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Evie and her new boyfriend Ryan are in love but Evie seems to always be looking over her shoulder and doesn't give up too many details about herself. There is another side of her and this is just another job for Mr. Smith. Complications arise (as they always do) and Evie (who is really Lucca) must fight or take flight once again. This is full of complicated identities, false clues and a hazy good guy or bad guy outlook with a blockbuster ending. It was just a job where only bad guys got hurt until she met a good guy. Fans of grifter tales and Killing Eve will find joy. 4 stars 
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Life was hard for settlers in Maine in 1789 and women knew this all too well. Disease, crop failure, childbirth or the whims of men plagued women young and old. Martha Ballard is a respected midwife who up until now has been the medical authority for the village. She is there for births, sickness, death and accidents all of which she diligently records in her journal. When she is summoned to help with a boat accident and to record a death of a man found trapped under the ice she fears that her findings will put her family at risk. Not everyone is eager to hear the truth especially the legal authority in town and the men who may be responsible for the death and a rape coverup. It takes great strength to stand by her convictions and that is what she does even if her family will be harmed. Gentle storytelling blended artfully with the violence of the harsh New England landscape and vicious treatment of women at the hands of powerful men. Historical fiction that will appeal to readers of Greer Macallister and Alice Hoffman. 4 1/2 stars  We are back in rough but beloved Benedict Alaska where Beth has been outed about being in witness protection, dealing with her renegade mom and newly reunited dad and still trying to write a book or two. She and her boyfriend Tex are on a sightseeing trip when they rescue a kidnap victim and once again danger lurks everywhere (and not just from the bears). Benedict is dealing with a potential kidnapping spree with Beth at its center. I love this series for the unusual location, lovable characters who are not the standard next door neighbors and the fact that everyone has a secret and reason to hide in remote Alaska. While you don't need to read all the books in this semi-cozy series, this is the fifth one and I strongly suggest you read the first book THIN ICE to gain insight into the characters. 4 stars  The Benedettos are not your average tv reality show family in L.A. - well, maybe they are but they are about to get a reality check that they are having a hard time accepting. Mom and Dad's restaurant empire is not doing so well and that means the estate that is home to all of them and all the perks could soon be gone and the chicks will be booted out of the nest. When a famous actor and his less famous friend move in next door mom sees it as a way for the family to get back into the press and some of the Benedetto sisters are interested. First impressions are not always good and hilarious entanglements ensue. Sharp wit, a crazy tight Italian American family (that might feel very familiar), an enemy to lover vibe and lots of sister love. Lots of fun even as your head is spinning trying to keep up. For anyone who wishes to be a little bit famous or are captivated by what the L.A. famous are doing- this is for you. 3 1/2 stars of fun  A DNA testing service brings together a miracle for one Puerto Rican woman but could uncover a life of lies for an American woman. Isabella has been searching for her baby sister who went missing years ago without any success until a DNA test shows someone who could be a perfect match. The only problem is that Gabby, an aspiring journalist, doesn't want to believe that she is Isabella's sister and just wants to write an article about the mistake. Bad people trying to do good and good people caught in a bad situation sums up this genealogical mystery. The beauty of Puerto Rico stands out in sharp contrast to the poverty and desperation behind the non-tourist side of the wall and once again we see that every family has it share of secrets. 4 stars  Happy book birthday to FLORES AND MISS PAULA by Melissa Rivero Flores is a thirty something living with her mom and they are still fresh with grief over losing Flores dad Martin three years prior. He was the bridge between Flores and Paula and their relationship has suffered without him. Both of them are good at hiding their feelings and throwing themselves into work. Changes are coming for both of them and it will be a chance to mend their relationship or leave it broken forever. Even though the story is about a Peruvian family the themes of grief and mother/daughter relationship are universal. 3 1/2 stars  A fantasy duology that takes a medieval setting and the elements of classic fairy tales to create a wholly original storyline. References to Sleeping Beauty work well with the power struggle between shape shifting wolf packs, downtrodden humans and an evil vindictive sorceress. Twin sisters Briar and Calla have always known that Briar was next in line for the throne and would marry Grae who happens to be Calla's best friend and soulmate. The trio share a secret and one that if it got out would threaten the tenuous balance of power and peace between the kingdoms. Of course politics and backstabbing get in the way and it is up to a handful of wolves along with a hodgepodge band of merry humans to restore peace, stop the sorceress and come out of it alive. There is a beautiful lack of traditional gender pairing which works flawlessly. A "love who you love" attitude with a dash of spice for a wild romp with wolves and GAME OF THRONES battles and political mayhem sure to please a wide variety of readers. 4 stars  Ruby Vaughn is asked to deliver a set of books to a Pellar (folk healer) who happens to live where her ex lover and former best friend Tamsyn resides with her family. The trip starts to go badly when she is invited to dine at her friend's manor home and her husband the Lord ends up dead. The village happens to be very superstitious and dead certain in the belief that Ruby is a witch and has reawakened the curse. Thankfully Ruan the Pellar intercedes and together they try to find the real killer . All the classic gothic elements are here - small rural village with a crumbling manor house whose Lord has fathered half the village, a rampant curse and post war trauma and lots of people with a score to settle. Readers of Agatha Christie , Sophie Hannah and classic whodunnits will adore Ruby and this debut. 4 stars  Vivian is a theater critic in New York which is not an easy nor without stress but her troubled past is wiggling its way into her present that alcohol and pills can't stop. When a man who interviewed her for his thesis turns up missing Vivian gets pulled into a strange search for him and an acting role she may regret taking. The more clues she turns up the darker and stranger his disappearance gets. Dark and intoxicating as watching a Hitchcock film alone this is a back alley tale that pulls you in from the first few pages before plunging in the knife. A landscape of late night theater, smoky bars and random sex with strangers that is narrated by a voice that you don't quite trust. There is a reason critics are anonymous. This will appeal to those of us who crave murder mysteries that allow us to live vicariously through the troubled characters without having to suffer the consequences or take risks. 4 stars  A very wealthy power hungry woman tries to play "Goddess" when she manipulates the future of an underground facility for the next generations of survivors on a dying Earth. Climate change and chaos above have made it necessary for lucky lottery (or very wealthy) winners to go underground or to the space station. Jacqueline and some key members of New York's Inside facility have allowed only certain people to be admitted and are conducting a great experiment to see if the elimination of men will create a safe and happy female run utopia. Jacqueline becomes an absent mother keeping careful watch from space over her creation down below but will the experiment work? This feels like THE HANDMAID'S TALE meets STATION ELEVEN meets an all female cult of the future and creates as many questions as answers about gender roles, free will and control of any kind. Fascinating concept and a debut that readers of sci-fi but also feminist novels will embrace. 4 stars  |
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