Book Review: Token by Beverly Kendall

 

About

She’s brilliant, beautiful…and tired of being the only Black woman in the room.

Two years ago, Kennedy Mitchell was plucked from the reception desk and placed in the corporate boardroom in the name of diversity. Rather than play along, she and her best friend founded Token, a boutique PR agency that helps “diversity-challenged” companies and celebrities. With corporate America diversifying workplaces and famous people getting into reputation-damaging controversies, Token is in high demand.

Kennedy quickly discovers there’s a lot of on-the-job learning and some messes are not so easily fixed. When Kennedy’s ex shows up needing help repairing his company’s reputation, things get even more complicated. She knows his character is being wrongly maligned, but she’s reluctant to get involved—professionally and emotionally. But soon, she finds herself drawn into a PR scandal of her own.

My THOUGHTS

This was an interesting story with a serious message and with serious romance. I was impressed at how the author was able to mesh the themes to create this story. 

In Token we meet Kennedy Mitchell a young black woman trying to navigate the corporate world upon graduation from an Ivy League university. When she is asked to pretend to be on the board of her company (where she was employed as a temp) to close a deal with a high profile client of colour, Kennedy and her best friend Aurora decided to start Token. A company gives corporations tips on diversity and does a bit of damage control. 

The story takes a turn when Nate, Aurora's handsome brother, who runs a multi million dollar tech company is being sued by a former employee of colour for discrimination, returns from France. Let's just say that Nate and Kennedy had a past.....

The story was very realistic in my opinion and I like how it touched on real issues such as inclusivity and equality in the workplace. The passion between Nate and Kennedy was really written well, I was fully engrossed in  their relationship and that part made for fun and enjoyable reading at night for me.

This was a nice book. I will read this author again.

READ CARIBBEAN MONTH JUNE 1st to JUNE 30TH 2023

 

It's June!!! Read Caribbean Month 2023.

In this month Caribbean Book Influencers, Readers and others celebrate the work of Caribbean Authors and Poets past and present. If you are a follower of mine, you would have noticed that I absolutely love Caribbean writing. So as I celebrate this month, you can look forward to me posting about my favourite books and other things uniquely Caribbean.

Happy Reading!!!! 

BOOK REVIEW: DAISY JONES AND THE SIX by TAYLOR JENKINS REID

Book Description

Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now. 

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it's the rock 'n' roll she loves most. By the time she's twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. 

 Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she's pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road. 

 Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend. 

 The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

MY THOUGHTS

Loved this!!! Now I want to see the series.

I am on a mission to read all the books by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This is the fourth book I read by her and it was not a disappointment at all. I absolutely loved the oral history style of this novel. It just flowed and made it so easy and entertaining to read.

The story Daisy Jones and The Six was a Grammy award winning fictional rock and roll group in the 1970s and their way of navigating fame and relationships. It really was about sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Daisy was an interesting character, she was a young singer songwriter who while trying to make it in the music business jumped at the opportunity to join the rock and roll group The Six. Her talent was what the group needed to make it big. Front line singer for The Six, Billy Dunne, trying to overcome his demons felt for Daisy more than he was willing to admit. Their relationship was the main idea of the story.

For me though Billy's wife Camilla was the character I loved. She was THE WIFE...and that's all I'm going to say, because I want people to read this book. I cannot wait to read another book by Taylor. Her stories are really good

 

BOOK REVIEW: THE GOD OF GOOD LOOKS BY BREANNE MC IVOR

ABOUT 

This entertaining, transportive, and luminous debut novel follows a young Trinidadian woman finding her voice and a new kind of happy ending.

Bianca Bridge has always dreamt of becoming a writer. But Trinidadian society can be unforgiving, and having an affair with a married government official is a sure-fire way to ruin your prospects. So when Obadiah Cortland, a notoriously tyrannical entrepreneur in the island's beauty scene, offers her a job, Bianca accepts, realizing that working on his magazine is the closest to her dreams she'll get.

As Bianca begins to embrace her power and creative voice, she starts to suspect Obadiah is not the elite tyrant he seems. She's right. Born in one of the poorest parts of Trinidad, Obadiah has clawed partway up society's ladder and built his company around his meticulously crafted persona. Now, he's not about to let anyone, especially Bianca, see past his façade.

