In Her Own Backyard

by

Ashley Hanna-Morgan

A new mom suffering severe postpartum depression searches for clues to a local woman’s disappearance.

In Her Own Backyard by Ashley Hanna-Morgan is a riveting tale of a mother’s struggle with severe postpartum depression after the birth of her second child and her discovery that a young woman who lived in their home before they bought it had disappeared without anyone raising an alarm. Social worker Marlowe Moore is deep in the grasp of depression, anxiety, and trouble nursing her new daughter. Baby Valorie demands to eat, sleep for an hour, and eat again, and completely refuses bottle-feeding. Her three-year-old daughter, Violet, is also experiencing big feelings as she transitions from ‘only child’ to ‘big sister.’ But when a neighbor casually mentions that a young woman who had rented a room from the previous owners of Moore’s new home had disappeared one day, Marlowe and her circle of women friends and moms get concerned when they realize Aria Middleton had never even been reported missing. 

Marlowe’s pregnancy and postpartum experiences are so realistic and relatable; every mother will see something of themselves in her childbearing and childrearing story. Her depression was overwhelming and gut-wrenching to read about; I ached for this young woman. However, her focus on finding out what happened to Aria provided a challenge external to her mental health struggles and helped her regain her stability. Her spouse, Aaron, is sweet and wonderful, but he is still unable to fully relate to what Marlow is experiencing, no matter how much he wants to or how hard he tries. 

The plot is well-paced, and I had a hard time finding a good place in my reading to take a break. I enjoyed how the women all came together to support Marlowe (and each other) and to collaborate on finding Aria. They use clever methods to find answers and gather clues, and I loved how they reached out to people with whom they had the remotest contact for help in their search. My only quibble was that a noticeable amount of the dialogue, especially between Marlowe and her husband and Marlowe and her daughter, Violet, sounded like clinical examples of appropriate responses to certain situations; it didn’t sound natural or organic. On the other hand, this same style of language was fascinating when Marlowe described what she was going through and the impacts on her daily life. I loved the story’s eerie, brooding atmosphere and rising tension, and was delighted with the many surprises and plot twists. The final confrontation was absolutely gripping. 

I recommend IN HER OWN BACKYARD to thriller readers, especially those with an interest in motherhood and the processes and impacts of childbearing. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.

Words for Patty Jo

by

Jill Arlene Culiner

Young love interrupted, but will life offer a second chance?

Words for Patty Jo by Jill Arline Culiner is an enthralling story of young love interrupted and of lives taking vastly different paths before converging once again. David Buckley, Jr., the high school scholar and scion of local wealth, is intrigued by the beautiful, painfully shy Patty Jo Lovelace, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Both see the other as different from those typical of the other’s social circle, and a secret summer romance flourishes until David heads off to further his studies in Switzerland in the fall. Patty Jo’s homelife is abominable; an adopted child, she is abused and treated like a servant, her only escapes are the books she and David had shared that summer and her part-time job as a waitress at Peeties Diner. After years of abuse, Patty Jo’s self-worth is nil, and, with David out of the picture, she marries a generous customer she met at the diner, salesman Don Ried. However, Don turns out to be even more physically violent and emotionally abusive than Pa, Ma, and her stepsister, Lizzie. Patty Jo, with two small sons who are quickly picking up their father’s attitude toward their mom, feels completely and utterly trapped, until she realizes that if things don’t change, her only way out may be on a gurney. 

Patty Jo is such a tragic figure: beautiful and curious, with the same hopes and dreams as others, slowly being beaten out of her by the very people who should be building her up and supporting her. The transference of Don’s attitudes and behaviors to her sons was gut-wrenching. Her solution is desperate and draws condemnation from so many. Homeless and broke in Toronto, Patty Jo uses her beauty and sex to find safety, security, and some measure of control over her circumstances. She shakes off the zombie-like demeanor she had been reduced to while married to Don, and takes on the personas of people she’s known or read about in a play who fit her current situation. I was glad to see she eventually regains her self-identity and drive, the one she’d had to hide away from Ma, Pa, and Lizzie. 

David is a young man of privilege with a life all mapped out for him by his ambitious parents. It is not the life he wants for himself, but he goes along, not ready to break out of their expectations. He has no real understanding of what Patty Jo has been dealing with and the hopelessness in which she is quickly sinking. While the story focuses more on Patty Jo’s trajectory, David’s life takes interesting paths as well, and he gradually follows the path laid out while maintaining thoughts and beliefs that run counter to those life choices. 

I enjoyed the dual point of view in telling the story, getting both Patty Jo’s and David’s impressions of shared experiences, and especially their thoughts and feelings about each other over the passing decades and as they reunited. The story is compelling, and I was drawn into the lives of both main characters, wanting to know how things would work out for them. There are sweet moments and shocking ones, and for those who appreciate a heads-up, there are a few graphic adult scenes as well. This story is going to stay with me for some time to come. 

I recommend WORDS FOR PATTY JO to readers of women’s or domestic fiction. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

Call In For Murder

Neon Desert, #1

by

Tammy Barker

Intriguing start to this Las Vegas-set cozy mystery series.

