The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg - Book Review

My review:

   Sometimes you just want to read a book that you can escape into and just make you feel good. This is one of those books. When I read this book I did not realize it was third in a series.  It can definitely be a stand alone book.  I love reading stories of women's friendships.  The Confession Club was a delightful book. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and the idea of a monthly supper club turning into a confession club was just too enticing not to read!! I particularly loved the story of Iris. 

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion.  Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars for me!!  I will go back and read the other two books in the series and look forward to reading more from Elizabeth Berg.

Amazon.com's description of the book:

USA TODAY BESTSELLER • An uplifting novel about friendship, surprising revelations, and a second chance at love, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv.

When a group of friends in Mason, Missouri, decide to start a monthly supper club, they get more than they bargained for. The plan for congenial evenings—talking, laughing, and sharing recipes, homemade food, and wine—abruptly changes course one night when one of the women reveals something startlingly intimate. The supper club then becomes Confession Club, and the women gather weekly to share not only dinners but embarrassing misdeeds, deep insecurities, and long-held regrets.

They invite Iris Winters and Maddy Harris to join, and their timing couldn't be better. Iris is conflicted about her feelings for a charming but troubled man, and Maddy has come back home from New York to escape a problem too big to handle alone. The club offers exactly the kind of support they need to help them make some difficult decisions.

The Confession Club is charming, heartwarming, and inspiring. And as in the previous books that take place in Mason, readers will find friendship, community, and kindness on full display.

The Forgotten Wife by Emma Robinson - Book Review

Amazon.com's Description of this book:

There’s room in her house where Shelley has shut away a heartbreakingly-soft, never-used baby blanket. In a box, under a bed, behind a door that she never opens. If it’s there, she can forget about it. Just like she has her memories. Of a marriage that hadn’t been perfect. Of a life that didn’t go the way she had hoped.

Every day she acts like everything is normal. Going to work and following a routine helps her pretend the bad stuff never happened. Until one day, everything changes.

She sees the couple moving in next door, laughing sweetly as they walk up the path to their new home. The woman is pregnant. It’s like she has everything that Shelley has lost. But when Shelley properly meets Lara, she soon discovers Lara is actually carrying a heartache to match her own.

As her friendship with Lara deepens, Shelley starts to wonder what might happen if she opens the box she’s hidden away, with the tiny, beautiful blanket in it. Will the secrets from her past – about what she lost, what she’s hiding from, and what she has been doing her best to forget – destroy her? Or will opening it up finally give her a chance to live again?

A heartbreaking emotional drama about the power of friendship that will make readers laugh and cry, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Dani Atkins and Daniela Sacerdoti.

My Review:

This was a very emotional story about two very different women that bond over being neighbors and then personal tragedies. I really enjoyed this book, it was very hard not to get emotional while reading this book. It was written in two points of view, which made the story more intimate. 

I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars!!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for my ARC copy for my honest review.

Nikki

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer -- Book Review

Amazon.com's description:

Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you know them.

Nina Garrity learned that the hard way after discovering that her missing husband, Glen, had been leading a double life with another woman. But Glen's gone—presumably drowned while fishing on his boat—so she can't confront him about the affair or any of his other misdeeds. A year and a half after the accident, Nina considers herself a widow, even though the police never found a body. Following a chance encounter with Simon Fitch, a teacher from her daughter Maggie's middle school, Nina finds love again and has hopes of putting her shattered life back together.

Simon, a widower still grieving the suicide of his first wife, has found his dream girl in Nina. His charm and affections help break through to a heart hardened by betrayal. Nina's teenage son, Connor, embraces Simon as the father he wishes his dad could have been, but Maggie sees a far darker side to this new man in their lives. Even Nina’s good friends wonder if Simon is supremely devoted—or dangerously possessive.

But Nina is committed, not only to her soon-to-be new husband but also to resuming her former career as a social worker. Before she can move forward, however, Nina must first clear her conscience that she's not making another terrible choice in a man. In doing so, she will uncover the shocking truth: the greatest danger to her, and her children, are the lies people tell themselves.

My review:

The New Husband had just the right amount of suspense, with plenty of plot twists to keep this book interesting till the very end!!  Nina was in the right place of vulnerability for Simon to swoop in and turn her life upside down.  I  wanted to scream at Nina to wake up and listen to her friends and children.  

Nina thought her husband Glen had betrayed her and then gone missing.  She opened up her heart and home to Simon, who seemed like a very good man on paper.  Boy was she wrong. I would say this is a perfect thriller!!  I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!  

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my advanced copy for my honest review.

Nikki

F*CKED at 40 by Tova Leigh - Book Review

My Review:

Having seen some of Tova Leigh's videos, I was curious what she would say in her autobiography.  The book was a fast read.  If you are a fan of Tova Leigh you might enjoy getting to know her behind the scenes. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for my honest review.  3 out of 5 stars!

