Lies That Bind
By
Ashley Farley
Ashley Farley is a wonderfully gifted creator of stories that draw the reader in and then holds them through every page to the very end.  The title alone has a mysterious essence to it and made me wonder what kind of lies can a character keep that would bind them.  I was ready to open this book and see what this mystery is all about.  I have read several of Ashley Farley's books and looked forward to this one knowing it would be a great read.  And a great read it was.

There is no slowing down in this book once I started reading it.  The story slides so easily between the chapters that are focused on one of the three main characters of the book, Maggie, Reese and Eva.  Each one with life or personal issues that families can struggle through.   Each character found places in my heart and I felt the emotional pain as they fought to find their way.   Ms. Farley has a knack of touching on the issues with compassion and heart but yet convey the hardships that can be truly difficult to overcome.  This has a way of making me feel for the characters and wanting the best for them.  But so many secrets and lies...that make this drama unfold. 

The details in her stories are so perfectly written that I felt I was experiencing the events as she masterfully reveals each next scene.  Each chapter builds upon the previous to take the suspense to the edge.  The characters were ones I felt I could know in my own life.  The problems were real and the answers were hard.  There were connections between them that brought hope to each situation and built friendships and healing.  Would they overcome the lies that bound them, tho?  It's hard to face the truth and admit the pain or to forget the past. 

This book has a bit of everything in it for me. Women who have real life dilemmas to work through,  suspense, mystery, intrigue and a plot that didn't stop.   Forgiveness, love and compassion that draw the best out of the characters.   This made for a read that will stick with me for a long time as another unforgettable Ashley Farley novel.  I highly recommend her books and this one is no exception.  Great story!! 

I want to thank Ashley Farley for the honor of reading this wonderful book.  All opinions and thoughts are my heartfelt own.  A five star all the way. 

Dovetail
By
Karen McQuestion
"I've long believed that no one should be judged on the worst thing they've ever done. And not on the best thing, either, for that matter." "Human beings are much more complex than one event that happened on one day in a very long life." Pearl has reached the end of her very long life and has lived with guilt, regrets, sorrow and pain. What secrets is she keeping and why is it so hard to reveal them?

The characters in the book are people that any of us could know and could relate to. They have emotions and traits that are individual in what makes their personalities. I loved John and Alice. Such caring, loving, and unselfish characters. I loved Joe and Katherine. Their story was one of an immediate attraction to each other but built as they worked to discover the connections from the past to the present. There were characters I disliked the whole book. Then there was Pearl. She had me on both ends of the likeable spectrum. I found myself despising her and then forgiving her. This worked so perfectly to create the story.

This book has suspense, drama, secrets, mystery, tragedy and foreboding. It also has compassion, devotion, forgiveness, hope and love. Love that can transcend time and space. The way it's all brought together in the pages had me turning them, each chapter building, to find out how it was going to all end.

I have yet to pick up a Karen McQuestion book that I have not liked. This book is no exception. In fact, I loved it! It's complex but written so adroitly that the plot and characters are easily followed and built up as the story goes. The uniqueness of the dual time lines and building the parallel stories until they merge is page turning anticipation. Karen McQuestion has created a book that is like the dovetail joints her title is named after. She takes each of the characters and designs them to perfectly fit with the characters they are joined to. Then she builds the story, chapter and event from 1916 to the parallel chapter and events in 1983. Each revealing more as to what really happened in 1916 that Pearl has held secret for all those years. The story starts to link together just as dovetail joints slip together to create a beautiful piece of work when it's finished. "A dovetail joint can stand the test of time."

This is a wonderfully detailed and crafted book. Written in such a wonderful way that the story unfolds in perfect synchronization. A novel that I thoroughly enjoyed from the beginning to the end. I want to thank the author, Karen McQuestion, for the honor of reading an ARC of this fantastic book. All opinions and thoughts are my heartfelt own. It is definitely a five star read for me.

The God Game

By

Danny Tobey

I accepted the invitation and opened the pages of The God Game. This book is intense and fast paced, just like I believe most gamers like their games to be. I really feel this book is geared more for a younger generation...maybe two or three generations than me...for sure. I had no idea what most of the techie/computer/gaming references even meant. But the premise of AI/virtual reality/reality clashing together into one thrilling scifi adventure comes together between the covers of this book.

I was able to find myself connecting to the "real-life" aspect of the characters in the group the five misfit protagonists who form a "one for all, all for one" group called The Vindicators. Together they accept the invitation to play the G.O.D game. It's just a game, right? Oh, does it ever turn into more than that. It's an RPG/Avatar game that becomes reality and not reality but it is. The all seeing eye of the AI God is everywhere. As these characters become deeper involved in the game the consequences become even more dire and winning the game becomes even more desperate.

The characters all have life issues that factor into the storyline as well. Issues that typical teens face in high school such as cliques, athletes, popularity, academic, even just finding a place to "fit in", etc. Each character has home life issues that play a part in reasons they "join" in the game to escape the pain and often time the humiliating life they live. I feel this book is one a late teen might connect with. And although I didn't understand a lot of the terms and what this game world is, the author kept the pace of the story moving and there was never a dull moment.

