"The Walnut Creek Wish" by Wanda E. Brunstetter (Creektown Discoveries Vol. 1)

The Walnut Creek Wish by Wanda E. Brunstetter is about a middle-aged married couple (Jeff and Rhonda) who move from Canton, Ohio to Amish country and find friendship with an Amish couple (Orley and Lois) who run an Antique Shop and point Jeff and Rhonda to the Lord. Jeff is a restaurant owner and Rhonda manages a hotel.  Both have turned away from God because of unanswered prayers in the past and have hardened their hearts.  It's a good Christian fiction story and has discussion questions in the back.  I liked all the characters.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Soulmate" by Sally Hepworth

In The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth, Gabe and Pippa's house is near a cliff where people sometimes go to end their lives.  Gabe has a way of talking people off that cliff.  However, one day with Pippa watching, a woman and Gabe talk until the woman is falling off that cliff!  To Pippa, it looks like Gabe pushed her, but she doesn't really believe it!  Could he have?  

Sally Hepworth is always good, but this book is fantastic!  The characters are really good and I thought I knew how it would end, but I was wrong!  LOVED THIS ONE!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Prisoner" by B. A. Paris

In The Prisoner by B. A. Paris, Amelie, wife of billionaire Jed, is kidnapped and held in a dark room.  She does not know why or by whom.  What she does know is that she feels safer than being with her husband.  You will have to read the book to find out why.  

B. A. Paris's books always have good storylines and good characters; this is no exception.  This book goes back and forth in time, but I didn't mind that.  The ending is unbelievable!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Perfect Marriage" by Jeneva Rose

In The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, Sarah and Adam have been married for ten years.  Being a No. 1 lawyer for a high price law firm leaves little time for Sarah to spend with Adam; however, when Adam gets into big trouble, he has to turn to Sarah for help.  Should she or will she defend him on a murder charge of killing his mistress? 

I thought this book was really good.  Sarah and Adam were fantastic characters.  If you think you know how this plays out, I am betting that you don't!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Confessions on the 7:45" by Lisa Unger is Unpredictable!

In Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger, Selena is on a subway train thinking of the problems she is having with her husband.  The train is not moving because the rail is blocked.  So Selena gets to talking with another woman and tells her about the problems she has.  She feels better when she lets it out.  Little does she know that by talking, her problems are about to get a whole lot worse!  

I thought this book was really good.  The characters were interesting to say the least.  The storyline was such that I never knew what or who was going to come into the picture and the ending was outstanding!  I loved this one!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Golden Couple" by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

In The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, Marissa and Michael are having problems in their marriage.  Marissa decides that a therapist will solve their troubles.  The therapist has problems of her own.  Will these three be able to come up with a solution or will matters get worse?  All three are keeping secrets.  

This book is really good!  I loved the characters and the story line.  I highly recommend it!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"My Wife is Missing" by D. J. Palmer is a MUST Read!

My Wife Is Missing by D. J. Palmer is about a secret past and the effect it has on Michael's marriage to Natalie.  This is an intriguing story that kept my interest throughout.  While on vacation in New York, when Michael gets back from picking up a pizza, he finds his wife and his two kids gone including their luggage.  The only thing left behind was his son's teddy bear!  He is frantic trying to find her and a detective offers his help.  

I liked Michael and felt sorry for him most of the time.  Natalie suffered from insomnia and suspected Michael was cheating on her.  This book had a wild chase, interesting characters, and a surprise ending!  It's quite a good mystery!  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 6/7/22:

In My Wife is Missing by D. J. Palmer, a family vacation in New York City sounds good, but for Michael and Natalie, not so much!  Soon after they get to New York, while Michael is out getting pizza he comes back to find his wife and two kids gone!  Did someone take them?  or did they go sightseeing?

This book is so good!!!  You need to think while reading it.  Natalie is a great character and one of the best endings to a book ever.  This is a must read!  (5++ stars)

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"The Starter Wife" by Nina Laurin

In The Starter Wife by Nina Laurin, Claire marries a man 20 years older.  People say it is a mistake, but Claire is in love and life is good!  Later though, she and her husband are not on the same page anymore.  Claire will have to fight to save her marriage and find out if she knows what her husband is up to.  This novel starts out slow, but when it picks up it makes up for it and then some.  There are plenty twists and turns.  Put your thinking cap on for this one and do not believe everything you think you know!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Wives" by Tarryn Fisher is a Wild One!

