Category: Family

Indie Weekend: Birds in Flight by #AnniTaylor #IndieBooks #IndieWeekend #SistersFiction #RoadTrips @PsychThrillers

BonnieReadsAndWrites8 Comments

Indie Weekend is my attempt to help Independent Authors with the task of marketing. Indie authors have to do it all, from cover design to editing, promotion, and more. If I can help even a little bit by sharing their wonderful books with others, I’m happy to do it.

Please share this review with your social media followers as well so we can spread the word about great Indie books as far as possible.

BOOK DESCRIPTION (AMAZON)

In 1998, the American Jorgenson family had been on a year-long road trip in Australia. On a humid, storming night, the mother – Elsa Jorgenson – vanished in an isolated stretch of Australian everglades. Elsa was never seen again.

That night, twelve-year-old Lily Jorgenson was left alone and terrified in the family camper—even her teenage sister Iris is missing. When Iris comes racing back through the rain, she refuses to tell where she’s been. Lily is certain her sister is hiding a dark secret.

24-years later, Lily is a travel writer living a settled life with her son in Pennsylvania, USA. Lily and Iris are estranged, with Iris’s secret having torn them apart. When floods dredge up their mother’s backpack from the everglades, tantalising clues are uncovered, and the police reactivate the cold case.

Lily returns to Australia, determined to force Iris to finally tell her secret – and to do that, she’ll have to reunite with her. But when Lily unlocks the gut-wrenching events of the past, everything she thought was true about her family is about to shatter.

BOOK REVIEW

In 1998, Elsa Jorgenson suddenly disappears during a road trip with her daughters, Lily and Iris, in Australia. Iris also vanishes briefly, but returns, and the girls begin a tumultuous journey without their mother, who has completely vanished. Twenty-four years later, Lily returns to Australia, determined to get answers. She will start with her estranged sister, Iris, for Lily is convinced Iris is keeping secrets.

Birds in Flight is a compelling and nuanced mystery that will keep you guessing. The secrets and revelations are riveting. Among the serious issues discussed are mental health, depression, abuse, abandonment, and cult-like behavior. This book is so richly layered, and as each layer is lifted, more of an absolutely intriguing mystery is revealed. It’s a dynamic story of family secrets and the quest to finally solve them. It’s also a road trip book in more ways than one, as Lily and Iris retrace their mother’s footsteps and learn her life story.

I had a hard time putting this mystery/adventure down, and the conclusion is clever, heartbreaking, and unexpected. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a complex mystery that explores family dynamics. This is a story you won’t soon forget.

I also listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Harriet Gordon-Anderson, was phenomenal. She was able to voice different characters and accents with ease. And her ability to truly make the characters who were talking on the phone actually sound that way was astonishing.

Five stars for the story. Five stars for the narration.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON | AMAZON UK | AUDIBLE

BEFORE YOU GO…

*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books.  Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers.  A little bit of help from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!

Indie Weekend: The Women in Me

BonnieReadsAndWrites7 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)

Are you caring for your chronically ill husband? Did you grow up with suicidal, alcoholic parents? Are you searching for a loving relationship? Have your efforts at starting a fulfilling career been thwarted by someone determined to hold you back? Maybe you’ve postponed your own dreams in order to keep from making waves with a significant other. Does your life seem to be heading a long wat from where you’d wish it to be? Any of these can steal your happiness or keep you from achieving your potential. All can crush your hopes and dreams.

This is the story of a woman who grew up in a dysfunctional family, was trapped by a predator at age 8, was suffocated by an abusive marriage, grappled with being a single mother, finally found her soulmate, struggled with a blended family, juggled the incompatible roles of wife and caregiver, yet maintained her faith, at least most of the time. She did it thanks to some special women who supported her in ways she didn’t recognize until she unconsciously drew upon their influence.

We hope you’ll learn to call on the influencers in our own life. Possibly you’ve drawn on them in your past and can now appreciate their impact on you.

BOOK REVIEW

In The Women in Me, Nancy Maloney-Mercado looks back at her life and the women who influenced her, especially four relatives who knew her from birth. She shares the lessons she learned from them and the characteristics she tried to emulate.

This reads more as a memoir than a self-help book, but it does inspire the reader to look back at the people who influenced them and guided them through problems in their own lives. Nancy’s experiences, which include having a suicidal mother, marriage to an alcoholic, and becoming her husband’s caregiver are experiences with which many readers may be able to relate. As Nancy talks about different struggles in her own life, she shares how her influencers helped her get through them, either directly or by using lessons they had taught her. Her influencers are described well, and with love and gratitude.

