Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, run to your local bookstore for Pretty Baby and then clear your day since you won't want to put it down!

The three main characters, Heidi, Willow and Chris, narrate the story from their own perspectives.  On her way into the city, Heidi encounters Willow, a homeless young girl with a baby in tow, and Heidi can't help but be concerned for them.  After several chance encounters, Heidi invites Willow and her baby into her home.  Needless to say, her husband Chris is not pleased with this turn of events and worries for their safety and that of their 13 year old daughter Zoe.  


Each character reveals a little more of themselves and the story as the book unfolds.  You quickly realize that everything is not exactly as it seems and no good deed goes unpunished.  

If you are looking for an edge of your seat psychological thriller, then I would definitely recommend Pretty Baby.  I enjoyed every twist and turn of the story.  I look forward to reading more of Mary Kubica's work and have added The Good Girl to my to-read list.    

I received this book as part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge in exchange for an honest review.  

The Road Home continues the story of Jeanie Arthur and her children Katherine, Tommy and Yale.  Set in Des Moines, Iowa, with part of the story told in 1891 and the other part told in 1905, we learn more details about the plight of the Arthur family and their separate journeys in the ultimate hope of reuniting as a family.  The Road Home is a story of forgiveness, redemption, and hope.  While each character faced challenges, they kept true to their morals and beliefs.  I felt I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read the first book in the series, however I was able to follow along and believe the book can be read as a stand alone story.  I was eager to learn more quickly how or if the family would be reunited and wished the story line would move faster at times.  However, that feeling was also a sign of good character development and my involvement in their lives.  

I received this book from BookSparks in exchange for an honest review.  

A Window Opens is the story of Alice Pearse.  Alice has just been delivered the news that her husband will not be making partner at his law firm and she will need to take over the role of family breadwinner.  She leaves her part-time job with You magazine to take a position with new upstart company Scroll.  Scroll is promising to be the new haven for booklovers with first edition classic books for sale along with an e-book lounge.  Alice can’t wait to begin this new adventure, but she soon learns that her father’s cancer has returned and her husband is struggling to get his new law firm off the ground.  In addition, her three young children are having difficulties adjusting to Alice’s new devotion to her job.  Alice faces the same struggle many women face.  How can she have it all and does she really want it all?

A Window Opens is an very relatable story with authentic characters.  There were many passages in the book that completely mirrored my own emotions and thoughts in life.  Trying to be fully in the moment with work, home and family is something so many of us face.  Seeing how Alice managed with the same struggles made for enjoyable reading.  The author does a wonderful job creating characters and places that felt real to me.  I could envision The Blue Owl bookstore and wished I could take my children there to select books or that I could attend a book club night there.  If Book Lady parties were a reality, I’d be the first to sign up. 

I will definitely be looking forward to reading more books by Elisabeth Egan.

I received this book from Simon & Schuster through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.  

"For as long as I can remember, I have always had the feeling of not quite fitting in, not being the same as everyone else."  So begins the story of Cat, who has more inner demons than most and a special relationship with vodka.  However, Cat is a relatable character and I found myself routing for her to win over her addictions.  Alternating between London and Nantucket, Cat's life unfolds and she is often overtaken by alcohol, only to awaken each day with new resolve to begin again.  Cat's mother reveals to her that the father she has always known is not in fact her real father.  This prompts a trip to Nantucket where Cat meets her real father and two half-sisters she didn't know existed.  Cat's bad choices during this visit deliver terrible consequences and Cat's life begins a deeper downward spiral.  

I wanted to keep reading Summer Secrets to see if Cat could pull her life together and what course it would take.  The characters are very realistic and the descriptions of Nantucket made me want to plan a trip there.  I enjoyed reading this book and will be adding more Jane Green books to my "to read" shelf.  

I received this book from BookSparks as part of their Summer Reading Challenge 2015 in exchange for an honest review.  

