Review: The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin

The Librarian Spy

by Madeline Martin 

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.

Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.

As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war. 

Kritters Thoughts:  Two storylines going on at the same time and while the reader has to wait a bit for them to collide, when it does, it is so good!  

Ava was happy working at The Library of Congress when she was approached with an interesting job - to go abroad and work with the US military in intelligence.  Elaine is living in occupied France and with recent happenings going on around her she decides to join the effort and work for a printing press trying to get the news from the Resistance out into the world.  

I absolutely loved this book.  I enjoy reading about this war, and while I know about the atrocities that happened, sometimes it is hard to read the hard truths of it all.  SO I like these books where I can read and learn more about this war, but not quite enter into the depths of all that happened.  

When there are two storylines, sometimes I lean towards one or the other, but not the case in this book.  These women were in two different parts of the war doing two different things and I loved seeing both of them in the same book.  

My second Madeline Martin historical fiction book and she is quickly becoming an author that I will immediately open and read! 

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 60 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh

Holiday Romance

by Catherine Walsh

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 318

Format: ebook

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  She’s meant to be catching flights, not catching feelings…

Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays, when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight.

Nothing romantic has ever happened between them: they’re friends and that’s all. But once a year, for the last ten years, Molly has spent seven hours and fifteen minutes sitting next to Andrew on the last flight before Christmas from Chicago to Dublin, drinking terrible airplane wine and catching up on each other’s lives. In spite of all the ways the two friends are different, it’s the holiday tradition neither of them has ever wanted to give up.

Molly isn’t that bothered by Christmas, but—in yet another way they’re total opposites—Andrew is a full-on fanatic for the festive season and she knows how much getting back to Ireland means to him. So, instead of doing the sane thing and just celebrating the holidays together in America, she does the stupid thing. The irrational thing. She vows to get him home. And in time for his mam’s famous Christmas dinner.

The clock is ticking. But Molly always has a plan. And—as long as the highly-specific combination of taxis, planes, boats, and trains all run on time—it can’t possibly go wrong.

What she doesn’t know is that, as the snow falls over the city and over the heads of two friends who are sure they’re not meant to be together, the universe might just have a plan of its own…

Kritters Thoughts:  A sweet romance that takes place all during the holiday season, but over many years!  Molly and Andrew ended up one year on the same flight from Chicago to Ireland and it keeps happening year after year until one year where they must do anything in order to get Andrew home to his Christmas loving family.  And because this is a romance book, we know where this will end, but we have no clue how it will end up there!

If you watch any sort of Hallmark movies during the holiday season, then this book will be the perfect companion to read with holiday music playing in the background.  I loved watching Molly and Andrew have short interactions year to year, but knowing that it takes place over many years keeps the book from feeling like instalove!  And of course the epic will they won't they make it home was a fun thread throughout the entire book as one year is featured in and out amongst the other years (I know this may be confusing, but go with me) - it was just such a fun ride to see them "miss" each other.  

While my reading time has been limited due to some life circumstances, I was glad I picked this one up and maybe kicked off my holiday season a little early with this one! 

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 59 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Great Sexpectations by Kristen Bailey

Great Sexpectations

by Kristen Bailey

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 298

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  What’s wrong with a little bit of faking it?

After Josie got dumped by her ex through a note on the fridge, she hasn’t let herself get close to anyone. But when she meets Cameron at a Halloween party, who turns up in the same Ghostbusters costume as her, it’s virtually impossible to stay away.

Cameron, a curly haired video-games designer with dazzling blue eyes, the sexiest dimples and the same encyclopedic knowledge of movies as Josie, seems too good to be true.

And maybe he is… Because there’s one teeny tiny problem as Josie falls madly in love. Cameron has no idea that Josie lives at home with her ex-porn star parents and their dog Dave, or about the minor detail that she works for their sex toy empire. After her ex broke up with her because of the family business, Josie decides to tell a little white lie.