Although I would classify this as a memoir, it is a helpful memoir because it talks about very challenging life circumstances and one woman’s way of dealing with them. Most importantly, it emphasizes that it is vital to lean on the support and experiences of others and not to try and get through these things alone. And it might inspire you to be an influencer for someone else.

I received a free copy of this book. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Nancy Maloney-Mercado was born in Chicago, IL., but spent most of her adult life living in San Jose, CA. She began teaching in her late 20s, and she has happily walked that career path ever since, along the way building a reputation as a valuable member of many educational programs and institutions. When her latent artistic talent pushed its way to the surface, she began drawing and painting. Soon it was an integral part of who she was. In 2019 her beloved soulmate, Raymond, passed away after a long illness. She spends as much time as possible with her two daughters and granddaughter. As the existence of this book indicates, she continues to teach, at the same time finding new techniques to let her art express her life, experiences, and beliefs.

Jackie O’Donnell is a CA native. Her life has been spent in teaching, writing, and editing. She has four adult children—a devoted, caring son and daughter-in-law, plus another son and daughter who are far more than “step”—plus three grandchildren. Her beloved husband, Frank, succumbed to Agent Orange complications in 2016. She has published seven books, including one on saving money while helping the environment, another on everyday activities to make our world kinder and more just, one about helping people with disabilities cope with new 141 parenthood, and a volume of poetry (descriptions on her website (link below). Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JackieODonnell.

Contact Us at WomInMe@gmail.com.

YOU CAN FIND THE AUTHORS HERE: WEBSITE | TWITTER

BUY THE WOMEN IN ME ON AMAZON

*If you buy the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books.  Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help indie and self-published authors go a long way!

Blog Tour and Spotlight: The 3 AM Shattered Mums Club #RachelsRandomResources @ninamanninguk @rararesources

BonnieReadsAndWrites2 Comments

Three best friends. One late-night lifeline.



Meet Aisha, Sophy and Mel. Three new mums. All absolutely shattered.

For her social media fans, influencer Sophy has the picture-perfect life. But why does she feel so lonely all the time?

Older mum Mel wasn’t planning on being a mum later in life. What does this all mean for the career that she loved? Can she ever go back?

And Aisha, whose much loved twin boys bring her so much joy, but have caused a rift in her own family that she isn’t sure she can ever fix.

Navigating this new world of motherhood is hard. And the only sanity these three friends have is their 3am mums’ club, where they can chat and support each other in the dark of the night as their babies, finally, finally sleep.

But in the still of the night, secrets are revealed that could turn all their lives upside down…. more than they already are!

Bestselling author Nina Manning is back with a brand-new story of mum guilt, parenting pitfalls and friendship around the clock.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nina Manning studied psychology and was a restaurant-owner and private chef (including to members of the royal family). She is the founder and host of Sniffing The Pages, a book review podcast. The Daughter-in-Law is her debut psychological thriller. The Guilty Wife published in March 2020, The House Mate published in October 2020. The Bridesmaid published May 2021 and Queen Bee in January 2022. Her latest thriller The Waitress published in July 2022. Nina also writes mum-lit and The 3am Shattered Mums’ Club published in October 2022. She lives in Oxfordshire with her family.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON | AMAZON UK

*Kindle Unlimited Subscribers can read this book for free.

RACHEL’S RANDOM RESOURCES

Indie Weekend: The Girl Who Feared Trains #1918Pandemic #Great Depression #IndieAuthors @mpgerler

BonnieReadsAndWrites9 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Over one hundred years before COVID-19, the flu pandemic of 1918 sweeps through Georgetown, South Carolina, claiming the life of young, pregnant Alice Virginia Freeman Pow. Alice’s little girls, three-year-old Tante and five-year-old Dixie, board the train for Savannah, Georgia to live with their grandmother, Aunt Sissy, leaving their beloved father alone in Georgetown. When, after seven years, Daddy remarries, Tante and Dixie return to their father and his new wife, losing yet another mother, Aunt Sissy. Shortly after the girls’ arrival, The Great Depression engulfs the country, followed closely by Daddy’s sudden and tragic illness. Tante equates train rides with tragedy and loss, but, despite the heartache of separation and the uncertainty that awaits at the end of each journey, the young woman recalls a childhood of family who loves and nurtures her and the Real Mother who promises she’ll never leave.

