Publisher: William Morrow

#BookReview Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister @GillianMAuthor @HarperCollinsCa #BooksofHCC #GillianMcAllister #JustAnotherMissingPerson

#BookReview Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister @GillianMAuthor @HarperCollinsCa #BooksofHCC #GillianMcAllister #JustAnotherMissingPerson Title: Just Another Missing Person

Author: Gillian McAllister

Published by: William Morrow on Aug. 1, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: HarperCollins Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From the author of the Reese’s Book Club Pick and the New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time comes a new heart-stopping thriller in which a missing-person case unravels deeper, darker secrets that lead a detective to an impossible moral choice.

22-year-old Olivia has been missing for one day…and counting. She was last seen on CCTV, entering a dead-end alley. And not coming back out again.

Julia, the detective heading up the search for Olivia, thinks she knows what to expect. A desperate family, a ticking clock, and long hours away from her husband and daughter. But she has no idea just how close to home this case is going to get.

Because the criminal at the heart of the disappearance has something she never expected. His weapon isn’t a gun, or a knife: it’s a secret. Her worst one. And her family’s safety depends on one thing: Julia must NOT find out what happened to Olivia – and must frame somebody else for her murder.

If you find her, you will lose everything. What would you do?

This clever and endlessly surprising thriller is laced with a smart look at family and motherhood, and cements Gillian McAllister as a major talent in the world of suspense and a master of creating ethical dilemmas that show just how murky the distinction between right and wrong can be.


Review:

Intricate, gripping, and sharp!

Just Another Missing Person is a well-paced, engrossing police procedural that sees DCI Julia Day and her team tangled up in an inquiry that seems at first glance to be an isolated, missing person case, but as the investigation unfolds and dangerous secrets start to come to light, it quickly becomes apparent that this case is a lot more sinister and complicated than anyone could have ever imagined.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are layered, secretive, and persistent. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, is an ominous tale full of twists, turns, red herrings, secrets, deduction, mayhem, greed, and manipulation.

Overall, Just Another Missing Person is a relentless, eerie, simmering tale by McAllister that keeps you guessing from start to finish and is a wonderful reminder of the lengths a parent will go to protect their children at any cost.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Gillian McAllister

GILLIAN MCALLISTER is the New York Times bestselling author of Reese's Book Club Pick Wrong Place Wrong Time, Everything but the Truth, The Choice, The Good Sister, The Evidence Against You, How to Disappear, and the Richard & Judy Book Club pick That Night. She graduated with an English degree before working as a lawyer. She lives in Birmingham, England, where she now writes full-time. She is also the creator and co-host of the popular Honest Authors podcast.

#BookReview Welcome to Beach Town by Susan Wiggs @susanwiggs @uplitreads @WmMorrowBooks #welcometobeachtown #authorsusanwiggs #uplitreadscampaign

#BookReview Welcome to Beach Town by Susan Wiggs @susanwiggs @uplitreads @WmMorrowBooks #welcometobeachtown #authorsusanwiggs #uplitreadscampaign Title: Welcome to Beach Town

Author: Susan Wiggs

Published by: William Morrow on Jun. 20, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: Hardcover

Source: Uplit Reads

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Every town has its secrets… In idyllic Alara Cove, a California beach town known for its sunny charm and chill surfer vibe, it’s graduation day at the elite Thornton Academy.

At Thornton, the students are the worldly and overindulged children who live in gated enclaves with spectacular views. But the class valedictorian is Nikki Graziola, a surfer’s daughter who is there on scholarship. To the shock of everyone in the audience, Nikki veers off script while giving her commencement address and reveals a secret that breaks open the whole community. As her truth explodes into the light, Alara Cove will face a reckoning. Nikki Graziola’s accusation shakes the foundation of Alara Cove, pitting her against the wealthy family whose money runs the town. Her new notoriety sends Nikki into exile for years, where she finds fame—but not fortune—overseas as a competition surfer…until a personal tragedy compels her to return to Alara Cove.  

