Clock Dance

I read this as a book club selection. 

There are only two references to the clock dance and if you're reading fast, then you'll miss them. Also, I'm not convinced that this is the best title for the book. Willa's rather ordinary life might be more apt. But then her normality is what makes her relatable. 

The reader travels through snapshots of Willa's life from childhood to the golden years. Most questions get answered when you transition from one decade jump to another. 

Willa is a doormat most of her life. Her transformation is so subtle that if you don't read the last paragraph carefully you'll miss it. 

AMAZON

Willa Drake has had three opportunities to start her life over: in 1967, as a schoolgirl whose mother has suddenly disappeared; in 1977, when considering a marriage proposal; and in 1997, as a young widow trying to hold her family together. So she is surprised when in 2017 she is given one last chance to change everything, after receiving a startling phone call from a stranger.

Without fully understanding why, she flies across the country to Baltimore to help a young woman she's never met. This impulsive decision, maybe the first one she’s consciously made in her life, will lead Willa into uncharted territory—surrounded by eccentric neighbors who treat each other like family, she finds solace and fulfillment in unexpected places.

The Death Cure

Had the opportunity to read this on audio book during a road trip. 

Still love the narrator. 

This book flows better, more like the first book of the series. And Thomas isn't unconscious as often. We lose a few friends along the way, but the moments are poignant and impactful. 

If you've seen the film, it's nothing like the book. So don't bother anticipating what's next or comparing. 

The world builidng is impressive and more relevant during a world wide pandemic. Amazing how ahead of it's time the concept was. 

A fitting conclusion to the trilogy. 

AMAZON

WICKED has taken everything from Thomas: his life, his memories, and now his only friends — the Gladers. But it's finally over. The trials are complete, after one final test. 

What WICKED doesn't know is that Thomas remembers far more than they think. And it's enough to prove that he can't believe a word of what they say. 

Thomas beat the Maze. He survived the Scorch. He'll risk anything to save his friends. But the truth might be what ends it all. 

The time for lies is over. 

Her Billionaire Dream

This one reads part RomCom part suspense, and all fun. 

Don't let the cover or the premise of the billionaire taking Cinderella to the corporate retreat fool you. There are some deeper themes here. 

The characters are fleshed out. You'll be totally creeped out by Cinderella's ex. And totally adoring of the elderly caretaker. 

This one is a page turner. 

AMAZON

He’s building an empire. She’s cleaning it.

Having invested years into saving the family business from the ashes his father left, Chandler Jones has no time for a serious relationship. He has no need for a woman in his life and dates his high school sweetheart only because she is equally rich, extremely independent, and looks good on his arm. But when she ducks out on him on the most important weekend of the year, he is desperate.

Dena Gysler wants nothing to do with her rich, arrogant employer. She cleans his office and he has no idea she exists. That suits her just fine. When he offers her ten thousand dollars to accompany him on his weekend business conference, Dena is appalled. But ten thousand dollars is a lot of money for a cleaning lady to refuse. 

Dena and Chandler agree to a strictly-business plan that will benefit them both. And falling in love is not a part of that plan. 

But then again, plans change.

A Free Heart

Ms. Adams wrote a wonderful tale of frontier life while interweaving false first impressions and race inequality without being preachy. 

The romance between Harriet and Tom gets off to a wrong start. They have much to overcome personally before the feelings for the other can bloom and grow at the edge of the frontier.  

I haven't read the rest of the books in the series. This can be read as a stand alone book. However, it's clear that other characters in this story have their own stories that you'll want to read and enjoy. 

AMAZON

Harriet Martin left her plantation home in Atlanta and came to Kansas with one thought on her mind—finding the mother of the man she was supposed to marry. She will never find peace or be able to move on until she knows that Jane, a former slave, is safe and happy.

Tom White wants nothing more than to be his own man—traveling where he will, taking whatever jobs come his way, moving on again when he gets feeling itchy. Now working at the Brody Hotel, he starts to put down roots for the first time since he was forced to leave his home at the age of fifteen.

Both stubborn, independent, and free-spirited, Harriet and Tom have more in common than either one wants to admit. By the same twist of fate, they each have exactly what the other needs—if destiny will allow them to find the happiness they’ve been seeking.