Lavender, Loss & Love
at the
Villa des Violettes
by
Patricia Sands

What would it be like to spend an extended vacation in an amazing setting with close friends you've enjoyed getting to know? This book took me on a continued experience of just that kind of adventure with Philippe and Kat, innkeepers of a beautiful and welcoming villa in the Côte d’Azur. The third book in the series. The title of this series, "Villa des Violettes", along with the beautiful covers of these books, is a welcoming invite to step into the south of France and delight in all it has to offer.

There is something about meeting dear friends and catching up with them. The characters in this series are like family and I was joining up with them to spend time together again. It's like picking up with each other and having not been away. They are connected with each other through friendships, family and love for one another. Characters that are caring and ones I love being with. They took me into their lives and, through them, I had a holiday in the pages of this book.

As I was reading, Ms. Sands words created the most amazing visuals in my mind of what a tour of this area of France would be like. From the scrumptious foods that I practically tasted by her mouth watering descriptions, to the beautiful scenic panoramas I could see in my mind of the sparkling sea, the endless lavender fields and the cobble stoned alleyways, I was along with the characters as Philippe shared his childhood home and places he spent time in with Kat.

Then there's the storyline with the characters woven through this scenic country. I love the love story with Kat and Philippe. Finding true love later in their lives. "That's how it was with Philippe. He gave her the unswerving love, adorned with sincere romantic gestures, that she had missed in her earlier life." The characters are family with those around them. They are all there for each other through the good times and the hard times. There is so much emotion in the pages that touched and pulled at my heart. Romance in the south of France is heartwarming and magical. Being loved and with family and friends is everything.

I loved going into the pages of this book with Kat and Philippe. I loved the virtual tour Patricia Sands took me on through her extensive visits she herself has taken. Her love for this region of France comes through in the beautiful stories she creates in that setting. I want to thank Ms. Sands for the honor or reading another one of her wonderful books in Lavender, Loss and Love. I enjoyed it very much. All opinions and thoughts in this review are my heartfelt own.

A Dog's Hope
By
Casey Wilson
It's not always a person finding a dog but sometimes it's the dog finding it's person. That's how this story happens. It's a connection between a wandering dog, Buddy, and a mixed up, confused and often angry boy, Toby, that this emotionally filled story is about. Casey Wilson has filled the pages of this book with a heartwarming story that has heart wrenching situations. She adds a lovable and faithful golden retriever to make this a story of unconditional love between Toby and Buddy.

Being a dog lover myself since I was a little girl and knowing that Casey Wilson is, I knew this was a must read book for me. I loved the two different POVs in this book. Buddy, the golden retriever and Toby, the young boy. It starts with the "Now" and Buddy's thoughts as he faithfully reminisces about his unbreakable bond with Toby. Ms. Wilson so perfectly brought me into Buddy's thoughts of how he felt about his human soulmate. From the anticipation of throwing a ball: "There's no time to think when you're staring into your best friend's eyes, waiting for the next ball" to the trust and "knowing" he will be back: "I know Toby wouldn't leave me. He told me he'd be back and he keeps his promises", there is a connection with Buddy right away. He won my heart. The story then goes to Toby's POV and the "Then"....the struggles Toby has of making changes in his life from the conflicting and turmoiled relationship with his father to the finding of his true love in his life, Buddy is the constant companion and always there for him. I turned the pages feeling as if I were there experiencing the love and connection between a dog and his boy. "His gentle eyes remind me I'll never be alone. He's a faithful companion who never tires of being near me. He's an excellent listener and sometimes, the way he looks at me, I think he understands me even when I don't say a word." A dog's intuition for his person. What a feeling!

This story gave me so many emotional ups and downs. It made me cry but also made me happy. I felt Ms. Wilson's heart the story was written from. A heart for the love of dogs and their loyalty, faithfulness and love. I could feel myself looking into Buddy's eyes and seeing his pure love for Toby. I know that feeling as I look into the eyes of my own loyal and unconditionally loving dogs. This book is one any dog lover will so appreciate. I most certainly do. Anyone who has had a "best friend" in a faithful dog. There is nothing like that bond. This book took me intimately into that place through the heartfelt words from an author's heart. It was more than just a read, it was an experience.

I want to thank Casey Wilson for the honor and privilege of reading an ARC of this beautifully written story. All opinions and thoughts are my heartfelt own. I absolutely loved this book!

Behind Every Lie
By
Christina McDonald

Would I normally want to read a book that's based on lie after lie after lie? Of course I am when it's a book by Christina McDonald! I read her first novel, "The Night Olivia Fell" and loved it. I was very excited to open the cover of this book and be taken into the pages of this psychological thriller of "who's lying and who's not?". Who do you believe? Is there anyone who tells the truth?

