Review: The Stormchasers by Jenna Blum

Twins are forced to confront a violent secret from their past in Jenna Blum's first novel since her runaway bestseller, Those Who Save Us 

How far would you go to protect a sibling-and at what cost to yourself? 

In Those Who Save Us, Jenna Blum proved herself a master storyteller with brilliant insight into the spectrum of human emotion. Now, Blum turns her sights to the most intimate and mysterious of family relationships-that between twins-in her powerful and provocative second novel.

As a teenager, Karena Jorge had always been the one to look out for her twin brother Charles, who suffers from bipolar disorder. But as Charles begins to refuse medication and his manic tendencies worsen, Karena finds herself caught between her loyalty to her brother and her fear for his life. Always obsessed with the weather-enraptured by its magical unpredictability that seemed to mirror his own impulses—Charles starts chasing storms, and his behavior grows increasingly erratic . . . until a terrifying storm chase with Karena ends with deadly consequences, tearing the twins apart and changing both of their lives forever.

Two decades later, Karena gets a call from a psychiatric ward in Wichita, Kansas, to come pick up her brother, whom she hasn't seen or spoken to for twenty years. She soon discovers that Charles has lied to the doctors, taken medication that could make him dangerously manic, and disappeared again. Having exhausted every resource to try and track him down, Karena realizes she has only one last chance of finding him: the storms. Wherever the tornadoes are, that's where he'll be. Karena joins a team of professional stormchasers-passionate adventurers who will transform her life and give her a chance at love and redemption—and embarks on an odyssey to find her brother before he reveals the violent secret from their past and does more damage to himself . . . or to someone else.

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published May 27th 2010 by Dutton Adult

Terri's Thoughts

I randomly selected this story while browsing available e-book from the public library.  As I have read this author before and the story looked intriguing, I figured why not.

This story was both interesting and frustrating at the same time. I, who is terrified of storms, was completely taken with the storm chasing aspect of the story.  I gobbled up all the lingo and the action and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.  This was the best part for me.

What I found completely frustrating is Karen's need to save Charles.  OK I get it, they have the twin bond but believe me, as I am also twin, there needs to come a time when enough is enough.  She covered for him, and tried to save him so many times that she lost sight of her own life.  While I know mental illness is a difficult situation, I really felt while she could continue to try to save him by getting the proper treatment, she no longer should have been making excuses for him as she was only enabling him.  By losing herself in thinking she could help him, she instead lost who she was.

I know I am sitting here on my high horse as the situation is much more complex than I am making it sound but I am a firm believer in the airline philosophy.  When the oxygen mask falls, put it on yourself before others as you are useless to help others if you cant take care of yourself.  I digress.

Needless to say the story makes you think. Regardless of your thoughts about Karena,

you still want everything to end up ok in the end.  You will have to read the story to find out.

About the Author

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Namast'eh Box: March Unboxing and Review

Namast'eh is a Canadian subscription box that delivers premium yoga and athletic wear from Canadian brands at 50% off retail value right to your door. There are three different subscriptions to choose from.

The True North Box- 3 piece Premium Outfit $119.00

The Glowing Heart Box- 2 piece Premium Outfit $89.00

The Maple Leaf Box- 1 Pair Premium Leggings or Capris $59.00

You can choose to get your box every month, every second month or every three months and you are not locked into a plan of any kind. This means that you can pause or cancel your subscription at any time without penalty. How it works is you choose your subscription, complete your profile (sizes, activities) and your box gets delivered to your door.

At the moment I am subscribed to the True North Box and I have it coming every month. I plan to give it a few months to see how I like it and the products before I decide if I want to continue monthly or less frequently or at all.

This is what it looks like when you first open the box.

This is what the outfit I got looks like all together

The sports bra

MPG- Exclusive Collection by Julianna Hough Captivate Sports Bra in Lilac Retail Value $30-$54

This bra features removable bra cups, moisture wicking, a power mesh back and side panels for ventilation and adjustable straps. Not only is it super cute but it has two things that I really like. The bra cups and adjustable straps are a positive in my books. My pictures make it look white but it is actually a lilac colour. I will likely use this bra for my lighter workouts as it is only moderate support.

