Tuesday, February 27, 2018

The Pearl Sister: The Seven Sisters Book 4

~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~




Synopsis (from Amazon): CeCe D’Aplièse has always felt like an outcast. But following the death of her father—the reclusive billionaire affectionately called Pa Salt by the six daughters he adopted from around the globe—she finds herself more alone than ever. With nothing left to lose, CeCe delves into the mystery of her familial origins. The only clues she holds are a black and white photograph and the name of a female pioneer who once traversed the globe from Scotland to Australia.

One hundred years earlier, Kitty McBride, a clergyman's daughter, abandoned her conservative upbringing to serve as the companion to a wealthy woman traveling from Edinburgh to Adelaide. Her ticket to a new land brings the adventure she dreamed of…and a love that she had never imagined.

When CeCe reaches the searing heat and dusty plains of the Red Centre of Australia, something deep within her responds to the energy of the area and the ancient culture of the Aboriginal people, and her soul reawakens. As she comes closer to finding the truth of her ancestry, CeCe begins to believe that this untamed, vast continent could offer her what she’s always yearned for: a sense of belonging.

Just as The Shadow Sister was an “engaging and mesmerizing story of self-discovery and love” (Library Journal, starred review), The Pearl Sister is your next “perfect curl-up-in-an-armchair read” (Daily Mail, UK) from Lucinda Riley.



One (or more) Sentence Summary: My favorite Seven Sisters series book so far!    I didn't care for CeCe in The Shadow Sister, but I loved her in The Pearl Sister.  We see such a different side of CeCe in this book.  Once again, we are taken on a journey of one of the 6 seven sisters and their discovery of their past.  Upon Pa Salt's death, each adoptive sister is presented with clues to their families history.  We are able to read "current" day along side the past.  

I loved how the two stories blended into one book.  Each story had me wanting more every time I turned a page.  I didn't want to leave one story, even though I couldn't wait to get back to the first story.  Another reoccurring theme is how strong the women are in both stories.  My kind of book!  

The story of Kitty and the twin bothers still has my mind twirling.  We are tossed some really big twists in both stories.  I wasn't expecting it and it is so good (no spoiler here!).  Of all my "historical" characters, Kitty is by far my favorite.  The Pearl Sister is a must read in The Seven Sisters series!  

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: I have read all the books in the series and can't wait for Book 5!  


Lucinda Riley is a New York Times bestselling author of sixteen novels, including The Orchid House and The Seven Sisters series. Her books have sold more than eight million copies in thirty languages globally. She was born in Ireland and divides her time between England and West Cork with her husband and four children. Visit her online at LucindaRiley.com and learn more about The Seven Sisters series at TheSevenSistersSeries.com.

Saturday, February 24, 2018

The Shadow Sister: The Seven Sisters Book 3



Synopsis (from Amazon):  In this spellbinding novel, two independent women—separated by a hundred years but linked by forces larger than themselves—discover the secrets of their birth in the spellbinding third book of an epic series by New York Times bestselling author Lucinda Riley.

Star D’Aplièse is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father—the elusive billionaire, affectionately called Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted from across the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to their true heritage, and Star’s clue leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a new journey.

A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy in her home in England’s picturesque Lake District—just a stone’s throw away from her childhood idol, Beatrix Potter. But when circumstances carry her to London, and into the home of one of Edwardian England’s most notorious society hostesses, Alice Keppel, she finds herself a pawn in a larger game; forced to choose between passionate love and duty to her family. That is, until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman reveals answers Flora has been searching for…

Star’s voyage of discovery takes her deep into Flora’s remarkable story, and into her own past. But the more she uncovers, the more Star begins to question herself, and her place in the world.

Ideal for fans of Downton Abbey and the historical fiction of Kate Morton and Kristin Hannah, The Shadow Sister is the “perfect curl-up-in-an-armchair read” (Daily Mail) for anyone who wants to travel through the lush English countryside and explore the lives and loves of the British aristocracy.



One (or more) Sentence Summary:  Star is the third sister in the seven sisters. The series is about 6 adopted sisters that are given the chance to learn about their ancestors based a clues their Pa Salt left upon his death.  Star's story takes us to London.  I love London and stories that take place there.  Once again, there are two parallel stories: Star's her journey after the death of Pa Salt (her adoptive father) and into Star's journey into her past and her family.

While I liked Star's journey it didn't keep my attention.  However, Flora's story made me want to keep turning the pages.  It did reminded me of Downtown Abbey (probably the setting).  Flora I think is one of the strongest women in the series so far.  I also enjoyed how the events that took place in Book 1 and 2 were woven into the story.  

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: I have read The Seven Sisters Book 1, The Storm Sister: The Seven Sisters Book 2 and ready to read The Pearl Sister: The Seven Sisters Book 4!