As Nikki struggles to rebuild her future, she finds that the people of the town have not forgotten her. But time has changed Alara Cove, and old friendships, rivalries, and an unexpected romance draw her back into the life of the beach town she’s never quite forgotten, and where joy and redemption may be possible after all.


Review:

Sincere, heart-tugging, and rewarding!

Welcome to Beach Town is an emotional, immersive, heartwarming tale that takes us into the life of the sweet, vulnerable Nikki Graziola as she struggles to juggle returning to her hometown that’s laced with tragic memories and a place she hoped she’d never have to live again, the overwhelming grief caused by the sudden loss of the love of her life, a strained relationship with a father she hardly knows, a determination to finally uncover all the secrets hidden by those in power, and a newly budding attraction to a friend she was pretty close with in the past.

The writing is sentimental and engaging. The characters are layered, supportive, and generous. And the plot is a touching tale of family, friendship, self-discovery, happiness, heartbreak, taking chances, growth, healing, revelations, tender moments, light drama, greed, corruption, selflessness, romance, and new beginnings.

Overall, Welcome to Beach Town is another heartwarming, uplifting, nostalgic tale that reminds us that the true meaning of family is unconditionally respecting, loving, supporting, and accepting each other through all the highs and lows. It’s the perfect read for summer that proves once again that when it comes to writing heartfelt, moving stories with characters you can’t help but root for, Wiggs is one of the best.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

 

Thank you to Uplit Reads for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Susan Wiggs

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends…and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and in good weather, she commutes to her writers' group in a 21-foot motorboat. She’s been featured in the national media, including NPR, PRI, and USA Today, has given programs for the US Embassies in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, and is a popular speaker locally, nationally, internationally, and on the high seas.

From the very start, her writings have illuminated the everyday dramas of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Her books celebrate the power of love, the timeless bonds of family and the fascinating nuances of human nature. Today, she is an international best-selling, award-winning author, with millions of copies of her books in print in numerous countries and languages. According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable."

Her novels have appeared in the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List, and have captured readers’ hearts around the globe with translations into more than 20 languages and 30 countries. She is a three-time winner of the RITA Award,. Her recent novel, The Apple Orchard, is currently being made into a film, and The Lakeshore Chronicles has been optioned for adaptation into a series.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. She lives on an island in Puget Sound, where she divides her time between sleeping and waking.

#BookReview Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson @AuthorJenniferR @uplitreads @harpercollinsca #coronationyear #JenniferRobson #uplitreadscampaign

#BookReview Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson @AuthorJenniferR @uplitreads @harpercollinsca #coronationyear #JenniferRobson #uplitreadscampaign Title: Coronation Year

Author: Jennifer Robson

Published by: William Morrow on Apr. 4, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Uplit Reads

Book Rating: 8.5/10

The USA Today bestselling author of The Gown returns with another enthralling and royal-adjacent historical novel—as the lives of three very different residents of London’s historic Blue Lion hotel converge in a potentially explosive climax on the day of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation.

It is Coronation Year, 1953, and a new queen is about to be crowned. The people of London are in a mood to celebrate, none more so than the residents of the Blue Lion hotel.

Edie Howard, owner and operator of the floundering Blue Lion, has found the miracle she needs: on Coronation Day, Queen Elizabeth in her gold coach will pass by the hotel’s front door, allowing Edie to charge a fortune for rooms and, barring disaster, save her beloved home from financial ruin. Edie’s luck might just be turning, all thanks to a young queen about her own age.

Stella Donati, a young Italian photographer and Holocaust survivor, has come to live at the Blue Lion while she takes up a coveted position at Picture Weekly magazine. London in celebration mode feels like a different world to her. As she learns the ins and outs of her new profession, Stella discovers a purpose and direction that honor her past and bring hope for her future.

James Geddes, a war hero and gifted artist, has struggled to make his mark in a world that disdains his Indian ancestry. At the Blue Lion, though, he is made to feel welcome and worthy. Yet even as his friendship with Edie deepens, he begins to suspect that something is badly amiss at his new home.

