The Moonlight Child

By

Karen McQuestion

I have just finished a novel that tugged at my heart with such an emotional pull. Just like a Karen McQuestion story does.  I love her books!    This is a story of a little girl no one knows exists except for the family she's living with.  A little girl named Mia.  She's known no other life except the one she's in. She knows something is different about her place in the family but she is so innocent and trusts what she's told.   She's such a sweetheart and all she wants to do is please her "family".  

This is also the story of Niki.  A young 18 year old girl just out of the foster care system with no family to live with.  An attorney, Amy,  has taken an interest in Niki and suggests she get her feet on the ground by staying with Amy's mother Sharon.  This is a perfect scenario that puts Niki and Sharon together and the story plot that unfolds when they become suspicious by what they see in the house across the backyard.  A little girl doing dishes late at night (The Moonlight Child) and suspicion arises as to why this would be.  

This book was so emotionally charged.  I went through the gamut of all the emotions possible with the characters, Ms. McQuestion has created in this story.  "Niki had learned that people had layers, and sometimes what lurked underneath the prettiness could be ugly and cruel."  The characters in this book are so well developed.  The way Ms. McQuestion brings them to life with their emotions and traits is so realistic.  They became people I could very well have met and gotten to know.   Whether they are likable or ones I dislike with a passion, each one is minutely detailed and individualistic.  I could feel their characteristics and what kind of people they were.  

 I fell in love with little Mia.  My heart was wrapped around her little finger. Such a sweetie.  No matter what was going on, all she wanted to do was please.  She has a connection and attachment to Griswold, "her faithful canine companion"....that really touched my heart.  Griswold is so loyal to her.  

 

  Niki and Sharon built a relationship that was so beautiful. One that was meant to be and so natural for them.  Niki just needed someone to love her and Sharon was there. Niki is just who Sharon needs in her life, too.  

  My heart broke for Wendy and Edwin.  Their daughter has been missing for years and there's been no word from her.  Their hope is she will come home.  How heartbreaking and devastating. 

 Then there were the characters I really despised.  My mom instincts kicked in and couldn't believe how narcissistic Suzette was.  She is a crazy mess and so self-centered.  Her husband, Matthew and son, Jacob, were victims of her self-absorption and ego.  

This book is so very good. The premise of the story is fascinating.   It's complex but written as to build the story up so that I had to keep turning the pages.  There was suspense, drama, secrets, mystery, and tragedy.  There is also loyalty, love, friendships, determination and truth seeking.   It's a novel that I had a very hard time putting down.  From the poignant beginning chapter Ms. McQuestion captured me into the pages and took me on an intensely riveting ride to the climactic end.  Very well done!  

I want to thank the author, Karen McQuestion, for the honor of reading this fantastic book. All opinions and thoughts are my heartfelt own. It is definitely a five star read for me.

 

The First To Lie

By
Hank Phillippi Ryan

"Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides."  Andre Malraux 

Hank Phillippi Ryan captured my attention right away as I read the prologue of this book.  There are some very interesting questions to ask yourself in these few short paragraphs.   Fascinating things to think about and "what ifs" that might happen if you could "start over" and become a different person.   It sounds like an easy or good thing to do but is it really?  You might be able to change your outer appearance but the inner you is always there. But "When the stakes are life and death, did a few lives matter?"   With this intriguing scenario and "All you have to do is lie." as the motivation, Ms. Ryan weaves a thrilling story that took me on a wild ride.  

The story revolves around three main characters.  Ellie, Nora and Meg.  Each one with an agenda that involves the Big Pharma company Pharminex, the Vanderwald empire,  and the miracle drug Monifan.  Just who are each of these characters and what are they after?  How are they connected to each other and why?  Ms. Ryan then adds characters and twists that had my head spinning.  She weaves and unravels and weaves some more and kept me guessing as each page was turned.   The schemeing, the lies, the deceitfully revenge driven characters had me all twisted up in a thrilling chesslike plot.  What I really liked was not knowing how this would all play out and kept me reading to the surprising end.  

I liked this passage from Alice in Wonderland Ms. Ryan used in the story.  For me it sums up the characters and the mystery surrounding them:

"I know who I was when I got up this morning, Alice had told the Caterpillar in her most favorite book, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.  I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, because I'm not myself, you see."  

This was a great read for me.  I love Ms. Ryan's writing style and her ability to put me into the "minds" of her characters.  I could feel her "investigative inquisitiveness" througout the book and kept thinking about how some of the scenario might have come from the Front Pages of real life events. Taking those situations and creating a thrilling, psychological mystery in "The First To Lie". 

