ChaosHappinessBookMama

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Statistically, pregnancy is one of the most dangerous times of a woman's life. Not to mention all of the unknowns - growing a person in her body, hoping all is developing well. It is definitely like housing an alien - all of which the author plays on in this book, adding to the creep and suspense factors.  Jillian is a successful ob-gyn doctor - delivering babies, assisting women with care and compassion. She herself is weeks away from giving birth - when small little things start happening. Window screens are open. Her baby journal is moved. Fred, her cat, escapes the house.  Jillian's group of pregnant first time moms from her AA groups, called the Ripleys, tell her it's pregnancy brain. Minor details Jillian simply forgets.  Jillian is convinced something is happening - she confronts her wife, Rochelle. At five months pregnant, Rochelle moved in with her new girl friend, Domi; Jillian completely unaware of their affair. Or could it be one of her patients?  Excellent

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hannah and Owen have been married for a year. His sixteen year old daughter, Bailey,  isn't a fan. Hannah has been working hard on building a relationship - nothing works until Owen disappears.  A knock on the door changes their lives - a young girl delivers a note from Owen. Protect her.  Owen's software company is under indictment- the CEO escorted in handcuffs.  Hannah and Bailey know Owen would never participate in shady dealings - so why did he run?  A US Marshall from Austin arrives - adding more confusion and frustration.  But he gives Hannah a starting point.  After she learns Owen and Bailey Michaels didn't exist - until 10 years ago.   I couldn't put this book down. I stayed up past my bedtime to finish.  Great writing. Excellent mystery. Loved the characters.  

⭐⭐⭐ This book held my interest and sucked me in. Kind of predictable but great,  fun read.  Rose returns home - she left after high school and swore to never return. After the sudden death of her husband, Rose packs up her and her son, Max and leaves Wisconsin.   And the memories flood back. One night, when Rose was 15 changed her life. Tied her father, sister and Rose together.  Colin,  a Milwaukee cop, can't dismiss Riley's death as accidental overdose.  Especially after reading one of Rose's books.  Good read. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 Lyrical,  gorgeous writing.  Violence- especially against women. Racism. Regrets. Bitterness.  Jealousy.   I love the dedication- to the author's younger self. Really spoke to me.  Tilla and her sister, Mia, are sent to Jamaica to stay with their estranged father for two months of summer vacation.   Mia - nine years old, has an amazing, joyous time with her aunts, uncles, cousins, friends.   Tilla is held accountable for those around her and their issues.  As a young woman, Tilla's family judges her harshly for her interaction with the young men -  especially the promised man to her cousin.  Do they hold the men accountable? Do they believe Tilla as she defends herself? No - the talk tears her apart, defenseless and isolated.  Amazing account of young women's experiences,  especially in more traditional cultures.  

⭐⭐⭐ Rebecca Zahau lived with her boyfriend,  Jonah, and his three children.  Jonah had shared custody with both his ex wives. Rebecca experienced some hostility from both wives and Cindy,  Jonah's daughter.   Rebecca was very loving, especially with Jonah's youngest son, Max. His mother,  Dina, had issues with their relationship- feeling Rebecca was encroaching on her mothering role.   In July 2011, Max suffered severe injuries from a fall, though no one is able to determine how it happened.  Two days later, Rebecca is found at the mansion, rope around her ankles and hands,  nude, hanging from a balcony.   Ruled a suicide, Rebecca's family fight for the truth knowing their daughter would never kill herself.  Harrowing story. Why did the police rule suicide and fail to investigate other possibilities? Such as homicide? 

