BLOG TOUR: A NURSE TO CLAIM HIS HEART @XpressoTours

 

A Nurse to Claim His Heart
Juliette Hyland
(Neonatal Nurses, #1)
Publication date: March 29th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Will a fake relationship turn into a forever romance? Find out in Juliette Hyland’s latest Harlequin Medical Romance, the first story in the Neonatal Nurses duet!

A picture is worth a thousand words…What about a viral video?

When Dr. Benedict saves an infant on the Washington Metro, the treatment he performs with nurse Penny becomes the talk of the town—and social media! Not least because the world thinks they’re a couple… While a real relationship is a no-go zone for divorced Benedict, prolonging their “faux-mance” is the perfect way to raise vital hospital funds. But the longer their ruse goes on, the more real it feels!

From Harlequin Medical: Life and love in the world of modern medicine.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

HERE IS AN EXCERPT

“His smile sent thrills chasing through her. “That is an excellent line, Benedict.”

“Not a line.” He stepped a little closer. “You are adorable, gorgeous and one of the most intelligent people I have ever had the benefit of knowing.”

“If this was a romantic comedy, this is the part of the movie where I jump into your arms and kiss you.” Penny raised a brow and leaned a little closer, waiting to see if he’d pull back. When he didn’t, Penny decided to let her inhibitions down. What good was pretend-dating Dr. Benedict Denbar if she didn’t at least get to see how the man kissed?

“Kiss me.” The soft demand left her lips, and if she’d been uncertain, the slow smile spreading across Benedict’s lips would have cemented the need in her belly. God, the man was hot.

His lips were soft as they grazed hers. He pulled her closer, the heat of his body echoing through her. She moved without thinking as she wrapped her hands around the nape of his neck. The world slowed as she relished the feel of his body next to hers.

When he deepened the kiss, her soul exploded. If she was ever given the option to pause time, this was the moment she’d choose to run on a loop.

“Penny.”

Her name on his lips reached through her senses as she pulled back. “Wow.”

“Wow, indeed,” Benedict echoed. ”

Author Bio:

Juliette Hyland believes in caffeine, hot drinks and happily ever afters! She lives in Ohio, USA, with her prince charming, who has patiently listened to many rants regarding characters failing to follow the outline. When not working on fun and flirty happily ever afters, Juliette can be found spending time with her beautiful daughters, giant dogs or sewing uneven stitches with her sewing machine.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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BOOK REVIEW: NINETEEN MINUTES BY JODI PICOULT

 

Synopsis 

In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five....In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.

Sterling is a small, ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens -- until the day its complacency is shattered by a shocking act of violence. In the aftermath, the town's residents must not only seek justice in order to begin healing but also come to terms with the role they played in the tragedy. For them, the lines between truth and fiction, right and wrong, insider and outsider have been obscured forever. Josie Cormier, the teenage daughter of the judge sitting on the case, could be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened in front of her own eyes. And as the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show, destroying the closest of friendships and families.

Nineteen Minutes is New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult's most raw, honest, and important novel yet. Told with the straightforward style for which she has become known, it asks simple questions that have no easy answers: Can your own child become a mystery to you? What does it mean to be different in our society? Is it ever okay for a victim to strike back? And who -- if anyone -- has the right to judge someone else?

My Thoughts

Wow. This one took me a while to get through but I finally completed it.

This is only my second time reading a Jodi Picoult book having previously read My Sister's Keeper during the pandemic. I enjoyed this one more though because of the topic of bullying and the fact that it can indeed lead to trauma like what Peter the main character was going through. Peter represented what many kids go through on a daily basis. As an educator I make it my duty to really disallow bullying of any kind. I liked how this work of fiction by Picoult creatively dealt with the effects of bullying so that a greater appreciation of it's impact could be gained by readers.

What was interesting also was Josie's character. I felt that Josie and Peter both were kindred spirits. While she wanted to fit in with the cool kids like Peter, she often felt insecure and out of place. This book really gave us many characters and relationships to analyze as well. For me Lacy and Alex, the two mothers and their dealing with their children spoke to the fact that many parents really have no idea what their teenagers are like.

The ending though I did not really like too much but overall this was indeed a good book.

BOOK REVIEW: TURNING A BLIND EYE BY TE'WRITES

 

Synopsis

What happens when one member of the family decides that the family secret isn’t worth keeping?

