Review: To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters

To Have and To Hoax

by Martha Waters

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 367

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.

Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.

Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them.

Kritters Thoughts:  A Victorian romantic comedy that was interesting to read, but not my cup of tea.  Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley have been married for five years after a very quick courtship and they had a very large fight that they have yet to work through four years ago, through an interesting circumstance they try to one up each other and it just may help them work through their things.  

For me this book was ok, but wasn't great.  There were a few moments that didn't feel as though they were completely historically correct and they took me out of the story and were distracting.  It just felt as though this book was at times really historical with language and customs and then there would be a break and it would feel current, it was weird.

The other thing that I just didn't love was the pacing and timing of the story.  It felt like it just didn't move along as much as it should have and I wanted things to keep moving forward.  There would be something happen and then it felt as though the book would just kind of pause and linger and not move from one scene to another.  

The characters were entertaining and that kept me reading until the end.  I would try another book from this author, but with a little bit of caution.  


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

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 29 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Atria.  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: Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer

Truths I Never Told You

by Kelly Rimmer

Publisher: Graydon House

Pages: 352

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  With her father recently moved to a care facility for his worsening dementia, Beth Walsh volunteers to clear out the family home and is surprised to discover the door to her childhood playroom padlocked. She’s even more shocked at what’s behind it—a hoarder’s mess of her father’s paintings, mounds of discarded papers and miscellaneous junk in the otherwise fastidiously tidy house.

As she picks through the clutter, she finds a loose journal entry in what appears to be her late mother’s handwriting. Beth and her siblings grew up believing their mother died in a car accident when they were little more than toddlers, but this note suggests something much darker. Beth soon pieces together a disturbing portrait of a woman suffering from postpartum depression and a husband who bears little resemblance to the loving father Beth and her siblings know. With a newborn of her own and struggling with motherhood, Beth finds there may be more tying her and her mother together than she ever suspected.

Kritters Thoughts:  What a book.  Before I start my review, let me spoil my review, I loved this book.  This one swept me away and was the perfect read to get me out of a reading funk and keep my attention during the pandemic that was going through our world in March 2020.  This is such a good book.  

Beth Walsh is the youngest of four children and she has spent quite a few years with her husband trying to start a family.  She has reached her goal and they have a healthy baby boy, but motherhood and parenthood is what she thought it was and she doesn't know if this is the life she was meant to have after all.  At the same time that the reader is getting to know Beth and her siblings and their families, there are letters and stories from her mother telling her tale of how she met their father and how her life turned out.  

I loved the plot, the characters and the way this story was written.  The way that the mother's letters and story was interspersed throughout completely worked and everything was clearly marked with names and dates, so the reader knows where they are and who is talking at all times.  The author dropped the information needed at just the right time, I wasn't wondering for too long about anything, but the pacing was just right.

I wouldn't say this is one of those books with a current storyline and a historical, it is just two generations telling their story and the reader gets to enjoy how they line up.  

Beware this is one of those books that you want a post it note, so you can do a quick family tree so you can keep all the names and the kids and the generations in line.  This didn't bother me because once you have it written down you can refer to it, but super helpful to have a guide.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 27 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Harlequin.  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 Austen by Gill Hornby

Miss Austen

by Gill Hornby

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Pages: 288

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Whoever looked at an elderly lady and saw the young heroine she once was?

England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her sixties and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or commit her sister’s legacy to the flames?

Kritters Thoughts:  Cassandra Austen may be a little less known than her younger sister Jane Austen, but in this book told through her perspective she is in pursuit of letters that will conceal the truth about her and her sister's past.  

Told through basically two points of time, one is the years just before Jane dies and the other the years right before Cassandra dies, these sisters were the only two Austen girls in their generation and had a very untraditional life.  Both single for their entire lives and living with their mother for quite a few years, they relied on their brothers for everything.

I enjoyed the birds eye view on parts of Jane Austen's life, but because I haven't read her a ton, I felt a little clueless at times.  I wish I knew more about her life and her work before reading this one.  I think those who are Jane Austen fans would enjoy this book more than I did.  It could to your Jane Austen shelf now.


