"Bear" by Julia Phillips

Bear by Julia Phillips is about two sisters who have a dream once they get off this island.  But one night the younger sister sees a bear and is enchanted by it!  Not everyone feels the same way.  Can the bear survive?  What does this mean for the sisters' plan?  I enjoyed this book.  The sisters were very good characters.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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Bored to Pieces with "Agatha of Little Neon" by Claire Luchette

Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette was a terrible book! It dragged along going nowhere. Had one funny part when the sisters' car broke down but that was it. It was all just about one nun's personal journey that led her to leave the sisterhood. I thought this was one of the worst, most boring books I ever read. I only finished because I thought something would happen and it would get better, but it never did.  The only good thing about it is that the chapters are very short so you can read just a little at a time because a good stopping point is never far away. (Karen's review, 1 star)

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"Three Sisters" by Heather Morris (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Book 3)

Three Sisters by Heather Morris is based on a true story.  Three sisters make a pact to always stay together and be there for each other, but when two of them are sent to a concentration camp by the Nazis, that pact is put to the test.  Will they survive to see their sister again?  This book is really good!  The parts about the concentration camp are very powerful!  I loved all the three sisters and liked the very good ending!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Alias Anna" by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson is Hard to Put Down!

Alias Anna by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson is the true story about two young sisters with special talent for playing the piano.  They live in Russia during World War II and flee when the Germans move in to take over.  They manage to escape on the way to being killed.  This is a quick read that is very hard to put down.  I liked it and found it easy to read because it is written in verse and the chapters were very short!   It is pretty fascinating and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical non-fiction stories.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 12/22/22:
Alias Anna by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson tells a true story about two young Jewish sisters who were able to outwit the Nazis and survive during Hitler's reign.  This is a really good book told in verse so is a quick read.  This is worth the read for sure.  I found it hard to put down.  (5++ stars)

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"One Two Three" by Laurie Frankel is Enjoyable

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel is told by three female triplets.  They live in a small town where everyone knows everyone and nothing much goes on.  When a moving van comes to town, it is big news!  This story is told very well.  I enjoyed the three girls who narrated it very much.  I was into it from page 1.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Good Sister" by Sally Hepworth

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth centers on Rose and Fern, twin sisters that are very different from each other.  Rose has Diabetes, mood swings and is very manipulative while Fern has sensory issues but a good heart.  They see the world very differently.  Rose wants a baby but her marriage is on the rocks.  Fern works in a library and comes up with a plan to make Rose happy.

I enjoyed this book because of Fern.  She is an interesting character and very likeable, unlike her twin, Rose.  I didn't like Rose much from the start.  I also enjoyed Rocco aka Wally, Fern's boyfriend.  Both Fern and Rocco seemed to be on the spectrum for Autism and were great together!  I recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories about families or people with Autism.    (Karen's review, 5 stars)

 Gerard's review 4/20/21:

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth centers on Rose and Fern, sisters who both look after each other.  Rose wants to have a baby in the worst way, but it does not look like it is going to happen.  Fern, being the good sister, decides to come up with a plan to make Rose happy.  What is that plan?  Will it work?  You will have to read the book to find out!  

Fern was a great character and drives this book in my opinion.  The book moved along well with a surprise ending.  I enjoyed The Mother-in-Law more, but this book is good too!  (4.5 stars) 

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"Daddy's Girls" by Danielle Steel

Daddy's Girls by Danielle Steel is about how three sisters deal with the passing of their father.  I enjoyed this book very much.  The author did a great job of bringing out the differences of all three sisters.  It also had some twists and turns with a happy "Hallmark movie" ending.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars) 

Teaser from page 21:  Kate was so shaken she could barely speak.  They walked into the house, and his belongings were everywhere, a pair of tall, mud-covered rubber boots that he'd worn the day before, his riding gloves on the table, a jacket he'd thrown over a chair. 

