Review: The Natural Order

The Natural Order by Matthew Aldrich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a great book for a book club read. It forces you to think about the unimaginable and asks you to ask yourself many questions. What would you do to live forever? No, not kill or do something illegal for it, but could you give up food and drink for the chance to live forever?

To me, this felt more like a horror novel than a mystery or thriller, although it had those components too. I could not imagine wanting to live forever, never mind the fact that to do so I would have to give up one of the things that mean so much to me. To think that those I love who could not get their hands on this product would age and die before my eyes; to have to live forever in this mess we have made of this world; to deal with the hatred of others because we would live forever (whatever living forever really means).

This book kept me thinking about what forever really means; it kept my stomach tied in knots, and it made me question my life up until now.

The author did an amazing job making us believe this could be real; he wrote believable characters and offered insights into what the future could bring us. This book was set in 2070 not too far in the future, just enough to be believable. If I had only one complaint, it would be the use of landlines-unless we bring them back into reality in the future.

A terrific book!

*ARC supplied by the publisher Simon and Schuster/Atria Books, the author, and NetGalley-ATTL/Edelweiss.

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SUMMARY: "From an acclaimed screenwriter comes a provocative, propulsive debut novel about a billionaire tech visionary who creates a method to stop aging, putting him in the crosshairs of an extremist group and forcing a tense reunion with his estranged son, who is dying of old age.

Paul Whitmore, the world’s wealthiest man, begins each day on his secluded Marin, California, estate with a guided meditation, an hour of exercise, and a proprietary nutritional shake. These are the first three steps in a strict, monastic protocol known as the Method—a protocol which arrests the aging process. Paul is 122 years old, yet he appears no older than fifty; he has unlocked the secret to eternal life and is ready to bring his breakthrough to market. The world is poised to enter a post-aging future.

But not everyone wants Paul to succeed, and his enemies are prepared to use violence to keep the Method from launching. Alone in his private Xanadu, Paul is well-insulated from the steady stream of death threats. But when a new threat emerges that targets Paul’s estranged son, Max, he is forced to take action. Max is eighty-five years old, living in a nursing home, and has not spoken to his father since he was a child. As far as he’s concerned, Paul Whitmore can rot in hell. Paul brings Max to his compound to protect him, but the real test soon becomes can he care for his son? Is it ever too late to be a father? Is it ever too late to be a son? Unfortunately, the answers to these questions require time—and time is suddenly in short supply. The men who have threatened his son are coming for them both, and the gates surrounding his compound are less secure than he realizes.

A page-turner with unusual depth and substance, The Natural Order grapples with issues of technology, mortality, and the true value of time.

Review: Mingle All the Way

Mingle All the Way by Susan Mallery
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

If I had been more careful when accepting this ARC, I would have realized it was a reissue. I am not fond of reissues. So yes, this is a reissue of The Christmas Wedding Guest with the novella Say You'll Stay thrown in.

The story was sweet but plodding. The characters were bland, and the conclusion was inevitable. So much of this novel was repetitive, essentially filler. This book would have been great if at least 100 pages were cut and the pace of the story sped up.

*ARC supplied by the publisher MIRA, the author, and NetGalley.



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Summary: "Published for the first time together, MINGLE ALL THE WAY includes the reader-favorite story The Christmas Wedding Guest and a bonus novella from Susan Mallery's sparkling Wishing Tree series!

This Christmas, the Somerville sisters invite you to the wedding of the season…

The Somerville sisters believe in love, but they’ve lost faith it will happen for them. Reggie hasn’t been home since the end of the world’s shortest engagement. When her parents decide to renew their vows, she buffs up her twinkle to help with their Christmas wedding. Unexpectedly, Toby, her first love, is back too, and the spark between them shines as brightly as ever. In the spirit of the season, will they let go of past hurts and ring in the New Year together?

Done waiting for the one, Dena is pregnant and on her own—on purpose. But then a gorgeous, sad-eyed songwriter checks in to a room at her inn. Micah, unable to write since he lost his wife, finds inspiration in Dena’s determination to be a mom. One snowflake-speckled kiss and he’s a goner. But Dena is afraid to believe that a rock star could fall for a cookie-cutter small-town girl like her.

As the Christmas wedding draws closer, these two sisters just might unwrap the most treasured gift of all—love."

Review: Dive Bar at the End of the Road: A Novel

Dive Bar at the End of the Road: A Novel by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I haven't read much horror lately. Watching the news is usually enough horror for me. But something in my subconscious told me to ask for this book, and I am so glad I listened! The last so-called horror novel I read was just meh. This book had me not wanting to go to bed because of what I might dream!!! The characters are pretty well fleshed out in a book that doesn't exceed 300 pages. Vividly drawn descriptions of all the important things.

This book is reminiscent of the older Stephen King novels (Cujo, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon), Robert McCammon and a few others. However, I mean only their older books.

This book sent chills down my spine! The tropes are particularly delicious. For example: A dark and stormy night, getting lost in the woods, your worst nightmares coming true, meeting a horrible man whom you immediately hate who is in the same predicament as you are in, zombies, rabid dogs, and a possible demon/devil, things that go bump in the night and more.

