Marianne is a sixty year old German woman stuck in a loveless marriage and tries to kill herself. She is saved by three homeless men and her husband commits her to a mental institution. She escapes and ends up in a quaint town in Brittany, France where she makes herself a happy life with friends and joy. When her husband tracks her down will Marianne take him back and go back to her former life? Read a find out. I recommend this book. It was an easy read and you really root for Marianne’s happiness.

This book was RIVETING! A southern family drama meets the godfather!

I really enjoyed this book. It is a fantasy/mystery. I listened to the audiobook and also enjoyed the australian narrator. The parallel story lines of Mary and Liza and Lucy and Jess were interesting and enjoyable

What happened to Eszter? That is what Abby, her fiancé, would like to find out. Abby travels to Isla Colel to try to piece together the last days of her fiancé’s life. Although Eszter had such life threatening food allergies she was always careful and always had her epi pen. What Abby unravels are secrets. Secrets kept by the inhabitants of Isla Colel and Eszter’s group of friends and Eszter herself. This was an exciting page turner with an ending that you would never expect. I recommend this book as your next read.

Trapped in a terrifying marriage with two young daughters, and a baby on the way, Ciara knows that she and her are no longer safe in their home. Her husband is cruel, and although he has not become physical, he is emotionally torturing her. While she has been thinking about it for a while, she impetuously leaves when one evening things become impossible. From here on, the book describes her attempt to leave, navigating the impossible bureaucracy, the challenging housing market, being penniless, with children, being unable to work, and being tormented by her husband, as she tries to navigate the situation and keep her children safe, and regain control of their lives. Along the way she encounters the good, the bad and the ugly. Friendships blossom; professionals try to help. The mean stay mean. An emotional rollercoaster, an insider’s look into the difficulty of “leaving”.

Martha Hall Kelly presents well integrated woven with some family memories into historical fiction. The mystery is set in current time when a young Californian woman travels to Martha’s Vineyard for an Art Class to begin her quest. During her visit, the art instructor shares the story of a local family set during WWII. I came to know the family well and wanted to know the fate of each person. A beautiful summer read. When finished check out Martha’s website. She shares some of the recipes dating back to the ‘40s.

I don't like rating political books. Nothing in this novel was surprising to me, anyone could see the decline in the President and I think it was more about what people would justify of our leaders to prevent an outcome they didn't want. I read this book because I think it's important to hear from all sides about the truths hidden and manipulated to us from people in power. I also recognize the divisiveness of politics now and I don't want to contribute to that so if this review isn't posted, I completely understand.

A woman embarks on a cross country drive from California to New York under the guise of a work trip. She ends up staying at a motel that is thirty minutes from her house and family. She redecorates the motel room to replicate a room where she once stayed in Paris. During this stay she becomes sexually awakened by a younger married man. She upends her marriage by making an arrangement with her husband to have an open marriage. She wants her sexual freedom however it is short lived and she is still not happy. I found this book slightly off putting. I found the main character selfish and not fully mature. I just felt sorry for the husband. I do not recommend this book.

This was a really interesting novel. I already know the story of Huck Finn, and I loved Big River, the musical that is based of it. I could not stop thinking about the musical while I enjoyed this story. It also reminded me of things I forgot when originally reading the Adventures of Huck Finn. I can see why it won the Pulitzer, and why I have been hearing about it becoming a film soon.

I'm catching up on the Rina Lazarus/Peter Decker series. I fell behind. I love this series by Kellerman.