I am happy to share these books I read in the month of June. I hope you find something that catches your eye!


MY REVIEW:
My neighbor loaned me this book and said it made her cry. That might be an understatement. It didn’t make me cry, but it certainly made me cringe. I had no idea this was a series and The Hunt is book #27. Still, I had no trouble following the story. However, there are several scenes that are difficult to read. Rape, sodomizing and exploiting women are not my cup of tea. Yet, the storyline was strong enough that I kept reading.
This story is focused on two main characters, Terry and Chris. They have a long history from as far back as high school and they are both in their forties. And they have an adult son.
The story begins with high tension. Terry and her two small children are in hiding, but not for long. When the perpetrators beat her almost to death and snatch her five-year-old boy, she doesn’t know where to turn except to her adult son, Gabe. There is obviously a long history there as well since she abandoned him and left him to be raised by two people, Peter and Rina, whom the series appears to be about. At any rate, the only person Gabe knows to reach out to is his biological father, Chris, who has become quite powerful in the underworld. And while Chris bears heavy anger and resentment toward Terry for many reasons, he comes to her rescue. The truth is he never stopped loving her. There are a lot of moving parts to this story, including Terry’s current husband in India who is in big trouble from a huge gambling debt. I won’t go into details, but will say that despite the difficult scenes, it’s a compelling story with such flawed characters you can only see their redemption coming in death. If you like high-stakes drama and don’t mind sexual perversion and graphic scenes, you’ll like this book.

MY REVIEW:
This special collection of poems from D.L. Finn spans from her teenage years to the present. There are so many that touched me on a deep level. The photographs included only add to the meaning of the poems. Of course, I had a few favorites, but really too many to name, so I’ll keep it brief. After all, I want you to read and absorb these words from the author’s heart. The book opens with a chapter of haikus. I’ll share just one:
SALTY HEALING
salty healing breeze
powerful pacific waves
my meditation
The poem, “Suicide Song” is heart wrenching. The anguish and fear are translated through the words.
I loved “Hello.” It’s a poignant conversation between old friends and it struck a chord with me.
“Reader” is so relatable to me as an author:
What does a writer look for
In a reader?
Are they the readers
Someone else is looking for?”
Yes, I think so!
The poem “Stuff” is SO true. We all have too much stuff and the dilemma is expressed perfectly in the poem.
There is something for everyone in this collection. There is happy, sad, fear, love and everything else in between in these observations. If you are a lover of ‘real life’ poetry, this book is for you! I highly recommend it!

MY REVIEW:
The minute I saw John Edward as the author of this book, I knew I had to read it, as I’ve been an admirer for many years. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Ex-FBI Agent, Robert Hilland begins his story as a young man full of passion for his job, and an undying determination to get the bad guys off the street. It’s a suspected serial kiiller, John Smith, who sets Bob on a quest that takes him into renowned psychic, John Edward’s office. A skeptic, he’s sure it’s a waste of time. But that one meeting changes the trajectory of Bob Hilland’s life forever.
The story consists of various high-profile cases Bob worked on throughout the years and the close friendship he established with John Edward. They became brothers in every sense of the word.
Bob came to rely heavily on John’s communication with his spirit guides to help solve hard cases. The theme throughout this true telling is good vs evil. I found the entire process fascinating, especially how John Edward worked with his guides to help Bob with the battle to bring justice and conquer evil. I am a true believer in psychic abilities. I also believe we all have the potential. We simply don’t know how to or wish to develop it. I loved this quote from the book: “…the universe has a justice system more profound and enlightened than we’ll ever have on earth.” And this one: “I truly believe that every struggle serves a purpose and gives us an opportunity to adapt, transform and evolve.” I’ll leave you with this quote that I believe 100%! “Life lessons are challenging, difficult and overwhelming. It takes fortitude and focus to navigate them”
If you are a fan of true crime stories, or a believer in psychic abilities, you will, without a doubt, enjoy this book. It’s well-written and captivating!

