Category: Womens Lit

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Kelly reviews Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

TITLE: Mexican Gothic
CHARACTERS: Noemi Taboada
AUTHOR: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
NARRATOR: Frankie Corzo
RUN TIME: 10 Hours & 39 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: June 30, 2020
ORDER LINKS: Audible |Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . .
From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes a novel set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.
After receiving a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find – her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

REVIEW:
WOW!!! What an amazing story! Not at all what I was expecting at all.
I will say that the beginning of this book was a little slow to build. But once the world was built things started getting serious quickly. I truly enjoyed the twists and turns of this story. The secrets that are being held at High House are epic. I would have never figured out what was actually going on until Silvia revealed it to me.
I truly enjoyed Noemí’s journey.

This was my first book from author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I really enjoyed her world building and storytelling. I will be adding her to my list of authors to watch for the next book.
I did listen to this book on audio and this was also my first book narrated by Frankie Corzo. Frankie did a great job of bringing these characters and story to life.

Disclaimer:
I purchased this audiobook from Audible.com and this review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Friendship List by Susan Mallery

TITLE: The Friendship List
CHARACTERS: Ellen and Unity
AUTHOR: Susan Mallery
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/04/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
[ ] Dance till dawn
[ ] Go skydiving
[ ] Wear a bikini in public
[ ] Start living

Two best friends jump-start their lives in a summer that will change them forever…

Single mom Ellen Fox couldn’t be more content—until she overhears her son saying he can’t go to his dream college because she needs him too much. If she wants him to live his best life, she has to convince him she’s living hers.

So Unity Leandre, her best friend since forever, creates a list of challenges to push Ellen out of her comfort zone. Unity will complete the list, too, but not because she needs to change. What’s wrong with a thirty-something widow still sleeping in her late husband’s childhood bed?

The Friendship List begins as a way to make others believe they’re just fine. But somewhere between “wear three-inch heels” and “have sex with a gorgeous guy,” Ellen and Unity discover that life is meant to be lived with joy and abandon, in a story filled with humor, heartache and regrettable tattoos.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts Every year Mallery takes us away from Happily Inc/Fool’s Gold and takes us on a journey of friendship instead of romance. Not that it doesn’t have romance involved… what would a Mallery book be without romance?… but the books are mostly about friendship and the “other” relationships in our lives.

In this story we have Ellen and Unity. They have been friends for what seems forever and they make a pact. This will do the things on their bucket list and the one that doesn’t get everything complete will pay for the winner to have a spa weekend.

I will be honest and say I had moments of dislike for every single character. But you know what? That is life. Even the people we love most drive us crazy. Or we want to kick them in the butt and say “It is what it is. Get over it.”

Mallery brings real life to paper. The way we handle our teenagers and their grown up actions. Our friends and their childlike behavior. And of course love and romance. So many moments with the teenagers in the story I wanted to yell at them or yell at the parents for what they were/were not doing. But when a book can make you feel so involved you know you have been taken into the authors world and out of your own.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kelly reviews He Started It by Samantha Downing

TITLE: He Started It
CHARACTERS: Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan
AUTHOR: Samantha Downing
PUBLICATION DATE: July 28, 2020
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven’t all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we’ll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance.
But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.
It’s even harder when you’re all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory—a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won’t stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there’s a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.
But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts He Started It is a wild ride of three siblings fulfilling their late grandfather’s final wish to revisit the family road trip that they went on 20 years earlier. What lays ahead for the Morgan siblings is a lot of memories, questions, lies and betrayals.

*Staring at the final sentence in the book wondering what the heck just happened*
I think it took me a whole 5 minutes to realize that the story was over. Wow, just wow!!!
Family road trips will never be the same after reading He Started it. This was a great follow up novel by Samantha Downing. I really enjoyed My Lovely Wife and was excited to pick up He Started It for review.
The story has a few slow parts but I could not put the book down because I had no clue what was going to be next. And boy was I surprised multiple times.

I am already looking forward to whatever Samantha has in store for us next!!!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley, Edelweiss & Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews A Walk Along The Beach by Debbie Macomber

TITLE: A Walk Along The Beach
CHARACTERS: Willa & Harper
AUTHOR: Debbie Macomber
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/14/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
TWO SISTERS MUST LEARN FROM EACH OTHER’S STRENGTHS AND TRUST IN THE REDEEMING POWER OF LOVE IN A TOUCHING NEW NOVEL FROM NUMBER ONE ‘NEW YORK TIMES’ BEST-SELLING AUTHOR DEBBIE MACOMBER.

