Review - A Zoom With a View

Title:  A Zoom With a Vie

Author:   Jess Cannon

Publisher:   Dutton

Genre:   Cozy Mystery

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   384

Date of Publication:   May 5, 2026

My Rating:   3 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

A fiction debut filled with heart and humor, A Zoom with a View will make you want to move to Blue Oak—if only the annual Fourth of July festivities didn't end with a dead body.

Leo can't believe she's back in Blue Oak. Her small, quirky Texas hometown feels suffocating after trying to make it big as an English professor in New York—especially due to her strained relationship with her overly hair-sprayed mother, Karina. But with Leo’s career in academia in shambles, at least she's able to work as a photographer for her godmother's real estate business. And her best friend, Emily, is around to help her navigate through the mess—and maybe force her to reconnect with her old high school boyfriend, Mack.

But while at work, Leo makes a grisly discovery at one of her godmother's properties: the dead body of rival real estate agent and social media influencer Chaz. Even worse, Leo and Emily have been secretly running a snarky Reddit page making fun of Chaz’s cringe-inducing advice and duck-faced selfies. When someone she loves is accused of the murder, Leo finds herself flung headfirst into a dangerous investigation, teaming up with a local detective who is a lot more attractive than she remembered when they were both teenagers. Meanwhile, Karina has been acting stranger and stranger, as if all her hair hides a big secret. . . .

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Leo finds herself thrown headfirst into a murder investigation. Despite the seriousness of what is going on around her, Leo is glad to have been able to spend time away for her position as an English professor. The setting of a professor turned snark Reddit page runner turned investigator is what we have in Jess Cannon’s enjoyable fiction debut.

This captivating mystery, infused with a delightful sense of humor, weaves a narrative that consistently references influencer culture. The ending left some intriguing questions unanswered, suggesting that this could be the first book in a series. Nevertheless, Jess Cannon’s exceptional creativity and storytelling prowess kept me engrossed throughout the entire read.

Many thanks to Dutton and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - The Connellys of County Down

Title:  The Connellys of County Down

Author:  Tracey Lange   

Publisher:  Macmillan Audio

Genre:   Fiction

Format:  Kindle ARC and Audio ALC

Narrator:  Barrie Kreinik

Length:  9 hrs 21 mins

No. of Pages:   288

Date of Publication:   August 1, 2023

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge, she knows rebuilding her life won’t be easy. Thirty years old, with no money and no prospects, she returns home to live with her siblings, who are both busy with their own problems. Her brother, a singlec dad, struggles with the ongoing effects of a brain injury he sustained years ago, and her sister’s fragile facade of calm and order is cracking under the burden of big secrets. Life becomes even more complicated when the cop who put her in prison keeps showing up unannounced, leaving Tara to wonder what he wants from her now.

While she works to build a new career and hold her family together, Tara finds a chance at love in a most unlikely place. But when the Connellys’ secrets start to unravel and threaten her future, they all must face their worst fears and come clean, or risk losing each other forever.

The Connellys of County Down is a moving novel about testing the bounds of love and loyalty. It explores the possibility of beginning our lives anew, and reveals the pitfalls of shielding each other from the bitter truth.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange is a moving story about family, resilience, and second chances. Tara Connolly is newly released from prison after serving an eighteen-month sentence for a drug charge—a conviction she knows will likely shadow her for the rest of her life. Determined to move forward, Tara’s primary focus is helping her brother Eddie, a single father who is still coping with the effects of a traumatic brain injury. She is careful not to add to his stress, knowing how fragile his situation already is. Their sister, Geraldine, is clearly exhausted, having shouldered the responsibility of holding the family together during Tara’s incarceration.

Stepping back into her role within the family, Tara takes the reins with fierce love and determination. Making up for lost time matters deeply to her, and as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that she would do anything to protect the people she loves. That protective instinct is put to the test, especially when Tara finds herself facing difficult choices. Tara also has the possibility of romance, but with the cop responsible for her arrest? just as she begins to imagine a better future.

