There were so many things I loved about this story. I loved Caroline and Brandon. I loved the suspense throughout the story. This showed some of how a lawyer is used in a company that works with Car T cells to help save children with different types of cancers. We also see how some people run foster homes. I did not want to put the book down and I really want to hear what happens in Caroline’s and Brandon’s lives. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

Synopsis

If they expected silence, they hired the wrong woman. 

Caroline Bragg’s life has never been better. She and Brandon Lancaster are taking their relationship to the next level, and she has a new dream job as legal counsel for Praecursoria—a research lab that is making waves with its cutting-edge genetic therapies. The company’s leukemia treatments even promise to save desperately sick kids—kids like eleven-year-old Bethany, a critically ill foster child at Brandon’s foster home. 

When Caroline’s enthusiastic boss wants to enroll Bethany in experimental trials prematurely, Caroline objects, putting her at odds with her colleagues. They claim the only goal at Praecursoria is to save lives. But does someone have another agenda? 

Brandon faces his own crisis. As laws governing foster homes shift, he’s on the brink of losing the group home he’s worked so hard to build. When Caroline learns he’s a Praecursoria investor, it becomes legally impossible to confide in him. Will the secrets she keeps become a wedge that separates them forever? And can she save Bethany from the very treatments designed to heal her? 

This latest romantic legal thriller by bestseller Cara Putman shines a light on the shadowy world of scientific secrets and corporate vendettas—and the ethical dilemmas that plague the place where science and commerce meet.

“Intriguing characters. Romantic tension. Edge-of-your-seat suspense. And a fast-paced ending that will leave you exhausted (in a good way!).” —Robert Whitlow, award-winning author of Promised Land

Release date: January 12, 2021 

Publisher: Thomas Nelson 

Print pages: 336

I really enjoyed the last 2/3 of the book. The first 1/3 was a little slow for me. I really enjoyed reading about Conor’s grandfather Liam. The parts about Conor were a little confusing for me. I enjoyed how Liam solved his problems and how Conor solved his too. I received a copy of this book from Smith Publicity for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this a four out of five stars.

Here are plot details:Through the Waters and the Wild  is a classic Irish-American tale spanning several decades. The book follows Conor Finnegan and his Grandfather, Liam Finnegan, who flees his native land and abandons the passion and purpose of his inner nature. 

Fields takes readers to the farmlands of Ireland, the Irish Civil War, and the powerful corridors of Washington, all while exploring the interior landscapes against which we seek to find identity and meaning. With rich and complex characters, he seeks to address such timeless and essential questions as: “Where shall I go now? What shall I do?”

I think that this was one of my favorite books for children that talks about COVID and wearing masks. I love the story and the illustrations are wonderful. I love that it is trying to remind kids to have fun and smile even though we have to do things differently right now. I received a copy of this book from Smith Publicity for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

In the age of Covid19 young children are having to experience so many new, confusing, and sometimes scary things. More and more places are requiring they or the adults around them wear masks, including their schools and pre-schools. This book adds some silliness and laughs around mask wearing to help young children see masks as something funny and not scary. It does so by describing and illustrating all the different styles of masks, characters that wear them, when you can wear them, and ‘interesting‘ ways to use them. Colorful and funny illustrations bring the book to life and will have kids giggling on the floor.

REMEMBER TO SMILE is a 300 word children’s picture book intended for ages 2-6 years old. With rhyming and rhythmic text, it makes reading the book aloud even more fun. Now more than ever young children can benefit from books that encourage laughing while featuring the new and strange realities we are living in right now. 

Things looks a bit different these days as we go out and about, especially for those little ones that are headed back to daycare or school this fall. As our kids start to see and wear masks it can be a somewhat confusing. With the help of some giggles and a wiener dog, perhaps children will become a bit more comfortable with the idea of face masks.

This book is written as a mother and a daughter writing letters to each other through the good and bad days of their lives. I loved that this book was based on a real mother and daughter. The mother, Estelita, and her daughter Nina learn how each other is feeling through the years. Estelita is an actress and a singer born in Cuba. The story tells how she grows up and ends in the United States. Both Estelita and Nina had many good and bad things happen through their lives. This is a very sad story but there are many happy points. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin through Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

Find Me in Havana : A Novel 

Serena Burdick

On Sale Date: January 12, 2021

9780778389361, 0778389367

Trade Paperback

$16.99 USD, $21.99 CAD

336 pages

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A new historical novel from Serena Burdick, the author of THE GIRLS WITH NO NAMES, based on the true story of Estelita Rodriguez, a Cuban-born Hollywood actress and singer, as her daughter Nina traces her mother’s life from Cuba to Hollywood to understand her mysterious death, think NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA meets THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO.

