Review: Painting Over Cracks by Lee Bukowski

 

Genre: Crime Fiction/Suspense/Thriller/Women’s Fiction

Description:

“Beth Collins lives her life shadowed by a secret, one she believes she can outrun by building a perfect family of her own with her attorney husband, Danny. And for a while, it seems she has—until a freak car accident kills Danny and shatters her world in an instant.

Desperate for a fresh start, Beth quits her job as a mortgage broker and buys a café. As she settles into the rhythm of her new life, she finds unexpected friendships, a sense of purpose, and eventually, even the spark of a new romance.

But when mysterious details about the crash emerge, leading to shocking secrets about her husband, Beth sets off on a search for answers. Every revelation pulls her deeper into a world she could not have imagined and forces her to confront the unthinkable—she’s mourning a man who never existed. When the illusion she’s relied on collapses, Beth must decide what future she wants and who the woman is she’s ready to become.”

Author:

“Lee Bukowski lives in Reading, Pennsylvania. When she’s not writing, she loves reading, traveling, and trying cocktails with creative names. She’s also a self-proclaimed Billy Joel superfan with a live concert count of fifty shows. She is the award-winning fiction author of A Week of Warm Weather, her debut, and Painting Over Cracks.”

Appraisal:

I loved this book. Beth, the protagonist has had her life disrupted in extremely disturbing ways, starting with the car accident that kills her husband and fetus that she hadn’t even told her husband about yet. As she struggles to get her life back on a path that feels right to her, she keeps running into things she couldn’t have anticipated and has to figure out the situation and how to deal with it. You’ve got a few mysteries and a whole lot of suspense through all of these threads, but are pulling for Beth all the way as you wonder what life’s going to throw at her next.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Although the review is based on an advance reviewer version I spotted no issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Reprise Review: The Call by Laurie Boris

 Genre: Women’s Fiction/Sports Fiction

Description:

“As one of the first female umpires in the minors, Margie puts up with insults and worse from people who think women don’t belong in baseball. Forget making history—Margie just wants to do her job and be part of the game she loves.

She’s ready for the rude comments. The lousy pay. The endless traveling. But when she suspects a big-name slugger of cheating, she has to choose: let the dirty player get away with it, or blow the whistle and risk her career…and maybe her twin brother’s major-league prospects, too.

Now it’s up to Margie to make the call.”

Author:

“Laurie Boris has been writing fiction for over twenty-five years and is the award-winning author of seven novels. When not playing with the universe of imaginary people in her head, she’s a freelance copyeditor and enjoys baseball, reading, and avoiding housework. She lives in New York’s lovely Hudson Valley.”

Appraisal:

For me this was a great read for many different reasons. Some of those reasons might be things that would apply to you too.

The main appeal is that this is a good story. The struggle to be as good as you can be at your chosen profession, the difficulties that sometimes complicate that, and figuring out how to deal with it, is something many of us can empathize with. I’ve also read a couple things lately that talked about how fiction can help us better understand the lives of people not like us, and this was good for me to imagine the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated profession. I suspect men and women are going to benefit from reading this kind of tale in different ways, but benefit regardless.

I’m not a big sports fan, but I’m sure those who are will enjoy the baseball part of the story. As someone who came of age about the same time as the characters in this story (late 70s) I found myself experiencing a bit of nostalgia that the typical reader wouldn’t. (But I refuse to call this historical fiction for you young’uns.) All in all, a good read, even for those who would typically stay away from women’s fiction or sports fiction.

I was also curious as to the status of female umpires in the major and minor leagues. How credible was this? What I found is that the first woman to work as an umpire in the minor leagues of professional baseball did so in 1972, so the story could have happened as indicated. But 45 years later it looks like women umpires are still a rarity with the first woman to work in the major leagues not doing so until 2007 and very few that work in professional baseball at any level. Maybe the difficulties Margie experiences are more contemporary than I thought.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Uses some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Review: The Last Road Trip by Jennifer Klepper

 

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Description:

“Twenty years after tragedy tore them apart, four sorority sisters still can’t say no to sweet Mary Blake Bulloch. Reeling from a public divorce, Mary Blake rallies the group to complete a long-ago road trip cut short by scandal, betrayal, and the death of a Texas oilman’s son.