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

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 25 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Flatiron Books.  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: Fighting for Space by Amy Shira Teitel

Fighting for Space

by Amy Shira Teitel

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 448

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When the space age dawned in the late 1950s, Jackie Cochran held more propeller and jet flying records than any pilot of the twentieth century-man or woman. She had led the Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots during the Second World War, was the first woman to break the sound barrier, ran her own luxury cosmetics company, and counted multiple presidents among her personal friends. She was more qualified than any woman in the world to make the leap from atmosphere to orbit. Yet it was Jerrie Cobb, twenty-five years Jackie's junior and a record-holding pilot in her own right, who finagled her way into taking the same medical tests as the Mercury astronauts. The prospect of flying in space quickly became her obsession.

While the American and international media spun the shocking story of a "woman astronaut" program, Jackie and Jerrie struggled to gain control of the narrative, each hoping to turn the rumored program into their own ideal reality-an issue that ultimately went all the way to Congress.


Kritters Thoughts:  As a note before I get into my review.   I decided to listen to this on audio for many reasons, but one being that I tend to enjoy non fiction more when I read them via audio.  With the working from home I have been doing, I have enjoyed having one audio book to listen to while out on walks with the dog and this was one of them.

Amy Shira Teitel did extensive research on mainly two women, but also on other women and the industries of aeronautics and aviation.  Jackie Cochran may not be a household name for most compared to Amelia Earhart, but Jackie was a part of women in flight and space.  Jerrie Cobb, Jackie's junior, took part in aviation, but was really vital to the movement of women in space and again not a household name like others.  

I liked how the book was put together.  It covered a lot of years with ease.  There was only a bit of technical chatter about flying and space, it was enough to help get some perspective but didn't make me feel like a textbook.  

With my dad as a former NASA and Boeing employee who spent a lot of time working on advancements in aviation, this book had specific meaning to me because I got to see the industry he worked for through a different lens and learn about the years that preceded him joining NASA.  

This book made me want to read more about the history of aviation and aeronautics which is always a good sign when I finish a non fiction read. 


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 Grand Central Publishing.  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?

Again another week without a commute allowed for more reading time.  I am so thankful that reading is still an escape and I am able to concentrate on a good book.

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

A Criminal Justice by William L Myers, Jr.

Fighting for Space by Amy Shira Teitel (audio)

On the Horizon by Lois Lowry

Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey

The Socialite by J'nell Ciesielski

Currently Reading:

Crazy Rich by Jerry Oppenheimer (audiobook)

Master Class by Christina Dalcher

Next on the TBR pile:

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster

Review: A Criminal Justice by William L Myers, Jr.

A Criminal Justice

by William L. Myers, Jr.

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Pages: 391

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  A man in prison for murder. One woman wants him freed. One woman wants him dead.

Mick McFarland is stunned when he’s arrested for murdering business tycoon Edwin Hanson, brother to David Hanson—one of Mick’s former clients. Mick is even more shocked when he’s confronted with the incriminating evidence: surveillance footage of him stalking the victim and pulling the trigger.

As Mick’s legal team fights against windmills trying to beat the prosecution in court, his wife, Piper, journeys across the country, trying to win her husband’s freedom by going after the man she is convinced is out to destroy Mick and David both. What she doesn’t anticipate is that David’s wife, Marcie, is on a similar mission to shelter her own husband. And the two women may not be on the same side.

Piper has it all right…and all wrong. And her time is running out. Will she be able to save her husband from conviction and clear his name?


Kritters Thoughts: The fourth in a series and although each case is contained in each book there are some definite throwbacks and character developments from book to book that you will want to know about before going into this one.  Each one reads so smoothly and has some uniqueness to each of them, so you can even read them straight in a row.

I read the first three in a row and loved it.  There was a delay between reading book three and four and I wish I didn't have a delay.  I think there were some details from book three that I was missing when it went to reading this book.  The case from book three was heavily featured in this one, so I would recommend reading them very close so you have that case in the back of your mind when you go to read this one.

