Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian / Mystery
Source: My daughter

Goodreads: Even though secrets lie off the coast of Rock Harbor, the truth will set Annie Pederson free—if it doesn’t kill her first.

Nine-year-old Annie Pederson’s life changed the night her sister was kidnapped. The two had been outside playing on a dock, and Annie never forgave herself for her role in her sister’s disappearance. Twenty-four years later and now a law enforcement ranger, Annie is still searching for answers as she grieves a new loss: the death of her husband and parents in a boating accident.

But Annie and her eight-year-old daughter, Kylie, aren’t the only people in the town of Rock Harbor whose lives have been marred by tragedy. While managing the property around the Tremolo Resort and Marina she inherited, Annie discovers a dead body floating in the cold Superior surf and begins to work with the sheriff’s office to tie the death to a series of other mysterious reports in the area.

At the same time, her first love, Jon Dustan, returns after nine years away, reigniting the town’s memory of a cold case he’d been suspiciously linked to before he left to pursue his orthopedic residency. For the sake of her investigation and her heart, Annie tries to stay away. But avoiding Jon becomes impossible once Annie realizes she is being targeted by someone desperate to keep secrets from the past hidden.

In this new series, bestselling romantic-suspense author Colleen Coble returns to one of her most beloved towns, where familiar faces—and unsolved cases—await.

Ope’s Opinion: When I started reading this, I kept feeling like I jumped into the middle of a story. So I looked it up and found out it was the first one in the series. I was confused about how I was supposed to know about the past of a relationship when this was the first book.

Colleen Coble wrote Annie ( MC ) as so naive and trusting of everyone. She is unbelievable and not realistic about life in general.

This ended with a lot of unanswered questions because there are two more books. I am not sure I care enough to find out what the solutions will be.

Publisher: Storm Publishing
Genre: Thriller
Source: Storm Publishing ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: Three mothers. Three secrets. One devastating scandal.

Anna has always been the quiet one, the soft-spoken mother who kept her head down and her secrets close. But when she’s thrown together with Maggie and Rhea on a PTA project, they begin to bond over wine and gossip, and slowly share the truths behind their picture-perfect lives.

As a relationship therapist, Maggie is struggling with the painful, embarrassing reality of her floundering marriage. Rhea, despite her wealthy appearance, admits her troubled past could resurface and shatter her perfect world. But it’s Anna who harbors the darkest secret, hiding the reality of her home life to protect the reputation of her husband – the school headmaster.

When the three women stumble upon a scandal the school has gone to great lengths to bury, Anna is caught in an impossible dilemma. With the centennial gala approaching, she must decide how far she’s willing to go to expose the truth. Because doing so could wreck all of their perfect lives in one instant…

In this gripping tale of scandal, deception, and female solidarity, three women discover the steep price of perfection and the unshakable strength of friendship. A riveting, emotional story that will captivate fans of Big Little Lies, Lucinda Berry and Jodi Picoult.

Ope’s Opinion: This is my second book by Caitlin Weaver and I am ready for her next one. I really enjoyed the flow and tension in the book. It made me want to keep reading long after I needed to stop to get to other things in my life.

The three strong women characters were relatable. They were unlikely friends, but Weaver wrote it in such a way that made me believe in them. The support each of these women gave to each other was awesome.

I am ready to read whatever Caitlin Weaver decides to write next.

Publisher: Forever
Genre: Romance
Source: Forever ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: From the cohost of the award-winning Forever35 podcast comes a dreamy, laugh-out-loud summer romance that asks: What do you do when the life you’ve planned isn’t what you’ve dreamed?

Clara Millen’s life is spiraling out of control: her dream job is a nightmare, she’s resoundingly single, and it’s been years since she’s taken some time off. Thankfully, the last problem she can fix—this year she’ll join her friends on their annual summer vacation to their beloved childhood sleepover camp for a much-needed escape.

But when Clara arrives at Pine Lake Camp, she faces yet another unwelcome change: the owners are retiring and selling the property. The news turns her plans for revelry into a night of reminiscing . . . and prompts a surprise heart-to-heart between Clara and Mack, her old camp nemesis and constant competitor, who’s still just as annoying (and annoyingly handsome).

