The Filling Station by Vanessa Miller

 

My thoughts

This is a story of historical events that I have not heard much about. I have since finishing it read some of the info that this author left at the end. The links that is. This is a very emotionally charged story. It keeps the reader engaged and wanting to know why throughout. At least it did for me. I wish I could say that this country has come a long way and maybe in some ways it has. But in so many ways it certainly has not. So much hatred and bigotry still seems to run this country. 

This is the story of what happened in 1921 in a town in Oklahoma. What happened to a group of people who were doing nothing to warrant such hostility and hatred. Simply because of the color of their skin. That is a fact. A very sad fact. 

There were many black families living in an area called Greenwood. It was an all black area. All the businesses and homes belonged to these citizens. They were very successful and happy with their lives. But white people didn't like it. They didn't want these black people to be happy and successful. They used an excuse based on a black kid touching a white girl to invade this area and burn them to the ground. To terrorize and hurt these law abiding citizens because they were black and did not deserve to own anything. 

In this story you meet two young women who lived in Greenwood District. Sisters. Best of friends. They lived with their father. Their mother had died and he raised his girls. He taught them to respect people. To work hard. To get an education. Then one night they were attacked. A whole district turned upside down and people left with nothing. All they had worked for gone up in smoke. How can people truly be that cruel? I don't understand and never will. Reading this was heartbreaking but also I believe necessary. It's history. It happened. We don't need things like this to keep happening. 

These people were given very little help to rebuild their community. And they had to work for that. The Red Cross didn't want to help it seems. They did but the cost was the people's dignity.  Not one white man was arrested or reprimanded for this heinous crime. Not one. 

The people in Greenwood District did build back. They worked hard. They excelled again. The story is mostly about these two young women but also what happened in 1921 in the Greenwood District to the black people by white people. Isn't it sad that it happened at all? 

You meet several families and get to know another family. The Threatt family. They helped people out when they came to them. What this family did for Evelyn and Margaret was beyond what they ever expected. They were two young women alone when they happened upon the Threatt Filling Station. What a perfect name for this book.... 

Read this one. It's so worth it. It's history that you may not have heard about. It's sad and uplifting both. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #ThomasNelsonFiction, for this ARC. 

About

"The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre is, shockingly, little more than a footnote in history . . . Miller's book, thankfully, reverses that egregious oversight . . . we viscerally learn how this vibrant Black community fought devastation with resilience, faith, and grit." --Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Two sisters. One unassuming haven. Endless opportunities for grace.

Sisters Margaret and Evelyn Justice have grown up in the prosperous Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma--also known as Black Wall Street. In Greenwood, the Justice sisters had it all--movie theaters and entertainment venues, beauty shops and clothing stores, high-profile businesses like law offices, medical clinics, and banks. While Evelyn aspires to head off to the East Coast to study fashion design, recent college grad Margaret plans to settle in Greenwood, teaching at the local high school and eventually raising a family.

Then the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre upends everything they know and brings them unspeakable loss. Left with nothing but each other, the sisters flee along what would eventually become iconic Route 66 and stumble upon the Threatt Filling Station, a safe haven and the only place where they can find a shred of hope in oppressive Jim Crow America. At the filling station, they are able to process their pain, fill up their souls, and find strength as they wrestle with a faith in God that has left them feeling abandoned.

But they eventually realize that they can't hide out at the filling station when Greenwood needs to be rebuilt. The search for their father and their former life may not give them easy answers, but it can propel them--and their community--to a place where their voices are stronger . . . strong enough to build a future that honors the legacy of those who were lost.

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall

 

My thoughts

I read and loved Looking For Jane. The debut novel by this same author. This is a brilliantly told story. The way this author weaves the two main characters together is nothing short of perfection. 

I loved this line in this story:

""Audrey nodded warily. "Yes. My name is Audrey. Audrey James."" It was just the perfect sentence at the time. It just broke me....

This is a story about two women who are childhood friends living in Germany during the time when Hitler was starting his reign of terror. As he was fooling people into believing that what he was doing was what was best for Germany and it's people. To get rid of any people that were less than. Any people who were considered by him to be unworthy. He made people believe that the Jewish people were causing trouble for Germany. That they were doing much harm to Germany. He started grooming young kids to be in his army. He was a horrible little man who caused so much destruction. 

Audrey was a German child who had hardly any friends. When the Kaplans moved in across the road Audrey ran over and introduced herself to Ilse. The Kaplans were Jewish. This was not a problem for Audrey. She and Ilse became fast friends. They were inseparable throughout their childhood. When things went crazy in Germany with the Nazi's rounding up the Jews Ilse was separated from her family. She saw her father gunned down by a soldier and her mom and brother taken away. She had no one. No one except Audrey. Audrey loved Ilse and would do anything to keep her safe. 

