Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney

Book Excerpt:

"Hazel Elliot never looks back. If a door closes, she burns the whole house down. But when invited to her father's wedding, she's forced to return to Lockett Prairie, Texas, for the first time since she fled for college.

Ash Campbell has been in love with Hazel since she dated his best friend in high school. Now, Ash and Hazel's relationship is limited to playful feuding over the best chair in their favorite coffee shop, but his attraction to the prickly girl from home has only grown stronger.

When Ash's car breaks down, just as family obligations pull him home, only one person can get him there on time. But Hazel has a condition: Everything between them must stay the same. And if it doesn't? She gets to the coffee shop. So the frenemies endure bad music, inclement weather, and B&Bs with only one bed—and that's just the drive across Texas. When they finally arrive, Hazel must face the fact that, in a small town, there's nowhere to run . . . and maybe, for the first time, she's found a reason to stay."

Title:  Take Me Home

Author:  Melanie Sweeney

Publisher:   G.P. Putnam's Sons

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Four

Review:

'Take Me Home' by Melanie Sweeney  

My Perception:

'Take Me Home' is one of those books that evokes so many emotions that you will not want to put it down until the end in this Texas setting.    What will happen when Hazel returns to her hometown to attend her father's wedding and Christmas holiday? You may cry or laugh out loud. What is going on with the two main characters, Hazel and Ash?

This Enemies to Lovers read was a good one. It started in high school when Hazel dated Ash's friend. Now, traveling back home together from attending the same university and growing up in the same small town, for Christmas and a wedding, a friendship starts, and from there, spending time together, will there be an attraction? There will be many things going on with these two families that they try to hide, including family illness and trauma, which prove to be quite interesting, keeping one turning the pages to see what is coming next.  

Be ready for a heartwarming read, especially if you like sweet and original romance stories. 'Take Me Home will give you everything you want.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the eArc! As always, I am grateful for the opportunity to review books.

It's Elementary by Elise Bryant

Book Excerpt:

"Mavis Miller is not a PTA mom. She has enough on her plate with her feisty seven-year-old daughter, Pearl, an exhausting job at a nonprofit, and the complexities of a multigenerational household. So no one is more surprised than Mavis when she caves to Trisha Holbrook, the long-reigning, slightly terrifying PTA president, and finds herself in charge of the school's brand-new DEI committee.

As one of the few Black parents at this California elementary school, Mavis tries to convince herself this is an opportunity for real change. But things go off the rails at the first meeting when the new principal's plans leave Trisha absolutely furious. Later that night, when Mavis spies Trisha in yellow rubber gloves and booties, lugging cleaning supplies and giant black trash bags to her waiting minivan, it's only natural that her mind jumps to somewhere it surely wouldn't in the light of day.

Principal Smith failed to attend work the following day and has been MIA since the meeting. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Mavis and the school psychologist with the great forearms (look, it's worth noting) launch an investigation that will challenge her views on parenting, friendship, and elementary school politics.

Brilliantly written, It's Elementary is a quick-witted, escapist romp that perfectly captures how far parents will go to give their kids the best. It is wrapped in a mystery that will leave you guessing to the very end.
 

Title:  It's Elementary 

Author:  Elise Bryant

Publisher:   Berkley

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Four

Review:

"It's Elementary" by Elise Bryant"

My Perception:  

'It's Elementary' was a good read full of drama, comedy, romance, entertainment, and a suspenseful mystery.  

Be ready for a little bit of PTA moms being taken down, a significant relationship between a mother and a sassy seven-year-old daughter, and a school psychologist romance and ex. Things really steam up with all that will happen sooner or later.

Pick this good read to see how Elise Bryant's African-American story will be presented. You will not be disappointed with this read, especially with that ending!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Like Mother, Like Daughter A novel by Kimberly McCreight

 

Book Excerpt:

"When Cleo, a student at NYU, arrives late for dinner at her childhood home in Brooklyn, she finds food burning in the oven and no sign of her mother, Kat. Then Cleo discovers her mom's bloody shoe under the sofa. Something terrible has happened.