When anonymous threats focused on Coronation Day, the Blue Lion, and even the queen herself disrupt their mood of happy optimism, Edie and her friends must race to uncover the truth, save their home, and expose those who seek to erase the joy and promise of Coronation Year.


Review:

Nostalgic, mysterious, and immersive!

Coronation Year is a captivating, lighthearted tale set in London in 1953 that takes you into the lives of the residents of the Blue Lion hotel, especially Edie Howard, the hardworking owner who, after struggling for the last few years to make ends meet, is hoping the upcoming coronation will provide the influx of cash she so desperately needs; Stella Donati, a Holocaust survivor and up-and-coming photographer who just received the chance of a lifetime when due to unforeseen circumstances she is chosen to photograph the queen on this incredibly momentous occasion; and James Geddes, a Scottish man with Indian ancestry who after leaving law school to pursue his dream of becoming a successful artist secures a lucrative commission to paint the queen’s procession as it passes by the esteemed Cartwrights’ Hall.

The prose is rich and expressive. The characters are plucky, supportive, and kind. And the plot is a delightfully engaging tale about life, loss, love, friendship, family, loyalty, uncertainty, good intentions, self-discovery, meddling, mischief, deception, and a touch of romance.

Overall, Coronation Year is a vivid, sentimental, timely read by Robson that does a lovely job of interweaving historical facts, endearing characters, and intriguing fiction into an insightful, compelling tale that is atmospheric and highly absorbing.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Uplit Reads for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jennifer Robson

Jennifer Robson first learned about the Great War from her father, acclaimed historian Stuart Robson, and later served as an official guide at the Canadian National War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, France. A former copy editor, she holds a doctorate in British economic and social history from the University of Oxford. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and young children.

#BookReview The Librarian of Burned Books by Brianna Labuskes @brilabuskes @HarperCollinsCa @Bookclubbish #BooksofHCC #TheLibrarianofBurnedBooks #BriannaLabuskes #Paid #Ad #Sponsored

#BookReview The Librarian of Burned Books by Brianna Labuskes @brilabuskes @HarperCollinsCa @Bookclubbish #BooksofHCC #TheLibrarianofBurnedBooks #BriannaLabuskes #Paid #Ad #Sponsored Title: The Librarian of Burned Books

Author: Brianna Labuskes

Published by: William Morrow on Feb. 21, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 416

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: HarperCollins Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Berlin 1933. Following the success of her debut novel, American writer Althea James receives an invitation from Joseph Goebbels himself to participate in a culture exchange program in Germany. For a girl from a small town in Maine, 1933 Berlin seems to be sparklingly cosmopolitan, blossoming in the midst of a great change with the charismatic new chancellor at the helm. Then Althea meets a beautiful woman who promises to show her the real Berlin, and soon she’s drawn into a group of resisters who make her question everything she knows about her hosts–and herself.

Paris 1936. She may have escaped Berlin for Paris, but Hannah Brecht discovers the City of Light is no refuge from the anti-Semitism and Nazi sympathizers she thought she left behind. Heartbroken and tormented by the role she played in the betrayal that destroyed her family, Hannah throws herself into her work at the German Library of Burned Books. Through the quiet power of books, she believes she can help counter the tide of fascism she sees rising across Europe and atone for her mistakes. But when a dear friend decides actions will speak louder than words, Hannah must decide what stories she is willing to live–or die–for.

New York 1944. Since her husband Edward was killed fighting the Nazis, Vivian Childs has been waging her own war: preventing a powerful senator’s attempts to censor the Armed Service Editions, portable paperbacks that are shipped by the millions to soldiers overseas. Viv knows just how much they mean to the men through the letters she receives–including the last one she got from Edward. She also knows the only way to win this battle is to counter the senator’s propaganda with a story of her own–at the heart of which lies the reclusive and mysterious woman tending the American Library of Nazi-Banned Books in Brooklyn.