Time hasn’t healed all wounds. Helen's hiding a crumbling marriage. Charlie's haunted by a deathbed promise. Annesley's harboring life-changing news. And Lisa knows her decades-long silence about what really happened that fateful night could cost her everything—and everyone.

As the women pick up where they left off, old alliances shift and long-buried memories surface. What started as a reunion becomes a reckoning, forcing each woman to decide what matters more: the comfort of silence or the brutal cost of truth.”

Author:

“Jennifer Klepper is the USA Today bestselling author of The Last Road Trip and Unbroken Threads. Born and raised in Iowa and Nebraska, she attended college in Dallas, law school in Charlottesville, and worked in Texas and Massachusetts before settling for good in Maryland. She's worked for Big Law, small law, start-ups, and Google, most recently co-founding tech start-up Early Works. She lives in a forest by a river near Annapolis, Maryland.”

Appraisal:

This story has multiple aspects, any one of which could make for an engaging story I wouldn’t want to put down. When you weave them all together it results in a fantastic story. The first aspect is a road trip, something that will pull this travel aficionado in all by itself. Wait. Make that two road trips. The story keeps flashing back to the original aborted road trip that inspired the current one, so we get to experience both of them. Then we’ve got the give and take as these old friends try to capture or restore the relationship they had back in college, but we’ve also got an undercurrent of mystery and intrigue as it is obvious there are some things that happened on the original trip that we, and possibly the some of the ladies on the trip don’t all know either. It all makes for a great, intriguing, and intense read that draws the reader in and then won’t let them go.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an advance reviewer copy, so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Review: Miranda Fights by Gail Ward Olmsted

 

Genre: Legal Thriller/Women’s Fiction

Description:

“Miranda Quinn is back in the courtroom working as a legal aid attorney when she's asked to represent Lennon, the daughter of a high school friend currently serving time in prison. Still struggling with guilt from the role she played in her friend's downfall, Miranda agrees to help.

The former assistant DA has given up a lucrative career as a legal talk radio host to better serve her community. In her spare time, she volunteers as a counselor for at-risk teens. It's challenging but rewarding, at least until the young women begin to mysteriously disappear. As Miranda struggles to find out who is responsible, it becomes clear that Lennon is in danger as well. As the police piece together Miranda's clues, they realize they're dealing with a much larger and farther-reaching organization than they had expected.

Miranda has faced her share of adversaries, both in and out of the courtroom. To expose the sex traffickers preying on the group of girls she has sworn to protect, she'll need to keep her eyes and ears open. But to save the one young woman who needs her most, she'll have to open her heart.

She's in for the fight of her life.”

Author:

Gail Ward Olmsted was a marketing executive and a college professor before she began writing fiction on a full-time basis. A trip to Sedona, AZ inspired her first novel Jeep Tour. Three more novels followed before Landscape of a Marriage, a biographical novel featuring landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, a distant cousin of her husband's, and his wife Mary. Miranda Fights is the third book in the Miranda Quinn Legal Twist series. Olmsted enjoys writing about quirky, wonderful women in search of a second chance at a happy ever after. When not writing, she loves being on the water, especially in a kayak. She is well known for her blonde brownies, and coffee is her love language. For more, visit her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

The main story line of this book, or at least what appears to be the main story line, which is the protagonist Miranda Quinn representing Lennon, the daughter of a high school friend, provides thought-provoking and solid foundation for this book. But the story lines that branch off from it are what makes it such a great read. These range from recognizing and helping uncover a sex trafficking operation happening in the area to figuring out how to balance conflicting needs between Miranda’s career and her husband’s, not to mention coming to coming to terms with the history between Miranda and Lennon’s mother. I found that I liked and cared about the main characters early on, so was eager for them to figure out and resolve their issues and was glad to be invited to come along for the ride by reading this book.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

My review is based on an advance reviewer copy, so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Review: Those We Do Not See by Angie Gallion

 

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Women’s Fiction

Description:

“Britany Adams begins a rapid downward spiral after she’s involved in an accident that results in a fatality. Within weeks, she loses her home, her job, and her dignity. Struggling with guilt and living on the streets, she is plunged into a gritty world filled with danger and despair.