The Lake sisters are perfect opposites. After their mother died and their father was lost in grief, Willa had no choice but to raise her sister, Harper, and their brother, Lucas. Then, as an adult, she put her own life on hold to nurse Harper through a terrifying illness, Now that Harper is better and the sisters are living as roommates, Willa has realized her dream of running her own bakery and coffee shop, bringing her special brand of caretaker to the whole Oceanside community.

Harper, on the other hand, is always on the go. Overcoming a terrible illness has given her a new lease on life, and she does not intend to waste it. When Harper announces her plan to summit Mount Rainier, Willa fears she may be pushing herself too far. Harper, for her part, urges Willa to stop worrying and do something outside of her comfort zone – like taking a chance on love with a handsome new customer.

Sean O’Malley is as charming as he is intriguing – a freelance photographer whose assignments take him to the ends of the earth. Soon Willa’s falling for him in a way that is both exciting and terrifying. But life has taught Willa to hedge her bets, and she wonders whether the potential heartache is worth the risk.

Life has more challenges in store for them all. But both sisters will discover that even in the darkest moments, family is everything.

REVIEW:
Can you really go wrong with a Debbie Macomber novel? Simply put… No!

This book has more emotion than I could stand. And yet I wanted more. The end is a bit more abrupt than I would have liked but the story is such a roller coaster of emotions.

If you have someone (anyone) who is sick that you have walked through the sickness with them you will be more sensitive to this book than others. And when you have a family even if you are not that close anymore, at a time like this they learn that family is more important than anything.

What a story but have a box of tissues near!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Daddy’s Girls by Danielle Steel

TITLE: Daddy’s Girls
CHARACTERS: Caroline, Gemma & Kate
AUTHOR: Danielle Steel
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/09/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
IN DANIELLE STEEL’S RIVETING NOVEL, THREE WOMEN RAISED BY THEIR FATHER ON A SPRAWLING CALIFORNIA RANCH NOW CONFRONT DIFFICULT TRUTHS ABOUT THEIR PAST.

Decades ago, after the death of his wife, Texas ranch hand JT Tucker took his three small daughters to California to start a new life. With almost no money, a will of iron, and hard work, he eventually built the biggest ranch in California. but when he dies suddenly at the age of 64, the ranch is inherited by his three daughters – each of them finding it impossible to believe this larger-than-life figure is gone from their lives.

JT’s relationship with each daughter was entirely different. Caroline, the youngest and most reserved, was overlooked by her father for her entire life and fled to become a wife, mother, and writer in Marin County. Gemma, his declared favorite, sought out Hollywood glamour and success and became a major television star. Kate, the eldest, stayed at home with her father to do his bidding as a ranch hand, without thanks or praise, forsaking marriage and a family of her own for the love of him.

Now, upon JT’s death, the paper trail he leaves behind begins to reveal much more than the three sisters ever guessed about who he really was. It will turn their world upside down, and each of them must grapple with a new reality, strengthening their relationships with one another and discovering who they are now as grown women, in spite of him.

Set against the magnificent backdrop of the West and the drams of a family in turmoil, ‘DADDY’S GIRLS’ is the story of three remarkable women and their unique bond to each other – the daughters of a complex, many-faceted, domineering father who left his mark on each of them.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts So it’s Danielle Steel, if you are a fan of the genre of course you know the story is great.

This story is about family and the relationship dynamics between sisters and the different relationship they have with their father. How can three girls grow up with the same dad and have completely different feelings towards him and about him?

As with every Danielle Steel book there is real life thrown into her stories. You will definitely connect with at least one of the girls and maybe all of them in some form or another.

Steel is the queen of her genre and any fan grabs her stories as soon as they come on the market and this is one you will love adding to your collection.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis

TITLE: The Summer Deal
SERIES #: Wildstone #5
CHARACTERS: Brynn, Kinsey & Eli
AUTHOR: Jill Shalvis
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/02/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Brynn Turner desperately wishes she had it together, but her personal life is like a ping-pong match that’s left her scared and hurt after so many attempts to get it right. In search of a place to lick her wounds and get a fresh start, she heads back home to Wildstone.