Mick McFarland is arrested for murder very early into the book, so the book features those who surround him more than himself which was different from the other books.  His law firm has to figure out who really committed the murder and how to get him out of jail.  I loved that it took the whole team working together to solve the crime.  All had to use their individual skills to get to a solution.  

I love this series and hope that even if there aren't more in this series that Myers keeps writing.  I like how he develops characters and then creates plots that make such great reads.  


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

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 32 out of 100

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

March - not spring yet!

source

March was quite an interesting month. Halfway through the month, I like many started a work from home situation and without a commute and the ability to get out and about, my reading time greatly increased. This may be the most I have ever read in a month which is great, but I am definitely ready for normal life and an ability to eat at a restaurant!

1. Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy
2. Before He Vanished by Debra Webb
3. Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
4. Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore
5. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
6. The Philosopher's Daughters by Alison Booth
7. Who Rescued Who by Victoria Schade
8. Essential Oils for Soothing Anxiety by Christina Anthis
9. The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci
10. I've Got This Round by Mamrie Hart (audio)
11. Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer
12. Girl Online by Zoe Sugg
13. On Tour by Zoe Sugg
14. Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
15. Bark Park by Brandi Dougherty
16. No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez
17. To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters
18. Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr
19. Who Speaks for the Damned by C.S. Harris
20. Going Solo by Zoe Sugg
21. Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
22. The First Date by Zara Stoneley

Total pages read, clicked and flipped: 6,821

Where having I been Reading?:

Canada
Tennessee (2)
Illinois
Odessa, TX
English countryside
Pennsylvania
Seattle, WA
New York City, NY
Hampshire, England
California (2)
England (2)
Brighton

Review: Top Down by Jim Lehrer

Top Down

by Jim Lehrer

Publisher: Random House

Pages: 208

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  November 22, 1963. As Air Force One touches down in Dallas, ambitious young newspaper reporter Jack Gilmore races to get the scoop on preparations for President Kennedy’s motorcade. Will the bubble top on the presidential limousine be up or down? Down, according to veteran Secret Service agent Van Walters. The decision to leave the top down and expose JFK to fire from above will weigh on Van’s conscience for decades. But will it also change the course of history?

Five years after the assassination, Jack gets an anguished phone call from Van’s daughter Marti. Van Walters is ravaged by guilt, so convinced that his actions led to JFK’s death that he has lost the will to live. In a desperate bid to deliver her father from his demons, Marti enlists Jack’s help in a risky reenactment designed to prove once and for all what would have happened had the bubble top stayed in place on that grim November day.

For Jack, it’s a chance to break a once-in-a-lifetime story that could make his career. But for Van the stakes are even higher. The outcome of a ballistics test conducted on the grounds of a secluded estate in upstate New York might just save his life—or push him over the edge.

Kritters Thoughts:  On November 22, 1963 in Dallas, TX something happened that changed the life for individuals, families and the country.  Most everyone talks about Kennedy and his death that impacted his family and the future of our country, but this book takes a look at one Secret Service agent and how this day changed the course of his life forever.  

Jack Gilmore is a reporter based in DC now, but he was there on the scene the day in Dallas, TX and he remembers interacting with the head of the Secret Service team on THAT day.  During a panel he speaks about the decision to take the top off the car before the fated drive and this peaks the interest of the daughter of the agent and together they try to figure out how to help her father recover from that day.  

It was so interesting to see the affects of this day on someone that was more on the sidelines of the day.  This book felt like both a non fiction and fiction read and could be because the author was really close to the main character and was a journalist himself.  

If you have read all of the books that focus on this day in history, this is a good addition to your collection; it felt unique because of the different viewpoint and focus.


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

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 15 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  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: Lawyer for the Cat by Lee Robinson

Lawyer for the Cat

by Lee Robinson

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Pages: 240

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Sally Baynard is one of the best lawyers around. In the years since her divorce from Family Court Judge Joe Baynard, she dedicated herself to representing the worst and craziest Charleston, S.C. had to offer. But none of the murderers, burglars, or angry divorcing clients compared to Sherman, the dog her ex-husband appointed her to represent. Although the miniature Schnauzer found his way into her heart (and brought his handsome vet Tony along too), his case was a thorny one. With that business out of the way, Sally is happy to move back to non-canine clients... until a probate judge asks her about a cat.

