Norah's Ark by Victoria Williamson

Norah's Ark is an uplifting tale of empathy, friendship, and finding a sense of belonging in the face of adversity.Norah Day lives in temporary accommodation, relies on food banks for dinner, and doesn’t have a mum. But she’s happy enough with her dad and a mini zoo of rescued wildlife to care for.

Adam Sinclair lives with his parents in a nice house with a private tutor and everything he could ever want. But his life isn’t perfect—far from it. He’s stuck at home recovering from cancer with an overprotective mum and no friends.

When a nest of baby birds brings them together as an animal rescue team, Adam and Norah discover they’re not so different after all. Can they solve the mystery of Norah’s missing mother together? And can their teamwork save their zoo of rescued animals from the rising flood?

Kindle Edition, 204 pages

Published March 4, 2025

by Neem Tree Press

3.5/5 stars

Norah's Ark is the story of two 12 year-old kids who come from totally different lifestyles with not a lot in common. Except for the fact that they are lonely.

Norah she lives with her single father who is down on his luck in the job market, as well as living arrangements.  Adam has recently recovered from leukemia, his mother is nervous about him doing anything that she deems too risky. It is a nest of abandoned baby birds that brings these two together.

Norah's Ark is a story of friendship and love of animals. It is an emotional read that draws on the heart strings. One can’t help rooting for Norah and Adam as they navigate forward towards an ending that was uplifting. It is a great book for middle-aged readers as well as older ones.  A perfect opportunity to open up lines of discussion.

My thanks to Neem Tree Press (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

Something is wrong with Ruby Johnson.

A former resident of the ultra-elite Manhattan upper class, Ruby now works as a maid in the type of houses she used to live in. Unassuming, she sees everyone’s dirty secrets from the inside of their beautiful, renovated brownstones. But when Ruby witnesses a murder, she has wicked plans in mind that don’t involve telling the authorities the truth.

Eddie Flynn, streetwise ex con-artist-turned-defense attorney, is the only lawyer in New York City willing to take on hopeless cases. And none is more hopeless than John Jackson’s—the gun that killed his neighbor found, with Jackson’s DNA, in his own home. Flynn and his unconventional team will need to use every trick they know to keep an innocent man from being locked up. But to save his client’s life, Eddie must first protect his own, as the scariest organized criminals in the city are out for his head.

Kindle Edition, 416 pages

Expected publication March 25, 2025

 by Atria Books

4/5 stars

It wasn’t till after I had started reading Witness 8 that I realized this is book 8 in the Eddie Flynn Series. For me it worked fine as a standalone but I am intrigued about his past - con-man turned lawyer.

Witness 8 starts with a grab that kept my attention and it didn’t take long to know there are many layers to this story.  It was fun keeping track of them all, which made the story all the more twisty.

I enjoyed this book, almost as much as Kill For Me Kill For You (a standalone read). I loved the mystery that kept me guessing, the characters that I liked and even those I didn’t. Trying to figure out the workings of Eddie’s mind and the bond he has with his team.

This was a well written book, with attention to detail. The ending saw everything fit together. I loved how  the author kept me stumped right till the end.  The blurb on the cover fits perfectly "What if the witness was more twisted than the killer?" Absolutely spot on!

My thanks to Atria Books for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

Former special ops pilot Maya, home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe—who had been brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband—and herself.

Hardcover, 387 pages

Published March 22, 2016

 by Dutton

4.5/5 stars

Recently I received an arc for book 2 in the Sami Kierce Series, Nobody's Fool so it only stands for a reason that I need to read book 1 which is Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben.

I’ve yet to be disappointed in any books I’ve read of his so I was pretty excited to hunker down with this one. The book opened with Maya at the funeral for my husband who was murdered two weeks prior. 

A former special ops pilot, Maya is back in the States with her two year-old daughter. She starts to obsess about what happened with her husband when a nanny cam shows her dead husband in the house. What follows is a fast paced suspense story that kept me glued to the pages. Actually, I did a combo read and listen to the audiobook. The audio was excellent. 

