Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?
Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy's counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other's trust, and come to see that what they've been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.

Review: I was given an ARC of Small Great Things from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
Racial hate, the topic that Jodi Picoult tackles in her latest book will take the reader on an honest journey from the viewpoint of a white supremacist who is angry at the world and an African American woman who gets in his crosshairs.
Turk is the white male whose brother is killed when he is a child by what he believes he an accident caused by a black man who is found not guilty of the charges that are brought against him in court. This sets forth the motion of his hatred for blacks and eventually his rise to working in white power groups and marrying a daughter of one of the group's leaders.
When they had their first child and found out a black nurse would be caring for him they flipped because they were both against it. So they said she could not touch the baby under any circumstances. Well, the baby went into a breathing emergency and....
Ruth is an African American nurse who has been working at the hospital for over twenty years. She has also known what it was like to live in the white man's world because she went to white schools because her mom wanted the best for her so she never let it bother her until Turk and his wife told her she could not touch their baby. But, she did what a professional would and stayed away until she was left alone with him when another nurse was called away and he stopped breathing. But she was forced to help and Turk and his wife want her charged with murder because they think she killed their son because they hate black people.
Well, this book tries to prove racial hate on both sides. I really can honestly say I did not like Ruth or Turk until the very end when they did redeem themselves a little bit. To me Turk was trying way to hard to be a race hater. When he was in jail and friends with the blacks I had a bit of a problem with a true race hater doing that. I personally think he was a poser who bragged about more then he did. He annoyed me.
As for Ruth I also think she was ashamed of who she was. Her sister called her out on that big time. She had to have her son go to the better schools and be something he wasn't as well. I think as much as this book is about racial hate against other races there is a bit of self racial hate in here as well. Ruth wanted to live in the white neighborhood, have her son go to the white schools like she did, she was the only black nurse where she worked...etc.
As of the story it was very good. Had some surprises along the way and also made you, as a reader, take a minute and think about some of your words and actions and what they may really mean. I am giving Small Great Things five out of five stars.

Outrage (Faith McMann Trilogy #2) by T.R. Ragan

The happy life Faith McMann knew as a wife, mother, and teacher was destroyed when vicious criminals murdered her husband, kidnapped her children, and left her for dead. After paralyzing grief, fear, and despair, there was nothing left for her to feel…except fury. But striking a staggering blow against a brutal ring of human traffickers was just the beginning of her uphill battle.
Though her daughter remains missing and her son is lost in the wilderness, Faith’s relentless efforts have reunited some children with their families. They’ve also made her and the rest of her family the targets of a sadistic crime boss. But Faith has learned plenty about survival in the lawless underworld she’s storming. And she’s forged an unbreakable bond with two no-holds-barred allies in the war against evil. As they dodge assassins and take down predators, Faith travels deeper into the heart of darkness, determined to rescue her children at any cost.

Review: I was given an ARC of Outrage from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
The first thing I am going to say is be sure you read the first book in the trilogy before you start this one because this book starts right off where the first one ended without much of a backstory to use as a reference to know what is going on and what took place.
Now with that being said I want more! I absolutely loved Outrage and I can't wait until the last book comes out to see how this trilogy is going to end. I love all the characters and the dynamic between them. Faith is such a strong women going after the people who killed her husband and took her children with no fear to the consequences she may face. Beast is such an enigma who could beat a man to death if he is going to hurt those he cares about but is a teddy bear when it comes to his feelings for Rage and facing her impending death head on. Then there is Rage who lives in moment because she has to and she fights hard for her friends. They are such a strange mix of people who work so well together while trying to find Faith's children and get rid of some scrum along the way.
This second installment of the trilogy was packed full of excitement from start to finish. It also focuses a lot on Faith's son Hudson and his attempt to escape from the drug traffickers who were holding him. I am not going to give away any spoilers but be ready for some emotionally graphic things no ten year old should go through.
This be is an excellent read and is definitely getting five out of five stars.

Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale

Sous chef Aimee Tierney has the perfect recipe for the perfect life: marry her childhood sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents’ restaurant. But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.
As Aimee struggles to reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever.
A luminous debut with unexpected twists, Everything We Keep explores the devastation of loss, the euphoria of finding love again, and the pulse-racing repercussions of discovering the truth about the ones we hold dear and the lengths they will go to protect us.

Review:  I was given a copy of Everything We Keep from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
This book is one of those books that when you walk away you are still going wow especially after you read the last chapter. I am still trying to wrap my mind around some of the twist that were thrown at the reader in this book and I love it.
I am not going to give out spoilers but if you are looking for an emotional joyride that you will be shocked were it goes this is a great book to pick up. Aimee is one of those characters you are not sure about but you have no choice to hope she gets the answers she is looking for.
I am getting this book four out of five stars..
This book is one of those books that when you walk away you are still going wow especially after you read the last chapter. I am still trying to wrap my mind around some of the twist that were thrown at the reader in this book and I love it.
I am not going to give out spoilers but if you are looking for an emotional joyride that you will be shocked were it goes this is a great book to pick up. Aimee is one of those characters you are not sure about but you have no choice to hope she gets the answers she is looking for.
I am getting this book four out of five stars.

Even the Score by Beth Ehemann

Single dad Andy Shaw loves his job as a sports agent, with one exception: it doesn’t leave him much time for his kids. No parent likes being sidelined, so Andy decides to hire someone to share the workload. But when one of the hottest agents in the industry applies, Andy knows that this deal is definitely trouble.
Danicka Douglas works her butt off, but being an attractive woman in a testosterone-heavy industry isn’t exactly a cakewalk. She guards her professional reputation fiercely, which means no crushing on her gorgeous boss. But the more they ignore that sexy little spark, the more it sizzles…
Just when it looks like romance might be in the game plan, Dani is threatened by a stalker with dark intentions. To keep her safe, Andy must cross the line between professional and very personal…because this time, he’s playing for keeps.

