Those Secrets We Keep, by Emily Liebert

Title: Those Secrets We Keep

Author: Emily Liebert

Publisher: NAL

Date: June 2, 2015

Paperback: 336 pages

 About the Book

Three women. Three lives. Three secrets.

On the surface, Sloane has the perfect life—an adoring husband, a precocious daughter, and enough financial security to be a stay-at-home mom. Still, she can’t help but feel as though something—or someone—is missing....

Hillary has a successful career and a solid marriage. The only problem is her inability to conceive. And there’s a very specific reason why....

As the wild-child daughter of old family money, Georgina has never had to accept responsibility for anything. So when she realizes an unexpected life change could tie her down forever, she does exactly what she’s always done: escape.

When these three women unite for a three-week-long summer vacation in beautiful Lake George, New York, even with the idyllic location as their backdrop, the tensions begin to mount. And they quickly discover that no secret can be kept forever....

 My Take

At first when I started to read this story, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. It didn't feel like it was going to give me that engaged feeling, but I was proven wrong. This isn't a story you can just read whenever. I feel like you need to dedicate time to it, and that is just what I did. While sitting on the couch with Pandora playing piano music softly in the background, I began to read Those Secrets We Keep once more and was finally taken to Lake George with three other women to experience their "secrets". That is when I realized how good the book truly is, and didn't put it down until I was finished. The author is an awesome writer/storyteller. Everything started pouring off the pages. I could see everything I was reading as though I was actually there. From the sand on the beach to the anger or love on their faces, it was all visible. 

I felt as though the author did a great job at keeping my attention. I kept reading because I wanted to see where the story was going to go. I wanted to know how the different women were going to be affected by their life choices. There were a couple of times when I had a shocked look on my face while I was reading. Sloane has a typical life, stays home with child while husband works, but something just isn't right. Hillary is a young married woman who has been having issues with conceiving. Question is, why? And last but not least is Georgina, she is the fun one who jots from place to place. But is she happy doing that or should she settle down?

The story made me think of my friends and how close some of us are. It makes you realize how important friendship is no matter how old you are and where you are in life. All three of these women were living different lives, but were able to come together and hang out. Once their secrets are revealed, you will see if it will make or break the lives they are now living.

I know I didn't tell much about the book, but I hate giving good stories away. I do feel as though everyone who has the chance should purchase this book and read it. You will not be disappointed.

About the Author

Emily Libert is the award-winning author You Knew Me When, it was published in September 2013, and When We Fall, published in September 2014. She has been featured on Today, The Rachel Ray show, and Anderson Live, and in InStyle, People Style Watch, The New York Times, The Wall Street, and the Chicago Tribune, among other national media outlets.

Emily is currently hard at work on her fifth book. She lives in West Port, Connecticut with her husband and their two sons.  

Thank you Kathleen Zrelak for the complimentary book and opportunity to review this book.

Love, Rosie, by Cecelia Ahern

Title: Love, Rosie

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Date: January 12, 2006

Paperback: 448 pages

Theatre Release: October 22, 2014

DVD Release: May 5, 2015




About the Book
What happens when two people who are meant to be together can't seem to get it right?

Rosie and Alex are destined for each other, and everyone seems to know it but them. Best friends since childhood, they are separated as teenagers when Alex and his family relocate from Dublin to Boston.

Like two ships always passing in the night, Rosie and Alex stay friends, and though years pass, the two remain firmly attached via emails and letters. Heartbroken, they learn to live without each other. But destiny is a funny thing, and in this novel o f several missed opportunities, Rosie and Alex learn that fate isn't quite done with them yet.

 
My Take
Love, Rosie (the American title for Where the Rainbow Ends and Rosie Dunne), is hands down one of the best books I have read this year. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it because the story is in the form of emails, text messages, and letters. Surprisingly, it didn't hinder me finishing the book. I pretty much didn't stop reading until I was done. I heard a lot of people say they either hated it or loved it. I was on the loving it side. Just within the first few chapters, I was laughing or grinning over some of the correspondences. The author did a great job when writing this story. She was able to keep you wondering what was going to happen next, even though it wasn't in a typical style of paragraph to paragraph.

The story is about two kids, a boy and a girl, who become best friends at a young age. We get to follow them from grade school, high school, college and adulthood. We get to experience all of their tragedies and triumphs. I feel as though the story centers around Rosie and her connections with everyone in her life.

Now, regarding the film.

