Category Archives: Book Opinion

The Family Next Door

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Author: Sally Hepworth
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Mystery
Source: Goodreads

Goodreads: 

A gripping domestic page-turner full of shocking reveals, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Amanda Prowse and Kerry Fisher.

The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours, and children play in the street.

Isabelle Heatherington doesn’t fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.

But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide. Like the reason behind Ange’s compulsion to control every aspect of her life. Or why Fran won’t let her sweet, gentle husband near her new baby. Or why, three years ago, Essie took her daughter to the park – and returned home without her.

As their obsession with their new neighbour grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread – and they’ll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see.

Ope’s Opinion:  The chapters are written in each characters voice and perspective.  It was clear who was talking, there were just a lot of people to keep track of in the beginning.  After each persons personality became clear, it was easier to follow the story lines.

It did feel a bit like a soap opera.  They all lived on the same street, they all had drama going on and they all put on happy faces outside of their homes.  Then the lies and secrets started being revealed and the fake faces came off. There were a few twists, but the biggest one was a surprise to me ( a really good one ).  I guessed totally wrong.

The end was good, not wrapped up in a neat bow ( more realistic ).  I liked it.  Could there be more to come for this group of people?

Thank you Goodreads for sending this book to me.

Daughters for a Time

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Author: Jennifer Handford
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
Genre: Fiction
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

Goodreads:  Feelings of abandonment fill Helen Francis at a too-young age when her mother dies and her father walks out. Left in the care of her older sister, Claire, she moves on but never truly heals. Now thirty-five and married, Helen is desperate to start a family of her own. After four unsuccessful years of trying to become pregnant, Helen accepts the idea of adoption.

When her baby is finally in her arms, Helen experiences true exaltation. But she is quickly blindsided with the worst possible news: Claire has cancer. Helen’s wounds are again torn open as she balances the bliss of a new daughter with the grief of a dying sister.

Ope’s Opinion: This was a sad story with a positive message, it was not depressing.  The characters each handled death in different ways.  It effects the rest of their lives.  They learn and grow, so it isn’t all sad.  There are several other issues they deal with, such as an absentee father and infertility. 

I enjoyed the book even though it dealt with such heavy subjects because the author handled them in such a realistic manner.  She also balanced it with positive attitudes from some of the characters.  Claire was a very strong woman – which I enjoy reading.

The ending was a little rushed for me and maybe a little too neat, but it was a good way to end it.

The Invisibles

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Author: Cecilia Galante
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Fiction
Source: William Morrow Paperbacks

 

Goodreads:  In the vein of Meg Donohue and Jennifer Close, comes Cecilia Galante’s adult debut about the complicated and powerful bonds of female friendship–a compelling, moving novel that is told in both the present and the past.

Thrown together by chance as teenagers at Turning Winds Home for Girls, Nora, Ozzie, Monica, and Grace quickly bond over their troubled pasts and form their own family which they dub The Invisibles. But when tragedy strikes after graduation, Nora is left to deal with the horrifying aftermath alone as the other three girls leave home and don’t look back.

Fourteen years later, Nora is living a quiet, single life working in the local library. She is content to focus on her collection of “first lines” (her favorite opening lines from novels) and her dog, Alice Walker, when out-of-the-blue Ozzie calls her on her thirty-second birthday. But after all these years, Ozzie hasn’t called her to wish a happy birthday. Instead, she tells Nora that Grace attempted suicide and is pleading for The Invisibles to convene again. Nora is torn: she is thrilled at the thought of being in touch with her friends, and yet she is hesitant at seeing these women after such a long and silent period of time. Bolstered by her friends at the library, Nora joins The Invisibles in Chicago for a reunion that sets off an extraordinary chain of events that will change each of their lives forever.

The Invisibles is an unforgettable novel that asks the questions: How much of our pasts define our present selves? And what does it take to let go of some of our most painful wounds and move on?

Ope’s Opinion:  I would really only give this a two and a half, if I could have a half of a chair.

I love books with tension that keep me reading.  This book felt like the author was trying to create tension by saying things like ” With everything that happened” or “After that night”, but it just wasn’t there – it didn’t come naturally.  It kind of frustrated me.  After a while, I was like just tell us what happened.

I got bored at times and put it down – it did not call me back to it, but I did want to finish it.  I realized this was not a feel good read – didn’t expect it to be, but it was too heavy from all the different perspectives.  I needed someone to be positive.

At the end of a book, I should be sad to flip the last page – wanting more.  At the end of this book, I was just relieved.  I didn’t want to be sad anymore.  I didn’t want to feel so weighed down.