We meet Kate in 2010 and get to know her. She's going through a divorce after the loss of her parents in a horrific car accident. Kate was with them and was the only survivor. She carries a lot of guilt from being a survivor. Her husband and her were already having problems and she decided to move away and found a job at an Inn. The Inn is owned by Audrey. The two get to know each other and Kate gets Audrey to open up about her life.  This is hard for Audrey but also helps her. It also helps Kate to open up about the night she lost her parents. The two survived a lot and bond over their grief. 

This story gives a lot of info about what it was like to grow up in Germany when the horrors were happening. It shows how strong some friendships between a German girl and a Jewish girl were. How they endured during soldiers taking over the home of the Kaplans. What it was like hiding in an attic and fearing for the worst. You feel the fear and sadness that emmetts from Ilse. How Kate kept them both safe by lying and being a housekeeper for the soldiers. Then working for the resistance to try and help as much as she could. It shows how strong the bond is between true friends. So strong that lies told by a horrible man could not be broken. 

Then you find out how the two main characters lives intersect. How they know some of the same people. What happens to each. And in it all a love story happens. Audrey and Kate are two strong willed women. One survived Germany and the other survived a horrific car wreck. While one is way more horrific they are both essential to this story to bring the characters together and help each find closure. 

This book is told from two different times. In the late 1930s mid 1940s, and 2010/2013. I thought this book was so good. It made me do some weeping but it was suppose to do that. 

Do not miss the Author's Not at the end. It has a lot of great info and is so worth the read. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #RandomHouse #BallantinePublishing for this ARC. 

About

An astonishing historical novel of one woman’s dangerous journey through World War II Germany and her life-changing friendship with a young woman decades later—from the #1 international bestselling author of Looking for Jane

Northern England, 2010. After a tragic accident upends her life, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border, where she hopes to find a fresh start and heal from her loss. When she arrives, she begins to unravel the truth about her past, but discovers that the mysterious elderly proprietor is harboring secrets of her own.

Berlin, 1938. Audrey James is weeks away from graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin, where she’s been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. As war looms, Ilse’s family disappears and high-ranking Nazi officers confiscate the house. In desperation, Audrey becomes their housekeeper while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic. When a shocking turn of events embroils Audrey in the anti-Hitler movement, she must decide what matters most: protecting those she loves, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.

Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during World War II, The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection.

Spotlight for Scandalous In Huntington Beach by Melody DeBlois

 

Amazon:  https://tinyurl.com/scandaloushuntingtonbeach

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221237484-scandalous-in-huntington-beach

Synopsis:

Bennett Browning has spent his life planning for success, but nothing prepares him for fatherhood—especially when he learns of his daughter’s existence only after his ex’s tragic passing. A politician on the rise, Bennett’s carefully curated life is thrown into chaos as he struggles to care for an infant he never knew existed.

Emma Kuan is no stranger to secrets, but discovering her late sister had a baby she kept hidden even from her is a devastating blow. Determined to step in, Emma offers to become her niece’s nanny, even if it means moving in with the enigmatic and ambitious Bennett.

As they navigate sleepless nights, unexpected chemistry, and the looming threat of political scandal, Bennett and Emma find themselves drawn together in ways neither anticipated. But when heartbreaking news about the baby forces them to make impossible choices, they’ll have to decide whether love can truly heal the wounds of the past—or if some secrets are too big to overcome.

Book three in the Love is a Beach series but can be read as a standalone.

Author bio:

Melody DeBlois writes heartfelt romance that explores love, redemption, and second chances. Inspired by her love for the ocean and her time spent in picturesque coastal towns, she brings warmth and emotional depth to every story. When she’s not writing, Melody enjoys poetry, coffee, and the simple joys of life that make each day special.

Website: https://melodydeblois.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melodydebloisbooks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melody.deblois/

Author Marketing Experts:

X: @Bookgal

Instagram: @therealbookgal

Amazon:  https://tinyurl.com/scandaloushuntingtonbeach

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221237484-scandalous-in-huntington-beach

Excerpt 

Heavy rain allowed Bennett’s anonymity as he kept his distance from the mourners beneath the tent at Rachel’s graveside service, his emotions a tight ball in his chest. When the service concluded, the mourners dispersed through the soaked cemetery, leaving him alone at the casket with a woman. Her resemblance to Rachel drew him. Was this the older sister he’d heard about? She was shivering, so he edged closer to share his umbrella.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said and, against his will, found himself intrigued by the face she directed at him—the faint, upward slant of her eyes, the slash of high cheekbones.