I received an advance copy from the publisher, St. Martin's Press. All the opinions and thoughts in this review are my own.

Better Endings
By
Tina Hogan Grant
When I finished Reckless Beginnings, my heart was torn apart for what Tammy Mellows life had been like and what she had gone through. Some bad choices in her life had put her in some awful situations. Better Endings picks up with Tammy finally able to move on with her life after an abusive relationship with the father of her son, Matt. But now she has insecurities and trust issues and she becomes dependent on alcohol. Where will her life go from here?

Book 2 in the series, Better Endings, is Tammy's story of overcoming and finding the way for herself to be a better mom and a stronger woman. There are challenges she has to face and those aren't easy. Does she have the strength, determination and will power to find the right path for her life and her destiny? Then what should happen but in walks a hunk of a guy named Dwayne and Tammy's life takes a turn.

I love the character of Tammy. She's a strong hearted and determined woman who will do what it takes to provide for her son. She's not afraid of taking on challenges and working hard. She still believes in the American Dream and that there is a better way. It's just figuring out what that is.

As the story progressed, I felt like was right in the thick of things with Tammy. When she finds that she loves the life surrounding the world of commercial fishing, I was enthralled with how descriptive the writing was. I learned so much from the work it takes to even get out on the boat. Then the dangers and hazards of being out on the sea with unpredictable weather had my palms sweating. The writing is detailed and intricate....I was as involved in the action as the characters were. Then the other side with the peacefulness and calm feelings of being on the docks and water it brought to Tammy were just as well written. I truly cared for this character and really wanted her to find her American Dream and happiness.

I want to thank Ms. Grant for the honor and opportunity to read an ARC copy of this book. This review is my own thoughts and opinions of a great sequel (which can be read as a stand alone) and I recommend it highly.

The Space Between
By

Dete Meserve

I love the epigraph at the beginning of this book.... "Silently one by one, In the meadows of heaven, Blossomed the lovely stars, The forget-me-nots of the angels. ---Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. What happens when you think you know the person you're married to but then something takes place and questions arise and doubts set in? This is a fantastic book with mystery and suspense. I was pulled into this story like a meteor into the gravity of earth and didn't want to escape. I love the character of Sarah and her determination to find out what happened to her husband, Ben. What the police and FBI were saying about him was nothing like the man she knows. He surely wouldn't have done the thing they are saying he did . She knows what the evidence right in front of her says but it's just not making sense. Sarah's logic comes from her astronomical expertise. "Most things are not as they appear." "So many of the most remarkable discoveries are made when we look past the obvious, when we find ways around being blinded by light, and when we discover new ways to see in the dark." I really appreciate the research and how Dete Meserve incorporated astrology into this story. I learned so much. I am fascinated by what's in the sky and beyond what we know so having that as an aspect in the story was great. This is a fantastic read and I highly recommend this book. It's worth 5 stars and the galaxy they're in! TY Lake Union for the opportunity to read this wonderful book and to Dete Meserve for sharing it with us!

Perfectly Good Crime
By
Dete Meserve
"I am Robin Hood, I take from the rich to give to the poor..." This line is what I'm most familiar with in the story of Robin Hood. In Dete Meserve's book, Perfectly Good Crime, she has taken the basis of Robin Hood's words and actions to create a wonderful story twist of a modern day Robin Hood mystery. I was enthralled with this premise. "Is it possible to commit a perfectly good crime?"
This is the second book in the Kate Bradley series. I was so excited to read this book after reading the first novel, Good Sam! I knew I was going to be in for a fantastic read...and I was so right!
It's hard to justify stealing from anyone and while I was reading, it was the big question. Is it ok to steal from the rich if it makes the lives of those less fortunate so much better?
The characters in this book are so likable. Especially Kate Bradley. She is so relatable and so wants to do the right thing. She asks the hard questions as a reporter. She has a personal life that I kept hoping she would be able to work out, too. I love her grit, determination, and desire to report the truth. This story took me into the uberrich society through the wonderful written descriptions Ms. Meserve is so talented to write. I could visualize the estates and mansions that she eloquently wrote into the story of the actual properties. How grand and magnificent!
I really liked this passage in the book:
"The Robin Hood story lives-like most important stories-in the murky shades of gray between what's good and what's not. Yet there is such a thing as a perfectly good crime."
This is a wonderful story. It made me feel good. I love that Ms. Meserve's novels focus on good and kindness. Being the best we can to others.
I want to thank Ms. Meserve for writing this fantastic book. I also want to thank Lake Union and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a five star novel that I enjoyed so very much.
This is my freely written and honest review! Five stars!!

Good Sam

By

Dete Meserve

I really enjoyed this book. For me it was a light and fun to read book. I like that the storyline was about someone doing something good for others and not wanting the recognition for doing it. There were times when I wanted to "advise" the main character, Kate about choices she was making. I was so into her character and what she was going through. There was a bit of mystery and romance. It was subtle but just enough for me. This book intrigued me from the beginning and I enjoyed every page to the end.