Book Review with Featured Author: No Journey Too Far by Carrie Turansky

No Journey Too Far by Carrie Turansky

 

Publisher & Release: Multnomah, June 8, 2021

Setting:  Early 20^th Century, Canada

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

A family long divided, a mysterious trunk, and a desperate journey across the ocean—all in the name of love. The epic saga of the McAlisters continues in this riveting sequel to No Ocean Too Wide.
 
In 1909, Grace McAlister set sail for Canada as one of the thousands of British Home Children taken from their families and their homeland. Though she is fortunate enough to be adopted by wealthy parents, the secrets of her past are kept hidden for ten years until someone from her long-buried childhood arrives on her doorstep. With this new connection to her birth family, will she be brave enough to leave her sheltered life in Toronto and uncover the truth?
 
After enduring hardship as an indentured British Home Child, Garth McAlister left Canada to serve in World War I. His sweetheart, Emma Lafferty, promised to wait for his return, but after three long years apart, her letters suddenly stopped. When Garth arrives home from the war to unexpected news, he is determined to return to Canada once more on a daunting mission to find the two women he refuses to abandon—his long-lost sister and his mysteriously missing sweetheart.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/No-Journey-Too-Far-McAlister-ebook/dp/B08GJZ4DCT

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-journey-too-far-carrie-turansky/1137528590

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/no-journey-too-far

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Carrie_Turansky_No_Journey_Too_Far?id=aOv4DwAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/search?keywords=no+journey+too+far&ref=a_pd_The-Co_t1_header_search

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54687372-no-journey-too-far

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/no-journey-too-far-by-carrie-turansky

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of No Journey Too Far by Carrie Turansky. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

No Journey Too Far is an intense historical novel set in the early 20^th century with endearing characters and an intriguing plot. The pacing pulled me into the story from the start and kept me enthralled until the end.

 

Grace McAlister is the heroine, and I met her character when she was introduced in No Ocean too Wide. She is ready for her debut to Toronto society, but when she finds an old trunk in the attic she’d brought with her from England when she was a little girl, she discovers a way to find the brother and sisters she remembers. She wants desperately to connect with them again. When her brothers arrives, she’s overjoyed but her adoptive parents bar him from their home. 

 

Grace is not willing to accept this and goes with him, determined to travel to England to see her mother and her sisters, the mother she thought had died. That starts her adventure. She travels to a farm near Belville with her brother and his friend Rob, and soon falls for him. 

 

Grace’s brother plays a huge part in this book. I also met him in the first McAlister Family book as well. He is determined to find his sweetheart, which sets him on his adventure, and when he finds Emma, he fears they will never have the life they both dream of.

 

 There are dual romances in this tale between Grace and Rob and Garth and Emma. I thoroughly enjoyed their love stories, and Ms. Turansky masterfully tells both romances beautifully. I wanted both couples to find their happy endings.

 

If you enjoy historical fiction with enduring characters and a plot that will pull at your heart, then you will love No Journey Too Far as much as I did. When I accepted this novel, I didn’t realize it was book 2 of the McAlister Family series, so I read that one first, and I’m so glad I did because it added to my enjoyment a great deal. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

CARRIE TURANSKY is the award-winning author of more than twenty inspirational novels and novellas and a winner of the ACFW Carol Award, the International Digital Award, and the Holt Medallion. She loved traveling to England to research her latest Edwardian novels including No Journey Too Far, No Ocean Too Wide, Across the Blue, Shine Like the Dawn, and The Highland Hall series. Her novels have received stared reviews from Christianbooks.com and Library Journal. They have been translated into several languages and enjoyed by readers around the world.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://carrieturansky.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcarrieturansky/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrieturansky/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carrieturansky/_saved/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carrie-turansky

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/247470.Carrie_Turansky

 

Book Review with Featured Author: The Moon Over Kilmore Quay

The Moon Over Kilmore Quay 

by Carmel Harrington

 

 

Publisher & Release: Bookouture, June 1, 2021

Setting:  New York & Ireland

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Length: 375 Pages

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

They say home is where the heart is, yet somehow my heart is split in two. New York, the city I live in and love, and Ireland, the home of my ancestors—somewhere I have lived only in my dreams. And now I have no choice but to go looking…

Brooklyn, New York: Broken-hearted and home alone on New Year’s Eve, Bea O’Connor finds a letter she wrote to herself nearly twenty years before…

In the letter, she’d wished for many things. To never lose touch with her two best friends. For her father to be happier. To one day go back to the picturesque Irish village of Kilmore Quay, so she could find out more about her mother who’d died when Bea was tiny. Bea had also dreamed that she’d one day find love—even if her heart is too fragile since losing Dan to think about that right now.