Call In For Murder is the first book in Tammy Barker’s new Neon Desert cozy mystery series featuring radio talk show host Ashley Compton, Miss LARE (love and relationship expert) to her listeners, who offers blunt, straightforward opinions on their relationship and personal communication matters. When one of her listeners is murdered soon after calling in for advice about her cheating spouse, Ashley is overcome with worry and guilt that her advice to the woman may have gotten her killed. She ignores her usually practical inclinations and decides to investigate on her own. 

Main character Ashley Compton, while a strong and opinionated voice of reason on the air, is an emotionally fragile but healing soul in real life. The advice she offers call-in listeners dealing with an unfaithful partner is informed by her own personal experience. She relocated from LA to Las Vegas to leave the source of her own betrayal behind and met her new best friend, Nathan Reader, an older gay man whose connections at the local radio station helped land her the new job and alias as Ms. LARE. Nathan is a fun sidekick but a steadfast voice of reason as he tries to be supportive and keep Ashley out of major trouble. 

The plot moves quickly, with the death occurring early in the book and Ashley’s cheating former fiancé unexpectedly tracking her down, with reconciliation in mind. The adversarial detective in charge of the murder investigation is as stubborn and relentless as she is, but hunky and perfect for a future love interest. I enjoyed the Las Vegas setting, with all of the mentions of landmarks and history. While the dialogue was predictable at times, there were some good misdirection and red herrings to keep readers guessing all the way to the final reveal, which established the foundation for a long-term conflict that can continue into future books in the series. 

I recommend CALL IN FOR MURDER to cozy mystery fans, especially those who enjoy a Las Vegas setting and engaging characters. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

That Other Family

by

Lis Angus

I happily stayed up late, needing to know what would happen next!

From page one, That Other Family grabbed my attention and ran! So many surprises, I stayed up way late, riveted to the pages and wondering when the next shoe would drop and what it would be. 

Librarian and mother Julie Walker is approached at her job by a stranger, a woman who claims that Julie’s father, who died when she was only eight, had also been her father and had kept two separate families: Julie’s in Ottawa, Canada, and hers in New Jersey. It seems the woman, Frances Boyle, found some letters from her father to her mother when she was clearing out her recently deceased mother’s home, and they seemed to tell a very bizarre story. A private investigator had followed up on clues to the identity of the Canadian family, and here Frances was in Ottawa to speak with Julie’s mother, Sharon, the only parent still living who could answer the big question: “Why?” 

What an amazing, compelling, unputdownable tale! Julie Walker and her family are such nice, normal people, a nice family, with a daughter ready for her first year at college and two rambunctious teenage twin sons. Even Julie’s mother, Sharon, the woman with the answers, makes what happened all those years ago sound normal. But nothing could be further from the truth, especially where the Boyle family is concerned. 

The plot is so well-paced, with scenes of normality interlaced with moments of suspense and terror. The story unfolds from multiple points of view, so readers are privy to several perspectives. From the shocking, initial pronouncement to its twisty conclusion, I was glued to the book, needing to know how this would all fall out. 

I highly recommend THAT OTHER FAMILY to readers of thrillers and suspense.

For this and other book reviews, visit my blog, Guatemala Paula Loves to Read.

Last to Fall

Gossamer Falls, #3

by

Lynn H. Blackburn

A wonderfully satisfying tale of romance, suspense, forgiveness, and second chances.

Last to Fall, the final book in author Lynn H. Blackburn's excellent Christian romantic suspense trilogy, Gossamer Falls, is a well-done and satisfying story of abiding friendship, forgiveness, and second chances. This is Bronwyn Pierce's and Montgomery "Mo" Quinn's story and the perfect conclusion to the trilogy. 

The Haven's CEO, Bronwyn Pierce, knows something isn't right in the company's financial reports, but whatever it is, it's so subtly hidden that she's unable to pinpoint it on her own. With only family members and in-laws on the Board of Directors and in management, though, chances are the culprit, if there is one, is going to be a relative, so she turns to the only people she can trust: her childhood friends Cal, Meredith, and Mo Quinn. Unfortunately, a mistake in her past has caused a years-long rift between her and Mo, a forensic accountant and the one person she knows who can figure this all out. But the longer she puts off asking for help, the worse the atmosphere on the Board is getting. Although she's brought their company to new heights of success, some members are looking for any excuse to oust her in favor of someone more malleable, and it's starting to look like someone may be taking more sinister and permanent measures to get rid of her. 

I loved this story from the very beginning! The two rival families, the Pierces and the Quinns, are mending their differences, at least among the younger members. But Mo and Bronwyn's troubles go deep, with a load of hurt and trust issues to overcome before they can begin to heal. 

The author creates a brooding, expectant, atmospheric feeling early; the perfect setting for what's to come. So much happens during the wee hours of the morning, when everyone is sleep-deprived and less alert, with their defenses down. However, Bronwyn, Mo, and their group rise to the challenge, which is proven early on during a suspicious power outage at the resort. 

Bronwyn and Mo are such a vulnerable pair, and their refusal to even speak directly to each other prevents them from reconnecting and overcoming their past hurts. I liked how the author used quick flashbacks to tell their shared backstory and explain why things were the way they were between them in the present. 

I recommend LAST TO FALL to readers of romantic suspense, especially those who enjoy faith-based stories. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.