This was an excellent, emotionally rich read that beautifully explores the bonds of family and the hope that comes with second chances.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tracey Lange was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in psychology before owning and operating a behavioral healthcare company with her husband for fifteen years. While writing her debut novel, We Are the Brennans, she completed the Stanford University online novel writing program. She currently lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband, two sons, and beloved German Shepherd.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - Everybody Wants To Rule the World

Title:  Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Author:  Ace Atkins

Publisher:  William Morrow

Genre:   Fiction; Mystery &

  Thrillers

Format:  Audiobook ALC

Narrator:  Macloud Andrews

Length:  10 hrs 52 mins

No. of Pages:   368

Date of Publication:   December 2, 2025

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Elmore Leonard meets Robert Ludlum in a rollicking comedic thriller set in 1985 from acclaimed author Ace Atkins, in which a suburban teen suspects his mom’s new boyfriend is the ultimate bad guy—a KGB agent.

It’s 1985, what will soon become known as “The Year of the Spy,” and fourteen-year-old Peter Bennett is convinced his mom’s new boyfriend is a Russian agent. “Gary” isn’t in the phone book, has an unidentifiable European accent, and keeps a gun in the glove box of his convertible Porsche. Peter thinks Gary only wants to get close to his mom because she works at Scientific Atlanta, a lab with big government contracts. But who is going to believe him? He’s just a kid into BMX and MTV.

But after another woman who works at the lab is killed, Peter recruits an unlikely pair of allies—a has-been pulp writer and muckraker named Dennis Hotchner and his drag performer buddy and heavy, Jackie Demure. Both soon become the target of an unhinged Russian hitman (Is it Gary? Maybe!) with a serious Phil Collins obsession.

Meanwhile, Sylvia Weaver, a young, Black FBI agent, investigates Scientific Atlanta in the wake of the employee’s murder and discovers a nest of Russian spies in the Southern “city too busy to hate.” Little does she know her investigation is being thwarted by a seriously compromised colleague in Washington, D.C., who is in league with a lovesick, hypochondriac KGB defector who is playing both sides of the Cold War to his benefit.

As Ronald Reagan and Soviet general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev prepare for a historic nuclear summit in Geneva, what happens in Atlanta might change the course of the Cold War, the twentieth century, and Peter Bennett’s freshman year of high school.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

In Everyone Wants to Rule the World by Ace Atkins, Peter Bennett is not at all fond of his mother’s new boyfriend. In fact, Peter is convinced the man is a KGB agent hiding in plain sight. Determined to prove it, Peter teams up with a couple of friends and sets out to uncover who his mother’s boyfriend really is.

Running alongside Peter’s story is another thread involving Vidali, who wants to defect to the United States. At first, it may seem unclear why Vidali’s story is included, but it becomes evident that it ties into the novel’s satirical take on the mid-1980s. Filled with music references and Cold War intrigue, the book captures the era with humor and style. Add in Sylvia Weaver, a young Black FBI agent with a serious agenda, and all these elements come together with clever narration to make this an entertaining and engaging read.

Many thanks to William Morrow and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ace Atkins is the author of twenty-eight books, including eleven Quinn Colson novels, the first two of which, The Ranger and The Lost Ones, were nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel (he has a third Edgar nomination for his short story "Last Fair Deal Gone Down"). He is the author of nine New York Times-bestselling novels in the continuation of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series. Before turning to fiction, he was a correspondent for the St. Petersburg Times and a crime reporter for the Tampa Tribune, and he played defensive end for Auburn University football. 

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Review - Counting Miracles

Title:  Counting Miracles

Author:  Nicholas Sparks

Publisher:  Random House

Genre:   Fiction

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   368

Date of Publication:   September 24, 2024

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

From the acclaimed author of The Longest Ride and The Notebook comes an emotional, powerful novel about wondering if we can change—or even make our peace with—the path we’ve taken.

Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents, following in his grandfather’s military footsteps to become an Army Ranger. His whole life has been spent abroad, and he is the proverbial rolling stone . . . happiest when off on his next adventure, zero desire to settle down. But when his grandmother passes away, her last words to him are: find where you belong. She also drops a bombshell, telling him the name of the father he never knew—and where he might be found.

Tanner is due at his next posting soon, but his curiosity is piqued, and he sets out for Asheboro, North Carolina, to ask around. He’s been in town less than twenty-four hours when he meets Kaitlyn Cooper, a doctor and single mom. They both feel an immediate connection; Tanner knows Kaitlyn has a story to tell, and he wants to hear it. For Kaitlyn, Tanner is mysterious, exciting—and possibly leaving in just a few weeks.

Meanwhile, nearby, eighty-three-year-old Jasper lives alone in a cabin bordering a national forest. With only his old dog Arlo for company, he lives quietly, haunted by a tragic accident that took place decades before. When he hears rumors that a white deer has been spotted in the forest—a creature of legend that inspired his father and grandfather—he becomes obsessed with protecting the deer from poachers.

As these characters’ fates orbit closer together, none of them is expecting a miracle . . . but that may be exactly what is about to alter their futures forever.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

In his latest novel, Counting Miracles, renowned author Nicholas Sparks presents a captivating narrative that explores the interconnected lives of three strangers whose paths are destined to cross.

The first protagonist, Tanner, an Army Ranger, embarks on a journey to Asheboro, North Carolina, following the passing of his grandmother. Her final words to him were to discover his roots, particularly the identity of his father. As Tanner prepares for his next assignment, he forms an instant connection with Kaitlyn, the town’s compassionate doctor and a young mother. However, the brevity of his stay casts a shadow over the potential for a lasting bond.

The narrative also introduces Jasper, an 83-year-old man living alone in his cabin with his loyal dog, Arlo. Jasper has secluded himself from town due to a physical deformity. As the story unfolds, he is compelled to step out of his comfort zone and becomes entangled in a legendary tale.

The central legend that connects these strangers revolves around the possible sighting of a rare white deer. While the occurrence may seem improbable, this elusive creature ultimately brings our protagonists together. This captivating story resonates with the concepts of found home and found family, leaving an enduring and unforgettable impression on its readers. 

Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 130 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 92 million copies in the United States alone.

Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28. It was published in 1996 and he followed with the novels Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), True Believer (2005) and its sequel, At First Sight (2005), Dear John (2006), The Choice (2007), The Lucky One (2008), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010), The Best of Me (2011), The Longest Ride (2013), See Me (2015), Two by Two (2016), Every Breath (2018), The Return (2020), The Wish (2021), and Dreamland (2022), as well as the 2004 non-fiction memoir Three Weeks With My Brother, co-written with his brother Micah. His twenty-fourth novel, Counting Miracles, will be published on September 24, 2024.

Film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven (on all of which he served as a producer), The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song, have had a cumulative worldwide gross of over three-quarters of a billion dollars. The Notebook has also been adapted into a Broadway musical, featuring music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson.

Sparks lives in North Carolina. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually. He co-founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina in 2006. As a former full scholarship athlete (he still holds a track and field record at the University of Notre Dame) he also spent four years coaching track and field athletes at the local public high school. In 2009, the team he coached at New Bern High School set a World Junior Indoor Record in the 4×400 meters, as well as US High School National Records in the 800 Medley and 1600 Medley. Click to watch the Runner’s World video with Nicholas.

The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 2011, to provide scholarships and fund educational programs for underprivileged and disadvantaged youth. Between the foundation, and the personal gifts of the Sparks family, more than $15 million dollars have been distributed to deserving charities, scholarship programs, and projects. Because the Sparks family covers all operational expenses of the foundation, 100% of donations are devoted to programs.