Here is the Amazon.com description:

"I was bored, angry, tired and sad. I felt all alone yet I had nothing to complain about. I had a good job, a husband who wasn't shagging his assistant, three children who apart from being the occasional assholes were pretty good kids; a house, a dog and everything else we are told as little girls we should aspire to. But inside, I was growing restless. I didn't want to be looked at as just a 'mom'. I wanted to be desired, to make someone's hair stand on end and go crazy for me. I didn't want to live by some label that didn't represent me. I looked at my messy minivan one morning and I wanted to vomit on it all. I panicked, thinking about how I am slowly approaching middle age and menopause and I wondered how many years do I have left of being 'f**ckable' before everything starts going downhill?"

In her first book Tova takes the reader on her journey of rediscovering who she is after motherhood and beyond the norms society forces upon women, whilst encouraging them to break free and just be themselves.

"When you find authenticity it's hard to go back. It's like opening a door to the truth and starting to breathe a new type of air. This discovery is what prompted me to write. It's my way of saying HERE I AM".

Nikki

The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel - Book Review

Amazon.com's description:

Champagne, 1940: Inès has just married Michel, the owner of storied champagne house Maison Chauveau, when the Germans invade. As the danger mounts, Michel turns his back on his marriage to begin hiding munitions for the Résistance. Inès fears they’ll be exposed, but for Céline, half-Jewish wife of Chauveau’s chef de cave, the risk is even greater—rumors abound of Jews being shipped east to an unspeakable fate.

When Céline recklessly follows her heart in one desperate bid for happiness, and Inès makes a dangerous mistake with a Nazi collaborator, they risk the lives of those they love—and the champagne house that ties them together.

New York, 2019: Liv Kent has just lost everything when her eccentric French grandmother shows up unannounced, insisting on a trip to France. But the older woman has an ulterior motive—and a tragic, decades-old story to share. When past and present finally collide, Liv finds herself on a road to salvation that leads right to the caves of the Maison Chauveau.

My review:

This is the first book I have read about the impact of the second World War on France's wine region.  Kristin Harmel was able to describe the fear and determination of the wine growers and the Resistance through her writing. I loved the story of Inez, Michel and Celine.  Their fear and vulnerability can be felt while reading the book.  I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Historical fiction involving the War, France and especially the wine region.  

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.  5 out of 5 stars!!

Nikki

No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert- Book Review

My review:

This is a book that shows that racism is still alive and well.  The author Katie Ganshert writes a story of an inner school on the verge of closing, where some students are able to transfer to a more affluent  suburban school.  It shows the parents, teachers and students opposing and trying to adjust to the new situation.  The story also tells of past racism in history.  Many of the characters are surprised by theirs and others racist feelings and many characters grow to accept the busing situation and make thrive from the experience. 
  Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion. 5 out of 5 stars.  This would make a great book club selection.
Nikki

Amazon.com's description:

Challenging perceptions of discrimination and prejudice, this emotionally resonant drama for readers of Lisa Wingate and Jodi Picoult explores three different women navigating challenges in a changing school district—and in their lives.

WINNER OF THE CHRISTY AWARD®

When an impoverished school district loses its accreditation and the affluent community of Crystal Ridge has no choice but to open their school doors, the lives of three very different women converge: Camille Gray--the wife of an executive, mother of three, long-standing PTA chairwoman and champion fundraiser--faced with a shocking discovery that threatens to tear her picture-perfect world apart at the seams. Jen Covington, the career nurse whose long, painful journey to motherhood finally resulted in adoption but she is struggling with a happily-ever-after so much harder than she anticipated. Twenty-two-year-old Anaya Jones--the first woman in her family to graduate college and a brand new teacher at Crystal Ridge's top elementary school, unprepared for the powder-keg situation she's stepped into. Tensions rise within and without, culminating in an unforeseen event that impacts them all. This story explores the implicit biases impacting American society, and asks the ultimate question: What does it mean to be human? Why are we so quick to put labels on each other and categorize people as "this" or "that", when such complexity exists in each person?

Mercy Road by Ann Howard Creel: Book Review

My Review:

  This is the first book I read about the ambulance drivers in World War One.  Mercy Road tells the story of Arlene Favier, a brave young woman that risks her life to help her family.  I liked all of the details of the ambulance drivers for the American Women's Hospital and the story of Arlene.  This book is a good Historical Fiction book.  4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book for my honest review.

Amazon.com's description:

Inspired by the true story of the World War I American Women’s Hospital, Mercy Road is a novel about love, courage, and a female ambulance driver who risks everything.

In 1917, after Arlene Favier’s home burns to the ground, taking her father with it, she must find a way to support her mother and younger brother. If she doesn’t succeed, they will all be impoverished. Job opportunities are scarce, but then a daring possibility arises: the American Women’s Hospital needs ambulance drivers to join a trailblazing, all-female team of doctors and nurses bound for war-torn France.

On the front lines, Arlene and her fellow ambulance drivers work day and night to aid injured soldiers and civilians. In between dangerous ambulance runs, Arlene reunites with a childhood friend, Jimmy Tucker, now a soldier, who opens her heart like no one before. But she has also caught the attention of Felix Brohammer, a charismatic army captain who harbors a dark, treacherous secret.

To expose Brohammer means risking her family’s future and the promise of love. Arlene must make a choice: stay in the safety of silence or take the greatest chance of her life

Nikki