But it’s just a matter of time until the truth comes out. When it does, will Cameron end things, leaving Josie with only Dave the dog for company? And what if she’s not the only one who’s keeping secrets?

Kritters Thoughts:  Josie is the child of parents who own a sex toy company and her brother is a mid tier celebrity and at a Halloween party she meets a great guy, but can she be honest with him about her entire life?

My third Kristen Bailey book and not my favorite, but it didn't turn me off enough not to read more of her backlist and read her upcoming books.  Josie was a great character to follow through this story and when reading a romance, I am always glad to connect with a character and be able to root them on from beginning to the predictable end!  

While I read a lot of books set across the pond and tend to enjoy them, for some reason there were some moments in this one that maybe didn't completely translate for me - super shruggy shoulders!  

With a few eye rolling moments and some tender ones too, this was a good one, but I hope to read more from Kristen Bailey - maybe with a few less sexy toys and things!  

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 58 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: This Place of Wonder by Barbara O'Neal

This Place of Wonder

by Barbara O'Neal 

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 316

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In the wake of a personal tragedy, four women face the past, their futures, and each other in a novel of broken ties and healing by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.

When famed chef Augustus Beauvais dies, he leaves behind a celebrated reputation―and four women grappling with loss, anger, pain, and the question of how the world will turn without him…

Meadow, the ex-wife with whom Augustus built an empire―and a family―still holds a place for him in her heart, even as she continues to struggle with his infidelities, which ended their twenty-year marriage. More unforgiving is Maya, his estranged daughter, who’s recently out of rehab but finally ready to reclaim her life. Norah, his latest girlfriend, sidelined her own career for unexpected love and a life of luxury, both of which are now gone with Augustus. And then there’s Rory, Meadow’s daughter, the voice of calm and reason in a chorus of discontent.

As Meadow, Maya, Norah, and Rory are flung together by tragedy, grief, and secrets yet to be revealed, they must accept―or turn away from―the legacy of great intentions and bad decisions Augustus left them. And when the circumstances around his death are called into question, their conflicted feelings become even more complicated. But moving forward is the only choice they have, and to do so, they’ll need to rely on family, friendship, and inner strength.

Kritters Thoughts:  A famed chef dies and the four closest women in his life are dealing with all the things he left behind with his unexpected death.  Two daughters and two exes must come together to pick up the pieces and all move on.

Told through multiple perspectives, which I loved, the reader gets to see the story move along through different points of view and how each cope with this tragedy.  It was so interesting to read about this man from the women in his lives and how each experienced him a different way.  From his current love to his epic love and the daughters in his life, seeing them grapple with his departure made for an enjoyable read this summer.  

While I can't spoil a thing, I sure loved that I thought this book would end in one place, there was a great twist and turn that took this book in a different direction and I was so surprised when all the puzzle pieces fit together!  

I have only read 3 of Barbara O'Neal books and I am hoping to fix this soon!      

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 57 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Lost Sister of Fifth Avenue by Ella Carey

The Lost Sister of Fifth Avenue

by Ella Carey

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 327

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  New York, 1938: Martha pulled the door of her Fifth Avenue apartment closed, her heart thumping, re-reading the telegram she’d been dreading. Her beloved sister Charlotte needed her help. She was alone in Paris, and the threat of Nazi invasion grew ever stronger. The time had come for Martha to make the bravest decision of her life. She needed to bring Charlotte home.

As Martha looks out of her bedroom window at the blossom-covered trees in Central Park, she is a world away from Europe and the threat of war. But when a telegram arrives from her sister Charlotte telling of the death of their Jewish friend Anita, Martha’s quiet life changes in an instant. With the threat of the Nazi invasion growing, Martha knows she must travel to Paris to convince Charlotte to return home.

When Martha arrives, she finds a city preparing for war. Soldiers patrol Paris’ cobbled streets and families talk of packing up and fleeing with whatever they can carry. Clutching her sister tightly, Martha knows that Charlotte has already decided to stay. Charlotte’s heart is in France, and as an American in Paris she believes she will be safe.

