Peeking Between the Pages

...escape into the pages of a good book

Wednesday Book Love – A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards

My pic this week is A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards.  I’m sure I’ve read some of Emilie’s books but for some reason do not have them recorded anywhere.  Either way this one sounds like a really good story to curl up with on my reading bench outside this summer!  It releases on June 25 of this year so be sure to add it to your reading list as well!

Book Description (from Goodreads)

Could a lifetime of memories…be a lifetime of lies?All her life Ryan Gracey watched her perfect older sister from afar. Knowing she could never top Wendy’s achievements, she didn’t even try. Instead Ryan forged her own path while her family barely seemed to notice.Now Wendy shares two little girls with her perfect husband while Ryan mourns the man she lost after a nearly fatal mistake in judgment. The sisters’ choices have taken them in different directions, which is why Ryan is stunned when Wendy calls, begging for her help. There’s been a murder–and Wendy believes she’ll be wrongfully accused.While Wendy lies low, Ryan moves back to their hometown to care for the nieces she hardly knows. The sleuthing skills she’s refined as a true-crime podcaster quickly rise to the surface as she digs for answers with the help of an unexpected ally. Yet the trail of clues Wendy’s left behind lead to nothing but questions. Blood may be thicker than water, but what does Ryan owe a sister who, with every revelation, becomes more and more a stranger?Is Wendy, who always seemed so perfect, just a perfect liar–or worse?

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Phoenix: Transformation Poems by Jessica Goody

Descriptive, powerful, and beautiful is how I would describe Jessica Goody’s collection of poems. These poems cover a wide variety of subjects from nature, animals, and people to the normal everyday.

The main theme is transformation. Overcoming pain and trauma – showing the resilience of the human spirit through verse. Most who know me here on the blog or Facebook know that I lost my mom recently. So many of Jessica’s poems touched me deeply. Of course we know I’m not an expert in anything poetry but I feel if you read poetry and it has in some way affected you then you’ve read a beautiful piece.

There were many poems that I really liked but a few touched me on a deeper level. The one I’d like to share with you I think likely refers to a couple separating but for me it reminded me so much of my mom…

Reverie

Everything is as you left it.
The stack of books on your
nightstand, the photographs
lining the bureau, your shoes

lined up beneath the bed.
A crossword lies by your
place at the table, eternally
unfinished, a pencil guarding

the half-filled squares.
Your favourite mug sits empty:
Every crevice holds your spoor.
A strand of your hair still clings

to the cool whiteness of the pillow,
your scent like perfume in the air.

(From Phoenix: Transformation Poems by Jessica Goody)

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Source: Review copy received from the author for a blog tour with Poetic Book Tours. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (Audiobook)

Book Thoughts

This is surprisingly the debut novel from Samantha Downing and what a winner it is!  Millicent and her husband (we never learn his real name) have been married for fifteen years. They certainly look normal. They have jobs and children but they lead quite the interesting life between the two of them. Lies, secrets, deceit, and let’s not forget murder help to keep the marriage of these two alive. Or does it?

Audio Thoughts

This was a fantastic audio. The novel itself is told from the husband’s viewpoint and the narrator, David Pittu does an absolutely awesome job of portraying him! He is the perfect narrator for this story and I enjoyed every minute of this 10 hour audio.

Final Thoughts

Yes, yes and yes! I really enjoyed this one. It hooked me from the very beginning and never let go. It is full of twists and turns and most definitely kept this listener listening! Fabulous debut!

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Source: Personal copy

The Invited by Jennifer McMahon (Audiobook)

Book Thoughts

Helen and Nate are ready to simplify their lives. They’re leaving the hustle and bustle of city life for a sprawling forty-four acres of land in Vermont. They are going to build their dream home. As they get started they learn that the property has quite the past. A past with a dark and violent history. And a parcel of land with ghosts of its own. Helen, being a history teacher, is fascinated with the history of the land and sets out to learn all she can. Is the past best left in the past though? And what happens when you start digging up things best left buried?

Audio Thoughts

I enjoyed this audio. It is narrated by Amanda Carlin and Justine Eyre, both of whom are new narrators to me. I thought both of them have great voices for narration and they really brought this story to life. The audio comes in at 11 hours and 50 minutes.

Final Thoughts

Ive read or listened to many of Jennifer McMahon’s books and have loved quite a few of them. While I did enjoy this book it is in the middle for me. I found it really slow to start and it just didn’t have the same intensiveness to it as, let’s say, The Winter People. It’s still very good but moves at a slower pace. Still I love Jennifer McMahon’s writing and her stories and I did find this one a fast and easy listen that I did enjoy and I’ll be anxiously awaiting her next novel!

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Source: Review copy received from the publisher. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline (Audiobook)

Book Thoughts

Years ago, as teenagers, a group of friends get together to hang out. This time though they have a newcomer. A new boy has come to town and the teens decide to play a prank on him. He has to go through a sort of initiation in order to be a part of their little group. Imagine the scene – hormonal teenagers, alcohol, and a gun. The actions and consequences of that night change these kids for the rest of their lives.

Audio Thoughts

This was a good audio to listen to. Had I been reading the book I may not have made it through. However the two narrators of this book were really good and I enjoyed listening to them. Ari Fliakos is new to me and I liked his smooth voice. Brittany Pressley was also new to me and I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to her again. She has a great tone to her voice that makes listening to her very enjoyable. This audio comes in at 11 hours and 42 minutes.

Final Thoughts

I’ve listened to many of Lisa Scottoline’s books and really loved them. This one I’m sorry to say not so much. It has many glowing reviews as well as some not so glowing. Mine is in the middle. I found the story slow to get anywhere and even when it did I didn’t find it as engaging as many of her others. Still I was curious to see where the story would go and it ended up being an okay listen for me.

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Source: Review copy received from the publisher. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Wednesday Book Love – Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle

This week my pic for Wednesday Book Love is Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle.  I read this author’s book Three Days Missing and I loved it (review once again to follow one of these days).  Needless to say I’m really looking forward to getting to this one which releases June 25 of this year!

Book Description (from Goodreads)

From the bestselling author of The Marriage Lie and Three Days Missing comes a riveting new novel of suspense about a woman who, in a fight for survival, must decide just how far she’ll go to escape the person she once loved

Beth Murphy is on the run…

For nearly a year, Beth has been planning for this day. A day some people might call any other Wednesday, but Beth prefers to see it as her new beginning–one with a new look, new name and new city. Beth has given her plan significant thought, because one small slip and her violent husband will find her.

Sabine Hardison is missing…

A couple hundred miles away, Jeffrey returns home from a work trip to find his wife, Sabine, is missing. Wherever she is, she’s taken almost nothing with her. Her abandoned car is the only evidence the police have, and all signs point to foul play.

As the police search for leads, the case becomes more and more convoluted. Sabine’s carefully laid plans for her future indicate trouble at home, and a husband who would be better off with her gone. The detective on the case will stop at nothing to find out what happened and bring this missing woman home. Where is Sabine? And who is Beth? The only thing that’s certain is that someone is lying and the truth won’t stay buried for long.

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