‘How did a woman go back in time to the person she once had been, untouched by knowledge that people were not necessarily good, that some people liked to cause pain and despair, that sometimes those people could hide the blight that stained their souls for months, perhaps even forever?’

No River Too Wide is a powerful journey we take with Janine Stoddard as she breaks free of her abusive husband, starting her life over again with some incredible new-found friends helping her along her way.

Stories of abuse are obviously not always easy to read but they carry important messages from which we can all learn. This was a very emotional book, being a subject that is very near and dear to me.

Read More

‘Yesterday if you’d asked her how far she’d go to save somebody she loved, she wouldn’t have had any idea. Tonight she was as clear on the subject as if she’d earned her Ph.D.’

The Oleander Sisters is a powerful novel about a family in crisis. Set in 1969, a year that changed the world when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, the Blake family’s world also changed when several events tested their close-knit bond.

I will warn readers that this is women’s fiction in its truest form. It is honest, raw, sweet, heartbreaking, and inspiring.

Read More

“Don’t be a fool, girl. Don’t be afraid of an unexpected joy. Don’t find yourself grieving for an opportunity wasted, because no matter how much you love the ghosts, they don’t keep you warm.”

Since You’ve Been Gone was quite an emotional journey as we followed Holly through her grief over losing her beloved husband, and as she slowly made her way back into the world again.

Not all of the content is heartbreaking and dark, although there were some very poignant moments as Holly dealt with her loss. Thankfully, there were a lot of fun, sometimes even silly, moments with her friend Jesse, her sister and brother-in-law, and of course with Ciaran. This made a nice balance to the story, keeping it from being overly heavy.

Read More

Newport Dreams is a women’s fiction novella starting off the new Breakwater Bay series by Shelley Noble. Here we get an introduction the the characters that will be featured in the full length novels to follow. And what an off-beat but wonderful assortment of characters they were.

The main focus this time was on rich girl & budding photographer Geordie Holt, and architect Bruce Stafford. The tension between them, both at work and personally, built throughout the story which kept things interesting.

Read More

“It’s weird, but unless he’s hiding it very well, I don’t think he remembers me from school at all. Strange, isn’t it? Yet he loomed so large for me. The big people don’t remember the little people. Even when the little people were very big.”

Here’s Looking at You is chick lit with a distinctive British flair. With a lovely blend of humor, friendship, and romantic follies, we get an eye-opening look at Anna’s journey to becoming her true self.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started this novel as this is the first I’ve read from Mhairi McFarlane. I was pleasantly surprised with the emotions Anna’s story brought out in me, feeling her pain as she told us how badly she was bullied in school.

Read More