When the Nazis march through Paris’ streets and raise their flags over the city’s most beautiful buildings, Charlotte is determined not to give in. She works for the Resistance with a Frenchman named Louis, carrying messages, and hiding Anita’s family’s precious art collection from the Nazis. Meanwhile, Martha vows to help a female Jewish professor to safety in America, only to be faced with impossible odds.

But as the war rages, Martha and Charlotte’s determination will be tested like never before. And when Charlotte uncovers a shocking secret about her family which threatens her own life, can she find the strength to protect those she loves the most?

Kritters Thoughts:  The fourth book in a series where you can read them as you wish and don't need to start at the beginning.  A set of sisters who have been living different lives and one finds herself in a comprising situation as the Nazis make their way across Europe.  Charlotte is living in Paris with her mother's best friend and loving her life when Hitler and his regime start making trouble for the Jewish population.  Her sister Martha is living in NYC and must travel to help Charlotte make decisions for her future.

While the sisters storyline is going on in the book, we also go back in time to the sister's mother and her two friends as they were recovering from World War I.  I loved both storylines and they wove in and out of each other so well.  The older storyline revealed such fun clues in the perfect way.  The pacing for both stories was spot on, there was no way I was putting down this book and not finishing it in one setting!  

I have loved all the books in this series, but this one may be my favorite.  I sure hope that Ella Carey writes more, even if it isn't in this series.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 55 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from  Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: A Shoe Story by Jane Rosen

A Shoe Story

by Jane Rosen 

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Esme Nash is eager to leave her small town and begin her carefully planned post-grad life: a move to New York City, an apartment with her loving college boyfriend, and a fancy job at an art gallery. But when tragedy strikes, instead of heading to Manhattan, she returns home to care for her ailing father, leaving every bit of her dream behind.

Seven trying years later, Esme is offered a dog-sitting job in Greenwich Village by a mysterious stranger, giving her access to all of her long-buried hopes and dreams--as well as to an epic collection of designer shoes. Esme jumps at a second chance to step into the future she's sure was meant to be hers.

As she retraces her steps, one pair of borrowed shoes at a time, making new friends and reconnecting with her old love, Esme tries on versions of herself she didn't know existed. But the hazy August days and warm summer nights pass too quickly, and Esme must decide how much of the life she imagined still fits, and what--and who--is on the road ahead of her.

Kritters Thoughts:  Are you looking for that fun summer read - this is it!  Esme Nash heads to NYC to dog sit, but it is the city that alluded her years ago when family took priority.  She has three weeks to live in the city and decide what is next for her life while holding on to a special pair of shoes that her mother gave her at her college graduation.  

First, let me say that I LOVED how each chapter started with a pair of shoes and looking up the shoes and thinking about where the story may go with Esme in these shoes made my read so much more fun.  Esme has access to some fantastic shoes and she loves picking the right ones for the right occasion.  With a little bit of a love triangle, Esme has a new guy that came into her life while she is also reconnecting with a guy from the past - I loved this.  I also loved the other people that came into her life through her adventures in New York City, just a fun book.  

As this is a fiction book, there were a few times I had to stop myself from an eye roll as the character made some decisions or things happened that seemed beyond reality!  BUT that is why we read fiction!!  

With two books in her backlist, both sound so good and after loving this one, I want to pick them up quickly! 

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 54 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Reputation by Sarah Vaughan

Reputation

by Sarah Vaughan

Publisher: Atria

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  As a politician, Emma has sacrificed a great deal for her career--including her marriage and her relationship with her daughter, Flora. A former teacher, she finds the glare of the spotlight unnerving, particularly when it leads to countless insults, threats, and trolling as she tries to work in the public eye. As a woman, she knows her reputation is worth its weight in gold, but as a politician, she discovers it only takes one slip-up to destroy it completely.