When Bianca's ex-lover threatens everything she's rebuilt, jeopardizing all she's come to love about her new life, she's surprised to find support from the most unlikely ally and, finally, draws the strength to fight back like her mother taught her.

Sharp-witted and fiercely fun, The God of Good Looks alternates between Bianca's diary entries and Obadiah's first-person narrative to portray modern Trinidad's rigid class barriers and the fraught impact of beauty commodification in a patriarchal society. Boisterous, moving, and full of meaty, universally relatable questions, Mc Ivor's sparkling debut is an open-hearted, awakening tale about prejudice and pride, the masks we wear, and what we can become if we dare to take them off.

MY THOUGHTS

If you grew up in Trinidad and Tobago in the 90s, there was a local show on TV called "Westwood Park." The show depicted the twin island in a more glamourous way and it was in my opinion quite different to what you would expect a local show on TV to be like. This book The God of Good Looks gave me that "Westwood Park" vibes in 2023 (if that makes sense). Actually, I think this book should be a series because I want to know Obadiah's story. So Ms. Mc Ivor if you are reading this, I want a sequel.

I really connected with the book's main character Bianca Bridge in a way that is strange (because of course my experience is so far from what she went through). Something about her though connected with me. I think this author is one to watch because she really put a lot of thought into every character that draws you in from the very beginning. Eric Hugo was brilliantly written because I could not stand him. (I admit I was trying to look at our current ministers of government to figure out which one he could be lol).

I need some people to discuss this book with because I would like to know what they thought about OBADIAH.

The literary talent coming out of the Caribbean is exciting to me. This was well done. Highly recommend

BOOK REVIEW: AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE BY TAYARI JONES

 

ABOUT

Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.

This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward—with hope and pain—into the future.

MY THOUGHTS

I do not know how to feel about this book. Roy and Celestial's relationship made me really think. You know no one ever thinks about prisoners, especially those that are found innocent after some years, and how hard it is for them to get back to normal.

After Roy spent five years in prison for a crime that he did not commit, he thought that the marriage bond he had with his wife Celestial was rock solid. Upon his release what he met was just some broken pieces and a lot of loss. While I felt sorry for Roy, I felt it for Celestial.

I can only imagine how a wife feels when her husband is incarcerated, and the questions that swirl around in her head, the uncertainty of whether freedom is ever going to be a possibility. I felt it for her because she didnt know which way to turn. Andre was just in the right place I guess.

This was a good story and really worth the read.

Book Review: It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

 Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.

But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.

Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the “gripping, pulse-pounding” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that “no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).

My Thoughts

This sequel was highly anticipated by me because I loved 'It Ends With Us'. While Colleen Hoover's writing in this book was excellent and did not disappoint, it was not my favourite by her so far.

It was a very romantic story though. Lily and Atlas had so much love for one another. It was really nice to read. The story gave the ending that these characters deserved so because of that the story was meaningful. It could have had a little more action for my taste but in all it was a good story.

BOOK REVIEW: YOU MADE A FOOL OF DEATH WITH YOUR BEAUTY BY AKWAEKE EMEZI

 

Feyi Adekola wants to learn how to be alive again.

It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and she’s almost a new person now—an artist with her own studio, and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isn’t ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career.

She’s even started dating the perfect guy, but their new relationship might be sabotaged before it has a chance by the dangerous thrill Feyi feels every time she locks eyes with the one person in the house who is most definitely off-limits. This new life she asked for just got a lot more complicated, and Feyi must begin her search for real answers. Who is she ready to become? Can she release her past and honor her grief while still embracing her future? And, of course, there’s the biggest question of all—how far is she willing to go for a second chance at love?

Akwaeke Emezi’s vivid and passionate writing takes us deep into a world of possibility and healing, and the constant bravery of choosing love against all odds.

My Thoughts

I went into this book not knowing what it was about because the title gripped me. What I enjoyed was the concept, what I did not enjoy was the execution.

In this book we meet Feyi, a young artist, who upon losing her husband is trying to get her life back on track. In comes the handsome Nasir who tries the subtle approach to sweep Feyi off her feet.

On a trip to the islands, Feyi meets celebrity chef Alim who is none other than Nasir's father. This encounter will change the whole direction of the story as Feyi and Alim share a connection that is very deep.

