To Have and To Hold. Lauren Layne. 2016. 385 pages. Pocket Books. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] This book has all the makings of a great story – an overprotective brother who doesn’t trust the naiveté of his sister or, more aptly, her new fiancé, a wedding planner with a failed almost-marriage, and the bright, twinkling lights of New York City. I was completely intrigued by the story and couldn’t put it down, but...
The STEM Club Goes Exploring. Lois Melbourne. 2016. 48 pages. Greenleaf Books. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] I’m in love with this book! It is a phenomenal exploration of STEM careers, education, and how they make society run smoothly. It’s a great introduction to the different ways people contribute to society, and does so in a fun and engaging way. First, the characters are a diverse group of students, repr...
Getting Inside. Serena Bell. 2017. 198 pages. Loveswept. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] The book has to be compelling if me, a complete non-sports fan, can’t put it down. From the start, I was pulled in by Iona and Ty and was so intrigued at how they’d ever manage to fight their attraction while balancing their messy coach-player relationship. Serena Bell wove their story together well. Too often, romance stor...
Wench. Dolen Perkins-Valdez. 2010. 308 pages. Harper-Collins. [Source: personal copy.] An amazing work of historical fiction, I was impressed at the historical accuracy yet intriguing style that the author wrote with. I’ve considered reading his many times yet was hesitant. Few can do historical fiction with the flare of Lalita Tademy’s Cane River — honest, accurate and captivating. However, it was a concise review t...
Evelyn After. Victoria Helen Stone. 2016. 258 pages. Lake Union Publishing. [Source: Kindle First Program.] A girl was dead. A marriage was ruined. And the world just kept going on as if that were all okay, when it wasn’t okay. She wasn’t okay. Evelyn lived a tidy, suburban life. Until the one evening when her husband revealed that he’d been in an accident, one of his patients was involved, and nobody could know a t...