 The layering piece

Daub and Design- Tahnee Tank retail value $68

At least I think that is what tank it is. There was no info on the tag about this top but it looked similar to the Tahnee tanks on the website even though I could not find this colour. This tank for me is just meh. I really liked it until I tried it on. The fit was kind of awkward. Part of me feels like it will stretch and shape into a flowy top but right now it fits a little snug across the chest and then sort of flows but not really. This is laughable if you know me because I am a small chested person. I haven't given this piece a test run in any kind of workout so I can't yet speak to its functionality yet.

The leggings

(Above picture from website shown in a different colour)

MPG- Time Trial 7/8 Houndstooth Run Leggings in Black retail value $66 on sale for $33

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these leggings. I added a picture from the website because my pictures don't do them justice at all. First of all, I am training for a 10k race so these leggings couldn't come at a better time. They have many feature benefits but what thrilled me was the side pockets. I can put my phone in my pocket while listening to music on my wireless headphones. Such a smart feature on run leggings. I only own one other pair of leggings with pockets and have been running every day so these are perfectly timed. I love how they fit and look on me so much that I went on to the MPG website with the thought of ordering more but unfortunately they only have the colour in my above picture (which I would have been fine with) in sizes too small or big.
The featured benefits of these leggings are 360- degree reflectivity for visibility at night, a back zip pocket for stashing essentials on the go and an interior waist mini pocket for essentials like keys and cards plus the pockets I mentioned above. It is hard to tell from my pictures but the front is mesh from just below the reflective strips. At the front it is just regular mesh but at the back (below the reflective strips) the mesh has a houndstooth pattern. They are fun, flattering and functional. I have run in them many times already. They are definitely my favourite and most practical piece from this box and probably from any box I have received to date.

As far as value for this box I am a little torn. Both the bra and the leggings are on sale on the website and I am just meh about the tank so it's tough to say. I am in love with the leggings and I like the bra and probably wouldn't have found them on my own so there is that. This subscription box is not cheap and although I like and even love some of the pieces, I'm not sure I saved any money on this months box. Having said that, I don't feel like I've been ripped off either. I've decided to give it two more months of monthly deliveries before deciding whether or not I want to continue.

Namast'eh Box keep the running gear coming and I'll be a very happy lady!

Thoughts and opinions are my own and are not sponsored in any way by Namast'eh box.

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

You can’t stop the future.
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.

Hardcover, 10th Anniversary Edition, 352 pages

Published December 27th 2016 by Razorbill (first published October 18th 2007)

Terri's Thoughts

Well, I finally read this book, I'm probably the last person to do so but I did it.  I knew what it was about and the general gist of things but have not read a single review or been involved in any conversations or discussions about it.  How did it make me feel?

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Really. I literally just put it down and I am so conflicted with my thoughts at the moment I don't even know what to say.  I wont even know what I am going to rate it until I get to the end of this review  And then I reserve the right to go back and change it.

I will try to break it down.

The story had its flaws.  In all honesty the writing was nothing special.  I didn't find it poignant or lyrical or any of those other words you find in pretentious reviews.  It got the job done.  People may jump all over me, but I found Hannah to be too angry to be so lost.  Some of her reasons even seemed a little bit petty, more like people didn't live up to her expectations were not allowed to be flawed.  I would think that someone with that much anger, who would take the time to make the tapes, would have enough fight in her to keep going....

Wait a second, what am I doing?  Did I just victim shame??? I think I might have...