While this book was not a favourite of mine. I will still recommend it to someone. I think it started well but somewhere around the middle the concept was lost.

BOOK REVIEW: THE MAID BY NITA PROSE

 

BLURB

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misinterprets the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has had to navigate life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is turned on its head the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself very dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

My Thoughts

Original. Unique.

These are the words I would use to describe this book. The Maid follows a hotel maid named Molly, who because of her straightforward and direct manner is regarded as different, weird and a bit obsessive by most.

Molly finds herself lonely upon the death of her grandmother who was all the family she had known. While Molly buries herself in her work, her world is turned upside down when she discovers Mr. Black dead in a suite at the Regency Hotel where she works. This sets in motion a chain of events that places Molly in the spotlight.

I think this book was a work of art. I say this because it is very difficult for a writer to craft a character like Molly. Reading Molly places the reader into a world where people are socially awkward. Molly's character in the book shed some light to how to effectively deal with people who are different.

There were many twists and shocking revelations at the end which added an extra flavour to the story. In all the book lived up to the hype.

BOOK REVIEW: THE IT GIRL BY RUTH WARE

 

BLURB

April Coutts-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.

Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the second, April was dead.

Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.

My THOUGHTS 

This was "Between the Pages Book Club pick for March" (GOODREADS BOOK CLUB) and let me tell you this was a great pick indeed.

John Neville is dead in prison. He died still trying to convince his accusers that he was innocent of the murder of Oxford University's It GIRL April Coutts- Cliveden ten years earlier. Hannah is convinced that John was the killer, after all fit the profile and he was seen coming out of April's room right before Hannah found her dead. A call from Geraint a reporter, that is convinced that everyone got it wrong. casts doubt in Hannah's mind.

But who did it? Was it Will? Hannah's husband past boyfriend of April, Hugh (Will's best friend) or was it someone else in the circle of friends Emily? or perhaps Ryan? This book will send you on a mysterious adventure.

it Girl was gripping from beginning to end. I have always been a fan of dark academia and mystery novels and I think that this novel meshed both very well. What I loved about this book is that at times you thought you knew who did it and then it would throw you off and then you will be asking yourself, who was the killer. I really enjoyed this one. I hope my book club members felt the same.

BLOG TOUR: WHERE THE WATER FLOWS @rararesources

Where the Water Flows

It had been a long, hot summer followed by a very wet autumn. The River Hawk, lying to the north of a former little mill town, was in full flood but nobody imagined the catastrophe that lay ahead.
Not the elderly couple who created a beautiful memorial garden that would become a lake.
Not the opera singer who found a friend who would risk all to save her life.
Not the owner of Wax Polish who would battle to rescue her first love.
Not the new parents who would be overwhelmed and torn apart.
And certainly not two drama students whose lives would change forever.

My Thoughts

Today is my stop on the blog tour for 'Where the Water Flows"by Romola Farr. 

The synopsis gripped me and I was not wrong. The story was gripping, exciting and can I say POETIC.

Absolutely loved the writing style of this author. I'm telling you she is going places. Of course if you have been following my blog you will know that I go for unique stories and this book did not disappoint at all. 

What I loved most apart from the quality of writing was the cast of characters and the story line. Let me tell you get your hands on this book. Really enjoyable indeed. Well done.

Purchase Links

 AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

Author Bio –

Romola Farr first trod the boards on the West End stage aged sixteen and continued to work for the next eighteen years in theatre, TV and film - and as a photographic model. A trip to Hollywood led to the sale of her first screenplay and a successful change of direction as a screenwriter and playwright. Bridge To Eternity was her debut novel, and Breaking through the Shadows and Where the Water Flows are standalone sequels. All three novels are set in the fictional town of Hawksmead.

Romola Farr is a nom de plume.

https://twitter.com/RomolaFarr

https://twitter.com/merlinwardcom

 

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT!!!! EDEN GRUGER

 HELLO READERS,

Today on the blog I would be highlighting the work of a very talented writer, Ms. Eden Gruger who graciously sent an excerpt for everyone to enjoy from her exciting new book "Down With Frogs". I am so happy for the opportunity to share this sneak peek with you guys. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Take Care and Happy Reading!

From: Trini Girl Reads.

