Review: North of Here by Laurel Saville

North of Here

by Laurel Saville

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 257

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The sounds of unexpected tragedies—a roll of thunder, the crash of metal on metal—leave Miranda in shock amid the ruins of her broken family.

As she searches for new meaning in her life, Miranda finds quiet refuge with her family’s handyman, Dix, in his cabin in the dark forests of the Adirondack Mountains. Dix is kind, dependable, and good with an ax—the right man to help the sheltered Miranda heal—but ultimately, her sadness creates a void even Dix can’t fill.

When a man from her distant past turns up, the handsome idealist now known as Darius, he offers Miranda a chance to do meaningful work at The Source, a secluded property filled with his nature worshipers. Miranda feels this charismatic guru is the key to remaking her life, but her grief and desire for love also create an opportunity for his deception. And in her desperate quest to find herself after losing almost everything, Miranda and Dix could pay a higher price than they ever imagined.

Kritters Thoughts:  Told in four parts this book left me still thinking and even wondering how I really felt about it and even as I write this review, I am still in ponder.

There are four main characters in this book, Miranda, Sally, Dix and Darius and within the four parts two of the four take center stage and are more of the focus, but all four are present in most of the four parts.  The reader starts the book with Miranda as her family is dealing with a tragedy and another hits and Dix is there to help pick up the pieces.  The second section the reader is introduced to Sally and Dix as Dix has come to the Adirondacks to try to find his path and in comes Sally to help him.  The last two sections the duos swap and major drama takes place.

The big thing that made this book not enter into one of my favorites was the weird time lapse within the sections.  I felt like the author glossed over and all of the sudden months had passed and I felt left out of parts of the story.  I wanted to know how the character got from point A to point B and I thought that the reader needed to know the details of those lost months.

The other thing that didn't work for me and without completely giving away major plot, Dix gets into something and starts The Source and I felt like it came out of nowhere.  I didn't get how he went from moving in with Sally and trying to find his path to creating The Source.  I am specifically not telling you what The Source is, in case you read the book - its worth not knowing before you start the book.

I wouldn't not recommend this book and would absolutely read this author again.  


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

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: America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

America's First Daughter

by Stephanie Draw and Laura Kamoie

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 624

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  From her earliest days, Patsy Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate, protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France.

It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that fifteen-year-old Patsy learns about her father’s troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love—with her father’s protégé William Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions whether she can choose a life as William’s wife and still be a devoted daughter.

Her choice will follow her in the years to come, to Virginia farmland, Monticello, and even the White House. And as scandal, tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must decide how much she will sacrifice to protect her father's reputation, in the process defining not just his political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.

Kritters Thoughts:  A many page saga that goes in depth into the life and times of Patsy Jefferson.  Known to many as the woman of the White House during Thomas Jefferson's presidency, his oldest daughter helped him host the many guests to the historical home, but also was his most trusted advisor.  

I thought I knew more than just the basics about Patsy Jefferson and Thomas Jefferson, but after reading this book I realized that I only knew the basics.  Yes, Patsy was beside him during the White House years, but she sacrificed so much beyond those years to be by his side and help him navigate all the political waters.  

Yes, Thomas Jefferson was rumored to be sleeping with one of his slaves, but according to this fictional account, it was more than just sleeping, but maybe a relationship that just wouldn't be recognized by others due to the times.  

This book is a chunk, but it is worth the pages.  I loved the epic saga and that it spanned 90% of Patsy Jefferson's life.  I also loved that yes, it was about a former President, but from her point of view instead of his.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel 
                  (or another book about a historical figure)

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: Glass Shatters by Michelle Meyers

Glass Shatters

by Michelle Meyers

Publisher: She Writes Press

Pages: 228

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  A man wakes up in a living room he doesn t recognize, unable to remember anything about himself. All he has are the few remnants of his identity scattered throughout the house clues to his past. He soon learns that he is Charles Lang, a brilliant scientist whose wife, Julie, and daughter, Jess, mysteriously disappeared several years ago. Soon, he begins to recover memories memories that may or may not be his own and as he does, he realizes that only by uncovering the details of his former life will he have any hope of being reunited with Julie and Jess. A haunting tale of love and longing, fate and free will, and the easily blurred lines between fiction and reality, Glass Shatters explores the risks of trying to reinvent oneself, and the dangers of pushing science to its limits."


Kritters Thoughts:  What I thought would be a mystery/thriller book ended up being a mystery/thriller with an interesting sci fi twist.  I don't tend to read much sci fi, but this was still rooted in the mystery feel, so I sort of enjoyed the amount of science fiction in this book.

Charles Lang wakes up and doesn't know where he is, who he is or what is going on around him.  With a young girl and woman as a neighbor who seem familiar and an old man roaming around his home.  Hopefully his neighbors can help him find the truth.

Using Charles' search for the truth helped drive the story and kept me the reader involved and I like those kind of stories where you are figuring things out with the main character. 

I am not sure if I "got" all of the science, but the things that I may not have understood didn't ruin the book for me, so I am ok with that.  Every once in awhile I don't mind if I leave a book not "getting" it all.

