Shelley's Book Nook

☆☆☆ ebook, 397 pages Published November 21st 2019 by Aria About the Book: Her husband says it's suicide. The police say it's murder. Liam Buckley was a married man with two teenage children when he moved out of the family home to start a new life with his lover. His wife Jennifer never forgave him, but now she needs him to come back: she's been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and the kids can't cope alone. One day after Liam moves home, Jennifer is found dead. Liam thinks it's suicide. But the police, led by DS Louise Kennedy, are convinced it's murder. Liam hires a retired detective to help prove his innocence, but it's no easy task. The children are distraught, and Jennifer's best friend, Sarah, is waging a campaign against Liam, determined to expose him for a liar and a cheat. As secrets surface from the complex web of Buckley family life, DS Kennedy must decide. Did Jennifer Buckley end her own life, or did Liam take it from her? The answer, ...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 311 pages Published November 21st 2019 by BHC Press About the Book: When eight-year-old Harry Spencer’s father returns from WWI with a missing arm, his father’s bitterness shatters their relationship. Though confused and brokenhearted, Harry is determined to make something of himself. Endeavoring with heart and sometimes-humorous results, he sets out on his path in life, working in his granddad’s store, selling medicinal salves, washing windows, and falling in love. This historical coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of small-town life will tug at your heartstrings as Harry discovers who he is, who his father is, and how to heal the past. It takes a great writer to be able to write about a boy coming of age so well, especially when the writer is female. Ms. Wolff demonstrates so much depth and emotional intelligence in her depiction of both sexes across all age groups in this riveting novel. Her exceptionally vivid imagery is intoxicatingly beautiful. This i...

☆☆☆☆☆ ebook, 304 pages Published November 19th 2019 by Random House About the Book: It all started as a supper club, a group gathering monthly to share homemade dinners, until the night one woman made a startling revelation. After that, the "Confession Club" decided to meet weekly to feast not only on dinner, but on admissions of misdeeds, embarrassments, and insecurities. When Iris Winters and Maddy Harris are invited to the club, they find that it's just what each of them needs. Iris hasn't yet told anyone about the unlikely man who has captured her attention, and Maddy has come back home to escape a problem too big for her to confront. Love is like a butterfly—you do better letting it land on you than trying to capture it. So I began reading Ms. Berg's The Confession Club and found myself drawn in right from the start. Elizabeth Berg is a character-oriented writer who is absolutely brilliant in her ability to create personalities that are vibrant and be...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 352 pages Published November 14th 2019 by Hodder & Stoughton and Mulholland Books About the Book: Ava's life is the kind other people envy: loving husband; great kids; beautiful house. Until the night that a violent home invasion plunges her world into chaos. In the aftermath of the attack, Ava needs answers to two questions. Who has targeted her family? And why? But things aren't adding up. She is starting to suspect that someone knows more than they are letting on. That everything she thought she knew about the people closest to her was a lie. Ava needs to know what happened that night. And to do that she must decide who she can really trust. Because she's about to discover that her family is in more danger than she ever imagined. I really enjoyed this book. It was creative, well thought out and well written. I loved how each chapter ended leaving me not able to stop there. The characters were real and fully developed. I shared their fears, joys, su...

☆☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 336 pages Published November 12th 2019 by Bookouture About the Book: Maria Birch is seventy years old and, for her, every week is the same. On Monday, she does her weekly shop. On Tuesday, she goes for a blow-dry. On Wednesday, she visits the laundrette. But Thursday is her favourite day of all – everything hurts less on a Thursday. Every Thursday Maria walks to her local café. Waiting for her at one of the red gingham-topped tables is Albie Young, a charming man with a twinkle in his eye and an impressive collection of tweed flat caps. Every week, the pair share a slice of marble cake and a pot of tea. Except, one week, Albie doesn’t turn up. When Maria finds out what has happened, her perfectly ordered life is ripped apart at the seams. Suddenly, she is very lonely. Without her Thursday friend – her only friend – she no longer has the energy to circle the weekly TV listings, she has no reason to leave her apartment, no reason to laugh. Then she discovers th...

☆1/3 ebook, 448 pages Published November 12th 2019 by AmazonCrossing About the Book: Mona’s demanding mother ruled their home until a car crash took her life and changed their family forever. Left to tend to a distant father and a needy younger brother, Mona finds her new role almost too much to bear. And when a new stepmother, troubled and depressed, adds yet another crack to the family portrait, Mona’s forced to shoulder an even greater share of the emotional burden. Somewhere between her responsibility to her family and to her own life, Mona finds a route of escape: in a theater career she craves. But for every challenge ahead—romantic, professional, sexual, and familial—Mona wonders how much of her future has already been defined by the challenges of her past. I really enjoyed the first act of Mona's life but once she grew up her life, and the book, became quite boring and mundane. The story felt like it was written by a first time author who had trouble with the plot, a...

☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 288 pages Published November 12th 2019 by Lake Union Publishing About the Book: Esme and Benedict Werner have an idyllic life in a tight-knit community until an accident in their cul-de-sac ends in the tragic sudden death of one of their dearest neighbors. After vindicating eyewitness accounts morph into contradictory memories, suspicion, and unaccountable accusations, Benedict is arrested. Esme’s life, too, is changed forever. As the neighborhood largely turns against her and her family, Esme has time to think about her past and what to do next. Then her fellow residents start looking deeper, questioning one another, and themselves, about hidden lies and betrayals. Esme has more than her share of secrets. And the consequences of what happened on that fateful late-summer evening on Raven Lane are far from over. When the mask of civility slips, can friends and neighbors recover from seeing the monstrous truths beneath? I really enjoyed Rapid Falls so was very...

☆☆1/2 Kindle Edition, 328 pages Published November 11th 2019 by Bookouture About the Book: Some things you can never escape. I should know. I’ve been running away for fifteen years, and now I’m right back where I started. Skye Turner’s family fell apart the day her twin sister Ginny died. Everyone in their tiny community in the Scottish Highlands accepted it was an accident, but more than one person in town is haunted by a secret from that night. Skye left after the funeral, believing her mother blamed her for Ginny’s death. Skye should have taken care of Ginny, should have been there to stop her falling from the cliffs that night. Over the years, she’s barely spoken to her mother, until the day she receives a phone call asking her to return home. As soon as Skye arrives in her childhood home, she knows something isn’t right. Her mother has kept the bedroom she shared with her sister like a shrine, Ginny’s clothes and diaries gathering dust, as though her mother thinks Ginny might...

☆☆☆☆☆ ebook, 329 pages Published November 11th 2019 by Amazon Publishing UK About the Book: When Nick’s wife Kerry falls ill and dies, he realises for the first time how fragile his happiness has always been, and how much he’s been taking his good life and wonderful family for granted. Now, he suddenly finds himself navigating parenthood alone, unsure how to deal with his own grief, let alone that of his teenage son, Olly. In the depths of his heartbreak, Nick must find a way to navigate life that pleases his son, his in-laws, his family and his friends—while honouring what Kerry meant to them all. But when it comes to his own emotions, Nick doesn’t know where to begin. Kerry was his childhood sweetheart—but was she really the only one who could ever make him happy? And in the aftermath of tragedy, can Nick and his son find themselves again? Amanda Prowse has been a kind of hit and miss author for me. While I adored Three-and-a-Half Heartbeats, A Christmas Wish was a disappointm...

☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 322 pages Published November 7th 2019 by Canelo and Escape About the Book: Rose Wallace thought her time-travelling adventures were over. Jane Austen is about to prove her wrong. After becoming trapped in present-day Bath due to a mishap with her time-travelling charm, Jane Austen is safe and sound back in the 1800s thanks to Rose’s help. Now, Rose is ready to focus on her fledgling romance with dreamy Dr Aiden Trevellyan. But when Jane reappears in the present, it looks like Rose and Aiden have no choice but to follow her back to 1813. Staying in the Austen household, Rose and Aiden are introduced to a number of interesting figures from the past, including Jane’s eccentric – and surprisingly modern – neighbour. Suddenly Rose’s life is in need of a re-write as she discovers some unexpected ties to Jane Austen's world and her past. It was wonderful to revisit this series. I love Jane Austen and read the first book so this was a no-brainer for me. I was co...