Cuba, 1936: When Estelita Rodriguez sings in a hazy Havana nightclub for the very first time, she is nine years old. From then on, that spotlight of adoration—from Havana to New York’s Copacabana and then Hollywood—becomes the one true accomplishment no one can take from her. Not the 1933 Cuban Revolution that drove her family into poverty. Not the revolving door of husbands and the fickle world of film. Not even the tragic devastation of Castro’s revolution that rained down on her loved ones.

Thirty years later, her young adult daughter, Nina Rodriguez, is blindsided by her mother’s mysterious, untimely death. Seeking answers no one else wants to hear, the grieving Nina navigates the troubling, opulent memories of their life together and discovers how much Estelita sacrificed to live the American dream on her own terms.

Based on true events and exclusive interviews with the real Nina Rodriguez, Find Me in Havana weaves two unforgettable voices into one extraordinary journey that explores the unbreakable bond between mother and child, and the ever-changing landscape of self-discovery.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Serena Burdick graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in California before moving to New York City to pursue a degree in English Literature at Brooklyn College. Author of the International Bestseller THE GIRLS WITH NO NAMES and GIRL IN THE AFTERNOON, she lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two sons.

SOCIAL LINKS:

Author website: http://www.serenaburdick.com/

Instagram: @serenaburdick

Twitter: @serenaburdick

BUY LINKS: 

Barnes & Noble

Bookshop.org

Amazon

Target

Kobo

Google Play

Libro Audio

Audible

I think that this one was even better than the first book in the series. I definitely think that you must read the first book to enjoy this one or you might not understand all of what is going on with the three sisters. It is going to be hard to wait to read the third book in the series. I loved Madysen and Daniel. I loved learning about Alaska and the raising of the sheep, sled dogs and making cheeses. Each of these characters are learning many things as they grow. I did not want to put this book down. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this a five out of five stars.

PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION

Madysen Powell has always been a forgiving person, but when her supposedly dead father shows up in Nome, Alaska, her gift for forgiveness is tested. With the recent loss of her mother, she searches for answers, leaning on Granny Beaufort, a neighbor in town, who listens with a kind heart. Still, Madysen is restless and dreams of performing her music around the world. The arrival of a traveling show could prove just the chance she needs, and the manager promises more than she ever dreamed.Daniel Beaufort arrives in Nome, searching for his own answers after the gold rush leaves him with only empty pockets. Still angry about the death of his loved ones, he longs to start fresh but doesn’t have high hopes until he ends up helping at the Powell dairy making cheese. Drawn to the beautiful redhead with big dreams, will deceptions from the past tear apart any hope for the future?

If you are anything like me this story will make you cry. It shows how badly words and bad diagnoses can mess up a person for life. Both Cadence and Joshua were helping people for good and bad reasons. They each had lessons to learn. I loved the songs that were chosen throughout the story. I did not want to put this book down. I love the time period and I enjoy reading about the doctors and nurses. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

Synopsis

With her stammering tongue and quiet ways, Cadence Piper has always struggled to be accepted. After the death of her mother, Cadence sets her heart on becoming a nurse, both to erase the stain her brother has left on the family’s honor and to find long-sought approval in the eyes of her father. When Dorothea Dix turns her away due to her young age and pretty face, Cadence finds another way to serve . . . singing to the soldiers in Judiciary Square Hospital. Only one stubborn doctor stands in her way.

Joshua Ivy is an intense man with a compassionate heart for the hurting and downtrodden. The one thing he can’t have is an idealistic woman destroying the plans he’s so carefully laid. When the chaos of war thrusts Cadence into the middle of his clandestine activities, he must decide if the lives at stake, and his own heart, are worth the risk of letting Cadence inside.

Everything changes when Joshua and Cadence unearth the workings of a secret society so vile, the course of their lives, and the war, could be altered forever. If they fight an enemy they cannot see, will the One who sees all show them the way in the darkest night?

This was one of my favorite books by Michelle Griep. I loved Jackson and Kit. These two characters each grew up in different ways but they both needed each other to bring out the best in each other. This made me laugh and cry and I did not want to put the book down. This is wonderful historical fiction. I loved the descriptions of the underworld of London. I received a copy of this book Barbour publishing for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

Constable Jackson Forge intends to make the world safer, or at least the streets of Victorian London. But that’s Kit Turner’s domain, a swindler who runs a crew that acquires money the old-fashioned way–conning the rich to give to the poor. When a local cab driver goes missing, Jackson is tasked with finding the man, and the only way to do that is by enlisting Kit’s help. If Jackson doesn’t find the cabby, he’ll be fired. If Kit doesn’t help Jackson, he’ll arrest her for thievery. Yet neither of them realize those are the least of their problems.