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher is about a woman who only sees her husband one day a week.  Why?  Because he has two other women to whom he is married.  This book is told by Thursday because that is the day her husband shares with her.  I liked the main character and the story line that kept me engaged and guessing what would happen next.  I also liked the ending of this wild story!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Younger Wife" by Sally Hepworth

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is told by three women:  Heather, who is going to marry a man in his 60s and Jully and Rachel, the daughters of the 60-yr.-old man.  I thought this book was really good.  The pacing is great!  You do not know what is going to happen next.  I loved how the women tell this story that has a very good ending!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Unmissing" by Minka Kent is a Shocker!

Unmissing by Minka Kent is a fast-moving mystery that I enjoyed.  I has two big twists I didn't see coming and my opinion of the characters changed as the book moved along.  It kept my attention from the very first page and had no boring parts.  It's about Lydia, who is kidnapped right at the beginning of the book and is declared dead.  After missing for 10 years, she returns to find her husband who has remarried, owns several restaurants and has clearly moved on.  (Karen's review 3/24/22, 5 stars)

Gerard's review:

Unmissing by Minka Kent tells the story of a woman missing for ten years and comes back.  She comes back to a married couple to settle the score with the husband.  This is good stuff!  It is told by two women and goes back and forth so you do not expect what is coming.  The ending is really, really good!  (5 stars)

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"Rock Paper Scissors" by Alice Feeney

In Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney, Adam and Amelia win a weekend get-a-way in Scotland which makes them very happy!  They both need it.    I enjoyed this book a lot but the less you know about it, the better.  I don't want to spoil it for you.  The story line is great.  What I thought I knew, I really didn't!  I LOVED it and highly recommend this one!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

Karen's review:

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney was just annoying to me.  First off, it was very slow moving and although it did create suspense and was somewhat creepy, I didn't care for any of the characters except the dog, Bob.  Half of the story was in the form of letters.  It was definitely full of secrets and had an unpredictable ending.  (2 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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"Joint Custody" by Lauren and Jackie Logsted

Joint Custody by Lauren Baratz Logsted and Jackie Logsted is narrated by Gatz, a dog.  He gets adopted and heads for his forever home with a man.  When the man meets a woman, they become a pack of three and Gatz is happy.  Soon though, the man and woman split up and Gatz will try to get them back together.

I just did not get this book at all.  I thought the writing was bad and the story line did not work for me.  Even Gatz, the dog, was just okay.  I usually enjoy dog books, but this one is bad.  I advise you to skip this one.  (Gerard's review, 2 stars)

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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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"A Mrs. Miracle Christmas" by Debbie Macomber

In A Mrs. Miracle Christmas by Debbie Macomber, Laura is worried about her grandmother, Helen, getting Dementia.  She doesn't want to leave her alone so hires a home-care provider, Mrs. Miracle, from Caring Angels.  Laura and Zach can't have children so tried to adopt but were devastated when it didn't work out.  Laura is thrilled her Nana and Mrs. Miracle hit it off and has seen improvement in Nana's behavior and attitude since she hired Mrs. Miracle.  When Helen tells Laura that Mrs. Miracle is a real angel, Laura begins to worry again. 

This is a delightful, entertaining read that reminded me of the show, Touched by an Angel.  If you liked that show, I would highly recommend this book to you.  My favorite characters are Helen and Mrs. Miracle.  It's a fun, light read.  It could easily be a Hallmark Christmas movie in my opinion.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 30:  That Mrs. Miracle knew this shouldn't have surprised Helen, if indeed she was an angel.  But it sure seemed to Helen that this woman was privy to a lot of personal information, angel or not.

