"I Will Find You" by Harlan Coben

In I Will Find You by Harlan Coben, David is wrongfully sent to prison for killing his son.  His wife left and so why not stay in prison.  A long while later, a friend of his tells him that she has proof his son is alive. However, what can David do about it?  He is in a prison that cannot be broken out of, or can it?  This was pretty good.  It moved kind of slowly with no real twists or turns, but I still think it is worth reading.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)  

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"The Unwilling" by John Hart is One We Both Liked!

The Unwilling is a great story about the French family.  The father, a detective, an over protective mother whose favorite son was killed in the Vietnam war; Jason, the second oldest who was dishonorably discharged from the marines, an ex-con who just got released; and the youngest, Gibby, who is a senior in high school.  When Jason and Gibby spend a day together against the mother's wishes, the girl Jason was with gets murdered and Jason is the primary suspect.  Gibby sets out to find the real killer and trouble ensues.  

This was a fast-paced page turner for me!  I was drawn into it right away and liked both brothers.  I thought the family dynamic was quite interesting and the story line was thrilling.  The only thing I did not like about this book was the couple loose ends that did not fully get resolved.  Still, I loved the journey and had a very hard time putting it down.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 12/7/23:

This book is about three brothers born to a detective.  The first brother goes to Vietnam and gets killed.  The second brother, Jason, goes to Vietnam and is a killing machine.  He comes home and has an incident that puts the cops on his trail.  The younger brother, who has been protected by his overprotective mother, sets out to help his brother clear his name.  LOVED ALL THE ACTION!  Who knew who is good and who is bad?  GREAT ENDING!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Lie Maker" by Linwood Barclay

The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay was recommended to me by a friend.  Boy, was she right!  In The Lie Maker, Jack's father left him when Jack was very young.  Later, Jack is given a chance to maybe find his dad.  Jack has to create false histories for people in the witness protection program, like his dad is.  But then, his dad becomes really missing.  Can Jack find and save his dad?  This is good stuff with good action and true-to-life characters.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars) 

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"Hawk Mountain" by Conner Habib

In Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib, Todd is at a beach relaxing with his son.  He sees a man coming toward his son and cannot believe his eyes.  It is Jack, who made his life hell in his high school years.  It has been 15 years since he last saw Jack.  What is going on?  

I thought this book was good. I liked the story line and the characters.  It kept me turning pages for sure!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The DH" by John Feinstein

The DH by John Feinstein is about a high school baseball team and the main character, Matt Gordon.  Matt is an outstanding player.  He is a very good pitcher and even better hitter!  The story centers around Matt hitting a batter in the head with the ball in a fit of rage.  His friend, Alex, has a dad who is a lawyer.  In an effort to restore a good relationship with his son, the lawyer defends Matt in his suspension case.

This book was okay, but I enjoyed the football book much more.  (Karen's review, 3 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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"Renegade Ranger" by James J. Griffin

Renegade Ranger by James J. Griffin took me on a wild, dangerous ride.  When Tom Foley, a Texas Ranger, kills the Captain Ranger at headquarters, shooting him in the back, Ranger Jim Blawchyzk gets shot twice by his friend Tom too when he went back to give the Captain some cookies.  Jim's son, Charlie plans on joining the Texas Rangers as soon as he turns 18, but an exception is made for him to join up early so he can ride along to track down his father's shooter and former friend.  The big question is why did Tom do it.

There is a lot of dialogue and the chase is stretched out with more shootings along the way.  I thought the plot was interesting, but the writing was very simplistic and the dialogue corny and stilted.  I really got tired of the line "Bet your hat on it" which was way over used.  I like westerns now and then, but this was far from a favorite.  I expected better.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 28:  Tom Foley was just emerging from the corridor leading to Captain Trumbull's office, his smoking six-gun in his hand.  An expression of surprise mingled with disbelief crossed his face when he spotted Jim.

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"The Book of Dreams" by Nina George

In The Book of Dreams by Nina George, Henri has not been too much of a dad to Sam.  That will change today since Sam him to a father-son event at his school!  Henri is on his way but is involved in an accident and is in a coma at the hospital.  While Sam is visiting him he takes an interest in a young girl his age, Madelyn.  She is also in a coma.  Also at the hospital visiting Henri is Eddie, who has to confront her love for Henri. 

Who is Madelyn?  What is her story and why the interest from Sam?  Does Eddie really love Henri?  Do Madelyn and Henri come out of their coma?  I thought this was a wonderful book!  I was into it early and the author really made me care about the characters!  Put this on your TBR list!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Teaser from page 7:  All of a sudden I feel very weak and lose my balance.  Incapable of standing upright, I stagger out into the road.  The little girl screams.

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"Alive and Killing" by Jeff Carson (David Wolf Book 3)

Alive and Killing by Jeff Carson is about a Colorado Sheriff and his 12-yr.-old son, Jack, who happened to be in the right place at the wrong time.  While going on a camping trip in the mountains, they have a run in with some armed men who are set on killing them!   Four men who fought in Afghanistan were assumed dead, but turns out they are alive and killing! 

I liked this book because it was full of adventure and suspense with mystery and interest characters.  The love interest I thought would develop for the Sheriff did not.  I was always eager to come back and read more of this one.  It just seemed a bit odd how the Sheriff was so adept at avoiding fire from military personnel. 
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser at Kindle Loc. 308-10:  Wolf's pulse accelerated as he watched the guy scramble toward them with out-of-control speed.  When he saw what was dangling on the guy's backpack strap--a wood-handled .357 revolver in a leather holster--his body tensed for action.