If you are an avid reader of the mystery genre and don't read much science fiction like me, then you may enjoy this one.  


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

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Booksparks PR.  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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

With an unexpected quiet weekend, I got some great reading done!
A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
Journey to Death by Leigh Russell
Fall of Poppies by Assorted Authors
Glass Shatters by Michelle Meyers
America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie

Currently Reading:

North of Here by Laurel Saville

Next on the TBR pile:

The Changing Season by Steven Manchester
The Total Package by Stephanie Evanovich

Review: Journey to Death by Leigh Russell

Journey to Death

by Leigh Russell

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Pages: 304

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Lucy Hall arrives in the Seychelles determined to leave her worries behind. The tropical paradise looks sun-soaked and picture-perfect—but as Lucy soon discovers, appearances can be very deceptive. A deadly secret lurks in the island’s history, buried deep but not forgotten. And it is about to come to light.

As black clouds begin to gather over what promised to be a relaxing family break, Lucy realizes that her father stands in the eye of the coming storm. A shadow from his past is threatening to destroy all that he holds dear—including the lives of his loved ones.


Kritters Thoughts:  A family of three takes a much needed vacation after the daughter suffers a serious relationship blow as her fiance is caught cheating and he doesn't think anything of his idea of an open relationship.  They return back to a country that the father worked in after college, but the past will come back to haunt them.

First, I enjoyed the intro chapter, so we know what happened in the past that would come back to impact their current day trip.  But we didn't know too much detail as to how those events would really impact the family - of course I won't spoil a thing for you, so I will have to keep this brief as this is definitely a mystery thriller that revolves around the what will happen next!

I did enjoy a mystery that took place on vacation, I know there are many out there, but this felt different because we the reader knew that the husband had a history on the island, but it was definitely distant history.

A good solid mystery from an author I have read before and will definitely read again.


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

Ebook 2016 Challenge: 7 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Wunderkind PR.  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: Fall of Poppies

Fall of Poppies

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 368

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month . . .

November 11, 1918. After four long, dark years of fighting, the Great War ends at last, and the world is forever changed. For soldiers, loved ones, and survivors, the years ahead stretch with new promise, even as their hearts are marked by all those who have been lost.

As families come back together, lovers reunite, and strangers take solace in each other, everyone has a story to tell.

In this moving, unforgettable collection, nine top historical fiction authors share stories of love, strength, and renewal as hope takes root in a fall of poppies.


Kritters Thoughts:  A fantastic short story collection from authors that I mostly read before and all centered around the end of World War I.  From war widows to families reuniting the collection included each group that was involved with World War I and how they coped with the ending.  

When reviewing short story collections by multiple authors, I don't tend to review each story but instead talk about the collection as a whole.  In this collection one story didn't stand out in a good way or bad way, they actually all worked as a cohesive group.  I like when the collection has a focus so each author's work feels like it was meant to go in the collection.

If you are a historical fiction fan that has read just one of the authors included then this is the perfect chance to try out any one of the others that write in this genre.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

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: Beneath Still Waters by Cynthia Graham

Beneath Still Waters

by Cynthia Graham

Publisher: Blank State Press

Pages: 224

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The swamps and bayous around Cherokee Crossing, Arkansas have always been dark and mysterious, but on this summer day two boys stumble across the remains of a baby girl, headless and badly decomposed. Hick Blackburn, a reluctant sheriff with a troubled past is called to the scene. With nothing to go on except the baby s race and sex, the task of discovering who she is and how she died challenges all of Hick s investigative skills. But Hick faces a deeper challenge. The vision of the infant has left him shattered, a reminder of a war crime he has tried to lock away, a crime that has begun to eat away at the edges of his life, destroying him one relationship at a time.

With the aid of his deputies, Hick will begin to piece together his investigation, an investigation that will lead him to question everything. As he is forced to examine the town he grew up in, he will come to terms with the notion that within each of us lays the propensity for both good and evil. His investigation will turn up lies and ignorance, scandal and deceit, and the lengths a mother will go in order to hide her shame."

Kritters Thoughts:  When I received the pitch for this book, I sat on the fence and thought I would take a shot on it and I am glad I did!  Out of my wheelhouse, but a good break from my usual reads.  First, it is a male narrator who has returned from war and is trying to get back into things in his small town that he came from.  He has become a sheriff and through a case in the small town where a baby girl has been found he must confront memories from war and make decisions to move his life forward.

First, although this is historical fiction, this veteran could have come home from Iraq, the story is almost timeless.  I don't read a lot of books with solely male characters narrating and I enjoyed hearing his story and feelings from his point of view.  I also loved the content in his story, there was war, friendship, love and just the yearn for something more.  

Both physically small and in few pages, this book packed a great punch.  I have looked up Cynthia's previous book and the synopsis sounds good, just may have to pick it up soon!


