Title: Someplace Like Home

Author: Bobi Conn

Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Genre: Fiction

My Rating: 4 out of 5 

Quote: "A long history of sorrow led to my birth."

Someplace Like Home by Bobbi Conn is a fictionalized version of her mother's life.  It is broken up into books.

In Book One, we are introduced to the Caudill Family - Charles, Helen, and their five children Gail, Barbara, Mary, Jenny and William (Billy).  We get to see an overview of what it was like to be a Caudill growing up in Kentucky.

Quote: "So much depends on what you choose next."

In Book Two, we focus on Jenny.  Jenny represents the author's mom.  WHEW!!!  Some of Jenny's life was very hard to read.  I am not going to say much because you need to read it and feel all the feels for yourself.

Quote:  "A parent's legacy is established pretty early in their children's lives."

In Book Three, we get to focus on Charlie.  Charlie is Jenny's daughter.  Again, I'm not going to say much.  However, I will say that Charlie lived through seeing some awful things done to her mom. 

I was drawn into Someplace Like Home immediately from the beginning.  It is very well written, and I felt as if I was part of the family. It made me smile at times and boy; did it make me extremely anger at other times. If you want to get immersed into a book where you are going to feel all the things, I recommend Someplace Like Home.  I will warn you, you will have feelings. 

Quote: "We aren't bound to the past, powerful as it is." 

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Someplace Like Home.

Content warnings:  Domestic Abuse, Drug Abuse, Child Loss

Title:  The Wife at the Window

Author: Cara Reinard

Publication Date:  June 17, 20024

Genre:  Psychological Thriller

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Quote: "She was never supposed to get out."

The Wife at the Window begins with Emerson Wilder standing outside a window, looking at her ex-husband's girlfriend interact with their son. 

Emerson has recently been released from a mental hospital.  Her only goal is to see her son Leo.  A tragic event resulting in the death of her second child, Thea, is what landed her in the hospital.

Is Emerson responsible for Thea's death?

The Wife at the Window follows two points of view -- Emerson and Talia

Talia is Emerson's ex-husband Shep's girlfriend.  Talia and Shep work for the same company.  Talia and Shep do not agree on Emerson having visitation with Leo.  This disagreement ultimately causes destruction in their relationship. 

What lengths will Emerson go to in order to be with her son?

What lengths will Talia go to in order to make sure that never happens?

Quote: "Our connection doesn't cease to exist just because we do."

The Wife at the Window by Cara Reinard is ultimately about a mother who just wants to be with her son, no matter what demons she has to fight in order for that to happen.  This book has a lot of interconnected parts and pieces that fit together like a puzzle.  Everyone we encounter in life is like a puzzle piece.  Be careful who you trust.  Someone just may turn out to be a ghost from the past.  The twist at the end of The Wife at the Window was definitely unexpected.  Cara Reinard did a fantastic job piecing everything together.

There is so much more to this book.  I will not spoil it for you, just know that you will enjoy this book if you're looking for a book with a twist.

There is a content note at the beginning of the book that states, "This novel depicts content that deals with child death and mental health issues."  

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Wife at the Window.

Title: If Something Happens to Me
Author: Alex Finlay
Publication Date: May 28, 2024
Genre: Thriller
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Quote: "Something's not right. The puzzle pieces are warped, disfigured."

In Philadelphia, Anthony O'Leary, teenage son of mobster Scott O'Leary is being bullied at an elite school.  What happens as a result of this leaves a town a few less in number.

Five years ago, in Kansas, Ryan Richardson and his girlfriend, Alison Lane were on a date when Ryan gets hit over the head so hard that he blacks out.  Upon waking up, Alison and her car are gone. Ryan is automatically a suspect.  With a good lawyer and lack of evidence, Ryan gets let off the hook and allowed to carry on with his life. He travels to Italy on a school trip and that's where the story of Alison begins to unfold.

Meanwhile, in Kansas, there's a new deputy by the name of Poppy McGee. Her first day on the job finds her at Suncatcher Lake while a car with two bodies are being lifted out. Once the car is processed, a handbag is found.  Inside the handbag is an envelope containing some sort of number code with the title "If Something Happens to Me" written on it. 

What does this code mean?

Where's Alison Lane?

Who do the bodies in the car belong to?

Poppy will stop at nothing to find the answers to those questions.

