Barbara Taylor Sissel

When I first started reading, I wasn’t sure of where the title came from. The more I read on about how alcohol affected almost all of the characters and AA meetings and sponsers, the more it dawned on me that the title dealt with the ninth step, having to do with making amends. As someone who has had maybe an inch of alcohol ever, much of this book’s meaning was lost on me. For one thing, almost every character drank to varying degrees, but only one has to make amends for the effects of his drinking. I did like, though, that the characters were thoughtfully crafted and stayed true to themselves. A bit of a heavy subject, it was well-written, but did not leave me wondering at the end.

This review can also be found on my blog: https://katpersephone.wordpress.com… (more)

From the first sentence, you are led on a tense ride. This is a fast read, because you won’t be able to put it down. It follows a search for a missing child from a small town. All are suspects, even Gilly, who unwittingly shows her ‘gift’ early. I loved the characters; the good, the bad, the ugly. The are flawed, but own it. Thoroughly enjoy this author’s writing style. I enjoyed the ending, I liked how after you thought it was done, it continued.

I received an ARC, all opinions are my own.… (more)

I love author’s that can describe a scene and you are immediately there, you close your eyes and you picture the scene. This author does that for me.

Family drama told in voices of two step siblings, who had never met. Both are faced with hard issues...do they do what’s right or do what’s easy? Caroline finds out her husband is doing something illegal and it could land her in prison. Harris has an addiction and has seen a robbery. Now, he’s being blackmailed. A lot going on in this book: addiction, marital issues, missing person, the dark side of college recruiting, and lots of secrets. It unfolds at a pace slow enough to suck you in and takes off from there. Characters are situations are raw, true, flawed.

I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is minealone.… (more)