Soon the campfires aren’t all that’s throwing off sparks. And when one wildly passionate night turns into two (then too many to count!), Clara begins to wonder if she and Mack could have a future together. But when Clara’s boss finally offers her everything she’s worked so hard for, Clara will need to decide if the life she’s always wanted is the life that makes her feel truly alive

Ope’s Opinion: This is just barely a three chair. The characters go back to camp where they were together when they were fifteen years old. Throughout the time they revisited camp, they acted like they were fifteen again. I kept yelling at them to grow up.

Mack and Clara were they main characters. They were the most immature and frustrating. Their constant push and pull towards each other got really old, really fast. They were so self centered.

The foul language was splattered through the whole book.

The ending was exactly what you would expect.

Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Romance
Source: Berkley ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: Lifelong best friends spend a fateful summer discovering what might happen if they were to be something more in this radiant, heart-clenching adult debut.

Laniah Thompson is a homebody who craves privacy. Issac Jordan is internet famous and spends his days followed by paparazzi. She runs a small business with her mom in her hometown. He runs an international brand.

And they’ve been best friends since childhood.

When Issac comes home to Providence for the first time in months and discovers Laniah’s dream is slipping out of reach as she and her mom struggle to pay the bills at Wildly Green, their natural hair store, she refuses to take a dime from him. And so, he does what any self-respecting best friend would do: tells the world they’re dating.

Suddenly business is booming, and Laniah agrees to his ridiculous plan to pretend to be lovers for the course of the summer. Just long enough to catch the eye of an investor and get her dream back on track, like she helped him do so many years ago, he reminds her.

Too soon, though, Laniah knows she’s playing with fire, because for as long as they’ve been friends there’s an undeniable pull they’ve never given in to. And as the lines between art and life—real and pretend—blur, it becomes harder and harder to see where friendship ends and something else begins….

Told over the course of three sizzling summer months, A Love Like the Sun is about shared history, those who make us our bravest selves, and love in its many forms.

Ope’s Opinion: This book is somewhere between a 2.5 and a 3. Parts of were really good and others were not.

The first few chapters were confusing. I was not sure where the author was going with the story line. Later in the book, those chapters came back into the story line. It was sort of a side story that could have been left out. It did not add to the story.

A sweet romance happened and I was enjoying the book. The tension between Laniah and Issac was written so well. It seemed like a tender friendship turning to a romance.

Then all this sexual fantasy and steamy explicit detailed sex was written that could have just been left out. I was skimming so much of this part.

It felt like two different authors wrote the book – one a sweet romance the other a lot of steamy scenes. This part of kind of ruined it for me.

Publisher: Flatiron Books
Genre: Romance
Source: Flatiron Books ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: A debut about a rom-com screenwriter who doesn’t believe in love and a divorce attorney who does, forced together at their high school reunion fifteen years after their breakup

Molly Marks writes Hollywood rom-coms for a living—which is how she knows “romance” is a racket. The one and only time she was naive enough to fall in love was with her high school boyfriend, Seth—who she ghosted on the eve of graduation and hasn’t seen in fifteen years.

Seth Rubinstein believes in love, the grand, fated kind, despite his job as, well…one of Chicago’s most successful divorce attorneys. Over the last decade, he’s sought “the one” in countless bad dates and rushed relationships. He knows his soulmate is out there. But so far, no one can compare to Molly Marks, the first girl who broke his heart.

When Molly’s friends drag her to Florida for their fifteenth high school reunion, it is poetic justice that she’s forced to sit with Seth. Too many martinis and a drunken hookup later, they decide to make a bet: whoever can predict the fate of five couples before the next reunion must declare that the other is right about true love. The catch? The fifth couple is the two of them.

Molly assures Seth they are a tale of timeless heartbreak. Seth promises she’ll end up hopelessly in love with him. She thinks he’s delusional. He has five years to prove her wrong.

Wickedly funny, sexy, and brimming with laughs and heart like the best romantic comedies, Just Some Stupid Love Story is for everyone who believes in soulmates—even if they would never admit it.