Agreeing to represent Beatrice, a black cat who's the beneficiary of a multi-million dollar trust and a plantation, Sally must put her wit, charm, and brains to the test, choosing among three colorful potential caregivers while dodging the former owner's angry son. Meanwhile, Sally must juggle the demands of the court with those of her aging mother and make a decision about Tony, who wants to get more serious. Lawyer for the Cat is Southern women's fiction at its most delightful, featuring strong, smart characters, a charming setting, and plenty of adorable critters.

Kritters Thoughts:  The second in a series and although the law case is full resolved in this book and the one previously, I would recommend starting at Lawyer for the Dog as there are a lot of character development moments that you would miss if you jumped straight to this one.  

As in the first book, it centers around Sally Baynard who is a lawyer with her own practice in Charleston, SC.  Her ex husband is a judge and she likes spending her time helping the people in her community solve the problems that matter to them most.  In this book, there is a cat that is worth quite a bit as her owner has recently died and left her estate to the cat to ensure the cat is able to maintain the "emotional environment" that she is used to!  

I read this book at quite an interesting time in my personal life as my parents were dealing with their will and trust.  It made this book feel almost a little too real - I had a little more understanding than I have in the past on what was going on.  

I enjoyed these books, they were easy reads to dip into during the work week when I had limited time and wasn't mentally available to get into a heavy book.    


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

Review: Lawyer for the Dog by Lee Robinson

Lawyer for the Dog

by Lee Robinson

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Pages: 230

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  One of the sharpest attorneys in Charleston, S.C., Sally Baynard isn’t your typical southern belle. She’s certainly not what her mother hoped she’d grow up to be, especially since she divorced her husband, Family Court Judge Joe Baynard, and his historic family with their historic wealth and historic houses. Maybe Sally was never going to be a proper society lady, but her success as a public defender and family lawyer have been enough for her. She’s represented murderers, burglars, drug dealers and lately has taken on some of the thorniest divorces, all cases closed with her Sally Bright Baynard wit, charm and brains.

Or have they? One case she’s never successfully closed is her marriage. And when Judge Joe assigns her to one of his divorce cases by appointing her as the Lawyer for the Dog -- Sherman, a miniature schnauzer-- she’s forced into close quarters with him again. Juggling the needs of the dog, the angry owners, her amorous but uncommunicative ex-husband, her aging, Alzheimer’s-ridden mother, and the expectations of the court is more than Sally could have imagined. And as rascally Sherman digs his way into Sally’s heart, he brings along his charming vet Tony, a man who makes Sally question her views on love and marriage.

Kritters Thoughts:  Sally Baynard prides herself on being an attorney in Charleston, SC, but after divorcing a guy from a well known family who becomes a judge, she is often put into awkward situations - hence she becomes a guardian lawyer for a dog who's parents are going through a divorce.  

First, I am a huge dog fan.  I have three of my own, so a book where the dog is a central character and they don't die, sign me up!  This book already had points before I even started reading it.  BUT I really did love this book.  I loved the concept of a dog being a valued item in a divorce and needing more context than dividing up houses and cars and such.  It was so sweet to follow Sally and she tried to find the best solution for Sherman, the dog and I loved the way she went about "investigating."  

This was a fun and sweet book that was perfect to curl up with in one day.  It was short and sweet and I was excited to follow it up with the sequel, which I will review later today.


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 Netgalley.  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?

Another week without a commute and some extra reading time.  I am definitely going to hit my reading goal this year!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

Who Speaks for the Damned by C.S. Harris
Going Solo by Zoe Sugg
The First Date by Zara Stoneley
Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella

Currently Reading:

Fighting for Space by Amy Shira Teitel
A Criminal Justice by William Myers, Jr.