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

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: Free Men by Katy Simpson Smith

Free Men

by Katy Simpson Smith

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 368

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In 1788, three men converge in the southern woods of what is now Alabama. Cat, an emotionally scarred white man from South Carolina, is on the run after abandoning his home. Bob is a talkative black man fleeing slavery on a Pensacola sugar plantation, Istillicha, edged out of his Creek town’s leadership, is bound by honor to seek retribution.

In the few days they spend together, the makeshift trio commits a shocking murder that soon has the forces of the law bearing down upon them. Sent to pick up their trail, a probing French tracker named Le Clerc must decide which has a greater claim: swift justice, or his own curiosity about how three such disparate, desperate men could act in unison.

Kritters Thoughts:  Three men who are the most unlikely trio and the man that is tracking them as they are possibly the culprits to a murder of a group and theft of their things.  

This book was so interesting.  A black slave who is trying to find freedom, an Indian who is trying to seek revenge and a white man who is trying to run from events of his past come together and kill and steal from a pack of men and must run together from the man tracking them.  Each character including the tracker gets an opportunity to tell their back story and how they got to their current predicament.  I was so intrigued to find out not only the back story of each individual, but what led them to each other.  

There was one chapter that felt a little weird and I kind of understand why it was included, but I almost could have done without it - there is a chapter that takes us to the black slave's wife's point of view and catches up the reader on her story after he leaves.  It felt weird as the other character's didn't have their family have their own chapters.  

This is my second Katy Simpson Smith read and I will absolutely continue to read her books.  Free Men was definitely a read that made me slow down and enjoy each part, but I like it when a book makes me slow the pace.  


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

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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

What a great reading week and weekend!  Nothing exciting to say but a few evenings and a mostly quiet weekend.

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

My Notorious Life by Kate Manning
The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer
The Crooked Heart of Mercy by Billie Livingston
Beneath Still Waters by Cynthia Graham
Free Men by Katy Simpson Smith

Currently Reading:

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
Fall of Poppies by Assorted Authors

Next on the TBR pile:

Journey to Death by Leigh Russell

Review: The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer

The Girl in the Red Coat

by Kate Hamer

Publisher: Melville House

Pages: 336

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Carmel has always been different. Carmel's mother, Beth, newly single, worries about her daughter's strangeness, especially as she is trying to rebuild a life for the two of them on her own. When she takes eight year-old Carmel to a local children's festival, her worst fear is realised: Carmel disappears. Unable to accept the possibility that her daughter might be gone for good, Beth embarks on a mission to find her. Meanwhile, Carmel begins an extraordinary and terrifying journey of her own, with a man who believes she is a saviour.


Kritters Thoughts:  A little girl goes missing and a mother is devastated and in this book both the missing girl and her mother take turns narrating the story before she goes missing and the many days after.  

First let me say, I enjoyed the alternating narratives and I liked that we, the reader, had Carmel's perspective along with her mother, it made the book feel a little more unique as I think I have read quite a few books recently with children going missing.  With this perspective, it was hard because Carmel obviously had a limited vocabulary so there were moments in her chapters where I was confused as to what she was trying to tell us, the readers.

Second, it took a long time to find out why she was kidnapped and as we had her perspective in chapters, I was surprised it took so long to find out why she was kidnapped.  Then when we find out it was just kind of ehh.  Don't get me wrong, I love some religious crazy, but I don't feel like we got the set up before she was kidnapped to work with the after.  

This book didn't blow my socks off, but it didn't fall flat, it coasted in the middle for me.  I wouldn't rule this author out and would definitely try her next book, but maybe with a little caution.


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


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: Baggage by SG Redling

Baggage

by SG Redling

Publisher: Thomas Mercer

Pages: 229

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Over the years, terrible things keep happening to Anna Ray on February 17. First, there was the childhood trauma she’s never been able to speak about. Then, to her horror, her husband killed himself on that date.

A year later and a thousand miles away, Anna tries to find solace in the fresh start of a new job in a new place. She takes comfort in her outspoken cousin Jeannie, the confidant and best friend who’s there whenever she needs help. On the day of the dreaded anniversary, Anna and Jeannie hit the town, planning to ease the pain with an alcohol-induced stupor and then sleep.…

When Anna awakes the next morning, she thinks she can put one more February 17 behind her, but fate is about to intervene in the form of two gruesome murders with eerie similarities to her violent past. This time, however, she won’t be an abandoned daughter or a grieving widow. This time, she’ll be a suspect.

Kritters Thoughts:  What is the most that can happen to one person in one life?  Read this book and you will think your life is boring.  Yes this is fiction, but this character has way too much in her short lifetime that as a reader I just kept shaking my head!

As a young girl, her father is killed and although the reader doesn't know all the circumstances at the beginning, they slowly eek out.  Then years later her husband commits suicide on a memorable day and a year later she is trying to put the pieces back together and big things happen at her new place of work and she must live through another tragedy.

This short book packed a punch and it was quite the wild ride.  It was that unique time where I had to remind myself I was reading fiction where things can be bigger than real life and reality should be suspended, so if all of those things are ok with you, pick this one up.


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

Ebook 2016 Challenge:  5 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Wunderkind PR.  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.