I want to thank Netgalley and especially Ms. Ryan for the honor and privilege of reading her page turning novel.  All opinions and thoughts in this review are my sincere own.  This is a great read! 

No Place Too Far

By

Kay Bratt

"The gift of "ohana"-the Hawaiian word symbolizing family...." 

  Family is everything to the people of Hawaii.  Love, devotion, trust, and dependability.  All these things make a family that is bonded together no matter what.  The definition of family can be different for everyone.  In "No Place too Far",   Kay Bratt continutes the story from the first book in the series, "True to Me" of how Quinn has found her family in Maui after more than 30 years of being separated. But the past threatens the future. Part of the past is Quinn's best friend, Maggie, who's come to Maui with her young son, Charlie.  As soon as I opened this book up, I felt like I was right back with old friends and family.   Ms. Bratt has a story telling gift to create stories that pull at your heart.  Ones that have a message and meaning to them.   I know with a Kay Bratt novel,  I'm going on an emotional adventure with the characters to places that are as vividly detailed as if I were there myself.  She has such a gift of bringing the reader on an emotional journey and adventure with her characters. 

Quinn's past is one she's trying to keep secret in order to protect someone in her family.  Keeping secrets is all good until they aren't secret anymore.  Now she's in a dilemma of losing what took her so long to find again.  Will ohana be enough to overcome the challenges that threaten to ruin her place with them?  Will her "honu" be there to protect her through as it was before?  

Maggie has a past, too.  One that has haunted her and caused her to try to run from it and disappear.  One that she will do anything to keep her son, Charlie, safe from as well as herself.  But the past is in danger of catching up to them and shattering any sense of peace and security she's worked so hard to find.  "She wanted to be strong.  Competent. Self-sufficient."  Who will be there for her as she faces the worst?  

This is a story about family...related and unrelated...but bonded and connected by love.  This is a story about hardships, struggles, fears, guilt, secrets, and uncertainty.  But it's also about trust, determination, friendships that are more like family, traditions, and loyalty.  Ms. Bratt weaves in drama, suspense, and heart wrenching side characters with stories that bring it all together in an unputdownable read.  She throws in some mystery to add to the mix and kept me turning the pages.  

Not only do I become invested in the characters but the setting in this series is like a character itself by how brilliantly Ms. Bratt creates the scenes in word pictures I could visualize in my mind.  I was again taken on a philosophical and cultural tour of a place I have never been but totally feel like I learned so much about it through the characters and their experiences in Maui and the surrounding areas. It's a virtual visit that had me walking in the rainforest, hearing the waterfalls, smelling the flora, and seeing the lushness as if I were there. 

Then there's Woodrow...He stole my heart.   The true definition of the love of a dog for his owner.  Maggie's quiet shaggy service dog.  Kay Bratt's ability to tap into the devotion of a dog and put into words that faithfulness is truly from her love of dogs.  I knew that feeling in my heart with each passage Woodrow was written in.  "Woodrow looked up.  His soulful brown eyes locked on Maggie's, instantly calming her.  He had that way about him."  The subject of why Maggie needed a service dog touched close to home when I read the "From the Author" passages at the end of the book.  I am very grateful for her thoughts and candor.   Her heart to help others.  

Kay Bratt writes stories from her heart. I become a part of them as I'm reading them.  No Place Too Far is no exception.  I am very grateful for the opportunity of reading this novel. Kay Bratt brings it every time with her heart and emotions that pour out on the pages.  I will wait with anticipation for the next book in the series to see which character's stories Ms. Bratt brings to us By The Sea...there's a hint at the end in those notes!  I want to thank Netgalley and especially Kay Bratt for the honor and privilege of reading this continuation of a great series.  I loved it!   All opinions and thoughts in this review are my heartfelt own.  Maika'i nui loa.... (very, very good) five tropical stars!

Dignity and Grace

By

Alison Ragsdale

Dignity and Grace.....what a perfect title for this amazing book!  There are so many feelings going through my heart as I gather my thoughts about this poignant story of a young 11 year old girl who loses her mother to a devastating disease.  A mother she's connected to through love,  the power of music and the cello.   I loved the character of Iona from the very beginning of the book.  She grabbed my heart and didn't let go.  The turmoil and struggles she experiences after the loss of her mom, tore my heart open.  The excruciating pain of losing her mother and also losing her desire of playing the cello.  ""It makes me sad, but when I start to play, the music brings so much with it." She said."The weight of the cello, the smell of the rosin, the feel of the strings."  She tapped her fingertips together. "It's just Mum.  All of it.""  Passages like this brought tears to my eyes.  So many tears. 

