"The Shadow Of Your Smile" by Mary Higgins Clark

Disappointing Compared to Some of her Other Ones I Read

The Shadow Of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark didn't appeal to me.  I didn't care for the three murders by three different people because it just made murder seem too easy.  I really liked some of her others, but this doesn't even come close.  I guess when my favorite character gets killed early on by her "long time friend," I lost interest.  The suspense just wasn't enough for me.  It's about a Dr. trying to find out who her father's biological parents were and the family she's related to trying to make sure she doesn't.  Her father was adopted at birth.  I really can't say anymore without giving things away.  It does have a good ending.
(Karen's review)

Others by this author that I recommend instead:  Two Little Girls In Blue & Just Take My Heart & Where Are You Now

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. Happy Reading!

"A Killing in the Hills" by Julia Keller

A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller is a page turner with a very good ending. It tells how a killing in a small town puts a mother and her teenage daughter at odds. Both have secrets they do not wish to reveal. I got into this book very easily and it goes quick. I think the two subplots are just as good as the main story line. In short, this is as good as it gets. Read and enjoy!
(Gerard's review, rating 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. Happy Reading!

"Pushing the Limits" by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry is told by Echo, a young teen girl who was Miss Popular. Then a nightmare happened that still haunts her, and she can't remember it! Noah, is a young teen boy who is dealing with the death of his parents and trying to get his brothers and him together again. The attraction between Echo and Noah forces her to push the limits.

This book is awesome! I got into it from page one and just kept turning pages. Echo and Noah seemed so real, it really didn't seem like a book at all and I loved the ending. Make it a point to read this YA book--it's that good!
(Gerard's review, rating 5+ stars)

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry is a teen romance between a girl named Echo and a boy named Noah who both have scars from personal issues and are helped by the same clinical social worker.  Their relationship has ups and downs which make it believable and both decide to work together to get a look at their files for answers.  Loved the ending which inspires kids to look to the future and not get stuck in their past!

I was surprised at how good this book is—better than I expected and I loved the ending.  My favorite character was Noah but also liked Mrs. Collins, the clinical social worker.  It was also refreshing to finally read a book about foster care that showed a true picture with a variety of different types of foster homes including a very good one.  I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys books about teens.  I look forward to reading Dare You To, a story about one of Noah’s friends, Beth.
(Karen's review)

For another review of this, see Jodi's Book Reviews.

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. Happy Reading!

"Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn is a winner! WOW, this is good! Libby Day, age 7, survives a night when her mom and two sisters were murdered by their brother in "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas." Libby testifies to this in court. However, 25 years later, the money she inherited runs low so when she is offered money to sell family mementos, she agrees but begins to have second thoughts if her brother was the murderer.

I liked the writing and lots of twists and turns with a surprise ending. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy suspense and murder mysteries. I also loved GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn.
(Gerard's review)

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. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.

"Playing Dead" by Julia Heaberlin

Playing Dead by Julia Heaberlin had me baffled.  Tommie, a child psychiatrist, returns to her childhood home in Ponder, Texas, after her dad, a former U.S. Marshal and rancher died and has a nice reunion with her younger sister and niece.  Her mother is sick and institutionalized.  Tommie learns that there are family secrets she knew nothing of and the biggest shock is that her father really isn’t her biological father and that her parents kept this from her.  Not only that, but when digging to find the truth about her identity, she discovers her biological father is a mobster doing time in prison a short distance away for murdering an entire family!  Nice, huh?  She gets a letter in the mail from a lady in Chicago that says she thinks Tommie is her daughter who was kidnapped as a very young child and would like for her to come and visit so they could meet.  This lady is the mobster’s wife and a real nutcase.  My favorite part was when she was at the library and the FBI followed her so were there to rescue her from the mobster who was threatening her because she was digging up the past that they wanted left alone.

This is a story with lots of twists and turns that got me a bit confused.  I don’t know how Tommie managed to keep it all straight but she did, even when her life was threatened on a couple occasions by the rival mob of her imprisoned father.  I liked the happy surprise ending and didn’t see it coming.  I couple things I didn’t understand though—how Jack Smith—the phony reporter could just get into Tommie’s house anytime he wanted and what Rosalind was after.  If you read this, maybe you could explain this to me.  Although this book is shocking with lots of surprises along the way, it seemed to kind of drag along.   