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"Little Broken Things" by Nicole Baart

In Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart, Quinn receives a message from her sister, Nora.  Nora has something for her.  Turns out that something is a little girl!  Nora tells her to keep her safe and then takes off.  For the most part, this book was good but dragged in some parts.  The story itself was good.  I just think it could have been told shorter.  The ending was the best part of the book for me.  (Gerard's review 8/14/20, 4 stars)

Karen's review 9/11/20:
Little broken things by Nicole Baart is about a two sisters, Nora and Quinn, and a little girl who Nora dumps off on Quinn with no information as to why or who she is except instructions to just keep her safe for a few days.  It deals with motherhood and family.  I can't say much more than that without giving things away. 

I thought this book was okay but did not like how it dragged along and jumped from parts I was interested in to something else entirely.  It has discussion questions in the back for use at book clubs as well as some suggested activities for book clubs related to the story.  (3 stars) 

Teaser from page 31:  What could she say?  Get the quest room ready, I'm strapping you with a reticent six-year-old for I don't know how long.  Oh, and I don't intend to tell you a thing about her. 

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"If You Tell" by Gregg Olsen

If You Tell by Gregg Olsen is a true story!   This book centers on Shelly, the mom, and her daughters:  Nikki, Sami and Tori.  Even as I read this, I found it hard to believe, especially that it went on for so long!  The story has good flow to it and I never knew what Shelly was going to do next!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 13:  Years later, Lara took a deep breath, recalling, "She used to chop up bits of glass and put them in the bottom of [the kids'] boots and shoes," she said.  "What kind of person does something like that?"

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"The Night Before" by Wendy Walker

We have a new family member!

The Night Before by Wendy Walker deals with two sisters, Laura and Rosie.  Laura goes on a date with a man she met on the internet.  When she does not come home the following morning, Rosie is worried and the search begins.  Should she be more worried about Laura or the man who she is with because she knows what Laura is capable of?  I enjoyed both of the sisters very much.  The story line was okay, but I needed more action!  It still earns a solid 4 from me!
(Gerard's review)

Oh, to learn about our new dog, Roxy, read her blog post about her first few days with us on our other blog:  I'm Out of the Shelter!    

Teaser from page 22: I find my reflection in the tiny oval mirror and give it a look of admonishment.  My brown eyes and mousy hair.

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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 Tale of Ole Green Eyes" by Cathy Kennedy

The Tale of Ole Green Eyes by Cathy Kennedy is a short children's book about two sisters to get a scare in the woods because of the story their grandmother told them.  It has a bit of suspense.  It's a happy little story for small children.  Of course, I liked that a cat was in it!
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Teaser from Loc. 113 on Kindle:  Brittany jumped.  She spun around and gasped, "What?"

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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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"Fire & Ice" (Book 3 of Wild at Heart series) by Mary Connealy

Fire & Ice by Mary Connealy is the third and final book in the Wild Heart series. This book focuses on Bailey and Gage. Bailey prides herself on being able to take care of herself and be as good a rancher as any man and Gage is determined to get his cattle to graze in the canyon that Bailey blocked with her cabin. While Gage starts blasting away the mountain to give him another way into the canyon, he and some of his men nearly get killed when a trap someone set for them results in an avalanche! He accuses Bailey but she sets him straight and convinces him it wasn’t her that set that trap. After making it through a lonely winter, she is actually happy when Gage Coulter comes to her door, but is floored at what he wants.

This third book continued to be entertaining and is a great ending to this series. I loved how Bailey and Gage gradually grew to love each other. I really liked all three sisters in this series and was sorry to see it end. Once again, this book had adventure, mystery, romance and humor. I loved this series and flew through all three books once I started it.  I highly recommend this series for light reading.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 14:  "This is why you've been as good as hiding from me ever since the first time I came across you in your sister's cabin, all the way back before Kylie married Aaron.  You didn't want me to know you were a woman."

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"My Sister, The Serial Killer" by Oyinkan Braithwaite

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite centers on two sisters.  The older sister is Korede and the younger sister is Ayoola.  Ayoola is the killer of some men that she has a relationship with.  Korede cleans up the mess.  Now a man Korede is in love with is going out with her sister.  All bets are off now!  This book had a lot of hype so I wanted to read it.  I found it to be okay.  The story line kept me involved and the sisters were good characters.  This is the author's first book.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 6:  "It's not my fault, you know."  But I don't know.  I don't know what she is referring to. 