While investigating the crash, Officer Cliff Rathborn never dreams that he will be the last person to speak to Britany before a missing person report is filed. While assisting in the search for Britany, Cliff realizes he has not dealt with his own mother’s disappearance when he was a child. He begins to reconcile with the fact that he may never know what happened to his mother.

To discover Britany’s whereabouts, Cliff needs to enter the shadows and look into the faces of those that most people refuse to see, while Britany must survive long enough to be found.”

Author:

“Angie Gallion has been a stage actor, an anti-money laundering investigator, a photographer, and a paralegal. She has lived in Illinois, California, Missouri, and Georgia and has traveled to Greece, the Dominican Republic, Scotland, and Ireland. She dreams of traveling when her children are grown, and she and her husband can set out into the world. She is currently rooted outside of Atlanta Georgia with her husband, their children, and their two French Bulldogs.”

For more, check out her website.

Appraisal:

This is a great story with multiple levels for the reader, depending on how much you want and are open to taking in. That’s kind of vague, so I’ll explain.

The first and most obvious is the obvious thriller or suspense story on the surface. Britany’s life spins out of control when a car accident happens and results in the death of the driver of the other car. Britany isn’t blameless, but just how responsible she is for what happened is far from clear. Her guilt about the accident and repercussions in her life cause a rapid downward spiral resulting in her living on the street.

The second level is going beyond Britany as the reader considers how realistic what Britany experienced is. We meet some of the other homeless people Britany associates with and ponder how we think we would deal with such situations or what we think real people should do in that situation. We see Britany interact with others who make questionable decisions because they appear to be the only option to improve their situation. If this doesn’t get you at least thinking about some of society’s issues, you aren’t paying attention. (Or maybe just don’t want to go there.)

I’m glad I read this book and highly recommend you do the same.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an advance reviewer copy, so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words

Reprise Review: The Taste of Air by Gail Cleare

 Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Women’s Fiction

Description:

“A simple phone call disrupts Nell Williams’s well-ordered life. Her mother, Mary, is in a hospital in Vermont. But her mother is supposed to be safely tucked away in an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts, so Nell can’t fathom why she would be so far from home.

After notifying her sister, Bridget, Nell hops on a plane and rushes to her mother’s side. There, she discovers that her mother has been living a second life. Mary has another home and a set of complex relationships with people her daughters have never met.

When Nell and Bridget delve deeper into their mother’s lakeside hideaway, they uncover a vault of family secrets and the gateway to change for all three women.”

Author:

“USA Today bestselling author Gail Cleare has written for newspapers, magazines, Fortune 50 companies and AOL. Her award-winning ad agency represented the creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She was the turtle Leonardo's date for the world premiere of the second TMNT movie, and got to wear a black evening gown and sparkly shoes. Gail lives on an 18th century farm in Massachusetts with her family and dogs, cats, chickens, black bears, blue herons, rushing streams and wide, windy skies. She's into organic gardening and nature photography, and can often be found stalking wild creatures with a 300 mm lens.”

For more, visit her website.

Appraisal:

While not a mystery, The Taste of Air has a bit of a mystery at its root. How did Nell’s mother get from an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts to a Vermont hospital? As Nell and her sister Bridget uncover the answer to that question, an answer that is far more complicated than they would have dreamed, it sets the stage for them and the reader to consider a lot of things. How well do we really know the people we think we know best? Odds are you’re hiding things from your kids, parents, and/or spouse, not to mention other family and friends. What makes you think they aren’t doing the same?

While I enjoyed The Taste of Air for the story, full of suspense, mystery, and drama, which kept me entertained, it also got me thinking. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Original review published June 30, 2017

Format/Typo Issues:

No issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Review: The Truth of It by Beth Orsoff

 Genre: Women’s Fiction/Crime Fiction

Description:

“Grace Hughes has finally uncovered the truth behind the tragic deaths of her husband and daughter. But now that she knows the truth, she must act on it. Her conscience demands nothing less.

