I had a great time reading this one. Even though you know you really shouldn't, you can't help but root for Lottie. Lottie is a retired serial killer, now in her 70s, she's put her past behind her; literally, after being accused and exonerated of murder. These days she goes by the name Lottie Jones, church bingo and gossip aficionado. Then nosy Plum Dixon shows up at her door, and wants to do a docuseries on Lottie's past….a wrongfully accused murderer who's had to change her name and move to a new hometown. This is the last thing Lottie wants, but she plays along offering Plum tea (chamomile or peppermint?) and cookies while she decides what to do about this nuisance.

What follows is a hilarious, and gruesome, story as Lottie finds it necessary to come out of retirement and learn to navigate with new challenges such as surveillance cameras and smart phones that track every move. Lottie's sarcastic humor somehow makes her an endearing character.

Very entertaining read by Samantha Downing!

This book is about Emily and her high school best friend turned lover, Gen. They ended up attending different colleges after high school, then breaking up over a misunderstanding shortly after, but Emily has never truly forgotten Gen. It's also about Emily's marriage to a man named Jack.

Jack comes from a wealthy family and has a sophistication that intrigues Emily, and when they start dating, Jack goes out of his way to impress Emily, showering her with money and attention, and after six months, he proposes. Even before the wedding, there are red flags, warning bells of Jack's over sensitivity and reaction to anything Emily says or does that is remotely critical but Emily manages to convince herself all is well.

They marry and things are mostly good for a while, but over time, Jack slowly but intentionally isolates Emily from her friends and family, and Emily finds herself constantly having to anticipate what might spark Jack's often explosive anger. Two children later, the situation has evolved into an abusive marriage but Emily seemed oblivious, and always second guessing herself. Maybe she wasn't trying hard enough. It was hard to find sympathy for her by this point and I found myself really frustrated with her,

Overall, I liked the story, but more than once I felt the dialogue between Emily and her children seemed…not motherly is the best I can come up with…one example is when she tells her six year old he's a hypocrite. I enjoyed the relationship between Emily and Gen, but there were too many miscommunications and assumptions it made the story drag for me. By the time I reached the 350th page, I was glad to finish.

I struggled with this book. At times I felt I was on a carnival ride The way the story played out was so unlikely, and then the switch from two characters you believe are total psychopaths, to characters who are more like your next door neighbor with seriously overactive imaginations was just too much for me. I wanted to get off the carnival ride, but felt obligated to wait until it came to a complete stop (The End). I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the latter half, hence my three star rating.

While I thought this book had many cheesy/corny moments, I did enjoy the fast paced storyline. It was a quick and easy read with some life advice thrown in (i.e. be careful what you wish for, etc.).

I quite enjoyed this novel. It was such a departure from my typical reads…the author created this story about an eccentric family living in West Virginia, but almost totally isolated from the rest of the world. It was part fantasy, part supernatural, hard to fit into any genre that I'm aware of! I couldn't help thinking of Cousin Marilyn on the Munsters tv show as I read because one of the sisters, Wenna, left the Bog (a cranberry field), and went on to live a somewhat normal life. When the patriarch of the family is dying, Wenna feels the pull of familial responsibility to return and carry out the ritual they've been told has been ongoing in their bloodline for generations. This was the strangest story I've read in quite some time, but I was utterly drawn into the lives of this family…and liking some of them while disliking others. The author did a great job developing these odd characters. I can't wait to see what she writes next!

In my opinion, this novel was lacking in depth and felt very much like a Hallmark Christmas movie…too treacly sweet for my taste. The main characters, Pony and Penny, started out their journeys naive, and predictably gained wisdom from their experiences, many of which were so implausible, I found myself rolling my eyes. The book seemed more like YA fiction than any other genre. This book just wasn't for me, though I have to admit, other readers may find it entertaining.