This is the beginning of I hope a fantastic series. I love the descriptions of this small town in Alaska. I love how Evie finally is able to reveal her true self. There are so many twists and turns. I love Evie and I learned to really like Zone. I love how the old and new sheriff are used in this story. If you like suspense you will not be dissatisfied with this story. I received a copy of this book from the author and through Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

WRONG ALIBI 

Author: Christina Dodd 

ISBN: 9781335080820

Publication Date: December 29, 2020

Publisher: HQN Books

BIO: 

New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd writes “edge-of-the-seat suspense” (Iris Johansen) with “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd” (ALA Booklist). Her fifty-eight books have been called “scary, sexy, and smartly written” by Booklist and, much to her mother’s delight, Dodd was once a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. Enter Christina’s worlds and join her mailing list at www.christinadodd.com.

BOOK SUMMARY: 

Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd delivers an all-new thriller, featuring a bold and brash female protagonist.

WRONG JOB
Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Jones lands a job in small-town Alaska, working for a man in his isolated mountain home. But her bright hopes for the future are shattered when Donald White disappears, leaving her to face charges of theft, embezzlement—and a brutal double murder. Her protestations of innocence count for nothing. Convicted, she faces life in prison…until fate sends her on the run.

WRONG NAME
Evie’s escape leaves her scarred and in hiding, isolated from her family, working under an alias at a wilderness camp. Bent on justice, intent on recovering her life, she searches for the killer who slaughters without remorse.

WRONG ALIBI
At last, the day comes. Donald White has returned. Evie emerges from hiding; the fugitive becomes the hunter. But in her mind, she hears the whisper of other forces at work. Now Evelyn must untangle the threads of evidence before she’s once again found with blood on her hands: the blood of her own fam

SOCIAL:

Author Website: https://www.christinadodd.com/ 

TWITTER: @ChristinaDodd

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaDoddFans 

Insta: @ChristinaDoddBooks

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12695.Christina_Dodd

BUY LINKS:

Harlequin 

Indiebound

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

Books-A-Million

Walmart

Google

iBooks

Kobo

This is a very interesting story of mystery and some cool spy gadgets. I loved Marion and really liked Bill and Kenny. It would be fun to be a part of this inquiry agency though I don’t know if I would be able to stay underground most of the day. This has a lot of twists and turns so you are not sure who the murder was or if he had help. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a four out of five stars.

MARION LANE AND THE MIDNIGHT MURDER

Author: T.A. Willberg

ISBN: 9780778389330

Publication Date: 12/29/20

Publisher: Harlequin / Park Row Books

Buy Links: 

Harlequin 

Indiebound

Bookshop

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

Indigo

Books-A-Million

Target

Walmart

Google

iBooks

Libro.Fm

Kobo

Social Links:

Author Website

Twitter: @Tess_Amy_

Facebook: @tawillberg

Instagram: @ta_willberg

Author Bio: T.A. Willberg was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and holds a chiropractic masters degree from Durban University of Technology. MARION LANE AND THE MIDNIGHT MURDER is her debut novel and launch of her detective series. She currently lives in Malta with her partner.

Book Summary:

The letter was short. A name, a time, a place.

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder plunges readers into the heart of London, to the secret tunnels that exist far beneath the city streets. There, a mysterious group of detectives recruited for Miss Brickett’s Investigations & Inquiries use their cunning and gadgets to solve crimes that have stumped Scotland Yard.

Late one night in April 1958, a filing assistant at Miss Brickett’s receives a letter of warning, detailing a name, a time, and a place. She goes to investigate but finds the room empty. At the stroke of midnight, she is murdered by a killer she can’t see―her death the only sign she wasn’t alone. It becomes chillingly clear that the person responsible must also work for Miss Brickett’s, making everyone a suspect.

Marion Lane, a first-year Inquirer-in-training, finds herself drawn ever deeper into the investigation. When her friend and colleague is framed for the crime, to clear his name she must sort through the hidden alliances at Miss Brickett’s and secrets dating back to WWII. Masterful, clever and deliciously suspenseful, Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder is a fresh take on the Agatha Christie-style locked-room murder mystery, with an exciting new heroine detective.

This book has great romance and a bit of a mystery. I love Rachel and Jacob. I also really like Ms. Geraldine. I love that Rachel helps Ms. Geraldine through some family troubles and solves some of her own. I received a copy of this book from edelweiss for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I give this book a five out of five stars.

Rachel Hurst sacrificed the life she wanted to stay home and care for her father and siblings after her mother’s death. But now her father has decided to remarry, and there’s no room for Rachel. Desperate to find a job, she accepts the position of housekeeper for a wealthy elderly woman in her isolated mansion.

Jacob Beiler thought he had gotten over Rachel’s rejection, but when she arrives as the new housekeeper, he is battered by both joy and bitterness at seeing her again.

When odd near accidents threaten the elderly woman’s well-being, her relatives are quick to point fingers, but Rachel suspects someone is intent on harming her employer. When no one believes her, the only person she can turn to for help is Jacob. With danger deepening, Rachel faces a situation that could cost her life…and will certainly break her heart once again.