☆☆1/2 ebook, 384 pages Published November 7th 2019 by HQ Digital About the Book: Claire is beautiful. Claire is famous. Claire has a handsome husband and a house to die for. But Claire doesn’t know any of that. Claire isn’t even sure who she is. When Claire Wright wakes in a hospital, she sees a stranger staring back at her in the mirror. With no memories from before the devastating car accident that left her and her father with life-changing injuries, she must navigate the life of a stranger along with all the mistakes her former self left behind. As Claire discovers the person she used to be she must also unravel the mystery that surrounds the accident. But the more Claire uncovers, the more she will be forced to face up to the dark secrets from her life before. I thought this book was just OK. It took a while to get into and I had to push myself to keep reading. It got faster paced as the story went on but verged on the unrealistic as it went. It wasn't too hard to figure...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 423 pages Expected publication: February 2nd 2020 by Storyteller Press About the Book: There are things we know nothing about. Rainmaking, for instance. Believers will tell you it's as real as the ground beneath your feet. Imogene Parker would have been the first to count herself a skeptic, until the day she met Thomas Finn. From that day on, nothing in her life would ever be the same. Return now to the summer of 1921. Tulsa is about to burn. A young black man is accused of assaulting a white woman in broad daylight and the incendiary opinions of one newspaper stoke the passions of this divided city—a stage for the worst racial conflict in American history, and events for which we may never know the truth. For history buffs and readers who loved To Kill A Mockingbird and Sometimes a Great Notion, this is a must-read book. A gripping, tragic love story, Water Darling lays bare the heart and soul of a nation and its people in a time of change. This book took off fr...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 352 pages Published November 5th 2019 by Simon & Schuster Canada and Atria Books About the Book: Gifted musician Clemency Thompson is playing for tourists on the streets of southern France when she receives an urgent text message. Her childhood friend, Lucy, is demanding her immediate return to London. It’s happening, says the message. The baby is back. Libby Jones was only six months old when she became an orphan. Now twenty-five, she’s astounded to learn of an inheritance that will change her life. A gorgeous, dilapidated townhouse in one of London’s poshest neighborhoods has been held in a trust for her all these years. Now it’s hers. As Libby investigates the story of her birth parents and the dark legacy of her new home, Clemency and Lucy are headed her way to uncover, and possibly protect, secrets of their own. What really happened in that rambling Chelsea mansion when they were children? And are they still at risk? Once again, Lisa Jewell hits it out of th...

☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 439 pages Published November 1st 2019 by Amazon Crossing About the Book: For hyper-particular publishing heir Jonathan Grief, the day starts like any other—with a strict morning fitness regimen that’ll keep his divorced, easily irritated, cynical, forty-two-year-old self in absolutely flawless physical condition. But all it takes to put a crimp in his routine is one small annoyance. Someone has left a leather-bound day planner with the handwritten title Your Perfect Year in his spot on his mountain bike at his fitness course! Determined to discover its owner, Jonathan opens the calendar to find that someone known only as “H.” has filled it in with suggestions, tasks, and affirmative actions for each day. The more he devotes himself to locating the elusive H., the deeper Jonathan is drawn into someone else’s rich and generous narrative—and into an attitude adjustment he desperately needs. He may have ended up with a perfect year by accident, but it seems fate h...

☆ Kindle Edition, 332 pages Published November 1st 2019 by Montlake Romance About the Book: For a good part of Daphne Witt’s life, she was a supportive wife and dutiful mother. Now that she’s divorced and her daughter, Ellery, is all grown up, Daphne’s celebrating the best part of her life, a successful career, and a flirtation with an attentive hunk fifteen years her junior…who happens to be her daughter’s ex-boyfriend. Ellery is starting over, too. She’s fresh out of college. Her job prospects are dim. And to support her fiancé in med school, she’s returned home as her mother’s new assistant. Ellery never expected her own life plan to take such a detour. With no outlet for her frustration, she lets an online flirtation go a little too far, especially considering her pen pal thinks he’s corresponding with her mother. As love lives tangle, secrets spill, and indiscretions are betrayed, mother and daughter will have a lot to learn—not only about the mistakes they’ve made but also a...

☆☆☆☆☆ 400 pages Published March 7th 2019 by Pan Macmillan and Mantle About the Book: Jules and Holly have been best friends since university. They tell each other everything, trading revelations and confessions, and sharing both the big moments and the small details of their lives: Holly is the only person who knows about Jules’s affair; Jules was there for Holly when her husband died. And their two children – just three years apart – have grown up together. So when Jules’s daughter Saffie makes a serious allegation against Holly’s son Saul, neither woman is prepared for the devastating impact this will have on their friendship or their families. Especially as Holly, in spite of her principles, refuses to believe her son is guilty. The Fens are known as England’s holy land for a reason. If there’s one thing this land isn’t short of, it’s places to worship. Places to seek forgiveness from the opium-taking and the drinking and the rape and the deviance. This book is an exemplary...

☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 260 pages Published November 5th 2019 by Bookouture About the Book: Nine years ago her daughter was taken. And now she’s back. Two-and-a-half-year-old Holly is playing happily in a pink plastic playhouse, while her mother Rachel sips coffee and chats with a friend nearby. It should be an ordinary day for all of them. But, in the blink of an eye, it turns into every family’s worst nightmare. Holly is taken by a stranger and never found. Nine years later, Rachel is living a quiet life in Dorset. She’s tried to keep things together since the traumatic day when she lost her eldest daughter. She has a new family, a loving partner and her secrets are locked away in her painful past. Until one afternoon when Rachel meets a new school parent Kate and her teenage daughter Bella. Rachel’s world is instantly turned upside down – she’s seen Bella before. She’d recognise that face anywhere – it’s her missing child. And she will stop at nothing to get her back Shalini Bol...

☆☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 327 pages Expected publication: January 9th 2020 by Bookouture About the Book: You’ve met Mrs Bright. She’s that nice woman who lives three doors down and always smiles at you in the mornings. She’s planning her thirtieth wedding anniversary with her husband. She wants to travel, read endless books and take beautiful pictures. She’s been waiting for this forever. For the past twenty-nine years, Kay Bright’s days have had a familiar rhythm: she works in her husband’s stationery shop, cooks for her family, tries to remember to practice yoga, and every other month she writes to her best friend, Ursula, and Ursula replies. Kay could set her calendar by their letters: her heart lifts when the blue airmail envelope, addressed in Ursula’s slanting handwriting, falls gently onto the mat. Ursula is the only one who knows Kay’s deepest secret, something that happened decades ago that could tear Kay’s life apart today. Ursula has always been the person Kay relies on. Kn...

☆☆☆☆☆ ebook, 276 pages Expected publication: March 17th 2020 by Simon & Schuster Canada About the Book: For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair, and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers and offering shoulders to cry on, but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold. Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar. After serving five years in prison, Patty gets out with nowhere to go and begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes. Patty insists all she wants is to reconcile their differences. She says she's forgiven Rose Gold for turning her in and testifying against her. But Rose Gold knows her mother. Patty Watts always settles a score. Unfortunately for Patty, Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling. ...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 179 pages Published November 1st 2019 by HQ Digital About the Book: Two people. One chance meeting. Seven days to Christmas. Isobel Bennett is waiting for the number 11 bus when a man quite literally falls into her lap. Snow is falling, Christmas lights are twinkling, and a gorgeous man with dark brown hair has just slipped on ice and is now pressed against Isobel. Isobel knows she’s not imagining the chemistry between them. But then his ride arrives and, embarrassed, he beats a hasty retreat, murmuring apologies – and Isobel realises only too late that she didn’t manage to catch his name. When she runs into him again the next morning, she decides it’s fate. It’s a second chance for Isobel and Tom – but there’s only one week until she’s leaving London for good. Seven days of enjoying all the festive delights the city has to offer: ice-skating at Somerset House, mulled wine on the Southbank, Christmas shopping at Liberty. There’s magic in the air and mistletoe in the tr...

☆☆1/2 Kindle Edition, 319 pages Published November 1st 2019 by Bookouture About the Book: Kat remembers the days when her only daughter Amy wouldn't leave her side. Amy was the baby who cried when you walked out of the room, the toddler who was too shy to speak to strangers, the small child who clung to Kat's legs in the school playground. But now Amy is grown up, and Amy is gone – to university in a town several hours away. Kat's house – which once felt too full, too noisy, too busy – is deathly quiet, and Kat awaits the daily phone call to tell her that her beloved daughter is thriving and happy. But one day Amy doesn’t call. Kat’s husband and friends think she is being paranoid – surely Amy is just out, having fun with her friends. But Kat knows right away that something is very wrong. Her daughter would never forget to call. She would never just disappear... After all, Amy has nothing to run from. Or does she? This was my first book by Sue Watson and I was reall...

☆☆1/2 Kindle Edition, 290 pages Published October 30th 2019 by Bookouture About the Book: Counting things in threes usually calms Dell’s crippling anxiety—the passionflower vine along the shop wall, the jimsonweed by the roadside, the sleeping valley in the distance—but when her baby daughter goes missing, her world shatters completely. 1979, Virginia. Growing up amongst the sprawling valleys and forests of Blyth, beautiful young Dell has always had a natural intuition for how to fix other people’s hurts, if not her own. She hopes for a better future, although thanks to her alcoholic father and narcissistic mother, happiness seems far out of her reach. She certainly could never have predicted holding her baby girl for the first time, and the life-changing, powerful love she would feel when she did. Even as a heartbroken single mother in a small town riddled with gossips, she suddenly feels that she can do this. She can raise her daughter. But when she turns to her own mother for h...