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Review - The More the Terrier

Title: The More the Terrier
Author: David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter #30
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle and Audiobook ARC
No. of Pages:
Narrator: Grover Gardner
Length: 304 pages
Date of Publication: October 15, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

The next installment in David Rosenfelt’s bestselling Andy Carpenter series brings a lone pup to his doorstep, but when it comes to dogs, The More the Terrier.

Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is relieved to be headed back to Paterson, New Jersey, after a week-long family vacation in the Adirondacks. He's ready to put the holly jolly season way behind him and settle in at home with his three dogs. But when they finally arrive, there is an extra dog eagerly awaiting them, as well as one anxious dog sitter.

When the dog showed up on the doorstep a few days ago, the sitter knew Andy would know what to do. Indeed, Andy recognizes Murphy, who the Carpenters fostered before the dog went home with BJ Bremer and his mother. BJ wanted to learn all he could about caring for Murphy, which made Andy like him immediately.

When Andy goes to take Murphy back to the Bremers, though, instead of the happy reunion he expects, he finds BJ's mother in tears. It turns out Murphy ran off…after BJ was arrested for murder. Andy had hoped for a quiet Christmas vacation, but he likes Murphy’s family and his golden retriever, Tara, likes Murphy, so he can't resist getting involved. The case isn’t as simple as Andy thought it would be, though, with BJ suspected of murdering one of his professors. With nothing to go on but Andy's own conviction in BJ's dog-loving character, proving his innocence would be a Christmas miracle.

With equal doses of doggy humor and courtroom drama, as well as Andy Carpenter's traditional humbug Christmas spirit, David Rosenfelt delivers another winner.

Link to purchase the series

MY THOUGHTS:

 

From the very first book in this series, Open and Shut, I’ve been captivated by the world of Andy Carpenter and the reluctant cases he takes on. Our intrepid hero relentlessly takes on case after case, consistently demonstrating his compassion for those in need. Andy’s dog ownership is a significant factor in my admiration for him. 

In this installment, Andy and his family are returning home from a relaxing vacation. Finding a dog on his doorstep really surprises Andy, even though he already owns three dogs. Despite helping countless dogs through his dog rescue organization, the Tara Foundation, this dog is no stranger to Andy. He tries to return the dog Murphy to his owner. 

Shockingly, Andy learns that Murphy’s owner BJ has been arrested for murder and BJ’s mother pleads for Andy’s help in proving BJ’s innocence. It is the Christmas season, and Andy wanted to continue relaxing. In fact, he’s retired, but keeps on taking cases. For BJ’s sake, this proves no different for Andy. 

There’s a tongue-in-cheek reference when Laurie, engrossed in the latest David Rosenfelt book, refuses to go to sleep. Andy, unable to comprehend her fascination, questions her interest in reading it. Beyond the snarky and humorous content, the show also delves into serious moments when Andy attempts to help those in need. 

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I am a novelist with 27 dogs.

I have gotten to this dubious position with absolutely no planning, and at no stage in my life could I have predicted it. But here I am.

My childhood was relentlessly normal. The middle of three brothers, loving parents, a middle-class home in Paterson, New Jersey. We played sports, studied sporadically. laughed around the dinner table, and generally had a good time. By comparison, “Ozzie and Harriet’s” clan seemed bizarre.

I graduated NYU, then decided to go into the movie business. I was stunningly brilliant at a job interview with my uncle, who was President of United Artists, and was immediately hired. It set me off on a climb up the executive ladder, culminating in my becoming President of Marketing for Tri-Star Pictures. The movie landscape is filled with the movies I buried; for every “Rambo”, “The Natural” and “Rocky”, there are countless disasters.

I did manage to find the time to marry and have two children, both of whom are doing very well, and fortunately neither have inherited my eccentricities.

A number of years ago, I left the movie marketing business, to the sustained applause of hundreds of disgruntled producers and directors. I decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote and sold a bunch of feature films, none of which ever came close to being actually filmed, and then a bunch of TV movies, some of which actually made it to the small screen. It’s safe to say that their impact on the American cultural scene has been minimal.