Lucinda Riley is a New York Times bestselling author of sixteen novels, including The Orchid House and The Seven Sisters series. Her books have sold more than eight million copies in thirty languages globally. She was born in Ireland and divides her time between England and West Cork with her husband and four children. Visit her online at LucindaRiley.com and learn more about The Seven Sisters series at TheSevenSistersSeries.com.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Beyond Believing


~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~



Synopsis (from Amazon): When Olivia gets news of her best friend Dan’s fatal car accident, her life is shattered. Consumed with grief and struggling to find any meaning or purpose to life, she trudges along with a gaping void in her heart. Finally, when her frustration reaches its peak, Olivia decides to put her trust in the depth of friendship the two of them shared. That trust finally allows him to breakthrough to her, and Dan begins to guide Olivia through the twists and turns of her life, leading to something new and entirely unexpected.

When Olivia exposes a gigantic internal scandal at work, her career implodes. With no job and nowhere to turn, she escapes to Palm Springs for the sympathy and care of her beloved cousin, Garrett. However, with only weeks left before the opening of his newest store, “Gin and Tonic,” Garrett isn’t quite the comfort Olivia had expected. She yet again tries to find her way, and in the process meets someone who begins to fill that void in her heart. She’s never before experienced a love like this; it heals her soul and rekindles her spirit – and just may have been the design of her dearly departed friend all along.


Beyond Believing is a sweet, funny, and romantic story that touches the heart, serves up delicious twists and turns, and shows the reader that there’s no such thing as “coincidence.” Author D.D. Marx regards this book as her “love letter to friendship,” written in memory of her best friend, Dan.



One (or more) Sentence Summary: Beyond Believing starts out so tragically, however, it is needed to set the tone of the story.  Olivia and Dan have such an amazing friendship and he is always by her side, especially when she needs him the most.  

I love how she stands up for the a large company and does the right thing.  I was sorry that it caused her career to implode as she did the right thing.  As she runs to California to her cousin Garrett, it changes her life for the better.  

This is a very easy read with wonderful characters and a great story line.  I couldn't get enough of Olivia and her story.  At the end of every chapter, I had to determine if I had time for one more chapter.  It was such a hard choice.  I enjoyed Beyond Believing so much.  I recommend purchasing Beyond Believing.  If you are looking for a bookclub book, this would be a great choice.

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Absolutely, I am staring the next book in the series, Beyond Love.




D.D. Marx is a contemporary romantic fiction writer and blogger, as well as a lover of all things social. She is a graduate of the University of Dayton, as well as the Second City program in Chicago, where she currently resides. A proud aunt and self-described hopeless romantic, Marx has always has a knack for humorous and engaging storytelling. Her pen name is a dedication to her beloved friend Dan, who continues to guide and inspire her in her daily life.






Tuesday, February 20, 2018

The Storm Sister: The Seven Sisters Book 2




Synopsis (from Amazon): Ally D’Aplièse is about to compete in one of the world’s most perilous yacht races when she hears the news of her adoptive father’s sudden, mysterious death. Rushing back to meet her five sisters at their family home, she discovers that her father—an elusive billionaire affectionately known to his daughters as Pa Salt—has left each of them a tantalizing clue to their true heritage.

But the timing couldn’t be worse: Ally had only recently fallen into a new and deeply passionate love affair, but with her life now turned upside down, she decides to leave the open seas and follow the trail that her father left her, which leads her to the icy beauty of Norway…

There, Ally begins to discover her roots and how her story is inextricably bound to that of a young unknown singer, Anna Landvik, who lived over a century before and sang in the first performance of Grieg’s iconic music set to Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt. As Ally learns more about Anna, she also begins to question who her father, Pa Salt, really was—and why is the seventh sister missing?

Following the internationally bestselling novel The Seven Sisters, this novel, “full of drama and romance” (Daily Mail), continues Lucinda Riley’s spellbinding series inspired by the mythology surrounding the famous star constellation.



One (or more) Sentence Summary: The Storm Sister is the second book in the Seven Sisters series (The Seven Sisters, Book 1 review).  I very much enjoyed the story of Ally and learning about her history.  I can't believe Ally had to go through so much lost.  The second story within The Storm Sister is Ally's history.  The story takes us to Norway to discover Anna and the music of Grieg.  I really like how Lucinda Riley goes back and forth between the two stories.  The stories are so well described you feel like you become part of the stories.  She leaves me wanting more.  


Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Yes, I am now reading The Shadow Sister: The Seven Sisters Book 3.





