“Las Madres”–Review

Good evening, bloggers! Here’s one of my latest fiction reads.

Las Madres is a novel that alternates from 1970s Puerto Rico to present-day Bronx, New York. The main characters refer to themselves as “las madres,” along with their daughters, las nenas, who have been a family to one another based on friendship. In 1975, in Puerto Rico, 15-year-old Luz was the tallest girl in her dance academy, as well as the only Black girl in a group of light-skinned dancers in her school. Luz had the potential and the advantage to make it as a dancer in her future. But her future forever changed when she and her parents were in a car accident that killed her parents and left her with a brain injury, erasing her memory of the car crash, and leaving her with episodes she can’t control.

In 2017 in the Bronx, Luz’s adult daughter, Marysol, looks after her. For years, Marysol has wanted to understand her mother’s life, but her mother’s brain injury has made it impossible. Luz barely has any recollection of her own life. When Marysol’s friend, Graciela, suggests they and las madres fly to Puerto Rico as an opportunity for Luz to regain some of her memory, they jump at the chance. Although they were aware of the news of a deadly hurricane approaching Puerto Rico, las madres and las nenas still make the trip. During their stay, two back-to-back hurricanes hit Puerto Rico, destroying everything in its path, leaving communities in devastation. While las madres and las nenas are barely surviving, they start learning more about one another and learn of a big secret that may change everything forever.

What a great story. I learned that this book is based on Hurricane Maria, which left communities in Puerto Rico devasted. Thousands of people died, homes were destroyed, electricity was out, and resources were scarce. The author described the aftermath of the hurricane really well. I can’t even imagine what residents had gone through. What actually caught my interest in this book was the cover, which I came across on Instagram, so I borrowed a copy. It’s also my first novel by Esmeralda Santiago. I’ll definitely read more of her work. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: Esmeralda Santiago is the author of the historical novel Conquistadora, and the memoirs When I Was Puerto Rican and Almost a Woman. Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, she lives with her husband, documentary filmmaker Frank Cantor, in Westchester County, New York. For more info, click here.

“Dancing With Butterflies”–Review

Good evening, bloggers! I remember reading Across a Hundred Mountains, by Reyna Grande, a few years ago, and I liked it so much. It was a sad story, yet it had quite the twist, so I recommend it. Dancing With Butterflies is another one of her books that’s been sitting on my shelves for a long time, so I finally got around to reading it. I finished reading it not too long ago, so I apologize for the delay with the review. Here’s the description:

This story is from the points of view of four women who are dealing with their personal struggles, yet the one thing they have in common is their passion for folklorico. Yesenia and her husband, Eduardo, are the founders of Alegria, their namesake dance company. Dancing is Yesenia’s lifelong goal, but when her sudden health news forces her to put off dancing, she is determined to find a solution to get back what she loves most. But it isn’t just her health that’s concerning her, so she’s willing to make constant trips across the Mexican border for plastic surgery. Then there’s Elena, a schoolteacher who is grieving the loss of her baby and her marriage. She has even lost her passion for dancing, rarely showing her face at Alegria. While she’s dealing with her grief, she eventually develops strong feelings for one of her underage students. Elena’s sister, Adriana, has dealt with abandonment issues for years after being raised by her emotionally abusive grandparents. Because of her trauma, Adriana has never been able to recognize the difference between love and abuse. Then there’s Soledad, an illegal immigrant who has been nothing but sweet and giving. While she designs the costumes for Alegria, Soledad is working toward her dream of owning her own dress shop. A change of plans happens, though, when Soledad goes back to Mexico to visit her dying grandmother.

One of the things I liked about this book is that it was set in Boyle Heights and East L.A. I grew up in Boyle Heights, so I actually appreciated reading a story that was set there. While I understood Yesenia’s insecurities, her decisions were frustrating me. Elena was in dangerous territory, as well, although I could understand that she was grieving, lonely, and lost. Adriana was damaged and always turning to the one who would hurt her the most. I’d even shake my head and ask, “Why do you keep going back?” Soledad is the character I did admire because she set an example of making sacrifices, putting others first, as well as working hard to achieve her dreams.