As Viv unknowingly brings her censorship fight crashing into the secrets of the recent past, the fates of these three women will converge, changing all of them forever.

Inspired by the true story of the Council of Books in Wartime–the WWII organization founded by booksellers, publishers, librarians, and authors to use books as “weapons in the war of ideas”–The Librarian of Burned Books is an unforgettable historical novel, a haunting love story, and a testament to the beauty, power, and goodness of the written word.


Review:

Insightful, rich, and affecting!

The Librarian of Burned Books is an absorbing, intense tale set during prewar Berlin and Paris, as well as New York City during the latter part of WWII, that takes you into the lives of three women who all come from different backgrounds and with completely different motivations but whose worlds become uniquely connected and intertwined when they all find themselves working together to stop the censorship of books being sent to the troops fighting overseas.

The prose is polished and expressive. The characters are vulnerable, intriguing, and strong. And the plot is a compelling tale of life, loss, love, family, friendship, sacrifice, courage, secrets, deception, betrayal, oppression, resistance, and survival.

Overall, The Librarian of Burned Books is a well-written, vivid, informative tale by Labuskes inspired by real-life events that does an exceptional job of highlighting her considerable knowledge and impressive research into an organization that was determined to show the power and importance of the written word to uplift and provide hope in even the most horrific situations.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Brianna Labuskes

Wall Street Journal, Amazon Charts and Washington Post best-selling author.

Bri loves reading and writing in two of her favorite genres: psychological thrillers and historical fiction. She got her start in romance with a small publisher and still adores swoon-worthy meet-cutes. You can find that strong sense of relationship-building in all of Bri’s work. She spent the first decade-plus-change of her career in D.C. journalism and thus knows too much about the Ways & Means Committee as well as the best way to avoid traffic on the Beltway. She now lives in Asheville, N.C., with her pup, Jinx.

Her last name is pronounced La-bus-kiss (it’s okay, no one gets it right!)

You can find Bri on Twitter, where she’ll most likely be recommending her latest read, or on Instagram posting pictures of her pup.

She loves hearing from readers most of all, so feel free to send her a message.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com.

#BookReview The Girls in Navy Blue by Alix Rickloff @AlixRickloff @uplitreads #thegirlsinnavyblue #authoralixrickloff #uplitreadscampaign

#BookReview The Girls in Navy Blue by Alix Rickloff @AlixRickloff @uplitreads #thegirlsinnavyblue #authoralixrickloff #uplitreadscampaign Title: The Girls in Navy Blue

Author: Alix Rickloff

Published by: William Morrow on Nov. 1, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Source: Uplit Reads

Book Rating: 8/10

A gripping and compelling dual timeline novel about three women who joined the Navy during WWI to become yeomanettes and the impact their choices have on one of their descendants in 1968.

1918 – America is at war with Germany, and, for the first time in history, the US Navy has allowed women to join up alongside the men. Ten thousand of them rush to do their part. German-American Marjory Kunwald enlists in the Navy to prove her patriotism. Suffragette Blanche Lawrence to prove that women are the equal of men. And shy preacher’s daughter Viv Weston in a desperate attempt to hide from the police.

Even as the US military pours into France and the war heats up, the three yeomanettes find friendship and sisterhood within the Navy. But all their plans for the future are thrown into chaos when Viv’s dark past finally catches up with her.

1968 – Newly divorced and reeling from a personal tragedy, Peggy Whitby unexpectedly inherits her estranged great-aunt Blanche’s beach cottage outside Norfolk Virginia. But her fragile peace is rattled when she begins to receive mysterious postcards dated from 1918 when Blanche served as a Navy yeomanette.

Curious to learn more about her mysterious aunt and uncover the truth behind the cryptic messages, Peggy is drawn deeper into the lives of the three young Navy girls. But her digging uncovers more than she bargains for, and, as past and present collide, Peggy must decide if finding out about her aunt is worth the risk of losing herself.


Review:

Compelling, vivid, and insightful!