And then there’s Kinsey Davis, who after battling serious health issues her entire twenty-nine years of life, is tired of hoping for . . . well, anything. She’s fierce, tough, and pretty much the opposite of Brynn except for one thing: they’re half-sisters. Kinsey is keeping this bombshell, and a few others as well. Long time frenemies from summer camp, there’s no way she’s going to tell Brynn they’re related.

But then Brynn runs into Kinsey’s lifelong best friend, Eli, renewing a childhood crush. He’s still easy-going and funny and sexy as hell. When he gets her to agree to a summer-time deal to trust him to do right by her, no matter what, she never dreams it’ll result in finding a piece of herself she didn’t even know was missing. She could have a sister, love, and a future―if she can only learn to let go of the past.

As the long days of summer wind down, the three of them must discover if forgiveness is enough to grasp the unconditional love that’s right in front of them.

REVIEW:
Oh how I love Jill Shalvis! I have never been disappointed in what she has written and this is another story I just enjoyed. There were characters that drove me nuts but somehow that just made them family. There is a bit of weird dynamics here so let me see if I can help a reader out. Brynn and Kinsey are frenemies for childhood but actually they are half siblings. Brynn had a crush on Eli who is now Kinsey’s boyfriend and more like bro/sis with Brynn. Brynn has a sorta boyfriend in Deck. Brynn knows she is half siblings but keeps it and so much more from Kinsey but tells Eli and makes him promise not to tell his girlfriend because she has been through health issues.

Caught up? Yeah it can be confusing but Jill Shalvis writes it so perfectly that you just fall into her writing and enjoy.

Grab this book and bring it along this summer to where ever you are going…. Ok you can read it at home since we are mostly stuck here… but no matter where you are it will be a read you will enjoy every word of.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Always The Last To Know by Kristan Higgins

TITLE: Always The Last To Know
CHARACTERS: Barb, John & Sadie
AUTHOR: Kristan Higgins
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/09/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Sometimes you have to break a family to fix it.

From New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins, a new novel examining a family at the breaking point in all its messy, difficult, wonderful complexity.

The Frosts are a typical American family. Barb and John, married almost fifty years, are testy and bored with each other…who could blame them after all this time? At least they have their daughters– Barb’s favorite, the perfect, brilliant Juliet; and John’s darling, the free-spirited Sadie. The girls themselves couldn’t be more different, but at least they got along, more or less. It was fine. It was enough.

Until the day John had a stroke, and their house of cards came tumbling down.

Now Sadie has to put her career as a teacher and struggling artist in New York on hold to come back and care for her beloved dad–and face the love of her life, whose heart she broke, and who broke hers. Now Juliet has to wonder if people will notice that despite her perfect career as a successful architect, her perfect marriage to a charming Brit, and her two perfect daughters, she’s spending an increasing amount of time in the closet having panic attacks.

And now Barb and John will finally have to face what’s been going on in their marriage all along.

From the author of Good Luck with That and Life and Other Inconveniences comes a new novel of heartbreaking truths and hilarious honesty about what family really means.

REVIEW:
This might be one of my favorite Kristan Higgins books ever. The reason why is that it is so real. I kept seeing myself in a number of characters at different times. And I love that kind of story.

I want to tell you that I connected more with one character but I didn’t. I connected with all of them. I guess because the family dynamic can be really anyone’s family. We all have ups and downs in our life and this story shows that we are not alone.

Higgins has really grown as an author since I have been reading her books. And I can’t wait until her next book and every one after that.

This is a great beach read. Just fall into the story and relax.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Numbers Game by Danielle Steel

TITLE: The Numbers Game
CHARACTERS: Eileen & Paul
AUTHOR: Danielle Steel
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/03/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In Danielle Steel’s stunning novel, modern relationships come together, fall apart, and are reinvented over time, proving that age is just a number.

Eileen Jackson was happy to set aside her own dreams to raise a family with her husband, Paul. Together they built an ordinary life in a Connecticut town, the perfect place for their kids to grow up. But when Eileen discovers that Paul’s late nights in the city are hiding an affair with a younger woman, she begins to question all those years of sacrifice and compromise. On the brink of forty and wondering what she’s going to do with the rest of her life, is it too late for her to start over?

Meanwhile, as Paul is thrust back into the role of suburban fatherhood, his girlfriend, Olivia, is in Manhattan, struggling to find herself in the shadow of her mother, a famous actress, and her grandmother, a fiercely independent ninety-two-year-old artist. With their unique brands of advice ringing in her head, Olivia takes a major step, expanding her art gallery business internationally. Seeing her mother pursue old dreams and even find new love, Olivia realizes that there is so much she must learn about herself before committing her life to someone else.