Impulsively she starts writing new little wishes in the margins of the letter. But as the moon goes down over New York City and another year begins, a little magic seems to be in the air. And, as shocking family secrets come to light and Bea finds herself having to travel to Kilmore Quay at last, some of those wishes start to feel like they really could come true.

Even if fate has one last twist in store…

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Kilmore-Quay-heartbreaking-ebook/dp/B0922R4YL2

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-moon-over-kilmore-quay-carmel-harrington/1139477735

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-moon-over-kilmore-quay-1

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Carmel_Harrington_The_Moon_Over_Kilmore_Quay?id=AAIoEAAAQBAJ

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57877846-the-moon-over-kilmore-quay

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-moon-over-kilmore-quay-by-carmel-harrington-2021-04-08

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of The Moon Over Kilmore Quay by Carmel Harrington. I voluntarily agreed to read and review prior to publication. My opinions are my own and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

It took me a great deal of time to get into The Moon Over Kilmore Quay, and I came close to not finishing it several times, but once I made it halfway through, the pacing picked up and drew me into the story and the characters. I ended up enjoying the second half a lot.

 

Bea O’Conner is the primary character in this tale. In the first part of the book, I didn’t care for her very much, but I continued reading, and I’m glad I did. By the end of the book, I was completely vested in her character.

 

While this isn’t a romantic novel, it does have a heartbreaking love story. When Bea and Dan’s story is revealed toward the end, a few tears did blur my eyes for what could have been if Bea had been willing to trust in Dan’s feelings.

 

If you enjoy women’s fiction with intriguing characters and a complex plot, then you will love The Moon Over Kilmore Quay. Once the story progressed this became an enjoyable reading experience. The ending is bittersweet but most satisfying. Happy reading! 

 

 

Author Bio:

 

Carmel Harrington is from Co. Wexford, where she lives with her husband, her children and their rescue dog, George Bailey. An Irish Times bestseller and regular panellist on radio and TV, her warm and emotional storytelling has captured the hearts of readers worldwide.

Carmel's novels have been shortlisted for an Irish Book Award in 2016 & 2017 and her debut won Kindle Book of the Year and Romantic eBook of the Year in 2013. Her ninth novel, The Moon Over Kilmore Quay goes on sale in May 21'. Her recent books include My Pear-Shaped Life, A Thousand Roads Home, and the official ITV novel Cold Feet: The Lost Years.

 

Social Media:

Website: http://carmelharrington.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happymrsh

Twitter: https://twitter.com/happymrsh

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happymrsh/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/happymrsh/_saved/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carmel-harrington

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6467538.Carmel_Harrington

 

Book Review with Featured Author: The Return to the Big Valley by Wanda Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter and Richelle Brunstetter

The Return to the Big Valley 

by Wanda Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter, Richelle Brunstetter

 

Publisher & Release: Barbour Books, June 01, 2021

Setting: Amish Country, Pennsylvania 

Genre: Amish Fiction

Length: 338 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Sweetheart

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

The Brunstetters Return to a Unique Amish Setting for Three New Stories of Love
 
Journey back to an area of Pennsylvania that is home to three distinct Amish communities and meet three young women who face heartfelt disappointments in romance.
 
Wilma’s Wish by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Wilma Hostetler has been courted by Israel Zook for the last year, and he’s recently proposed marriage. But when his sister dies, leaving him to care for five young nephews who openly dislike Wilma, she has second thoughts of starting with a ready-made family and decides to call off the wedding. Can anything be done to restore the relationship, or will Israel seek another wife?
 
Martha’s Miracle by Jean Brunstetter
Martha Yoder is different from other Amish women in her love of hunting and the outdoors. Meeting Glen Swarey, who is working with the local fire department, seems to be a good match. But can Martha accept Glen’s thoughts of leaving the Amish faith, or will she walk away from a chance at love?
 
Alma’s Acceptance by Richelle Brunstetter
Alma Wengerd is a young widow who leaves her home in Kentucky to stay with friends in Pennsylvania. Soon she is speeding into a renewed romance with Elias Kurtz and raising the brows of the older church members. When Alma is waylaid by some unexpected news, could putting her happiness with Elias on hold be her only option?

