Fiction | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

FAMILY TREE by Susan Wiggs

September 13, 2016

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Annie Rush is the producer of one of the most successful food shows on network TV. Her husband, Martin, is the star and life is good – too good, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it did. When Annie finds out she’s pregnant, she can’t wait to tell her husband and goes rushing down to the set. Catastrophe ensues, and Annie ends up in a coma for over a year.

While she was asleep, her husband divorced her and moved her home to her family in Switchback, Vermont. And then she wakes up. A year in a coma is no joke, and Wiggs handles the recovery process with grace and skill. Eventually she is able to come home to the maple syrup farm where she grew up and learned her love of food from her grandmother. Gram is gone, but her mother and brother and his family are there, and her father, who had walked out on the family when she was just a kid. And her high school sweetheart and first love.

The book is written moving back and forth in time, “then” and “now.” Wiggs creates her usual excellent, fully realized characters and I couldn’t help but be drawn into the story. Another wonderful read from this supremely talented author.

9/16 Stacy Alesi AKA the BookBitch™

FAMILY TREE by Susan Wiggs. William Morrow (August 9, 2016). ISBN 978-0062425430. 368p.

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DISCOVERING YOU by Brenda Novak

September 9, 2016

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Whiskey Creek, Book 10

The publisher, Mira, sent me this book a while back and it’s been in my mass market to-be-read pile for a few months, but I’m happy to say I’ve worked my way down and have only one or two more books to go in that pile….at least until the Fedex man shows up later today. This was my first Brenda Novak book.

Novak writes romantic suspense, which is not my favorite genre and I don’t understand why exactly. I love suspense, I love romance, but I don’t always love them mixed together. That said, this was a quick read and I did enjoy it.

This may be the tenth book in this series, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. I can guess at a few of the romances that came before, and the one that’s coming next, but it definitely works as a first read in the series, at least for me. I know there are readers who only read series in order but while there are some series that definitely require that, most romances don’t. And apparently romantic suspense, at least the ones that I’ve read.

India recently moved to Whiskey Creek, right next door to the Amos family. Middle son Rod takes notice; well, actually all the men do, India is beautiful. But she’s moved to start her life over after her husband was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, right in front of her. Her in-laws are keeping her young daughter for a month to allow her time to get settled, and all them time to spend with their granddaughter but the relationship between India and her in-laws is strained at best.

India meets Rod when she picks him up from the side of the road. Someone has ran him down on his motorcycle, and Rod went after the guy, beating him unconscious. They find themselves confiding in one another rather quickly, and the relationship blooms, which makes India somewhat uncomfortable.

Her ex was released from jail after his trial ended in a hung jury, and he is still obsessed with India. And that is at the heart of the suspense here.

If you haven’t tried Novak, this seems like a good place as any to start. Her reviews are generally quite good and I can certainly understand why. If you like romantic suspense, I highly recommend this book.

9/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

DISCOVERING YOU by Brenda Novak. MIRA (May 24, 2016). ISBN 978-0778318804. 400p.

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GHOSTS OF HAVANA by Todd Moss

September 7, 2016

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A Judd Ryker Novel, Book 3

Judd Ryker is a professor who works for the U.S. State Department and his wife, Jessica, for the C.I.A; can this marriage last? They don’t discuss their cases but they have a rule, they will assist each other blindly as needed.

Four suburban soccer dads out on a deep sea fishing trip accidentally cross into Cuba’s waters, where they are captured and imprisoned in Havana. Unbeknownst to the other, both Judd and Jessica get assigned to the case. But when Judd gets in over his head, he phones home for the assist, yet is shocked to learn his wife is a helicopter pilot who can squirrel millions of untraceable American dollars into Cuba to help him out.

There is a subplot with a power hungry politician climbing into bed with a top level spy who is equally power hungry, but doesn’t do much to further the plot. The fact that the U.S. now has relations with Cuba is mostly irrelevant here, but still, this third entry in the Judd Ryker series feels timely.

9/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

GHOSTS OF HAVANA by Todd Moss. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (September 6, 2016). ISBN 978-0399175930. 368p.

