Book Review: BROKEN SECRETS Book 1 by Jasper Trey

About the Book 

He inherited a ranch he didn’t want. She showed up with answers he didn’t ask for. 

Noah Hodges walked away from a life in the lab to raise his daughter in peace—but his grandfather’s death drags him back to a ranch that feels like a trap and a coded diary that refuses to stay quiet. He doesn’t have time for secrets. Or for the sharp-tongued city woman determined to unravel them. 

Cecilia Buriss never expected a grocery run to put her face-to-face with a man who clearly doesn’t want the truth. But the symbols in his grandfather’s journal don’t feel accidental—and the deeper she digs, the harder it is to stop. 

He’s a single dad trying to protect the only stability his daughter has ever known. She fills silence with words—especially when she’s afraid of what might surface. 

Neither of them planned to fall in love. But buried secrets don’t stay buried. And uncovering the truth may force Noah to choose between the past he’s avoided—and the life he’s fighting to protect. 

Review

Noah inherits his grandfather's property and the home built for his grandmother, already deceased. The dig is, he has to live on the property or lose his inheritance and the trust fund for his 12 year old daughter, Dalia - and the property is worth a lot. He meets Cecilia, a city girl, and isn't interested in relationships, just meeting the conditions of the will. 

Only Cecilia introduces Dalia to Haley and helps with Dalia's adjustment. Noah finds his grandfather's diary and shoves it in a drawer. Cecilia finds and starts reading it, discovering codes. Eventually she convinces Noah to read it and along with Danielle, the attorney, they decipher the code and unravel the secrets hidden within - at the very end. A slow start, but a satisfying ending. Romance plus mystery. A clean read (no spice/heat on the page). A new author to me, and I'll be reading more.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way..

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About the Author 

Jasper Trey is a part-time Math teacher and yoga instructor, but a full time mother and wife. She loves being outside and helping her husband with the farm. Writing allows her to live so many different lives all of her own making! Come live life in someone else's shoes with her.  Everyone deserves a little happy ever after in their life, sometimes its through a good story and sometimes its just your life that you are living. Find some happiness everyday! Jasper also authored the Protect the Crown Romance series. You can contact her:

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VETERAN'S DAY 11/11.2024

 

Each year, in the United States, we celebrate Veteran's Day - one of the few holidays that is not moved to a Monday, but always is on November 11th. Why? 

Originally called Armistice Day, it marks the anniversary of the end of World War I, when the armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. In 1938, it became a federal holiday, and in 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all veterans, not just those from World War I.  

THANK YOU TO ALL THE VETERANS WHO HAVE SERVED TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOM

I have a special place in my heart for those who served in WWII - my father (POW) and one uncle (KIA). Sometines called the "Greatest Generation" there are a lot of books and movies about the men who served. I only highlighted two here:

Ever the Patriot: Recollections of Vincent J. Riccio, World War II Veteran and POW (Candace Riccio Salem)  

 

Review excerpt: "A good story of a patriotic member of America's 'greatest generation.' The story is taken from the veteran's own words as recorded and transcribed by his loving family members. As an Air Force veteran of the Cold War I appreciated the story of this man's service and sacrifice for our country. A feel good read that made me proud."

A Wing and a Prayer: The "Bloody 100th" Bomb Group of the US Eighth Air Force in Action Over Europe in World War II by Harry N. Crosby

“A compelling account of the air war against Germany” written by the navigator portrayed by Anthony Boyle in Apple TV’s Masters of the Air (Publishers Weekly).

"Masters of the Air" was produced for Apple TV based on Crosby's book (click on the picture for a link to the trailer). Well worth the watch...

There are many more biographies, memoirs, and historical fiction related to WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan.... Again thank you to the veterans who served and kept us the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.

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Showcase: MRS. ODBODDY AND THE CONNIVING CANDIDATE (A WWII tale of political shenanigans and snookery) by Elaine Faber

Even as WWII wages across the Pacific, election time has come to Newbury. Mrs. Odboddy has had enough of the city council making it difficult for women to gain licenses to start businesses, even in their own homes. Agnes decides to run for the vacant city council seat. That’s when the trouble starts, first when someone breaks into her house, opens the pipes, and floods her kitchen. Katherine and her colored friend are attacked in a race-related assault, and the local church is vandalized.

 Were all these disasters intended to discourage Agnes from continuing her campaign? That’s when an official accusation of theft is filed against her by her political opponent, Horace Faggenbacher, owner of The Flying Red Horse gas station. 

To make matters worse, Katherine’s ex-fiance is back in town declaring his undying love, attempting to convince her to marry him. With each disaster that affects the family, Dr. Dew-Right somehow manages to lend such helpful assistance that Katherine is prevented from kicking him to the curb. But, when anonymous claims against Agnes result in the state’s plans to take away their beloved ward, Mattie, Agnes knows she’s up against a conniving opponent who will stop at nothing to prevent her winning the election. 

How can she prevail against such sinister attacks when her family is at risk? Is winning an election really worth it? On the other hand, how can she allow this conniving candidate’s assaults against her reputation and family force her out of the race? Join Agnes in her journey against overwhelming odds as she attempts to win an election that could help bring about more equitable decisions to the Newbury citizens, to the women in town, and the colored community. 

