⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sandra Dallas once again brings the Old West to life in Tough Luck, a rollicking adventure filled with humor, grit, and heart. The story follows fourteen-year-old Haidie Richards, who escapes a dreary Illinois orphanage with her little brother, Boots, to search for their gold-mining father in Colorado. Disguised as a boy, Haidie joins a wagon train and sets off across dangerous territory, armed with more nerve than experience. Along the trail, she meets a colorful cast of characters—a kind freighter, a gambler with a soft spot, two feisty spinster sisters, and one loyal dog who might just steal the show. As Haidie learns to handle mules, men, and misfortune, […]
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From POW Camps to Code Rooms: Hold Strong Reveals the Brutal Truth of War
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What an unforgettable book! Hold Strong is one of those rare novels that grips your heart from page one and doesn’t let go. Based on true events, it’s both a sweeping love story and a harrowing survival tale set against the darkest days of World War II. Sam Carlson, a small-town Minnesota projectionist turned soldier, endures the unimaginable—from the Bataan Death March to the horrors of Japanese POW camps. Meanwhile, his sweetheart Sarah Haber uses her brilliant math skills to become a wartime codebreaker in Washington, D.C. Their paths are worlds apart, yet fate ties them together in one of the most shocking and tragic episodes of the war. The authors […]
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Love, Betrayal, and Blades: Drama on Ice in The Favorites
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Layne Fargo trades serial killers for sequins in The Favorites, a deliciously over-the-top drama set in the ruthless world of Olympic ice dancing. The story follows Kat Shaw and her skating partner—and sometimes lover, sometimes rival—Heath Rocha, as they chase gold medals and break each other’s hearts over nearly fifteen years on the ice. Told through Kat’s perspective and juicy “documentary-style” interviews, the novel mixes athletic ambition with soap-opera scandal: rival twins, forbidden love, betrayals, paparazzi meltdowns, and a shocking showdown at the 2014 Sochi Games. It’s fast, dramatic, and loaded with all the spectacle you’d expect from a backstage sports saga. Yes, the melodrama gets a little repetitive, and […]
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Finding Grace: The Haunting Echo of Choices Made
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 stars) Loretta Rothschild’s debut, Finding Grace, starts with a shocking twist that pulled me right in. Honor Wharton, her husband Tom, and their daughter Chloe are living an enviable life until tragedy strikes. Tom, left shattered, makes a decision that changes everything, connecting his future with Grace Stone, a widow who bears an uncanny resemblance to his late wife. Narrated by Honor from a limbo state, the story tackles themes of motherhood, grief, and the haunting pull of secrets. The premise is powerful, but the pacing lags after the strong opening, and the romantic angle between Tom and Grace felt unsettling rather than moving. Honestly, I couldn’t stand […]
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Bootlegging, Betrayal, and a Bold Heroine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jeannette Walls (The Glass Castle) takes readers to Prohibition-era Virginia in Hang the Moon, a story of family feuds, power struggles, and one unforgettable heroine. Sallie Kincaid grows up in the shadow of her larger-than-life father, the Duke, who controls most of Claiborne County. After being cast out as a child, Sallie returns years later determined to earn her place, only to find herself entangled in the family’s bootlegging empire. Sallie is a whip-smart daredevil—tough, resourceful, and often reckless. Her narration pulls you right into the drama as she navigates secrets, betrayals, and a community divided by politics and whiskey. Walls paints the era with striking detail, from the fast […]
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When Truth Glitters: Friendship, Betrayal, and Survival in Hitler’s “Model” Settlement
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5 stars) rounded up to 5 Before reading this book, I wasn’t very familiar with Theresienstadt. The Nazis portrayed it as a “model ghetto,” but in truth it was a stage-managed prison where starvation, fear, and deportation loomed over daily life. Jennifer Coburn tells this story through two women who once shared a childhood bond. Hannah Kaufman, a Jewish girl stranded in Prague with her grandfather, is swept into Theresienstadt and forced to survive inside the Nazi illusion. Her former best friend, Hilde Kramer-Bischoff, a war widow and German national, sees the Reich as her only chance at status and belonging. When their paths collide, both must decide whether […]
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Strong History, Weak Storytelling
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Werner Sonne’s Where the Desert Meets the Sea is set in Jerusalem during the late 1940s, a time when the city was fractured by politics, religion, and the looming birth of Israel. It follows two women—one Jewish, one Arab—whose lives become unexpectedly intertwined against this backdrop of conflict and change. Through their experiences, readers see how personal loyalties, faith, and survival collide in a world on the brink of war. I appreciated learning more about the history of the British in the Holy Land and how deeply disliked they were by the Jewish community. That context gave me new insight into the period and its struggles. Unfortunately, much of […]
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Dark and Disturbing Waters in The King Tides
⭐️⭐️ (2 stars) James Swain’s The King Tides introduces readers to Jon Lancaster, a former cop turned private investigator who teams up with his partner Beth Daniels. On paper, it’s an appealing setup, and Lancaster himself is a lovable, larger-than-life character who brings humor and warmth to an otherwise grim storyline. Unfortunately, the case he tackles drags readers into the disturbing world of serial predators and child pornography—subject matter I simply don’t enjoy reading about. The book is well written, with fast pacing and tense action scenes, but the darkness of the plot overshadowed everything else for me. While I admire Swain’s skill and can see why many readers might appreciate the […]
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Joseph’s Story, Told with Heart and Faith
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Jill Eileen Smith’s The Prince and the Prodigal is a faithful retelling of one of the most beloved Old Testament stories. Joseph’s journey—from his brothers’ betrayal to his rise in Egypt—is familiar to many of us, but Smith keeps it fresh by adding depth and humanity without straying from Scripture. I especially appreciated how she balanced Joseph’s story with Judah’s, showing both men’s struggles and growth. The family dynamics feel real: the jealousy, guilt, and eventual forgiveness strike an emotional chord. Smith doesn’t reinvent the story (thankfully), but she does make these biblical figures relatable. Joseph’s resilience and trust in God are woven through every chapter, reminding readers that divine providence […]
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Secrets, Twists, and Shifting Truths
🌟🌟🌟🌟 James Patterson and David Ellis are back at it with Lies He Told Me, a thriller that keeps the pages flying and the tension high. The story centers on a husband whose life starts to unravel as secrets pile up, half-truths get exposed, and trust becomes a dangerous illusion. One of the best parts? You’ll find yourself second-guessing everyone—because in this book, nobody’s story is quite what it seems. The trademark Patterson pacing is here—short, snappy chapters that dare you to put the book down. Ellis adds his courtroom savvy and knack for layered characters, giving the novel more depth than some of Patterson’s lighter collaborations. The twists come fast, […]
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