⭐⭐⭐ Jenna attends a SoulShrink seminar - and books a retreat.  She attends- and never returns home. Fran, her older sister by twelve years, is guilted by her mother to attend a retreat years later - desperate for answers.  This book is told by both Jenna and Fran - attraction,  lies, and mysterious people.   Interesting story about family dynamics. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mary decides to file for divorce from Thomas after a vicious attack. Though he has abused her all five years of their marriage, there is no proof. They both provided stories of Mary's clumsiness.  Fearing for her safety,  Mary moves in with her parents while her scribe prepares her case.  Whispers of Mary practicing witchcraft surface. They steal the attention away from the years Mary suffered domestic violence.   Mary fights hard for her independence- refusing to bow to her community's ongoing insistence Mary attempt mediation rather than divorce - their value on the sanctity of marriage than a wife's right to safety.  Women have endured abuse from the beginning of time.  Yet again a terrifying question  - what has changed in 500 years? Women are still not valued as a people, suffer abuse at the hands of men, rulings made by men. I could go on.  Slow build, great ending. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Penny is found standing by her dead birth mother- holding the knife, dripping in blood. She has no memory of that night.  Penny has 3 alters - Eve, Chloe and Ruby.  Grace, Penny's mother,  devotes her energy to Penny's defense, desperate for any information.  I thought it was too long. Great build up - slow burn, author spent serious time building characters and suspense.  But such a long book. This book exams mental health and family dynamics.  So much guilt - both parents and children. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book sucked me in- kept me up way past my bedtime. I just wanted to know how it ends! Like many families from struggling countries,  Thanh Dao and her sister, Kim-Ly, secure passage to England with the promise to pay off their travel fees. When they arrive, they are brought to a farm. From there, the sisters are separated.   Thanh Doa suffers torture at the hands of Lenn - forced to live on his farm for years. Each escape attempt causes her to lose a possession.   She finds herself pregnant- while discovering her inner strength.   Gripping. Terrifying. The last 100 pages, I could barely breath from the suspense.  

⭐⭐⭐⭐ The horror references.  Love of Mary Shelley.  Fear tests. Swoon.  After a deadly home invasion, Rachel begins to attend Manhattan's Manchester Academy - a very elite prep school. Her friend, Saundra, convinces her to attend a school party at an abandoned old house.   Someone starts to tell the story of why the previous owners died. Then a seance. And of course load noises and wavering walls.  Rachel becomes obsessed with figuring out how it was done.  And stumbles onto the Mary Shelley Club.   Yet the home invasion continues to follow her.  Suspense.  Horror movie references.  Friendship.  Shared obsessions.   Excellent read. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fresh. Creative. Fast paced. Love the characters.  Get it.  Wow! Buy your copy now!  A man is found tied to a rolling rack and slowly burned to death. Someone is using extreme torture to kill seemingly unrelated people.  Kim is facing her worst case yet. With the help of her team, she discovers their burned man had entered the witness protection agency five years earlier- with his wife and two young sons. He testified against an organized crime gang - did they finally track down their snitch?  Stacey has been recommended for promotion - Kim and Woody feel she's ready.  Frost shadows Kim and Bryant - meeting with the family of a domestic violence victim.  Trisha's husband had been arrested but granted a mistrial.  The second trial about to start, Nick hired a PR firm to compel the public.  Frost is determined to do something for Trisha,  something to help remind the public she was a victim.  Fresh. Creative. Fast paced. Love the characters.  Get it.

⭐⭐⭐ I have been loving Lesley on Instagram- exactly what we have needed this past year. Happy,  upbeat, sharing little tidbits of his life, trying to unite people and inspire optimism.   I wanted to love this book for these reasons alone.  These essays are poignant,  moments of hilarity and normalcy in Leslie's charmed life.   Fast read but I was hoping for more. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ A chilling addition to this series.  A young couple find a teenage girl behind a water fall - her body held down by a boulder, hair swaying in the water. DNA reveals she is Rose - an open kidnapping case from 14 years ago. Rose had been taken from her bed at the age of 3.  But family and friends confirm she is Alyssa, daughter of a successful businessman.   While Kay desperately untangles the mixup, Elliot is assinged to a runaway case - 14 yo Kirsten, abducted a week earlier and being held in a remote house.  Kay is asked by the FBI to help a battered wife to escape her husband- a deputy and coworker of Kay's.   Fast moving plot,  love the characters,  lots of action and twists.