This would be a great read for those with a vivid imagination and a strong stomach. Great dark-and-stormy-night read!

*ARC supplied by the publisher St. Martin's Press/Macmillan, the author, and NetGalley.

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SUMMARY: "Final Destination meets The Cabin at the End of the World in this supernatural horror from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, in which a series of car accidents traps a group of strangers at a dive bar.

A forested road at night, slick from the pounding rain and eerily illuminated by flashes of lightning. Just before midnight, a car swerves to avoid something—or someone—mysteriously standing in the road, only to slam into a fallen tree instead. In the pitch black, four more cars follow in a pileup no one can seem to avoid.

Stumbling out of the wreckage, soaked from the rain and nursing various injuries, five strangers find themselves in a backwoods dive bar, waiting for daybreak and hoping for cell service. But as tensions rise and the storm rages on outside, the occupants of the dive bar start to notice that not everything is as it seems. Time is moving differently, and they quickly learn that going outside—whether to assist another accident victim or to hike for help—is a very bad idea.

There’s something in the woods, something that isn't natural. Could the figure in the road have been a warning? Or something more sinister? None of this is normal, and they'll need to work together to figure out what’s happening if they have any hope of surviving the night."

Review: We're So Lucky to Live Here

We're So Lucky to Live Here by Rachel Pastan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an interesting novel that, at times, felt a bit too 'literary' (at least for me) for its theme. It blends avant-garde plays with Russian literature, with Gwen trying to get her life together after her mother's death and learning she inherited not only the history-laden house but also a lot of debt and two roommates.

It was sweet but a tad too cloying for my taste.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Delphinium Books, the author, and ATTL/Edelweiss.



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Review: The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman

The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won't recap this book in my review. The book description does it so well; there is no need for me to do so. And let me say, there is a lot of bible in this novel, a lot of preaching and using the bible to supplement arguments.

About this book-----Holey S**T!!! I expected a snarky look at church ladies, with some gossip, back-stabbing, and humor. I got that and so much more with this book. Some parts are funny as heck, other parts will make you cry, and some will make you want to put your fist through the wall.

Of course, Scharisse started life poor; her mother died young, and her Aunt is a crack-head. These aren't the only secrets, but they'll do for now! But fairy tales DO come true--at least on the surface.

Now Scharisse is her hubby the pastor's First Lady. He is the head of a mega-church. I hate to say this, but the only thing I know about mega-churches is from infrequent watching of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker back in the 80s, so I didn't have much to go on! Mega church-Mega rich, with a mind a tiny tad too much on sex, and a chance to win the First Lady USA pageant. But alas, things don't always go as intended and horrible things start happening to her.

Thankfully, although Scharisse hits rock bottom, she eventually learns and grows up and finally takes responsibility for her and her daughter Gabrielle's lives.

I couldn't put this book down, and I think it would make a wonderful book club read.

*ARC supplied by the publisher, Mariner Books/Harper Collins, the author, and NetGalley.

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BOOK SUMMARY: "The wife of a popular and powerful megachurch pastor upends her charmed “rags-to-Rolex” life when her secret past comes roaring into the spotlight—in this "funny and juicy and sexy and delicious peek behind the pulpit" (Samantha Irby) from the acclaimed and beloved author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.

From the moment Scharisse Freeman ditched her humble roots and married a megachurch pastor fifteen years her senior, she’s been labeled too brash and too “of the world” by church folks who grudgingly accepted her into their fold, and too holy by her estranged childhood bestie Petra. Schar doesn’t have many allies, but that hasn’t stopped her from building an enviable business empire spanning books to clothing to branded products, and living the comfortable life her husband's power affords her.

On the eve of her 40th birthday, Schar gets the final bit of validation she’s always dreamt a coveted invitation to participate in the First Lady USA pageant. This is her chance to be accepted by the other pastors’ wives—First Ladies—who are “like Jesus’ disciples if they had been a group of mean girls.” Finally, blissfully, the ice between Schar and the other First Ladies begins to thaw.

But as the pageant nears, a sensational scandal breaks with Schar at its center, and her carefully curated life implodes. Schar faces down shame and terrible secrets from her childhood and is reminded that in the eyes of the church, optics can matter more than the truth.

Unflinchingly funny, frank, and packed with surprising turns, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman exults in the luscious, messy pleasure of finally feeling free."

Review: The Many Private Lives of Missy Cooke

The Many Private Lives of Missy Cooke by Jane Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I did finish this book, and while most of my previous review still stands, the final parts made up for the frustrations of the first part. As a matter of fact, the final parts had me eager to finish. Missy finally showed some growth, although she had to depend on a lot of people to get there. The book did not really give her a HEA as far as romance goes, but then again, this was not a romance novel. So if you can manage to get through the first third of this novel, you will have a fairly satisfying ending.

I am almost 60% done with this book, and if it weren't on my Kindle, I would throw it across the room and hit the wall with it. The rest of this review will come when (if) I finish this "growth" novel, since so many people seemed to have loved it; I must be missing something.

