What Follows After

I received a copy of What Follows After by Dan Walsh from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the outside Kevin Harrison's life looks perfect, but it's falling apart. Just as he thinks he's lost everything, a crisis forces him to confront what matters most.
In October 1962, Colt Harrison and his little brother, Timmy, hatched a plan. They would run away from their Florida home, head for their aunt's house in Savannah, Georgia, and refuse to come home until their parents got back together. But things go terribly, terribly wrong. Colt's mother and father must come to grips with years of neglect and mistrust in order to recover their beloved sons, their love for one another, and their broken marriage.
Another great book by Dan Walsh.  I've read several of his books and they are all great.  This one is a sad story with the best possible ending.  It's nice to see everyone pitch in and help each other.  Dan has a way of telling a story that's entertaining and also makes you think.  His characters are always easy to relate to and associate with.

Love Comes Calling

I received a copy of Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

A girl with the best of intentions. 

A heart set on Hollywood. 

An empty pocketbook.

That's all it takes for Ellis Eton to find herself working as a telephone operator for a look-alike friend. For Ellis, this job will provide not only acting practice but the funds to get her a start in the movies. She's tired of always being a disappointment to her traditional Boston family, and though she can't deny the way he makes her head spin, she knows she's not good enough for Griffin Phillips, either. It's simple: avoid Griff's attentions, work, and get paid. But in typical Ellis fashion, her simple plan spirals out of control when she overhears a menacing phone call...with her very own Griff as the target.

I must admit I was frustrated with Ellis for most of this book.  She's not able to concentrate on anything no matter how hard she tries.  This doesn't make her a bad person just someone who isn't able to get anything done.  I can see how she thinks she's a disappointment to everyone around her.  Griff doesn't see her this way but how long will it take for Ellis to understand this?

Death by the Book

I received a copy of Death by the Book by Julianna Deering from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When the family lawyer is murdered and discovered with an unusual clue, can Drew and Madeline solve the case before the hatpin murderer strikes again?
When the village of Farthering St. John is stunned by a series of murders, Drew Farhtering is drawn again into the sleuthing game.
Drew Farthering wanted nothing more than to end the summer of 1932 with the announcement of his engagement. Instead, he finds himself caught up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered, an antique hatpin with a cryptic message, Advice to Jack, piercing his chest.
Evidence of secret meetings and a young girl's tearful confession point to the victim's double life, but what does the solicitor's murder have to do with the murder of a physician on the local golf course? Nothing, it would seem--except for another puzzling note, affixed with a similar-looking bloodied hatpin.
Soon the police make an arrest in connection with the murders, but Drew isn't at all certain they have the right suspect in custody. And why does his investigation seem to be drawing him closer and closer to home?
This book was a little hard for me to follow at times because it's based in England.  There were a lot of English slang terms that I didn't get.  I was completely caught off guard by the ending.

Lip Reading

I received a copy of Lip Reading by Harry Kraus from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

She Could Save Millions, or Save Herself She just needs a little longer. She’s really close. Dr. Rebecca Jackson, a medical researcher, stands on the verge of a breakthrough that will transform medicine. But she soon discovers the reason behind the miraculous progress in her research, and it leaves her with a nearly impossible choice . . . and little time to decide. More than her research is at stake. And more threatens it than this latest revelation. Something she’s tried hard to cover up. There is a high cost to some things in medicine and it’s not always the patient who pays. Can Rebecca find the faith and wisdom she needs to make the right call? The clock is ticking and the pressure is on.  

This book was very easy to get into from the beginning.  There was a lot of medical research terminology but it didn't hinder the story line at all.  As we learned more about the characters and their history the more intrigued I became.  I love how both Rebecca and Noah have a terrible experience in high school and they both come out of it with a life long goal to focus on a way to save millions of lives.  What they don't realize at first is they're both working on the same goal but from different angles.  Once they put money and fame aside they find out how much faster the goal is met when working together.  I have to admit I really didn't like the ending.

A June Bride

I received a copy of A June Bride by Marybeth Whalen from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

A year's worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed.

It takes a reality TV show for Wynne to realize love isn't just a game.

Wynne Hardy never thought she'd get engaged on a reality TV show, but when she met Andy on The Rejection Connection, the two of them hit it off. Now he's asked her to marry him, much to the public's delight and fascination. They're all set to wed on live TV in a seaside ceremony at the height of the wedding season.

But just as Wynne thinks all her dreams are coming true, her ex-boyfriend walks back into her life at the worst possible time. Steve broke her heart years ago, and she's still sorting through her feelings for him. Her heart isn't as clear as her head that it's past time to move on-even though she's engaged to Andy.  At a local TV talk show appearance, Wynne meets Meredith, who won another reality TV show-Marathon Mom-proving herself nothing short of a superhero. As Wynne's beach wedding plans spin out of control, Meredith offers to help, unknowingly stepping on Wynne's secret feelings . . . and exposing some secrets Meredith has been keeping to herself. Can these two reality stars get real about their feelings? Will Wynne go through with her televised wedding and be the perfect June bride the network is looking for? 

I can totally relate to Wynne.  I have ideas of how things should be - always perfect.  I constantly try to make everyone happy and do what I think I should to make things perfect.  Like Wynne I need to remember God is the only one who's perfect.  If I'd just lean on him and let his plans play out everything would end up perfect.

Butterfly Palace

I received a copy of Butterfly Palace by Colleen Coble from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Austin, Texas—1904: Abandoned by the love of her life and still mourning the loss of her mother, Lily Donaldson has turned her back on the pain and come to Austin for a fresh start, working for the Marshall family as a kitchen maid in their luxurious mansion, the Butterfly Palace. The tasks before her are legion, and her mistress less than pleasant, but at least Lily’s new life will be, if nothing else, distracting.

But one night, while serving at a dinner party, Lily recognizes the man who abandoned her, Andy, her liaison from the livery stable, the blacksmith’s son . . . sitting among the distinguished guests. Though he recognizes her, Andy does not acknowledge her aloud, and Lily is left reeling, flabbergasted, and irate.  But before she can get an explanation, the path of the Servant Girl Killer swerves very close to the Butterfly Palace, sowing terror among the maids. Having come to Austin to start anew, Lily suddenly feels trapped in a spider web. How can she know who to trust in a house where lies come dressed in fine suits and deceit in silk gowns the colors of butterfly wings?

I normally don't read books set in the early 1900's, but I've really like the other books by Colleen Coble so I took a chance.  It was difficult to understand some of the terminology at first, but I got the hang of it after a chapter or two.  This was a much different book compared to the others I've read.  It wasn't overly romantic but more on the mystery side.  I didn't see the ending coming so that kept me reading.  I also really liked that Coble put a little letter to the reader at the end explaining how the idea of the book came about.