Review:  I was given an ARC of Even the Score from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
I really enjoyed this book. It was refreshing to read a book about a female sports agent. This book was a bit rough around the edges at times but it stood true to how one would expect athletes act around their friends when they are just chilling out and talking about their lives and women.
I really liked Dani and her spunk and how she was willing to conquer a man's world and not take and gruff and still stand for up she feels for how women should be treated. Andy was also one of the good guys who felt that family and his employees really matter. Those two made a great team.
As for who was stalking Dani I can honestly say I kept changing my mind throughout the book. I went from the football player who she thought it was to her former boss to even her new best friend and the the secretary at the firm I was so lost. I can honestly say the author did a good job with that part of the book.
This book was very entertaining and well written. Being a sports fan it made it even better. I am giving Even the Score four out of five stars.

Faultlines by Barbara Taylor Sissel

It’s the phone call every parent dreads: in the middle of the night, Sandy Cline learns that her twenty-year-old son, Jordan, has been in a car accident. Her nephew, Travis, was also in the car, along with Travis’s girlfriend. All three are alive—but barely. The car was smashed against a tree along a remote and winding road, beautiful but deadly, in their rural Texas Hill Country town.
In the wake of the car crash, the close-knit family is tested like never before. Jenna, Travis’s mother, blames Jordan—as well as her sister, Sandy—after reports surface that Jordan had been driving. As the young adults struggle to survive, tension between their parents escalates. But when trust is broken and a shocking family secret is exposed, it creates a perfect storm of harrowing consequences. Rumors in the small town spread like wildfire. When details of the accident are questioned, Sandy and Jenna wonder if their family has been destroyed beyond repair.
As always, there’s much more to the story…if the family is to survive, they will have to come together to confront the terrible truth and overcome their pain. But are some betrayals unforgivable?

Review: I was given an ARC of Faultlines from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
This book was very well written on a very serious subject, drinking and driving. This book surrounds a young man, Jordy, who is accused of driving a car that is involved in an accident with two other passengers, his cousin Travis and another young lady. Jordy swears he was not driving but Travis does not make it, causing all kinds of problems between his mother and her sister when family secrets and revealed in retaliation and the young the lady is in a coma so she is unable to tell her side of the story. It does not help that the Jordy was at one point in the driver's seat and the head of the police is out to get him.
I am not going to get into the book much more for spoilers but I am going to say this book is emotionally packed. Jordy goes through a lot from finding out he is being charged for killing his cousin who was like a brother in the car accident to finding out the man who he believed was he father really is not. This book brings to light police corruption, underage drinking, not using your seatbelt and a few other subjects that may shock you. I loved how the author handled so many subjects and with such grace. This book was very good and really very thought-provoking.
I am giving Faultlines five out of five stars.

ENVY: A Faces of Evil Short Story (Faces of Evil) by Debra Webb

DARK WHISPERS and STILL WATERS, two new full length Faces of Evil novels, are finally here! You don't want to miss ENVY, the short story that sets a new path for Deputy Chief Jess Harris Burnett and her major crimes team! 
Deputy Chief Jess Harris Burnett ended serial killer Eric Spears' reign of terror eighteen months ago. Now someone is attempting to reenact his heinous crimes and sending messages to Jess. Like Spears, he wants to play and Jess is determined to ensure her family stays safe. But can she stay out of the line of fire?

Review: I would recommend you read Envy before Debra Webb's new Faces of Evil book comes out because this novella answers some questions that were not answered when I read it and Envy sure would have helped.
I really loved how Debra managed to sneak in a number of the names of the previous Faces of Evil books in this one just to keep her readers on their toes. It was also nice seeing the entire cast of characters working together to catch another killer and to help protect Jess and her family. This book was also a nice send off to this chapter of the Faces of Evil part of this series and a new introduction to the new series that is about to kick off. Very well done.
I am giving Envy five out of five stars.

Her Darkest Nightmare (The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles #1) by Brenda Novak

THE HUNT FOR A SERIAL KILLER
Evelyn Talbot knows that a psychopath can look perfectly normal. She was only sixteen when her own boyfriend Jasper imprisoned and tortured her—and left her for dead. Now an eminent psychiatrist who specializes in the criminal mind, Evelyn is the force behind Hanover House, a maximum-security facility located in a small Alaskan town. Her job puts her at odds with Sergeant Amarok, who is convinced that Hanover is a threat to his community…even as his attraction to beautiful Evelyn threatens to tear his world apart.
BEGINS WITH AN ESCAPE FROM HER PAST
Then, just as the bitter Alaskan winter cuts both town and prison off from the outside world, the mutilated body of a local woman turns up. For Amarok, this is the final proof he needs: Hanover has to go. Evelyn, though, has reason to fear that the crime is a personal message to her—the first sign that the killer who haunts her dreams has found her again. . .and that the life she has so carefully rebuilt will never be the same…

Review: I was given an ARC of Her Darkest Nightmare from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
This book was pretty good but honestly it dragged along in some spots and had a lot of technical jargon that weighed it down a bit. I did like the suspense and enjoyed trying to figure out who the killer was. I found myself second guessing myself over and over again.
As for the killers who are locked up in Hanover House they are some sick puppies who I would not want to work with so I find Evelyn an interesting character just for the work she does at HH not just the killer she has to deal with in this book and from her past. She is one of the strongest characters I have come across in a book in a long time and as a reader you have no choice but to respect her for her grit and determination to overcome her past and delve into the mind of serial killers.
I am giving Her Darkest Nightmare four out of five stars.