“Thank you for coming.”

He caught himself then. “I’m Bennett Browning.”

“I know,” she responded with quiet emphasis. “You’re the senate hopeful.”

“And you must be Emma?”

She raised her chin, luminous mahogany hair blowing back from her exotic features. “Emma Kuan. Rachel and I had different fathers.”

“Emma, like in the Jane Austen novel.”

“Right,” she said with a trace of sarcasm.

Had she detected his unease? Appalled, he dropped his stare to his wristwatch. “I’ve got an” “appointment with Child—”

“Child Protective Services,” she finished for him after he’d tactlessly dropped that bombshell. “The judge awarded you Rachel’s baby.”

“I didn’t know—before, I mean.” The words came out gruffer than he intended. “I didn’t know she was pregnant. She never said.” And he believed she had taken precautions.

“If it makes you feel any better, my sister didn’t tell me either.”

***

Bennett had that do-gooder thing going for him—she’d give him that. His kindness at her sister’s burial service wasn’t lost on her. She’d noticed, too, that he was handsome, but he seemed unaware of it. His dark hair went all curly in the rain, and his sultry brown eyes were at once sympathetic and then suddenly full of something she couldn’t quite name.

She respected him for all he’d done for LA’s troubled youth. He’d built a rec center, organized youth sports teams, and for a short time practiced law—working mostly pro bono. Before he became a senatorial nominee, he’d mentored small businesses. True, his accomplishments impressed her. Who wouldn’t be? But all this didn’t mean he welcomed becoming a single dad.

Then, unexpectedly, he pulled something from a shopping bag.

“Aww,” she couldn’t help but say at the sight of the snuggly teddy bear.

“I had a moment this morning and saw this in a shop window.” A helpless expression spread over his face. “Do you think Madelynn will like it?”

Emma’s chest felt as if it would burst. Still, she’d just composed herself when someone knocked at the door. A thick-figured woman introduced herself as Riley Morgan while trying to contain the squirming baby in her arms.”

Emma’s heart melted at the sight of her niece.

“Fingers that reminded Emma of her sister’s extended from the sleeves of a ruffly pink dress. Eyes, the same chocolate brown as her daddy’s, thickly lashed and alert, took in her new surroundings, her thumb in her mouth.”

***

“Bennett was having a hard time believing any of this was real. But it was, and his baby girl would depend on him for everything. He leaned against the chair and did what Emma told him. “Better?”

She nodded and handed over the wiggly Madelynn Grace. Bennett tried his hardest to hold on, afraid he’d drop her. With that in mind, he let Emma readjust his position with a nudge of his arms that had been too far apart and a lift of his right elbow to tilt her head a little. He intuitively lowered his face and sweet-talked the baby. In turn, she blew bubbles at him.

“I think she likes me.” He allowed her to poke him in the nose.

“Looks that way.”

His heart swelled. “I promise to give you the best life I can.”

When he glanced up, all smiles, he noted Emma’s quivering lower lip. Was she thinking of Rachel? Something in the hunch of her shoulders and lowered chin made him realize he knew so little about her.”

Praise:

“If you enjoy romantic women’s fiction with solid, realistic characters and an emotional core, I highly recommend Scandalous in Huntington Beach. It’s a story that reminds us of the importance of love, family, and resilience.” – N.N. Light’s Book Heaven

“Scandalous in Huntington Beach is a tender story of finding hope in loss and building a future against the odds. It is a deeply moving, must-read romance.” – Gina Rae Mitchell

Trigger Warning: This novel explores themes of mental health and suicide.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

 

My thoughts

This is McAllisters best novel yet. While I figured out all of the twists it did not take away from the story at all. I had to keep going to see that I was right. I rooted for the couples to end up just like they did. This was such a good book. 

I chose this as a BOTM book and am so happy that I did. It kept me turning the pages. It was a fast read for me. Even though I figured everything, and I do mean everything, out, it was so good. 

This is about a man and woman who have a nine month old daughter. Camilla and Luke have a very close and deep love. They have a special kind of marriage that the two of them put first above everything. Until something happens to shatter that. Until she gets news that rocks her to her very core. Luke has taken three people hostage. He is in a warehouse and has a gun..

Niall is the hostage negotiator. He feels like something is not right in this situation. He does not believe Luke will kill these hostages. But something goes terribly wrong. Luke does the unthinkable.

Seven years after the Siege as it was called, Cam is trying to move on with her life. Raising Polly, her daughter, alone. She still holds out hope that Luke is alive. And innocent. 