The story began with a nice, light, happy feeling until little pieces of secrets begin to drop at a celebratory lunch with Eva, Kat (her mom) and Lily (her mom's best friend). The story is set up. The next thing, Eva wakes up in a hospital with no memory of what happened and how she got there. She has to start piecing together flickers of memory, huge weights of self doubt and anxiety ridden bouts of paranoia that are not like her at all. She has become a broken vessel and desperately wants to become whole. To remember. How hard it was to remember. This passage is one her mom has tenderly expressed to her: "I'm not entirely certain one can ever become unbroken, but I do know we can be strong and brave and broken and whole all at the same time. It's called being human." Eva has so many unanswered questions and who does she trust?

This story is written in two different POVs. One is Eva's and the other is her mother, Kat's. Eva's is in current time and Kat's is 25 years earlier. Ms. McDonald meticulously and suspensefully drew the story out in perfect timing. The character's stories building and connecting as the pieces started to fit together. I love the way she did this using the art form of "Kintsugi....It's a Japanese art. The artist fixes broken pottery by filling the cracks with gold." This is an interesting concept in that what seems an irreparable, broken piece is remade into an imperfect masterpiece of artwork. Taking something that is in pieces and putting it all back together into a new object. This is how the story played out for me. It was full of thrilling suspense, unexpected twists and turns, and surprises I said, "Wait! What?" Just when I thought a piece was going to fit, it doesn't. Just when I think I have it figured out, I don't. I kept reading to find how it was all going to play out....until the pieces became a whole.

Ms. McDonald writes very descriptive scenes in which I could picture in my mind without any trouble. From the characters to the settings, each is vividly and realistically written as images I could easily see. From the emotions to the impressions of what the characters had of the others, I felt that, too. All from the talented mind of an author whose previous work I have enjoyed.

The epigraph Ms. McDonald has at the beginning of the book is so perfect for the pages that follow. I appreciated that so very much. It fits perfectly with the theme throughout the book. Even the broken can be put back together and made strong.

I want to thank Netgalley and especially Christina McDonald for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of her thrilling and suspenseful novel. All opinions and thoughts are my heartfelt own. It's a five star, unputdownable book for me.

A Light Last Seen
By
Grace Greene
"In the heart of Virginia, where the forests hide secrets and the creeks run strong and deep" is a place called Cub Creek.  A place that has meadows filled with colorful flowers and butterflies to chase.  Dirt roads and Cub Creek to jump over and disappear into the woods.  A living and rural place that draws the reader to the setting and the characters who have stories to tell.  A place with light and darkness and as unique as the characters who live there. 

When I opened the beautiful cover of this book I stepped into the Cub Creek world and met the main character, Jaynie Highsmith.  This is her story.   She wrapped herself around my heart from the very beginning of the book.  Jaynie is a little girl growing up with a mom who's harsh and has her priorities in the wrong order.  Jaynie avoids her as much as possible and in that she becomes friends with the grandmotherly neighbor, Ms. Ruth.  This sweet lady shares with Jaynie so much love, wisdom and advice. She tells Jaynie she has an "extra strong" light within her.  She tells Jaynie, "Most people start with it.  The light, that is.  Some have the glow stronger than others.  But most try to dim their own personal light so they can fit in, finally burying it beneath all the stuff-the rules, the griefs, the hungers of life-and forgetting the light was ever there."   Jaynie loves this lady so very much.  Grace Greene weaves these lessons throughout  the book as she takes us on Janie's emotionally touching journey.  It's not always easy for Jaynie as she tries to keep those wise words "in her toolbox" alive in her life. 

Grace Greene wrote a story that touched my heart.  It is filled with so much wisdom and lessons that I can apply to my life.  I appreciated the lesson involving the dragonfly.  The characters are real.  They have emotions that I can relate to. This book was page turning from the front cover to the back.  A true experience I found myself immersed in as I became connected to the characters and the beautiful writing that creates the images that drew me in.

Grace Greene is such a wonderful storyteller and "A Light Last Seen" is a wonderful story.  One that has a meaningful message about finding our true selves and letting the light within us shine.  Taking what life has dealt us and growing into a better person because of it.  Here is a passage of Janie's thoughts, "Thoughts of the dragonfly and Ruth's long-ago words seemed to entwine-own it or it will own you.  All will be well, I told myself.  One way or another.   I had the know-how and the tools, thanks to Ms. Ruth."

I want to thank Ms. Greene for the honor and privilege of reading an ARC of this remarkable work of fiction that I enjoyed so very much.  A bright five star read for me.  All opinions and thoughts in this review are my heartfelt own. 

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.