Based on a true story, this riveting tale exposes the shared secrets that many families would rather take to the grave.

Chantel’s world was turned upside-down when she discovered the abuse of her brother Roy at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend, J.R. Outrage and panic left Chantel’s head spinning. How could someone do something so disgusting and violating?

Even after numerous attempts to end the abuse, Chantel was silenced by her family. It was clear to Chantel that they were not being protected by those who are supposed to love them the most.

The questions lingers with Chantel for years to come: Why is J.R’s protection continuously held above the love and care of innocent children?

Chantel was expecting that this tortuous situation was in the past. She had hopes that Roy could heal despite of the abusive presence still in their lives. Healing, however, isn’t in the cards yet for this family as all three of Roy’s children—

Chantel’s nieces and nephew—have experienced the same horrors as their father before them. Chantel will not be silent and allow the family to keep J.R.’s sordid secrets.

Turning A Blind Eye introduces a heroine whose fierce ambition has her stop at nothing to expose her family’s secret. It is Chantel’s mission to reveal the truth and break the generational curse.

MY THOUGHTS 

"It's easy to stand in the crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone," Mahatma Gandhi

This book was not easy to read by any means but my goodness I was glad I did. I became very emotional throughout this book and yet I could not put it down.

This story gives a spin on child sexual abuse that I think people take for granted. Many families just like this one hide sexual abuse for fear of bringing shame upon the family by people knowing or for fear of being judged by the public. The story made me think about the many children who are presently going through situations such as this that are afraid to speak out.

This book is something that every parent should read, especially single mothers. As a mother, you cannot afford to be careless with your children, boy or girl and they should feel comfortable enough to come to you knowing that you are there to protect them. Te'Writes did not hold back in her story whatsoever.

I really am glad I read this and you should too.

*Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse.....

Book Review: Olas Grandes by Barbara Mahase Rodman

Synopsis

On the island of Trinidad, a young woman, Rina Martinez, is asked to be a live-in teacher at Olas Grandes, a mansion perched atop sharp cliffs facing the sea. From the first mention of the house’s name Rina remembers reading in the papers about the tragedy that occurred there—the mistress of the house, Wanda Peron, had mysteriously drowned in a cove below the cliffs. Rina’s curiosity isn’t satisfied with the story, and she becomes increasingly curious when she finds Wanda’s magical diaries, where she discovers untold secrets about the household, including how deeply the mistress was involved in the practice of witchcraft. What is revealed when Rina wades through the magic and mystery that surrounds Olas Grandes not only implicates her, but also her deepening love for the head of household, Brian Peron.

 My thoughts

A very nice story set in Trinidad where we find Marina aka "Rina" on her way to the Peron estate of Olas Grandes as a tutor to young Davey, child of millionaire Brian Peron who tragically lost his wife Wanda in a mysterious drowning. This mystery plagues Marina as she becomes curious about the cause of Wanda's death. Her curiosity it seems becomes dangerous as she begins receiving cryptic notes in her room warning her to stay away. in the midst of all the mystery Rina has become smitten with Brian and is hoping to be noticed.

I am always happy when I find books by Trinidadian authors because it they are always so relatable and fun to read. Olas Grandes though speaks of Trinidad in the older days which gave it a different twist to something more contemporary but it had the same effect on me as most local works of fiction. I loved reading about the estates and that aspect of Trinidadian life. What was good was that the book was almost read in one sitting which was great. A very simple, quick and enjoyable read full of mystery and intrigue. If you get a copy you will enjoy it as well.

BOOK REVIEW: THE SONG OF ACHILLIES by Madeline Miller

 

Synopsis 

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

My thoughts 

This book has exceeded my expectations.

I was unsure if I would like a story such as this one. Besides watching TV shows in my youth like Hercules and Xena Warrior Princess, I have limited knowledge of Greek mythology. After reading the Song of Achilles I must say that I am extremely happy about stepping out of my comfort zone.

This book has to go down as one of the best books I have ever read. This story of Achilles and his companion Patroclus captured the true meaning of friendship and love and how far someone would go to protect loved ones even from themselves. I am now interested in reading the next book Circe by Madeline Miller. I am told that it is a great story as well.