BOOK REVIEW

This is a true story and a tribute by the author to her family. After the 1918 pandemic kills her mother, 3-year-old Tante and her sister Dixie leave South Carolina and board a train. Their father will remain behind and they are going to stay with their grandmother. Several years later, when their father remarries, they board a train and go to live with him and his new wife, leaving behind their beloved grandmother. Then the Great Depression begins, and her father falls ill. The author beautifully weaves together the story of her family, filled with love, loss, and train rides,

This is a gorgeously written novel in which trains become a symbol of heartbreak, loss, and new beginnings that aren’t exactly welcome. It is the coming-of-age story of the author’s mother, but also a history of significant events in the early 20th Century United States. The author brings her departed loved ones to life and introduces them to the reader so well that they become dear friends. The love of family and their resilience in hard times make this a hard one to put down. I must also mention the amazing cover, which immediately draws you in. Highly recommended to fans of US historical fiction.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Padgett Gerler was born on the coast of South Carolina but grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, in the heart of the Alleghany Highlands. (Padgett’s husband, Ed, calls it Dick and Jane Country.) She has spent most of her adult life in the Coastal and Piedmont regions of North Carolina. She graduated from North Carolina State University (in a brief 28 years) with a degree in accounting and enjoyed a career as a CPA in public and corporate accounting. In 2010, when her love of writing leapt way ahead of her love of accounting, she left her hard-earned profession to pursue a career in fiction writing. Because of her immersion in southern culture and dialect, Padgett writes of the southern experience, from the mountains to the coast. (She is a scholar of y’all, y’all’s, and all y’all’s.)

When she isn’t writing, Padgett loves reading, especially other authors’ takes on the southern experience. She also enjoys the beaches of North Carolina, travel, aqua aerobics, knitting, NC State basketball, and doing nothing.

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Amazon UK

BEFORE YOU GO

*If you buy the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books.  Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!

#bookreview: #Dreamland by #NicholasSparks

BonnieReadsAndWrites14 Comments

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BOOK DESCRIPTION

Colby Mills once felt destined for a musical career, until tragedy grounded his aspirations. Now the head of a small family farm in North Carolina, he spontaneously takes a gig playing at a bar in St. Pete Beach, Florida, seeking a rare break from his duties at home.
 
But when he meets Morgan Lee, his world is turned upside-down, making him wonder if the responsibilities he has shouldered need to dictate his life forever. The daughter of affluent Chicago doctors, Morgan has graduated from a prestigious college music program with the ambition to move to Nashville and become a star. Romantically and musically, she and Colby complete each other in a way that neither has ever known.
 
While they are falling headlong in love, Beverly is on a heart-pounding journey of another kind. Fleeing an abusive husband with her six-year-old son, she is trying to piece together a life for them in a small town far off the beaten track. With money running out and danger seemingly around every corner, she makes a desperate decision that will rewrite everything she knows to be true.
 
In the course of a single unforgettable week, two young people will navigate the exhilarating heights and heartbreak of first love. Hundreds of miles away, Beverly will put her love for her young son to the test. And fate will draw all three people together in a web of life-altering connections . . . forcing each to wonder whether the dream of a better life can ever survive the weight of the past.

BOOK REVIEW

I’m really torn on this one. I enjoyed the love story, and I don’t always enjoy love stories. It was written really well, as all of Sparks’ books are. However, it employs a plot device that I absolutely hate and which I personally feel is a copout. Thus I cannot give it more than three stars.

I cannot go into the plot device too much without providing spoilers, but this particular device just ends up making me mad. This has great characters and a great story, but I ultimately felt cheated by that particular tactic. Others may not have a problem with it at all.

If you want to see more about my issue with this book, here is my Goodreads review. On Goodreads, spoilers can be hidden. So, if you wish to go to the review and unhide the spoilers, you will see what I’m talking about.

I received a copy of this book from Random House via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 105 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 75 million copies in the United States alone.

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google | Kobo

Blog Tour and #bookreview #Ourstolenchild by #MelissaWiesner #invitro

BonnieReadsAndWrites10 Comments

I grip my husband’s hand tight. The doctor is frowning. “Mr and Mrs Marcello… I’m so sorry.” She tells us there’s been a terrible mistake. Our last embryo—our last chance—was accidentally given to someone else. The child we made four years ago calls another woman “Mommy.”

Quinn cries silent tears as she folds a tiny knitted cardigan, bought in a moment of hope, and packs it away. All she’s ever wanted is to be a mother. Although her husband James brings her comfort, the knowledge they have no embryos left, and that their child is out there being raised by another family, is tearing them both apart.

When the lawyers tell them there’s a chance to get custody, James is unsure. But Quinn knows she has to take it: if only to look her little girl in the eyes, just once. Meeting Emily and the woman who raised her, Quinn’s heart cracks wide open. Emily looks just like Quinn, right down to her curly hair. And when the little girl flings her arms around Quinn’s waist, she can’t shake the feeling this is where Emily is meant to be.