Ultimately, Eileen decides to chase her own dreams as well. She’s off to Paris to attend Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. What awaits is an adventure that reinvents her life and redefines her.

At every age, there are challenges to be met and new worlds to discover. In this surprising, illuminating novel, Danielle Steel gives us a warmhearted portrait of people driven by their emotions, life experiences, and loyalties, who realize that it’s never too late to turn a new page and start again.

REVIEW:
As with all books from Danielle Steel there is a lesson to be learned as you read between the lines. In this story we learn that life is not over just because you think you are too old to start over.

In this story we meet Eileen who finds out her husband is having an affair when she thought she was living the ideal life. Now she doesn’t know if she can start over or how to even get started. But she watched her mom start over and figures she can too. So off she goes to Paris and begins anew.

I loved meeting Eileen, her mom and her grandmother. These three women are a bit of all of us. They are who we are, who we were and who we want to be at different points in our life.

Another great read from Danielle Steel!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz

TITLE: The Grace Kelly Dress
CHARACTERS: Rocky, Rose and Joan
AUTHOR: Brenda Janowitz
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/03/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYN OPSIS:
Paris, 1958: Rose, a seamstress at a fashionable atelier, has been entrusted with sewing a Grace Kelly-lookalike gown for a wealthy bride-to-be. But when, against better judgment, she finds herself falling in love with the bride’s handsome brother, Rose must make an impossible choice—one that could put all she’s worked for at risk: love, security, and of course, the dress.

Sixty years later, tech CEO Rachel, who goes by the childhood nickname “Rocky,” has inherited the dress for her upcoming wedding in New York City. But there’s just one problem: Rocky doesn’t want to wear it. A family heirloom dating back to the 1950s, the dress just isn’t her. Rocky knows this admission will break her mother Joan’s heart. But what she doesn’t know is why Joan insists on the dress—or the heartbreaking secret that changed her mother’s life decades before, as she herself prepared to wear it.

As the lives of these three women come together in surprising ways, the revelation of the dress’s history collides with long-buried family heartaches. And in the lead-up to Rocky’s wedding, they’ll have to confront the past before they can embrace the beautiful possibilities of the future.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I am a bit on the fence about this story. The reason for that is I really loved the stories told of Rose and liked the story of Joan but was just ok with Rocky’s story. As I read the story I wished the author had made it into a trilogy series telling each person’s time with the dress is more detail.

The story of Rose in the 1950’s when the dress was a copied design of Grace Kelly’s (wedding 1956) was so magical to me. I have been a fan of Grace Kelly’s for decades so hearing this part was wonderful.

Joan’s story is set in the 1980’s which also I can relate to since that was “my” generation. And imagining the dress being passed down was great.

And then there was Rocky who is st in modern day and who doesn’t want to wear a dress that is 70 years old but I really didn’t feel the emotions that I hoped Rocky would have as she heard the stories of the dresses past.

I hoped for more but got a good amount.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Sisters By Choice by Susan Mallery

TITLE: Sisters By Choice
SERIES #: Blackberry Island #4
CHARACTERS: Sophie, Kristine & Heather
AUTHOR: Susan Mallery
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/11/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Cousins by chance, sisters by choice…

After her cat toy empire goes up in flames, Sophie Lane returns to Blackberry Island, determined to rebuild. Until small-town life reveals a big problem: she can’t grow unless she learns to let go. If Sophie relaxes her grip even a little, she might lose everything. Or she might finally be free to reach for the happiness and love that have eluded her for so long.

Kristine has become defined by her relationship to others. She’s a wife, a mom. As much as she adores her husband and sons, she wants something for herself—a sweet little bakery just off the waterfront. She knew changing the rules wouldn’t be easy, but she never imagined she might have to choose between her marriage and her dreams.

Like the mainland on the horizon, Heather’s goals seem beyond her grasp. Every time she manages to save for college, her mother has another crisis. Can she break free, or will she be trapped in this tiny life forever?

Told with Mallery’s trademark humor and charm, Sisters by Choice is a heartfelt tale of love, family and the friendships that see us through.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts Oh how I adored this story and Oh how I love Susan Mallery! Susan has a way of bringing you right into her world and you not only want to visit you want to pack up and move there. Blackberry Island has been no different.

In this story we meet Sophie, Kristine and Heather. They are “Sisters By Choice”. We all have one of those or maybe more than one like in this case.