About fourteen years ago, my wife and I started the Tara Foundation, named in honor of the greatest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. We rescued almost 4,000 dogs, many of them Goldens, and found them loving homes. Our own home quickly became a sanctuary for those dogs that we rescued that were too old or sickly to be wanted by others. They surround me as I write this. It’s total lunacy, but it works, and they are a happy, safe group.

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Review - What Does It Feel Like?

 Title:  What Does It Feel Like?

Author:  Sophie Kinsella

Publisher:  The Dial Press

Genre:   Fiction

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   144

Date of Publication:   October 8, 2024

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

From #1 bestselling author Sophie Kinsella, an unforgettable story—by turns heartbreaking and life-affirming—of a renowned novelist facing a devastating diagnosis and learning to live and love anew.

“The bravest book you’ll read all year.”—Jodi Picoult

“What Does It Feel Like? is fiction, but it is my most autobiographical work to date. Eve’s story is my story.”—Sophie Kinsella

Eve is a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband, never far from her side, explains that she has had an operation to remove the large, malignant tumor growing in her brain.

As Eve learns to walk, talk, and write again—and as she wrestles with her diagnosis, and how and when to explain it to her beloved children—she begins to recall what’s most important to her: long walks with her husband’s hand clasped firmly around her own, family game nights, and always buying that dress when she sees it.

Recounted in brief anecdotes, each one is an attempt to answer the type of impossible questions recognizable to anyone navigating the labyrinth of grief. This short, extraordinary novel is a celebration of life, shot through with warmth and humor—it will both break your heart and put it back together again.

“Why did I write such a personal book? I have always processed my life through writing. Hiding behind my fictional characters, I have always turned my own life into a narrative. It is my version of therapy, maybe. Writing is my happy place, and writing this book, although tough going at times, was immensely satisfying and therapeutic for me.”—Sophie Kinsella

“I laughed. And I cried. And then I thought about the meaning of life. It’s a little jewel of a book.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Jojo Moyes

“A beautiful love story, and a glowing beacon of hope in the midst of terrible darkness.”—Bestselling author Jenny Colgan

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Just about every single person has lost someone to cancer. That being said, Sophie Kinsella’s latest book will likely break your heart. However, like when I read Lisa Genova’s books, I remind myself of the importance of reading books like this.

While fictional, this book is, in many ways, autobiographical. Our protagonist, Eve, is a highly successful author who is diagnosed with an incurable cancer in the prime of her life. As a happily married woman and the mother of five, Eve is like any woman, not just mothers, who struggles with something completely out of her control.

Although short, this book effectively reminds us of our mortality. I greatly appreciate how the author draws from her own battle with cancer, which makes me even more compassionate towards her struggles. This highly emotional book will stay with me for a long time to come. 

Many thanks to The Dial Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sophie Kinsella has sold over 40 million copies of her books in more than 60 countries, and she has been translated into over 40 languages.

Sophie Kinsella first hit the UK bestseller lists in September 2000 with her first novel in the Shopaholic series – The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (also published as Confessions of a Shopaholic). The book’s heroine, Becky Bloomwood – a fun and feisty financial journalist who loves shopping but is hopeless with money – captured the hearts of readers worldwide. Becky has since featured in seven further bestselling books, Shopaholic Abroad (also published as Shopaholic Takes Manhattan), Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Shopaholic & Sister, Shopaholic & Baby, Mini Shopaholic, Shopaholic to the Stars and Shopaholic to the Rescue. Becky Bloomwood came to the big screen in 2009 with the hit Disney movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy.

Sophie has also written seven standalone novels which have all been bestsellers in the UK, USA and other countries around the world: Can You Keep A Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me?, Twenties Girl, I’ve Got Your Number, Wedding Night, and My Not So Perfect Life, which was a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for Best Fiction in 2017. 