As the two families reckon with an unimaginable decision, a secret from James’ past surfaces… one that forces Quinn to question everything she thought she wanted. But how will they decide what’s right for the little girl they all love so dearly? And where does Emily truly belong?

BOOK REVIEW

Our Stolen Child grabs you right at the beginning and will not let you go. Quinn and her husband James are trying desperately to have a child, but their attempts at invitro fertilization have failed. Quinn is about to embark on their final chance with their one last embryo when she is given the worst possible news. The embryo was accidentally given to someone else and is now an almost four-year-old girl.

Quinn’s reaction and the devastation of both families will rip your heart out. The battles that evolve from this, both legal and emotional, kept me glued to the page. Then secrets emerge that take this book to another level as Quinn tries to decide what is best for Emily. The unimaginable situation, the ethical impact, and the murky secrets revolving around James make this a “must keep reading now” type of book. When I finally set this book down, I had finished it. Gripping, powerful, and compelling, Our Stolen Child will keep you mesmerized until the end.

I received a free copy of this book from Bookouture via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Thank you to Bookouture for a chance to read this fine novel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Wiesner is a night-owl who began writing novels about five years ago when her early-to-bed family retired for the evening. In 2019, she won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Award in the Mainstream Fiction Category for her first novel. Melissa holds two Master’s Degrees in Public Health and Community Agency Counseling. Her day job is in Social Work where she often encounters people knocked down by hard times but who pick themselves up and keep going, just like the characters of her novels. Melissa lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her charming husband and two adorable children.

MELISSA’S WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Amazon UK

Self-published Saturday: My Alien Life #bookreview

BonnieReadsAndWrites3 Comments

Self-published Saturday is my effort to help self-published/indie authors with marketing. Self-published/indie authors have to do it all, from cover design to editing to spreading the word about their book. If I can help even a little with marketing, I’m happy to do it. Below is my review of My Alien Life, a wonderful novella about a 9-year-old girl taken in by her elderly aunt after her father’s death.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

“My mother was a no-nonsense woman. If it wasn’t in the Bible or on Jerry Springer, then it couldn’t happen. Of course, there’s a lot of freaky stuff in the Good Book, with ladders to heaven and angels with animal faces and such. And crazy, muckraking talk shows probably aren’t the best yardstick for anything short of how depraved humans can be. But the point is that when she was abducted by aliens and impregnated with me, she had some trouble processing. I’m pretty sure Jerry actually covered that one, but I guess she missed the show that day. TiVo hadn’t been invented yet, just in case you’re wondering. Trust me, if it had, she’d have been all over that.” — Lynette, age 9

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. Martain is a coastal North Carolina native who spends most of her time questioning the way the universe and all the beings in it work. This often leads her down a deep research rabbit hole until she resurfaces with a new theory and a backstory to explain it. Her characters are sometimes human, sometimes not, but they prefer not to be judged on that criteria.

#BookReview

Abandoned by her mother, Lynette is raised and cared for by her devoted father, until the day he dies when she is 9.  Amongst a sea of uncaring relatives, her elderly Aunt Magnolia arrives and takes her home, with a deal that “Mags” will stay alive at least until Lynette is 16 and can raise herself.  This is a heart-touching novella that will induce smiles as well as tears. 

The writing of J. Martain absolutely captivated me throughout.  Every bit of dialogue and every descriptive word paints a vivid and imaginative picture that allows the reader to completely immerse themselves in Lynette’s world. Lynette’s strong, realistic, and precocious personality just jumps off the page. Mags’ no-nonsense manner does not hide her loving nature, and she begins showing Lynette how to care for herself at a very young age.  Together they are an unlikely pair—a woman in her 90s and a preteen, but they become a family.  This is a lifetime of a story in four chapters and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves stories with strong characters

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON | AMAZON UK

BEFORE YOU GO

*If you buy the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books.  Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share this book with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published/indie authors go a long way!

Self-Published Saturday: Christmas in ’45 #christmasfiction #fathersanddaughters

BonnieReadsAndWrites5 Comments

Self-published Saturday is my effort to help self-published and indie authors with marketing. Self-published/indie authors have to do it all, from cover design to editing to spreading the word about their book. If I can help even a little with marketing, I’m happy to do it. Below is my review of a wonderful Christmas novella, Christmas in ’45, by Indie author Mark W. Sasse.

BOOK REVIEW

On Christmas Eve, 1944, Roberta and her mother are notified that her father has been killed in the war. The following year, Roberta struggles with loss, grief, anger, and moving on. As Christmas 1945 approaches, she’s decided not to celebrate it at all. But love, patience, and a wonderful gesture could change everything.