But what? The polar opposite of Cleo, whose "out of control" emotions and "unsafe" behavior have created a seemingly unbridgeable rift between mother and daughter, Kat is the essence of Park Slope perfection: a happily married, successful corporate lawyer. Or so Cleo thinks.

Kat has been lying. She's not just a lawyer; she's her firm's fixer. She's damn good at it, too. Growing up in a dangerous group home taught her to think fast, stay calm under pressure, and recognize a real threat when she sees one. In the days leading up to her disappearance, Kat has become aware of multiple threats: demands for money from her unfaithful soon-to-be ex-husband, evidence that Cleo has slipped back into a relationship that's far riskier than she understands, and menacing anonymous messages from her past—all of which she's kept hidden from Cleo . . . 

Like Mother, Like Daughter is a thrilling novel of emotional suspense that questions the damaging fiction we cling to and the hard truths we avoid. Above all, it's a love story between a mother and a daughter, each determined to save the other before it's too late."

Title:  Like Mother, Like Daughter

Author:  Kimberly McCreight

Publisher:  Knopf

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating:  Four

Review:

'Like Mother, Light Daughter' by Kimberly McCreight

My Perception:  

This author gives the reader a unique thriller-mystery story about the family secrets of a complex mother-daughter relationship, which the story is told from an alternating first-person POV of the mother and daughter. Be ready for a captivating story from the beginning to the end. As the story starts, Cleo discovers that her mother, Katrina, is missing after she returns home from college at NYU; at home in Brooklyn, Cleo finds the dinner burning. Where is her mom? Cleo contacts the police, and an investigation will be conducted. There will be many suspects as Cleo tries to figure out what has happened to her mother.

We are given a tale involving mother-daughter relations, mystery, twists and turns, adultery, and murder as the story moves back and forth between several timelines. The excellent character development will continue as you keep turning the pages.  

To get the whole story, you must pick up a good read to see how well this author presents it to the reader. Questions like: 1. What is the nature of the threatening messages from Kat's past? How will Cleo navigate her challenges and dangers as she searches for her mother? 3. What will be the ultimate outcome of the mother-daughter relationship as they strive to save each other?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book and for leaving my review.

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Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder A Novel by Kerryn Mayne

Book Excerpt:

"She bikes home from work at precisely 4pm each day, buys the same groceries for the same meals every week, and owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit (currently arranged by height). The closest thing she has to a friendship is playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns.

And Lenny Marks is very, very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother and stepfather disappeared when she was still a child. The day a voice in her mind started whispering, You did this.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail--and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel. As long-buried memories surface, Lenny's careful routines fall apart. For the first time, she finds herself forced to connect with the community around her, and unexpected new relationships bloom. Lenny Marks may finally get a life–but what if her past catches up to her first?

Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne's stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who's simply unforgettable.
 

Title:  Lenny Marks Get Away with Murder

Author:  Kerryn Mayne

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

"Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder" by Kerryn Mayne

My Perception:  

'Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder' is an intriguing read with serious content about past trauma that keeps readers turning the pages until the end and giving one much thought long after the read. This story involves 'the insight into a mind that is part autistic and part traumatized by a past.'

We find Lenny, a 37-year-old primary school teacher, a loner with an imaginary roommate. She receives a letter from the parole board letting her know that her former stepfather is due to be released from jail soon. Where was her mother, who had disappeared simultaneously as the father? Now, I don't want to tell too much of the story, but I will let you know there is a murder in this story as the story unravels a lot of mystery about Lenny's past and her growth as a good human being. Be ready for a good read, as this author gives us information about what had happened in the past, as the story separates fact from fiction. In the end, anyone can accept the conclusion in Lenny's world.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Time I Saw You Kindle Edition by Jo Leevers

 Book Excerpt:

"She's waiting to become a mother—but first, she has to find her own.

Weeks away from the birth of her first child, Georgie should be enjoying the peace of her new life in the country, but boredom has settled in, and nerves are running high. A viral news story about the rescue of a missing child warms her heart until she sees the photo: the woman who found the child is her own mother, Nancy, who disappeared twenty years ago.

