Julia is a recent widow who has just inherited a crumbling villa and vineyard in Tuscany from an unknown benefactor. Her astrological forecast calls for change but what she finds are more questions than answers about her connection to the woman who left the estate to her , the village isn't thrilled with her being there, a realtor is pushing for a quick sale and she begins to experience nightmares and ghost sightings. Is Julia fated to pick up where Signora Rossi left off and is there a handsome man in her future? This is a psychological thriller with a hint of haunted house and more twists and turns than a speeding Ducati on a winding road through the Tuscan hillside. 4 stars
0 Comments
What seemed as a harmless pretend relationship turns into much more for both the millionaire Declan and his housekeeper Abi. Declan has been pushed into pretending to have a girlfriend and when he is caught after his parents accidentally meet Abi who stayed at her employer's apartment knowing he was out of town. Both decide this could be a beneficial limited partnership that gets Declan the job boost he needs and Abi out of student loan debt. It is a fun Cinderella romp that has Abi trading a mop for evening gowns and Declan gets out of his straitjacket work life and into something more frustrating. Great wit, snark and characters you can root for. The perfect beach read for fans of Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood. 4 stars A group of college kids from all over arrive in Australia for a month long credited program. From the first night tempers and personalities clash, jealousy erupts and the drama continues until one of them disappears. Fast forward a decade later and a body has been found with the police in Sydney wanting to talk to the group once again. They all come back to the scene of the crime with some trying to hide and some trying to find justice for their friend. Of course, tempers flare, old attractions rekindle and violence follows them. The beauty and vastness of Australia takes center stage with the dangers in this cat and mouse game. Keeps you on your toes til the last page. A great vacation read as long as you don't venture off the path or go out by yourself into the dark night. 4 stars Happy book birthday to A RESISTANCE OF WITCHES by Morgan Ryan
1940 London and England is losing the war until a witch suggests to Winston Churchill that her coven can help. The Nazis are searching for magical objects, one very powerful book in particular, which means game over if it falls into their hands. Lydia working with the resistance goes on a witch hunt to find the German coven that killed her friends and are hunting down the book. Even with magic at their fingertips hiding behind enemy lines brings great danger to herself and her companions. An intense story that blends WWII history, magic and a wartime action. A MONUMENTS MEN treasure hunt feel with A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES magic that speaks to loyalty, family and bravery. 4 stars Three women connected over several generations by witchcraft and vanishings. From Alba an innocent young woman under the thumb of her mother and controlling uncle to college students in the 1930's and a grad student researching the work of a famous female horror writer at a New England college. The feeling of someone unseen standing near you, hot breath on the back of your neck and mysterious disappearances pepper this gothic horror tale. Silvia Moreno-Garcia expertly weaves Latin mythology and folklore from her own family into a frightening story of magic and monsters. The alternating chapters through three timelines could make the story hard to follow but it doesn't and instead works well to show the connective tissue between the characters and events. 4 stars Guiseppina (Jess) is a good girl. She faithfully stayed home in Lake Como, New Jersey to help her Italian American family, married the local heartthrob she grew up with and worked for her Uncle's marble business. Her marriage is over, she is living in her parent's basement and Uncle Louie has just died leaving her the business. Jess needs to break free (and let the FBI sort out some of the business dealings) so she heads to her ancestral home of Carrera Italy. She finds new family, a deep connection to the land, stone and history and a deeper connection to at least one other. This is a coming of age story that begins with a woman in her thirties. Jess learns what she wants, what is important and what to let go of. The joyful mishmash of big personalities who meddle with love blend with the mouthwatering food, incredible scenery and art of Italy like a good bottle of Super Tuscan red with homemade pasta and gravy. Readers of HELLO BEAUTIFUL, 7 OR 8 DEATHS OF STELLA FORTUNA and Adriana Trigiani's faithful fan base will all eat this up. 4 stars
Seven horror authors are invited to honor one of their own who has died. What could have been a chance to wax poetic about their mentor and fellow writer as his will is read turns out to be a deadly game with all of them as pawns on the chessboard. Unless they can solve the riddles throughout the estate bad things will happen. The clocks are ticking and things are getting really scary in a haunted house that might not have a happy ending. A twisted game of CLUE set in the Haunted Mansion with overtones of Shirley Jackson and KNIVES OUT. Readers who enjoyed the dark comedy of HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE by Grady Hendrix will get this.
4 stars Ali is a detective in a secret department with the British Police. She is a time traveler who helps investigate unsolved crimes from the past or events that led up to open investigations in the present.
Her longest travel takes her back to Victorian times where she is looking at a possible serial killer of women and an exclusive men's club. Once she is pulled back to the present she learns that her son's boss has been murdered and her son is the number one suspect. She needs to find the real killer and clear her son. There is also a chance that the killer from the past may be using Ali's portal to travel to her time period. A thrilling British mystery made even better by the time travel and potential danger if this new technology falls into the wrong hands. Fans of Kelley Armstrong's A RIP THROUGH TIME series would love this. 4 stars One dead controlling billionaire father, estranged siblings, a distant mother and one last game.
Alice returns to the island after a five year banishment to say goodbye to her father. The reading of the will comes with a few surprises- she and her family must stay on the island for one week and each of them have tasks they must complete. If anyone decides to leave they all miss out. A little romance amidst a lot of drama, emotional warfare, sibling rivalry and so many secrets - does Dad know best? SUCCESSION meets WE ARE THE BRENNANS family drama that is full of raw emotion and snarky dialogue that would be the perfect book for that family summer trip. 4 1/2 stars Vera is anxious. She is trying to be perfect and get into the school her dad wants her to attend, she is trying to follow her stepmom's advice and make friends at school and she is trying to keep her parent's marriage from imploding. Vera is ten. Add to that her plan to find her Korean birth mom despite having little or no information to go on and trying to make sense of her dad's potential Russian dealings all while getting ready for the make it or break it school debate. With the help of her robot chess tutor and her one school friend Vera might have a chance. Imaginative, intuitive with bits of laughter, bittersweet memories of growing up and some tissue moments this slim novel is an emotional look at our stressed out generation of New York City over achievers. You just want to give her a big hug. 4 1/2 stars |
I love to read good books and share the new books that are available and those that are coming soon
Adult Genres
General Fiction Historical Fiction Thriller / Mystery Fantasy / Sci-Fi Non-Fiction All Adult Genres Other Genres Young Adult Genre Kids Books Genre Follow Kim
Review Archives
July 2025
|