Three Rivers by Tiffany Quay Tyson

three rivers

Photo Credit: St. Martin’s Press- July 21s

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Three Rivers

Summary from Goodreads:

When a dangerous storm threatens the Mississippi Delta, two families are put to the test in this Southern literary debut

Melody Mahaffey, trapped into touring for years with a third-rate Christian pop band she can hardly stand, is almost relieved to receive her mother’s distress call. But when she returns home to care for her dying father and brain-damaged brother at the sprawling, defunct Three Rivers Farm, Melody is shocked to discover that her mother has abandoned the family. Sure that her daughter will do the right thing, Geneva has left to seek spiritual guidance and break things off with her long-time lover.

Rain begins to fall and an epic flood threatens the Mississippi Delta. While Melody tries to get a handle on the chaos at home, a man and his little boy are squatting on her land, escaping their own nightmare. Obi is on the run from a horrific mistake, and he’s intent on keeping his son with him at any cost. When the storm arrives, though, they have no choice but to take shelter in Melody’s house. And the waters just keep rising.

A lifetime of lies, misunderstandings and dark secrets bubble to the surface as the flood destroys the land and threatens their lives. Set against the fertile but dangerous landscape of the rural south near the fictional town of White Forest, Mississippi, Three Rivers beautifully weaves together three parallel stories, told over three days, as each character is propelled headlong into the storm.

 

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

When this book just magically showed up in my mailbox one day, I had to grin. A New York City publicist was certainly paying attention to my mailing address and book taste (Thank you SO much, K!)  Continue reading

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Black eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Photo Credit: Ballantine Books- Aug 11

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Black-Eyed Susans

Summary from Goodreads:

I am the star of screaming headlines and campfire ghost stories.
I am one of the four Black-Eyed Susans.
The lucky one.

As a sixteen-year-old, Tessa Cartwright was found in a Texas field, barely alive amid a scattering of bones, with only fragments of memory as to how she got there. Ever since, the press has pursued her as the lone surviving “Black-Eyed Susan,” the nickname given to the murder victims because of the yellow carpet of wildflowers that flourished above their shared grave. Tessa’s testimony about those tragic hours put a man on death row.

Now, almost two decades later, Tessa is an artist and single mother. In the desolate cold of February, she is shocked to discover a freshly planted patch of black-eyed susans—a summertime bloom—just outside her bedroom window. Terrified at the implications—that she sent the wrong man to prison and the real killer remains at large—Tessa turns to the lawyers working to exonerate the man awaiting execution. But the flowers alone are not proof enough, and the forensic investigation of the still-unidentified bones is progressing too slowly. An innocent life hangs in the balance. The legal team appeals to Tessa to undergo hypnosis to retrieve lost memories—and to share the drawings she produced as part of an experimental therapy shortly after her rescue.

What they don’t know is that Tessa and the scared, fragile girl she was have built a  fortress of secrets. As the clock ticks toward the execution, Tessa fears for her sanity, but even more for the safety of her teenaged daughter. Is a serial killer still roaming free, taunting Tessa with a trail of clues? She has no choice but to confront old ghosts and lingering nightmares to finally discover what really happened that night.

Continue reading

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

Pretty Baby

Photo Credit: Harlequin July 28th

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Pretty Baby

Heidi Wood- some might call her a tree-hugger. She recycles, she takes in stray cats, she works for a non-profit and cares deeply about providing resources to people who are leaving other countries to come to America. In other words… Heidi personifies the phrase “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

One day, a cold and rainy day- Heidi sees a teenager with a baby. Something about this teenager keeps Heidi looking- maybe it’s because she can tell the girl is homeless. Maybe it’s because Heidi has such a soft spot for babies- and in general wants to help all the people in the world. Continue reading

Perfect Touch by Elizabeth Lowell

perfect touch by elizabeth lowell

Photo Credit: Goodreads

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Perfect Touch

Sarah “Sam” Maddox is back in Wyoming for one reason: to help a man she has never me, but talked to countless times, decide the next step for the life of the “Custer” paintings- that is, if her wins them in a court fight against his stepmother. As soon as the paintings are secured and their fate decided, Sam will be headed back to San Francisco- back to her life- far away from the memories of being a daughter on a ranch, never having enough money and their being too many children around.

Or so she thinks….. Continue reading

Fatal Reservations by Lucy Burdette

fatal reservations

Photo Credit: Goodreads

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Fatal Reservations

Our adorable Key West food critic, Hayley Snow, is back with another round of amazing sounding recipes, tidbits about the life in Key West and…. murder!

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching the town of Key West- but Hayley is too worried about her job to take (much) notice. With a shake-up at Key Zest, Hayley now reports to her new boss, Palamina, while still dating her other boss Wally. Well, if you can call it dating- because between the work that Hayley does for Key Zest and Wally’s mom being sick- the romance aspect is taking a major snooze. Is this just a temporary bump in the road to Loversville or is it a sign? Continue reading

A Week at the Lake by Wendy Wax

a week at the lake

Photo Credit: Goodreads

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

A Week at the Lake

Summary from Goodreads:

Twenty years ago, Emma Michaels, Mackenzie Hayes, and Serena Stockton bonded over their New York City dreams. Then, each summer, they solidified their friendship by spending one week at the lake together, solving their problems over bottles of wine and gallons of ice cream. They kept the tradition for years, until jealousy, lies, and life’s disappointments made them drift apart.

It’s been five years since Emma has seen her friends, an absence designed to keep them from discovering a long-ago betrayal. Now she’s in desperate need of their support. The time has come to reveal her secrets—and hopefully rekindle their connection.

But when a terrible accident keeps Emma from saying her piece, Serena and Mackenzie begin to learn about the past on their own. Now, to heal their friendship and their broken lives, the three women will have to return to the lake that once united them, and discover which relationships are worth holding on to . . .

Continue reading

As Night Falls by Jenny Milchman

as night falls

Photo Credit: Goodreads

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

As Night Falls

It’s a regular night for Sandy. Home, cooking dinner, waiting on her daughter Ivy to come home from school and her husband Ben to come from work.

Before Ivy arrives home, Sandy is a little tense- awaiting the next potential skirmish between mom and teenage daughter. When Ivy arrives and the teenage dramatics happen, Sandy probably wishes that she could have a nice normal night- a meal with her husband and daughter minus the teenager auditioning for the starring role of The Real Teenagers of  Wedeskyull- but after the night that is about to happen- Sandy would take a night of teenage theatrics any day. Continue reading

Center of Gravity by Laura McNeill

center of gravity

Photo Credit: Goodreads, July 14th

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Center of Gravity

Ava Carson is a woman who has everything she wants. An attractive husband, 2 children, and all the love she can handle to help her overcome the emotional scars of never measuring to the expectations of her mother.

Ava’s life is pretty perfect.

Or is it?

Within  months of marrying Mitchell, months of having her first child with Mitchell- a half brother for Mitchell’s first child- Jack- Ava begins to get the feeling that something is not quite right. On the surface, things look fine- and yet, something is amiss. Continue reading

Sweet Forgiveness by Lori Nelson Spielman

Sweet Forgiveness

Photo Credit: Goodreads

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Sweet Forgiveness

Hannah Farr, New Orleans fan favorite, is having nothing to do with the latest craze sweeping the world. Is it a new fad diet? The latest exercise to give Britney Spear “Hit Me Baby One More Time” abs? No, no- because Hannah would be all over that!

So what is it?

Forgiveness Stones. Hannah wants no part of it.

Why? Continue reading

Those Secrets We Keep by Emily Liebert

those secrets we keep by emily

Photo Credit: Goodreads

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Those Secrets We Keep

Sloane is upset about leaving her daughter at camp. A month without being a “mother” is going to be a struggle for Sloane- who is questioning many things about her life. With Slaone’s sister recently passing away- Sloane feels so many feelings- anger and sadness being the main two. When Sloane’s aunt offers to let her stay for a few weeks at the lake house- Sloane jumps on the chance. A break from her everyday life is exactly what she needs.

Hillary, Sloane’s current best friend, has a pretty good life. Secure in her career and marriage, Hillary and her husband have been trying to conceive for 3 years. While spending time at the lake house, Hillary begins to think about secrets and motherhood and how the 2 are combined in her life.  Continue reading