The Rebel: the heartbreaking, yet hopeful final book in the Emerson Pass Historical series

The Rebel is the eighth and final book in the Emerson Pass Historical series by Tess Thompson. After four years at a university, Delphia Barnes returns home to Emerson Pass; however, no one is at the station to welcome her home. When she sees Jack Depaul, she wonders why her family isn’t there, he tells her the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Jack is a proud second generation horse breeder in Emerson Pass. Only his love for Delphia equals his love of horses. As America prepares for war, Jack and Delphia finally confess their feelings for each other and marry before Jack ships off to fight overseas. He doesn’t want to leave her now that they have come together; but the desire to serve is too strong. Jack promises her he will return, alive and well. She prays that it is a promise he can keep. Will Jack survive the war? If he comes home, will Delphia recognize and love the man who returns?

I have loved this series and the Barnes family’s adventures and it is exciting and yet sad to finish the final book. It was hard to say goodbye and yet I could not tear myself away from the pages as the Barnes family deals with the horrors and sacrifice of war. My heart broke for Delphia and Jack as they fall in love and marry in innocence even as war looms. And they fall in love again as they deal with the aftermath and pain of war. I loved how Delphia refused to give up on Jack and I cheered as others around Jack refused to let him give up and with tough love to show him that life can still be lived fully and love is deeper than skin deep. As the historical series ends, I look forward to jumping back into and finishing the contemporary Emerson Pass series. I highly recommend the Historical Emerson Pass series if you haven’t started it. I highly recommend The Rebel. 

The Rebel is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Redeeming 6: the continuing story of Joey and Aoife with drama, heart break and a chance for a happily ever after

Redeeming 6 is the fourth book of the Boys of Tommen series by Chloe Walsh and the story continues with Joey Lynch and Aoife Molloy. Joey’s life is on a downward spiral and Aoife is there to help him out. Desperate to prove himself worthy of Aoife’s love and trust, he fights hard to end his addiction. As the odds continue to rise against him, and despite others telling her to move on, Aoife is determined to fight for the boy who has her heart, her best friend. However, as she gets devastating news herself, news that changes everything, she finds herself drowning with nowhere to turn. As their circumstances change, Joey’s demons grow and obstacles in their path seem unmovable, can Aoife and Joey must find a way to mend their hearts and save their love? Or will their path prove to be too dark to find a way out? 

This book was a roller coaster of emotions, drama and heart stopping moments. This book is long, so long that it may seem daunting to some readers; however, it was so fast paced that I really didn’t notice. I needed to know how Aoife deals with her news. At times, I didn’t like Aoife. At times, I felt she was acting too much like a bitch with everyone, especially with Joey, who had no clue what was going on. However, I wanted to see her make the right decisions, to confide in people she trusted and not carry the load on her own. I also needed to know how Joey overcomes his demons. The scenes of Joey in rehab are so heartbreaking. Overall, I loved this book. I loved that it carried on from Saving 6. I highly, highly recommend Redeeming 6. Again, a word of warning, there is a lot of language and intense scenes, it is not the book for everyone. 

Redeeming 6 is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Good Dirt: one woman's emotional journey into the past to find her future

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson is the story of one woman’s journey to piece together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom and finds herself in the process. When Ebby Freeman was ten years old, a gunshot shattered her family and a priceless heirloom as her beloved brother, Baz, lying on the floor and the centuries old jar in pieces next to him. As the case goes unsolved, it remains a point of interest for the public as the Freemans are one of the only Black families in a very well-to-do neighborhood of New England. As Ebby’s fiancé leaves her at the altar, the family’s history is once again a source of public talk. To escape the scrutiny and heal her wounded heart, Ebby flees to France. As she begins to process her family’s suffering and her own heartache, she discovers the key to her future is in the handcrafted pottery, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. 

After reading Black Cake, Charmaine Wilkerson’s beautiful debut, I knew I was in for an emotional journey with the characters of Good Dirt. And Good Dirt did not disappoint. Without knowing the full history of the jar, my heart broke when I read how it shattered and it broke more as the stories involving the jar were revealed. I loved how Ebby finds her future in the stories of her family’s past and finds strength of her ancestors within herself. Ms Wilkerson beautifully tackles grief, racism, the importance of our ancestries, mental health and trauma. I especially loved her portrayal of how deep and complex grief can be even years after the events. Good Dirt has a bit of mystery woven with history, romance and drama. It is a book that you will need to take your time reading, especially after the highly emotional chapters, in order to really absorb and digest what happened. I highly recommend Good Dirt. 

Good Dirt is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

False Start: when tutoring sessions turn romantic and leads to heartbreak

False Start by Piper Rayne is a prequel story to the Kingsmen Football series. Lee Burrows is the most popular guy on campus. The starting quarterback who needs tutoring. He is in trouble of failing his biology class and losing his scholarship. Enter Shayna, the quiet, studious introvert in his class. The study sessions start off fine until Lee starts flirting and acting jealous when he sees her with other guys and asking personal questions. When their tutoring sessions turn romantic, it is every girl’s fantasy and her heart is on cloud nine. Until she overhears a conversation that reveals the truth. Shayna vows that Lee Burrows will never hurt her again. Lee is determined to win her back. 

False Start is a quick romance story which ends in heartbreak; however, it immediately leads into the first book of the series, You Had Your Chance, Lee Burrows. Lee is a big man on campus; however, he does care about his education. He reluctantly agrees to tutoring until he is face to face with Shayna, then he’s all in. Shayna is the typical introvert who doesn’t believe a guy like Lee would ever look twice at her. As they spend time together, the sparks are evident. Just as their romantic relationship gets off the ground, Shayna learns a shocking secret that tears them apart. I look forward to reading their second chance. I highly recommend False Start. 

False Start is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Orchid Inn: a story of sisters, heartbreaks, tragedies and finding new life

The Orchid Inn by Aisling Delaney is the first book in the Orchid Island series. It is the story of three sisters, each with their own heartbreaks and tragedies, gather together at their grandmother’s bed and breakfast, the Orchid Inn, for the summer. Ave Flynn has hit rock bottom. Her husband has left her, wiped out their savings, all on the same day that she loses her job at a high powered law firm for “insulting” a billionaire client. Her only thought is to gather Moira, her 13 year old daughter, and head to Orchid Island. Little does she know that her sisters are also on their way, Sarah is left penniless when her millionaire boyfriend suddenly dies, leaving her with nothing. Charlotte comes to the island to figure out how her decisions had led her life down the path she seems to be on. One thing is haunting all three sisters: the disappearance of their father 17 years prior. Will they ever get the answers they need? Will the explanations be enough? Will they finally have the chance to chase the dreams they never dared to before? 

The Orchid Inn was a hard book to stay engaged in. While it started off well with the majority of the book covering the women’s journeys to the island and their stories. But that last half of the story sped by and the end seemed abrupt with any resolution or fallout left for the next book. Ava was a hard character to care for especially her attitude about Sarah’s life choices. Ava and Sarah hadn’t spoken for ten years. Once they are both at the island, they seem to forgive and forget fairly quickly. It seemed to be a theme of the story: tell your story and you will be forgiven. I’m all for forgiving those who have hurt us; but realistically, it doesn’t always happen in one conversation, especially with deep hurts. The sisters’ mother was a real piece of work who loved to say “I told you so” when her daughters’ lives were falling apart. I was looking forward to an endearing, even a hard-hitting story of sisters, their pasts and their drive to move on. Unfortunately, The Orchid Inn did not live up to my expectations.

The Orchid Inn is available in paperback

The Beekeeper of Aleppo: heartbreaking story of loss and love

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri is the story of Nuri Ibrahim, a Syrian refugee in England. He and his wife, Afra are trying to claim asylum. As they go through the process, Nuri recalls his life in Syria as a beekeeper with his cousin, Mustafa and the turning point when his beloved country was no longer safe for him or Afra. Mustafa journeys ahead to England and eagerly waits for him there. The story switches back and forth between the present day in England and Nuri’s recounting their journey as refugees. From being smuggled out of the country under the darkness of night to being held as a camp in Greece while their request is processed. Nuri sees the different people who are running from horrors in their home countries. He hears the stories of the horrors they each suffered. He even witnesses horrors himself inside the camp. Will they be safe once again? Will Nuri and Afra be granted asylum? Will they be reunited with Mustafa?

The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a beautiful story of the human suffering that the political warfare creates. A man who lived a simple life finds himself running for his life because he refused to take up arms. He is a man who is battling his own demons and memories as he tries to take care of his wife in a country which looks at them with suspicion. It is a book that needs to read slowly as you take in the scene, the situation and the actions the characters take as they try to survive. According to the author’s afterword, she was inspired to write this story after she was a volunteer at a UNICEF refugee center. Ms. Lefteri truly compares the desperation of the situation as well as the faint sliver of hope that they can live in peace once again. I highly recommend The Beekeeper of Aleppo!

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook