1996 by Kirsty McManus - 4 Stars

 "When food blogger Anna Matthews takes a vitamin supplement that thrusts her back in time to 1996—and into her sixteen year old body—she is naturally a little shocked. But after a hasty re-assimilation, she decides to take advantage of this amazing second chance to view her teenage years from a more mature perspective.

But with the effectiveness of each dose only lasting twelve hours, and any new actions initiated in the past having no effect on the future, Anna wonders whether taking it again would serve any purpose.

Of course, curiosity gets the better of her, and she soon becomes addicted to travelling back in time to relive what she originally believed to be some of her best memories.

Knowing that her husband grew up in the same area—and with him unwilling to talk about the past—Anna decides to track him down in 1996. But an unexpected discovery forces her to make a heartbreaking decision that will change both her and her husband’s future forever."

This was such a cute story and a quick read, too, which was nice. It was fun getting to see Anna relive her younger years back in 1996. Anna's character is a few years younger than me, so I was actually able to relate to a lot of the story. The whole idea was just so much fun. I can't wait to read the next one in the series. 

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson - 4 stars

 "1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright.

Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his parents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done.

With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives."

I really enjoyed this book. It was sad, even heart wrenching at times, but still a really good story. It's told between alternating prospectives of the 2 main characters. It's an interesting insight into racism in the 1950's (and slightly before). I loved how the 2 stories came together at the end, and was surprised that characters for her other book, The Yellow Wife were mentioned in this one. I am interested in reading that one to see how it plays into The House of Eve.

The Darkest Flower by Kristin Wright - 3 Stars

 "Attempted murder? Inexplicable accident? Either way, a PTA mom struggled for her life in an elementary school cafeteria, poisoned by wolfsbane. Now all eyes are on the accused, the victim, and a woman hired to look deeper.

Ambitious defense attorney and single mother Allison Barton is anxious to escape the shadow of the low-down dog of a marquee partner carrying their renowned Virginia law firm. A win for her high-profile new client will give Allison the career she deserves. And PTA president Kira Grant certainly appears innocent—except for the toxic bloom in her backyard and perhaps a bit of a malicious streak. But no one said the innocent had to be likable—or entirely honest. Besides, with an image as carefully cultivated as her garden, Kira would be insane to risk everything on something as outrageous as the attempted murder of one of her closest friends.

What about those in Kira’s orbit, a sunny suburb of moms behaving badly? What do they really know about Kira? What does Kira know about them? For Allison, the answers are getting darker every day."

While the synopsis of this book sounded really good, I actually found it a bit lacking. It was really easy to read and flowed really well. When I actually sat down to read, I found myself getting through it quickly. I was expecting more suspense and maybe some sort of shocking twist that just wasn't there. 

The Witch of Tin Mountain by Paulette Kennedy - 4 Stars

 "Blood and power bind three generations of women in the Ozark Mountains. So does an evil that’s followed them across the decades.

1931. Gracelynn Doherty lives peacefully on Tin Mountain, helping her adoptive granny work her cures. Despite whispers that the women are witches, the superstitious locals still seek them out, whether they suffer from arthritis or a broken heart. But when evangelist Josiah Bellflower comes to town touting miracle healing, full bellies, and prosperity, his revivals soon hold Tin Mountain in thrall—and Granny in abject fear.

Granny recognizes Josiah. Fifty years ago, in a dark and desperate moment, she made a terrible promise. Now Josiah, an enemy, has returned to collect his due.

As Granny sickens and the drought-ridden countryside falls under a curse, Gracelynn must choose: flee Tin Mountain and the only family she knows or confront the vengeful preacher whose unholy mission is to destroy her."

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I'll admit it took me several chapters to get the characters straight, since this is told in alternating viewpoints. It was a little slow starting, but finally picked up about half way through. I almost gave up about 1/3 way into it, but I'm glad that I pushed through. It ended up being a pretty good story. 

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben - 4 Stars

Basic synopsis: Guy gets convicted of murdering his 3 year old son. 5 years later, guy is shown photo of what appears to be the son he was convicted of killing. Guy escapes prison and is on the hunt for the now 8 year old boy.

My synopsis is basically the whole plot of the book. LOL! It was a fairly fast paced read. Things started coming together, and I did figure out some of what was going on ahead of it being revealed in the book. I really like Coben's books, and this one didn't disappoint either.  

Husbands and Other Sharp Objects by Marilyn Simon Rothstein - 3 Stars

 "After a lifetime of marriage, Marcy Hammer is ready to get herself unhitched—just as everyone else in her life is looking for a commitment. Her new boyfriend, Jon, wants to get serious, and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Harvey, is desperate to get back together. When her headstrong daughter announces a secret engagement to Harvey’s attorney, Marcy finds herself planning her daughter’s wedding as she plans her own divorce. Now with two huge events on the horizon, the indomitable Marcy soon realizes that there’s nothing like a wedding to bring out the worst in everybody. From petty skirmishes over an ever-growing guest list to awkward confrontations with her sticky-fingered new in-laws, pulling off the wedding is going to be a challenge; seeing her divorce through is going to be a trial. And trying to make everyone happy might prove to be impossible—because in the end, Marcy alone must make a choice between something old and something new."

I was really disappointed in this one. It was a light, fairly quick read, but was really lacking in the humor department. The author was really trying, but just wasn't puling off the funny. I think there were maybe 2 lines in the whole book that I laughed at. 

Spare by Prince Harry - 4 Stars

 I think by this point, the book is pretty much self explanatory; the memoir of Prince Harry. So, here are my thoughts on the book (which may not go in chronological order).

The book starts with the death of Princess Diana. This brought back a lot of memories for me, as I was living in England at that time. It was quite an experience. And having just lost my father in January, it stirred up emotions, but luckily I was able to hold it together. I felt really bad for the way that Harry felt about the whole situation.

I did feel that the time he spent in the military was over covered. Basically, it took up too much of my time. I'm happy that he served his country through military service and not just as a royal, but this part of the book went on and on for me. 

As for his relationship with Meghan, I feel that it seems a bit rushed. I didn't follow it in real life that closely, but the book made it seem like they met, briefly dated, then married, all in a short period of time. I honestly didn't pay attention to the time line in the book to see how long they were together before getting married.

Some of the things that Meghan "claimed" to not know was a bit over the top to me. She seemed to not really know anything about Harry and the royal family. Not sure how true this was, but some of it was hard to believe that she didn't know. And as for the paparazzi, I'm not sure how used to it she was since she was an actress before meeting Harry, but I do think the paps went to the extreme with her as they did with Diana. 

I did find myself Googling a lot of things, though, mostly to see what they looked like. I looked up the Eton uniforms to see how "stiff" they looked and last night I googled Frogmore Cottage. There were a few other things that I wasn't familiar with that had me running to Google, too.

Overall, I thought it was a pretty interesting book. I don't really know how much is true or exaggerated since there are always 2 sides to a story. But I did like it and it made me miss England.