The way Ms. Ragsdale wove the story together was so unique.  When Iona turns 21 she receives a letter from her father whom she's avoided since her mother's death.  A letter her mother, Grace, wrote specifically for her.  This puts Iona on a path to search for answers surrounding her mother's last days with her and why she made the choices she did.  It's a painful and difficult journey.  One in which I felt I was traveling with Iona as she walked through each new twist and shocking surprise.  ".....her overriding hope was that with each stop she might learn something about that priceless week she'd missed out on with her mother."  

The supporting characters in the book are no less endearing.  They complimented the journey Iona was taking in a perfect way.  They supported her and were there for her with love, advice and compassion.    Each one guiding and encouraging her to the next step in her journey.  They, too, are written in depth and I felt I knew them well.  

Alison Ragsdale's stories are so deeply emotional and written with such intricate attention to details. The story is never rushed but every word is built upon the ones before to create a passionately moving story between the covers of the book.   I have read other books by Ms. Ragsdale and each one has touched me in ways I never knew a book would.  Dignity and Grace is no exception.  I have just finished this one and my emotions are raw and exposed in a most Alison Ragsdale way.   She has the ability to trancend words on a page and craft a story that I become completely immersed in.  From the beginning prologue my heart was captured.   

I not only emotionally read this book as Iona searched for answers, I also experienced a visit to the vistas of Scotland through the vivid descriptions Ms. Ragsdale interspersed throughout the pages. Again, the attention to details is exceptional.  In my mind I could vividly see the settings of each scene with a clarity as if I were actually there.  I "lived" this book with Iona.  A story of "Dignity and Grace" and the journey to discover the meaning of it.  

I want to sincerely thank  Ms. Ragsdale for the honor and privilege of reading this emotional journey I took in  this fantastic book.  It truly touched my heart.  All opinions and thoughts in this review are my heartfelt own.

A Teacher's Prayer

By

Tammy Mentzer Brown

John 15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you."

This is more than a book about a young girl who's life is changed when her father is tragically killed. It's an outpouring of gratitude to a loving God and the people He placed in her life as she grew up. This is the story of the author.

When Tammy's father is killed, her life takes a turn from the loving, secure and caring home he had provided to a tumultuous and often abusive childhood that her alcoholic mother seemed unable to change. This is the story of a young girl who is exposed to so much a child shouldn't have to endure. Early in her life she's invited to VBS, an escape from the house for a few hours, and where God reveals Himself to her. Life is still difficult but through it all, God places the people in her life to bring her through. Ms. Brown graciously and heart wrenchingly shares her story through words of grace and love. Her gratitude for those people God used in her life makes my heart warm. People might not realize the difference they make in another person's life, but God uses them to guide and provide. She shares so many situations that these people carried her through. This story is from an author's grateful heart. "......sometimes friends come and go in our lives, but we should always give thanks to God for them. How each person we encounter has a special purpose for entering our lives at that time, whether it is a lesson for them to learn or one for us. Someone, maybe even both, will benefit from the relationship."

There are passages that broke my heart. There are passages that made my heart soar with hers. The story is such an inspiration and what a testimony to the loving God she serves. There is power in prayer and a God who is there no matter what the situation and circumstances. I especially liked the scripture verses Ms. Brown quoted at the end of each chapter. They are the foundation of what the chapter was about. The promises that God kept as she shares her testimony.

I am so honored to have the privilege to read this inspirational story of hope, grace and love. The grace of God is awesome and this story is truly one that touched my heart. Thank you, Tammy Mentzer Brown!

Departed: David and Sara

By

Tess Thompson
What I really love about reading a series is that I get so invested in the characters. I have LOVED reading the Cliffside Bay series so very much. Each book has focused on a couple with challenges and obstacles that seemed to be too large to overcome but true love conquers all. This series has characters who are like family to each other and have become a fictional family to me. They all pull together to bring each couple through the fires and make them stronger together. "Departed" is the last book in the series and it's about David and Sara. Two people, who have endured unthinkable tragedies, finding themselves drawn to each other in spite of their initial dislike of the other. "We have all the worst stuff in common, but maybe we can help each other because of it."

