Don't look for me by Wendy Walker - Book Review

My review:

In the book you can feel Molly and her families grief at the death of Molly's daughter.  The whole family has not recovered.  It would be understandable if Molly did just up and leave, after all she is blamed for the death.  It appears she has, everything points to that conclusion.  Until, her daughter Nicole receives some new information.  Did Molly really leave? This is a perfect thriller.  It had me thinking I knew the answer then some new information shows up.  It wasn't until the very end until we find out what actually happens to Molly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for an ARC copy for my honest review. I look forward to reading more books from this author. 5 Stars out of 5!!

Amazon.com's description of this book-

They said she walked away. But what really happened to Molly Clarke?

From the bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten comes a compelling and emotionally powerful story of a daughter's desperate search to find her mother before it's too late.

They called it a “walk away.” The car abandoned miles from home. The note found at a nearby hotel. The shattered family. It happens all the time. Women disappear, desperate to start over. But what really happened to Molly Clarke?

The night Molly disappeared began with a storm, running out of gas, and a man offering her a ride to safety. But when the doors lock shut, Molly begins to suspect she has made a terrible mistake.

A new lead brings Molly’s daughter, Nicole, back to the small, desolate town where her mother was last seen to renew the desperate search. The locals are sympathetic and eager to help. The innkeeper. The bartender. Even the police. Until secrets begin to reveal themselves and Nicole comes closer to the truth about that night―and the danger surrounding her.

 

Review- Real Estate Rescue by Tracy McLaughlin

 My review-

This book offers many ideas and tips for people wanting to buy or sell a home.  I like the examples that Tracy McLaughlin gave throughout the book. Although, I new most of the advice in this book I was still pleasantly surprised to find much needed information that was new to me.  A lot of helpful information!!

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

Amazons description of the book-

The advice you didn’t know you needed. Because most people only enter the real estate world once a decade or less, few really know how it works. The housing market elicits a lot of emotions, from excitement to anxiety. Oftentimes, this can blind us to the realities of how the market works. Top residential real estate agent Tracy McLaughlin is here to change our understanding of the home sale process. From those buying their first home to sellers with some experience, this book is packed with essential advice.

A roadmap for buyers and sellers. In nearly all real estate sales, buyers and sellers leave behind thousands—or even hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars—on the table. As frightening as this reality is, it continually happens because one simple decision, among the countless made during the entire process, can greatly impact the outcome of the transaction.

Bridging the gap between information and expertise. Because of the way technology has impacted real estate sales, buyers and sellers have greater access to information and even the ability to direct the sales process. While knowing market information is helpful in real estate sales, most people still lack a key aspect: expertise. By presenting an inside view on sales, McLaughlin provides a guide for maximizing the value of the sale and purchase of homes.

In this book by real estate expert Tracy McLaughlin, readers will find…

• Detailed guidelines for how to save money and make money
• Advice for finding the right real estate agent
• The real estate for dummies book every home buyer or seller needs

If you’ve looked for guidance in books such as Dream Home, Nolo’s Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home, and Home Buying Kit For Dummies, then you’ll find more of what you’re looking for in Real Estate Rescue with Tracy McLaughlin.

All that Glitters by Danielle Steel- Book Review

My Review-

All that Glitters reminds me of the old Danielle Steel books that made me a huge Danielle Steel fan.  The book has glamour, love and tragedy.  

The story is about Coco and Sam, after the loss of Cocos parents she turns to relationships with men that are not a good fit for her.  As a reader it was hard to see her staying with those men and not seeing them for what they really are and for her to keep falling so fast for the wrong men. Sam is her friend that stays by her side through it all, while having his own personal hardships to deal with. I saw the ending coming but was glad that I guessed correctly.

A delightful easygoing read that is exactly what I was looking for.  Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC of this book for my honest review.  4 out of 5 star!!

Book description from Amzon.com-

Nicole “Coco” Martin is destined to have it all. As the only child of doting and successful parents, she has been given every opportunity in life. Having inherited her mother’s stunning beauty and creativity, along with her father’s work ethic and diligence, she has the world at her feet. Her graduation from Columbia is fast approaching, and with it the summer job of her dreams working at a magazine. Between work, leisurely weekends at her family’s home in Southampton, and spending as much time as possible with her best friend, Sam, life couldn’t be better—until tragedy strikes. Coco’s beloved parents are killed in a terrorist attack while on vacation in France.

Now devastated and alone, Coco must find a way to move forward and make her way in the world without the family she loved. Determined to forge her own path and make her parents proud, Coco pursues her dreams, dazzled by exciting opportunities that come her way. Her goals are to think outside the box—and always play by her own rules. As she finds herself drawn to charismatic, fascinating men, each relationship will teach Coco new lessons, some delightful, some painful. She will come to realize what matters, and how strong she truly is—and in the end, she will discover herself.

Richly exploring one woman’s poignant journey through life, All That Glitters is a compelling tale of challenges, heartbreak, discovery, and triumph, a powerful reminder that all that glitters is not the essence of life. And what is truly worth having was right there in our hands all along.

