The Thieves (The Millersville series) by Susan Specht Oram

 

The Thieves by Susan Specht Oram
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jasmine (Jas) loves her dad. She'd do anything for him and when he tells her that he has a devastating lung disease that doesn't have the best hopes for recovery, Jas steps in and does what any daughter might do. Or would they? Jas works for a man who's pretty shady and is laundering money. She takes a risk and steals the money needed to get her dad into a treatment center. Next thing you know, sirens and badges are involved and she finds herself stranded on the side of the road.

Soon, Jas learns who her friends are and even makes new friends along the way and she is on a "vacation of a lifetime" trying to get her dad to treatment. This book has all kinds of ups and downs. There are periods of extreme intensity and others where there are smiles or laughter. I became a fan of Robbie but it took me a minute to warm up to her.

This book is a pretty fast read and will keep you on the edge of your seat. You just never know who's going to to show up or what's about to happen until it does. I picked up this book after reading Shore Lodge: A high-stakes psychological thriller and was not at all disappointed. I look forward to more books in this series!!

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Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom

 

saving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fun little take on the Hansel and Gretel story. Along with their dad, Hansel and Gretel take a walk into the woods. Dad has taught the kids well to leave a bread crumb trail to find their way back. Dad is telling the kids to be careful of the witch in the woods. They hear a bird and take off looking for it and in the meantime, come across a beautiful gingerbread house. The animals are eating it so the kids decide to try some for themselves. Then the homeowner comes out and puts the kids to work. She's wanting to win the "most beautiful house" award but it's becoming impossible with the bricks disappearing.

I'm a huge fan of Lois Wickstrom and her books just don't disappoint! The illustrations are very vivid and the stories are engaging. Most, if not all, of her books also have some learning component to them as well. These books need to be in every home, daycare, school, library, etc!

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How To Write A Historical Novel And Love It by TL Clark

 

How To Write A Historical Novel And Love It by T.L. Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There has been a lot of time and energy, as well as research, put into the writing of this book. In this practical guide, T.L. Clark shares tips that she's learned from her many years of writing. She does so with a bit of humor sprinkled throughout too!!

One of the most helpful tips that I gained from this book was the research that needs to go into the "when" aspect of a historical novel. There is an outline of different time periods that are typically written about, which includes the British set versus the timeline of the United States. I actually felt like I was reading a history novel in and of itself, which I found very enjoyable.

While I do not have aspirations to be a writer, it was nice getting a glimpse inside the brain of a writer and learning some of the groundwork that goes into the novels that I enjoy reading so much! There are so many things I had never considered that goes into the research and reading this book gave me a much better appreciation of the finished products that are published.

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What I Wish I'd Known: For Writers by H.D. Thomson

 

What I Wish I'd Known: For Writers: 100 Authors Reveal What They Wish They'd Told Their Younger Selves by H. D. Thomson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book features 100 different authors who are giving advice to anyone wishing to write a book. It's a fairly simple read but full of ideas, advice, as well as struggles and challenges one might face during the process of writing and/or publishing a work of art. It's a showcase of the good, bad, and ugly for lack of a better explanation!

If you write at all, you are a writer. These tips could potentially benefit someone who is writing a dissertation for class, someone looking to improve their writing skills, or someone looking to write a book. The snippets from the authors are generally short, but full of motivation.

The authors cover all aspects of writing from getting started, to marketing, editing, and so many other areas. One of my personal favorite lines was "write one sentence a day" and your work will grow from there. Just get started!!

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The Exchange by Nadija Mujagic

 

The Exchange: A Novel by Nadija Mujagic
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Haunting. Bizarre. Suspenseful. Twisted. Tormenting. Sad. Hollow.

These are a few words to describe this novel as well as how it left me feeling at the end. This one will grip you from the first page and leave you possibly doing a happy dance and throwing a victory fist in the end.

Samantha "Sam" has had enough of her mother and living in New Mexico. Her sights are set on the big lights of California and the dream of becoming a well-known actress. Once she gets confirmation of an audition, Sam sets the wheels in motion to find an apartment and get herself out to California. When the audition doesn't go as planned, Sam looks for work and has to look no further than a local coffee shop. She's given a warning the first day of work to never be late and has no intentions of doing so. Her co-worker Michael is giving her some weird vibes and her boss...well he's a bit of a creep but he's given her an opportunity to work while looking for her big break.

Then Corey enters her life. He has a nice car, a huge house with a pool, and seems to be on the right track in life. Afterall, he has a friend who is going to introduce Sam to the right people and get her the auditions she's been after. Corey isn't around much though. He's flying important people all around the world.

Things start to get weird for Sam and she finds out she's pregnant, although she doesn't remember doing anything that would cause that for her. That's when Corey drops the bomb on her that she's to exchange her baby for her acting career. Sam starts to find out that she really can't trust anyone she knows and something isn't sure she should trust herself.

This book isn't going to be for everyone. There are several issues that could be triggers for certain people. I did find this book enjoyable though and was a bit intrigued as to how it all happened right up until the very end. There were parts of the story that did seem to drag some but overall, a recommended read.

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My Inner Critic by Christine Bernard

 

My Inner Critic by Christine Bernard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An introspective read by an extroverted introvert...

Emily is a high functioning person with anxiety. It impacts every aspect of her life from work, friends, and relationships. Maybe that's why she's 38 and still single. Or maybe she truly hasn't found "the one" just yet. She frets over things that haven't happened yet but also won't back down from a challenge even though her inner self is screaming to run.

This book is very relatable on so many levels. Emily's life isn't much different from mine or many other women that I know. The fact that this author has sprinkled a mixture of truth of her own story into the telling of Emily's story makes this a much more inspiring read. While this is a work of fiction, there is a lot of truth and lessons that can be taken from this narrative.

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Echoing Hearts (The Echo Series Book 1) by C.R. Alam

 

Echoing Hearts by C.R. Alam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rae Allen doesn't believe in love or happily ever after. She's seen enough in her family to jade her for life. Thankfully, she has some pretty awesome friends, especially her best friend Brandon, who are there for her when things get rough. Her friendship with Brandon is more of a kindred kind...they are thicker than thieves, almost as if they were brother and sister. Brandon would do anything for Rae, especially after she helped him and his band land an amazing producer!

Dean Rowland is living a life of luxury. He's surrounded by wealth, fame, and women. He's living the life as one might say, proud of all his accomplishments. Except for the one thing he couldn't conquer...getting married. After being jilted at the alter, Dean is happy to swear off women forever.

Rae gets a call for a favor. Her friend needs her to go and check out this house in Georgia for the next issue of the magazine that she publishes. This house is a bit mysterious and Rae doesn't get a lot of background on it. When she arrives at the house, she can't seem to get anyone to come to the door, even though they should be expecting her. The next scene will be on that will change her life forever and have her heart sending echoes out across Lake Lanier.

This was a very enjoyable read for a lazy Saturday afternoon! I read this book in one sitting. It's a typical romance read and one where both main characters should be hog tied for their antics towards each other. This does have a happy ending and I even found myself tearing up in the end!

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