Having my own Sister By Choice made this story more real to me. My SBC and I have been through so much and yet when we should have fallen apart we grew closer together. As I read about Sophie, Kristine and Heather I knew they could and would survive it all together.

Susan Mallery is simply the best when it comes to writing. She is always the first I mention when someone asks who I read. And this story is just proof as to why. Another wonderful trip to Blackberry Island.

Disclaimer:I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

 

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Kimberly reviews Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie

TITLE: Been There, Married That
CHARACTERS: Agnes Murphy Nash
AUTHOR: Gigi Levangie
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/11/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A hilarious new novel full of Hollywood glitz, glamour, and scandal.

When he changes the locks, she changes the rules.

Agnes Murphy Nash is the perfect Hollywood wife – she has the right friends, the right clothes, and even a side career of her own as a writer. Her husband Trevor is a bigshot producer, and from the outside it looks like they’re living a picture-perfect celebrity life, complete with tennis tournaments and lavish parties.

But the job description of a Hollywood wife doesn’t cover divorce, which is the way Agnes’ life is headed after she comes home one day to find her credit cards cancelled and the security passwords to get into her enormous LA home changed. Oh, and there’s a guy there whose job it is to tase her if she tries to enter…which she does. Needless to say, Agnes’ husband is dead set on making sure she loses big time, but Agnes isn’t the type to just lie down and take it. In a world of fremenies and hot nannies, personal psychics and “skinny” jello shots, Agnes may be losing her husband, but could that mean getting her own life back?

Been There, Married That is a drop-dead hilarious battle of wills that will make you laugh out loud, cringe, and keep turning the pages to see what crazy disaster will happen to Agnes next…and how she’ll rise from the ashes.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts This was a close DNF for me but decided I would skim the rest of it. I think the author was too set on throwing in snark that she forgot there should have been a story involved.

I have never read this author but the title caught my attention. And then the description seemed good so I requested it. I really just didn’t enjoy it.

The husband is such an asshat that I just wanted to stop reading anything about him. There was NOTHING good about this man. And why Agnes listens to anything he says is beyond me. I mean he sends her to rehab for almonds and she goes? I can’t even begin to tell you the words that would have come out of my mouth and the last one would have been divorce…. And been happy about it.

I just couldn’t stand these characters and like I said the writing was going more for snark than humor if you ask me.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews Moral Compass by Danielle Steel

TITLE: Moral Compass
AUTHOR: Danielle Steel
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/07/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
At an elite private school in Massachusetts, a wide circle of lives will be forever changed by a devastating series of events in Danielle Steel’s riveting new novel.

Saint Ambrose Prep is a place where the wealthy send their children for the best possible education, with teachers and administrators from the Ivy League, and graduates who become future lawyers, politicians, filmmakers, and CEOs. Traditionally a boys-only school, Saint Ambrose has just enrolled one hundred and forty female students for the first time. Even though most of the kids on the campus have all the privilege in the world, some are struggling, wounded by their parents’ bitter divorces, dealing with insecurity and loneliness. In such a heightened environment, even the smallest spark can become a raging fire.

One day after the school’s annual Halloween event, a student lies in the hospital, her system poisoned by dangerous levels of alcohol. Everyone in this sheltered community—parents, teachers, students, police, and the media—are left trying to figure out what actually happened. Only the handful of students who were there when she was attacked truly know the answers and they have vowed to keep one another’s secrets. As details from the evening emerge, powerful families are forced to hire attorneys and less powerful families watch helplessly. Parents’ marriages are jeopardized, and students’ futures are impacted. No one at Saint Ambrose can escape the fallout of a life-altering event.

In this compelling novel, Danielle Steel illuminates the dark side of one drunken night, with its tragic consequences, from every possible point of view. As the drama unfolds, the characters will reach a crossroads where they must choose between truth and lies, between what is easy and what is right, and find the moral compass they will need for the rest of their lives.

REVIEW:
Danielle Steel is truly one of the best and with this one she brings you into a dark and serious subject.

A boys school has been open to girls now but when that happens it brings trouble. After underage drinking and the rape of one of the girls the school and the students in it are dragged into the dark but real consequences that happen every day in this country.

WOW! What a story. In the age of #MeToo this is poignant and provocative. I found myself hurting for each of the characters even the guilty but especially the victim. This story is a must-read for every teenager, boy or girl.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts