One Night Gone

One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A young carnival worker Maureen finds herself in Opal Beach, the perfect summer vacation town of multiple wealthy families. While in town with the carnival, she meets and befriends a couple of people who advise her to plant her roots in the small town. But before Maureen can follow her friends’ advice – she suddenly disappears.

A few decades later, Allison, a fresh divorcee and a woman who carries a close resemblance to the missing teenager, moves into the town. Per her sister’s advice, Allison is devoted to making this relocation a new phase of her life. As days go by, Allison learns more about her neighbors, town’s residents, and most of all – the terrifying secret a charming little town of Opal Beach has been hiding for years.

I have been struggling with the plot of the novel for a good first half of the book, I didn’t find it catching. However, the second part has been more thrilling and entertaining. I think I would have loved the story a lot more if I had found the characters more likable and less predictable. Thank you NetGalley and Graydon House publisher for a free advanced copy of the book.

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Barack and Joe: The Making of an Extraordinary Partnership

Barack and Joe: The Making of an Extraordinary Partnership by Steven Levingston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The political bromance, Barack and Joe’s friendship, and collaboration will forever leave its footprint in American history.

Starting from political rivals, the two managed to build a strong foundation of the phenomenal President & Vice President team. This book tells the story of two democratic US senators who came from two completely opposite backgrounds but shared an important mission. This is not a biography of either man, this is a story of their bond, the way they were able to look past their differences, listened and accepted each other’s objectives, and most importantly – held one another’s back. An author made an excellent note regarding the two: the Barack-and-Joe friendship did something else: it stirred the imagination. It gave Americans hope that the nation could work together harmoniously. Barack and Joe looked beyond color and age and personal quirks to the importance of shared values.

This book is an easy read. I didn’t find any new information in it, however, it is a perfect guide for any political enthusiast that contains all the facts of Barack and Joe’s friendship and partnership during their time in The Office.

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No One’s Home

No One’s Home by D.M. Pulley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rawlingswood, or as locals call it – haunted/murder house, is a place that keeps the dark secrets of its multiple owners: the Rawlings, Klussmans, Turners, and Spielmans. Rumor has it – every man dies in the house and every female goes mad shortly afterward.

Besides the family’s secrets, the house has a history of its own. And pretty dark one too. A brutal murder has taken place on the current property of the Rawlingswood, and shortly after our famous house has been built on the same spot. Some would think that the Rawlingswood has been cursed from the start. Not one family has lived their “happily ever after” in the big, beautiful but hunted mansion. Will the Spielman family break the curse or would they follow the same road as all previous members of the manor?

No One’s Hom is a deliciously dark and tangled web of secrets and lies. Everything I adore in a psychological thriller! Twists at every corner that will keep you guessing all the way to the end. Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a free advanced copy of the book, and D.M.Pulley for a phenomenal story.

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The Third Daughter

The Third Daughter by Talia Carner

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“The Third Daughter” is a powerful story of courage, hope, and determination.

Pogroms have progressed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Russian, and many Jewish families found themselves fleeing their homes. Batya’s family was one of them. On their way to the Jewish colony, they run into a wealthy jew, whom after only a few days offered to take young Batya to Buenos Aires and make her his wife.

As you already guessed, Batya’s happiness was short-lived. Soon after being taken away from her family and on the way to Buenos Aires, the young girl has been raped, beaten, and starved. Upon reaching her destination, Batya’s spirit has been broken. And instead of promised life of freedom and luxury, she ended up in an upscale brothel and in a heart of Jewish mafia. Despite her unbearable situation, Batya never gave up hope of helping her family escape the horrors of Russia, and due to her patience and strong will power, the faith brought her new hope in the face of a fellow Jew.

The novel covers multiples subjects as corruption, kidnapping, sex trafficking, and suicide. It was hard to read at times, however, it was wonderfully edited and fitted into the story. In my opinion, the novel was too long and I wish there were more details shared about Batya’s family and their lives in Russian, also more details envolving Moscowitz and Co. Thank you GoodReads and William Morrow publishers for a free and advanced copy of the novel.

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