Broken Country

This is my first read by Ms. Hall. 

The story is masterfully crafted and told. 

Be prepared for the story to unravel by time jumps. We're constantly going from the present to the past and vise versa. 

There are certainly a lot of secrets to uncover. 

Love triangles aren't usually my preferred romance, but this book does it well. 

I typically read clean fiction, so heads up that there is some language and intimate scenes in the book, but none are overly graphic or out of place. 

I dare you to guess who did killed the poor farmer. I figured it out before the end, but it took a while. 

I listened to this as an audiobook. Kudos to the narrator for a job well done. 

Do you think families should keep secrets?

AMAZON

“The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.”

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.

Love at the Shore

This is my first read by Ms.Wilson. 

The story is well written with fully formed characters and the right amount of conflict. 

It's a clean romance, which means just kisses, though I might've liked one or two more sprinkled in. 

The dog was a charming addition to the novel. 

A solid read. 

AMAZON

She came to the beach to write… But she’s getting distracted by the surfer next door.

Jenna, a single mom and successful author, has five weeks to deliver her next young adult novel to the publisher. This year’s summer getaway with her kids will be a working vacation.

The only problem? Lucas, the devil-may-care surfer in the beach rental next to hers. He cranks up his music at night, hosts loud volleyball matches, and allows his dog to run around at will.

Jenna often blames him for her writer’s block. But before long, she begins to see a new side of her neighbor at the shore. Maybe opposites do attract…but will that attraction fade like a sunset once summer is gone?

Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Box Set: Books 1 - 5

This box set was my first read by Ms. Wesson. 

I was delighted with each story. 

All the characters were well fleshed out with flaws, backstory, and conflict to keep the couples apart even when they were together. G

Excellent use of tropes and setting. 

If you like historical western mail order bride romances, then this is perfect for you. And if you haven't tried a romance like this, then this set is a wonderful place to start. 

AMAZON

Follow the journey of Five Irish Ladies who head to Clover Springs looking for love and their own special happy ever after in this special discounted box deal.

Never Enough

If you're a parent, read this. 

If you're not a parent, read this. You're still part of the solution. 

I've seen firsthand how achievement culture can destroy young people when they believe that who they are and what they do are the determining factors to their selfworth, which hinges on how much they can produce rather than emphasizing effort and learning. 

Not that who they are is intrisically enough. 

Our youth need better than the toxicity around them. They need support, love, and the ability to fail without having the first two hanging in the balance. 

This book is an eye opener for sure. 

How do you teach your children about their worth?

AMAZON

The definitive book on the rise of “toxic achievement culture” overtaking our kids' and parents' lives, and a new framework for fighting back

In the ever more competitive race to secure the best possible future, today’s students face unprecedented pressure to succeed. They jam-pack their schedules with AP classes, fill every waking hour with resume-padding activities, and even sabotage relationships with friends to “get ahead.” Family incomes and schedules are stretched to the breaking point by tutoring fees and athletic schedules. Yet this drive to optimize performance has only resulted in skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, and even self-harm in America’s highest achieving schools. Parents, educators, and community leaders are facing the same quandary: how can we teach our kids to strive towards excellence without crushing them?

In Never Enough, award-winning reporter Jennifer Breheny Wallace investigates the deep roots of toxic achievement culture, and finds out what we must do to fight back. Drawing on interviews with families, educators, and an original survey of nearly 6,000 parents, she exposes how the pressure to perform is not a matter of parental choice but baked in to our larger society and spurred by increasing income inequality and dwindling opportunities. As a result, children are increasingly absorbing the message that they have no value outside of their accomplishments, a message that is reinforced by the media and greater culture at large.

Through deep research and interviews with today’s leading child psychologists, Wallace shows what kids need from the adults in the room is not more pressure, but to feel like they matter, and have intrinsic self-worth not contingent upon external achievements. Parents and educators who adopt the language and values of mattering help children see themselves as a valuable contributor to a larger community. And in an ironic twist, kids who receive consistent feedback that they matter no matter what are more likely to have the resilience, self-confidence, and psychological security to thrive.

Packed with memorable stories and offering a powerful toolkit for positive change, Never Enough offers an urgent, humane view of the crisis plaguing today’s teens and a practical framework for how to help.

A Fake Marriage Romance Collection

Ms. Lieske masterfully weaves tale after tale of fake relationships. 

I couldn't possibly pick a favorite out of these five full-lenth novels. Each one has a different premise, and you'll be laughing all the way through. These characters go through the emotional wringer as they deal with their real feelings under fake circumstances. So much fun. 

AMAZON

Five feel-good romances, filled with heart-stopping kisses and scenes that will make you laugh out loud.

Book 1: Accidentally Married
Madison get swindled into pretending to be Jared's girlfriend for a family dinner. When she finds out he lied to her, she gets him back by telling his family they are engaged. A hilarious rom com with a great cast of characters.

Book 2: Reluctantly Married
Megan and Adam have knocked heads for some time. When forced to pretend to date on a TV show, real feelings get in the way. And when they say I do, Megan worries her heart will not be able to take it.

Book 3: Mistakenly Married
Things get a little crazy when Penny accidentally marries the wrong man. Then when he convinces her to stay married just until he gets his inheritance, she agrees. What she didn't expect is for her heart to get involved.

Book 4: Blissfully Married
Sydney pretends to be engaged to help her matchmaking business succeed. Luckily, she's got a fake ring on her finger when her childhood crush walks in the door. Blake stays at arms length from Sydney until he realizes she's been lying to him. He makes it his mission to get her to admit she's not really engaged.

Book 5: Acting Married
When Tara agrees to marry Rick Shade as a publicity stunt, she doesn't expect to fall for him. She can't get her heart involved, she needs stability in her life.