There are a few characters in this story but the main ones are Camilla/Cam, Luke, Naill, and Cam's sister Libby. There is also a few secondary characters that add to this story. One being the man Cam kind of likes after Luke. Luke has been gone seven years before she even thinks about anyone and her heart will never belong to anyone else. But she tries to give Charlie a chance. She really tries.

This story has many twists and turns. It's told from two POVs, Camilla's and Niall's. Niall wants nothing more than to find Luke. Hopefully before he is killed. Once the pieces finally start falling in place both Cam and Niall figure out exactly who and where Luke is. But will one of them be too late. Will Luke end up dead after all these years...

Thank you #NetGalley, #WilliamMorrow, for this ARC. 

About

From the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time comes an addictive thriller about a new mother’s world upended when her husband commits a terrifying crime. How well does she truly know the man she loves? And what danger does she face if her entire life has been built on a lie?

It is June 21st, the longest day of the year, and new mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.

Then it starts. Breaking news: there's a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn't a hostage. Her husband—doting father, eternal optimist—is the gunman.

What she does next is crucial. Because only she knows what the note he left behind that morning says...

Famous Last Words is the story of a crime, a marriage, and more secrets than Camilla ever could have imagined. This novel cements Gillian McAllister’s reputation as “the best at putting her characters in impossible situations and making her readers not only contemplate but feel what it would be like to find themselves in those situations.” (Emily Henry)

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

 

My thoughts

This was such a beautiful story. Told with so much feeling and heartfelt love. Even in the worst parts it’s beautiful. Perfection in a book is rare but this one truly is perfection. 

This book starts out kind of sad. A boy and his dog. The dog attacks the lambs killing three and the farmer kills the dog. I hated that part. But it's a means to the beginning of one of the most beautiful books I have read. This is definitely my favorite book for this year.

A girl meets a boy. They fall madly in love. He mother doesn't approve. A whole lot happens but ultimately they break up. She returns home and marries another. Years go by before she ever sees the one who swept her off her feet.

This story is told in the time it happened. In the before. In the after. During the trial. There was a killing and a husband goes on trial for his life. His wife stands by him. His family stands by him. Actually he has no family, blood family, except for his wife and her family now. 

Frank and Beth are married. They had a son, Bobby. Frank has loved Beth since he was thirteen years old. Beth loves him too. She also still has strong feelings for her first love Gabriel. For the boy she was meant to marry if things had been different. Frank and Beth have a farm and his brother Jimmy lives with them. Jimmy has always been a trouble person even as a very young lad. 

You will be taken from 1968 back to 1955. To the time before Beth and Frank to when it was Beth and Gabriel. You will get to know them all. The love that is between Beth and Gabriel is so intense and so strong. But something happens. Beth marries Frank and thus this story unfolds. 

This book is full of so much good. So much sad. So much happiness. A time when things should have been simpler I suppose but it wasn't. Not for these three. It's a love triangle gone desperately wrong. I loved all the characters except Gabriels mother. She was not likable in any way. Not even a tiny bit. This is a story of two loves. Two men and one woman. Actually three men but only two that Beth had been in love with. 

A tragedy strikes and these people's lives are never the same. Maybe in some ways better. Not really better but stronger. Friendships made. Love lost. A family interrupted. This is a story that will stay with you for a good long time.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Simon&Schuster, for this ARC. This is my feelings about this story.

About

A love triangle unearths dangerous, deadly secrets from the past in this thrilling tale perfect for fans of The Paper Palace and Where the Crawdads Sing.

“The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.”

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.

We Are Made of Stars by Rochelle B. Weinstein

 

My thoughts

This author writes books that really pull you in and pull at your heartstrings. They usually have all the feels included too. This one is no different and is possibly her best to date. I thoroughly enjoyed "Somebody's Daughter" and "This Is Not How It Ends." I look forward to reading quite a few more. 

Jean-Paul and Renee own the Inn.

Penny and Leo, Leo is an actor. They are headed for divorce over something with another woman. Leo swears he is innocent,

Cassidy and her daughter Rosalie. I loved Rosalie more than any other character. He just touched my heart. Rosalie has a big secret she needs to share with her mother.

Henry is married to Lucy. Henry has secrets but he has no idea how much they affect it will have on Jean-Paul and Renee. Lucy has a huge secret. 

Adam and Sienna are married. Adam has done something bad but he doesn't want anyone to ever know.

Lucy and Sienna have been best friends for a very long time.

There are three couples and a mother/daughter along with the Inn owners. The story is told by each person. The couples have a few secrets they are not really wanting to share. While two of the couples are best friends they still won't share some of their secrets. But you can bet they are revealed. And things take a big turn. 