ABOUT:

In this candid, darkly comic, occasionally tragic, satirical fiction collection, Eden Gruger invites us inside the private world of the dating woman.

We see them being cooked for, meeting the potential in-laws, unexpected gifts, and being ghosted in the most creative of ways.

Enjoy The Curry Question, Going To Meet The Parents, The Reason I Don't Eat Pork Chops and more

"I laughed...I cried...a great read, thoroughly recommend"

"A fabulously funny read"

"I couldn't put it down"

"Five star"

Going To Meet The Parent’s Chas

When we arrived at his parent’s house I waited in the car at the gate, while he went to ring the doorbell. We couldn’t just drive onto the property park up and approach the door Chas said they really wouldn’t like that.

 

The parents were cordial to him and slightly less than that to me. I noticed straight away the lack of hugs or kisses for the son they hadn’t seen in six months. Before I could even get out of the car, I was given clear instructions about where on the property I could park, including which direction the car should face.

 

My rebellious spirit struggled, could I turn the car around later after stretching my legs? No, because they didn’t want the exhaust pipe directed towards the vegetable patch some two hundred yards away. While I did my five point turn they stood to watch me, arms folded, Chas’ dad called out instructions when he felt I wasn’t giving my optimal turning performance. Which was cheeky I thought, as he had only known me forty-five seconds.

 

Once out of the car I was told that I could call them Mr and Mrs Titty (names changed for my entertainment purposes). We were led inside and directed to sit at the kitchen table, despite our three hour journey the kettle was not put on, and no other liquid refreshment was offered.

 

It transpired over the course of the visit that Chas had descended from camels. There were three cups of tea taken per day, one at breakfast, one at lunch and the last at dinner time. No other drinks were provided outside of these times unless there was an emergency (which I guess did not include dehydration). You could have a glass of tap water, as long as you asked first.

 

A barrage of awkward questions were aimed at their son ‘How are you getting on with the mortgage?’, ‘have you been offered promotion?’. And absolutely no notice was taken of me at all. Both parents then showed us upstairs to our room. We were in the same room, but had twin beds with a cupboard between. And were told in no uncertain terms that ‘we don’t expect anything to go on under our roof’. Then they showed us where they wanted us to put our bags, ‘here on the floor only, bags don’t belong on beds or chairs’. Well, there you go.

 

Next on the tour was the shower room, we were fortunate to have been given the room with an ensuite. After talking me through everything in the room, as if I had never before seen a bathroom Mr Titty told me he would explain the instructions for the shower. I assumed that the instructions would tell me about temperamental fittings, but they did, in fact, tell me exactly how to shower whilst in their home.

 

The instructions were actually typed, laminated and fixed to the wall next to the cubicle: 1. Do not run the shower before getting into the cubicle 2. Stand under the flow for maximum of thirty seconds 3. Turn the water off, apply soap and shampoo 4. Water can be run for a further sixty seconds to rinse hair and body.

 

And no, this was not a joke, this was water conservation at its most militant. The toilet in this bathroom was ‘for urination only, if you wish to defecate there is a bathroom downstairs for that’.

 

The parents were satisfied that I understood the rules and agreed to abide by them. Leaving the bedroom door open on their way out, they went downstairs (no sneaky kissing in this house). Whispering my hilarity over the military operation that had been our arrival, Chas did not join in (through fear of hidden cameras I think).

 

Asking what would happen if I broke the rules, Chas looked stricken as he told me about an incident with a previous girlfriend. Unfortunately, the poor girl suffered from OCD, and needed three showers a day. The visit had ended after a day with Mr Titty banging on the ensuite door telling her she had used too much water and demanding she come out immediately. Saying he would wait there until she did. I can only wonder why that relationship came to an end.

 

Back downstairs we were offered a tour of Mr Titty’s campsite, which was plainly his pride and joy. After nearly two hours of him explaining the quality and variety of the hedging plants, why they had been chosen. Where they were bought and how much they cost. How long they would take to mature, what they would look like as they grew. How the new toilet block had been designed, what had been done to the drainage system to accommodate this new arrangement, and of course, how much it had cost. I could not nod or look interested, I really couldn’t.