With the help of an unlikely ally, Grace hatches a plan to insinuate herself into the lives of her family’s killers. Her goal is simple: infiltrate their organization and gather evidence to use against them at trial. But as Grace delves deeper into the criminal world, the danger to herself and her family escalates.

As the clock ticks down, Grace must balance her desire for justice with the need to keep her loved ones safe. With heart-stopping action and emotional twists and turns, The Truth of It will keep readers on the edge of their seat until the last satisfying page.”

Author:

When Beth’s parents told her they didn’t send her to college to be a professional lifeguard, she moved to California and enrolled in USC Law School to become an entertainment lawyer. She also became a regular attendee of the UCLA Extension Writers Program workshops. She lives in Los Angeles with her daughter.

To find out more about Beth visit her website.

Appraisal:

If you’ve read the first two books in this series like I have then this is where we finally resolve a lot of the questions that have been haunting us (and yes, haunting Grace even more) since the beginning. If you haven’t read the first two books, you should before starting this one.

As for the content of the story, I don’t want to say too much specific. I will say that some things happen that don’t surprise me while others definitely do. Grace finds the answers to some of the questions she had and ultimately finds herself in a better place, but things get tense and sometimes what you wish for may not be what you ultimately need.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

While there is a short prolog that will refresh the memory of what is happening in the series for those continuing from the first two books and a reader is likely to pick things up if they start with this book, I’d advise anyone to read the entire trilogy from the beginning.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Review: Breathing in Reverse by Densie Webb

 Genre: Women’s Fiction/Thriller

Description:

“A chance encounter with a celebrity, an impromptu video, and a shiny new espresso machine all added up to a juicy tale for Rachael Allen to share with friends. But when her best friend posts the video online without her knowledge, Rachael begins receiving bizarre threats from an obsessed fan.

Mick Sullivan, the star in her video, offers to help. Despite his fame and reputation as a player, he tries to stay down to earth. However, Mick has secrets. And there’s one he’s hidden even from himself.

Despite wildly divergent life paths, Rachael and Mick’s shared Southern upbringing and passion for good music create a common thread that draws them together. As their relationship deepens and the threats increase, Rachael is forced to decide if being with Mick Sullivan is worth the collateral damage.

Breathing in Reverse is the story of Rachael's serendipitous encounter with a celebrity, her brush with obsessive love, and the bittersweet gift left behind by the very person fixated on destroying her life.”

Author:

A longtime freelance nonfiction writer and editor, Densie (who wants you to know that is spelled correctly, not a misspelling of Denise) was born in Louisiana, lived for several years in New York, and is now based in Austin, Texas. This is her third novel.

Appraisal:

Nailing down what genre to use to describe this book is interesting. One online book store has it classified as a thriller of some kind. That fits in that Rachael, the protagonist of the story, has some experiences that are like what you’d expect to see in a thriller. Call it at least a mild thriller. The tension caused by these experiences is a driver of the story, keeping the reader involved and just a bit on edge. In her biography the author describes the story as women’s fiction, and that fits as well. Regardless of what genre best describes it, I thought it was a fun and engrossing read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language and mild adult situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an ARC (advanced review copy) so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Review: The Lies We Tell by Beth Orsoff

 Genre: Women’s Fiction/Crime Fiction

Description:

“Maybe some secrets should stay buried.

After the devastating loss of her husband and daughter, Grace Hughes is determined to rebuild her life. She has created a community for herself and forged a new career helping children in need. She evens starts dating again. But she cannot ignore the past forever.

As Grace delves deeper into her husband's secrets, she uncovers shocking truths that shake her to her core. Did she ever really know the man she still mourns?

The Lies We Tell is a gripping, emotional page-turner about the lies we tell each other, and the lies we tell ourselves too.”

Author:

When Beth’s parents told her they didn’t send her to college to be a professional lifeguard, she moved to California and enrolled in USC Law School to become an entertainment lawyer. She also became a regular attendee of the UCLA Extension Writers Program workshops. She lives in Los Angeles with her daughter.

To find out more about Beth visit her website.