In 2014 she published a Young Adult novel Finding Audrey about a teenage girl with social anxiety and her madcap family, and in January 2018, Sophie published her first illustrated book for young readers about the charming adventures of a mother-daughter fairy duo, Mummy Fairy and Me (also published as Fairy Mom and Me).

Sophie’s latest novel, Surprise Me, published in February 2018, presents a humorous yet moving portrait of a marriage—its intricacies, comforts, and complications. Surprise Me reveals that hidden layers in a close relationship are often yet to be discovered.

Sophie wrote her first novel under her real name, Madeleine Wickham, at the tender age of 24, whilst she was working as a financial journalist. The Tennis Party was immediately hailed as a success by critics and the public alike and became a top ten bestseller. She went on to publish six more novels as Madeleine Wickham: A Desirable Residence, Swimming Pool Sunday, The Gatecrasher, The Wedding Girl, Cocktails for Three and Sleeping Arrangements.

Sophie was born in London. She studied music at New College, Oxford, but after a year switched to Politics, Philosophy and Economics. She now lives in London, UK, with her husband and family.

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BLOG TOUR - The Custody Battle

 

DESCRIPTION:

“What’s going to happen to me?” my little girl asks, clutching her teddy bear tight. “Daddy and I love you,” I reply. “Nothing is going to change.” But I was so wrong. How far will I have to go to keep my darling daughter?

When Greg and I first decided to separate, we promised to keep it civil for our daughter Lola. So when she stopped wanting to hug me, I thought Lola was just struggling with the divorce. Then she started screaming at me, calling me a liar, and I could hear Greg in her words. I’m certain he’s trying to turn our baby against me.

He’s determined to dig up dirt on me, to make the court think I’m a terrible mother… But two can play that game.

So when he reveals the worst thing I have ever done, my heart pounds in my chest. Because I know Greg’s deep dark secrets, too. But the more we each try to win, the harder it is to turn back. Now I’m terrified that we’ve put Lola in terrible danger…

By the time we realise what we’ve done, will it be too late for us to save her, or ourselves?

A completely gripping dark domestic suspense novel about a family tearing themselves apart, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth.

BUY LINK:

https://amzn.to/3SBWdJB

MY THOUGHTS: 

Title:   The Custody Battle

Author:  Ellie Monago

Publisher:  Bookouture

Genre:   General Fiction

Format:  Audio and Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   356

Narrators:  Davis Brooks, Sarah Borges

Length:  10 hr 34 min

Date of Publication:   February 21, 2024

My Rating:   4 Stars

Madeline and Greg start off with the intent of having an amicable divorce. As far as Greg was concerned, they had a good marriage. In fact, he is gobsmacked when Madeline wants to dissolve the marriage. She is a pediatrician and he is an architect and they wanted for nothing. In fact, their home was a $5 million dollar showplace. The couple has a young daughter, and they decide on custody issues.

Greg soon realizes that Madeline was pretty much the manager in their marriage, and made some of the more critical decisions over the years. In fact, she gives him a list of names of divorce attorneys for him to choose from. Then there is Sidney, Madeline's best friend. Sidney just might find herself caught in the middle of Madeline and Greg.

This book by Ellie Monago was heavy on drama, with a few surprises thrown in. The custody battle made me think of the decades-old movie, Kramer vs. Kramer, to the tune that no matter how amicable things start out they won't necessarily stay that way. Things can change on a dime and that is what kept me riveted to this dramatic read.

I enjoyed the narration of this book when it came to Madeline's and Greg's points of view. Some of the additional dialogue by other characters was rather unimpressive, odd in one character's case to be sure. Nonetheless, I really could not put this book down and listened to it in one siting. 

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ellie Monago is the pen name of an acclaimed novelist and practicing therapist. She’s also a wife and mother, and when you add it all up, she doesn’t wind up with much time for hobbies. But she’s an avid tennis fan, a passionate reader of both fiction and nonfiction—especially memoir (nothing’s as juicy as the truth!)—and she relishes a good craft cocktail.