(Karen's review)

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. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.

"The Dark Rose" by Erin Kelly is WOW!

The Dark Rose by Erin Kelly tells the story of two people: Paul, a young boy and Louisa, a woman. They both have things hidden in their past. I really loved this book a lot! It took me only a day and a half to finish because I couldn't wait to get back to it. It's definitely a page turner that is hard to put down with a shocking ending. This is a double WOW book for sure! I already ordered Erin's previous book. I highly recommend this one!
(Gerard's review: My rating 5 stars out of 5)

The Dark Rose by Erin Kelly is about Paul and Louisa, who each have secrets that fill them with guilt, while seeking to move on with their lives.  Unfortunately, the past has a strong hold on both of them even though they find comfort together and confess their secrets to each other.  Louisa’s past is about a lover’s quarrel with a musician who broke her heart and drove her to the fine line of love and hate. Paul finds himself having to testify against the only friend he ever had which puts himself and those he loves at risk.  This book certainly has a unexpected ending!    

 

It was difficult for me to relate to either of the main characters because their choices were so stupid and had such different lifestyles than mine.  It also was set in England so had some unfamiliar terms.  This book reminded me of a soap opera that I had no connection to because I didn’t like the characters.  I would have enjoyed it more if it didn’t jump back and forth in time so much.  It was hard for me to follow and at one point, I was tempted to just flip through the rest of the book and read the 1989 year stuff first and then go back and read the rest in date order.  I would have organized it much differently, having the background first alternating chapters between Paul and Louisa and then once their lives converged, just continue on in chronological order.  Therefore, I did not like this book very much and do not recommend it.  I’m surprised Gerard liked it so well since he usually likes books with more action than this.  He thought it was great!  Guess you’ll just have to read it for yourself and see what you think of it.

(Karen's review:  My rating 2 out of 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. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"The Violets of March" by Sarah Jio

"The Violets of March" by Sarah Jio is a very interesting romance novel with mystery as well. It’s about a successful New York author who is recently divorced and goes to visit her aunt Bee at her beach house in Bainbridge to get away and think things through. While there, she discovers a diary about a woman’s similar experience to hers and gets drawn into trying to piece the bits and pieces together about her grandmother’s story.


I liked this book because it is not predictable from the start like many romance novels are. I didn’t understand what drew men to her like bees to honey, but it kept my interest all through. It’s about following your heart and knowing your true love will last forever. I enjoyed this light and entertaining read. If you like romance novels, I highly recommend it!
(Karen's review:  My rating 4 out of 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. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"Fragile" by Lisa Unger

Fragile by Lisa Unger is a good contemporary fiction novel about a missing teen girl, Charlene, that brings back memories for a lot of people about another missing girl who was found dead years before.  The story takes place in a small town near New York City where people generally live out their entire lives and know each other very well since they grew up together, but still manage to keep secrets.  There are many interesting characters in Fragile who are connected through past events.  Ricky’s girlfriend turns up missing and his dad, the police detective, heads up the investigation that conjures up some guilty feelings from his past when he let an innocent teen confess to a murder he knew the kid did not commit.   

There are so many aspects this book hits that makes it an excellent choice for a book club to discuss—friendship, parenting teens, suicide, rape, ethics and young love.  Here are some teasers for you:  There is the general question asked by the troubled teen, Marshall:  How do you know if you are a good person.  I mean, how do you know if you’re not? (p. 143)  When detective Cooper searches his boy’s room for incriminating evidence so he can protect him, he says to his wife, “Anyone is capable of anything, given the right circumstances, the right motivations.” (p. 187)  Then, a little later he tells her, “I know how a moment can spiral out of control” (p. 189) speaking from experience. 

Fragile is not action packed, but rather delves into ethics and the consequences of actions.  I liked how once the mystery was solved, the book didn’t end there, but continued to reveal more to the characters about the past and have the father-son relationship healed.  I recommend this if you like books about relationships and family dynamics.