Many people said this book was sad. I do think it was emotional but honestly I really liked how it ended. At first I didn't know what to make of Patroclus he seemed so weak in my opinion at first but I enjoyed reading about his growth. Actually I was more captivated by Patroclus than Achilles. 

In all, this story was really enjoyable.

BOOK REVIEW: PLEASANTVIEW by CELESTE MOHAMMED

 

SYNOPSIS

Coconut trees. Carnival. Rum and coke. To many outsiders, these idyllic images represent the supposed easy life in Caribbean nations such as Trinidad and Tobago. However, the reality is far different for those who live there—a society where poverty and patriarchy savagely rule, and where love and revenge often go hand in hand.

Written in a combination of English and Trinidad Creole, Pleasantview reveals the dark side of the Caribbean dream. In this novel-in-stories about a fictional town in Trinidad, we meet a political candidate who sets out to slaughter endangered turtles for fun, while his rival candidate beats his “outside-woman,” so badly she ends up losing their baby. On the night of a political rally, the abused woman exacts a very public revenge, the trajectory of which echoes through Pleasantview, ending with one boy introducing another boy to a gun and to an ideology which will help him aim the weapon.

Merging the beauty and brutality of Trinidadian culture evoked by writers such as Ingrid Persaud and Claire Adam with the linguistic experimentation of Marlon James’s A Brief History of Seven Killings, Pleasantview is a landmark work from an important new voice in international literary fiction. 

MY THOUGHTS

Pleasantview is a short story collection that will blow you away and guess what it is a book set in a fictitious town in Trinidad. 

For anyone who is curious about the every day life of average folks in Trinidad read this book. While this is a work of fiction, each story speaks to the highs and lows of life in Trinidad touching on issues of migration, unemployment, religion, corruption, family struggles, politics and even culture. Reading this gave me an entire experience.

The highlight was the author's ability throughout the book to use Trinidadian prose. This gave the book a sense of realness and made me enjoy it even more.

In all this was just hands down good writing and deserving of my five star rating on Goodreads. 

BOOK REVIEW: YOU DID THIS by Jamie Millen

 

Synopsis

Homicide detective Claire Wolfe transfers to the fictional town of Newburgh, Massachusetts, to solve the brutal murder of her fourteen-year-old sister, Tina, twelve years ago. Claire feels guilty for hating Tina—their mother’s favorite and a cruel, manipulative sociopath—and for failing to walk her home from school on the day of her murder. She’s also unsettled by her murky memory of that fateful day and her vindictive, alcoholic mother.

When more young girls turn up dead like her sister, and Claire suspects that Tina’s murderer is still active. An FBI team from the Behavioral Analysis Unit assists the serial killer investigation, and Claire rekindles her relationship with Special Agent Robert Cline, her high school boyfriend. A close encounter with the killer convinces Claire that her psychopathic sister faked her death and is framing Claire for the murders.

Then, new evidence ties Claire to the murders, and she becomes a lead suspect in the case. On the run and doubting her own sanity, she contemplates suicide when an elusive witness reveals a conspiracy to protect the true culprit. At great personal risk and with the help of Agent Cline, Claire confronts the killer and closes the case. She stands up to her hateful mother…only to uncover the truth behind the murders in a final shocking twist.

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MY THOUGHTS

Detective Claire Wolfe is everything and then some. 

I became engrossed in the plot of this novel from the very beginning. The thing that stood out while reading the story, was the message of not getting closure. Claire, being so haunted by her sister's murder by restarting the investigation into her death was searching for the closure not only for herself but for her family as well. 

As we all know the path to vindication is sometimes not as smooth and this  was definitely the case for Claire. The characters were all equally well written. Special Agent Robert Cline was one of my favorites. I liked also how the writer was able to get into the minds and the activities of the teenage girls to me that was also interesting. As readers we all have different points that we look for in a book and for me I always appreciate when a writer gets the sensory details right. The ending was  jaw dropping. 

This was another very good book and for lovers of mystery and detective novels, readers  would be at the edge of their seat as I was from beginning to end. 

Author Bio

Psychopaths. Stalkers. Killers. 

Jamie Millen writes about the people you hope never to meet in real life…but probably already have.

If you enjoy crime thrillers packed with nail-biting psychological suspense, unforgettable characters, and breathtaking twists, read YOU DID THIS and discover your new favorite investigator.