The Girls in Navy Blue is an immersive, dual-timeline tale set in Virginia during WWI as well as 1968 that takes you into the lives of four main characters. Marjory Kunwald, a young German American who yearns to prove where her patriotism lies; Blanche Lawrence, an independent gal determined to do whatever it takes to fight for equality; Viv Weston, a scarred woman with a tortured past looking for a new start; and Peggy Whitby a divorcée who after inheriting her great-aunt’s cottage starts to uncover more secrets about her family’s past than she ever could have imagined.

The prose is rich and expressive. The characters are independent, spirited, and brave. And the plot is an intriguing, tender tale of life, loss, love, hope, family, sacrifices, new beginnings, and female friendship.

Overall, The Girls in Navy Blue is an absorbing, moving, lovely tale by Rickloff that does a wonderful job of showcasing the lifestyles, struggles, and daily intricacies involved in being a “yeomanette”, one of the first women honoured with the right to serve in the US Navy.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Uplit Reads for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Alix Rickloff

Critically acclaimed author of historical fiction, Alix Rickloff’s family tree includes a knight who fought during the Wars of the Roses (his brass rubbing hangs in her dining room) and a soldier who sided with Charles I during the English Civil War (hence the family's hasty emigration to America). With inspiration like that, what else could she do but start writing her own stories? She lives in Maryland in a house that’s seen its own share of history so when she’s not writing, she can usually be found trying to keep it from falling down. THE WAY TO LONDON is her latest release.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview Sugar and Salt by Susan Wiggs @susanwiggs @uplitreads @WmMorrowBooks #sugarandsalt #susanwiggs #uplitreadscampaign

#BookReview Sugar and Salt by Susan Wiggs @susanwiggs @uplitreads @WmMorrowBooks #sugarandsalt #susanwiggs #uplitreadscampaign Title: Sugar and Salt

Author: Susan Wiggs

Published by: William Morrow on Jul. 26, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Uplit Reads

Book Rating: 10/10

The New York Times bestselling author of The Lost and Found Bookstore returns to Perdita Street with a can’t-miss tale of friendship, hardship, redemption, and love between a San Francisco baker and a barbecue master from Texas.

Jerome “Sugar” Barnes learned the art of baking in his grandma’s bakery, also called Sugar, on historic Perdita Street in San Francisco. He supplies baked goods to the Lost and Found Bookshop across the street.

When the restaurant that shares his commercial kitchen loses its longtime tenant, a newcomer moves in: Margot Salton, a barbecue master from Texas.

Margot isn’t exactly on the run, but she needs a fresh start. She’s taken care of herself her whole life, pulling herself up by her fingernails to recover from trauma, and her dream has been to open a restaurant somewhere far, far from Texas. The shared kitchen with Jerome Sugar’s bakery is the perfect setup: a state-of-the-art kitchen and a vibrant neighborhood popular with tourists and locals.

Margot instantly takes to Jerome’s grandmother, the lively, opinionated Ida, and the older woman proves to be a good mentor. Margot thinks Jerome is gorgeous, and despite their different backgrounds their attraction is powerful–even though Jerome worries that Margot will simply move on from him once she’s found some peace and stability. But just as she starts to relax into a happy new future, Margot’s past in Texas comes back to haunt her…


Review:

Emotional, sweet, and heart-wrenching!

Sugar and Salt is a raw, compelling tale that takes you on a journey into the life of Margot Salton as she struggles to juggle a new rewarding endeavour, a handsome, kindhearted man whom she’s wary of loving and a devastating past littered with injustice, violence and heartbreak.

The prose is sensitive and tender. The characters are vulnerable, scarred, and strong. And the plot is a moving tale of life, loss, friendship, family, trust, shame, self-blame, sexual assault, finding love, moving on, and the intricacies of the Texas legal system.