Lucinda Riley is a New York Times bestselling author of sixteen novels, including The Orchid House and The Seven Sisters series. Her books have sold more than eight million copies in thirty languages globally. She was born in Ireland and divides her time between England and West Cork with her husband and four children. Visit her online at LucindaRiley.com and learn more about The Seven Sisters series at TheSevenSistersSeries.com.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Tell Me More

~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~





Synopsis (from Amazon):  It’s a crazy idea: trying to name the phrases that make love and connection possible. But that’s just what Kelly Corrigan has set out to do here. In her New York Times bestselling memoirs, Corrigan distilled our core relationships to their essences, showcasing a warm, easy storytelling style. Now, in Tell Me More, she’s back with a deeply personal, unfailingly honest, and often hilarious examination of the essential phrases that turn the wheel of life.

In “I Don’t Know,” Corrigan wrestles to make peace with uncertainty, whether it’s over invitations that never came or a friend’s agonizing infertility. In “No,” she admires her mother’s ability to set boundaries and her liberating willingness to be unpopular. In “Tell Me More,” a facialist named Tish teaches her something important about listening. And in “I Was Wrong,” she comes clean about her disastrous role in a family fight—and explains why saying sorry may not be enough. With refreshing candor, a deep well of empathy, and her signature desire to understand “the thing behind the thing,” Corrigan swings between meditations on life with a preoccupied husband and two mercurial teenage daughters to profound observations on love and loss.

With the streetwise, ever-relatable voice that defines Corrigan’s work, Tell Me More is a moving and meaningful take on the power of the right words at the right moment to change everything.




One (or more) Sentence Summary: I absolutely adore all of Kelly's books and stories.  Tell Me More, is no exception.  I loved it so much after reading it, I listened to it on Audible (bonus: as it is read by Kelly herself).  Right from the beginning of the book I connected with Kelly, losing both my mother and a friend, not to mention teen girls, a patient husband and a dog. I was crying one minute and belly laughing the next.  My favorite line is ...Oh well, comes out as mothersf****er!  I am pretty sure my family has heard that come out of my mouth a time or two! I had to share that one with friends and co-workers.  I couldn't stop laughing.

Of course, the tears flowed too and I went through plenty of Kleenex.  For example, I was getting groceries at Meijer's while listening to the chapter where she talks about Liz and her family after Liz's death (holding Liz's daughter during a visit) with tears were rolling down my cheeks.  It didn't help that you can hear the hurt in Kelly's voice.  I didn't even care that I was in the middle of Meijer's or opened an unpaid box of Kleenex....I had to keep listening. I paid for the Kleenex at checkout!

Kelly shares her stories in an heart-felt, honest, frank, non-threatening way.  I realized I am not alone in dealing with these adult issues.  I absolutely loved Tell Me More (remember I read it and than listened to it - if that isn't loving a book, I don't know what is!!).  Buy it today for yourself and for a friend.  You will love it and your friend will thank you!

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Yes, I have read everyone of them to date!  I can't wait for her next book to hit the stores!





Kelly Corrigan has been called “the voice of her generation” by O: The Oprah Magazine and “the poet laureate of the ordinary” by HuffPost. She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Middle Place, Lift, and Glitter and Glue. She is also the creative director of The Nantucket Project and host of their conversation series about what matters most. She lives near Oakland, California, with her husband, Edward Lichty, and her daughters, Georgia and Claire.

Thursday, February 1, 2018

The Seven Sisters




Synopsis (from Amazon): The first book in a major new series from #1 internationally bestselling author Lucinda Riley, author of The Midnight Rose—hailed as “an extraordinary story [and] a complex, deeply engaging tale filled with fascinating characters” (Library Journal).


Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each sister is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue that takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story.

Eighty years earlier in the Rio of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to complete his vision. Izabela—passionate and longing to see the world—convinces her father to allow her to accompany him and his family to Europe before she is married. There, at Paul Landowski’s studio and in the heady, vibrant cafes of Montparnasse, she meets ambitious young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again.

In this sweeping, epic tale of love and loss—the first in a unique, spellbinding new series—Lucinda Riley showcases her storytelling talents like never before.



One (or more) Sentence Summary: The Seven Sisters is the first book in the series.  There are two stories in one, which didn't take away from either plot.  It left me wanting more as the stories switched.  I really liked how Maia's Pa left all six sisters a clue to their heritage and Maia was the first to take the challenge.  I am excited for the other books to follow and learn about each sister and their family background.  Great story with a new twist I haven't seen before.

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: I am listening to the audio book of the second one in the series...The Storm Sister!




Lucinda Riley is a New York Times bestselling author of sixteen novels, including The Orchid House and The Seven Sisters series. Her books have sold more than eight million copies in thirty languages globally. She was born in Ireland and divides her time between England and West Cork with her husband and four children. Visit her online at LucindaRiley.com and learn more about The Seven Sisters series at TheSevenSistersSeries.com.