 

Mr Titty detailed the superiority of the site as a whole, mainly due of course to his rigorous attention to detail. Which included that each caravan, only being allowed two days on any spot, at which point the guests would be told to move to the adjoining plot so that his grass wouldn’t be damaged by their vehicle.

 

It must have made for a relaxing week’s holiday to keep taking down the awning, packing away all their stuff and moving the caravan to the next pitch along to accommodate the welfare of the grass.

 

By the evening of the second day dehydration and military procedures were pushing me to my tolerance limit. What I really needed to calm myself was a proper bath, three cups of coffee one after the other, and a massive bar of fruit and nut. With none of these an option, I stared out of the window at the empty campsite and wished the clock would move faster.

 

Every family has its eccentricities, but this was seriously uncomfortable. Not only was this plainly a family under the control of a megalomaniac. It was one that I could never choose be a part of. Imagine having to spend every significant holiday or event with them for the rest of their lives.

 

Like the OCD woman before me, I knew this relationship would have to end because of them. So, I smiled, made polite noises through the next twelve hours, before we could leave, and I could get on with breaking their son’s heart.

Hope you enjoyed this.

For more information

Check out:  https://edengruger.com

Author Bio

Eden Gruger is an eccentric middle aged writing and writer's mentor, whose CV that mentions both PCB Design software sales, and hula hooping.

Now Eden writes modern fiction collections with a humorous, candid, occasionally tragic twist, each collection is based around a theme that touches women's hearts and funny bones. And non fiction guides to the writing, publishing and book marketing process.

When not working Eden spends her time in her garden, on her allotment or enjoying her dogs.

BOOK REVIEW: BEFORE I LET GO (Skyland #1) BY KENNEDY RYAN

 

About:

Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything.


It couldn’t save their marriage.


Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.


Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It's hot. It's illicit. It's all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?

My Thoughts:

What I liked about this book was the uniqueness of it. I say this because the story focused on a family dealing with grief and loss, divorce and reconciliation all rolled into a very beautifully written story. 

In "Before I Let Go" we meet divorced couple Yasmen and Josiah, trying to maintain a level of normalcy for the sake of their children and as thy work together as business partners for their restaurant, Grits. This couple did not break up because of adultery or violence, their break up was simply in my view, because of lack of communication in light of loss of two family members.

What the author did beautifully was really emphasize for the reader, the impact that loss could have on the foundation of the family. Also that counselling and therapy, while some may be apprehensive about seeking such help as Josiah was, could be quite a freeing experience. Josiah's character was so well written because I can see most husbands acting the way he did. One thing though I felt that he needed to be stronger and fight to save his marriage and family.

Depression is REAL and reading about Yasmen's experience reminded me of this. I loved the realness of this family's struggle and that makes in my view an excellent story. 

Liked this book.

Book Review: The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

 

About

Would you defend your husband if he was accused of killing his mistress?

Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. At 33 years old, she is a named partner at her firm and life is going exactly how she planned.

The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He is a struggling writer who has had little success in his career. He begins to tire of his and Sarah’s relationship as she is constantly working.

Out in the secluded woods, at Adam and Sarah’s second home, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers.

Then, one morning everything changes. Adam is arrested for Kelly’s murder. She had been found stabbed to death in Adam and Sarah’s second home.

Sarah soon finds herself playing the defender for her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress.

But is Adam guilty or is he innocent?

My Thoughts

What a great book club pick for February. The Perfect Marriage kept me at the edge of my seat. I was intrigued and couldn't wait to reach the end to see who killed Kelly Summers. Let me tell you I didn't see that coming.

Adam Morgan a struggling writer was having an affair with Kelly Summers. One night she wound up dead. It is up to Adam's wife Sarah Morgan, an accomplished attorney to defend her husband in court. The whole story surrounds the murder and who did it.

What i loved about this book apart from the short chapters (Which I love) is how the author keeps you guessing from beginning to end. While reading I had may ideas on who I thought killed Kelly but was so surprised at the end.