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"The Good Father" by Diane Chamberlain

The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain centers on Travis and his 4-yr-old daughter, Bella.  Robin was very sickly and fragile when he got her pregnant and did not want the baby so Travis got full custody.  When his mother's house burns to the ground, he finds himself and Bella homeless.  Then he loses his job and moves to Raleigh to follow a job lead.  He meets a woman at a coffee shop, Erin, who is still grieving over the loss of her child but hits it off with Bella.  His job is not what he thought it would be and finds himself mixed up with drug dealers.  He left Bella with Erin while he went to work, but didn't come back!  What will Erin do with Bella?  Will Travis get out alive and see his daughter again?  What about Robin?  These are all questions answered when you read the book.

I enjoyed this book, although it started off a bit slow.  It really has three story lines about the three main characters, Travis, Erin and Robin.  This book looks at parenting and grieving.  This would be a good book for a book club to discuss.  It has discussion questions in the back.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 8:  The only thing was, she might be too good.  The kind of person who'd call the cops on me.  I just had to trust her not to.

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"Outlaw" by Ted Dekker

Outlaw by Ted Dekker is a novel that takes place in the jungle of Irian Jaya. It is about how Julian Carter and her 2-yr.-old son Stephen left America because she felt called to go to New Guinea to be a missionary through a reoccurring dream. She found herself shipwrecked on the way and captured by an unknown tribe of cannibals, the Tulim people who lived in the jungle in 1963 and obviously had a very different culture than she was used to and did not know their language.

I was looking for a change of pace and this book gave it to me. I enjoyed learning about the culture of cannibals and jungle tribes. This book is packed with adventure and is written by a man who was born and raised by missionaries in the jungles of Irian Jaya. This is a pretty amazing story and although some parts didn’t quite make sense to me, I still enjoyed it. This is a wild book! (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 5: I cried out and frantically searched the foaming water but there was no sign of the captain. The ocean had swallowed him whole and shoved the boat far from where he’d gone overboard.


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"Life and Other Inconveniences" by Kristan Higgins is Heartwarming and Touching

Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins is a heartwarming, touching novel about family, love, grief, marriage and personal relationships. This is not a book with action but about life issues such as brother rivalry, unwed mother, marriage, suicide, single parenting, death, wealth, self-esteem, illness and family relationships.

 It started out slow for me and I was a bit confused at first because of so many characters to keep straight. I even set it aside and almost gave up on it but am glad I finished it.  I liked the dogs though and Luigi, Miller's cat.  The ending was very touching and made me tear up. I chose to read this one because I saw a book club recommended it and I saw it also recommended other books I enjoyed. Discussions questions are included in the back for book clubs. (4 stars)

Teaser from page 5: A few years ago, I’d told Riley the facts: Genevieve London of the adorable purses was my grandmother, and I’d lived with her for ten years after my mother died because my father couldn’t take care of me. I explained that Genevieve wasn’t the nicest person, so we didn’t talk anymore.


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"The Wife Between Us" by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen has incorrectly been compared to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train in my opinion.  I think it's laughable!  Those two books were way better!  The three main characters in this book are Richard, who has tons of money; Vanessa, who was his wife for a while; and Emma, his soon-to-be-wife.  This book had its moments, but needed more action for me.  The story line was okay and the ending was very good which surprised me!
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

Karen's review:
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is a slow moving psychological thriller with twists I didn’t see coming. Richard appears to be the perfect husband, but when his “perfect” wife doesn’t meet his high expectations, he loses his temper. It’s almost as if he is two different people, very caring and affectionate at times, and then abusive and mean at other times. When Vanessa feels guilty about her manipulating, she actually tries to save Richard’s finance from marrying him.

This book was very slow moving for me about a bad marriage and the only reason I kept reading was because it was recommended to me by a friend. It does pick up and becomes more interesting eventually, but I had to plow my way through it. Some things just made no sense to me in the beginning. If you don’t mind a long road to a satisfying ending, then you would probably enjoy this one. If you prefer a fast-paced, action packed book with adventure and twists and turns, skip this one. It’s not for you. I only liked one character, Samantha, who was not a main one. (3 stars)

Teaser from page 19: Richard is engaged. My husband is actually going to marry her.


Teaser from page 10:  Morning is the worst time because, for a brief moment, my brain is clear.  The reprieve is so cruel.

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