In If Something Happens to Me, Alex Finlay introduces us to a lot of characters. It may seem a bit overwhelming at first but trust me they are all connected. In the end, you will not be left wondering where any of them fit within the storyline.  

If you enjoy different locations, different points of view, and several interconnected characters, then, I would definitely recommend If Something Happens to Me.  Alex Finlay does a great job with pacing.  I wanted to keep reading way past my bedtime. There is a bit of language, so just be aware of that if that bothers you. 

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review If Something Happens to Me.

Title: You Me Her

Author: Sue Watson

Publication Date: June 3, 2024

Genre: Thriller

My Rating: 3.75 out of 5

One Marriage.  Three People.  One Murder.

You = Tom

Me = Rachel

Her = Chloe - Maybe?

In You Me Her, we are following the lives of the Frazer family; Rachel, her husband Tom, and their 4-year-old son Sam.

Rachel's dad died and left her with a large sum of money as an inheritance. Rachel and Sam are currently staying in her hometown, while Tom is spending the inheritance money to give Rachel the home of her dreams in another town. Tom is handling all the decisions that come along with fixing up a house: tile, paint color, garden, etc.

When Rachel and Sam move into the new house, Rachel is hoping to leave tragedy behind and finally be able to get on with her life. Rachel loves the new house, but she is very concerned about all the money being spent. 

In walks Chloe, a younger, very pretty girl. She does not knock she just lets herself right in. Chloe is shocked to see that Rachel is there. Tom plays it off and says that Chloe works with the real estate agency and that's why she has keys to their house. 

Quote: "But nothing is ever quite what it seems, and storm clouds can gather quickly."

Rachel befriends Chloe and they begin to spend lots of time together. Tom does not like this at all because he has told Rachel that Chloe is very dangerous and should not be trusted. Strange things start happening at the house. Sam sees things. Rachel sees things. 

Is Tom being overdramatic?

Can Chloe be trusted?

Is Rachel going crazy?

You Me Her by Sue Watson has twists and turns aplenty. I trusted no one. There are several characters that play a role in this story. All of them - sketchy! You will not know who to believe. Sue does a good job with that. There's just something not quite right with each one of them, you just cannot put your finger on it. 

Secrets

Fear

Lies

Friendship

Betrayal

I try not to go too in depth with thriller reviews, because I think they are better gone into blind. I did enjoy You Me Her. I thought I had it figured out, but I did not. If you like domestic trillers, I would recommend putting this one on your list.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review You Me Her.

Title: The Nurse Behind the Gates

Author: Shari J. Ryan

Publication Date: May 20, 2024

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Quote: "A rare honeybee."

The Nurse Behind the Gates by Shari J. Ryan is told from two points of view - Emilie and Danner. It also travels back and forth from now and years leading up to now.

We begin in 1942 Germany with Emilie and her husband Otto. They have been married three weeks when Otto tells Emilie that they will be quickly moving out of their current town. Emilie does not like surprises, and she is not happy about this change one bit. She has lots of questions. 

As we travel backwards in time, we get to meet Danner, Felix and Gerty. These three, along with Emilie and Otto are all best friends and live in the same neighborhood growing up. That is until the Jews begin to be asked to leave.

Quote: "No matter where we go or what challenges come, we'll always have each other."

Danner and Emilie know they love each other and want nothing more than to spend forever together. However, with Danner being a Jew, he knows this cannot possibly happen. He makes Emilie promise that she will marry Otto and he assures her that Otto will give her the life she deserves. A life that he cannot give her. 

Emilie and Otto begin working in Dachau, a concentration camp the Nazi's built to intern political protestors...or so they thought. The reality, it was a camp for medical research and Jews were used as the subjects. Imagine Emilie's shock when she walks in and finds Danner slumped over in the corner. Danner is in fact, a research subject, based on the choices he was given. 

Quote: "If you had a secret - one that could destroy your life if shared, what would you do to protect it?"

The Nurse Behind the Gates is an emotional read. I found myself so invested in the characters and I could not stop reading. I just had to know what was going to happen. Shari J. Ryan did a fantastic job with the pace, as well as giving me all the feels. Such a powerful story from beginning until the very end.

What would you do to keep someone you love safe?

Would you make deals with the enemy, if it meant keeping someone you love alive?

The Nurse Behind the Gates is a story about two boys and one girl. But it's also about so much more!

Love

War

Friendship

Trust

Hope

Choices

Family

I would definitely recommend this book is you like books that make you feel.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Nurse Behind the Gates.