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MY FIRST BOOK REVIEW FOR 2022 : THE LOST APOTHECARY BY SARAH PENNER

 

THE LOST APOTHECARY BY SARAH PENNER

A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them -setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.

Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose - selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate - and not everyone will survive.

MY THOUGHTS

My year is off to a great start. This has been my first book for the year and what an excellent choice it was. This in my opinion was about life's choices and missed opportunities. 

As the book switches between the 18th and 19th centuries and the present day, we learn about the lives of three females who, in their own special way was searching for happiness.

Nella was an apothecary who mixed potions intended to poison and kill men who have wronged their partners. Motivated by events of her past, Nella's mission in life was to help women get revenge. When twelve year old Eliza Fanning, who, sent by her mistress for a poison intended to kill her husband, Nella had no clue that this meeting would connect her and Eliza and shape their future. Eliza was such a captivating character in my opinion. 

I enjoyed reading about her the most. However, I think the end of the book there was a time where I did not fully understand her motives for some of what she was doing. (When you read the book you may get what I mean).

In the present day we meet the third protagonist, Caroline. A young woman, trying to escape a turning point in her marriage, finds herself mud larking on a trip to London where upon finding a vial with a bear etched to the front. This vial leads Caroline to find a deep connection with the apothecary. This discovery impacts Caroline's trip as well as allows her to make some changes to her life. 

This author was very skillful in how she crafted these character and this book was well researched indeed I loved learning about the time period. I enjoyed it.

NEW YEAR'S GREETINGS; 2021 WRAP UP (MY YEAR IN BOOKS)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!

This year was a very good reading year all things considered. I wanted to do so much with Trini Girl Reads. I think I did good considering some challenges I had with getting books reviewed. Moving forward to 2022 my focus will be on just reading and enjoying doing so. As was indicated in a previous post, for the first part of the year I am focusing on authors who graciously sent me their book to review. I have had an overwhelming amount of requests for review and once time permits I will be getting to those as well as my Net galley shelf and from my personal collections.

My wish in 2022 will be to continue to read and do what I love via my blog which is to share my passion for reading with the world .

In 2021, I read sixty five books and of course there were some favourites. 

So here are my top ten books for 2021.

1. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

2. Verity by Colleen Hoover

3. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

4. Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat

5. Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud

6. How to Love a Jamaican by Alexa Arthurs 

7. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. MArin

8. The Guest List by Lucy Foley

9. Midnight Library by Matt Haig

10. Homecoming by Yaa Gyasi

Other books I really liked in 2021

1. Educated by Tara Westover

2. Patsy by Nicole Dennis Benn

3. Sisters and the Plight with Boys by N.R.White

4. Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour 

5. How the One Armed Sister Sweeps her House.

6. Stay With Me Ayobami Adebayo

 

BOOK REVIEW: HOMEGOING BY YAA Gyasi

 

Synopsis 

A novel of breathtaking sweep and emotional power that traces three hundred years in Ghana and along the way also becomes a truly great American novel. Extraordinary for its exquisite language, its implacable sorrow, its soaring beauty, and for its monumental portrait of the forces that shape families and nations, Homegoing heralds the arrival of a major new voice in contemporary fiction.

Two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle's dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast's booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia's descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation.

Generation after generation, Yaa Gyasi's magisterial first novel sets the fate of the individual against the obliterating movements of time, delivering unforgettable characters whose lives were shaped by historical forces beyond their control. Homegoing is a tremendous reading experience, not to be missed, by an astonishingly gifted young writer.

My Thoughts 

Wow. 

My reading year ended with a bang indeed. What a fantastic piece of literature.

This book has been on my TBR for a long time but I think I picked this up at the right time. 

There are not enough words in the dictionary to explain how I felt reading this. There was pain, joy and some more pain, all the characters held my interest and I felt connected to their story. This story reminded me of a history book I used the other day with a student where it stated that, the biggest humanitarian crisis to ever plague this earth, slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Homegoing developed that point by illustrating how African people and those of the heritage have through the generations, in different parts of the world have always, as a result of slavery and the effects, continuously faced discrimination, resulting in imprisonment, loneliness and anger among other things. I look forward to reading Transcendent Kingdom next. Homegoing is a must read for everyone. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.....