Appraisal:

Those who have read the first book of this trilogy know that the protagonist, Grace, has been having a tough time since the murder of her husband and daughter. She’s found some purpose in helping a couple kids, MJ and Sofia. In the first volume of the trilogy, it appeared that helping these kids as well as changing the focus of her law practice to help children in other ways might be just the ticket to set Grace’s mental health on the road to recovery. Ultimately that might still be true, but there are complications in that regard. One complication is a minor mystery that Grace started looking into in the first volume of the trilogy starts getting more complicated and Grace discovers that some things she thought were true might not actually be the reality of the situation. The deeper she digs, the more complicated things become. Much of this volume is spent digging into this mystery and the story does an excellent job setting up the finale of the trilogy. I’m currently wondering how several things in Grace’s life are going to turn out, hoping she’ll come to a satisfying resolution in the finale, but worried that they might not.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

This is the second book in a planned trilogy. At least in theory, you should be able to follow the story here if read as a standalone. Early on the foundation and big picture of what has happened previously is reviewed so you’ll have some clue as to how the characters got to the starting point of this book. However, I’d advise reading the first book in the trilogy first to understand the complete story best.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Review: Fall from Grace by Beth Orsoff

 Genre: Women’s Fiction

Description:

“No one ever thinks the unthinkable will happen.

When Grace Hughes’ family was murdered outside their suburban home the police told her it was a tragic accident. Just another madman with a gun. Happens every day in America. One year later and still overwhelmed by grief, Grace struggles to make sense of her shattered world and finds herself spiraling into a dark place.

Then Grace meets two abandoned children in desperate need of help and she discovers a newfound sense of purpose. But as she starts to heal, secrets about her husband’s past unfold. Grace begins to wonder, were her family’s deaths really a tragic accident or something more sinister?

Fall From Grace is a life-affirming, emotionally charged novel that will have you rooting for the heroine through every unexpected twist and turn.”

Author:

When Beth’s parents told her they didn’t send her to college to be a professional lifeguard, she moved to California and enrolled in USC Law School to become an entertainment lawyer. She also became a regular attendee of the UCLA Extension Writers Program workshops. She lives in Los Angeles with her daughter.

To find out more about Beth visit her web site.

https://bethorsoff.com/

Appraisal:

I guess calling this women’s fiction makes sense. Wikipedia defines the genre as being “an umbrella term for women-centered books that focus on women's life experience that are marketed to female readers” and this book definitely fits that description. However, I think the label probably makes some men shy away and by doing so, they’re missing out. One of the things I love about reading is giving the reader a chance to imagine themselves in someone else’s shoes, experiencing that fictional person’s life. That can be a long way from the reader’s real life, maybe in the future or in a different world imagined by a fantasy author, or maybe just imagining yourself in the place of Grace, the protagonist of this story, who could easily be much like the lady down the block or maybe from the other side of town. My point is that woman’s fiction has stories that I think a guy could relate to on some level and I’ve enjoyed reading women’s fiction for a lot more years than I’ve realized that was what it was called.

Regardless of your gender, I’m sure you’ll be happy not to be in Grace’s place. Sure, she’s in a good position in some ways. Money doesn’t seem to be a problem and you’ll see why. It isn’t only because she is an attorney. The problem is that when the book starts, she’s in a hospital due to a mental health crisis. Why that is and getting past what brought on that crisis is at the root of the story here. I found myself caring about Grace and wanting to see how she dealt with her issues, for some reason always assuming that she would. The more I got to know her, the more I loved her. I suspect if you give this a try, you’ll feel the same. Grace also gets involved in the lives of a couple kids with issues of their own who you’ll care about and hope Grace can help them out as well as dealing with her own pain. Of course, this is the first book of a planned trilogy and now I find myself over-eager to dive into that second installment. I can’t wait to see where Grace’s story goes next.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Review: Reinventing Rita by Nancy Christie

 Genre: Women’s Fiction

Description:

“Rita Reynolds is an empty nester with a second shot at life. Her college-age son is spending the summer with his new girlfriend instead of at home with Rita as she had hoped. Her part-time job might be ending, which will toss her back into the job market. Underscoring it all is the realization that since her divorce, she's been coasting on the highway of life. Now, the bumps in the road are too big to ignore.

A chance to teach a six-week baking class brings Rita's almost-forgotten dream of becoming a professional baker back to the surface. Can she overcome her fear that it might be too late for a fresh start? With the help of two friends—Donna, her employer, and Karen, her ex-husband's second wife—she's about to find out.”

Author:

“Nancy Christie has been making up stories since she learned how to write, and she plans to continue as long as her fingers can work the keyboard. She can often be found walking the streets of her neighborhood, reciting lines of dialogue or recording plot ideas on her cell phone before they escape her mind. Reinventing Rita is Nancy's sixth book and first novel, and she is deeply grateful to all who have read, commented, and reviewed her work. Nancy is the host of the Living the Writing Life podcast and founder of the annual ‘Celebrate Short Fiction’ Day. She's a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Women's Fiction Writers Association, and the Florida Writers Association. For more about Nancy and links to her social media profiles, visit her website.”

Appraisal:

Yeah, yeah. I know. This book is “women’s fiction” and I don’t quite fit the target audience. But something in the description appealed to me. Anyone who has made a big change in their life or career with all the concerns and second guessing that can sometimes be involved will understand where the character of Rita is coming from, regardless of gender. If you’ve experienced the shakeup in your life that happens when a now “adult” child leaves home for college or whatever, you’ll understand the stress Rita feels. Basically, this is a story that a lot of older and middle age folks, regardless of gender, are going to relate to in some fashion and be pulling for Rita to figure things out as you sympathize with her situation. (You younger kids might want to read it to see what’s coming someday.)

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Reprise Review: Bardwell's Folly by Sandra Hutchison

 Genre: Literary Fiction/Women's Fiction

Description:

“Dori Bardwell's father was the white Southern author of THE novel about slavery, a man who settled his large family up north in a replica of a plantation house and never spoke of his past. A tragic accident pulled Dori from college to care for her only remaining brother, but now the money is running out, her ex-boyfriend appears intent on revenge, a media baron has designs on her father's last, unfinished manuscript, and her own thoughtless blackface joke is about to go viral and turn her life upside down.

With a new, media-savvy African American friend, Dori embarks on a voyage into her family's secret history that might just lead her right back to where she started.”

Author:

“Born and raised in Florida, Sandra Hutchison survived a transplant to a small, snowy New England town during high school and eventually stopped sulking about it, though it's possible she's still working it out in her fiction. She currently lives in Troy, New York, where she teaches writing at Hudson Valley Community College. “

Appraisal:

Bardwell's Folly is hard to nail down. Is it literary fiction or women's fiction? Is it humorous and satirical or serious? Should a reader come away being entertained by the story as told, or is there some hidden meaning or point to be gleaned by looking a little deeper?

The answers to all of these questions are obviously a big resounding yes. Or no. Whatever you want the answer to be to any of those questions including “all of the above,” it fits the bill. I was amused by Dori, but still took what was happening to her throughout the book seriously enough to care. I think there are lessons or at least points to consider about family and literary celebrity, but more than enough to be entertaining if you want to avoid the deep thoughts. There should be something here for anyone who wants a good read, regardless of how you define that.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Original review posted January 6, 2017.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 100-105,000 words

Review: These Numbered Days by Anna E. Collins

 

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Description:

“How do you ask forgiveness for the unforgivable?

When Annie Wolff’s ex-husband dies unexpectedly, she breaks her self-imposed exile and returns home to Snohomish, Washington. Annie hasn’t seen her children, Grace and Connor, in eight years, and now, her in-laws are making a bid to adopt them. She only hopes the depression that once sent her running will remain in check.

Annie is quickly drawn back into the lives of her now-teenage kids, under the skeptical supervision of their aunt. While Connor welcomes his estranged mother with open arms, Grace wants nothing to do with her. Annie is determined to be patient, even though her daughter’s behavior raises red flags.

As Annie sets out on this new, treacherous road, she stumbles into the path of Wic Dubray—the handsome but annoyingly honest woodworker who leases her a room. Not used to anyone caring for her, she finds his presence is both an unanticipated gift and a complication.