Which did I like better, the book or the film? I preferred the book so much better. I know the film has been in the cinemas already, but I don't go. I wait for them to come to DVD and them rent them. I thought the movie did the book a really big injustice. It put characters together that weren't even in that capacity. It also had the two main characters engage in situations way before they did in the book. It was just a jumble of mess. At least that is how I felt. I thought, if they followed the story from the book to the tee, it would have been great. I felt as though they were trying to fit everything in and it was jammed packed and rushed.

The choice is yours regarding the book and the movie, but I say read the book and don't watch the film.



About the Author

Cecelia Ahern is the author of the international bestsellers PS, I Love You; Love, Rosie; If You Could See Me Now; There's No Place Like Here; and The Gift. The daughter of Ireland's former prime minister, she lives in Dublin. 

Esther: Royal Beauty (A Dangerous Beauty Novel), by Angela Hunt

Title: Esther: Royal Beauty

Series: A Dangerous Beauty Novel

Author: Angela Hunt

Publisher: Bethany House Publishing

Date: January 6, 2015

Paperback: 352 pages






About the Book
When Xerxes, king of Persia, issues a call for beautiful young women, Hadassah, a Jewish orphan living in Susa, is forcibly taken to the palace of the pagan ruler After months of preparation, the girl known to the Persians as Esther wins the king's heart and a queen's crown. But because her situation is uncertain, she keeps her ethnic identity a secret until she learns that an evil and ambitious man has won the king's permission to exterminate all Jews - young and old, powerful and helpless. Purposely violation ancient Persian law, she risks her life in order to save her people...and bind her husband's heart.

My Take
I really like the story of Esther. So when I saw I had the chance to review this book, I was ecstatic. But for some reason, this book didn't wow me. I don't know if it was the fact that I know the story and in this particular book it was done in the "not so traditional" way. It could have been the elaboration to make this story more interesting that I didn't like. I do understand that one would have to stretch it a little to create a more enjoyable story for most people reading, but for me, sticking the facts is what I like better. I guess I should have paid more attention to the part where it stated that it was a novel.

I must admit I fell in love with the cover and the back of the book. They were both beautifully done. The jewels, make-up and colors of head dress I felt really made the book stand out. I also love books that focus on different people per chapter and that is what this one does. It would have been nice if we could have had a point of view from Mordecai. But I guess the story being about Esther made more since with it being from her point of view and one of her palace helpers.

All in all, it was an okay story of Esther. Like I stated before, more to the point of the Bible would have been better for me, but I guess it wouldn't have been considered Biblical Fiction if that were the case.

About the Author

Christy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected in novels from this versatile author. With over four million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 100 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to novels.

 With nearly four million copies of her books sold worldwide, Angela Hunt is the New York Times bestselling author of The Tale of Three Trees, The Note, and The Nativity Story. Angela's novels have won or been nominated for several prestigious industry awards.

This complimentary book was given to me by Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

The Legacy, by Dan Walsh & Gary Smalley

Title: The Legacy

Series: The Restoration Series (Book 4)

Authors: Dan Walsh & Gary Smalley

Publisher: Revell

Date: April 7, 2015

Paperback: 336 pages








About the Book
For years, Doug Anderson has been drifting slowly but steadily away from both his family and his faith. His parents have been trying to reach him before he falls too far. His friend Christina hopes what she is seeing online isn't true. But sometimes you have to hit bottom before you're ready to grow up.

Just as things begin to settle down a bit, Doug's life takes a turn that requires every bit of faith and patience for both his family and Christina--whose growing feelings for Doug, a man who writes her off as not worth his time, keep her off balance. Will Doug's crisis finally clear his vision and help him focus on what he has right in front of him?


My Take

The Legacy is the 4th book in The Restoration Series. I didn't have the chance to read books one and two, but I did read book number three and found it to be a very good story. There is a connection between all of them and if you read them from beginning to end, it will make a lot more sense. When reading book #4, I had forgotten about the connection between #3. But after I realized what the connection was, it made it even more enjoyable to read. 

At the beginning of the book, you will find a text from Luke 15:20 about a father seeing his son and still having a ton of love for him as they approach each other. It kind of gives you an idea about what the story is going to be about. 