And ladies and Gentleman, this is the reason, IMHO, that people should read this story.  People should be discussing this book.  The content of this story is something everyone should be discussing.  In fact, this book should be included in every school curriculum just so that everyone has the opportunity to sit and discuss it.  WHY?  It is simple.  I went through every reaction possible while reading this, both good and bad.   I rooted for Hannah, I didn't root for her, I felt she overreacted & I felt empathy for her situation.  At the end of the day, with everything going on in our world, this is one of the topics that young people should be talking about.  Suicide (as well as bullying & mental health as these are underlying themes and linked to the subject at hand) should not be an off limit topic.  Even bringing to the table that your actions impact others in big or small ways.  An open and honest discussion should be held about these things.  I don't even think it is something that should be addressed from parent to child (although I don't discourage it).  It should be something peers speak about to each other, openly, and without censor.

And so...I will rate this book on that as I found the actual book just ok

About the Author

Jay Asher was born in Arcadia, California on September 30, 1975. He grew up in a family that encouraged all of his interests, from playing the guitar to his writing. He attended Cuesta College right after graduating from high school. It was here where he wrote his first two children’s books for a class called Children’s Literature Appreciation. At this point in his life, he had decided he wanted to become an elementary school teacher. He then transferred to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he left his senior year in order to pursue his career as a serious writer. Throughout his life he worked in various establishments, including as a salesman in a shoe store and in libraries and bookstores. Many of his work experiences had an impact on some aspect of his writing.

Website

Re-Release Blitz: Can't Hold Back by Serena Bell

 

Blurb

Can’t Hold Back (Returning Home, Book Two)

A love triangle gone wrong. The power to heal his pain. And a second chance for both of them.
Nate Riordan came home from war hurting—everywhere.
Alia Drake can touch him and make it all better.
Nate craves her touch, and not just the professional, physical therapist version. But he needs to keep his eyes on the prize and his feet firmly on the path he’s chosen: His buddy, J.J., died, and Nate lived, which means he has promises to keep. Plus, Alia hurt him once, and he’s afraid she’ll do it again.
Alia knows she has to ignore her feelings for Nate. Her job is to take care of him professionally, so she has to keep her hands on the parts of him she has a right to touch. Besides, when she lied to him two years ago, she forfeited any claim she could ever have to his heart.
Now she just has to find some way to stick to her guns, leave him alone, and do her job. Even—or especially—when he’s shirtless on the table in her office…

Can’t Hold Back Excerpt

Copyright © 2019 Serena Bell
All rights reserved.

“Is this seat taken?”
From her perspective in the grass, he was a giant, with broad shoulders and a luminous smile. She’d always thought it was exaggeration when women said they lost their breath in a man’s presence, but she just had.
She got a grip and shook her head. “Pull up some turf.” She patted the lawn beside her, and he sat.
He was vivid, like a soldier in a movie: ripped, swaggering, grinning, golden-haired. He’d smiled in her direction earlier, and for a split second she’d thought, Who me? before she remembered that she was standing next to Becca. Her sister was a man magnet. All the two of them had to do was idle in a patch of sunlight admiring the garden, and sexy six-foot-plus men in butt-hugging jeans and black T-shirts materialized from nowhere—
Abracadabra! Hot guy for Becca.
In the car on the way over here, she’d told Becca that Jake’s picnics boasted not just amazing food, but other earthly delights. “We’ll get you back on your feet,” Alia had promised, sneaking a glance at her sister, slumped in the passenger seat. Ever since Becca’s boyfriend had dumped her recently, just as they were getting serious, she rarely smiled.
Becca had been super excited about the guy, and Alia was almost as disappointed as Becca was. She wanted her sister to be happy. Settled. Cared for.
Hot Guy for Becca set his plate on the grass. He sat cross-legged, and his thighs and calves, which looked like they’d been hewn from wood, were generously decked with curly golden hair.
“My sister just went to get some food,” she told him, pointing.
He cast a glance at Becca, standing by the salad table, loading her plate with potato chips. Tall, beautiful, blond, and glowing with vitality.
“You guys don’t look anything alike.”
“We don’t.” She forced a smile. It wasn’t only blindingly obvious differences, like Becca’s blond and Alia’s dark hair, but everything else, too—Becca was slim, with hourglass curves, while Alia was “athletic”; Becca had porcelain skin and Alia was generously freckled; Becca’s features were classic and even, and Alia was—well, she’d be kind to herself and say “cute.”
She sighed.
“Nate Riordan.” The man beside her reached out his hand for a shake.
“Alia Drake.”
Big hands. Warm. A moment ago, the world had smelled like summer. Like grass gone somewhere to seed, roses in bloom, and the mingled marvels of mesquite smoke and grilling meat.
Now her head was filled with a different scent entirely—soap, shampoo, the faintest whiff of some spicy male deodorant or cologne.
He was going to have no difficulty making Becca forget her romantic troubles. He could probably make any woman blank on her own name.
She retrieved her hand before she could reflect any more on that. He was Becca’s hot guy.