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Return-Big-Valley-Wanda-Brunstetter-ebook/dp/B08MX1TDQH

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-return-to-the-big-valley-wanda-e-brunstetter/1137907273

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/return-to-the-big-valley

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Wanda_E_Brunstetter_Return_to_the_Big_Valley?id=kG8HEAAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/search?keywords=return+to+the+big+valley&ref=a_pd_The-Co_t1_header_search

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55616055-the-return-to-the-big-valley?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=wgfludDvdt&rank=1

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-return-to-the-big-valley-by-wanda-e-brunstetter-and-jean-brunstetter-2020-11-09

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of The Return to the Big Valleyby Wanda Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter, Richelle Brunstetter. I voluntarily agreed to read and review prior to publication. My opinions are my own and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

The Return to the Big Valley has three well written Amish novellas with endearing characters and heartwarming plots. The pacing is good and kept me engaged from the first page to the last. 

 

Wilma’s Wish is about a young Amish woman who is engaged and looking forward to her upcoming wedding. Then her intended’s sister dies, and he must raise her four boys. The boys are not well behaved and appear to dislike Wilma, but her loving nature eventually wins the boys over. I enjoyed the story and wanted Wilma and Israel to find their happy ending.

 

Martha’s Miracle is a unique story because Martha is nothing like the typical Amish women. She loves the outdoors and favors fishing and hunting. Fortunately for her, Glen Swarey finds her enchanting and loves her just as she is and doesn’t expect her to change into a meek, subservient female only interested in cooking, sewing and raising children. I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful duo.

 

Alma’s Acceptance is my least favorite tale in this anthology. The pacing is a bit slower than in the other two stories. Alma is a young widow and she’s returned to Big Valley where she attended school. While working in her friend’s card shop, she becomes reacquainted with Elais Kurtz. Feelings ignite between them, but the elders in their community frown upon their friendship. After all, her late husband hasn’t been gone long. I enjoyed their romance and wanted them to find a way to be with each other.

 

If you enjoy Amish fiction with engaging characters and heartwarming tales, then you will enjoy The Return to the Big Valley as much as I did. There is no doubt Wanda Brunstetter is an amazing storyteller, and the other two women show promise. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of almost 90 books with more than 10 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine and USA Today.

Wanda's fascination with the Amish culture developed when she met her husband, Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church, and whose family has a Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. Meeting her new Mennonite sister-in-laws caused Wanda to yearn for the simpler life. In their travels, she and her husband have become close friends with many Amish people across America. Wanda's desire to explore their culture increased when she discovered that her great-great grandparents were part of the Anabaptist faith.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://wandabrunstetter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WandaBrunstetterFans/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WBrunstetter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanda_e._brunstetter/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wandabrun/_saved/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/wanda-e-brunstetter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/79251.Wanda_E_Brunstetter

 

Book Review with Featured Author: Countess by Christmas by Cheryl Bolen

Countess by Christmas by Cheryl Bolen

 

Publisher & Release: Harper & Appleton, May 17, 2021

Setting:  Regency England

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 79 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Sweetheart

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Inheriting Darnley Lodge from old Lord Paxton is the best thing that’s happened to lovely widow Mary Milne, whose fondest desire is to remove her ailing little boy from London’s noxious air.

Why in the devil did his dead father request that Lord Paxton spend Christmas at Darnley with the scheming woman who’s deprived him of his family’s old hunting lodge? 

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Countess-Christmas-House-Haverstock-Book-ebook/dp/B0926XDTTK

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/countess-by-christmas-cheryl-bolen/1139211510

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/countess-by-christmas

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cheryl_Bolen_Countess_by_Christmas?id=C40oEAAAQBAJ

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57765737-countess-by-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=FDnQK0gPe2&rank=5

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/countess-by-christmas-by-cheryl-bolen

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of Countess by Christmas by Cheryl Bolen. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

Countess by Christmas is a well written novella with charming characters and a lovely Christmas story. The tale drew me in from the first page and held my attention until the last. The heroine’s delightful little son stole my heart.

 

Mary is the female lead, and I enjoyed her character quite a bit. She is a nurturer which come through as she cares for her son and the others around her. She wants to give her heart to the hero but fears that it is too soon, yet she is drawn to him and can’t resist his appeal.

 

David is the hero, and at first, I wasn’t sure if I would like him, but his anger toward Mary quickly dissipates as he sees her gentle kindness to her son and the care she shows to others. I could feel his anguish when he realizes his early actions hurt Mary. I loved his contrite apologize for his previous mistakes.

