It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Rating:           10 General Rating:  If you’ve ever wondered how a girl could find herself in an abusive relationship, read Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us. Skip factor:  1%. Only a little at the beginning when I thought it was a romance novel. Who should read:   Women and girls of any age. Summary:  I’ll admit this begins … Read more

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Rating:           9 General Rating: Crawled out from under my rock this week and read my first Kristin Hannah book. (Don’t judge.) Steinbeck would be proud. Of Hannah, not me. This novel is of “Grapes of Wrath” caliber. Over 170,000 Wind reviews versus 19,000 Grape reviews, both garnering over 70% 5-star reviews. Skip factor:  2%. Only because … Read more

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

Rating:           9 General Rating:  Ever read a book you couldn’t put down and you don’t know why? This is it. Skip factor:  1%. Here’s another oddity about this novel. I would not classify this as fabulous, but, very unlike me, I hardly skipped any sentences and no paragraphs. So, maybe it was fabulous? Who should … Read more

Do You Have a Friend Story to Share?

Happy April Fool’s Month! Who’s that friend who makes you laugh the most? Email your funniest friend experience to [email protected], and I’ll e-mail you a free e-book copy of one of my chick-lit books—your choice! I’ve heard from lots of women about friend mishaps since I wrote the first story of Nikki’s unquenchable thirst for … Read more

Dawn Girl by Leslie Wolfe

Rating:           9 General Rating: A fast, hard-to-put-down, detective crime thriller. Skip factor:  1%. Only skipped when I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Who should read:  Readers who like thrillers—especially detective-crime junkies—this is for you. I neglected chores and duties to sort out who the fictitious serial killer was. Summary:  Detective Tess is called to the … Read more

Life and Other Near-Death Experiences

Rating:                              9 – 9.5 General Rating: Keeps your attention throughout. Skip factor:  0% which doesn’t happen too often. Who should read:  Any woman would like this story. But those who enjoy great writing will love. Summary: The story starts off with a bang. When Libby Miller arrives home to break the news to her husband that she has … Read more

Three Sisters by Heather Morris

Rating:           8 General Rating: A World War II story about the perseverance of three sisters, whom survived Auschwitz and Birkenau. Who should read:  Those interested in touching stories about holocaust survivors. Sisters. Women who have survived similar atrocities, and certainly survivors and children of holocaust survivors. Skip factor:  8%. I skipped more than a little between 60% … Read more

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Rating:     10    Serendipitous. Heartfelt and enjoyable. A lovely warm tale about  a woman and a tentacled creature. If only life mimicked this book, rewarded truly deserving people who have weathered fate’s storms. Skip factor: I skipped nothing. 0%    Who should read? Readers who need a boost from life’s norm. Women who love serendipitous stories … Read more

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

Rating:     9    Hard to read at times because of the clear picture this author paints. Skip factor: My normal 3-5%    Who should read? Compassionates. Anyone who would like to understand why people risk their lives and the lives of their family, leaving everything they have behind, and begin anew. This is a story of … Read more

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Rating:           8.5 General Rating: Is this book for you? It’s a hodgepodge of stories, Libby Jones’s, mostly. She’s a single girl turning twenty-five and about to inherit? What? She’s not quite sure. Break to the story of beautiful Lucy and her two children struggling to survive. Enter an odd character named Finn. The reader is certain … Read more