The Moonlight School by Suzanne Woods Fisher – 5 Stars

Those of us who take reading for granted should not.  Reading this book brought so many feelings to the forefront for me.  I have read a few books about the people of the hill country, in different areas,  and this book made me so appreciative of those things I have in my home and my life.  Lucy Wilson goes to help out Cora Wilson Stewart at first to ride a horse (she didn’t know how to ride when she first came to the mountain) into the country and to help the people write letters to others and to read letters those who received them.  These adults can’t read and write, and they live in such primitive conditions.  Yet they are so full of pride for what they do have.  She ends up helping Cora to put together a school for adults, that takes advantage of the time when the children aren’t in school.   Also, when the adults aren’t needed to work in their fields.  This helps give Lucy a purpose, as she has been at loose ends ever since her sister disappeared and years later her Father remarried.  She also meets Brother Wyatt with his unusual way of writing music down with words so that the people can follow them when he leads singing get togethers.  This book is so full of reasons to read it, you won’t want to put it down, you’ll be horrified by the way the people live, their speech, and yet proud of them as they do so much with so little.  Pick this book up!  You’ll not be disappointed.

 

I received this book in the kindle format through NetGalley.com and the words above were my own freely given not required by NetGalley.
#TheMoonlightSchool #SuzanneWoodsFisher  #NetGalley

 

Description

Haunted by her sister's mysterious disappearance, Lucy Wilson arrives in Rowan County, Kentucky, in the spring of 1911 to work for Cora Wilson Stewart, superintendent of education. When Cora sends Lucy into the hills to act as scribe for the mountain people, she is repelled by the primitive conditions and intellectual poverty she encounters. Few adults can read and write.

Born in those hills, Cora knows the plague of illiteracy. So does Brother Wyatt, a singing schoolmaster who travels through the hills. Involving Lucy and Wyatt, Cora hatches a plan to open the schoolhouses to adults on moonlit nights. The best way to combat poverty, she believes, is to eliminate illiteracy. But will the people come?

As Lucy emerges from a life in the shadows, she finds purpose; or maybe purpose finds her. With purpose comes answers to her questions, and something else she hadn't expected: love.

Inspired by the true events of the Moonlight Schools, this standalone novel from bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings to life the story that shocked the nation into taking adult literacy seriously. You'll finish the last page of this enthralling story with deep gratitude for the gift of reading.

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews - 5 Stars

 

Mary Kay Andrews never fails to keep me involved in her books to the very end.  This book didn’t disappoint, I didn’t want to put it down and hated it when it was time to go to bed and my kindle ran out of juice.  I do a lot of reading on it lying next to my sleeping husband.  Then he wonders why I want a nap the next day.  This book had great characters and was so well written, it sure doesn’t have to be a beach day when you read it, but you’ll wish you were there.  I am not going to write a about the story because the description as found on NetGalley.com covers the story.  Just don’t pass by this book if you get the chance to buy it, you’ll enjoy it from beginning to end.  It has suspense, mystery, some romance, and the beach!  What more could you want?

 

I received this book through NetGalley.com free in the kindle format.  I am not required to write a review, although I usually do, I like to help out authors and readers.  The review was my own, thoughts on the book were mine!  #TheNewcomer #MaryKayAndrews #NetGalley

 

Description From NetGalley.com:

Summer never ends with MKA

In trouble and on the run...

After she discovers her sister Tanya dead on the floor of her fashionable New York City townhouse, Letty Carnahan is certain she knows who did it: Tanya’s ex; sleazy real estate entrepreneur Evan Wingfield. Even in the grip of grief and panic Letty heeds her late sister’s warnings: “If anything bad happens to me—it’s Evan. Promise me you’ll take Maya and run. Promise me.” So Letty grabs her sister’s Mercedes and hits the road . . .

With a trunkful of emotional baggage...

and her wailing four-year-old niece Maya. Letty is determined to out-run Evan and the law, but run to where? Tanya, a woman with a past shrouded in secrets, left behind a “go-bag” of cash and a big honking diamond ring—but only one clue: a faded magazine story about a sleepy mom-and-pop motel in a Florida beach town with the improbable name of Treasure Island. She sheds her old life and checks into an uncertain future at The Murmuring Surf Motel.