I don’t read a lot of books by latinx authors too often, but I’m appreciating them more, so I’ll give them a chance. Just today, I finished reading a novel by another latinx author, so I’ll post a review soon. If you can recommend other titles, feel free to post them here. Happy reading!

About the author: Reyna Grande is the author of the bestselling memoir, The Distance Between Us, (Atria, 2012) where she writes about her life before and after she arrived in the United States from Mexico as an undocumented child immigrant. The much-anticipated sequel, A Dream Called Home (Atria), was released in 2018. For more info, click here.

“The Guest House”–Review

How far would you go to protect the ones you love?

After a long time of no results, Jamie and his wife, Victoria, are finally going to have a baby. During the last few weeks before the baby is due, they decide they’re going to go on a short holiday at a remote country guest house that’s miles away from the city. When they get there, they’re greeted by a nice, older couple, Barry and Fiona.

The next morning, Victoria decides to step outside for some fresh air. Yet she can’t, and neither can Jamie. The doors and windows are locked. Their cell phones and car keys are nowhere to be found, and Barry and Fiona aren’t in the house. Even though it’s too soon for the baby to arrive, Victoria feels her contractions kicking in. With both of them in panic mode, they wonder what Barry and Fiona’s intentions were when Jamie and Victoria arrived. At the same time, they know there’s no time to question anything. Victoria’s contractions are getting worse, and they have to escape fast.

This story alternates between Jamie and Victoria’s stay at the guest house to the present days after their stay. Following their stay at the guest house, Jamie and Victoria’s marriage is hanging on by a thread after losing their baby. Although they came home empty-handed, it’s still not over. But what happened with the baby?

Normally, I’m a slow reader, but I finished this book in a week. I enjoyed the tension, and I admired Jamie who was willing to put up a fight to save his family. Victoria, on the other hand, was all over the place, but that’s what made me want to know more. When I came across this book on Poisoned Pen Press’s Instagram account, I thought it looked creepy yet enjoyable, which it was. Honestly, I’ve never been to the mountains or the woods, but after reading this book, I think I’ll pass on isolated destinations. This is my first read by Robin Morgan-Bentley. Check it out if you’re in the mood for a domestic suspense novel. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: Robin Morgan-Bentley was born and grew up in London. After studying Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge University, he went on to work for Google before moving to Audible, where he has been working since 2014.

His debut thriller, The Wreckage, was nominated for the CWA Dagger John Creasey New Blood Award, the CrimeFest Specsavers Debut Crime Award and Capital Crime’s Debut Book of the Year Award.

Robin lives in Buckinghamshire with his husband and son.

For more info on the author, click here.

“The Sweet Spot”–Review

One divorce, one social media disaster, one random baby, and three unlikely friendships: welcome to The Sweet Spot.

Set in New York, this is a story of a baby who sparks an unexpected friendship amongst three women: Lauren is an artist, wife, and busy mom of three children. When she least expects it, she is given a deadline that can make or break her career. Olivia is young and on the verge of moving up in her job, until an encounter at work leaves her unemployed, with student loan debt and break-up remorse. And then there’s Melinda, who is lonely and angry after her divorce. And why not? She and her now ex-husband didn’t want children, but then he changed his mind when he fell for another, younger woman. Now Melinda wants revenge, and she knows exactly who was responsible for her ex-husband’s actions.

But revenge isn’t as great as Melinda had hoped when she ends up stuck with her ex’s baby due to unforeseen circumstances. Melinda can’t look after a baby by herself. She’s never done it before, so she swallows her pride and seeks help from Lauren and Olivia. While the three women are juggling everything in their own lives, all the while taking turns with a baby who doesn’t belong to any of them, they decide it’s time to track down the wayward parents.

