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Reviews by Dorinne D. (Wickenburg, AZ)

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The Days When Birds Come Back
by Deborah Reed

Learning to Live with Tragedy (11/22/2017)

What an interesting story! Deborah Reed beautifully describes the Oregon coast. I loved the character development of June and Jameson. Their personal tragedies and their individual difficulties in dealing with these tragedies were so elegantly imagined by the author. The story felt very real; you as the reader could almost feel their pain. I am interested in the other three books this author has written.

The Almost Sisters
by Joshilyn Jackson

A Southern Tale (5/5/2017)

From Birchie and Wattie to Rachel and Leia, all the main characters in this book had "almost sister" relationships. A very readable tale of life in the South as it has been lived and is still lived today. Leia's vision of the "Second South" where her unborn son could exist without prejudice is an interesting sidelight of the story.

If We Were Villains
by M. L. Rio

Shakespearean Drama in Real Time (3/16/2017)

At the end of 40 pages, I was thinking of dumping this book and not finishing it, that it was not my kind of book. But I kept on reading and ultimately, the immersion of the characters in their love of Shakespeare's dramas, in their love of the art of acting, and in their day-to-day living and using Shakespeare's language, won me over, and I found myself unable to stop reading. The solution to the mystery surprised me, and reminded me of the quote about man's inhumanity to man. I have already recommended this book to a friend who enjoys reading Shakespeare

Edgar and Lucy
by Victor Lodato

A Book Worth Reading - Don't Give Up! (11/27/2016)

This books is a puzzle for me in that it is not the type of book I usually enjoy. It is a dark story, full of unhappy people, but the more I read, the more I wanted to read it. The compelling part was the need to find out what was going to happen to Edgar.

The Secret Ingredient of Wishes
by Susan Bishop Crispell

A Fairytale for Adults (7/16/2016)

With wishes floating around on slips of paper, and secrets baked into pies, this charming story catches you up and holds you. Definitely a great summer beach read! I enjoyed it immensely and will be looking for Ms. Crispell's next book when it comes out.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things: A Novel
by Bryn Greenwood

Ugly and Wonderful Things Is an Understatement! (5/7/2016)

I liked this book more than I thought I would. Wavy is a little girl, wise beyond her years. "Not to be trusted" is her byword, as she's learned from abusive parents. This is a raw story about a child who is regarded as "simple" but who is really quite brilliant. Her mother is beaten down but still mean-spirited and her father is a drug dealer and cruel beyond words. Wavy learns to love and trust Kellen, the only adult who treats her well, all the while she is trying to care for and protect her little brother, Donal. The story is well told and poignant in the sordid details of Wavy's life.

The Railwayman's Wife
by Ashley Hay

An Australian Love Story (2/10/2016)

This is a very interesting and evocative look at life on the coast of New South Wales a few years after the end of the Second World War. The characters are very well drawn, and the story is a compelling one. There is romance, a bit of a mystery, poetry, and what we now call PTSD on the part of the men who survived and returned home after the War. An interesting story I would heartily recommend.

The Opposite of Everyone
by Joshilyn Jackson

An Unusual Tale (11/27/2015)

Upon reading the first few pages of this book, I was prepared to dislike it. The characters and the language were not in my field of interest, I thought. But the farther into the story I got, the more the story grabbed me. The development of the main character, Paula Vauss a/k/a Kali, was outstanding. The gypsy life she led with her mother, the strength of character she developed over the years, her acute insight in difficult situations, her ability to overcome all the obstacles to become a successful lawyer - this turned out to be a story worth savoring, and I did savor it, down to the last word.

Trust No One: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave

Who Dunit Indeed! (6/4/2015)

Paul Cleave has captured the essence of the current interest in Alzheimer's disease in this story about Jerry Grey (pen name Henry Cutter). The author manipulates the story so well, even splitting the personality of Jerry Grey with that of Henry Cutter, that the reader is never quite sure whether Jerry has committed all the crimes, right up to the end. A very well written book with a very well-told story that keeps you guessing ... and then it's over ... and you're still guessing....

Everybody Rise
by Stephanie Clifford

The Clematis Vine Climber (3/12/2015)

This is a story about trying to fit into "society" in New York City and trying to live like a socialite without the resources to sustain the lifestyle. The protagonist, Evelyn Beegan struggles to insert herself into this elitist group by using friends and acquaintances from her private school years and embellishing her own accomplishments. It's a classic tale of striving for, and failing to reach, an unrealistic goal, all the while compromising one's principles and financial stability. The story is well told and keeps the reader intent on finding out how it will all end.

House of Echoes: A Novel
by Brendan Duffy

A Suspenseful Tale Worth Reading (2/1/2015)

This story is filled with tension from the very beginning. It grips you and holds you and makes you keep reading to see what is going to happen next. You feel sure there is some other-worldly presence lurking, but then you think it's a man possibly mentally ill and escaped from his sequestration. The story keeps you guessing right up to the ending, which was quite unexpected. I would recommend this book to all those readers who enjoy suspense and mystery. I thought the letters from 1777 made an interesting transition in connecting the location and events of that era with the modern day. story. As this is a debut novel, I hope Mr. Duffy writes many more novels. He should have quite a good following.

A Fireproof Home for the Bride
by Amy Scheibe

Growing Up in the '50s in Rural America (12/23/2014)

I grew up in Midwest America during the time period covered in this book. So I could relate quite well to the people described as well as many events that took place in this novel. I was however unaware of the prejudices that Emmy encountered in her Minnesota community. Also arranged marriages like the one being foisted upon Emmy were not prevalent in my area. The characters in the story are quite well developed, especially Emmy. I found the story compelling as the author kept you hungry to know what was going to happen to Emmy next.

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