MY REVIEW:
This book, told through the eyes of a child who was rescued and adopted by Daniel Boone and his family when the Indians raided their farm, leaving no one alive but a young girl and her even younger brother.
The way the story unfolds offers a complete different perspective about the man and the myth than the school textbooks portray. Boone was, at heart, an adventurer and a born leader. So, when he brings the girl and her brother into the fort to live with his family, it also shows his generous nature and big heart.
The author takes the reader through the perilous times that early settlers faced, from basic survival to Indian attacks and kidnappings. Not only did the settlers face danger from the Indians, but from the British army as well.
The author took me into the emotions of the narrator as the incidents played out, leaving so much death and destruction in the wake. The side characters play important roles and some are now unforgettable to me, especially Daniel Boone’s wife. What a strong woman she was. If you are a history buff and want to go deeper into the life and times of Daniel Boone and the many lives he affected, you are going to want to read this book! It is well-written and compelling. I highly recommend it!
That’s it! I’ll have more to share next month. I hope you found something that intrigues you! Thanks for visiting!
All good reads!! Thanks for the great reviews.
My pleasure, Darlene. Thanks for visiting!
Great reviews, Jan! I also enjoyed Denise’s poetry. Thanks for sharing your reviews with us.
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Thank you, Yvette xo
Thank you for adding your recommendation for Denise’s latest, Yvette. Glad you enjoyed the reviews!
Thanks for the book reviews, Jan. I’ve read and enjoyed Denise’s book. Oo, a child adopted by Daniel Boone? That certainly sounds like a good read.
Thank you , Priscilla. Xo
I highly recommend Noelle’s book, Priscilla. It sheds a whole new light on Daniel Boone. Thank you for stopping by!
Thanks for the temptations.
Always happy to provide. 🙂
This is the second time in as many days that I’ve seen wonderful reviews for Noelle’s and Denise’s novels – congrats to both! I’d probably have to steer clear of The Hunt, but the psychic abilities with Chasing Evil intrigue me. Thanks for the recs, Jan!
Thanks for the great reviews, Jan. I just finished Denise’s book and will be posting a review soon. I totally enjoyed that.
Thank you, Dan! So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Thanks for dropping by, Dan, and for adding your recommendation for Denise’s latest.
Thanks for posting these great reviews, Jan. My TBR list will grow.
Lol, Tim. I totally understand. I do the same thing. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
My pleasure, Jan. 😊
Daniel Boone and Me is one of my next reads, so I’ll come back and read your review for that book after I’ve left my own. Part of the fun of this hobby is looking back to see how my thoughts compare with those of others.
That is so true, Pete. I often skip over reviews when I haven’t read the book yet, but it’s waiting in the wings. I appreciate you stopping by and hope you enjoy this fresh view of the legendary Daniel Boone. Noelle did a fantastic job!
What a collection, Jan. The first one, does ‘flawed characters’ even begin to cover them? I kept saying ‘more bad decisions’. The last–“If you like high-stakes drama and don’t mind sexual perversion and graphic scenes, you’ll like this book.”–I’ll pass. Noelle’s, about Daniel Boone, an absolute keeper. Loved every page of that book.
And that’s exactly why I added that disclosure, Jacqui. 🙂 The storyline is great, but the sex scenes were a hard pass for me. I don’t mind a well-written sex scene and have written them myself (or at least I hope the ones I’ve written are good). But the rape and sodomizing were scenes I skipped over. It didn’t change the story, but did show me another side of the deeply flawed characters. I’m so glad you enjoyed Noelle’s book and thank you for adding your recommendation for it!
Thank you for including Gratitude here, Jan. Still doing my happy dance from your review! All the books sound great, one especially but couldn’t bring myself to pay the high price for it. I loved Noelle’s book, too! Thanks again xo
I totally understand, Denise. I only read mainstream books when they are on NetGalley or KU. The John Edwards book was offered on NetGalley and I’m so glad I read it. Thank you for adding your recommendation for Noelle’s newest, and it was my pleasure to share Gratitude here. I honestly think it’s your best collection so far. 🙂 But then I think that about each new one. You just keep getting better and better!
Super reviews, Jan. Congratulations to Faye, Denise. John, Robert, and Noelle.
A wonderful group, Jan! I’m working on a review of Denise’s lovely book, and the others sound good too! Congrats to all the authors! 💗