The Sweet Spot is my first read by Amy Poeppel. Also, I had the pleasure of making her acquaintance at a book event at Bloomingdale’s. I have a copy of one of her previous books, Limelight, which I will read, I promise. I enjoyed reading this latest book, though. I was actually amazed by these women who were willing to lend a hand with a baby while they had their own, busy lives. It wasn’t just the three of them, though; Lauren’s family, including Olivia’s father, stepped in on many occasions. Honestly, in real life, I’m sure it would not work out that way. This was a situation, however, that not only brought everyone together, but it helped the main characters learn a lot about themselves. Whenever I read novels about family life, I often think, “My goodness, how do they do it?” I applaud them all.

Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

The Sweet Spot will be available on January 31, 2023.

About the author: Amy Poeppel is the award-winning author of the novels The Sweet Spot, Musical Chairs, Limelight, and Small Admissions. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Rumpus, Literary Hub, and Working Mother. She and her husband have three sons and split their time between New York City, Germany, and Connecticut. For more info, click here.

“Kane & Abel”–Review

Good evening, bloggers! I decided to stay up a little late to write this review. I’ve been behind on reviews and leisure reading, but I’ll do my best to catch up. In the meantime, here’s the description:

This is a coming-of-age story, set in 1906 to the late 1960s, revolving around the worlds of William Lowell Kane and Abel Rosnovski, born Wladek Koskiewicz. William Kane, a millionaire financier, had an affluent upbringing. Since he was a boy, he worked hard for what he wanted, determined to be the best at everything. Because he came from a wealthy banking family, he knew that banking was going to be in his future. Abel Rosnovski, a Polish immigrant, rises to be the head of a vast hotel empire. When he was a child, he was adopted by a trapper’s family back in his country. Then he was taken in by the wealthy Baron Rosnovski. But then Abel’s new life of wealth and the best education were cut short when he and his family were captured by the Germans and the Russians and sent to a labor camp.

While Kane’s goal is to surpass the financial feats of his father, and Abel’s goal is to make up for his own early life of deprivation, there’s only one goal both men share that tops their drive for their professional successes: to destroy each other.

Over a month ago, my boss mentioned that Jeffrey Archer was his favorite author from way back, so I looked up the author’s work. Kane & Abel, which is the first book in its trilogy, caught my attention, so I started reading it during my flight back from my vacation. I was hooked during the first 80 pages. I love stories that keep me guessing, and this one provided plenty of guessing games. There were plenty of surprises, twists, and turns. A retelling of the biblical story of Cain and Abel, this a story of determination, pride, and revenge.

Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: For more info, click here.

“My Wife is Missing”–Review

When a woman disappears with her two children, one husband will do anything to find them—even confront the secrets of his own past.

Michael Hart and his wife and two children arrive at their New York hotel room, ready to start their vacation. But first Michael goes out to pick up some pizza for his family before they start their adventure. Once he gets back to the hotel room, though, his wife, Natalie, and the kids are nowhere in sight. In fact, with the exception of his belongings, his family’s belongings are gone. With panic in his gut, Michael tries to call and text Natalie, but her phone has been turned off. His text messages are unanswered. Assuming his family is in danger, Michael gets the police involved. But getting the police involved means Michael has to tell them everything. He won’t do it, though. He can’t mention anything about his past that may be linked to his family’s sudden disappearance.

Meanwhile, Natalie knows her reasons for running away are valid. She and the kids are in danger, and she’ll keep running until they all are safe from Michael. Ever since she learned about Michael’s past, however, Natalie’s insomnia has been getting worse, possibly playing tricks on her. She has to keep moving, though, despite her lack of sleep and low energy. While Michael is on the hunt for his family, Natalie fears the consequences if he does find them.

I enjoyed the author’s previous titles, Saving Meghan and The New Husband. Both stories had great suspense. My Wife is Missing was just as good. Even better, actually. Honestly, when I got closer toward the ending, I sort of guessed who the guilty one was, but then more unexpected surprises happened, so I’m happy this story didn’t disappoint. I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Michael, but I won’t spoil anything. The book will definitely make you wonder who the guilty one is. As always, feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: D.J. PALMER is the author of numerous critically acclaimed suspense novels. He received his master’s degree from Boston University and after a career in e-commerce he shifted gears to writing full time. He lives by the ocean in Massachusetts where he is working on his current novel. Besides writing, DJ enjoys yoga, songwriting, and family time with his two children and his ever faithful dog. For more info, click here.