Doug is the youngest child in the Anderson family who is away at college but periodically comes home to visit. He does not have as strong of a relationship with the Lord as he once had or as his parents would want him to have. During some people's college years is when they are trying to find out who they really are and what they want to do with their life, and that is exactly what Doug was doing. There are things he is engaging in that he is trying to keep from his family, knowing that they would not approve of it, until he gets caught and has to truly examine the two lives he is trying to live. But sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom for people to realize what is truly going on in their lives and that is what happens to Doug. 

This was an amazing story. Like I stated before, if you read all four in a row, it will be even better, even though this one can hold its own. You will not want to put it down until you find out how it is going to end. I know that is how I felt. So, grab a blanket and a cup of tea and enjoy a great read.

About the Authors

Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of several books, including The Dance and The Promise with Gary Smalley, as well as The Unfinished Gift, The Discovery, and The Reunion. He has won three Carol Awards, and two of his novels were finalists for RT Book Reviews Inspirational Book of the Year for 2011 and 2012. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for twenty-five years. He lives with his wife in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel. Visit www.danwalshbooks.com for more.

Gary Smalley is one of the country's best known authors and speakers on family relationships. He is the bestselling and award-winning author or coauthor of 16 books, along with several popular films and videos. He has spent over 30 years learning, teaching, and counseling, speaking to over 2 million people in live conferences. Smalley has appeared on national television programs such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Extra, The Today Show, and The Sally Jessy Raphael Show, as well as numerous national radio programs. Gary and his wife, Norma, have been married for 50 years and live in Branson, Missouri. They have three children and six grandchildren.


This complimentary book was given to me by Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Secret of a Thousand Beauties, by Mingmei Yip

Title: Secret of a Thousand Beauties

Author: Mingmei Yip

Publisher: Kensington

Date: November 25, 2014

Paperback: 320 pages







About The Book
Spring Swallow was promised in marriage while still in her mother's belly. When the groom dies before a wedding can take place, seventeen-year-old Spring Swallow flees rather than become a ghost bride. In the city of Soochow, she joins a community of renowned embroiderers. The women work for Aunty Peony, whose exquisite stitching once earned her the Emperor's love. But when Aunty Peony agrees to replicate a famous painting, betrayal and jealousy emerge withing the group.

Spring Swallow become entangled in each woman's story of heartbreak, even while she embarks on a dangerous affair with a young revolutionary. On a journey that leads from the remote hillsides around Soochow to cosmopolitan Peking, Spring Swallow draws on the strength to forge a life that is truly her own.

My Take
I can sum this up by saying this book was an amazingly heart wrenching read that had me not wanting to put the book down until I was done.

I loved this story. The writer is very good at what she does. I have never read any of her books before, but she has a new reader. I really enjoy books where authors take you on a journey to the past and mix some history amongst their story, and that is what Secret of a Thousand Beauties is like. You get to learn about some of the traditions that the Chinese women had to go through, whether they are bad or good. You also get to learn about the whole artistry of embroidery, which I also did not know about.

I actually felt like I was right there with Spring Swallow, watching her go through everything that she encountered. I could envision all the surrounding areas, different outfits, people and every emotion that they each experienced. I truly felt for Spring Swallow. She was a very strong person who wouldn't give up on life even though it dealt her one challenge after another. She did whatever it took to survive and tried her best to help others along the way.

Not wanting to give too much away about the story, I feel like everyone should read this book. You will not regret it. I can guarantee it.

About the Author

 Mingmei Yip was born in China and received her PhD from the University of Paris, Sorbonne. The author of the critically acclaimed Peach Blossom Pavilion, she has written for major Hong Kong newspapers and has appeared on many national and internations television and radio programs. She lives with her husband in New York City. Visit her at www.mingmeiyip.com.

This complimentary advanced copy was given to me for my honest review.

The Lodger, by Louisa Treger

Title: The Lodger

Author: Louisa Treger

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Date: October 14, 2014

Hardcover: 272 pages







About the Book
Dorothy Richardson is existing just above the poverty line, doing secretarial work at a dentist's office and living in a seedy boardinghouse in Bloomsbury, when she is invited to spend the weekend with a childhood friend. Jane has recently married a writer who is hovering on the brink of fame. His name is H.G. Wells, or Bertie, as they call him.

Not wanting to betray Jane, yet unable to draw back, Dorothy free-falls into an affair with Bertie. Then a new boarder arrives at the house-striking Veronica Leslie-Jones and Dorothy finds herself caught between Veronica and Bertie. Amidst the personal dramas and wreckage of a militant suffragette march, Dorothy finds her voice as a writer.