 Along with the baggage of her husband, there are parts of Maya's life that she is dealing with, and as she digs deeper, many secrets that are uncovered, until the ending which I did not seeing coming at all.

Harlan Coben has again delivered an addicting read that was suspenseful. Though the series is named for Detective Sammy Kierce he does not play a predominant role like I thought he would. Book 2 in the series entitled, Nobody’s Fool releases on March 25 and from the blurb he takes center stage.

My copy of this book was obtained through CloudLibrary and the audio through Everand. Well browsing through my bookshelf at home I found have a physical copy so it fits into my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge.

Somebody's Someone by Linda Oatman High

Twelve-year-old Ruby Bean has become an Accidental Expert on Missing Mothers.

When her mother, Ruthie, goes missing again due to mental illness and addiction, Ruby and her aunt leap into action to search for Ruthie.

A jewelry store robbery and unexpected kindness from the victim bring more twists to the journey. From Georgia to Washington to New York City, Ruby discovers that sometimes even the worst events can bring the best surprises into one's life, if you keep believing.

Kindle Edition,, 188 pages 

Expected publication March 4, 2025

by One Elm Books

4/5 stars

This 188 page book really packed a punch.  

For 12 year-old Ruby life has been hard given that her mother suffers from mental health issues.  Determined to find her yet again, Rudy along with her aunt begin a search that takes them on a journey that spans many, many miles.

This was a journey with heart that took many detours but along the way help is found in unexpected places.  It was written for a younger audience while dealing with some strong subject matter.  A good opportunity for discussions.

It was illustrated nicely and I'm sure in book form it will be better then on my kindle.

My thanks to One Elm Books (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer & Joanne Levy

When Aviva Davis and Holly Martin meet at the holiday pageant tryouts for their local senior’s center, they think they must be seeing double. While they both knew they were adopted, they had no idea they had a biological sibling, let alone an identical twin! The similarities are only skin deep, though, because while Aviva has a big personality and even bigger Broadway plans, Holly is more the quiet dreamer type who longs to become a famous author like her grandfather.

One thing the girls do have in common is their curiosity about how the other celebrates the holidays. What better way to discover the magic of the holidays than to experience them firsthand? The girls secretly trade lives, planning to stage a dramatic reveal to their families at the pageant. Two virtual strangers swapping homes, holidays, and age-old traditions–what could possibly go wrong?

Paperback, 292 pages

Published October 29, 2024

 by Feiwel & Friends

3.5/5 stars

This was such a fun Christmas read especially with it’s parent trap vibes.

For Holly, her life is with her single mom and grandpa. She is quite settled in her love of Christmas and all things that go with it.

For Aviva life with her parents is centered around not celebrating Christmas because of their Jewish heritage.

Both Holly and Aviva were adopted as infants. When they meet at a retirement home they are startled, it's like looking in the mirror.  The only conclusion is that they are identical twins, once the shock wears off they set up for a surprise reveal. What follows is a funny, heartwarming and endearing story of Christmas, Hanukkah, family, and the holiday season.

Written by two authors, Marissa and Levy it did not have that disjointed feel that sometimes comes with a dual writing team. This story flowed nicely, it had depth and a great holiday spirit.

This is my first book I finished in 2025 and the first one from my 2025 TBR pile.

The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin

A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of the books that bring them together.

In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job to provide for herself and her beloved daughter, Olivia. But with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her.

When the threat of war becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In her daughter’s absence, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, as well as the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing, and her work forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.

As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.

Paperback, 432 pages

Published September 10, 2024

 by Hanover Square Press

3.5/5 stars

I am a little behind in my reviews.  I read The Booklover's Library in the fall just after its release.  Madeline Martin is one of my auto-rad authors.

The Booklover's Library is a story about Emma Taylor, a young widow struggling to make ends meet for herself and her young daughter. As England enters the war her options are limited with no family around for support.

A fiercely independent woman she is reluctant to ask for help in her time of need.  This story is about her progression through the war, realizing that she cannot do it on her own and she must change. Whether it be evacuating her daughter to the countryside, making friendships,  the war changes everyone’s priorities when trying to protect loved ones.