“Absolution”–Review

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After she was sexually assaulted by her college professor, Jeanie ends up pregnant. While she tries to figure out what to do about her situation, she can’t bear the idea of having to tell her traditional Catholic family. After all, her parents worked hard to send Jeanie to college. How could she let them down, now?

After a tough decision, Jeanie and her best friend, Carla, move from their small town in Pennsylvania to Atlanta, to start over. And that’s where Jeanie meets Greg Mercer.

Within a few weeks, she and Greg are married and living in Seattle. With everything happening so quickly, Jeanie feels that all will be fine, that her past will be behind her–as long as Greg never finds out about the assault and her shame.

Years pass, however, and while her ambitious, workaholic husband is constantly away from home, Jeanie is left to tend to their house and raise their two kids all by herself. Jeanie is lonely and frustrated, angry that he barely knows his children, and he barely pays attention to her, yet when she tries to open up to Greg about it, he says he’s working hard for the family. But what good is it all every time he puts his family second?

After a long time of thinking things over, Jeanie wants out of the marriage. She’s had enough of his narcissism, his constantly being away, and his neglecting their kids. Then Greg finds evidence of her long-ago pregnancy. Now that he knows, he won’t let Jeanie leave him, not while he’s worked for years to build an image for himself. If necessary, he’ll resort to blackmail just to make sure she remains his dutiful wife. Would Greg dare tell Jeanie’s family about her past?

I’ve wanted to read this book ever since I came across it on a random Instagram post, and it was a good choice. I really couldn’t guess how things were going to go down, but this was a page-turner. Every moment that Greg became unpredictable, I wondered if he would change for the better, or continue with his narcissistic ways. There had been moments where I was frustrated with Jeanie and the way she often made excuses for her husband, but I felt she’d wake up at some point.

Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: Regina Buttner is a registered-nurse-turned-writer from Upstate New York. Absolution is her first novel. For more info, click here.

“Saving Ruby King”–Review

Family. Faith. Secrets. Everything in this world comes full circle.

Ruby King is grieving her mother’s untimely demise, which happened in their home in the South Side of Chicago. Despite what happened, the police look at it as another act of violence in the city, nothing new to them. While no one knows who was behind her mother’s murder, at the same time, people are looking the other way with the reality of Ruby living in hell with her abusive father, Lebanon. Some start to wonder if Lebanon was the killer.

While everyone else is looking the other way, the only one who cares enough to help Ruby is her best friend, Layla. But her father, Jackson Potter, pastor of their church, advises her to stay out of it. But how can Layla sit back and allow Lebanon to get away with his actions? What she also doesn’t understand is how her preacher father refuses to do anything about the situation, especially when Lebanon and Jackson go way back. Layla is scared, yet angry. She’s angry that everyone who knew Ruby’s mother saw the signs of years of abuse she endured, but no one was willing to speak up. She’s angry at Jackson’s cowardice. She’s angry that the police are in a rush to close the case. And she’s angry that Ruby is slipping away from her, practically refusing her help. But none of those facts are going to stop Layla from saving her from Lebanon.

This story did a great job with depicting the realities of domestic violence, denial, and regret. A part of me felt for Lebanon, because of his past, yet it all didn’t excuse his current actions. But I won’t go into detail there. I hated how much he referred to Ruby as “the girl.” I thought, She’s your daughter! Her name’s Ruby! Yes, I got a bit emotionally involved in some scenes. Jackson’s hypocrisy was upsetting to me, as well, yet I was able to look at another fact that although he was a preacher, he had his own problems, like anyone else. Most of the chapters alternate between the past and present and tie the whole story together, bringing a surprise twist I didn’t expect. As I’ve mentioned, I won’t go into too much detail, except to recommend you check out this story. Also, I’m happy that I’ll be taking part in a buddy read for this book on Instagram. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: Catherine Adel West is an editor living and working in Chicago. She graduated with both her Bachelors and Masters of Science in Journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana. Her work is published in Black Fox, Five2One, Better than Starbucks, Doors Ajar, 805 Lit + Art, The Helix Magazine, Lunch Ticket and Gay Magazine. Saving Ruby King is her first novel. Follow her on Twitter. For more info on the author, click here.

