Tag Archives: netgalley

The Way Home by Mark Boyle

December 30, 2019Books Books Booksireland, mark boyle, memoir, netgalley, off grid, oneworld publications, the way homelaelbr5_wp

Mark Boyle determined to return to a way of life before technology in his homeland of Ireland. Following the ways of his ancestors on the west coast, he built his home by hand, produces his own food, and carries water from the creek. This manifesto dispels any romantic notion of living off the land, appreciating the beauty of nature. It’s extremely hard work and Boyle is up to it, getting by with a little help from his friends, a network of neighbors. The memoir is compelling, intriguing, and radical in its scope, and Boyle remains matter of fact in his outlook as things go really wrong and as well as could be expected. I was fortunate to receive, ironically, a digital copy of this book from Oneworld Publications through NetGalley.

The Farm by Joanne Ramos

December 30, 2019Books Books Booksjoanne ramos, netgalley, random house, the farm, womens ficitonlaelbr5_wp

Golden Oaks—“the farm”—is run as an elite resort. Hired as surrogates for the 1%, the “guests” receive total care, including spa treatments, top medical care, and gourmet cuisine, in exchange for relinquishing their lives throughout pregnancy. These guests generally are women desperate to fortify their future, women like single mother Jane, a Filipina immigrant, Lisa, a repeat surrogate whose tendency to rebel is countered by her ability to produce beautiful, healthy babies, and Reagan, educated but troubled. Ramos portrays socioeconomic and emotional struggles, and the power of money to buy anything, even a healthy pregnancy, albeit with another woman’s body. There are lies to clients and to surrogates, and minor incidents throughout the story, but no major climax, and the ending seems disconnected. All in all, this story is very close to reality regarding the surrogacy industry, and a representation of injustice, worth the read on class, race, and feminist principles, but not necessarily for simple entertainment. I received a digital copy from the publisher Random House through NetGalley.

Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood

December 27, 2019Books Books Books#family, down syndrome, keeping lucy, netgalley, st. martin's press, t greenwoodlaelbr5_wp

In the late 60s, Ginny was given no say in the institutionalization of her daughter who was born with Down Syndrome. When her friend informs her that her now 2-year-old is in a squalid existence, Ginny braves the world to rescue her daughter. Greenwood does a nice job of showing the obstacles a woman faced in her situation and time. There seems to be a bit of a credibility problem in the resolution in order to create a happy ending. If you love happy endings, great. If you prefer realistic storylines, maybe not so great, though the story overall is well-written with interesting, in not endearing, characters. I received this book from the publisher St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.

The Victim by Max Manning

December 27, 2019Books Books Booksmax manning, netgalley, sourcebooks landmark, suspense thriller, the victimlaelbr5_wp

An attack turned carjacking leaves Gem fearful. As the police investigation reveals more than she suspected, Gem become determined to not live the life of a victim. I received an ARC, so I expect that the chapters being out of sync were resolved in the final copy. This made the story hard to follow, with dead characters alive in alternate chapters. With this resolved, this is a fun to read thriller. Thank you to the publisher Sourcebooks Landmark for offering this story through NetGalley.

The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse

December 23, 2019Books Books Books16th century france, catholics, historical fiction, huguenots, kate mosse, mantle, netgalley, protestants, religious wars, the burning chambers, wars of religionlaelbr5_wp

Teenager Minou Joubert is sent to Toulouse with her brother for her own safety from 16^th century Carcassonne, though she has allied herself with Piet Reydon, a Huguenot subversive. Minou learns a powerful secret that changes her destiny and endangers her beyond her expectations. She must then rescue her little sister from the evil mistress of Puivert. Mosse presents the religious factions at Languedoc in all their gory detail with gorgeous writing. Blended into history are power shifts, unorthodox alliances, and unique and distinctive characters. I was fortunate to receive this beautifully written historical fiction novel from Mantel through NetGalley.

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews

December 23, 2019Books Books Booksbeach read, humor, literary, mary kay andrews, mystery, netgalley, st. martin's press, sunset beachlaelbr5_wp

Drue’s estranged father shows up at her lowest point, unemployed and unmoored, at her mother’s funeral. Married to her childhood frenemy, he offers her a job at his ambulance chasing law office, working with his wife. But with it comes her grandparent’s beach bungalow, replete with beloved memories. All she has to do it fix it up. She stumbles into investigating a mysterious death at a nearby resort, which may somehow be connected to her father’s business. MKA threads hints and doubts throughout, leading Drue and Dear Reader on a wild ride, always entertaining. I was fortunate to receive this fun mystery from the publisher St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.

The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney

December 20, 2019Books Books Booksartificial intelligence, autism, ballantine books, jp delaney, murder mystery, netgalley, suspense thriller, the perfect wifelaelbr5_wp

Abbie knows something is different about her when she awakes in a hospital facing a stranger calling himself her husband and informing her that they have an autistic child. The more she learns about their life, the more disturbed she is by that stranger, her husband. She is determined to discover how she ended up in the hospital, who she is exactly, and how to protect their son. Delaney blends technology into the story so well that at one point it’s challenging to determine who is who and who has done what to whom. The moral of the story seems to be beware human megalomania rather than the technology they produce. I was fortunate to receive this well-written, accessible sci-fi story from the publisher Ballantine Books through NetGalley.

Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly

December 20, 2019Books Books Booksdutton books, murder mystery, netgalley, suspense thriller, t marie vandelly, theme musiclaelbr5_wp

Dixie Wheeler was known as Baby Blue for the song playing when she was discovered at the crime scene where her father murdered their family and killed himself. She seeks understanding and closure in purchasing her family’s house and recreating her childhood home. Things happen that make her question her sanity and her own propensity for violence, and eventually her father’s guilt. Vandelly did a superb job evoking sympathy for Dixie through graphic descriptions of the family’s murder, her memories, and the weird occurrences in her family home. But she includes a supernatural element that wasn’t explored well enough to invoke speculation from Dear Reader. I was fortunate to receive a digital copy of this marvelously macabre story from the publisher Dutton Books through NetGalley.

The Suffering of Strangers by Caro Ramsay

December 16, 2019Books Books Bookscaro ramsay, detective series, netgalley, severn house publishers, the suffering of strangerslaelbr5_wp

Police detectives Costello and Anderson investigate a kidnapping and mysterious exchange of babies, and a cold case of rape respectively, but keep running into each other, insinuating correlation. The storyline was interesting, but there were lots of characters that became confusing in what is the ninth book in the series, something not shared until the end of the book and not at all on NetGalley. Dear Reader following the series would definitely appreciate the continuation of the series in this intriguing and unique tale. Although Severn House Publishers graciously offered this story through NetGalley, they should have informed potential reviewers that it was a series.

Blackberry and Wild Rose by Sonia Velton

December 16, 2019Books Books Books18th century, blackberry and wild rose, blackstone publishing, historical fiction, netgalley, sonia veltonlaelbr5_wp

Sara is tricked into prostitution and held there by an unjust debt. A Huguenot silk weaver’s wife, Esther, takes her in as a charity case to be her personal maid, self-righteously upholding her elite status in this way. Both women become involved in the silk weavers’ revolt in the only way possible for women to do anything in the late 18^th century, through romantic entanglements, Sara seeking freedom and Esther desiring to see her own designs woven. Inspired by a historical figure ahead of her time, Velton creates a compelling fictionalized tale of the Spitalfield Riots, with sex, unrequited love, betrayal, and death. I was fortunate to receive this wonderful book from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley.

Lael Braday

Short Story Author