The Stories We Tell

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Author: Patti Callahan Henry
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Fiction
Source: Karen’s Korner

Goodreads:  Bestselling author Patti Callahan Henry is back with a powerful novel about the stories we tell and the people we trust.

Eve and Cooper Morrison are Savannah’s power couple. They’re on every artistic board and deeply involved in the community. She owns and operates a letterpress studio specializing in the handmade; he runs a digital magazine featuring all things southern gentlemen. The perfect juxtaposition of the old and the new, Eve and Cooper are the beautiful people. The lucky ones. And they have the wealth and name that comes from being part of an old Georgia family. But things may not be as good as they seem.

Eve’s sister, Willa, is staying with the family until she gets “back on her feet.” Their daughter, Gwen, is all adolescent rebellion. And Cooper thinks Eve works too much. Still, the Morrison marriage is strong. After twenty-one years together, Eve and Cooper know each other. They count on each other. They know what to expect. But when Cooper and Willa are involved in a car accident, the questions surrounding the event bring the family close to breaking point. Sifting between the stories—what Cooper says, what Willa remembers, what the evidence indicates—Eve has to find out what really happened. And what she’s going to do about it.

A riveting story about the power of truth, The Stories we Tell will open your eyes and rearrange your heart.

Ope’s Opinion: When you start reading this book, put away any preconceived ideas of where this story is going.  The path is winding, at times frustrating, and isn’t what I expected.  The tension in the story starts from the beginning – it is what kept me reading. 

I do wish Eve ( the main character ) had been a stronger person.  She was a bit naive.  It took her a long time to look truth in the face.  I think she knew it long before she accepted it.

The ending is a little too neat after the unexpected story – just a little disappointing.

Merry and Bright

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Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Fiction / Holiday
Source:  Library

 

Goodreads:  Christmas is the season of the heart, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber is here to warm yours with a delightful holiday novel of first impressions and second chances.
Merry Smith is pretty busy these days. She’s taking care of her family, baking cookies, decorating for the holidays, and hoping to stay out of the crosshairs of her stressed and by-the-book boss at the consulting firm where she temps. Her own social life is the last thing she has in mind, much less a man. Without her knowledge, Merry’s well-meaning mom and brother create an online dating profile for her–minus her photo–and the matches start rolling in. Initially, Merry is incredulous, but she reluctantly decides to give it a whirl.
Soon Merry finds herself chatting with a charming stranger, a man with similar interests and an unmistakably kind soul. Their online exchanges become the brightest part of her day. But meeting face-to-face is altogether different, and her special friend is the last person Merry expects–or desires. Still, sometimes hearts can see what our eyes cannot. In this satisfying seasonal tale, unanticipated love is only a click away.

Ope’s Opinion:  I liked the story.  It was a nice, light read.  I think it should be made into a Hallmark movie. 

This was the first book I have listened to.  The reader did a good female voices, but the male voices were very fake and kind of gruff when the character wasn’t.  I did like being able to do laundry or cook while listening to a book.  I will probably try listening to books again.

Save this one for next Christmas – it will be a wonderful escape!

After Anna

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Author: Alex Lake
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Source: Harper Collins

 

Goodreads:  The real nightmare starts when her daughter is returned…

A bone-chilling psychological thriller that will suit fans of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Daughter by Jane Shemilt, and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

A girl is missing. Five years old, taken from outside her school. She has vanished, traceless. The police are at a loss; her parents are beyond grief. Their daughter is lost forever, perhaps dead, perhaps enslaved. But the biggest mystery is yet to come: one week after she was abducted, their daughter is returned. She has no memory of where she has been. And this, for her mother, is just the beginning of the nightmare.

Ope’s Opinion:  Although you know from the synopsis that Anna is kidnapped and returned, the reading was very intense and scary.  The story is moved along from the point of view of the mother and the kidnapper. 

The middle part of the book lagged.  I feel like the author was trying to keep the reader intrigued and make it tense.  Instead, it just made the story drag out longer then necessary.

The end was good, I guess for a mystery thriller.  It was bit over the top for me.  A little too unbelievable.  Not sure how to explain it without ruining the outcome.  Figured it out, but not too far in advance.

Only You

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Author: Denise Grover Swank
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Romance
Source: Library

 

Goodreads:  Romance isn’t an option for Holly Greenwood. With her wedding planner career on the line she needs to stay focused, and that means pleasing her demanding boss, not getting distracted by her mind-alteringly hot neighbor . . .

Ex-Marine Kevin Vandemeer craves normalcy. Instead, he has a broken-down old house in need of a match and some gasoline, a meddling family, and the uncanny ability to attract the world’s craziest women. At least that last one he can fix: he and his buddies have made a pact to swear off women, and this includes his sweetly sexy new neighbor.

