"Always Watching" by Chevy Stevens

Always Watching by Chevy Stevens is about a Psychiatrist, Nadine, whose bad childhood memories are stirred up when she gets a patient who left the same commune she was in, although it has a new name and advertises as a spiritual retreat place. Nadine feels the need to report what happened to her in the commune and hope the cops will arrest the leaders and get “The River of Life Spiritual Center” shut down to keep others from being hurt. Nadine also has a teenage daughter who ran away, got into drugs, and lives on the streets. All Nadine wants is for her daughter, Lisa, to be happy and longs for her to come back home. Her biggest fear is that the cult-like commune will get her daughter comes true.

I liked this book okay, but not as much as I liked this author’s other books. It just moved a little slow for my taste and was pretty predictable. Mostly was sad with what I thought was an unrealistic ending. It has a lot of flashbacks showing the memories Nadine had buried from her past. Nadine’s relationship with her daughter was heartbreaking. The last quarter of the book has the most action and suspense which I liked the most.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

See my reviews of her other books:
That Night - great, both liked!
Those Girls - both liked
Never Knowing - great! (In both of our top favorites for 2011)
Still Missing - both liked! (One of Gerard's top favorites in 2011)

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday

Gerard's:

She shook her head, pointed forward, and awkwardly tried to pull me through the snow.  I wanted to run, forget about her, leave her in the forest.

From page 16 of Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys.

Karen's:

I looked again at Aaron's photo, his tranquil smile making me suddenly angry when I thought about Heather in the hospital, her wrists bandaged, blaming herself for the loss of her child.  I turned my computer off.

From page 27 of Always Watching by Chevy Stevens. 


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. 

Happy Reading!

"If I Run" by Terri Blackstock is the first of a Series about a Fugitive

If I Run by Terri Blackstock centers on two people:  Casey Cox, who leaves a crime scene that she may or may not have had something to do with, and Dylan Roberts, whose job is to find Casey and get to the truth of the matter.  I really liked this book because Casey and Dylan were both good characters that I got into very quickly.  I encourage you to read this one.  If it would have had just a bit more action, I would give it 5 stars.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)  

Karen's review 3/23/16, 3 stars:
If I Run by Terri Blackstock is about Casey, a woman who finds a journalist friend of hers dead at his home shortly after he told her to come over. She is convinced that dirty cops murdered him and are going to arrest her for his murder. She leaves town, gets a new identity and becomes a fugitive. The victim’s parents hire Dylan, a close friend back from the war in Afghanistan, to find Casey. Casey’s father’s death was declared a suicide when she was just 12, but she always believed he was murdered and fears her friend was murdered because he was looking into her dad’s death for her. Casey is a good person who goes out of her way to help others even when she is trying to stay low and not be found.

I liked this book all right but not the ending. When I read through the questions in the back though, I discovered that this is only the first book of a trilogy so I was glad to see that! Casey questions if there even is a God but finds herself praying just in case there is when she gets into sticky situations. I have a feeling this series will not only be about Casey’s running from the law but also about her personal search for God.



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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Good Goodbye" by Carla Buckley

The Good Goodbye by Carla Buckley is about two young girls, Arden and Rory.  When they wind up in the same college, it looks like good times are to be had.  Then one day, their parents are told that both girls are in a coma.  When the facts and truth come out as to why they wound up this way, their families will be rocked to their core.

I enjoyed this book.  It moves along and the stories the two girls told was interesting.
(Gerard's review, 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

We Both Liked "What Was Mine" by Helen Klein Ross

What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross is fantastic!  Lucy has been trying to have a baby, but it is a no go.  One day she sees a baby alone at a store and takes it!  The next day, she makes up her mind to return the baby to its mother, but she decides otherwise and keeps it, raising the baby girl as her own.  This story is told by a bunch of people that were affected by this decision, which really adds to the story.   I was hooked from page one all the way through!  This page turner is told very well and I liked the ending too, although not everyone may agree.  Read it for yourself to see what you think.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review, 5 stars:
What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross is an interesting contemporary fiction story about Madelyn whose baby, Natalie, is kidnapped by Lucy, a woman who wants a baby but can’t conceive. Lucy raises Natalie as her own, changing her name to Mia. Mia is raised with love and given the best education, never suspecting Lucy is not her real mother until she gets a friend request on Facebook from Madelyn.

This book tugged at my heart and kept me turning pages to find out how Mia feels about her abduction and finding her real family, what will become of Lucy and will Mia keep her bond with Lucy or bond with her real mother? This book shows how good people can make mistakes that affect many lives for years to come. I found myself liking Lucy better than Madelyn even though Madelyn was the victim and suffered a major loss because of Lucy. I never heard of restitution justice until reading this book. I thought the ending was incredible but left me wanting more! I think this would be a great book club read and highly recommend it to anyone who likes good contemporary fiction.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it?  Did you like the ending?  Did you like Lucy?  If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Shared this review at Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.