Overall, Sugar and Salt is a timely, affecting, heart-tugging tale by Wiggs that is a little darker than I originally expected, packs a real emotional punch, and ultimately does an exceptional job of highlighting the psychological and emotional devastation caused by rape and the cultural stigmatization that regrettably still surrounds it.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Uplit Reads for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Susan Wiggs

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends…and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and in good weather, she commutes to her writers' group in a 21-foot motorboat. She’s been featured in the national media, including NPR, PRI, and USA Today, has given programs for the US Embassies in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, and is a popular speaker locally, nationally, internationally, and on the high seas.

From the very start, her writings have illuminated the everyday dramas of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Her books celebrate the power of love, the timeless bonds of family and the fascinating nuances of human nature. Today, she is an international best-selling, award-winning author, with millions of copies of her books in print in numerous countries and languages. According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable."

Her novels have appeared in the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List, and have captured readers’ hearts around the globe with translations into more than 20 languages and 30 countries. She is a three-time winner of the RITA Award,. Her recent novel, The Apple Orchard, is currently being made into a film, and The Lakeshore Chronicles has been optioned for adaptation into a series.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. She lives on an island in Puget Sound, where she divides her time between sleeping and waking.

#BookReview Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola @WmMorrowBooks #LoveinColor #BoluBabalola

#BookReview Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola @WmMorrowBooks #LoveinColor #BoluBabalola Title: Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold

Author: Bolu Babalola

Published by: William Morrow on Apr. 13, 2021

Genres: Fantasy, General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 304

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: William Morrow

Book Rating: 8/10

A high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen.

A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life.

A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart.

In her debut collection, internationally acclaimed writer Bolu Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from long-erased places.

With an eye towards decolonizing tropes inherent in our favorite tales of love, Babalola has created captivating stories that traverse across perspectives, continents, and genres.


Review:

Uplifting, thought-provoking, and empowering!

Love in Color is an astute, beautiful collection of short stories that takes a variety of ancient folklore and tales and creatively reinvents them into contemporary love stories.

The writing is bold and colourful. The stories are imaginative, well written and romantic. And the plots, although slightly different, all feature strong, independent women and highlight the incredible power of love in all its forms.

Overall, Love in Color is a thoughtful, inspirational, perceptive anthology by Babalola that ultimately reminds us that to love and be loved is one of humanity’s most fundamental needs, or to quote Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic words, “Where there is love there is life.” 

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Bolu Babalola

Bolu Babalola is a British-Nigerian woman with a misleading bachelor's degree in law and a masters degree in American Politics & History from UCL. She feels it is important to state that her thesis was on Beyoncé's "Lemonade" and she was awarded a distinction for it. So essentially she has a masters degree in Beyoncé. A writer of books, scripts and retorts, a lover of love and self-coined "romcomoisseur", Bolu Babalola writes stories of dynamic women with distinct voices who love and are loved audaciously. She is a big believer in women being both "Beauty and the beast". She is not a fan of writing her own bios.

Photo by Folaju Oyegbesan.

#BookReview Find Your First by Linwood Barclay @linwoodbarclay @harpercollinsca #FindYouFirst #LinwoodBarclay #BooksofHCC

#BookReview Find Your First by Linwood Barclay @linwoodbarclay @harpercollinsca #FindYouFirst #LinwoodBarclay #BooksofHCC Title: Find You First

Author: Linwood Barclay

Published by: William Morrow on May 4, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 448

Format: Paperback

Source: HarperCollins Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

The New York Times bestselling author of Elevator Pitch and master of psychological suspense returns with a riveting thriller in which the possible heirs of a dying tech millionaire are mysteriously being eliminated, one by one.

Tech millionaire Miles Cookson has more money than he can ever spend, and everything he could dream of—except time. He has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and there is a fifty percent chance that it can be passed on to the next generation. For Miles, this means taking a long hard look at his past . . .

Two decades ago, a young, struggling Miles was a sperm donor. Somewhere out there, he has kids—nine of them. And they might be about to inherit both the good and the bad from him—maybe his fortune, or maybe something much worse.

As Miles begins to search for the children he’s never known, aspiring film documentarian Chloe Swanson embarks on a quest to find her biological father, armed with the knowledge that twenty-two years ago, her mother used a New York sperm bank to become pregnant.