Madeline Miller has again written a vivid look at England during World War II with not just a war story but a story of courage, resilience and friendship. Just because their is no blood family around sometimes friendships develop in unimageable places.

This is part of my 2024 reading off my shelf challenge

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley

Date night goes off the rails when one unhappy couple find themselves taken hostage by a climate activist group

Jane and Dan have been married for nineteen years, but Jane isn't sure they're going to make it to twenty. The mother of two feels unneeded by her teenagers, and her writing career has screeched to an unsuccessful halt. Her one published novel sold under five hundred copies. Worse? She's pretty sure Dan is cheating on her. When the couple goes to the renowned upscale restaurant La Fin du Monde to celebrate their anniversary, Jane thinks it's as good a place as any to tell Dan she wants a divorce.

But before they even get to the second course, an underground climate activist group bursts into the dining room. Jane is shocked-and not just because she's in a hostage situation the likes of which she's only seen in the movies. Nearly everything the disorganized and bumbling activists say and do is right out of the pages of her failed book. Even Dan (who Jane wasn't sure even read her book) admits it's eerily familiar.

Which means Dan and Jane are the only ones who know what's going to happen next. And they're the only ones who can stop it. This wasn't what Jane was thinking of when she said 'til death do us part' all those years ago, but if they can survive this, maybe they can survive anything-even marriage.

Kindle Edition, 368 pages

Expected publication March 11, 2025

 by Fleet (Berkley)

3.5/5 stars

This was my first time reading a Colleen Oakley, so I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book and it's long title.

Celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary (or was it 20)?  Jan and Dan get way more then they bargained for.  This was a fun read, especially when you keep your mind open for all the zany action that takes place.  The blurb basically says what happens.  Lots of belief suspending but honestly it worked here, especially having gotten to know Jan and Dan, how they tick and feel about each other.  A fast paced read that went by quickly, it had good banter, humor and a unique premise.

I will definely being reading more of Colleen Oakley.

My thanks to Fleet (Berkley) via Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.

The Ghost of Briar Rose by Anna Romer

A haunted garden. A lost love. And a crime that will trap her forever.

Australia, 1914. Rose is locked away in a back room, considered a monster by her father. But when the new gardener arrives and glimpses the girl Rose believes herself to be on the inside, she decides to take a chance on love—with devastating consequences.

A hundred years later, Rose is now haunting the beautiful old mountainside garden, keeping the world at bay to protect her dark secrets. For ghost hunter Cleary Branchwood, getting rid of her seems like just another easy payday. But Rose is determined to unravel the mystery of her death and clear her name of a horrifying crime.

As they join forces to unearth Rose's tragic past and set her free, they must also confront their growing feelings for each other. Could Cleary and his young daughter be the family Rose has always yearned for?

But with each step closer to the truth, Rose fears that the monster lying dormant inside her will destroy not only her chance at love, but also the lives of those she cares for most.

A heart-wrenching enemies to lovers mystery from bestseller Anna Romer

Kindle Edition, 385 pages

Published July 25, 2024

by Ravensong Books

4.5/5 stars

It’s 1914 and Rose is stuck in time, she is a ghost that lingers around her family estate.

Current day we have Cleary, a ghost hunter who buys the haunted property with hopes of sending her onto the beyond, doing a quick reno and moving on to his next project. Both Rose and Cleary are haunted by the past and struggling to move forward. As a friendship forms, the past is revealed, the hurts are brought out into the open and a love story emerges that can never be satisfied. Because one is a ghost and one isn’t.

Anna Romer is one of my favourite go-to authors. I have read everything she’s written and loved each and every one of them. She’s Australian and her books are hard to come by here in Canada. Though I have print copies of her previous books this one I grabbed the Kindle copy (couldn't wait for the print copy).

The Ghost of Briar Rose is a haunting, slow paced and well written story. I was captivated with the plot line and how the story slowly unveiled its secrets and a past that was emotional.  The ending was great and again Anna Romer checked all the boxes for what I love in a good ghost story.  