The author drew me in with this rather bizarre character/narrator. You know almost immediately she has some real mental health problems. Delusional, paranoid, feelings of superiority, obsessive…just to name the first that come to mind. Unfortunately, I thought the story was going somewhere…the narrator was getting so close to cracking. But…the big or surprising event I was expecting never happened. There were some interesting styles of writing …the fact that all the characters were either idientified by an initial, or a nickname the narrator made up for them, usually based on what she found when scouring through desk drawers. Imaginative meting out of ‘punishments’ if she decided an employee needed it. An unusual book, but it ultimately left me unsatisfied and wanting something more to happen.

This book had its highs and lows for me. By the end of the book, I couldn't stand any of the characters, especially Warren and his horrible daughter, Kat. The part of the story I enjoyed the most was while Warren and Sarah were happy together again, in spite of the fact that their relationship was an affair between a married man and a divorced woman. There were parts of the story that felt too drawn out, then parts that felt too abrupt. The ending was more than I could take and made me want to throw the book across the room. Sorry, but I don't recommend this one.

This collection of stories had so many weird and wonderful characters, Some stories were enjoyable...some were weird in a good way…a couple were too weird for me to make sense of and take in. But they all had in common a wealth of interesting characters, and a different way of looking at each, so the book was an overall hit with me.

Each story was very different from the rest, but each had such intimacy. The intimacy between parent and child, lovers, neighbors, even in the competitiveness of teenagers…and the complexity of relationships.

I can't recall reading anything quite like this in my many years of being an avid reader. There's a freshness in the author's perspectives that I quite liked.

The topic of abortion being legal or not shouldn’t even continue to be relevant, but sadly today more than ever it is. In my opinion, this is a decision that ought to rest entirely with each woman who finds herself facing an unwanted pregnancy, for whatever reason. This book looks at the problem faced by women pre-Roe v Wade…how to terminate a pregnancy when the law says they can’t. This novel tells the story of Jane, a determined and courageous group of women who gave all women an option to take control of their bodies. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thanking my lucky stars to have come into my childbearing years shortly after Planned Parenthood became a legal option.

First, I have to say my favorite thing about this novel were the descriptions of the environments and animals/animal spirits. These were magical, mystical, and in depth enough I could picture much of it in my mind's eye.

The chapters jump from past to present which I initially found off-putting…but got used to. Not my favorite story telling method,

In a nutshell, a pair of siblings are finally to inherit their grandfather's money that they hope will allow them to keep the ranch where they grew running and in the family. They had a very different upbringing, much of it out in nature in the wilds of Colorado, near the family ranch. When their father realized how limited their social environment had been he sent them both to boarding schools. The siblings had a complicated relationship. When they discover this money they will inherit may be tainted and that some very unsavory people, including the Mexican drug cartel, are aware of their plans, things get intense.

I felt the author brought in too many situations and characters which for me, muddied the storyline a bit, but overall, I enjoyed reading Panther's Gap and hope you do, too!

My first gripe about this book is that I couldn't figure out why Anna attended a school where she seemed to be one of very few Native American students. I don't believe this was explained. She suffered cruel treatment at the hands of her fellow students, even her own sister. Her parents were so wrapped up in their own unhappiness, they seldom paid much attention to their three children. When Anna's younger sister, Grace, goes missing (the most recent of a number of missing girls) Anna is doggedly determined to find out what happened to her. She suspects her manager at the casino is involved somehow and investigates on her own. Reservation law enforcement's power is limited and local law enforcement doesn't seem to want to put much effort into tribal problems.
Overall, I liked the book. I wondered as I read, how much research the author had done on the topic of Native American and First Nation women who go missing…much of it sounded likely.. I wasn't happy with the ending, finding it too easy an answer.

The story of Tanner and Mrs. Louise Wilt was written in one of my least favorite styles - what I can only refer to as 'slapsticky'. Too cute, too witty, too…lots of things, Tanner rubbed me the wrong way. She had so many epiphanies during her adventures with Mrs. Wilt, it just boggled the mind! All in all, it was an enjoyable, average read, in spite of my reaction to Tanner's character.