This book is written in three parts. In the first part, you will meet Missy Cooke, daughter of tech billionaire Marty Cooke. Marty and her Mother are divorced. So in this first part, we will explore how horrible Missy's life is with and without her father. We will explore every nuance of their relationship. Marty does treat Missy (at times) like crap. Missy has no backbone, and it is horribly obvious. I wanted to yell at her to speak up for herself, grow a spine, pull up her big-girl panties and just TALK to her father about the way he treats her. At the end of this section I was ready to DNF it, but being an ARC I felt I should give it a little longer to see if it redeemed itself.

Part two is about how Marty develops a horrible cancer and must go to Switzerland for months of treatment, leaving his daughter Missy as interim CEO. She is in her element and doing well at this new job. Still naive, but with her brains, she is perfect for the job. Sounds good, right? She is finally in her element, right? Well, no, because what is obvious to me is that someone is sabotaging her and has done so to the point that the stockholders have asked her to step down for a month or so, putting someone else at the helm.

If you are reading this book at this point, you will notice that (if you are smart and I know you are!) there appear to be two obvious people who might want to stab her in the back. My money is on a particular person, but I've been wrong before!!!

I have seen no growth on Missy's part, and I, as I said, am 60% done with this book. I'm frustrated, pissed, bored, and cranky.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Hanover Square Press/Harlequin, the author, and ATTL/Edelweiss.

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Summary : "From New York Times bestselling author Jane Green comes her most poignant and timely novel yet—the story of a tech titan’s daughter, who, in the face of family crisis, must step into her own power to redefine a legacy

Missy Cooke’s parents divorced when she was young. While her mother did her best to make ends meet, her father devoted his life to work—and his new family. Missy only knew him from afar. He was distant and aloof. But when he came to visit, his light shone bright. He was Silicon Valley tech titan Marty Cooke.

Now an adult, with tech world aspirations of her own, Missy’s life is a constant negotiation between her own desires and the towering expectations of her father. But when a devastating diagnosis forces Marty to step down from his tech empire, ipryy, he doesn't choose a seasoned executive to take his place. He chooses Missy.

Thrust into a world of high-stakes board meetings and cutthroat corporate politics, Missy is completely out of her depth. As interim CEO, she must navigate the immense pressure of her father's legacy while wrestling with a strained relationship with her boyfriend, the reappearance of a childhood crush, and the constant scrutiny of a world that sees her as nothing more than a privileged heiress, an image totally at odds with her modest upbringing.

From the glittering galas of the French Riviera to the hidden realities of ipryy's global operations, Missy's journey of self-discovery becomes a battle for the soul of the company. When she uncovers a dark secret that threatens to destroy everything her father built, Missy must decide what kind of leader she will become. Can she forge her own path and prove her worth, or will she crumble under the weight of her father’s shadow?

Propulsive, timely, and emotionally resonant, The Many Private Lives of Missy Cooke is an unforgettable family novel by a beloved author at the height of her literary power.

Review: The Mystic and the Missing Girl: A Mystery

The Mystic and the Missing Girl: A Mystery by Vikki VanSickle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have read so many books in the last couple of months that I really disliked for one reason or another, that it thrills me to say that this book was everything I needed to get back on the right track. I really, really loved this book.

This book had a quirky cast of characters, a great almost unsolvable mystery, a likable FMC, and used no obvious tropes to get us to the ending. It was filled with surprises, and it even had a kitten!

There really is no need for me to say much about this book that you can't get from reading the summary. But I will say this: if you like cozy mysteries with a bit of speculative fiction, small towns, no obvious romance ( a mere possibility of one at a future time) and character-driven novels, then this one will definitely be for you. 

I think it would do well in a book club setting, since there's so much about this mystery to discuss, and it would definitely be an excellent read for the upcoming Halloween/Samhain holiday!

*ARC supplied by the publisher Minotaur Books/Macmillan, the author, and NetGalley.

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SUMMARY: "Reluctant psychic Drew Benson can read tarot cards and get impressions from objects—she just never expected to use her gifts to investigate an infamous cold case.

Drew Benson has a secret. She gets visions, something she hasn’t tapped into since she was a teenager, when her late aunt, a TV psychic known as Hannah Mystic, became the scapegoat in the unsolved disappearance of a local teenager. Twenty years later, Drew is happy to ignore her gift, focusing instead on keeping the metaphysical shop she inherited from Hannah afloat, wrangling her sole, astrology-obsessed employee, and dodging local rake Foster Banks in her picturesque lakeside hometown.

But when Drew's arch-nemesis from high school, now a big city reporter, decides to investigate the cold case from all those years ago, it’s Drew’s ability that could finally make a break in the decades old mystery. With bills piling up, a disapproving mother laying on the guilt, and a local vandal who wants Drew and her witchy store gone, Drew has a lot to lose. But what she stands to gain—finding out what happened to the missing teen, clearing her aunt’s name, and a second chance at belonging—could change everything.

In The Mystic and the Missing Girl, Vikki VanSickle seamlessly draws readers into an utterly charming world in this unputdownable, small town mystery.