Lessons from a One Night Stand: can one wild night turn into a forever love?

Lessons from a One Night Stand is the first book in The Baileys series by Piper Rayne. Austin Bailey came home to Lake Starlight, Alaska to take care of his younger siblings after the tragic death of their parents. Now as his younger sisters are graduating, he is looking to start his dream job as a collegiate baseball coach. Over the weekend, he had a wild night with an amazing woman. They exchanged no names and no identifying information. Imagine his surprise when Monday morning, he meets her as the temporary principal at the high school where he teaches biology. Holly Radicliffe is in town on a mission of her own and didn’t expect to see him again, but she is determined to keep their relationship as professional as possible. It turns out it is easier said than done as their attraction is strong. Neither is planning to stay in town after the school year ends, so they can certainly stay apart…right? 

Piper Raye has become my go-to author for great stories with amazing emotional depth and steamy romance. Lessons from a One Night Stand is more than a steamy romance. It is a story with laughs, smiles and heartbreak. It is a story where we find where we truly belong while on the search of what we think we want and need. I loved Austin for his commitment to his younger siblings while also still keeping his own dream in mind. I also loved Holly as a woman who is searching for a part of herself and discovering it was better that she didn’t have it in the first place. I enjoyed their supportive friends who were quick with a kick in the pants when they needed it as well as a shoulder to cry on. I loved the rest of the Bailey siblings and I am looking forward to reading their own love stories. I highly recommend Lessons from a One Night Stand. 

Lessons from a One Night Stand is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Wishing Tree: a great introduction to a new series

The Wishing Tree is book one in The Wishing Tree series by various authors. In Linden Falls, Vermont is that picturesque, idyllic small town. Within the charming street of a community of people who care about each other and in the center of town is the famous Wishing Tree. It is an old beautiful tree with wishes tied to the branches. From simple wishes and dreams to heartbreaking and devastating hopes. As tourists flock to town and join the locals to hang ribbons to the branches of the tree. Some believe in the magic of the Wishing Tree while others believe it is the hooky gimmick to bring in tourists. If it’s magic or not, there have been beautiful stories of love, forgiveness and happily ever after that brings people to the tree and taking a chance to hang a wish. 

Book one of The Wishing Tree series is an introduction to the rest of the series. With a wonderful prologue which introduces Neva Cabot, one of the oldest residents and leads into a brief introduction to the first six books of the series. I read a lot of reviews that were upset that this book is not a full novel itself. However, I enjoyed the brief introduction into the premise of the series and the first six books. As an added bonus, this book is a free eBook that if you are interested in the series, this is a great way to give a highlight of what to expect and the feel for the series. I have the next six books in the series and will be reviewing them soon. If you are curious about Linden Falls and their Wishing Tree, I recommend checking out The Wishing Tree. 

The Wishing Tree is available in paperback and eBook

Last Dance on the Starlight Pier: dance marathons, the Great Depression, and hopes for a better future

Last Dance on the Starlight Pier by Sarah Bird is a story set in the Great Depression as one woman struggles to rise above her past for a better future. The story opens on July 3, 1932 as Evie Grace Devlin watches in horror as the Starlite Palace burns. She had come to Galveston to escape a dark past in the fading days of vaudeville and become a nurse. When the dream of becoming a nurse doesn’t become a reality, she finds herself in the strange world of dance marathons. There she meets individuals who have been outcasted by their families and communities to make a living in the dance marathons. Evie soon finds herself in the one place she swore to leave behind: the spotlight. In the dreaded spotlight, she finds what she has wanted the most: a family, a purpose and love. Will Evie be able to truly put her past behind her and achieve her dreams? 

I was intrigued by the premise of Last Dance on the Starlight Pier. What’s not to be intrigued by the Great Depression, dance marathons and the resilience of the human spirit? I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning as Evie watched the fire burn and looked forward to discovering the events that led her there. Unfortunately, the story fell terribly flat. It was way too long and incredibly boring. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, particularly Evie. I found her to be unbelievably naïve despite her dark past. There was too much going on to be enjoyable. Was it a story of Evie and her resilience? Was it a story of the Great Depression, the mob and Prohibition? I felt the political commentary was more indicative of today’s political climate instead of being a reflection of the 1930s. There were just too many agendas trying to be in the forefront that it took away from the story. Unfortunately, I do not recommend Last Dance on Starlight Pier. 

Last Dance on Starlight Pier is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

The Girl Behind the Wall: family separations and the Berlin Wall

The Girl Behind the Wall by Mandy Robotham is a story about two sisters separated by the sudden construction of the Berlin Wall. One seemingly ordinary day, Karin is rushed to a hospital due to a sudden illness. While she is recovering, overnight she becomes trapped behind the Berlin Wall in East Berlin, separated from her twin sister, Jutta and the rest of their family. For years, Karin and Jutta lead parallel lives, cut off by the Wall. As Jutta tries desperately to get Karin home, Karin finds one reason to stay. She has fallen in love with Otto, a man who has given her hope despite the brutal regime she now lives in. When Jutta finds a way in, the sisters have days together, always trying to convince Karin to come home. With each visit, their time becomes short as the Stasi has eyes everywhere. Karin is faced with a terrible decision: to flee to the West and be with her family or sacrifice it all for the love of her life? 

I was ten years old when the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989. The images of the wall collapsing are vivid in my memory. I remember seeing a slab of the wall at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California shortly after and it left an impression on my young mind. When I came across The Girl Behind the Wall, I was intrigued because I haven’t seen many books about the Wall. Most books usually focus on the war efforts and ignore the aftermath. I applaud Ms. Robotham for writing about this time of upheaval. Her descriptions of the desperation and the sadness experienced by the families torn apart are heartbreaking.  The story itself is a slow build to Karin’s ultimate choice. I did expect more moments of heart stopping terror and the cruelty of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Overall, I enjoyed the story, a glimpse of life in the immediate aftermath of the Wall. I recommend The Girl Behind the Wall. 

The Girl Behind the Wall is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

Saving Abby: a story of a woman's determination to do anything for her child

Saving Abby by Steena Holmes is the story of one woman’s desperate fight to have the child she’s always dreamed of. She must fight her husband, her friends, and her family to make her dream come true. Claire Turner has dreamed of having children since she was a little girl. When she married her husband, Josh, they dreamed together. After seven years of marriage, the dream of children has been unfulfilled. Until one day, after they returned from a cruise vacation, Claire isn’t feeling well. She’s been having severe headaches and constantly sleeping. At the request of her husband, Claire sees their friend and doctor, Abby Cox. The exam reveals that Claire is finally pregnant. As the good news spreads, Claire seems to be getting more and more tired and the headaches getting worse. After several tests, the doctors reveal something is seriously wrong. Claire’s only thought is to her unborn child. Her family and friends say she is being foolish. Can Claire save the life of her child? Will her choice put her own life at risk?

Saving Abby is an emotional story of a woman’s journey to motherhood when she’s faced with an impossible choice. The story gives no indication at the ending of the story. The reader may be expecting one ending or another; however, the end will leave the reader shocked and sadden. I recommend Saving Abby as an emotional story which leaves the readers with a question, what would have been our choice?

Saving Abby

is available on

Amazon in paperback $14.95

and with KindleUnimlited

as well as 

with Barnes and Noble

in paperback for $14.95