Ope’s Opinion: This was a very cute story. I did get tired of Molly’s smart remarks and her attitude. Seth seemed to be such a good guy.

I liked that there were other relationships throughout the story that you kept getting updates on. I did feel like the story drug on in some parts.

Publisher: Dell
Genre: Romance
Source: Library

Goodreads: An act of terror. A summer of change . . .

Never Too Late is a stirring drama about the power of human connection and embracing brave change, from the billion copy bestseller, Danielle Steel.

Following the death of her beloved husband, Kezia Cooper Hobson decides to leave her home in San Francisco and move to a luxury penthouse in Manhattan, where she’ll be closer to her two adult daughters.

As she watches the 4th July firework display from her terrace, Kezia is shocked to see smoke and flames pouring from famous landmarks across New York City. Her neighbour, the famous movie star Sam Stewart, is also aware of the crisis, and watches in horror as the terrifying drama unfolds.

Determined to offer their assistance, Kezia and Sam hasten to the site and swiftly become involved in the rescue effort. Shocked and traumatized by the events they experience, Kezia and Sam bond in the days and weeks that follow one of the worst nights the country has ever known.

What follows is a summer of healing and change, and the discovery that it’s never too late for dreams to be born again . . .

Ope’s Opinion: This is a. typical Danielle Steel book. It is a story that is being told, but you never feel like you are a part of it. I just wasn’t invested in the characters. I was interested in what was going to happen, but definitely not a page turner or holding my breath to see what is next. It was just okay.

The ending was exactly what you expect. You could see what was coming from the beginning. No surprises here at all.

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Penguin Young Readers ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: Dark romance, high stakes, and plot twists abound in this paperback original YA thriller that’s perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover.

What you don’t know can hurt you….

It’s been months since the accident that killed Ella’s best friend, Hayley, and Ella can’t stop blaming herself. Now Ella is back at school, and everywhere she looks are reminders of her best friend—including Sawyer, Hayley’s boyfriend. Little by little, they grow closer, until Ella realizes something horrifying . . .

She’s in love with her dead best friend’s boyfriend.

Racked with guilt, Ella turns to Hayley’s journal, hoping she’ll find something in the pages that will make her feel better about what’s happening. Instead, she discovers that Sawyer has secrets of his own and that his relationship with Hayley wasn’t as picture-perfect as it seemed.

Ella knows she should stay away but finds herself inextricably drawn to him—and scared of everything she never knew about him. Perhaps it’s his grief. Or maybe his desires, cut short by tragedy. Or could it be something twisted only Hayley knew about?

A dark, romantic thriller perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover and Laura Nowlin, Everything We Never Said explores the secrets in even the best of friendships and asks how well you ever know the ones you love.

Ope’s Opinion: Wow! This story was intense. It had a couple of large twists that I did not see coming. I went down the road not realizing where it was going.

The topic of toxic relationships was handled so well, I think I will recommend my granddaughter reading this one. My only reservations were the amount of sex scenes and details that were given. I do believe the point could have been made without the details.

The ending was good. I will look for what this author writes next.

Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Nonfictiion
Source: Library

Goodreads: For the first time, discover the unedited truth about the Duggars, the traditional Christian family that captivated the nation on TLC’s hit show 19 Kids and Counting. Jill Duggar and her husband Derick are finally ready to share their story, revealing the secrets, manipulation, and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans.

Jill and Derick knew a normal life wasn’t possible for them. As a star on the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, Jill grew up in front of viewers who were fascinated by her family’s way of life. She was the responsible, second daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle’s nineteen kids; always with a baby on her hip and happy to wear the modest ankle-length dresses with throat-high necklines. She didn’t protest the strict model of patriarchy that her family followed, which declares that men are superior, that women are expected to be wives and mothers and are discouraged from attaining a higher education, and that parental authority over their children continues well into adulthood, even once they are married.