The No Vacancy sign is flashing & the sharks are circling...

And that’s the good news. Because The Surf, as the regulars call it, is the winter home of a close-knit flock of retirees and snowbirds who regard this odd-duck newcomer with suspicion and down-right hostility. As Letty settles into the motel’s former storage room, she tries to heal Maya’s heartache and unravel the key to her sister’s shady past, all while dodging the attention of the owner’s dangerously attractive son Joe, who just happens to be a local police detective. Can Letty find romance as well as a room at the inn—or will Joe betray her secrets and put her behind bars? With danger closing in, it’s a race to find the truth and right the wrongs of the past.

Shadows Of The White City - Jocelyn Green - 4 Stars

 

This book was written during the time of the World’s Fair, which was well researched.  Sylvie Townsend is working at the Fair and she has finally a family of her own, she took in a Polish immigrant Rose Dabrowski and they are very happy. She believes this to be true, until one day Rose disappeared when she was supposed to be taking her violin lesson.  She never showed up.  As her daughter is 17 and hasn’t been gone long enough, she is brushed off by the authorities.   Sylvie goes on a search of her own with the help of Rose’s violin instructor.  The book is full of the Worlds Fair, the characters are well written, there is mystery, suspense and in the end a little romance. 

 

I received this book through NetGalley.com free in the Kindle format.  The review above was written with my own words and thoughts, not required by NetGalley.com.    #ShadowsOfTheWhiteCity #JocelynGreen  #NetGalley

 

Description

The one thing Sylvie Townsend wants most is what she feared she was destined never to have--a family of her own. But taking in Polish immigrant Rose Dabrowski to raise and love quells those fears--until seventeen-year-old Rose goes missing at the World's Fair, and Sylvie's world unravels.

Brushed off by the authorities, Sylvie turns to her boarder, Kristof Bartok, for help. He is Rose's violin instructor and the concertmaster for the Columbian Exposition Orchestra, and his language skills are vital to helping Sylvie navigate the immigrant communities where their search leads.

From the glittering architecture of the fair to the dark houses of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods, they're taken on a search that points to Rose's long-lost family. Is Sylvie willing to let the girl go? And as Kristof and Sylvie grow closer, can she reconcile her craving for control with her yearning to belong?

 

From This Moment by Kim Vogel Sawyer – 5 Stars

 

There are some great laugh out loud moments with the character Lori, she is full of life, although very insecure as she has big red hair and is over weight and has eating issues.  Those have come from her Father being critical of her very much every day after her mother dies.  She doesn’t feel she is worthy of love, but when she meets the new youth minister, she is so attracted to him.  He has come to Kansas to serve as the youth minister after losing his fiancée’ suddenly in a car accident.  He’s taken the job to get a fresh start, but he can’t seem to get his confidence in God back and is really struggling in embracing his new life.  This book had me drawn in from the beginning, I learned a bit while reading it.  I love books by this author and Kim Vogel Sawyer didn’t disappoint me with this book.

 

I received this book in the kindle format from NetGalley.com.  My words and opinion of this book are my own freely given.  #FromThisMoment #NetGalley #KimVogelSawyer

 

The lost ring brings together two wounded souls--a youth minister haunted by the past and a spunky church custodian--in this heartwarming romance from the bestselling author of The Librarian of Boone's Hollow.

Growing up in the foster care system, Jase Edgar always dreamed of one day starting his own family. But his fiancée's untimely death shattered his plans. Moving to Kansas and serving as a youth minister should be a fresh start, but he can't seem to set aside his doubts about God's goodness long enough to embrace his new life.

Newly-appointed church custodian, Lori Fowler is battling her own challenges. Her strained relationship with her father and her struggles with overeating convince her she's not worthy enough for love. When an Amish weaver enlists their help locating the owner of a ring found among the donated clothing she uses as fabric, Jase and Lori find themselves drawn to each other. But will they be able to release the past and move forward from this moment into a joyful future?