(Karen's review 2/3/12--My Rating:  4 stars)

(Gerard's review 10/19/2010--My rating 4 stars)
Fragile by Lisa Unger is about small town secrets where a girl turns up missing one day.  Secrets hidden away from an incident that took place long ago come to the surface.  I thought Fragile was pretty good.  There are lots of characters so you have to pay attention as you read to follow along.  It‘s a good book, but didn‘t really “wow“ me.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"The Most Dangerous Thing" by Laura Lippman

The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman is about growing up, keeping secrets, death, friendship, jealousy, and marriage. Three brothers and two girls form a close friendship but when an incident occurs in the woods where they go exploring, it affects them and their parents for years to come. The novel jumps around a lot with flashbacks and hopping from one family to the next. The reader gets to know the parents and their struggles as well as the kids who grow up into adults with struggles of their own. Sometimes I found it hard to follow. This is a mystery with complex characters. It kept me reading to discover exactly what the most dangerous thing was; not telling you. You’ll just have to read this to find out!

I liked the flashbacks to the kids hanging out together but overall this is a sad story with a dark view of marriage. Only one out of 6 marriages were really happy which I found kind of sad. This is slow moving and depressing. If you enjoy family sagas and lots of interpersonal relationship dynamics, then you may like this one.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"The Midwife's Confession" by Diane Chamberlain

The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain is full of surprises and mother-daughter moments.  When Emerson and Tara start searching for answers to why their best friend, Noelle the midwife, committed suicide, they are shocked to find out things they never knew about her.  Noelle had many secrets that were kept for many years but eventually came out after she died.

I liked this book but it does have quite a few characters to keep straight and jumps from the present to the past all through it which sometimes was hard to follow.  I think women would enjoy this book much more than men, just because it focuses on relationships rather than action.  It's a great read about friendship, betrayal and mothers and daughters.  It has discussion questions in the back which makes it very conducive to a book club selection.

I also liked another book by this author:  The Secret Life Of Cee Cee Wilkes which has more action in it.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Glimpse" by Carol Lynch Williams

WOW! Double WOW!! Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williamsis an awesome read about two sisters, Lizzie and Hope, who live with their mom. One day Lizzie tries to kill herself but doesn't go through with it and is taken to a mental hospital. Hope cannot figure out why and when Lizzie tells her to be careful, she is really confused. One day Hope finds out by listening to her mom talking to Lizzie about a terrible secret they share. The suspense about this secret builds all the way through! It is a hard book to put down. This is the third book I read by Carol Lynch Williams and is by far her best!  It has a super ending too! I'm telling you to read this book, it is fantastic!

Glimpse is one of the most unusual books I have ever read because the whole bookiis written in free verse!
(Gerard's review)
Check out my teaser for this one.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at

the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"The Bird House" by Kelly Simmons

The Bird House by Kelly Simmons is a story about a grandmother who shares and discovers family secrets with her granddaughter.  It’s about tension between the mother and her daughter-in-law.  I didn’t care for this book much although the relationship between the grandmother and Ellie, her granddaughter was endearing.  I liked the cover but the characters didn’t seem very well developed and I didn’t like how it kept jumping back and forth between the past and the present.  I was pretty bored with it, although I finished in two days. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Heartwood" by Belva Plain

Heartwood is Belva Plain’s last novel, a sequel to Harvest actually.  Belva Plain is one of my favorite authors and did not disappoint me with this contemporary fiction novel about love, marriage, life’s challenges, family relationships, forgiveness, infidelity and secrets.  I enjoyed reading this book very much because it delves into the inner workings of marriage and family.  It continues the saga of a Jewish family that Belva Plain first writes about in Evergreen.  This is about Laura, who tries to be a good wife out of duty but becomes more interested in her catering business than her husband who feels like a failure for being unable to achieve his dream.  I highly recommend Heartwood to women.  (I'm taking a teaser from it tomorrow.)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Crimson Eve" by Brandilyn Collins

I liked Crimson Eve by Brandilyn Collins because there was excitement and a fight for survival right from the start. It dealt with consequences of sin and showed how our actions can have an impact on others. Carla, the main character, is pursued by a hit man hired by someone in her past and goes on the run. She has kept a lot of secrets but the truth comes out eventually. Fantastic book that I think women would especially enjoy. This was hard to put down.  This is the third book in her Kenner Lake series that I highly recommend.

(Karen's Review April 2009)
Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?