Info Sheet

• Title: Can’t Hold Back
• Author: Serena Bell
• Category: Contemporary romance
• ISBN: 978-1-7328948-1-5
• Format: e-book
• Publication Date: March 26, 2019
• Pages: 229
• Price: $3.99
• Available from: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Google Play

About the Author

Photo credit Susan Young

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.
Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.
When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.

Social Media Links

• Web site https://www.serenabell.com
• Newsletter https://www.serenabell.com/newsletter
• Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/serenabellbooks
• Facebook profile https://www.facebook.com/serena.bell.3954
• Twitter http://www.twitter.com/serenabellbooks
• Instagram http://www.instagram.com/serenabellbooks
• Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/serenabellbooks/

Buy Links for Can’t Hold Back

• https://serenabell.com/r/CantHoldBack-Amazon
• https://serenabell.com/r/CantHoldBack-Apple
• https://serenabell.com/r/CantHoldBack-Kobo
• https://serenabell.com/r/CantHoldBack-Nook
• https://serenabell.com/r/CantHoldBack-Google
• https://serenabell.com/r/CantHoldBack-Goodreads
• https://serenabell.com/r/CantHoldBack-Bookbub

Review: One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

In her most emotionally charged novel to date, New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf explores the unspoken events that shape a community, the ties between parents and their children and how the fragile normalcy of our everyday life is so easily shattered.

In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits.

Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town's children in her hands. Will Thwaite, reluctantly entrusted with the care of his two grandchildren by the daughter who left home years earlier, stands by helplessly and wonders if he has failed his child again. Trapped in her classroom, Evelyn Oliver watches for an opportunity to rescue the children in her care. And thirteen-year-old Augie Baker, already struggling with the aftermath of a terrible accident that has brought her to Broken Branch, will risk her own safety to protect her little brother.

As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.

Paperback, 379 pages

Published June 26th 2012 by Harlequin MIRA (first published May 29th 2012)

Terri's Thoughts

I randomly chose this book to listen to in audio format based on the fact that I had heard of the author before however I do not believe I had read any of her work.

This story deals with a sensitive topic with a man with a gun holding a third grade classroom hostage.  It could have gone so wrong however Gudenkauf stayed on the side of caution so as not to put the readers off.  Well done.

I liked the fact that the story was told from four different perspectives and the fact that the chapters were extremely short.  Some may ask why chapter length is important to me?  When listening to an audio book, it can get tedious as it is a big time commitment as I can read faster than the story is being read to me.  With short chapters, you have more options as to when to put it down if need be.  I also found I got through it faster as knowing the chapters were short, I kept saying one more chapter before taking a break.

Not a lot happens in this story and I thought that was a good thing.  This story was really more about peoples emotional scars then a man terrorizing a school.  The man was more a reason for these people to face their issues and come to terms with them.

I loved the character of Evelyn.  Although I am not a school teacher, I can only hope I would be as brave and selfless as she was in the situation she faced.

Overall a good read



About the Author

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Yoga Club Box: March Unboxing and Review Plus Get $10 off all your boxes for life

 Yoga Club is a subscription service for high end, premium yoga/fitness and athleisure apparel at 50 to 60% off retail price.