Annie must navigate old memories, hostile relatives, her wavering mental health, and a growing fondness for Wic. Only then will she have a chance to win back her children and her life and maybe find love.”

Author:

Based in the Seattle area, Anna E. Collins is a former teacher who decided to put her master’s degree in psychology “on the shelf” and become an author instead. This is her second novel.

For more, visit Ms Collins website.

Appraisal:

Pondering this book when I finished, I was struck by something that had never occurred to me before. There are a couple frequently used terms for book genres, chick-lit and women’s fiction, that indicate the protagonist is female and seem to imply to most people that these are aimed at women readers rather than men. Why is that? Why shouldn’t men read these books, women read books with male protagonists?

For a long time I’ve contended that many male readers, if they read the description of a lot of women’s fiction books would find the book appealing and enjoy reading them. Putting yourself in a position comparable to that of the book’s protagonist and imagining how you’d react or how that would feel, can be an eye-opening learning experience, just as reading a book with a male protagonist can often be. That’s how this book worked out for me.

As for what appealed to me in the story, the struggle Annie, the protagonist, was going through in reestablishing a relationship with her two children, questioning her past life choices, and fearing making the same mistakes in the future is one that drew me in. Even though most people haven’t experienced the things Annie did, we’ve known people who have and even though I haven’t experienced what she did I found it easy to imagine being in that position, pulling for her to work it out, and eager to see how the story was going to end.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Reprise Review: Call Me Daddy (A Cass Adams Novel Book 2) by Kelly Stone Gamble

 Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Woman’s Fiction

Description:

“Cass Adams comes from a long line of crazy, and she fears passing that on to her unborn child. Also, she’s run over Roland and Clay’s surprise half-brother Britt, landing him in the hospital. With her inner demons coming out to haunt her, she doesn’t know if she should keep the baby.

Clay Adams has his own decisions to make. His half-brother shows up to tell him their father, Freddy, is still alive but needs a liver transplant. When Freddy blew out of town thirty-five years ago, secrets were buried. But it’s time for them to be dug up, because only then can Clay hope to lay the past to rest.

Call Me Daddy is a story of family, the secrets they keep, and to what lengths someone would go to protect them.”

Author:

“I want readers to take something away from my books and short stories: something memorable, whether it be an interesting protagonist, an emotion or a moment in time. Depending on what characters decide to sit beside me on a particular day, I may write historical fiction or quirky, dark humor.

My interests are as diverse as my writing. I am at home fishing on a river, riding horses in the mountains, reading on a beach, hiking through the desert or playing pirate with my friends. I don't believe in growing old and I refuse to grow up.”

To learn more about Ms. Gamble check out her website or Facebook page.

Appraisal:

Call Me Daddy is above all a story of family, much like the novelty song “I’m My Own Grandpa” written in 1947 by Dwight Latham and Moe Jaffe. They got the idea for the song from a book of Mark Twain anecdotes. I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist the reference because it made me laugh.

Honestly, though this story isn’t nearly that complicated, but it is tangled, and is certainly not nearly as funny. However, there is a lot of dark humor employed with complicated emotions throughout the story. Ms. Gamble slowly unravels secrets of old friends and family in a delft manner using multiple points-of-view that are clearly marked by chapter headings. This style choice also produced some repetition of facts. I tried to overlook those instances because it lets the reader know that the character was also aware of those same secrets.

Deacon, Kansas is a small town with many memorable quirky personalities. Most are longtime residents that grew up in the area and know everyone else’s business. The twists in the plot are realistic and surprising. There were times the book was hard to put down. Hard decisions had to be made by the Adams’ family members. While others could only watch and be there to pick up the pieces in case things went awry. Call Me Daddy is a poignant story where skeletons are forced out of the closet to dance on the graves of those passed and at times the souls of the living.

I look forward to more stories from Deacon, Kansas. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that this setting is almost in my neck of the woods and the residents seem like family to me. Which may be why I prefer to escape into fantasy and paranormal books. However, Ms. Gamble is quickly becoming a favorite author.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Call Me Daddy is the sequel to They Call Me Crazy, and can be read as a standalone novel.

Original review posted on December 23, 2016.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant proofing or formatting issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words