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KAROLINA’S TWINS by Ronald H. Balson

September 6, 2016

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Attorney Catherine Lockhart and private investigator Liam Taggart are back in Balson’s third novel, this time with a new client, Lena Woodward, an elderly Holocaust survivor. Lena’s son doesn’t want them looking into anything, and forces a competency hearing in hopes of having himself appointed her guardian.

Meanwhile, Lena spends days telling Catherine about her childhood in Poland, the Nazi takeover of her town, her job as a seamstress that saved her from the first wave of Jews sent to concentration camps, her time with the resistance, her eventual trip to a camp, and her life since the war. Along the way, her childhood best friend, Karolina, is present, and the two girls try and save her twin babies during the war.

Lena has no idea what happened to the babies but if they survived, they would be 70 years old and she is determined to find them. The search takes Liam (and the author) to Poland, Israel and Germany, but it is Lena’s story that is so riveting.

In a departure from Balson’s previous novels, much of the story is told in the first person, befitting a book inspired by a Holocaust survivor’s true story. Readers who crave more books like Once We Were Brothers and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah will be enthralled by Karolina’s Twins.

9/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

KAROLINA’S TWINS by Ronald H. Balson. St. Martin’s Press (September 6, 2016). ISBN 978-1250098375. 320p.

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DAMAGED by Lisa Scottoline

September 5, 2016

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A Rosato & DiNunzio Novel, Book 4

This is the fourth entry into the rebranded Rosata & DiNunzio series, and the story focuses on Mary DiNunzio.

Her wedding to Anthony is just weeks away when a heartbreaking case drops into her lap. A janitor is suing Patrick O’Brien, a ten-year-old boy who is small for his age, severely dyslexic, and suffering from anxiety disorder. His grandfather, his guardian, hires Mary to put on his defense.

Opposing counsel is the reviled Nick Machiavelli, who is trying his damnedest to live up to his namesake. The boy is accused of coming after the janitor with scissors, but it quickly becomes apparent that the janitor has abused the boy.

When his grandfather dies of an insulin overdose, Patrick is the prime suspect. Mary wants to foster the boy but Anthony is in California, and neither of them is consulting the other about major life changes, which does not bode well for the couple.

Scottoline seems to be merging her family driven standalones with her legal series, and doing a fine job of it. She continues to be one of my go-to authors, I just love all her books.

9/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

DAMAGED by Lisa Scottoline. St. Martin’s Press; First Edition edition (August 16, 2016). ISBN 978-1250099624. 416p.

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9 Comments | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Legal thriller | Permalink
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THE HATING GAME by Sally Thorne

September 3, 2016

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I may have reserved this book at my library a while ago, because when it showed up yesterday I didn’t remember asking for it. Maybe I read a great review a while back or maybe someone else reserved it for me. I have great co-workers and every now and then a book shows up and I’m not sure where it came from. No matter, I took a look at it and once I saw the blurb from Susan Elizabeth Phillips, “I highly recommend,” I knew I had to read it.

I took it home last night and started reading during the Miami Dolphins-Tennessee Titans game. It didn’t look good for Miami, so I went book instead. Dolphins lost their last pre-season game – and first home game in their newly renovated and renamed stadium. But I won – this was a terrific read.

Lucy Hutton is a petite woman who shares an office with Joshua Templeman. Lucy has always wanted to work in publishing, and when the company she worked for was on the brink of going under, they merged with another publishing house, creating co-CEOs and co-assistants to those CEOs, and those assistants were Lucy and Joshua. Lucy lost her only friend in that merger when 150 people were laid off, but she kept her job. And their were days she almost regretted it.

Their first day together Lucy gave Joshua her biggest, winningest smile. Lucy is a people pleaser, a genuinely nice person who just wants to get along with everyone. Joshua saw her smile, looked her up and down then turned away. Thus started the war.

They sparred nonstop, bringing competition and passive aggressive behavior to the sort of heights that often had Human Resources involved. And then came the announcement; the CEOs were hiring a Chief Operating Officer and an outside firm would be doing the interviewing. Josh and Lucy were the top contenders, but that just caused the competition to heat up. When Lucy proposed a day of team building to help bring the staffs of the two companies closer together, Josh took over and made it a day of paintball. And that’s when the fun really begins.