AMAZON

The Mrs. Odboddy Series

Mrs. Odboddy Hometown Patriot

Mrs. Odboddy Undercover Courier 

Mrs. Odboddy and Then There was a Tiger

Mrs. Odboddy's Desparate Doings

Mrs. Odboddy and the Conniving Candidate

About the Author

Elaine Faber's short stories are published in magazines and multiple anthologies. She is an active member of Sisters in Crime, Elk Grove Wrters Guild, and Northern California Publishers and Authors. 

The Mrs. Odboddy mysteries are set in Northern CA during WWII, a humorous historical fiction both informative and funny. Mrs. Odboddy - Hometown Patriot is the first in Elaine's WWII humorous mystery series. Mrs. Odboddy fights the war from the home front, seeing conspiracies and spies around every corner. When Mrs. Roosevelt comes to town to attend a funeral, Agnes's fears become a reality and she must prove she is, indeed a hometown patriot. 

All books are reader friendly without explicit sex, extreme violence or profanity. Elaine's short stories are published in 21 anthologies over the past 7-8 years. Elaine lives in Elk Grove, CA, with her husband. They currently share their home with two house cats.

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Book Review: TAKE THE WHEEL (Previously published as BLIND BAKE : Maddie Baker #1) by Denise Grover Swank

About the Book

Maddie Baker just wants to make ends meet. She gave up her school librarian career to return to her hometown and take care of her elderly aunt. So when she starts making Uber runs to supplement her barista job, she never dreamt she’d not only drop a man off to his murder but be labeled a person of interest in his death. 

Detective Noah Langley is looking for a fresh start in a city with a lower crime rate and a fraction of the population of Memphis. It’s just what he needs to recover from a nightmare that left him severely injured and his teenage mentee dead. The first murder since he’s arrived in Cockamamie is a chance to prove to his boss and himself he should be there. 

Noah doesn’t have many leads, but the few he has all tie back to one person: Maddie Baker. She doesn’t seem the type, but the last time he presumed someone was innocent he nearly died. Has Noah lost his instincts? Because if he can’t trust his gut, it might be time to turn in his badge. 

Review 

Maddie Baker returns to her old home town, not so naive and less trusting. Only her elderly aunt needs help. Maddie juggles multiple jobs and ends up a suspect in a murder - wrong place, wrong time. But she's determined and begins to collect clues on her own, to prove her innocence. 

The new detective, Noah, in town moved from the city to a small town, not expecting to have to deal with a homicide right off. He also has his own baggage. Maddie and Noah get off on the wrong foot, but as the story progresses, there are definite signs of a romance brewing. 

This is the first in the Maddie Baker series, and a good start to a series. The main characters are well-developed and the small town and its culture are described. As with other works by this author, this is a well-written cozy mystery, with a steady pace, and unexpected surprises. Even with the murder solved, there's still more to come with Maddie (and perhaps Noah) and more mysteries to solve. This is the first of three books in the series.

AMAZON

About the Author 

Denise Grover Swank is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who writes mystery and romance. She lives in Lee's Summit, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. She's a single mother to six kids and four dogs. She spends her free time binging Netflix, drinking wine, and reading. Not necessarily in that order.

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Happy New Year 2022

Goodbye 2021 and Hello 2022! A year ago we started with some optimism regarding COVID-19 and despite the current surge of cases, we are decidedly better off than a year ago. Just not where we hoped to be.  Still as I look back over the year, I can identify some goals reached and events of note.  On the family side, the most notable event wass the birth of my first great niece! (I only had nephews and great nephews before).  

Looking back, my goals haven't changed very much:

• Be kind. Do something nice for someone, pay it forward, make someone else smile.
• Think positive. Find the silver lining no matter how hard it is to find one.
• Stay in touch with people I care about even if it is easier not to make the effort. It is too easy to become isolated.
• Finish the "hanger-on tasks" from work and truly retire!
• Be productive with my writing, starting with the new series to debut later this month! You can get a free copy of the prequel to the Izzie Di Sante mysteries, Reawakening the Itch, HERE. It will release on January 23rd. The first full book, An Itch for Justice, is scheduled to release on January 26th. 
• Do better at completing reviews and posting on my blog, keeping in communication with my readers and other authors.
• Audiobooks was a new (unplanned) endeavor this past year. Hopefully, all of my backlist will be available in audiobook format by the end of 2022.
• Continue to work on weight, fitness, better eating habits, and all that I can do to stay healthy
• Work on the "Travel Bucket List." A lot of travel was postponed, though we did take a short trip to Lexington, KY. Why Lexington, KY of all places? My husband wanted to check out the bourbon trail and I wanted to visit the general location where a favorite series of mine (Bluegrass series by Kathleen Brooks) is set. It sure sounded beautiful and it was. We'll be taking some time this month for travel, or at least that is the plan...

For all of you, my husband and I wish you all the best for the coming year.  As you plan your reading for the next year, here are some ideas for you (keep scrolling for the rafflecopter!):

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