The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman- Book Review

 

My review-

The Recipe Box is a heartwarming story of Sam Mullins, the women in her life and the value of a recipe box filled with treasured family recipes.  The description of Sams hometown in Michigan and the stories with the recipes included in the book really made the book even more enjoyable.  

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers of this book for a copy for my honest review. 4 out of 5 stars!!

Here is the description of The Recipe Box from Amazon.com-

Growing up in northern Michigan, Samantha “Sam” Mullins felt trapped on her family’s orchard and pie shop, so she left with dreams of making her own mark in the world. But life as an overworked, undervalued sous chef at a reality star’s New York bakery is not what Sam dreamed.

When the chef embarrasses Sam, she quits and returns home. Unemployed, single, and defeated, she spends a summer working on her family’s orchard cooking and baking alongside the women in her life―including her mother, Deana, and grandmother, Willo. One beloved, flour-flecked, ink-smeared recipe at a time, Sam begins to learn about and understand the women in her life, her family’s history, and her passion for food through their treasured recipe box.

As Sam discovers what matters most she opens her heart to a man she left behind, but who now might be the key to her happiness.

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman book review

My review
   After reading Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, I was very eager to read about Maria Owens and what caused her to curse the rest of her family for generations to come.  Magic Lessons is told in the time of the Salem Witch trials.  A time when being an independent woman and especially an independent woman with knowledge of healing is a dangerous time. 

   Although, Magic Lessons is a prequel it is a book that can stand alone.  Very enjoyable read!!  I look forward to reading other books by Alice Hoffman.

I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review.  Thank you to Simon Schuster and NetGalley for a copy of Magic Lessons !!!  4.5 out of 5 stars!!!

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles - Book Review

Here is the books description from Amazon.com

Based on the true World War II story of the American Library in Paris, an unforgettable novel about the power of books and the bonds of friendship—and the ordinary heroes who can be found in the most perilous times and the quietest places.

Paris, 1939.

Young, ambitious, and tempestuous, Odile Souchet has it all: Paul, her handsome police officer beau; Margaret, her best friend from England; Remy, her twin brother who she adores; and a dream job at the American Library in Paris, working alongside the library’s legendary director, Dorothy Reeder. When World War II breaks out, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear—including her beloved library. After the Nazi army marches into the City of Light and declares a war on words, Odile and her fellow librarians join the Resistance with the best weapons they have: books. Again and again, they risk their lives to help their fellow Jewish readers, but by war’s end, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983.

Odile’s solitary existence in gossipy small-town Montana is unexpectedly interrupted by her neighbor Lily, a lonely teenager craving adventure. As Lily uncovers more about Odile’s mysterious past, they find they share not only a love of language but also the same lethal jealousy. Odile helps Lily navigate the troubled waters of adolescence by always recommending the right book at the right time, never suspecting that Lily will be the one to help her reckon with her own terrible secret.

Based on the true story of the American Library in Paris, The Paris Library is a mesmerizing and captivating novel about the people and the books that make us who we are, for good and for bad, and the courage it takes to forgive.

My review-

I really enjoyed reading this story of Odile and the American Library in Paris! It was very interesting to learn how the people working at the library tried to get books to its patrons during World War II and to protect the great books of the library.  The story of Odile an her family showed such courage and heartache.  A great read! 5 out of 5 stars!!  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for an ARC copy for my honest review.

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult - Book Review

My review:

In The Book of Two Ways, Dawn reaches a point in her life where she questions her life choices.  Should she now live her life differently or continue on with her life as it is.  That is a question that is never easy to answer. Jodi Picoult took great care in explaining Egyptian hieroglyphs and other Ancient Egyptian customs, which I found fascinating! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for an ARC copy for my honest review.  4 out of 5 stars!

Amazon.com's description of the book-

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and A Spark of Light comes a riveting novel about the choices that alter the course of our lives.

Everything changes in a single moment for Dawn Edelstein. She’s on a plane when the flight attendant makes an announcement: Prepare for a crash landing. She braces herself as thoughts flash through her mind. The shocking thing is, the thoughts are not of her husband but of a man she last saw fifteen years ago: Wyatt Armstrong.

Dawn, miraculously, survives the crash, but so do all the doubts that have suddenly been raised. She has led a good life. Back in Boston, there is her husband, Brian, their beloved daughter, and her work as a death doula, in which she helps ease the transition between life and death for her clients.

But somewhere in Egypt is Wyatt Armstrong, who works as an archaeologist unearthing ancient burial sites, a career Dawn once studied for but was forced to abandon when life suddenly intervened. And now, when it seems that fate is offering her second chances, she is not as sure of the choice she once made.

After the crash landing, the airline ensures that the survivors are seen by a doctor, then offers transportation to wherever they want to go. The obvious option for Dawn is to continue down the path she is on and go home to her family. The other is to return to the archaeological site she left years before, reconnect with Wyatt and their unresolved history, and maybe even complete her research on The Book of Two Ways—the first known map of the afterlife.

As the story unfolds, Dawn’s two possible futures unspool side by side, as do the secrets and doubts long buried with them. Dawn must confront the questions she’s never truly asked: What does a life well lived look like? When we leave this earth, what do we leave behind? Do we make choices . . . or do our choices make us? And who would you be if you hadn’t turned out to be the person you are right now?