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"Tried & True" (Wild at Heart Series Book 1) by Mary Connealy

Tried & True by Mary Connealy is about three sisters becoming homesteaders after serving in the Civil War disguised as men to fulfill their pa's dream.  Kylie, Bailey and Shannon are the three sisters who have been made tough by war and have picked up some manly skills.  Shannon loves animals and is happy raising sheep while the eldest sister, Bailey loves being independent and raising cattle.  Kylie, however, prefers civilization, tea parties and bonnets and has agreed to homestead for just three years to claim ownership of the land and then sell it to her pa and move back east.  When the land agent comes around and discovers she is a woman so can't get the 2-yr land exemption and has to live on the land five years to own it, she is devastated and her plans change.

I enjoyed this first book in the series which centers on Kylie and look forward to reading about the other two sisters in the next books of this series.  Kylie's struggles to do manly jobs at her cabin, the efforts to try to get her to leave and the romance that developed between her and Aaron, the land agent, kept my interest. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from pg. 21:  Aaron Masterson had his arms around the prettiest little thing in the whole wide world.  And considering she was soaking wet, freezing cold, and crying her head off, that was saying something.

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"Sadie" by Courtney Summers

Sadie by Courtney Summers is teen fiction.  A radio personality gets a call to help find a missing girl--Sadie Hunter.  At first, he blows it off, but when he finds out Sadie is on the hunt for the man that killed her sister, he decides to go look for her!  This book is told by Sadie and West McCray, the radio personality.  It is pretty good and held my interest because of the really good parts by Sadie.  I think the ending could have been told better than it was though.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 19:  It makes me sick to think about her throwing her life in the garbage like that because that's what it amounts to.  Every little bit that made her, everything, was all in the trash and when I found it, I just started to cry because she'd . . . it wasn't worth anything to her anymore.    

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"Oregon Bound" by Rachel Wesson (Book 1 in Trails of the Heart)

I just started a new historical romance series: (Trails of the Heart) with the first book, Oregon Bound by Rachel Wesson, and loved it! This first book is about the Thompson family moving to Oregon from Illinois with a wagon train. The father is the one who decided to sell his farm and start all over in spite of his wife wanting to stay. His eldest daughter, Eva, did not want to go either because she was in love with David, the son of the town drunk. Her father did not approve of him because of his background and had her matched up in his mind with Harold, the merchant’s son. Eva had two younger twin sisters, Becky and Johanna, and a younger brother, Stephen.

This is a quick read and I enjoyed it a lot because of the interesting characters, the humor and the different relationships. I liked the characters and especially Eva and her twin sisters who each had different personalities and strengths. I also liked how they teased one another but also supported each other throughout the book. There was always tension between Eva and her father because of her desire to be with David and her father’s prejudice against him. Eva’s mother is fierce and intuitive and loves her family very much. I really liked how she came around to being on Eva’s side and stood up to her husband. David proved over and over that he was better than Harold. I look forward to continuing on with this very enjoyable series.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Loc. 816-17 on Kindle: “Eva, we are going to Oregon. You’ve got to accept that and stop being such a misery guts.”


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"Under the Harrow" by Flynn Berry

In Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry, Nora is on a train to visit her sister, but when she gets there, she finds an unspeakable horror!  Her sister has been brutally killed.  Nora will not and cannot return to her normal life until she discovers who killed her sister and why.

I thought this book was okay.  Nora was a good character, but the other people in the book were not developed very well.  The ending was a surprise though.  It's not a "must read" in my opinion, but an okay book.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)  

Teaser from pg. 8:  I am hyperventilating, though everything around me is calm and still.  It is urgent that I do something, but I don't know what.

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"A Court of Frost and Starlight" by Sarah J. Maas

Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas is no where near as good as the previous books in this Court of Thorns and Roses series.  This is a time of peace and rebuilding of the Night Court.  Feyre and Rys enjoy happy days and nights together, celebrate their second winter solstice and Feyre starts painting again.  The biggest tension in this book is whether Nesta will join them for Solstice.

I was glad this book is much shorter than the others because it has no action in it whatsover!  It is all about the relationships developing further, or not.  I liked the characters and that is the only reason I finished it.  I think you could easily skip this book and not feel like you missed anything at all.  It has a little humor now and then but I was wishing I would get done with it so could go on to something better.
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

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