Any girl who ever had her hair pulled by a boy on the playground knows where this hate fueled relationship ends up, but it was a really fun ride to get there. If you are looking for a light, fast romance with some laugh out loud moments, look no further.

8/16 Stacy Alesi AKA the BookBitch™

THE HATING GAME by Sally Thorne. William Morrow Paperbacks (August 9, 2016). ISBN 978-0062439598. 384p.

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THE CITY BAKER’S GUIDE TO COUNTRY LIVING by Louise Miller

August 30, 2016

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Olivia Rawlings is not having a good day. She’s an award winning pastry chef at an exclusive private club in Boston and is having an affair with her married, much older boss. As she presents a flaming Baked Alaska to the crowded dining room, she sees her boss with his wife and somehow manages to drop the flaming dessert and sets the place on fire.

Refusing to hang around to be fired, she escapes to the small Vermont town of Guthrie, where her best friend Hannah lives. Hannah is thrilled to see her, and finagles her into taking a job at the small B&B. The job comes with a place to stay, and Olivia decides to try it.

Margaret Hurley is her new boss, and she is a cantankerous old lady. Olivia can’t understand why this woman who obviously doesn’t care for her has given her a job. Then she finds out it’s to win the blue ribbon for apple pie at the county fair.

Just down the hill from Livvy’s small cottage is a working farm, and she meets Martin McCracken, the son of the owner who is dying of cancer. Livvy becomes enamored of Martin, but he keeps his distance. Meanwhile she is fitting in just fine to the slow and nosy ways of small town life. Orphaned in high school, Livvy finds herself dredging up her early banjo lessons with her father and playing in a local band. Martin plays the fiddle beautifully, and together – dare I say it? They make beautiful music.

When Martin’s fiancee shows up for his father’s funeral, the day after she finally sleeps with him, Livvy runs away yet again; this time she takes off for Boston. But life catches up with her, and she finds herself returning to Guthrie once more.

This is one of those charming novels that are so hard to come by. I just adored this book and it was a one night read for me. There’s even a recipe for apple pie at the end. I’ll let you know if I make it.

NOTE: This book is from the Pamela Dorman imprint and let me tell you, I will read anything that woman publishes – Jojo Moyes, Nicci French, J. Ryan Stradal, Beth Hoffman, and Laura Lane McNeal. She also publishes Luanne Rice but I haven’t read her yet. Guess I’ll have to add her to the list.

8/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE CITY BAKER’S GUIDE TO COUNTRY LIVING by Louise Miller. Pamela Dorman Books (August 9, 2016). ISBN 978-1101981207. 384p.

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IT ENDS WITH US by Colleen Hoover

August 28, 2016

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Lily grew up in an abusive home; she wasn’t abused, but her father beat her mother on a regular basis and Lily grew to hate him for it. Her escape was watching the Ellen Degeneres show each afternoon, and her way of venting was her journal, but instead of “dear diary” she wrote her journal entries as letters to Ellen instead. She never sent them, of course, but she kept all her journals and considered Ellen a friend, one that basically saved her sanity.

Atlas is homeless teen and he moves into the abandoned house behind Lily’s, and she befriends him. Eventually they fall in love, but Atlas had an uncle who was willing to take him in, so he left the small town in Maine for Boston, and then joined the Marines.

Lily moves to Boston too, starting her own floral business. Her first employee is Allysa, who wanders in and not only becomes Lily’s right hand but also her best friend. It’s only kismet that the most attractive man Lily ever met ends up being Allysa’s brother Ryle. And then Lily runs into Atlas, stirring up those old feelings, but she’s determined to make things work with Ryle.

This is a story about friendship and relationships and abuse and love. Growing up in an abusive home, Lily – like many people – judged her mother for not leaving. But as an adult, when she finds herself in a similar situation, she learns how difficult it is to leave, and why so many women stay.

This was a one night read for me, I couldn’t put it down. These characters were so well drawn that they really brought this story to life. Abuse isn’t always a black and white situation, and Hoover illustrates that beautifully.

