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Publication Date:  December 1 2022 Format:  Kindle Genre:   Romance/Grief/2nd chance Publisher:  self published Length:  382 pages Buy:  Kindle  |  Paperback Synopsis I’m in love with my best friend’s widow. The only person I’ve cared more for is gone. There’s no doubt he knew yet never let on. It was just the kind of man Jake was. I’ve worn my guilt like a second skin since we were teens,  worshipping her from afar. But time has done me no favors. Under the surface, resentment grows.  A rage no one else sees. But now she’s asked me to do the unthinkable… To grant her the comfort she needs. I’m helpless to say no to Mel. I’d give her a...

  Publication Date:  January 29, 2013 Format:  paperback Genre:   Womens Fiction  Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing Length:  480  pages Buy:    Paperback  |  Audiobook  Synopsis Antonia Vega, the immigrant writer at the center of  Afterlife , has had the rug pulled out from under her. She has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts: her bighearted but unstable sister disappears, and Antonia returns home one evening to find a pregnant, undocumented teenager on her doorstep. Antonia has always sought direction in the literature she loves—lines from her favorite author...

Release Date:  February 17, 2017 Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Format:  Paperback Pages:  343 pages Genre:  memoir Buy:  Kindle  |   Paperback Synopsis:  David Kushner grew up in the suburbs of Florida in the early 1970s, running wild with his friends, exploring, riding bikes, and disappearing into the nearby woods for hours at a time. One morning in 1973, however, everything changed when David’s older brother Jon took a short bike trip to the local convenience store. He never returned. Alligator Candy is the story of Jon’s murder at the hands of two sadistic drifters, and everything that happened after. Jon’s death was one of the first in what turned out to be a rash of child abductions and murders that dominated headlines for much of the 1970s and 80s. It was around this the time that milk cartons began to feature the images of missing children, and newscasters began asking, “It’s 10:00, do you know where you ch...

Title:   Bird by Crystal Chan Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers Format: Paperback Pages: 295 pages Genre: Young Adult, Adoption Synopsis:  Jewel never knew her brother Bird, but all her life she has lived in his shadow. Her parents blame Grandpa for the tragedy of their family’s past: they say that Grandpa attracted a malevolent spirit—a duppy—into their home. Grandpa hasn’t spoken a word since. Now Jewel is twelve, and she lives in a house full of secrets and impenetrable silence. Jewel is sure that no one will ever love her like they loved Bird, until the night that she meets a mysterious boy in a tree. Grandpa is convinced that the boy is a duppy, but Jewel knows that he is something more. And that maybe—just maybe—the time has come to break through the stagnant silence of the past. (9)Review:  Bird is a middle school grade novel by first time author Crystal Chan .  Jewel was born on the day her brother, Bird died. His real name was John b...

Title:   Jane's Melody: A Novel by Ryan Winfield Publisher:  Atria books 337 pages Genre: Romance Synopsis: That's the question a grieving mother must answer when she takes in a young street musician she believes can shed light on her daughter's death—only to find herself falling for him. Review: I needed something light after reading my last book.  I kept seeing ads for this book on facebook (so their advertising worked on me!) so I thought I would check it out.  I was pleasantly surprised.  While there were a few things that didn't suspend my disbelief overall I found the book to be entertaining and fun. Drug addiction, alcohol addiction and grief all play big roles in this book and while that may seem heavy it didn't weigh the story down.  Unfortunately I know a few people who have lost their children to drugs and the grief experienced is twice as raw and three times as painful as what is portrayed in this story but I will let that go since...

Title:   Signs of Struggle by John Carenen Publisher: Neverland Publishing 303 pages Genre: Mystery Synopsis:  After losing his family in a tragic car accident, Thomas O’Shea finds himself driving around the Iowa countryside, trying to find peace on a quiet afternoon. But when he stops to admire a unique mailbox, he sees a beautiful, bloody woman racing down the country lane from her home, screaming for help. Not wanting to get involved, Thomas considers not helping. Eventually his heroic side wins out. As Thomas continues lifting up and peering under rocks in the beautiful river town of Rockbluff, Iowa, the more he learns…and the more he attracts those who will do anything to stop him. Attempts on his life are made, but O’Shea is a tough guy with nothing to lose as he struggles with the loss of his family, drinking, women, and his guilt for precipitating so much violence in this peaceful town. Review: I had no idea what this book was about when I first opened it u...