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All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon
I love this cover! ABOUT THE BOOK Every December two things are guaranteed for graphic designer Mackenzie Graham _ Christmas celebrations and the annual promotion at her workplace. Those two things are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, the better an employee is at harnessing the Christmas spirit, the more likely they’ll win the new job. With her social anxiety, Mackenzie never thought she’d be a contender in her company’s holiday competition, so how exactly has she found herself dueling her workplace crush with wrapping paper tubes and using tinsel as her weapon of choice for a much-needed raise? Jeremy Fletcher’s life is meticulously planned out, including how to…
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This is Where it Ends by Cindy K Sproles
How long is a body expected to keep a secret? ABOUT THE BOOK When Minerva Jane Jenkins was just 14 years old, she married a man who moved her to the mountains. He carried with him a small box, which he told her was filled with gold. And when he died 50 years later, he made her promise to keep his secret. She is to tell no one about the box or the treasure it contains. Now 94, Minerva is nearing the end of what has sometimes been a lonely life. But she’s kept that secret. Even so, rumors of hidden gold have a way of spreading, and Minerva…
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The Last Exchange by Charles Martin
As soon as I see an advanced copy available for this author I drop everything to read it. ABOUT THE BOOK “Here’s the catch—even if I make it out of here alive, I need a reason to breathe again.” When MacThomas Pockets finished his last tour as part of the Scottish Special Forces, he was hired to consult for a film director to finesse some scenes that weren’t working. In a twist he never saw coming, he ended up moving to L.A. to work as the bodyguard for movie star Maybe Joe Sue. It didn’t take long for Pockets to realize there were two Joe Sues: The Joe Sue the…
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The Swindler’s Daughter by Stephenia H McGee
This is my first book by Stephenia. ABOUT THE BOOK A surprise inheritance. A cache of family secrets. A choice that will change her life forever. Lillian Doyle has lived her entire high-society life with her widowed mother, believing her father died long ago. But when news arrives that her estranged father only recently passed away–in jail–Lillian is startled to find that the man has left a business and all of his possessions to her, making her a rather unusual heiress. When she goes to take possession of her father’s house in a backwoods Georgia town, the dilapidated structure is already occupied by another woman who claims it was promised…
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The All American by Susie Finkbeiner
This one is in my top-5 reads of this year! ABOUT THE BOOK Two sisters discover how much good there is in the world–even in the hardest of circumstances It is 1952, and nearly all the girls 16-year-old Bertha Harding knows dream of getting married, keeping house, and raising children in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Bertha dreams of baseball. She reads every story in the sports section, she plays ball with the neighborhood boys–she even writes letters to the pitcher for the Workington Sweet Peas, part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. When Bertha’s father is accused of being part of the Communist Party by the House Un-American…
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Everything is Just Beginning by Erin Bartels
MY REVIEW You know it’s a great book when you think about it while you are at work and can’t wait to get home to finish it! If I were to describe this book in one word, I’d say, “visceral” because although there are themes of redemption in this book, the storytelling provokes visceral emotions in both the characters and in the reader. At least, that’s what it did for me. It’s a wild ride of unconditional love contrasting with imperfect pasts with hurts and rejection and how these form and make the characters into what they are on the page. The power of love and friendship and family shine…
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What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson
Wowza! I don’t know what to say, but I’ll try. Here’s my review: MY REVIEW This one will make you feel all the feels, and perhaps shed a few tears, but it is totally worth it for the joyous bits too. The journeys of these women, interwoven and complex are rich and heartfelt. At the heart of the story is a missing child, whose disappearance had ripple effects on all those around her. As ex-reporter Faith Byrne tries to uncover the truth about Heather, we relive the unforgettable summer that led up to that fateful night with the characters. This is about loss, grief, and ultimately, healing and about…
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The Broken Hearts Bakery by Carla Laureano
MY REVIEW When I received this book in the mail from Amazon, having pre-ordered it, I was so excited! But I wanted to save it to savour and enjoy. I didn’t want to rush through it, and If there is anything I know from a Laureano book in my experience is that once you start, you will not be able to put it down. I prepared myself by reading the prequel novella, The Brick House Cafe in one sitting and was well primed to dig into The Broken Hearts Bakery. It is not necessary for a reader to have read the prequel, but I wanted to. And I’m glad I…
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The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese
Can you say, “Book Hangover” because I have one after reading this book? Here’s my review: MY REVIEW I have long been a fan of Nicole Deese’s books, and I think this one might actually be my all-time favorite. For reasons that will become apparent when you read it, this book is full of heart and the magic is in the way Deese has crafted this story to unfold in the most amazing way in terms of plot. We fall in love with these characters and then WHAM, Deese starts peeling back the layers. By that time, we are already invested in these characters and their journey and I…
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In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer
Be prepared to lose some sleep! Here’s my review: MY REVIEW I kept this book to read when I had a few days off and could devote the time to binge-read this! Goodness, I’m so glad I did. I could not put it down. Following THREE amazing timelines was riveting and had me shedding some tears along the way as decisions needed to be made and tragedy struck. What an extraordinary woman Maggie is, in each of her paths, and I kept thinking, “What would I do if that were my choice?” Finally, I was rooting for the hero I hoped she’d choose. With each twist and turn I…