This is a beautiful Christmas novella about loss and starting over again. It’s also about fathers, daughters, and grief. It will break your heart as you watch a little girl try to heal from losing her Dad. If you enjoy heart-touching Christmas stories, you will appreciate this novel, which explores the love of a father and the different forms it can take.

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark W Sasse is a novelist and award-winning playwright and director. He vacillates on a daily basis between which genre of writing he enjoys the most. Luckily, he doesn’t have to choose! Sasse’s novels have been featured on curated sites such as Bookbub, Freebooksy, and EReaderNewsToday while his plays have been produced in New York, Penang, Columbus, Kuala Lumpur, and Sydney, Australia, among other places.

MARK’S SOCIAL MEDIA: FACEBOOK | WEBSITE

BUY LINKS: AMAZON | AMAZON UK

BEFORE YOU GO

*If you buy the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books.  Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published/indie authors go a long way!

Blog Tour and #bookreview: Elodie’s Library of Second Chances #RachelsRandomResources

BonnieReadsAndWrites7 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Elodie’s Library of Second Chances

An uplifting story about fresh starts, new beginnings and the power of stories, from the bestselling author of Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop!

When Elodie applies for the job of librarian in peaceful Willow Grove, she’s looking forward to a new start. As the daughter of a media empire, her every move has been watched for years, and she longs to work with the thing she loves most: books.

It’s a chance to make a real difference too, because she soon realises that there are other people in Willow Grove who might need a fresh start – like the homeless man everyone walks past without seeing, or the divorcée who can’t seem to escape her former husband’s misdeeds.

Together with local journalist Finn, Elodie decides these people have stories that need sharing. What if instead of borrowing books readers could ‘borrow’ a person, and hear the life stories of those they’ve overlooked?

But Elodie isn’t quite sharing her whole story either. As the story of the library’s new success grows, will her own secret be revealed?

BOOK REVIEW

I love books about libraries, but this is more than just a book about a library. This is a book about people, and getting the chance to tell your own story. The beginning of the book which describes Elodie’s experiences as the daughter of media moguls is not as interesting, but it takes on a completely different life when she arrives in Willow Grove and starts planning to save the library. I am not always a fan of the “poor little rich girl” theme, but this book won me over.

I especially loved the way Elodie was drawn to the town outcasts and wanted to know about their lives. The misunderstood, ostracized, bullied, and betrayed were given a voice. They became living books in the People’s Library, which I think is an extraordinary part of this novel. Elodie’s idea to have library patrons meet with a person at the library for 30 minutes and hear their story is completely inspired. I can think of so many people I would like to “check out” at the library in real life. There is a sweet romance, and somewhat of a villain in this novel, but overall this is not a complicated book. Elodie’s Library of Second Chances is a meaningful book that teaches us an important lesson–everyone has a story to tell, if we are willing to listen.

I received a free copy of this book from the pubishers via Rachel’s Random Resources. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romances from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once-in-a-lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.

REBECCA RAISIN’S SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

BUY LINKS

Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon Australia

#Audiobook Review: Secrets of Magpie Cove #smalltownfiction

BonnieReadsAndWrites8 Comments

Lila has fled the city and is reinventing her life in Magpie Cove. She’s attending patisserie school and working in Serafina’s cafe. Serafina is a loving, outgoing, and kind woman who keeps the town going. When she passes, Lila is left with a lot of uncertainty, including whether or not she still has a job. When Lila’s son takes over the cafe, things get even worse. Will Lila have to leave Magpie Cove?

This is a sweet and fairly uncomplicated romance, but it really doesn’t need many complications. The descriptions of Lila’s small-town life, her supportive friends, and her constant tension with Nathan make for a great story. I loved the inclusion of Lila’s fight to help feed the elderly in her town and the descriptions of the food she was making in the cafe or patisserie school. The fact that so many people have food insecurities they might be keeping secret is a major theme in this book, to its credit. Lila’s struggles to deal with a past miscarriage are explored as well. The characters are interesting and endearing. Anyone who loves small-town romances should plan a visit to Magpie Cove.

I listened to the audiobook and Katie Villa does a great job with the narration.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Saga Egmont Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kennedy Kerr is a USA Today Bestselling fiction author. She adores beaches, lochs and stone circles, and loves writing about small communities, mysteries and family secrets. She has a very cuddly cat called Twinkle who spends her days sleeping: Kennedy aspires to having Twinkle’s nap schedule one day.

Kennedy’s Social Media: Facebook | Twitter

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google | Kobo