“Border Son”–Review

Ed Kazmierski hasn’t seen his son, Tyler, in years. They’d never actually had a decent relationship when Tyler was growing up. Ever since they’ve been written out of each other’s lives, Ed has always tried to not think about his son. But then Ed receives a message that his estranged son got involved with the cartels in Mexico. And, now, Tyler’s in more hot water.

Ed is hesitant, at first. After all the times he’s had to bail Tyler out of trouble, Ed had had enough. But then Ed’s life is threatened when he meets others who also are searching for Tyler. So Ed heads out to Mexico to find his wayward son and get him back into the States in one piece. But with random people they meet who are more likely taking bribes or are working for the cartels, getting back safely seems almost impossible, and Ed and Tyler have to put all tensions aside and rely on each other to get back home.

This book had some great suspense and the story as to what separated Ed and Tyler got me a little emotional inside. But the story got straight to the point and it was unpredictable, which is what I like. The situations were pretty scary from the beginning, the middle, and the ending, so good work to the author. I look forward to more stories.

Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

*I received this copy from Library Thing, in exchange for an honest review. Border Son will be available on March 5, 2019.

About the author: Samuel Parker is the author of Purgatory Road and Coldwater. Born in Michigan, he was raised on a never-ending road trip throughout the U.S. You can also find the author on Facebook and Twitter.

“The Adults”–Review

Do you want to spend the holidays with:

a) your new love

b) your ex

c) your kid

d) your ex’s new love

e) all of the above

Although Claire and Matt are divorced, they both agreed on the idea to spend Christmas together for the sake of their seven-year-old daughter, Scarlett. At the same time, neither can agree on whose idea it was to spend the holidays at the Happy Forest holiday park, let alone who agreed it was okay to bring their new significant others. Claire brings her new boyfriend, Patrick, and Matt brings his new girlfriend, Alex. Since Claire and Matt seem to get along on their own, even with their new loves involved, what could go wrong?

But that’s where things did go wrong. While Claire and Matt seem to be okay on the outside, Patrick is suspicious of Claire’s relationship with her ex-husband and concered where Patrick fits in. Meanwhile, to keep occupied, Patrick stays in training for the upcoming Ironman. Alex, on the other hand, seems to be the only one who feels the holiday trip is a bad idea, yet she does her best to remain patient with everything, as well as trying to get along with Claire. While the adults are trying to be civil, Scarlett has her imaginary friend, Posey, a giant rabbit, who both seem to be suspicious of Alex.

The more time spent under the same roof, the faster the tensions increase with the couples, and it isn’t long before secrets are spilling out. With things going from bad to worse, each one of them questions their parts in their relationships. And then it all ends with a phone call to the police. But didn’t they all agree to be adults about this?

I can’t say I loved this book; however, I’ll give it three stars for the storyline. I was curious to know why it began and ended the way it did. In my opinion, though, the idea of two exes and their significant others spending the holidays together is one of the worst ideas. Sure, it works just fine if it’s a Jerry-and-Elaine relationship (for those who watch Seinfeld, you get it), but it doesn’t work that way in real life. Throughout the story, I wasn’t sure how I’d felt about the characters. Patrick was always uptight; Matt acted like he didn’t care about anything; Claire was a little too nice; and, Alex seemed to ask too many questions. But I suppose that’s what made the tensions better.

Readers, what do you think? Would you go on holiday with your ex and his/her new love, even for the sake of making your children happy?

The Adults will be available on November 27, 2018.

*I received this early copy from Random House, in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: Caroline Hulse spends most of her days writing, having fulfilled her dream of having a job she could do in pajamas. She also works in human resources, sometimes. She is openly competitive and loves playing board and card games. She can often be found in casino poker rooms. She lives with her husband in Manchester, England.