It's You takes you on a journey from Scottsdale, Arizona to the Napa Valley and finally to Germany, but you also travel on an emotional journey with Ali as she copes with the suicide of her fiancee , the recent death of her mother and her father's aging.  The story begins in Scottsdale, Arizona where Ali is treating patients with her fiancée's father at his thriving dental practice.  She receives a call that her father, who is now living in a retirement village, has fallen and injured himself.  She decides she should take some time off and visit him in Napa, California.  While there, Ali meets Edie, her father's feisty and outspoken bridge partner.  Ali discovers there is more to Edie than just her brash personality.  

Ali is a very relatable character and the author does an excellent job conveying the stages of grief Ali is going through.  The grief and sometimes the anger Ali feels is palpable throughout the book, just as it would be in real life, for someone who had suffered two losses of that nature.  


I appreciated the author shedding light on the German Resistance during World War II.  I have read many historical fiction novels on WWII, but most haven't addressed the Germans who were part of the Resistance. 


I received this book as part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015.  


I enjoyed taking this journey with Ali.  

Reading Wishful Thinking was more fun that I have had in a long time!  The story begins when Jennifer has lost her cell phone, only to have it returned with a new and intriguing app Wishful Thinking.  Before she has a chance to examine her phone more closely, she has to rush to get her two young boys to school and not be too late for her meeting at work.  Jennifer faces the struggles so many of us face, trying to raise children, maintain or establish a romantic relationship and also be a dedicated employee, all at the same time.  Enter the Wishful Thinking app and its creator Dr. Diane Sexton, who just happens to be Jennifer's neighbor.  Through some physics, modern technology and wormholes, Jennifer is able to be in two places at the same time.  Haven't we all wished for that ability!  The Wishful Thinking app is the perfect solution to all of Jennifer's problems.  She can now be Super Mom, Employee of the Year and maybe even meet the man of her dreams.  

Kamy Wicoff is a great voice in women's fiction and I look forward to reading more books written by her.  Wishful Thinking is refreshing, humorous, insightful and engaging read.  It also has an important message at its core.  There are book club discussion questions included and Wishful Thinking would make a great book club selection.  

You can purchase this book here:

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The Grown Ups by Robin Antalek is an engaging story about a group of friends and the journeys their lives take from middle school into adulthood.  The story is told from the perspectives of Sam, Bella and Suzie.  In addition, we meet Sam's older brother Michael and all the parents of Sam, Bella and Suzie.  Their paths start together, branch apart and come back together throughout their lives.  I really enjoyed being able to watch each character grow and change throughout the course of the book.  While each character faced very different challenges, they were all relatable.  The story also delves into the role our parents play in our lives and the changes to that relationship over time.  

The Grown Ups is a story about love, forgiveness and growing up.  I believe The Grown Ups would be a good book club selection and there are discussion questions included.  

I received this book as part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015.  

You may purchase this book here:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

The title of this book appealed to me since I lost my mother two years ago and would relish the opportunity to have more time with her.  In The Year My Mother Came Back, the author is experiencing a particularly traumatic and stressful time in her life.  Her oldest daughter is just starting college and has also decided to reconnect with her birth mother.  Her youngest daughter will be undergoing a leg lengthening procedure, which will of course be painful and the recuperation time  long.  In addition to those life changing events, Alice is diagnosed with breast cancer, which will require surgery and radiation treatment.  It is during this time that Alice reconnects with her deceased mother through imagined visits and conversations.  It made me wish for the opportunity to have my mother's advice and support as I navigate the waters of motherhood and life itself.  It also made me realize that I still have her support and guidance within myself.  

This book is truly a tribute to the complex relationships between mothers and daughters.  While I didn't have the tumultuous relationship with my mother that Alice experienced with her mother, I could relate to their relationship throughout this book.  I would recommend this book for book clubs and anyone who enjoys memoirs.  

I received this book as part of the BookSparks 2015 Summer Reading Challenge. 

You may purchase this book here:  
Amazon
Barnes and Noble