How Yoga Club works is you go onto their website and sign up. You take a personalised style quiz where you are asked numerous different questions to get a sense of your own personal style. For example, it asks what kind of activities you wear athleisure for with options from Yoga to travel and brunch. Do you like leggings? Capri's? Shorts? Sports bras? Tank tops? Long sleeve? and do you like neutrals, colours and patterns? These are just a few. You put in your height and sizes and a personal stylist curates an outfit just for you. This means that your outfit will not be the same as another person. Some subscription services send the same outfits out each month but that is not the case with Yoga Club. Each box is curated specifically tailored to you.

The Guru box (the one that I get) comes with 3 different pieces. All high end, good quality pieces from name brand companies. We are talking Teeki, Jala, Onzie, Manduka, Columbia, Free People, Glyder, MPG and Niyama Sol just to name a few.  A pair of leggings (or crops or shorts if you put it on your quiz) a sports bra and a layering piece. The price of the Guru box is $79 USD, Check out my link below to get $10 off for life. The nice thing about Yoga Club is that you are not locked in to any amount of time. You can cancel or pause your subscription at any time. If your exercise needs or style changes you just need to log into your account and re-take the style quiz.

On top of all that, Yoga Club gives back. For every Yoga Club box sold they give a class to a child in an under served community. They also have a Love Guarantee. If you don't love it or something doesn't fit properly they have an easy exchange policy for something you do

If Yoga Club is something that you have been considering you can get $10.00 off your boxes for life by clicking my referral link Here.

 A first look inside my March box!

A look at the outfit as a whole!

Sports Bra

(Picture from website)

Vie Active- Lindsay Bra in Twilight retail value $58 USD

At first glance I wasn't overly impressed with this sports bra simply because it looks the same as most of the other bras I have got from Yoga Club just a different brand and colour. However, I have to say that the quality of it is outstanding. It is thick and sturdy and when I took it for a test run on the treadmill it kept me in place better than any of the other similar ones I have received. It provided a good compression so that I wasn't bouncing around. In the end the quality and functionality won me over and I have to admit that I actually like it.

Here's the thing with me and sports bras. I am a smaller chested person and for those of you that don't understand, it means that my headlights are more easily on display. This Vie Active bra hid them a little better than the others I've received but I really need some kind of padding or bra cups or whatever they are called to hide it. Up until this point I have worn them in the comfort of my own home to workout but I am now running and taking it to the track and hopefully outdoors soon. That means that I will be seen by other people and I don't want my headlights on display. So far this bra is my best option but I need to find a way to let Yoga Club know that I would like some other options that will provide functionality as well as keep the world from being blinded my my headlights.

Layering Piece

 (Image from Internet)

Alternative Apparel- Pony Tee with Strap in Oatmeal Heather retail value $38 USD

I apologise for the lousy pictures of this shirt. This Pony Tee from Alternative Apparel is super soft and comfortable. It is plain and simple on the front but has a fun low back. Pairing this with some fun, strappy and colourful sports bra would look really great. I'm not sure I will wear this running but I can see myself working out or going to boot camp in it. It is light weight and airy. I'm not sure how well it will hold up to sweat with the colour so I'll have to get back to you on that one. 

Leggings

Vie Active- Rosie Full Length Legging in Charcoal/Black Heather retail value $92 USD

First of all, these leggings are $92 USD! That is way more than the cost of my box. It isn't even the suggested retail value. It is the actual cost on the Vie Active website. So I have definitely received a great value for my dollar. Again, I was worried about these leggings because they are grey and grey shows sweat. It's hard to tell from my picture but they are a darker grey. Let me just say, they are super soft and thick and you can tell they are great quality. They are a compression legging which is my favourite kind of legging. Hides all the imperfections better and I find the compression helpful on my runs! I took these on a test run on the treadmill and I really loved how they felt. I couldn't really see any sweat but I need someone else to check them out after I workout to be sure.

So initially when I opened this box I was kind of indifferent to it but after trying it on and testing out the pieces I have to say that I am very happy again. I'm hopeful that now that I am leaving the house for more of my workouts that I can get some different bras as I am only comfortable with the ones I have in my own house. This sports bra may be the exception.