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QB 1 by Mike Lupica is a Heartwarming Sports Story

QB1 by Mike Lupica is about Jake Cullen, a high school freshman quarterback who is struggling with trying to be as good as his dad and older brother and win his father’s love and attention. Jake feels like he’s always playing second fiddle to Wyatt who is now starting QB at University of Texas. Jake is smart, but doesn’t have quite as strong an arm as Wyatt. Fortunately, his high school coach got him to change his throwing mechanics to create his own throwing style which works better Troy Cullen, Jake’s dad, is a former player whose pro career ended in just his second year after four concussions (brain wounds) and seems to be living vicariously through his older son, Wyatt. When Jake finds himself in a QB controversy, everyone is pretty surprised when he gets to be the starting QB while only a freshman. His father is caught off-guard at how good Jake got so quickly.

I enjoyed this book very much because there was a lot of football in it as well as the team dynamics and the feelings of insecurity Jake was dealing with concerning his father and older brother. This takes a good look from the perspective of a younger brother feeling the pressure of following in his star brother’s footsteps and yearning for some of his father’s attention. This book got my interest and kept it from page 1. I would recommend it to anyone who likes high school football and team dynamics.
 (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 13: He knew already that he just wasn’t going to be the player his dad had been before him, certainly wasn’t going to be the player his big brother had been.
He had talent, just not Cullen talent, at least not that he’d noticed so far in his young life.


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"Underdogs" by Mike Lupica

The Underdogs by Mike Lupica is a football story about a youth football team in a small town that can’t afford another season. Will comes up with a way to save the team, but they are one player short until they let a girl try out. Of course, there is some tension over letting a girl on the team and also they need a coach. Will is determined to not let the town take away football from and actively seeks a coach.

This is predictable, but a very good football story with dads and sons bonding, a girl proving she can play, and overcoming many hurdles to get to the championship game. I liked the football action, the team dynamics and the interaction between Will and Grayson.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page  83:  So Will wasn't even close to giving up yet, on the season or on Toby or getting the coach he wanted, the coach he knew would be perfect for his underdog team.  What did his dad always say?  'If you don't think you can, you can't.'

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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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"No One Cares About Crazy People" by Ron Powers (Non-fiction)

No One Cares About Crazy People is a non-fiction book by Ron Powers.  The author is the dad to his two sons, Kevin and Dean who were both gifted but had to deal with Schizophrenia.  Some of this book is like a textbook so I just glossed over those parts.  The parts where he talks about how he and his wife dealt with their two sons was very interesting.  I hope something can be done to help the people who have this and their caretakers who are trying to do all they can to support them.
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

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"PAX" by Sara Pennypacker - A Book for Children that We Enjoyed

PAX by Sara Pennypacker is told from two points of view:  Pax, a fox and a young boy named Peter.  Peter's father is going off to war and decides that it is time to send Pax into the woods.  After a while, Peter and Pax know that this is not right and set out to do something about it!

Wow!  This book was so good!  I LOVED Pax.  His story was so good I hung on every word.  Give this book a chance and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

I too enjoyed PAX by Sara Pennypacker about the bond between Peter, a 12-yr.-old boy, and a fox and the cost of war.  Peter's mother had died and so when his father went to war, the boy had to go live with his grandpa 300 hundred miles away.  The father made the boy release the fox into the woods on the way to the grandfather's house.   The chapters alternate between the boy's journey and the fox's journey which I found very interesting.  When Peter decides to go back for his fox, he breaks a bone in his foot and is befriended by Vola, a lady who lives on a farm alone who is a very interesting character.  Peter and her help each other.  This is a touching story with adventure and suspense.  I also liked the artwork by Jon Klassen.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Lost No More" by CeeCee James

Lost No More (Ghost no More series) by CeeCee James is based on her husband’s true story about a boy growing up with an alcoholic father and how their relationship changed over the years. It is a touching story about the complicated feelings between a father and son. This was an interesting read that I enjoyed. I really liked the ending.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Love Unexpected" by Jody Hedlund is Enjoyable and Heartwarming

Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund is a heartwarming historical romance novel about Patrick, a lighthouse keeper with a 2-yr.-old boy (Josiah) who marries Emma the first day he meets her, the day of his wife’s funeral.  He has left his former criminal lifestyle and has become a God fearing man of God, but is Emma really safe with him?  How did his former wife die?  Can Patrick really put his past behind him?  Can Emma trust him?  Has he really changed?  Will she stay when she discovers the truth about him and his boy?  I’m not saying, you’ll have to read the book.  This is the first of the “Beacons of Hope” series and I look forward to reading more.

I enjoyed this heartwarming clean romance novel and was rooting for Patrick and Emma all the way.  It is a good read based on true lives of lighthouse keepers in Michigan from the 1800s.  I was surprised to learn pirating existed on the Great Lakes back then. 

(Karen's review, 4 stars)  

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"Sometimes the Wolf" by Urban Waite centers on a Father-Son Bond

Sometimes the Wolf by Urban Waite centers on a father-son relationship.  The father gets out of prison and is released into the custody of his son.  The bad guys are after him because there is money involved.  Does he have it?  Why was he in prison in the first place?  Was it justified or a mistake?  The bond between the son and father carries this novel very well.  There was just enough action to keep me turning pages.  Well worth your time!  

(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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