Fourteen-year-old Flora is learning the same hard lessons at school as she encounters heartless bullying. When another teenager takes her own life, Emma lobbies for a new law to protect women and girls from the effects of online abuse. Now, Emma and Flora find their personal lives uncomfortably intersected--but then the unthinkable happens: A man is found dead in Emma’s home, a man she had every reason to be afraid of and to want gone. Fighting to protect her reputation, and determined to protect her family at all costs, Emma is pushed to the limits as the worst happens and her life is torn apart.

Kritters Thoughts:  Emma Webster was surprised when she was elected a MP so quickly and was torn as it would greatly impact her husband and her daughter.  A few years later this book begins as she has been a MP for awhile and it has impacted as her husband and her have divorced and they are trying to coparent their teenage daughter.  And not a spoil here, but the book begins as Emma has found a dead body at the bottom of her stairs and we immediately go back in time to find out how she got there.  

There were so many things that I loved about this book.  I loved that the author allowed more than just Emma to relay this story.  From chapters from her daughter Flora, to her husband's new wife Caroline, to a journalist Mike and I loved seeing the story through various points of view; to see through Emma, but then to see Emma in her own story was so good.  

I also loved the plot.  I loved the juxtaposition of what Emma was going through on her job while her daughter Flora had similar issues at school - like mother like daughter.  And while the story took place across the pond, I could easily relate how Emma, a public figure was dealing with social media and journalism invading her personal space while she tried to also do her job.  

I was surprised to find out when I finished that this was my first Sarah Vaughan book, but will for sure not be my last.  I hope to read her backlist very soon.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel 

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 52 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Simon and Schuster.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare

Miss Aldridge Regrets

by Louise Hare

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  London, 1936. Lena Aldridge wonders if life has passed her by. The dazzling theatre career she hoped for hasn't worked out. Instead, she's stuck singing in a sticky-floored basement club in Soho, and her married lover has just left her. But Lena has always had a complicated life, one shrouded in mystery as a mixed-race girl passing for white in a city unforgiving of her true racial heritage.

She's feeling utterly hopeless until a stranger offers her the chance of a lifetime: a starring role on Broadway and a first-class ticket on the Queen Mary bound for New York. After a murder at the club, the timing couldn't be better, and Lena jumps at the chance to escape England. But death follows her onboard when an obscenely wealthy family draws her into their fold just as one among them is killed in a chillingly familiar way. As Lena navigates the Abernathy's increasingly bizarre family dynamic, she realizes that her greatest performance won't be for an audience, but for her life.

Kritters Thoughts:  Lena Aldridge is a singer who used to have her father by her side until he passed away and without him her life has completely changed.  She is currently performing in a semi sketchy club that is owned by her friend's husband when a chance encounter with someone who can fulfill her dreams of performing on Broadway enters her life.  After a "bit" of drama in the club she takes the job and hops on the Queen Mary to head to the US.  This is where the story really begins.  

This book reminded me of the Agatha Christie book that was just made into a movie - Death on the Nile; people stuck on a boat and one by one they are dying and who is the killer.  I often judge the mystery books by the resolution and while I won't spoil, I was pleased by the culprit, it came together at the end, but I didn't guess too early.  Their reason for the actions was plausible and I liked the twists and turns to get there.  

After saying what I did like, I have to say I don't know if it was me or my timing of when I read this book or the book itself, but I felt as though the story's pacing was so slow and just kind of went on and on.  There were as an enormous cast of characters where half were related and it was confusing and hard to get engrossed in the book.  I also know my reading time is limited these days and to capture my attention beyond the things that I need to do right now is difficult, so I wonder if I read this at a different time would I react the same way.  I would like to read another book by this author and decide if it is me or the writing.  