My Take
This was a amazing read. I really liked the story. Every time I picked the book up to read, I felt this calming feeling as I went from one page to the next. The story takes you to another world and draws you in to the point to where you can actually visualize the people and the places they go. This to me, shows a really great author. One who truly knows how to write. Seeing how this is her first novel and realizing how great it is, I know she will have more great reads to come.

We are taken on a journey in the time of the twentieth century through the eyes of Dorothy Richardson. She is not doing all that well financially, but is able to survive. It starts of with her spending some time with an old friend and realizing that she has fallen for her husband. Even though that is something that shouldn't be touched, they decided to start to see each other. In the midst of it all, she meets up with a lady named Veronica, who winds up caring for her also. Dorothy is torn between who to care for. During that time, a life with Veronica would be looked upon as not being normal. Then again, if she stays with her friends husband, she could ruin a very important friendship. Along the way, she decides that she wants to take a stab at writing, just like her lover, who happens to be H.G. Wells. Through all of this, she experienced a major life altering crisis. Who does she choose? How does her life turn out? Does she become a writer? Of course your going to have to read the story to find out.

I can't see anyone not liking this book. It was well written and is a simple read. The story and dialogue isn't too over complicated so you can easily get in to the story and not want to put the book down.

About the Author 

Louisa Treger, a classical violinist, studied a the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and worked as a freelance orchestral player and teacher. She subsequently turned to literature, earning a Ph.D. in English at University College London, where she focused on early-twentieth-century women's writing and was awarded the West Scholarship and the Rosa Morison Scholarship "for distinguished work in the study of English Language and Literature." The Lodger is her first novel.

I was given this complimentary book by Kathleen Zrelak for my honest review.

The Hidden Child, by Camilla Läckberg

Title: The Hidden Child

Publisher: Pegasus

Date: May 15, 2014

Pages: 544

Language: English







About the author: Born in 1974, Camilla Läckberg graduated from Gothenburg University of Economics, before moving to Stockholm where she worked for a few years as an economist. However, a course in creative writing triggered a drastic change of career. Her first six novels all became Swedish No. 1 bestsellers. She lives in a suburb of Stockholm.

About the book: Crime writer Erica Falck is shocked to discover a Nazi medal among her late mother’s possessions. Haunted by a childhood of neglect, she resolves to dig deep into her family’s past and finally uncover the reasons why. Her inquiries lead her to the home of a retired history teacher. He was among her mother’s circle of friends during the Second World War but her questions are met with bizarre and evasive answers. Two days later he meets a violent death. Detective Patrik Hedström, Erica’s husband, is on paternity leave but soon becomes embroiled in the murder investigation. Who would kill so ruthlessly to bury secrets so old? Reluctantly Erica must read her mother’s wartime diaries. But within the pages is a painful revelation about Erica’s past. Could what little knowledge she has be enough to endanger her husband and newborn baby? The dark past is coming to light, and no one will escape the truth of how they came to be . .

My take: When it comes to certain book reviews the review is basically telling you the story. Well this review isn't going to tell the story because I found this book so intriguing that I don't want to give it away. I enjoyed every aspect of finding out who every character was and what their role was going to be. I love a good read and found this to be one of them. I am not really a crime book lover, but this has made me either want to read more or just realize that this particular author, Camilla Läckberg, is just a brilliant writer. I think I will go with the later.

The first page of The Hidden Child drew me in. The way the author described the murder victim had me feeling like I was walking around the room and viewing everything she was describing. This is separates a good writer from a regular one. If I can visualize the story while I am reading and still remember it afterwards, you are a very brilliant writer. I also liked the fact that we are able to read the pages of her mother's diary. Instead of just telling us, the author takes us on the journey with Erica as she reads through the pages of the diary. The story flip flops between present day to past (the diary), which gives us a deeper understanding of some of the characters and what leads to present day events.

The story from the beginning to the end keeps you wondering what is going to happen. I love books that you start to read and don't want to put down until you are done and this is one of them. The writing style is very simplistic, so it is easy to get through.You will be amazed at the outcome of this story. I was shocked and didn't expect it to end the way it did, but that is what made it a really great read. 

Whether you like crime novels or just looking for a good book to read, I think The Hidden Child, by  Camilla Läckberg should be added to your bookshelf. Plus, seeing how it is part of a series, you might as well get her other books and read them also.

I want to thank Kathleen Zrelak for giving me a copy of this book for my honest review.