An Ordninary Life by Amanda Prowse - 5 Stars

  was drawn into this book from about page three.  I walked around my house tending to things but reading as I went along. I couldn’t put it down.  It was very well written, the story very well plotted out, everything seemed to flow.  I wanted to see how it was going to end very much from the beginning.  I became invested in the characters and wanted to keep reading.  If you are looking for a good book to pick up, this one won’t disappoint you.  It has suspense, romance, danger……Great story.

 

I received this book from NetGalley.com in the kindle format.  My words and opinion of this book are my own freely given. #AnOrdinaryLife #AmandaProwse #NetGalley

 

 

Description

From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a tale of love, loss—and one last extraordinary dance.

Christmas Eve, 2019. Ninety-four-year-old Molly lies in her hospital bed. A stroke and a fall may have broken her body—but her mind is alive with memories.

London, 1940s. Molly is a bright young woman, determined to help the war effort and keep her head up despite it all. Life becomes brighter when she meets and falls in love with a man who makes her forget everything with one dance. But then war forces her to make an unforgettable sacrifice, and when she’s brought to her knees by a daring undercover mission with the French Resistance, only her sister knows the secret weighing heavily on Molly’s heart.

Now, lying in her hospital bed, Molly can’t escape the memories of what she lost all those years ago. But she is not as alone as she thinks.

Will she be able to find peace—and finally understand that what seemed to be an ordinary life was anything but

What A Dog Knows by Lisa Wilson – 5 Stars!

Ruby is a traveling physic who learns she can hear dog’s thoughts.  Out of no where she met a little dog that seemed lost in the rain, she takes him in and hears the dog.  She decides to stay in the town for a while, Harmony Farms, until she can find out who the dog really belongs to.  She ends up staying there, every time she plans on leaving things happen to keep her there.  This book is so interesting.  I’ve always found psychics to have a mystique about them and this book was so well written the characters were so interesting and well developed that I couldn’t put the book down.  It was really interesting to this person who has never even owned a dog or any pets.

 

I received this book free in the kindle format from NetGalley.com.  My opinions and words about this book are my own, freely given.  #WhatADogKnows #NetGalley #LisaWilson

 

Description

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wilson comes What a Dog Knows, another heartwarming novel about humans and the dogs that change our lives.

Ruby Heartwood has always lived a life on the move. As a traveling psychic, she makes her living working at carnivals and festivals and circuses around New England. It's a life Ruby has made peace with—settling in one place has never been for her. She needs no one, and no one needs her.

Until one night, when she is camped by the side of the road in her trusty Volkswagon "Westie" van, a fierce thunder and lightning storm erupts. In the middle of the downpour, she hears a distinct voice telling her to "let me in." In jumps a little black and white dog, and to Ruby's astonishment, she can hear the dog's thoughts. Has she been struck by lightning? Did the storm do this? Is she losing her mind?

It turns out, Ruby can hear many dogs' thoughts. She decides to set up semi-permanent residency in the town of Harmony Farms, until she can sort out what is going on, and who the little dog, Hitch, belongs to. But some people in Harmony Farms don't want her there. And it seems that events keep preventing Ruby from leaving. What secrets is this town keeping? Why was she meant to find this dog? And what has Ruby really been running from, all these years?

 

The Healer – Lisa Fougere – 5 Stars

This was a very interesting book! It’s about a young woman, Leah, who has the gift of healing.  She can put her hands on someone see where the problem is in their body and make it just go away, or improve remarkably.  The book was very well crafted, with great characters, suspense, and some humor.  She realized at a very young age that she could see things about people.  If they were going to die, or if they were very sick.  It’s very engrossing and I highly recommend this read to everyone.  Looking for a new book to crack the cover on, this is the one for you!

 

I received this book in kindle format from NetGalley.com and the thoughts I’ve expressed in regard to the book are my own, freely given.

#TheHealer. #LisaFougere.

 

Description as found on NetGalley.com

Leah has a gift. The ability to heal others with the touch of her hands. This should be a dream come true, but her world begins to crumble under the weight of such a responsibility. With so many desperate people, how can one woman possibly help enough? Especially when there are those who seek to tear her down. Leah fights to control a situation evolving at lightning speed, and threatening life as she knows it.