The total cost of this box if I were to go out and buy each piece on my own would be $188 USD. The cost of the box is only $79 USD and with my link below it would only be $69 USD for every box. That's crazy! I can't wait to see what I get in my next box!

Get $10.00 off your boxes for life

Thoughts and opinions are my own and are not endorsed or sponsored by Yoga Club in any way.

Review: Letters from Home by Kristina McMorris

Chicago, 1944. Liz Stephens has little interest in attending a USO club dance with her friends Betty and Julia. She doesn't need a flirtation with a lonely serviceman when she's set to marry her childhood sweetheart. Yet something happens the moment Liz glimpses Morgan McClain. They share only a brief exchange--cut short by the soldier's evident interest in Betty--but Liz can't forget him. Thus, when Betty asks her to ghostwrite a letter to Morgan, stationed overseas, Liz reluctantly agrees.

Thousands of miles away, Morgan struggles to adjust to the brutality of war. His letters from "Betty" are a comfort, their soul-baring correspondence a revelation to them both. While Liz is torn by her feelings for a man who doesn't know her true identity, Betty and Julia each become immersed in their own romantic entanglements. And as the war draws to a close, all three will face heart-wrenching choices, painful losses, and the bittersweet joy of new beginnings.

Beautifully rendered and deeply moving, Letters from Home is a story of hope and connection, of sacrifices made in love and war--and the chance encounters that change us forever.

Paperback, 364 pages

Published February 22nd 2011 by Kensington Books (first published January 1st 2011)

Terri's Thoughts

This book has been sitting on my to be read shelf for a really long time.  As I have been focusing on reading ARCs for a long time, I thought it was about time to try to get through some of the unread books that have been "dusting up my shelves".

This is not a new book, in fact it is eight years old.  As a result I figure most people who are going to read it, probably already have unless like me, have read all other works by McMorris and are working through the rest of her library.  Everything to be said has already been said so instead of a literal review, I am going to tell a story about how I discovered Kristina McMorris.

My sister and I share a love of books, hence the reason for the blog.  About once a month or so, she would come pick me up and off we would head to spend an afternoon at Chapters.  Armed with our caramel latte's in hand, we would spend hours browsing through the aisles, randomly picking up books to see what prizes we would be leaving the store with.  No worries in the world, no time limits, just us, our lattes, and thousands of books to choose from.  No researching websites, Goodreads or any other web platform to help us choose.  If my pile of books got too big, she would take some and vice versa.  No cares in the world, just the feeling of peace and pure relaxation knowing we were in our happy place.  We would linger until we felt we had accumulated enough books to last us a while until we did it all over again.

On one of these trips, our first of many, I stumbled across Bridge of Scarlet Leaves.  I had never heard of it nor of McMorris.  I had just randomly picked it up from the shelf, thought it sounded interesting and took a gamble.  And so begins my love affair with the work of Kristina McMorris

Why tell this story you ask?  It is because this book made me feel much like those outings did.  The writing of McMorris is my happy place.  I know that whenever I pick up one of her books that I am guaranteed to be 100% satisfied with the experience.  I don't need to read what the story is about before diving in because I can count on her to deliver a consistent and satisfying read.  That and the fact that she is linked to some of my favorite memories.

To be honest, I loved this story and I am a little mad at myself for leaving it on my shelf so long.  So no, I am not going to discuss the plot.  I say if you are fan of historical fiction, Kristina McMorris, well written books or just books in general, just pick this up and read it.  you won't be disappointed.

About the Author

KRISTINA MCMORRIS is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her novels have garnered more than two dozen literary awards and nominations, including the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, RWA’s RITA® Award, and a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction. Inspired by true personal and historical accounts, her works of fiction have been published by Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Kensington Books. Her forthcoming novel, Sold on a Monday (Sourcebooks Landmark, 8-28-18), follows her widely praised The Edge of Lost, The Pieces We Keep, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, and Letters from Home. Additionally, her novellas are featured in the anthologies A Winter Wonderland and Grand Central. Prior to her writing career, Kristina hosted weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, and has been named one of Portland's "40 Under 40" by The Business Journal. She lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest, where she is working on her next novel.