But as Jill got older, married Derick, and they embarked on their own lives, the red flags became too obvious to ignore. For as long as they could, Jill and Derick tried to be obedient family members — they weren’t willing to rock the boat. But now they’re raising a family of their own, and they’re done with the secrets. Thanks to time, tears, therapy, and blessings from God, they have the strength to share their journey. Theirs is a remarkable story of the power of the truth and is a moving example of how to find healing through honesty.

Ope’s Opinion: I have watched the show 19 Kids and Counting and the show Counting On, so I was very interested in hearing Jill and Derick’s perspective on their family and where they are now.

It felt real and honest to me. She didn’t throw her family under the bus, but I do think she told her story as she lived it. It could not have been easy to be in the middle of filming a show and know you needed out, but also know it would effect a lot of other people.

I have always thought living life under the watchful eye of the public would be very hard. I think she did it with grace.

Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Fiction
Source: Library

Goodreads: In this thought-provoking, wise and emotionally rich novel, New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs explores the meaning of happiness, trust, and faith in oneself as she asks the question, “If you had to start over, what would you do and who would you be?”

There is a book for everything . . .

Somewhere in the vast Library of the Universe, as Natalie thought of it, there was a book that embodied exactly the things she was worrying about.

In the wake of a shocking tragedy, Natalie Harper inherits her mother’s charming but financially strapped bookshop in San Francisco. She also becomes caretaker for her ailing grandfather Andrew, her only living relative—not counting her scoundrel father.

But the gruff, deeply kind Andrew has begun displaying signs of decline. Natalie thinks it’s best to move him to an assisted living facility to ensure the care he needs. To pay for it, she plans to close the bookstore and sell the derelict but valuable building on historic Perdita Street, which is in need of constant fixing. There’s only one problem–Grandpa Andrew owns the building and refuses to sell. Natalie adores her grandfather; she’ll do whatever it takes to make his final years happy. Besides, she loves the store and its books provide welcome solace for her overwhelming grief.

After she moves into the small studio apartment above the shop, Natalie carries out her grandfather’s request and hires contractor Peach Gallagher to do the necessary and ongoing repairs. His young daughter, Dorothy, also becomes a regular at the store, and she and Natalie begin reading together while Peach works.

To Natalie’s surprise, her sorrow begins to dissipate as her life becomes an unexpected journey of new connections, discoveries and revelations, from unearthing artifacts hidden in the bookshop’s walls, to discovering the truth about her family, her future, and her own heart.

Ope’s Opinion: The cover and name of this book caught my attention right away. The story was a good one. It started out a bit sad and a little depressing – it took a little too long to be positive.

It did drag at times for me. It was obvious where the story was going to go – no surprises. It did have a sort of happy ending.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Giffin
Genre: Mystery
Source: My daughter

Goodreads: Scottoline writes riveting thrillers that keep me up all night, with plots that twist and turn. Harlan Coben

One boy. One lawyer. One chance for justice.

Ten-year-old Patrick O’Brien is a natural target at school. Shy, dyslexic, and small for his age, he tries to hide his first-grade reading level from everyone: from his classmates, from the grandfather who cares for him, and from the teachers who are supposed to help him. But the real trouble begins when Patrick is accused of attacking a school aide. The aide promptly quits and sues the boy, his family, and the school district. Patrick’s grandfather turns to the law firm of Rosato & DiNunzio for help and Mary DiNunzio is on the case. Soon Mary becomes Patrick’s true champion and his only hope for security and justice. But there is more to the story than meets the eye and Patrick might be more troubled than he seems. With twists at every turn and secrets about the family coming to light, Mary DiNunzio might have found the case that can make her a true protector, or break her heart…

With Lisa Scottoline s trademark emotional depth and fast-paced action, “Damaged” will have readers riveted to the last page as they root for the beloved characters and their fight for justice.”

Ope’s Opinion: The story line of this book is amazing. It is the fourth in a series – it felt like a stand alone. I thought the way Lisa Scottoline handled dyslexia was so on point. She gave information on the legal rights of children with disabilities that I was not aware of.

The book was a bit longer than I thought it needed to be. The minute details were distracting and made me skim some parts.

The ending was a bit of a surprise and I thought it was great.