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 51 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Dog Friendly by Victoria Schade

Dog Friendly

by Victoria Schade

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 352

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Exhausted veterinarian Morgan Pearce is feeling overworked and under-thanked, so when two favorite clients ask her to watch their special needs senior dog in their Nantucket home, she jumps at the chance for a summer break. She hopes her time on the island will be a reset from the stress of her everyday life, but her chill vacation vibe takes a hit when she gets roped into fostering a challenging, anxious dog and helping plan the local rescue group's glittery annual fundraiser.

Her trip starts to feel more like a vacation when Morgan begins falling for Nathan Keating, an irresistible entrepreneur who thinks every problem can be solved on a surfboard. Just as the summer is shaping up to be the magical refresh she needs, thanks to a fling that feels like the beginning of something real and Hudson, the foster dog who reminds her how much she loves her job, a visit from her estranged brother and the discovery of who Nathan really is changes everything. Morgan finds herself at a crossroads, trying to determine if mistakes from the past must define the future, or if she should forgive, forget, and grab hold of a chance to finally rescue herself. 

Kritters Thoughts:  A book with a dog on the cover and knowing it is a romance will always be a book that I will start and probably like!  Morgan Pearce is a veterinarian who has been through it all and is about to lose all of her marbles when the perfect summer break shows up on her doorstep when a patient of hers needs extra care while their parents are away and it is in a semi secluded location - so off Morgan goes to Nantucket.  

While always in a romance, the reader can easily predict where the characters will end up, the journey is the reason for reading.  I felt at times there were a few pieces missing, but overall I felt as though the journey was a great ride.  It was interesting reading about the turmoil a veterinarian and how dealing with both pets and humans is hard, especially when it can be a hard day for all parties involved.  With dogs in my care, I spend a lot of time with our vet and never thought about how their job is difficult dealing with both animals and humans! 

I loved how the healing care of dogs was shown in this book.  We recently lost a pet and our other two have been a part of the healing process and dogs can definitely bring the heart rate down!  

My third Victoria Schade book and third time was a charm - I have loved all three.  I hope to catch up with her books that I haven't read shortly and sure hope that there is a dog or two in each one!

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 50 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Random House.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Out of Her Depth by Lizzy Barber

Out of Her Depth

by Lizzy Barber

Publisher: MIRA

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  There are summers that will change your life.

There are summers that may end it.

In the lush green hills beyond Florence sits the Villa Medici—a graceful pensione surrounded by manicured gardens. Rachel, a college student from an unfashionable London suburb, can’t believe her luck in landing a summer job here. Especially when she’s drawn into a circle of privileged young sophisticates, including her glamorous coworker Diana, who promises to help Rachel win the affections of handsome, confident Sebastian.

But as champagne flows and rivalries fester in the Tuscan countryside, Rachel realizes that Diana has motivations of her own. Adrift in a world of backstabbing and bed-hopping, lavish parties and easy betrayal, Rachel feels the stakes rising along with the temperature until, one night, something snaps. Someone dies. And nothing will ever be the same…

Kritters Thoughts:  Rachel is a young woman headed to college, but before she goes to Cambridge, she lands a good job in a fun location - a mansion/hotel in Florence, Italy.  She is out of her league when another young woman arrives - Diana who is sophisticated and has access to her parents wallets which helps when their paycheck is limited.  And of course, an Italian summer isn't complete without a dreamy Italian guy and Sebastian fits the bill.  

The book is told in two different timelines - one in the present as Sebastian is released from prison and Rachel is trying to handle it all.  And the other storyline is 20 years ago as Rachel and Diana meet and work and the summer that really changed their lives forever.  I for sure loved the one from the past more than the present, but I am glad the author included the present to see where these characters were and are.    

While I have become quite the reader of the mystery/thriller genre, I have learned a few tricks of the trade and predicted the ending very early on, so this book for me was more for the journey to confirm if I was correct in my guessing - and I was!  

There is one book in Lizzy Barber's backlist that looks like this one and I hope to read it very soon.     