 

The romance between the couple progresses extremely fast, and it is difficult to imagine how they can be so in love, but alas, it’s a very short novella. I also do believe in love at first sight, so I overlooked the speed of their romance and just enjoyed their happy ending!

 

If you enjoy traditional Regency romances with just a slight touch of spice, then you will love Countess by Christmas as much as I did. I’ve read many of Ms. Bolen’s novels and always find them delightful. I do apologize that I didn’t get my review posted prior to publication, but I was on my own adventure and didn’t have access to my computer on my vacation. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Cheryl Bolen is the New York Times, USA Today best-selling author of more than three dozen Regency-set historical romance novels. Her books have placed in several writing contests, including the Daphne du Maurier, and have been translated into eight languages. She was named Notable New Author in 1999, and in 2006 she won the Holt Medallion (Honoring Outstanding Literary Talent) for Best Short Historical Novel. In 2012 she won Best Historical in the International Digital Awards for eBooks published the prior year, and one of her 2011 novellas won Best Historical Novella. Her books have become Barnes & Noble bestsellers, and she's been an Amazon All Star Author multiple times. 

Many of her readers love her many marriage of convenience stories. Her lighter books have been compared to Georgette Heyer and Julia Quinn, and her more emotional reads (where the heroine has many obstacles before her happy ending) have been compared to Mary Balogh. 

 

Social Media:

Website: https://www.cherylbolen.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CherylBolenBooks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/cherylbolenbooks/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bolen0580/_created/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cheryl-bolen

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/298660.Cheryl_Bolen

 

Book Review with Featured Author: The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle

The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle

 

Publisher & Release: Waterbrook, May 11, 2021

Setting: Carolina Coast

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction

Length: 347 Pages

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

“A beautiful story full of love, loss, and second chances.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

A touching novel of a friendship that crosses generations, and learning how even the smallest gifts can change a life for good, from USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle.

Two years after her husband’s death, Amanda Whittier has two children to raise alone, an abandoned dream of starting a business, and a fixer-upper cottage by the sea. She has no room in her life for anything else and little interest in moving on after losing the man she loved. 

Paul Grant is a relative newcomer to the area, and his work with former military dogs needing rehabilitation has been good for the town. Though he loved once before, he’s convinced he’s not suited for romance and is determined to find meaning—alone—through his work and role in the community. 

Widowed Maeve Lindsay was born and raised on Whelk’s Island. Spirited, kind, and a little mischievous, she pours her life into the town. But she carries a secret that shapes her every move. 

Together, these three souls find encouragement in the most mysterious places and discover a love that’s bigger than their pain, healing their wounded hearts in ways none of them could have hoped for or expected.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Shell-Collector-Novel-Nancy-Naigle-ebook/dp/B08HLB7Y3N

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-shell-collector-nancy-naigle/1137597639

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-shell-collector-6

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Nancy_Naigle_The_Shell_Collector?id=roP7DwAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Shell-Collector-Audiobook/0593400208?qid=1619984913&sr=1-2&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_2&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=5X9MHK2NMAQ0NTVHKX5G

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56579723-the-shell-collector

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-shell-collector-by-nancy-naigle

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this heartwarming novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

The Shell Collector is another heartfelt story with endearing characters and a plot that will touch your heart. The pacing pulled me in from the first page to the last. Ms. Naigle has set this novel in a small coastal beach town with a close community.

Amanda Whittier is the heroine, and I quickly became enmeshed with her character from the start. I loved her courage, her stamina and determination. When she befriends Maeve, my heart melted. Her love of her adorable children is admirable, and although her grief is deep from the losing her husband, she doesn’t allow it to pull her under.

 Paul Grant is the hero, and he has the characteristics I most admire. Not only is he ex-military, but he’s also a dog lover and has formed a company to rehabilitate ex-military animals. When he meets Amanda on the beach, it amazed him. The last time he’d seen her was at her husband, and his best friend’s, funeral, where she placed the blame on him for Jack’s death.

 Maeve Lindsay is the third major character in this tale, and she’s feisty, quirky and will steal your heart. Her love and unconditional acceptance of Amanda is amazing, and her deep relationships with the folks in their community are heartwarming.

 The romance between Amanda and Paul is not the central focus of this novel, but added to my enjoyment. While they have a good bit of angst to overcome from their past, they don’t antagonize each other. I enjoyed their romance and wanted them to find their happy ending.

