual circumstances.  When Hadley goes back in time 27 days to try to prevent Archer from committing suicide, both their lives change for the better!

I liked this book and would recommend it to teens.  It promotes the value of life and shows how just by making time for others can make a huge difference in their lives.  The only thing I didn't get about this book was the paranormal characters, Death and Havoc.  That's why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.  I almost finished this book in a day.

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"100 Hours" by Rachel Vincent

In 100 Hours by Rachel Vincent, Genesis and Maddie and their friends are on vacation in Columbia.  They are soon taken hostage and their parents better comply with the people now in charge or people will start getting killed.   The first 100 pages set the scene and from then on this book takes off in a good way!  There was just enough action to keep me interested and the ending makes me look forward to book 2.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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