 

Book Review: His Other Woman by Louise Voss

 

His Other Woman by Louise Voss

What would you do if the love of your life forgot you… and met someone else?

I waved my husband goodbye at the airport, and he vanished without a trace. I sat awake, night after night, looking at photos of our family. I knew he would never leave us.

And then I found him.

Now he lives with the younger, beautiful woman he thinks he loves. And he doesn’t even recognise me.

Who will he choose? Can I forgive him? And will I ever be able to look into his eyes without thinking of his other woman?

From the bestselling author Louise Voss comes a heartbreakingly emotional story about family and forgiveness, that will make you cry and hold on tight to the ones you love. Perfect for fans of Nicole Trope, Kerry Fisher and The Silent Daughter.

My thoughts 

When a book can keep me awake into the wee hours of the morning, tell yourself we have a winner. 

I loved everything about this book, especially the twist at the end. I really couldn't believe what happened. The main characters especially the husband Liam will have you feeling very sad at some points. My heart truly went out to him in the end. Katya (the other woman), well I had her back until... (I won't say much here cause I want persons to read this). 

   What I can say is that this story was a really touching and believable tale of marriage and how even the strongest of marriages can have turmoil.

Great story. 

This was a great find on Netgalley.

Book Review; Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid.

 

SUCH A FUN AGE BY KILEY REID 

A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, Such a Fun Age is a page-turning and big-hearted story about race and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.

Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living, with her confidence-driven brand, showing other women how to do the same. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains' toddler one night, walking the aisles of their local high-end supermarket. The store's security guard, seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make things right.

But Emira herself is aimless, broke, and wary of Alix's desire to help. At twenty-five, she is about to lose her health insurance and has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix's past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves, and each other.

With empathy and piercing social commentary, Such a Fun Age explores the stickiness of transactional relationships, what it means to make someone family, and the complicated reality of being a grown up. It is a searing debut for our times.

My Thoughts

This book is very popular, and I was motivated to read it. While the writing was good, the story really picked up in the second half of the book. This was a very different take on race relations in the United States. It was very different to previous books I read with the same theme.

While I read this book, I disliked each of the characters at some point. First, Emira Tucker, the babysitter I felt that she was presented as a bit naïve and I daresay weak. While I get that she did not want to make a big deal about the altercation in the store etc. In her interaction with Alix Chamberlain, I felt almost that she let Alix take advantage of her. 

Alix was a complex character, I believe that she was so obsessed by what happened in the past that she in trying to prove that she was not racist  used her privilege and wealth to buy her affection. I think what was most interesting was the relationship with her daughter Briar. 

 

Kelley Copeland, the blast from the past (you will understand this if you read the book) and Emira's boyfriend came off as genuine in the beginning but he was also, like Alix trying to prove in a different way that he was not racist as well. 

What made this book interesting to me is that their interaction and the outcome of this was odd yet believable. I could see that readers may either really love this book on one hand and on the other really dislike it. In all I think this was a good read. 

Book Review: Baby Factory by Suleiman Ocheni

 

Baby Factory by Suleiman Ocheni

Having lived a fairly sheltered life, Aleeza is oblivious to the emotional turmoil and volatility of normal human existence... However, this changes and does so all at once.

She is shunted out of her comfort zone when she innocuously discovers inconsistencies surrounding the birth of her daughter. This is the catalyst that forces her to embark on a journey filled with daring thrills fraught with danger.

Along the way, circumstances make it so that she has to accept help from a blast from her not so distant past. Feelings she thought she had laid to rest scratch their way to the surface, further complicating the dumpster fire that has become her life.

This story follows Aleeza as she confronts a host of conflicting sentiments and fights to save her daughter, all while navigating the intricate web of relationships in her life.

Will she allow herself to be overcome by her new reality, or will she summon the courage she needs to turn her life around and welcome happiness back in?

My thoughts 

This was a very good find on Netgalley.

The title of this novel drew me to request it a while back on Netgalley and it did not disappoint. Aleeza a young Nigerian woman living her life in Britain, just gave birth to a baby girl she named Remy. However, as Remy is immediately pronounced dead due to sepsis Aleeza demands to see her baby's dead body for confirmation. Her grief his halted as she realizes that the dead baby presented to her does not have a birthmark and therefore is not hers. Aleeza is convinced that someone in the hospital stole her baby. Of course this is difficult to prove.

