Fascinating. Gritty. Eye-opening. For true crime addicts.
Paul Holes brings his crime scene experiences to life in this memoir of his fascinating career. While this focuses greatly on his career-long quest to catch The Golden State Killer, it covers the solving of so many other cases. The details are fascinating, the cases heartbreaking, and the story unputdownable.
Continue reading “Unmasked by Paul Holes”
Emotional. Timely. Racial Injustice. Broken Systems. Family. Heartbreaking.
This beautifully written book brings a timely, emotional story to its readers. I could not stop reading this one.
This story follows a young girl whose family has been torn apart one piece at a time. Her father to prison, and then to disease and death, her mother locked away, and now her brother has stopped helping support the two of them. The burden of paying rent and the bills falls to Kiara. It’s not easy for a 17-year-old to find and hold a job though, and time after time she is told no. When one night she is mistaken as a prostitute, and she accepts payment, she unknowingly steps into a life and scandal she can’t back away from.
Continue reading “Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley”
This was such an exciting start to a new series! I loved the characters, the setting, the atmosphere, and the world!
The story follows Raelle, a girl without an origin story. She washed up on the shores of the West with no memory, and King Wren found her, and brought her into the folds of his family. For 10 years, Raelle felt completely at home and loved, except for the queen. The queen had never accepted Raelle, and on her birthday, the queen secretly betroths Raelle to King Veras of the North.
Continue reading “Kingdomless by Michelle Garyfalakis”
Heart racing. Secrets. Murder. Stalker. Darkly suspenseful.
This was a great story filled with secrets and suspense! Kaitlyn is the main character, and she has a secret. She is getting settled in her life with her fiancée and her job as a DJ. She’s happy.
Until she begins getting messages that let her know someone knows her secret…
Continue reading “Dead Air by Michael Bradley”
Wow, this book was so interesting, and also kind of terrifying LOL! Serenity is a genius and then some. Looking for her dad on the Harvard campus, she accidently falls into another version of reality, and there is danger everywhere…
This is a YA story, but Serenity is such a mature young lady, it didn’t even feel YA. She is such a different main character. With her incredible intelligence she observes things others miss, and it makes her narration fascinating.
Continue reading “A Measure of Serenity by Bryan K. Prosek”
This is such a wonderful children’s book with a beautiful message about accepting each other’s differences and being kind.
The story introduces us to two villages, Meow Village and Woof Village, where cats and dogs live separately and don’t like each other. When Sunny decides that he wants to play with the cats, he heads over to Meow Village.
Continue reading “Sunny and the Cats by Victoria Otto”
This story was so fun. It lived up to book 1 in every way for me. I loved the continuation of Izumi’s story, and the new characters we are introduced to!
In Tokyo Dreaming, Izumi is living in Tokyo, and her mom is there with her, which I was so happy about! When her father, the Crown Prince of Japan, proposes to her mother, it creates quite an uproar in Japan. It is not considered a good match, based on how Izumi behaves. So, Izumi becomes determined to follow rules and turn herself into the perfect Japanese Princess.
Continue reading “Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean”
Time Travel. Serial Killer. Light Moments for Laughter. Kick-Ass Female.
I loved, loved, loved this book! I am always a sucker for time travel. I enjoy imagining how someone from present day adapts to living in a historical period. With this book, I got everything I wanted. It’s going to be a series, and I am already trying to get my hands on book two!
Mallory is a homicide detective in 2019. When she steps into an alley to investigate a scream, she finds herself being strangled. When she wakes up, she’s in 1869 in the body of Catriona, a housemaid for Dr. Gray.
Continue reading “A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong”
Smiles. Tears. Love. Heartbreak. Found Family. Fantastic Story.
This book. Ugh…I cannot truly give this story the props it deserves, but I’m going to try.
This story follows Lily. The story is mostly told through the present day, but we do go back in time to understand her home life as a child. These flashbacks are told through written letters, which are emotional, raw, and revealing. She lives in a home where her mother is abused by her father, and her pain is heartbreaking. Through these writings we also follow the surprise relationship that develops between Lily and Atlas, a homeless boy squatting in her neighbor’s abandoned house. Lily’s present-day story follows her relationship with Ryle, her found friendship with Ryle’s sister, and her following her career dreams.
Continue reading “It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover”
This story focuses on two women, their struggles overcoming 1900’s male conventions, and the mystery of a missing husband. I was really interested in the mystery. I liked where it went, and I was interested in how it all unraveled. The two women’s growing relationship was my favorite part though. I loved the time period, and how their work together breaks the expectations of the time.
Alice and Constance become friends through a dress Alice is sewing for Constance and her Mardi Gras ball. I wanted more of this part of the story. I loved the details, and I could have just stayed in this part for so much longer!
Continue reading “The Seamstress of New Orleans by Diane C. McPhail”
This was an interesting memoir that was broken up in a short-story format. I really liked the variety of things covered throughout this book. Mary Allen has found a way to bare her true self in a raw and fascinating way.
Continue reading “The Deep Limitless Air by Mary Allen”
I thought this was such a cute, heartwarming novel! There’s lovable Lauren, our MC who’s just about to get married when the groom, well, he ghosts her. The story follows Lauren as she navigates life after being left at the altar.
I really enjoyed the characters in this one. Lauren is adorable, and I kind of want to be friends with her. She’s got some family members that drive her up the wall, and I thought they created an interesting side-story dynamic!
Continue reading “Crazy To Leave You by Marilyn Simon Rothstein”
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