Big Lies in a Small Town (Diane Chamberlain)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you, Diane Chamberlain, for this incredibly compelling story of Morgan, a young artist commissioned to restore a mural in order to get out of prison early, and Anna, another young artist painting a mural for the local post office.  This book is delightful in it's back and forth format between it's two main characters. Salvation and making peace with the past are the themes in the story and readers are spellbound with each very readable chapter.

I loved reading every page of this book and highly recommend it!

Thank you, NetGalley!

Last Couple Standing (Matthew Norman)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Mitch and Jessica see all their best friends divorcing, they decide to spice up their marriage in order to keep it secure. They have have rules about their "game" and they both agree to stick to them. But, of course, fate was not predictable.

I found the premise of this story to be quite off-putting at first, and I almost abandoned the book about about 25%. I'm glad I stayed with it, though, because Matthew Norman wove his characters into a very satisfying fabric. The ending was the best part of the book, and was quite believable.

I would recommend this book to women readers - it definitely has a "chick book" feel. The chapters are short, and  the book would be perfect for vacation reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Smacked (Eilene Zimmerman)

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Eilene Zimmerman has shared with us the pain, the grief, and the questions she has had surrounding drug addiction in our contemporary culture. Losing her ex-husband, the father of her two children in such an untimely manner, Eilene sets forth to examine exactly what may have driven this brilliant, highly successful attorney to his addiction, and why that may have occurred.

This book is compelling from the very beginning, and is divided into meaningful sections. Eileen's writing is easy to read, and full of emotion and relevant research. I highly recommend this memoir to those who have been affected by the drug abuse of loved ones, as well as those who are attempting to steer their families away from possible triggers and gateways.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Follow Me (Kathleen Barber)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh Yeah! What a wicked and fun ride Follow Me turned out to be! I loved all aspects of this story of Audrey, Cat, and Social Media. Audrey posts every event and even non-event of her life on the internet, and has an unbelievable number of followers. Who could be surprised when she has a mystery follower who has bad intent?

This story unfolds in a back and forth manner, which seems so popular now, between three main characters. It moves quickly, and I was compelled to finish the book in record time. The ending did not disappoint!

Highly recommend Follow Me to all mystery lovers, especially those of us who enjoy our Social Media!

The Second Home (Christina Clancy)

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It was such a pleasure to read this story of a non-traditional family from Wisconsin and their Cape Cod vacation home! I loved every page! Ann, Poppy and their adopted brother Michael spent a few summers together a the beach, loving all that the Cape had to offer. Insurmountable conflicts and challenges happen late in their teen years, and the family dynamic changes. The sisters go their separate ways, while Michael is essentially ousted. The one common denominator in their lives is the old Cape Cod house.

I highly recommend this book to those readers who love an emotional tale, with short term stressors, and a satisfying ending.

Thanks, NetGalley!

You Are Not Alone (Greer Hendricks; Sarah Pekkanen)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yes!! Greer Hendricks has done it again with You Are Not Alone! I was glued to the book from start to finish. Shay innocently witnesses something horrible, and the events that follow make her life both wonderful and unbearable. This is a contemporary mystery that I can easily see being made into a movie. I would have given it five stars, but there were a few occasions that I needed to reread events in order to be comfortable with all the characters. Highly recommend!

Thanks, NetGalley!

Little Secrets (Jennifer Hillier)

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What a wild ride Little Secrets turned out to be!! Marin and Derek's 4 year old son is kidnapped and both are dealing with the grief in their own ways. Marin's best friend from college, Sal, is there to help her move on with her life. Vanessa Castro, Marin's private investigator never gives up searching for the boy. These characters move the story along with dramatic twists and turns - my anxiety was intense! I can easily see Little Secrets as being a blockbuster movie. I loved it! Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.