Next on the TBR pile:

The Socialite by J'nell Ciesielski

Review: The Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne Thayne

The Sea Glass Cottage

by RaeAnne Thayne

Publisher: HQN Books

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The life Olivia Harper always dreamed of isn’t so dreamy these days. The 16-hour work days are unfulfilling and so are things with her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when she hears that her estranged mother, Juliet, has been seriously injured in a car accident, Liv has no choice but to pack up her life and head home to beautiful Cape Sanctuary on the Northern California coast.

It’s just for a few months—that’s what Liv keeps telling herself. But the closer she gets to Cape Sanctuary, the painful memories start flooding back: Natalie, her vibrant, passionate older sister who downward-spiraled into addiction. The fights with her mother who enabled her sister at every turn. The overdose that took Natalie, leaving her now-teenaged daughter, Caitlin, an orphan.

As Liv tries to balance her own needs with those of her injured mother and an obstinate, resentful fifteen-year-old, it becomes clear that all three Harper women have been keeping heartbreaking secrets from one another. And as those secrets are revealed, Liv, Juliet, and Caitlin will see that it’s never too late—or too early—to heal family wounds and find forgiveness.

Kritters Thoughts:  Another standalone book by RaeAnne Thayne and I historically like her stand alone books the most.  Told through multiple perspectives, but mostly through a mother daughter duo who have been reunited by a health crisis and both must decide where they want their lives to go next.  Olivia Harper has lived far from her mother for awhile and there are many reasons for this separation.  Juliet Harper, her mother, fell off a ladder at work and Olivia feels the draw home to help take care of her and maybe push the pause button on her current life and rhythms and reevaluate everything.

I always love a story that allows multiple characters to tell their side of the story.  I think you get much deeper and full story when characters are given a chance to tell their side of things.  

With family relationships at the center of this story there wasn't a focus on romance and I liked this change.  There was of course a bit of romance in the story, but it wasn't the only thing in the plot and that felt refreshing.  I love the focus on mothers and daughters and all the complicated things that go into those relationships.  I have a great relationship with my mom and I could chuckle at moments where even the best of mothers and daughters can clash!

I adored this book and would recommend it completely.  I think it would be a great book to read during a summer vacation, it was a quick and easy read and I wouldn't have minded reading it in a relaxed beach setting!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 19 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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Without a commute and a quieter life this week, I was able to read quite a bit and hoping for the same this next week.  

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
Bark Park by Brandi Dougherty
No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez
To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters
Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr

Currently Reading:

Who Speaks for the Damned by C.S. Harris
Fighting For Space by Amy Shira Teitel (audio)

Next on the TBR pile:

The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman

Review: Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

Darling Rose Gold

by Stephanie Wrobel

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers and offering shoulders to cry on, but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold.

Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar.

After serving five years in prison, Patty gets out with nowhere to go and begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes.

Patty insists all she wants is to reconcile their differences. She says she's forgiven Rose Gold for turning her in and testifying against her. But Rose Gold knows her mother. Patty Watts always settles a score.

Unfortunately for Patty, Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling...

And she's waited such a long time for her mother to come home.


Kritters Thoughts:  This is going to be a hard review to write because I think it is best going into this book without much knowledge - like I did.  I hadn't really read even the synopsis before picking it up, just saw the cover all over the place and was intrigued.  

A book that has a focus on a mother daughter duo who don't have the best relationship due to their rocky past.  Patty is the mother and at the beginning of this story she is getting released from prison where she was guilty of endangering her own child as she made her sick her whole life.  Rose Gold is there to greet her mother as she leaves prison and is ready to start this new chapter with her life . . . 

This is one of those books where you just can't trust any of the characters and for me that isn't something I completely love.  I don't mind when you can't trust one, but when you can't trust any that makes for a hard story to read as you just can't believe anything that anyone as saying as complete fact.  

I am intrigued with how a parent could want to have a sick child to get attention partly due to the tv show, The Politician.  The look at Munchausen by proxy disease made me keep reading this book because I am so fascinated by a parent who could find comfort or joy or something from the attention that a sick child could get, I am not a parent, but this really fascinates me.

This book was interesting, but I wouldn't be quick to recommend it to just any reader.     


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

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.