This story is all about Gil, an unusual man who inherits a large sum of money in his teenage years, from the grandmother who raised him. He doesn't have to earn a living, so he volunteers for different organizations. After his girlfriend breaks up with him, he decides to move from New York to Arizona, wanting a new lifestyle. He also decides to walk the entire way! Once settled into his new home and environment, he notices the wildlife, especially the birds. The house next to his is empty, but when a family with two children move in, he becomes engrossed with them. One entire wall of their home is a window, and Gil can see them as they move about the house. At this point in the story, I really thought things were going to get kind of creepy, but I was wrong. Gil is a rather quiet man, but very kind and big-hearted. The story is more about relationships he forms with his new neighbors, and others. I ended up falling a little bit in love with Gil by the end of the book.

One's Company is certainly a unique story. Bonnie's story stirred up so much compassion in me. After an unhappy childhood, Bonnie experiences a traumatic incident as a young adult. The tv show 'Three's Company' is a comforting saving grace as she recovers from the trauma, but Bonnie becomes obsessed with the show and the characters. Fast forward a couple of years…Bonnie hit a huge jackpot winning the lottery. With the money, she decides to have a Three's Company city built, just for her. She plans to live there and experience life as each character, one by one. The detail she puts into planning are impressive, but as the project progresses, Bonnie becomes less and less in touch with reality. I won't spoil the whole story for you, but some of the events that take place will leave you wondering how much is real and how much is a product of Bonnie's increasingly fragile mental state.

This one was a quick read. I liked the stories behind the two main characters, Sylvia and Thomas, as well as the complicated interactions between the two of them. Thomas, a journalist, is almost desperate for a knock-it-out-of-the-park article to save his career, and Sylvie, a psychic-medium, has complex reasons for agreeing to helping him do research for the article. Chapters are alternately narrated by the two, which is a style I always enjoy reading. This book that really held my interest and interruptions in my reading made me a bit resentful! I couldn't wait to get back to it so I could discover what would unfold next. Thank you BookBrowse for the chance to read the ARC…I hope the author gets plenty of well deserved praise on this one!

Thank you to BookBrowse for the ARC of this novel. Andrea Yaryura Clark is to be commended on writing this story and bringing to light what went on during the ‘Dirty War’ in Argentina. I, for one, knew very little about this time in Argentina’s history. Some of the things I enjoyed most about this book were: the way the story was told through the eyes and voices of two different generations; the emotional quality of the writing…I could usually imagine what the characters were feeling; the fact the author lived in Argentina during the 1970s and (likely) drew much of the sights and sounds of the story from her own memories (I’m assuming here).

I must admit there were a few details about the abhorrent treatment of those captured that were difficult to read, but they were no doubt important to include in order to impress upon the reader the horror of the atrocities that were committed. Historical fiction in one of my favorite genres, and this one certainly did not disappoint!

It was all too easy to become distracted from this book, putting it down to do something else. I really wanted to like this one, and although I feel compassion for the boy, and the man he became, he seems self-absorbed to the point it was off-putting. In my opinion, he was a perfect example of the saying "pride goeth before a fall". He did overcome obstacles (though many were of his own making) to become a writer, and I applaud the perseverance it must've taken. I enjoyed the descriptions of the schools he attended, and people he met along the way, however, I don't feel this book would be a good selection for a book club to discuss.

I fell hard for Rae, the protagonist in this novel. What a strong, smart, scrappy, vulnerable, and resourceful little girl. The relationship that develops between Rae and Lettie, the neighbor with a hoarding tendency, added such depth to the story. Every character in this book, from Rae's teacher, Mrs. Pham, to Oscar, the boy down the street, lends something important to move the story along and continues to illustrate Rae's character. Initially, I felt the ending was rushed, but then it occurred on me that the way the novel unfolded was likely meant to impress upon the reader what the passage of time and the unfolding of events felt like from Rae's perspective. This is the best book I've read so far this year. Highly recommend.

I feel the author did a good job of describing the time and place. In my mind's eye, I could plainly see the island and the houses, shops, beach, and people. The relationships added interesting texture and tension. My only complaint was that none of the characters were particularly likable, they all seemed self absorbed and callous. I couldn't really feel any connection to them. I also had trouble keeping track of who was who and where they fit into the story. What I enjoyed most was an interesting look at a piece of Leonard Cohen's early life.