Meanwhile Remy's father, Aleeza's ex, Richard is shocked to know that he was about to be a father. Aleeza told him nothing about the pregnancy. In trying to deal with the shock and his feelings about Aleeza the chain of events that follow is quite exciting.

I like the premise of the story. I knew nothing about Baby Factories prior to reading this topic was very interesting to me. I love Aleeza's determination throughout the story. I think the lengths she went to in quest to find her baby was really impacting. A mother's love is really something else indeed. The relationship between Aleeza and Richard was quite turbulent and romantic at the same time.

What was really good though was the ending. That was a shocker indeed.

Book Review: THE GUEST LIST by LUCY FOLEY

 

THE GUEST LIST by LUCY FOLEY

A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hunting Party.

The bride – The plus one – The best man – The wedding planner – The bridesmaid – The body

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding fit for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.

And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading this. I listened on audio and read along with the book. The audio book added to the experience and the mystery of the story. I was really surprised at the ending. So if you have not read this yet keep an open mind.

I did not know what to expect with this book at first because while reading I said to myself, ok here we go a wedding on an eerie island but apart from the mystery surrounding the wedding guests the book had so much more meaning than that. All I have to say is the groom has many issues stemming from his troubled past, the bride Jules as well. 

My favorite character was the plus one Hannah, somehow reading about Hannah made me want to learn more amount her story, like the author could do a whole book about her life. Like before she met her husband Charlie (who I think more could have been done with, I think he faded in the book). Olivia was also really good. Her actions when you read the book, and for those who would have read it before, you will realize was so justified.

This book was the type that makes you read on towards the end because you just want to know what happens. Loved it. 

BLOGGING UPDATES & BETWEEN THE PAGES BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS

 

Hi Readers,

December 2021 is finally here. This year was such a busy year for me. Trini Girl Reads  has been progressing nicely, my Bookstagram has over (700 ) followers which is really good since I only started last year. Somewhere around the middle of the year my momentum for the blog waned. This was due to a number of factors especially work obligations, studying etc. 

I received a number of review requests from authors who are probably saying to themselves that this blogger is not reading or reviewing my book. This is something that I try to do in a timely manner once I agreed to read. My plan for December is to read books sent by authors and clear my very long Netgalley shelf. 

As 2021 closes, these are my reading plans. So authors if you sent me a copy of your book look out once I enjoyed it, it will be featured here on Trini Girl Reads. I only review books that I liked. 

In other exciting news. I have started a book club called "Between the Pages" on Good Reads. I hope to get as many people as I can to join and participate in the discussions as this promises to be a new and exciting bookish experience. 

So readers, I am back (from my brief hiatus) and committed to sharing my passion for reading with the world.

What are your bookish plans for the end of the year??

CLICK THE LINK JOIN MY BOOK CLUB

Between the Pages Book Club
6 members
My name is Francica a.k.a. Trini Girl Reads. Welcome to my book club. This book club is designed for the diverse reader. I read everything from, psychological thrillers, YA, short stories, Romance, Historical Fiction. Activities to expect: ✔ BOTM picks ✔Book Recommendations ✔TBR Lists ✔Readathons ✔Buddy Reads ✔Challenges and so much more If these things interest you. Feel free to Join the Club

Books we've read

View this group on Goodreads »

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

 

Synopsis 

A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. Two great leaders—Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon—who hold sway over an age of enforced peace are dead, victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war.

It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

Here is the second volume in George R.R. Martin magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R.R. Martin stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

My thoughts 
5 ⭐

Finally!!!

So if you have been following me on Goodreads or if you have been reading my blog Trini Girl Reads you may have noticed that I have been literally reading this book for the entire year don't ask me why. Anyways this second installment of A Song of Fire and Ice was lit.... I absolutely loved it.

I was one of those who bought this book series after watching the HBO series, but you know what? I am glad that I read the books because now I understand a little more of the background of the story.

In the TV series for example, I didn't really care for Sansa's character but after reading this I think I get her a little more. Absolutely love Daenerys just like in the series. The mother of dragons just makes me excited lol.... I can't wait to read the third book. Hopefully I wont take that long to read it. I must say it takes a writer with a special imagination to pull off a story like A Song of Fire and Ice..