Buttonwood, Alabama is home to a very special buttonwood tree and also two women who've led very different lives.  Blue Bishop has lived in Buttonwood all her life and her family's reputation has followed her every day in every way. Blue longs for a new beginning, but can't part from her sister or Marlo and Moe, who have been substitute parents for her.  Sarah Grace also would like a fresh start, but for different reasons.  Sarah Grace finds herself in a loveless marriage and wishes she had never walked away from her true love and high school sweetheart Shep, who also just happens to be back in town.  If Sarah Grace could only be her real self and open up her secrets to her family, would she find some peace in her life?  Blue and Sarah Grace have been distant acquaintances all their lives but then Blue finds a baby in the woods with a button from the Buttonwood Tree that says give this baby to Blue Bishop. Blue has longed to adopt a baby for some time, but Sarah Grace's demanding mother has decided the baby is the perfect solution to Sarah Grace's marriage problems.  Who should have the baby and more importantly, where did the baby come from?  

This magical novel is so vividly written that you can visualize the Buttonwood Tree and each colorful character as well.  I wanted to curl up and read a good book in Marlo and Moe's bookstore.  I also wanted to read one of Blue's picture books and see her illustrations.  When a book is so well written that you want to meet the characters and see where they live, I take that as a good sign.  I also liked the twist at the end and was taken by surprise in how that played out.  I hope you enjoy reading South of the Buttonwood Tree as much as I did.  Five stars!

I received this book courtesy of Forge Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.   

It only seems right that Mitchell Fisher finds himself responsible for cutting off all the locks placed on "love story" bridge since he has put all things romantic behind him.  After losing his beloved partner Anita, Mitchell is focused on raising their daughter Poppy.  He takes pride in keeping everything to a schedule and making their lives run smoothly.  All that changes in an instant, when Mitchell makes eye contact with a woman wearing a yellow dress as she fastens a lock on the bridge, then unexpectedly jumps into the water. Mitchell doesn't have any time to think and simply jumps in to help her. This event sets up a chain reaction that ultimately pushes Mitchell outside of the confines of the life he has set up for himself and may begin to help him deal with the loss of his love Anita.  

Mitchell Fisher is a character that worms his way into your heart.  At times, I was so frustrated with how closed off he was and at other times, his heartbroken demeanor touched my heart. His daughter Poppy was a bright light in the story and I loved how her character was presented. It was a brilliant love story, with just the right amount of mystery and intrigue mixed in.  

I received this book courtesy of Park Row through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Ever since I read The Address, Fiona Davis has quickly become one of my favorite authors.  Each of her books have interesting female characters, complex multi-layered relationships and are centered around an iconic building.  

The Lions of Fifth Avenue begins in 1913 with Laura Lyons and her family.  Her husband Jack Lyons is the superintendent of the New York Public Library and their family resides in an apartment inside the Library.  Laura dreams of going back to school to become a journalist while Jack spends all his extra time penning his novel.  Laura can't believe her good fortune when she is awarded a scholarship and can finally begin her studies. Laura wants her reporting to make a difference and draw attention to issues important to women.  

In 1993, Sadie Donovan is serving as an assistant curator for the Berg Collection housed in the New York library.  Sadie hasn't made public her connection as granddaughter of the famous essayist Laura Lyons, and she hopes to possibly find something yet unpublished from her grandmother in order to secure her position as curator.  Things quickly become complicated as precious works from the collection turn up missing with no easy explanation for their whereabouts and putting Sadie's precarious position in even more jeopardy.  

I truly loved this novel.  Fiona Davis writes novels that make me feel like I took a trip to New York and traveled through time as well.  The library setting is perfect for any book lover.  I treasure her unique characters and the way each character develops over the pages.  As always, I am already eagerly awaiting her next novel as I know it will have a spot on my favorites shelf.  Highly recommend!  

I received this book courtesy of Dutton Books through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  

An old manor deep in the forest and a family full of secrets is the perfect recipe for  a suspenseful five star read!  

In 1970, Rita serves as nanny for the Harrington family and has been charged with caring not only for the two Harrington children Teddy and Hera, but also their grieving mother who is mourning the lost of her baby, as they spend the summer away from London in the deeply wooded home Foxcote Manor.  As new characters enter the story, Rita isn't sure who to trust and how to handle covertly reporting back to Mr. Harrington on Mrs. Harrington's mental status. Then young Hera finds the tiniest baby abandoned in the woods and it isn't long until a body is discovered in the woods as well.  

Some forty years later, Sylvie is in the midst of a divorce and trying to make peace with her daughter when Sylvie receives a call that her mother has been in an accident.  Suddenly, Sylvie must deal with her own uncertain past while trying to reach through her mother's coma and help her daughter make some life changing decisions.

This book truly intrigued me and even surprised me several times throughout the pages. I enjoyed the two differing plots and watching them connect.  It was definitely a 5 star read for me and I highly recommend it.