BOOK REVIEW: NERUDA ON THE PARK by Cleyvis Natera

 

Synopsis

An exhilarating debut novel following members of a Dominican family in New York City who take radically different paths when faced with encroaching gentrification

The Guerreros have lived in Nothar Park, a predominantly Dominican part of New York City, for twenty years. When demolition begins on a neighboring tenement, Eusebia, an elder of the community, takes matters into her own hands by devising an increasingly dangerous series of schemes to stop construction of the luxury condos. Meanwhile, Eusebia's daughter, Luz, a rising associate at a top Manhattan law firm who strives to live the bougie lifestyle her parents worked hard to give her, becomes distracted by a sweltering romance with the handsome white developer at the company her mother so vehemently opposes.

As Luz's father, Vladimir, secretly designs their retirement home in the Dominican Republic, mother and daughter collide, ramping up tensions in Nothar Park, racing toward a near-fatal climax.

A beautifully layered portrait of family, friendship, and ambition, Neruda on the Park weaves a rich and vivid tapestry of community as well as the sacrifices we make to protect what we love most, announcing Cleyvis Natera as an electrifying new voice.

MY THOUGHTS

My book club picked this title to read for the month of January. Neruda on the Park takes us to Nohar Park where Luz and her parents Eusebia and Vladimir have resided since migrating from the Dominican Republic to the US.

While buildings in the beloved neighbourhood are being torn down to make way for a new development. Luz is at a crossroads, she is navigating the loss of her job as well as new love. Luz represent the typical child of migrant parents from the Caribbean, who having worked hard, wants to see their child succeed. So while Luz is ready to navigate her new life she is at a crossroad especially when she meets the charming Hudson.

Meanwhile Eusebia (Luz'd mom) is hell bent on making sure that the neighbourhood stays as is using any means necessary. But very soon her friends and family realize that all may not be well with this matriarch of the family....

The story line gripped me at once. I love reading stories about gentrification and migration especially stories of the Caribbean diaspora. The struggles and experiences are often very similar. The author of this book is no doubt very talented so the story grips you at once.

BOOK REVIEW: HUNGRY GHOSTS BY KEVIN JARED HOSEIN

ABOUT

 

Trinidad in the 1940s, nearing the end of American occupation and British colonialism. On a hill overlooking Bell Village sits the Changoor farm, where Dalton and Marlee Changoor live in luxury unrecognizable to those who reside in the farm's shadow. Down below is the Barrack, a ramshackle building of wood and tin, divided into rooms occupied by whole families. Among these families are the Saroops--Hans, Shweta, and their son, Krishna, all three born of the barracks. Theirs are hard lives of backbreaking work, grinding poverty, devotion to faith, and a battle against nature and a social structure designed to keep them where they are.

But when Dalton goes missing and Marlee's safety is compromised, farmhand Hans is lured by the promise of a handsome stipend to move to the farm as a watchman. As the mystery of Dalton's disappearance unfolds, the lives of the wealthy couple and those who live in the barracks below become insidiously entwined, their community changed forever and in shocking ways.

A searing and singular novel of religion, class, family, and historical violence, and rooted in Trinidad's wild pastoral landscape and inspired by oral storytelling traditions, Hungry Ghosts is deeply resonant of its time and place while evoking the roots and ripple effects of generational trauma and linked histories; the lingering resentments, sacrifices, and longings that alter destinies; and the consequences of powerlessness. Lyrically told and rendered with harrowing beauty, Hungry Ghosts is a stunning piece of storytelling and an affecting mystery, from a blazingly talented writer.

MY THOUGHTS

In recent years I think that Caribbean literature has been evolving. The books coming out of the islands have been so well written that I am amazed that there has not been a greater excitement about Caribbean authors in the public domain. Hungry Ghosts is an excellent example of a perfect novel.

Set in Trinidad in the 1940s, (which was at the end of Indentureship) Hungry Ghosts tell the story of barrack living, which existed at the time. The different characters Hansraj, Shweeta, Krishna, Tarak The Changoors and others make up an exciting and interesting cast of characters.

The characters are what interested me the most about this book. Marlee Changoor especially. When you read this, you will have questions about her I'm sure especially the relationship with her and Hansraj.

Hansraj and Shweeta's marriage and the unfolding story was so well written that you felt as if you were there and witnessing the highs and lows. The son Krishna's deterioration throughout the book really made me feel for him as well.

Hosein depicted the times well. I love the element of danger with the story of Dalton Changoor and of course who can forget the twins Rustam and Rudra. On POINT!!!!

In all, this was a really good story, gripping and well written.