Berman breathes humanity into the Me Too movement through this intense and raw story. Grace is a child actor thrust into the spotlight where it seems her dreams of fame and fortune will come true. Instead a nightmare of abuse and manipulation by a beloved director begins. This complex story is expertly told. I felt Grace’s shame and loneliness deeply and wanted to go into the book myself to right some of the many wrongs. And while I couldn’t actually fight for Grace, I do feel like this story helps fight for those who have lived this nightmare in reality. 

Heartfelt, genuine, funny, and honest. No, this isn’t a literary masterpiece. But the author is masterful at giving you an escape from real life, even using a tragic plot, which is exactly what I needed when I picked up this book. I felt deeply for Margaret. She made me laugh and completely encouraged me.  In a time when I needed to find joy in hardship, Maggie and this book gave me that inspiration. In my opinion, that is a book success.

The overactive imagination of a bored housewife that reads too many true crime novels? Or a sinister stranger in their quiet, used to be safe, southern town?

This book made me laugh, cringe, and gag many times. And while the women are very stereotyped in this piece (I’m from the south, I should know!), they also show great resilience and strength. 

This book doesn’t really fit into any easy to explain box. I’m a big fan of living outside of boxes. But with a book? I’m just not sure it worked. This book spans many genre and topics... ghosts, romance, grief, creating a family from friends, the afterlife, and Alzheimer’s. I found that it dabbled in all of these and mastered none. But it was an easy read, with short, quick chapters, in spite of the messy plot. And the characters were like able. I couldn’t quite decide if I enjoyed the book or not. That may be in large part because I am not a paranormal enthusiast. This one definitely left me perplexed and thinking

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. 

Thomas’ ode to hip hop is raw and honest and an absolute must read. Bri is a teenager with immense talent and a deep longing to save her family from the clutches of poverty.  And maybe even more so, she is desperate to be seen for who she is. But does she even really know who she is?  

Sometimes teenagers are dealt a hand that makes them grow up much sooner than they should. Living in poverty, surrounded by drug dealers and gangs, Bri is angry and impulsive. And she’s tired of the assumptions made about her. Hip hop gives her a voice as she discovers who she really is at her core.

The quick quips and cultural references created a vividness to Bri and her life. I felt as though I was completely immersed into her world. And I wanted desperately to go through the book and FIGHT for her. Although you’ll see, she needs no one to fight her battles. 

Inspiring, endearing, heart wrenching, and thought provoking.  Ellie Millwood has written a devastatingly beautiful story based on the little known life of violin virtuoso and Auschwitz-Birkenau women’s orchestra conductor, Alma Rose.  In a place where death was literally in the air, thanks to continuously working gas chambers and crematoriums, Alma used the power of music to bravely defy her German captors, save many lives, and renew a sense of hope amongst her peers.  This evocative story is well researched and eloquently blends fact with fiction to introduce us to a woman worthy of immense admiration.  

Fast paced murder mystery that has you continually adjusting your theory. To be honest, I did guess the murderer about 1/2 way through the book. BUT there are so many twists and turns that I second, third, and fourth guessed myself. And all those twists made for a gripping read right until the very end when the last telling detail is revealed. 

A fast paced, completely consuming read.  Two women that don’t know each other. Both in desperate situations. A chance rendezvous provides the women an opportunity to trade places and escape looming danger. The improbability of the details are easily overlooked as you become immersed in these strong, albeit flawed, female characters that you can’t help but root for. The parallel plot structure is well orchestrated and keeps you hanging on for “just one more chapter” until you’ve devoured the book in it’s entirety. 

A mix of historical fiction with romance. Annabelle is a character you feel deeply for. Her station in life in Victorian era England does not afford her much freedom, and her incredible early education actually works against her. After earning a place in Oxford University’s first women’s cohort, she joins forces with the women’s suffragist movement. Then enters the Duke of Montgomery. A stern, perfectly unmanageable man with no interest in seeing women gain rights. The battle ensues. Stubbornness, quirky banter, and steam (a lot of steam) make you turn page after page to learn exactly how this power play will end. 

This whimsical story is a perfect escape from the stresses of real life. Linus’ boring, rule bound life is quickly thrown into an exhilarating twist when he’a sent on assignment to inspect an orphanage full of magically dangerous children. These characters are completely endearing and quickly teach us that they are much more than the label by which they are known. I fully rooted for each of them. And while the magic of these characters enthralled, the messages about the power of kindness and the destructive nature of prejudice resound in a poetic way. I am a reluctant reader of the fantasy genre. But this mini vacation to the Cerulean Sea was an uplifting treat.