When Miles and Chloe eventually connect, their excitement at finding each other is overshadowed by a series of mysterious and terrifying events. One by one, Miles’s other potential heirs are vanishing—every trace of them wiped, like they never existed at all.

Who is the vicious killer—another heir methodically erasing rivals? Or is something even more sinister going on?

It’s a deadly race against time . . .


Review:

Sharp, consuming, and perfectly plotted!

Find You First is an addictive, action-packed thrill ride that takes you into the life of software millionaire Miles Cookson, who after being diagnosed with the incurable, genetic Hungtington’s disease, endeavours to use his wealth and influence to meet any possible children he may have from a sperm bank donation he made in his early twenties, but when one-by-one his potential heirs begin vanishing without a trace, it quickly becomes apparent something more sinister is going on and time is running out.

The writing is crisp and polished. The characters are complex, tenacious, and flawed. And the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat with its short, intense chapters that immerse you into an ominous tale full of twists, turns, red herrings, secrets, deduction, mayhem, corruption, grandiose delusions, violence, and murder.

Overall, Find You First has an incredibly pacey storyline and exceptional character development. It’s riveting, dark, and unnerving and is a clear indicator that Barclay has written another bestseller. If you love well-written, tortuous thrillers with intriguing characters, then this is definitely one book you don’t want to miss.

This novel is available on May 4, 2021.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Linwood Barclay

Linwood Barclay is the author of eighteen previous novels, and two thrillers for children. A New York Times bestselling author, his books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. He wrote the screenplay adaptation for his novel Never Saw it Coming and his book The Accident has been made into a TV series in France. His novel No Time for Goodbye was a global bestseller. Born and raised in Connecticut, he now lives in Toronto with his wife, Neetha.

Photo by Ellis Parinder.

#BookReview Cemetery Road by Greg Iles @GregIles @WmMorrowBks @HarperCollinsCa

#BookReview Cemetery Road by Greg Iles @GregIles @WmMorrowBks @HarperCollinsCa Title: Cemetery Road

Author: Greg Iles

Published by: William Morrow on Mar. 5, 2019

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 590

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: HarperCollins Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Natchez Burning trilogy returns with an electrifying tale of friendship, betrayal, and shattering secrets that threaten to destroy a small Mississippi town.

When Marshall McEwan left his hometown at age eighteen, he vowed never to return. The trauma that drove him away ultimately spurred him to become one of the most successful journalists in Washington D.C. But just as the political chaos in the nation’s capital lifts him to new heights, Marshall is forced to return home in spite of his boyhood vow.

His father is dying, his mother is struggling to keep the family newspaper from failing, and the town is in the midst of an economic rebirth that might be built upon crimes that reach into the state capitol—and perhaps even to Washington. More disturbing still, Marshall’s high school sweetheart, Jet, has married into the family of Max Matheson, patriarch of one of the families that rule Bienville through a shadow organization called the Bienville Poker Club.

When archeologist Buck McKibben is murdered at a construction site, Bienville is thrown into chaos. The ensuing homicide investigation is soon derailed by a second crime that rocks the community to its core. Power broker Max Matheson’s wife has been shot dead in her own bed, and the only other person in it at the time was her husband, Max. Stranger still, Max demands that his daughter-on-law, Jet, defend him in court.

As a journalist, Marshall knows all too well how the corrosive power of money and politics can sabotage investigations. Without telling a soul, he joins forces with Jet, who has lived for fifteen years at the heart of Max Matheson’s family, and begins digging into both murders. With Jet walking the dangerous road of an inside informer, they soon uncover a web of criminal schemes that undergird the town’s recent success. But these crimes pale in comparison to the secret at the heart of the Matheson family. When those who have remained silent for years dare to speak to Marshall, pressure begins to build like water against a crumbling dam.

Marshall loses friends, family members, and finally even Jet, for no one in Bienville seems willing to endure the reckoning that the Poker Club has long deserved. And by the time Marshall grasps the long-buried truth, he would give almost anything not to have to face it.