How could Nancy have abandoned her own children? Georgie must know before becoming a mother, even if it means calling on her estranged brother Dan for support. As the siblings set off on a road trip toward the Scottish island where Nancy was last seen, they don't know that her side of the story has just as much heartache as theirs.

Caught between her new life and old secrets, Georgie must make peace with the past. Can she and Dan unite to uncover the truth? And can piecing together Nancy's story fix their broken family—or are some wounds too deep to heal?"

Title:  The Last Time I Saw You

Author:  Jo Leevers

Publisher:  Lake Union Publishing 

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating:  Five

Review:

"The Last Time I Saw You" by Jo Leevers

My Perception:  

I was deeply moved by the character's emotional journey in "The Last Time I Saw You," a compelling story about a mother and daughter, Nancy and Georgie, and how buried secrets can resurface to cause turmoil. It is about witnessing the father/husband's role in the unfolding drama. Was heart-wrenching. The reunion of the brother, Dan, and sister, Georgie, was touching and evoked a sense of hope. 

The book is filled with so many family secrets that keeping track of them all is a rollercoaster of emotions. I appreciated how the author provided insight from the main characters' perspectives, making their struggles and decisions more relatable. 

By the end of the story, it's unclear whether all the secrets were revealed, but it might be best to leave some unsaid, a sentiment that resonates with many families. This book will leave readers nodding in recognition and disbelief, deeply connected to the characters and their stories.

A Good Woman by Jalana Remy

 Book Excerpt:

"When the flirtatious and sexy bartender Faye Thompson is placed in a difficult situation by her abusive ex-boyfriend, she agrees to take refuge with the handsome and charming but arrogant Anele Williams. She soon falls in love with him but is careful to guard her heart since she knows that Anele would not be interested in a long-term relationship with a woman like her.  

Anele, who has been in love with Faye since he met her,  is becoming increasingly frustrated as she continues to offer him her body and hide her heart. And even if she does offer her heart, is his love strong enough to handle the increasingly evident damage of her abusive past?"

Title:  A Good Women

Author:  Jalana Remy

Publisher:  J. R.  

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Four

Review:

'A Good Woman' by Jalana Remy

My Perception:  

 

'A Good Woman' featured Faye Thompson and Anele Williams, and both characters want someone to love. Will this happen for these two? Find Faye has been in an abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend that he seemed not to take the word no, and Anele appears to have several ladies he has dated. Still, they were not the one for him until he met up with a sexy bartender from the Shotter Bar named Faye. What will become of this situation? You must pick up this good read to see how this author brings it all out. It will be an engaging story that will keep you turning the pages to see what is next for these two.

Adak's Trapped Lawyer, by Freya Atwood

 Book Excerpt:

"He broke the law for her. Now she returns to the Adak Islands, and Benjamin Wolfe must face the consequences…

Benjamin's past has caught up to him. Harper Brown is back, and he knows she's here for him. Now, he must find out why…

As Benjamin slowly unravels the truth, he realizes his next case is to stop loving a murderer. If he fails, she will destroy everything he holds dear…"

Title: Adak's Trapped Lawyer

Author:  Freya Atwood

Publisher:  Cobalt Publisher

Series: Book 3

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Four

Review:

"Adak's Trapped Lawyer" by Freya Atwood

My Perception:  

'Adak's Trapped Lawyer' was quite a read that continues on from the book 1 series. We find Benjamin Wolfe has to get the consequences that happened from his past some ten years ago while living in Seattle. In the story, Wolfe finds out who his friends are, and only one comes to mind. How will he get out of all this that seems to be surrounding him on all sides?   I didn't feel sorry for any of the characters because the town of Adak, AL, was a place I would not want to live in and to think Wolfe was there due to a so-called friend suggesting him to go there. You will discover what kind of friend this old boss was as you read. To find out what is going on, you must pick up this read and don't forget the epilogue... again, there was one in trouble, but I couldn't feel sorry for her one bit because Wolfe tried to warn her, but she didn't listen. Will she make it out alive...well, you will have to pick up this story to see how it all comes out. Hopefully, we will get the story's reminder because it tends to continue.