BLOG TOUR - Water Music

 

DESCRIPTION:

The bridge at Sagamore was closed when we got there that summer of 1956.

We had to cross the canal at Buzzards Bay over the only other roadway that tethered Cape Cod to the mainland. Thus twelve-year-old Lily Grainger, while safe from 'communists and the Pope', finds her family suddenly adrift. That was the summer the Andria Doria sank, pilot whales stranded, and Lily's father built a house he couldn't afford. Target practice on a nearby decommissioned Liberty Ship echoed not only the rancor in her parent's marriage, a rancor stoked by Lily's competitive uncle, but also Lily's troubles with her sister, her cousins, and especially with her mother. In her increasingly desperate efforts to salvage her parent's marriage, Lily discovers betrayals beyond her understanding as well as the small ways in which people try to rescue each other. She draws on her music lessons and her love of Cape Cod-from Sagamore and Monomoy to Nauset Spit and Wellfleet Dunes, seeking safe passage from the limited world of her salt marsh to the larger, open ocean.

Praise:

“What happens when a writer plays cello in a professional orchestra for her entire career? Her prose soars. In Water Music, Marcia Peck traces one intricate, intimate melody through the symphonic complexity of a disintegrating family’s summer on Cape Cod. Music and love are interchangeable. Here is a book worthy of reading aloud—and cherishing.”

—Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew, author of Swinging on the Garden Gate

“Peck has written a moving and melodic triumph of imagination and story, a fine harmony of intimacies and passions.”

—Nicole Helget, author of The Summer of Ordinary Ways, The Turtle Catcher, Stillwater

We are doing a tour–wide giveaway of a signed copy of Water Music, along with a chocolate bar. Marcia has 5 sets to give away, US only.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Link for Bookstagram posts: https://tinyurl.com/watermusicprize

MY THOUGHTS:

 

Title:   Water Music

Author:  Marcia Peck

Publisher:  Sea Crow Press

Genre:   Fiction

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   244

Date of Publication:     May 5, 2023

My Rating:   4 Stars

Marcia Beck grew up in New Jersey and her family would spend their summers on Cape Cod. What she does in her debut novel is to tell the story of 12-year-old Lily Granger, her sister and parents about their travels and trials to the Cape one summer. The drive alone was taxing, but the rewards for the upcoming summer were promising. 

Sadly, Lily does not get along with her sister, although they are only apart one year in age. She is also disconnected from her parents. In fact, her parents are often quite at odds with these summer trips to Cape Cod and her father’s dreams on making it a perfect summer residence. 

A lot happens in those two months for Lily and her family. The year is 1956 and that summer brings a lot of sadness to Lily and her family. This compelling family drama brought back to our family trips both to Readville, Massachusetts and to Maine. Like Lily’s family, our car was crowded and there was often tension, but those memories were good. In the end this telling story of secrets and heartaches was a solid read and an excellent coming of age story. 

Many thanks to Sea Crow Press and AME Tours for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marcia Peck’s writing has received a variety of awards, including New Millenium Writings (First prize for “Memento Mori”) and Lake Superior Writers’ Conference (First Prize for “Pride and Humility”). Her articles have appeared in Musical America, Strad Magazine, Strings Magazine, Senza Sordino, and the op-ed pages of the Minneapolis StarTribune. Marcia’s fiction has appeared in Chautauqua Journal, New Millenium Writings, Gemini Magazine, and Glimmer Train, among others.

Growing up in New Jersey with parents who were both musicians, Marcia set out to be the best cellist she could be. She spent two years studying in Germany in the Master Class of the renowned Italian cellist, Antonio Janigro. Since then she has spent her musical career with the Minnesota Orchestra, where she met and married the handsome fourth horn player.  

Marcia has always been a cat person. But she has learned to love dogs—even the naughty ones, maybe especially the naughty ones.

Website: https://www.marciapeck.com/ Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/marciapeckFB

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Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/128305404-water-music