Review:

Ominous, pacey, and tragic!

Cemetery Road is a gritty, engrossing novel about life in Bienville, Mississippi, a small town struggling with socioeconomic depression, corruption, murder, scheming politicians, and powerful, rich, white businessmen with no scruples.

The prose is descriptive and tight. The characters are tormented, scarred, and complex. And the plot is a rollercoaster ride of twists, turns, deception, allegiances, revelations, greed, power, violence, infidelity, integrity, heartbreak, and grief.

Overall, I would have to say that Cemetery Road is a dark, meticulous, deliciously suspenseful thriller that’s classic Iles with its journalistic backdrop, long-buried secrets, southern mentality, and complicated familial dynamics.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                       

 

 

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Greg Iles

Greg Iles was born in Germany in 1960. He grew up in Natchez, Mississippi, and graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1983. He was active in a band called "Frankly Scarlet", but quit after realizing that the touring lifestyle was not conducive with his family life. Once no longer busy with the band, he turned his attention to writing.

Greg's novels have been translated into various languages and are published in more than 20 countries. In addition to his popular novels, he wrote the original script for the movie 24 Hours (later renamed Trapped).

When not writing, Greg spends some of his time playing music. He's a member of "The Rock Bottom Remainders", which includes other authors (Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Stephen King, Scott Turow, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Roy Blount, Jr., Matt Groening, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, and James McBride).

Greg still lives in Natchez, Mississippi, with his wife and has three children.

#BookReview #GoodreadsGiveaways The Gown by Jennifer Robson @AuthorJenniferR @WmMorrowBks @goodreads

#BookReview #GoodreadsGiveaways The Gown by Jennifer Robson @AuthorJenniferR @WmMorrowBks @goodreads Title: The Gown

Author: Jennifer Robson

Published by: William Morrow on Dec. 31, 2018

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 292

Format: Paperback

Source: William Morrow, Goodreads Giveaways

Book Rating: 10/10

London, 1947: Besieged by the harshest winter in living memory, burdened by onerous shortages and rationing, the people of postwar Britain are enduring lives of quiet desperation despite their nation’s recent victory. Among them are Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Together they forge an unlikely friendship, but their nascent hopes for a brighter future are tested when they are chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honor: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown.

Toronto, 2016: More than half a century later, Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a set of embroidered flowers, a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved Nan, a woman who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost seventy years before? And what was her Nan’s connection to the celebrated textile artist and holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?

With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created. Balancing behind-the-scenes details with a sweeping portrait of a society left reeling by the calamitous costs of victory, she introduces readers to three unforgettable heroines, their points of view alternating and intersecting throughout its pages.


Review:

Evocative, enchanting, and beautifully written!

The Gown is a captivating, sentimental tale predominantly set in London post-WWII, as well as present day, that follows the lives of three main characters.  Ann, a young talented embroider employed by the esteemed Norman Hartnell; Miriam, a Holocaust survivor and émigré from France who becomes Ann’s coworker and close friend; and Heather, Ann’s granddaughter who after discovering embroidered flowers in her grandmother’s possessions after her passing embarks on a journey to determine their significance.

The prose is eloquent and well turned.  The characters are flawed, multifaceted, hardworking, and brave. And the plot, along with all the seamlessly intertwined subplots, is an impressive mix of drama, familial dynamics, emotion, secrets, love, loss, duty, heartbreak, passion, and courage; as well as an insightful look at life in postwar London and the importance of female friendships.

Overall, The Gown is a wonderful blend of historical facts and compelling fiction that’s mesmerizing, gripping, nostalgic and perfect for those who love anything royal.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                            

 

 

Thank you to William Morrow and Goodreads Giveaways for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jennifer Robson

Jennifer Robson first learned about the Great War from her father, acclaimed historian Stuart Robson, and later served as an official guide at the Canadian National War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, France. A former copy editor, she holds a doctorate in British economic and social history from the University of Oxford. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and young children.