After one hot night that looks a whole lot like a disaster in the light of day, Kevin and Holly are about to learn that true love doesn’t play by the rules . . .

Ope’s Opinion:  This was the second book by Denise Grover Swank that I have read.  The first one ( One Paris Summer ) was amazing!  It made me search out another book by her.  This one was disappointing.

Realizing this is in the Romance genre, I expected some steamy parts.  But there wasn’t enough story to go along with the steam for me.  I didn’t see what Holly and Kevin had in common other then physical attraction.  Add to that, the foul language was over used in place of some descriptive words that would have helped me see what DGS was wanting me to visualize ( telling me that Kevin’s house looked like “shit”  didn’t help me see it ).

If DGS writes another Young Adult book, I might pick it up.

The Wife

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Author: Alafair Burke
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Source:  Jennifer at HarperCollins

Goodreads:  When Angela met Jason Powell while catering a dinner party in East Hampton, she assumed their romance would be a short-lived fling, like so many relationships between locals and summer visitors. To her surprise, Jason, a brilliant economics professor at NYU, had other plans, and they married the following summer. For Angela, the marriage turned out to be a chance to reboot her life. She and her son were finally able to move out of her mother’s home to Manhattan, where no one knew about her tragic past.

Six years later, thanks to a bestselling book and a growing media career, Jason has become a cultural lightning rod, placing Angela near the spotlight she worked so carefully to avoid. When a college intern makes an accusation against Jason, and another woman, Kerry Lynch, comes forward with an even more troubling allegation, their perfect life begins to unravel. Jason insists he is innocent, and Angela believes him. But when Kerry disappears, Angela is forced to take a closer look at the man she married. And when she is asked to defend Jason in court, she realizes that her loyalty to her husband could unearth old secrets.

This much-anticipated follow-up to Burke’s Edgar-nominated The Ex asks how far a wife will go to protect the man she loves: Will she stand by his side, even if he drags her down with him?

Ope’s Opinion: This story definitely had a lot of twists.  It had short chapters, which kept it moving quickly.  I kept thinking, one more chapter, just one more! This felt like it was partly taken out of the headlines that are happening today, but the rest of it was definitely amazing fiction.

It was interesting that Angela’s history played such a large part in the story.  She had her own secrets and her own agenda.  Jason had his issues and keeps you questioning about who he really is.  This makes the mystery / thriller intriguing.

The end of the story was breathtaking, but the end of the book felt like the story was left open.  Read it and you’ll understand!

Always and Forever Lara Jean

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Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon Schuster for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Purchased

Goodreads:  Lara Jean is having the best senior year. And there’s still so much to look forward to: a class trip to New York City, prom with her boyfriend Peter, Beach Week after graduation, and her dad’s wedding to Ms. Rothschild. Then she’ll be off to college with Peter, at a school close enough for her to come home and bake chocolate chip cookies on the weekends.

Life couldn’t be more perfect!

At least, that’s what Lara Jean thinks…until she gets some unexpected news.

Now the girl who dreads change must rethink all her plans—but when your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

Ope’s Opinion:  This was the third and final book in this series.  It was just as good as the other two. I am saving them for my granddaughter, when she gets a bit older ( she is eight).    There is a lot of romance, but not casual sex.  There is a little foul language, but not over the top.

In this book Lara Jean is in her senior year and getting ready to go off to college.  It is such a busy time for students of that age.  This book really did a great job of showing the excitement and angst of this age.  Lara Jean has friends who are headed in different directions – some to college, some to jobs, some on to other things in life – it was good for a young adult to read and see options.

I sort of wish she would write Lara Jean off at college, but Jenny Han said this was the end of the series for her.

 

The Wife Between Us

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Author: Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Thriller
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

Goodreads:  A novel of suspense that explores the complexities of marriage and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous wife and her obsession with her replacement.
You will assume you are reading about a woman about to enter a new marriage with the man she loves.
You will assume the first wife was a disaster and that the husband was well rid of her.
You will assume you know the motives, the history, the anatomy of the relationships.
Assume nothing.

Discover the next blockbuster novel of suspense, and get ready for the read of your life.

Ope’s Opinion:  Loved the ending and the twist was amazing.  It just took a long time to get there.  A couple of times I almost quit reading, but my daughter kept saying – don’t give up on it.  I am glad I didn’t give up on it.

I couldn’t figure out who was nuts and who was in their right mind.  I was frustrated at times, intrigued at other times.  I guess that is the sign of a good thriller.