I have been drawn to the main characters, David and Sara from the prior novels. Their story is one that had me hoping against hope for them to find a way through their pasts and self protection to open their hearts for a future with each other. Ms. Thompson has a way she puts sizzle and sparks between the characters and I couldn't stop reading. From the way Sara and David's lives are brought together to the development of their relationship....I was in it with them. I fell in love with these people and felt like I was part of the "family" as they worked through the circumstances they were in. The co-characters were woven into the story beautifully. Ms. Thompson brings each of the former couples into this book and blends them all into one final novel that is so wonderfully fulfilling. I loved each and every one.

There were so many lines in the book that reveal the talent of Tess Thompson in her writing. Some of my favorite ones are these:

"We're made to love, not hate. Take it from me, holding on to the past means you can't live in the present."
"A masterpiece in motion. The perfect design in a living woman. No matter how hard he tried, God's creations would always beat the ones of his own imagination."
"But the one thing I've always known is that family matters more than anything else. We're family here, some by blood and others by heart."

Ms. Thompson writes with heartfelt passion. Every single character is filled with emotions and stories that pull at my heart. The emotions are there from the amazing way Tess Thompson creates word stories in her books. Stories that draw you in and make you feel a part of them. The setting of Cliffside Bay is a seaside community I long to visit and spend time in. I had this exact honor by reading this incredible series. I want to thank Ms. Thompson and I have sincerely enjoyed being in Cliffside Bay with these wonderful characters. What a great escape! All thoughts and opinions in this review are my heartfelt own.

A Dog's Chance

By

Casey Wilson

After reading Casey Wilson's first book called "A Dog's Hope" I was thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to read "A Dog's Chance".   Ms. Wilson writes the best novels with dogs as her main characters.  I've always been a dog lover and reading books that feature dogs is just the best for me!  This book is no exception.....a best! 

It's not always the person who finds the dog but the dog who finds and chooses its person.  There is a connection between them that's just meant to be.  Duke is that kind of a dog.  He is an abandoned "dump dog" puppy and he longs to be in a family.  Because of destiny or fate, he happens upon a very sad elderly man, Arthur, and he just knows he can comfort him. This is his person!   There is an instant bond between them and that's where the story of Duke grabs my heart and takes me on his journey.   Dogs bring such joy into the lives of the people they choose and Duke is there for Arthur. 

Madison is a traveling nurse practioner and a single mom of a 14 year old daughter, Abbie, who's struggling with anxiety.  Madison's next assignment brings them to the town of Millbury.  This place just seems to be where they belong but there's a reason they can't get complacent and settle down.  Madison just can't become attached to anyone or anything. It's not worth the risk.   But....who can resist Duke?  He's such a lovable and intuitive golden retriever and connects with Abbie.  As does Madison connect with Arthur.  Now what will she do and how will she ever be able to leave this new family?

I love the way this story is written between the two POVs.  One is Duke's and the other is Madison's.   Ms. Wilson has created a dialogue with Duke's voice that is so unique, touching and compassionate.  She's put into "words" what those soulful eyes and expressions dogs have and what they would say if they could actually talk.  Duke is a very wise puppy and he loves through his heart.  "Dogs see what's inside, what's underneath, and we have a keen awareness of how humans are feeling and what's churning inside, deep below the surface."  Duke is so intune with his people.   Throughout the story, Ms. Wilson weaves Duke's instincts and connection to bring the characters together.

This story has so many of the "feels" that make it a great dog-lover story.  Duke channels his inner "Lassie" so many times.  One point in particular of the story.  I loved watching Lassie when I was a little girl and this book reminded me so much of that.  The love of a dog for his family.  Always faithful to protect and comfort.

Duke had challenges when he was a pup.  He was the runt of the litter and overlooked. But his mother encouraged him and told him he was "destined for greatness".   He is  loyal, devoted and loves unconditionally.  "Just because I was different and smaller, didn't mean I wasn't powerful.  Stature, breed, looks-all are labels that serve only to limit, but they don't determine our strength.  Dogs know what's on the outside isn't important; it's what's deep in your heart that defines you." I love Duke!!   He is a GREAT dog!

I am so honored to have read this book.  Ms. Wilson's wonderful gift of writing is even more incredible in the way she expresses the inner thoughts of the dog  characters she brings to life.  I love her dedication to her sweet pup, Izzy.  Dogs do heal hearts and bring joy.  This book is full of this.   Huge thanks to Ms. Wilson for the copy of this wonderful story.  I loved the journey with Duke and his family.  All opinions and thoughts in this review are my heartfelt own.