Things are revealed that will cause breakups. Other things will make some think about how important their life together really is. Is it worth fighting for? A lot is going on and it makes this story so good. Nothing is hard to follow and the story flows along at a good pace. You get to know each character and how they feel about things. There was only one that I honestly hated from the start and one that never grew on me. Adam bragged to much and Cassidy was not a good mother. I guess she may have grown on me a tiny bit but I still didn't much like her. 

This book hits on subjects that may be a little hard. The loss of a child. Miscarriage. Drugs and alcohol. Divorce. Reconciliation. And a few more things. It's truly such a good book. From the very start to the very last word I was hooked. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #LakeUnionPublishing, for this ARC. 

About

Secrets, lies, and second chances are served up beneath the stars at a picturesque mountain getaway in this powerful novel about love and family by the bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends.

At the Vis Ta Vie inn, Reneé and Jean-Paul De La Rue face the daunting decision to close their beloved home for good.

They’re not the only ones going through a season of change, though. Their guests include three couples in Hollywood celebs Leo and Penny are spending their silver anniversary together while on the cusp of divorce. Lucy, a practical-minded therapist, and Henry, an astronomer with his head in the stars, are struggling to find common ground. And former lawyer and current stay-at-home mom Sienna and charismatic sports agent Adam look perfect but are hiding rifts of their own. Thrown into the mix are self-absorbed single mother Cassidy and her sullen fifteen-year-old daughter, Rosalie.

The stage is set for a week of betrayals, regrets, and shocking truths that can rend the heart or heal it. Vis Ta Vie—live your life—captures what it means to love through the darkness, and to find the light even after the magic fades.

A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher

 

My thoughts

This is a first read for me by this author. I absolutely loved this book. It pulled me in and I could have stayed up two extra hours to finish it. But I was too sleepy. 

This is one of those books that is pure pleasure to read. A modern day witch story. A love story. A story about finding a way to remove a curse. I really loved how the story played out too. It was just adorable and perfect.

When Doreen decides to find a way to break an age old curse put on her family she knows she has her work cut out for her. She had been trying for ages to figure it out but with a note from her cousin she finally knows where to start. 

A curse was put on the MacKinnon family that if they didn't fall in love and have that love returned by age thirty they would die. Doreen didn't want to settle for casting a spell to make someone fall in love with her. She wanted the real thing. The whole thing. While her cousin Margot didn't want to take a chance on death. She married a young man. 

This book is about a curse. A family of witches through the ages. A male who supposedly started it all because of love. There are a few characters and some things going on but it's really easy to follow. Doreen and Ambrose, the one who was suppose to have started the curse, team up to stop the curse things are revealed. Things that neither knew about and a lot that Doreen was never told. 

This is a love story also. A love that happens between two witches. Well one is a warlock I suppose, though that is never said. He's called a witch. A lot of twists and turns. A few trials going on. Not witch trials like you may think. Trials to break a curse...

I truly did enjoy this book very much. It held my interest from start to beautiful ending. All that goes along with a good love story too. From fighting those feelings to finally accepting it. From family interference to finally being left alone. This is a book about family. Love. Lost love. New love. And in a way torture... 

Thank you #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress, for this ARC.

Five big stars. 

About

A witch generationally cursed to never find true love sets out to break the spell cast on her family, and must team up with the last person who wants to help her – the witch who set the curse in the first place.

Doreen MacKinnon is doomed to die of a broken heart - if she can’t break the centuries old curse placed on her family.

Three hundred years ago, Ambrose MacDonald, a powerful male witch, fell in love with a MacKinnon. And when the MacKinnon witches forbade him from seeing his love, by secretly hiding her away, he retaliated by cursing the family and its future generations to never find love. But it wasn’t without a cost. Now, Ambrose is imprisoned by those same witches, trapped in a tempest and doomed to outlive everyone he has ever loved.

But Doreen isn’t like the other MacKinnon witches. As the 13th generation of the MacKinnon line, Doreen is one of the most powerful witches in centuries… and one of the loneliest. So when she discovers where Ambrose has been trapped, she releases him to help her break the curse, once and for all. Ambrose agrees to help, but with his own vengeance. He plans to use her as bait to enact his revenge on her family.

Together, they enter a series of trials, which take them to a castle in Scotland, off a cliff, and into a world beyond their wildest dreams. As they work together, sparks start to fly, but soon Doreen must choose how far she is willing to go to break the curse, and what she's willing to sacrifice.

Paige Crutcher's A Circle of Uncommon Witches is a story of adventure, romance, and destiny, that is true love worth the cost?