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 49 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Girl From Jonestown by Sharon Maas

The Girl From Jonestown

by Sharon Maas

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 417

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When journalist Zoe Quint loses her husband and child in a tragic accident, she returns home to Guyana to grieve. But when she hears cries and music floating through the trees, her curiosity compels her to learn more about the Americans who have set up camp in a run-down village nearby. Their leader, Jim Jones, dark eyed and charismatic, claims to be a peaceful man who has promised his followers paradise.

But everything changes when Zoe meets one of his followers, a young woman called Lucy, in a ramshackle grocery store. Lucy grabs Zoe’s arm, raw terror in her eyes, and passes her a note with a phone number, begging her to call her mother in America.

Zoe is determined to help Lucy, but locals warn her to stay away from the camp, and as sirens and gunshots echo through the jungle at nightfall, she knows they are right. But she can’t shake the frightened woman’s face from her mind, and when she discovers that there are young children kept in the camp, she has to act fast.

Zoe’s only route to the lost people is to get close to their leader, Jim Jones. But if she is accepted, will she be able to persuade the frightened followers to risk their lives and embark on a perilous escape under the cover of darkness? And when Jim Jones hears of her plans, could she pay the highest price of all?

Kritters Thoughts:  Zoe is a journalist who has returned to Guyana after traveling the globe trying to escape a tragedy from her past.  As she is staying with her aunt and uncle, there are weird noises at night and she comes to find out that the group called Jonestown is next door and many people are wondering what is going on, but don't want to intrude as this is a live and let live situation.  

What I wanted more in this book was more moments from Lucy's point of view from within Jonestown.  Without spoiling, there were definitely a lot of moments in the back quarter of the book that took place within Jonestown, but I would have loved more in the build up before Zoe arrives on property.  This was my only criticism of the book - I wanted more!    

I loved that while reading this book, I kept wondering where fact and fiction where and what was historical truth.  This book also made me want to read more, whether it be fiction or non fiction around Jonestown and that is always a positive feeling when I finish a historical fiction book.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 48 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: When it Falls Apart by Catherine Bybee

When it Falls Apart

by Catherine Bybee

Publisher: Montlake

Pages: 364

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Brooke Turner has always had a complicated relationship with her father. But when his health takes a turn for the worse, she drops everything to care for him. He’s her dad, after all, and he needs her. What Brooke doesn’t anticipate is the unraveling of her long-term relationship and a cross-country move to San Diego’s Little Italy.

Luca D’Angelo is the oldest of three children and a single father to a young daughter. When his mother rents the top floor of their house to Brooke, he’s angry. Who is this beautiful stranger with no ties to the neighborhood? Can she be trusted in such close proximity to his family?

As Luca learns of Brooke’s difficult journey with her ailing father, his heart softens. And Brooke, who witnesses Luca’s struggle as a single parent, develops feelings for him, too. But when it all falls apart, will love heal their wounded hearts?

Kritters Thoughts:  Brooke Turner has a tough relationship with her dad and when he has a health crisis she decides to show up and showing up for her dad sends her own life into a tail spin.  She ends up moving her whole life from Seattle to San Diego and hopefully she can piece together a new life that looks better than the last.  

When it comes to romance book, I always have a hard time when the characters meet in the book and don't have any history.  For me it always feels like instalove and this one did.  I felt as though they went from oh hello to oh I am in love way too fast.  Going into the book knowing it was the first in a series, I was hoping for something a little different.  

The plot of the book was great and the characters were entertaining, so I will continue in this series, but just wish for a little more slow builds.  This Italian family in San Diego with a restaurant was just so much fun.  There were a few times while reading where I wish I had a bowl of homemade pasta to enjoy!  The plot was great, young woman new to town, single dad trying to keep his life afloat - and they both fit what the other needs.  

I hope that book two focuses on someone else in Luca's family and we can see Brooke and Luca in the future.  

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2022 Challenge: 47 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Pitchlit.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.