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Review: Her Best Friend's Secret by Anna Mansell

Your best friend deserves the truth. But it will ruin her life. What would you do?
In summer, the small Cornish village of Gorran Haven fills with tourists, but in the colder months its pretty narrow streets are blissfully quiet, the bell on the village shop door rings only for locals, the beach is unspoilt, empty and safe.

It’s been over twenty years since four very different teenage girls sat on that beach, and swore to be best friends forever. Their lives went different ways after Emily left. But each remembered that promise. And none truly found friendship like it again.

Now, Emily’s back, with a secret she can’t face. She tries to hide away, take time to heal and make some difficult choices, but she runs into one of her old friends, and soon the four are reunited. Lolly, warm as ever, is a successful physiotherapist, married with kids. Yet smart, strong Amanda, who cherishes her teenage daughter, is alone and seemingly stuck in a dead-end job. And creative Jess is so much quieter than Emily remembers.

The bond is still there, and Emily realises their friendship might keep her together, but there are reasons why the women fell out of touch. Secrets that have lain dormant for decades start to surface, and then one of the women discovers a betrayal so big, it could turn each of their lives upside down.

It’s always those we’re closest to who have the power to tear us apart. Can friendship give Emily and her friends the strength to survive a devastating shock, or are some things unforgivable? 

Kindle Edition, 386 pages

Expected publication: April 1st 2019 by Bookouture

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from Bookouture via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

The synopsis for Her Best Friend's Secret sounded so intriguing that I just had to read it. It sounded like it was full of deep, dark secrets that I was just dying to discover.

Her Best Friend's Secret was about four different women who were the best of friends in their younger teenage years. After Emily moved away they slowly all drifted apart and went their separate ways. Years later when Emily moved back for personal reasons, a chance run in with Lolly had them arranging a reunion of the four friends. Lots of things had changed for Lolly, Amanda, Jess and Emily and they all carried secrets and baggage that they weren't sure they could share with each other. Would they understand? Would they be supportive or would they judge? As much as they all wanted to reunite, they were reluctant because of the things they were going through and the secrets they were hiding.

At the heart of this book was friendship and the powerful bond that these four women had to overcome hardships with the support of each other. Each woman had her own issues but with the love and support of their circle of friends anything was possible.

So what about the secrets they had? I have to admit that I was a little disappointed in them. They weren't as overwhelming as I was expecting them to be and they were all pretty easily resolved except for one of them. I was not at all pleased with the outcome for Jess with her secret. It was never revealed to the other woman and although she showed great personal growth, it wasn't ever really resolved. The secret that threatened to destroy Lolly and her friendship with Amanda turned out to be a reoccurring problem that Lolly was already aware of but that didn't involve Amanda.

I honestly feel like the synopsis for this book should have focused more on the friendship angle than the secret angle. The secrets for the most part were not as exciting and shocking as it led me to believe and the friendship between the women were more enjoyable to read, in my opinion. I feel I might have enjoyed this book more had I not been expecting an earth shattering secret that would tear them all apart. I liked how it showcased that nobody is perfect and that we shouldn't be ashamed or hide who we are to the people we love because they are just as imperfect as we are.

Love, friendship and strong women was what this book was really about. If you go into this book expecting a book about the bond between these women than you should really enjoy it. If you expect earth shattering or shocking secrets you might be disappointed.

About the Author

Anna had a brush with 'fame' as a magician’s assistant back in 1977. She later decided that being sawn in half by her father, at barely 6 months old, was too submissive a role, vowing to channel the trauma in to something much more pro-actively creative. Having failed at acting, singing and professional murder mystery parties (she was ALWAYs the one to die!), she fell to something much more solitary: writing. How To Mend a Broken Heart was her first novel and her life was not on the line in order to write it, or The Lost Wife. Anna lives on a dairy farm in Cornwall with her two children, her husband, and her ex-racing greyhound, Olive Dog.

Connect with Anna

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