My copy obtained through Amazon, kindle versions of all her books are readily available and in some cases the audiobook also.  Give her a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

The Undoing of Violet Claybourne by Emily Critchley

For fans of Sarah Penner and The Foundling comes a slow-burn gothic mystery following Gillian, a young girl enthralled by the enigmatic Claybourne sisters, their house at Thornleigh Hall, and the tragedy that binds them together for good.

To become a Claybourne girl, she'll have to betray one first.

1938. Gillian Larking, lonely and away at boarding school, is used to going unnoticed. But then she meets Violet Claybourne, her vibrant roommate who takes Gilly under her wing. Violet is unlike anyone Gilly has ever met, and she regales Gilly with tales of her grand family estate and her two elegant sisters. Gilly is soon entranced by stories of the Claybournes, so when Violet invites Gilly to meet her family at Thornleigh Hall, she can't believe her luck.

But Gilly soon finds that behind the grand façade of Thornleigh Hall, darkness lurks.

Dazzled by the crumbling manor and Violet's enigmatic sisters, Gilly settles into the estate. But when a horrible accident strikes on the grounds, she is ensnared in a web of the sisters' making, forced to make a choice that will change the course of her life forever. Because the Claybournes girls know how to keep secrets, even at the cost of one of their own.

With ensnaring prose and layers of friendship, privilege, mental health, and more, The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a poignant book club read with characters you won't soon forget.

Kindle Edition, 395 pages

Expected publication March 4, 2025

 by Sourcebooks Landmark

3.5/5 stars

I loved the authors previous book One Puzzling Afternoon and jumped at the chance to get a review copy of this her latest, which releases in March 2025

The year is 1938 and Gillian Larking is sent away to school where she befriends her new roommate,  Violet.  Invited to Violet‘s home for the Christmas holidays Gillian‘s life as well as Violet takes a drastic change. Jump ahead 60 years later the repercussions are still felt.

This book started out with a nice grabber that kept me reading. It was great to get to know Gillian and her past while she was in England and her father in Egypt. The author took her time introducing the Thornleigh sisters, all three of them with vastly different personalities, goals, and drive to achieve what they want. At times I felt the story, which comes in at a 400 pages, a tad too long as it seemed to drag out a bit for me. And honestly, I struggled to find any characters that I really even liked.

This novel is a story of family, secrets, betrayal, and ambitions so desperate doesn’t matter who is in your way.  The ending was okay but not as satisfying as I'd hoped.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

There's Something About Mira by Sonali Dev

From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes the heartfelt story of a woman determined to reunite a lost ring with its owner, who ends up finding herself along the way.

Mira Salvi has the perfect life—a job she loves, a fiancé everyone adores, and the secure future she’s always imagined for herself. Really, she hasn’t a thing to complain about, not even when she has to go on her engagement trip to New York alone.

While playing tourist in the city, Mira chances upon a lost ring, and her social media post to locate its owner goes viral. With everyone trying to claim the ring, only one person seems to want to find its owner as badly as Mira journalist Krish Hale. Brooding and arrogant, he will do anything to get to write this story.

As Krish and Mira reluctantly join forces and jump into the adventure of tracing the ring back to where it belongs, Mira begins to wonder if she is in the right place in her own life. She had to have found this ring for a reason…right? Maybe, like the owner of the lost ring, her happy ending hasn’t been written yet either.

Kindle Edition, 314 pages

Expected publication February 1, 2025

 by Lake Union Publishing

3.5/5 stars

Mira is almost 30 years old, engaged to be married but ends up going on her engagement weekend without her intended.  She is alone for the first time in New York City. Red flags right there.

An interesting story that had all the elements for a great read but still fell a little flat for me.  I enjoyed Mira's character, her background, relationship with her parents and brother.   This book is a story of self discovery that has a YA feel but had some good banter at times.

There's Something About Mira is a journey from Chicago, to NYC and off to India for wedding clothes shopping. It was a good lesson in traditonal Indian weddings and food, lots of food talk.  It's a story of self discovery and learning how to take a stand.

My thanks to Lake Union for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.