The amount of abuse that goes on in this country is absolutely horrifying, and this book may be powerful enough to get even one person to leave, or at least to understand what may be going on in their family or with friends, and that would be a wonderful thing. Either way, the level of compassion and empathy expressed for both the abuser and the victim is refreshing, educational and inspirational.

It Ends with Us is an important and compelling read, and sure to make my best books of the year list. Don’t miss it.

8/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

IT ENDS WITH US by Colleen Hoover. Atria Books (August 2, 2016). ISBN 978-1501110368. 384p.

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3 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Women's Fiction | Permalink
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PRESSURE by Brian Keene

August 26, 2016

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The underwater waterfalls of Mauritius – an effect caused by sand runoff into a deeper underwater rift – have always been a fascination. But when the falls begin to grow rapidly and local marine wildlife begins dying off in droves, environmental activists worldwide become concerned. Carrie Anderson, a well-known free diver and marine biologist, is part of a team investigating the incident. Their hope is to understand exactly what’s causing the massive growth of the falls and determine the ramifications if that growth continues.

When a routine dive results in the death of her diving partner, Carrie is the first to admit that she herself was lucky to have survived. But giving voice to exactly what went wrong is more difficult than it might seem. See, Carrie witnessed and experienced something she can’t quite explain. Something that defies everything she’s ever experienced in her dives before. Something so potentially terrifying that it could mean devastating results for everyone.

But she’ll need proof if she’s to have any hope of getting people to listen.

Unknown terrors from the deepest depths of the ocean… Brian Keene’s latest seemed like it would be the perfect summer horror read. Unfortunately, Pressure doesn’t quite live up to expectations.

The story and characters are quite thin. There’s no science, no development of the plot, and no atmosphere. Nautical-based horror should have tons of atmosphere, in my opinion. And as someone with major fears of open water, I’m pretty easy to satisfy in that regard. As for the characters, most of them get a few lines of backstory and that’s about it. No fleshing out, no emotion, and nothing to connect the reader to them and make us care about what happens.

There is, in spite of all of that, a certain amount of simple fun to Pressure. If you’re willing to forgo rich detail and simply appreciate the fact that it’s short and doesn’t require a whole lot of attention or thought. And that’s fine sometimes. I simply hoped for – and expected – something more from Keene.

8/16 Becky LeJeune

PRESSURE by Brian Keene. Thomas Dunne Books (June 21, 2016). ISBN: 978-1250071347. 288p.

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THE ONE MAN by Andrew Gross

August 24, 2016

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Andrew Gross has written probably the most moving novel that I have read.

To say that it is an emotional roller coaster is the truth, but does not do it the justice it deserves. The book involves a lengthy look at the real horrors of a Nazi concentration camp and the daily struggle of the people trapped there just to somehow survive.

I am a fan of Mr. Gross, and in my opinion this novel is far and away the best work among many good works that he has given us.

In 1944, Alfred Mendl is taken away from his family in Poland, and along with many others is sent to a men’s concentration camp. His notes and papers on his work are taken from him and destroyed. The Nazis have no idea that they confiscated work that only one other person in the world has, and which when combined with work done by other scientists could start a war – or win one.

Nathan Blum, a Polish Jew who has successfully escaped from Poland but was forced to leave his family behind to be slaughtered, has certain requisite qualities that make him the ideal man for a scheme to rescue Mendl from the camp. He is Semitic in appearance, speaks both Polish and German. He is assigned to desk work for the U.S. army in Washington but desperately wants to do something more important for the war effort. The plan to rescue Mendl involves actually breaking into the camp he is at, and bringing him out to be sent to the United States to work with the scientists currently at work attempting to build a nuclear weapon. To be successful there must be an almost impossible combination of events that occur.

There is not one single way to put down the book without finishing it, and the reader arrives at a surprising end literally drained of emotion. Vivid descriptions of the horrors prevalent in the camp cannot fail to stir any reader who has only experienced the Holocaust through reading history. Andrew Gross brings us there and creates an ambience that will stay for quite a while.

8/16 Paul Lane

THE ONE MAN by Andrew Gross. Minotaur Books (August 23, 2016). ISBN 978-1250079503. 432p.

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