 If you enjoy novels that deal with grief, friendship and unconditional love, and with characters that will grab your heart, then you will love The Shell Collector as much as I did. I always know I’m in for an emotional reading experience with one of Ms. Naigle’s novels. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. She began her contemporary romance series, Adams Grove, while juggling a successful career as an SVP for Bank of America and life on a seventy-six-acre goat farm. 

 

Now enjoying an early retirement from the financial industry, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, cooking, trail riding on her Palomino, and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she now calls North Carolina home. 

 

Best known for her small town stories set in Adams Grove, Sweet Tea and Secrets leads off this small town series. Stay tuned for news about the release of Porch Swings and Promises.

 

Nancy writes romance and women's fiction for Montlake Romance and St. Martin's Press and enjoys the diversity of adding mysteries to her list of accomplishments through Crossroads Publishing House. She's also working on several projects with Hallmark. Watch for Nancy's novels, Christmas Joy, Christmas in Evergreen and Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa on Hallmark Channel, and Hope at Christmas, on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. New in 2020, The Secret Ingredient made its Hallmark Channel debut, and stay tuned for news about the movie based on Sand Dollar Cove.

​

Sign up for Nancy's newsletter at the bottom of this page to be the first to hear about the new movie.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://www.nancynaigle.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyNaigleAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NancyNaigle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancynaigle/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancynaigle/_created/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-naigle

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4575284.Nancy_Naigle

 

Book Review with Featured Author: Secrets Mothers Keep by Anya Mora

Secrets Mothers Keep by Anya Mora

 

Publisher & Release: Independently published, May 6, 2021

Genre: Psychological Mystery

Length: 330 Pages

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

On Friday night in the clay fields of Bethel Creek, seventeen-year-old Daniel Reyes is found brutally attacked and left for dead. 
On Saturday morning, Cora Maxwell finds her teenage son’s clothes covered in blood.

A small town torn apart by a horrific hate crime. 

An investigative reporter hell bent on finding the truth. 

A mother’s worst nightmare.
What really happened to the Reyes boy?

In the heart-stopping and timely suspense novel, Secrets Mothers Keep, widow and mother Cora Maxwell faces the hardest decision of her life.
In a world where there are few second chances, do you grant one to your child?
And if so… what is the cost?


 

Buy Link:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Secrets-Mothers-Keep-domestic-heartbreaking-ebook/dp/B091JGXZBS

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57625016-secrets-mothers-keep

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/secrets-mothers-keep-a-domestic-suspense-with-a-heartbreaking-twist-by-anya-mora

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the author and Net-Galley for the complimentary Electronic copy of Secrets Mothers Keep by Anya Mora. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this intriguing novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

Secrets Mothers Keep is a well written novel with several moments that had my heart racing as I grabbed my Kindle tight waiting to read what would happen next. The pacing kept me enthralled from the first page to the last. 

 

Cora Mitchell is the main character and the single mother of a teen aged boy she realizes is keeping secrets. Her son seemed to accept his father’s death without any lingering effects, but when a boy in their community is found near death, she finds reasons to question her previous assumptions.

 

The mystery is well developed and kept me involved as the story unfolded. It had me asking a great many questions over who could be behind the attack on Daniel. The young man is a LGBTQ activist, so the community sees this heinous attack as a hate crime. 

 

As more is revealed, it became clear Ezra must be involved in some way. While I believe a parent needs to respect their children’s need for privacy, when faced with something that could endanger one’s child, sometimes a parent must snoop. In Ezra’s case, I believe Cora had justification. 

 

What she soon discovers, her son has been on the dark web and learns he is missing his church community. Since her husband’s death, Cora stopped attending services and is questioning why God allowed her husband to fall to his death.

 

This novel deals with immense grief and destruction of Cora’s belief system. It also addresses broken friendships. I found the complexity of Cora’s mind fascinating, so that too kept me reading, and I found this a difficult book to put down!

 

If you enjoy novels that with more substance and one with complex characters, then you will enjoy Secrets Mothers Keep as much as I did. This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Moya, but it will not be the last. Happy reading!

 

 

Author Bio:

 

Anya Mora lives in the PNW with her family. Her novels, while leaning toward the dark, ultimately reflect light, courage, and her innate belief that love rewards the brave.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://anyamora.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anya.mora.author/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anya_mora_/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/search?authors=Anya+Mora&search=Anya+Mora

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19855074.Anya_Mora