#Goodreads – Page 60 – Rosepoint Publishing

Hadley & Grace by Suzanne Redfearn – a #BookReview – #Actionadventure Literary Fiction

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

“Taking her money feels a little like we’re mugging Betty White.”

Book Blurb:

The author of In an Instant delivers a heart-pounding and emotional roller-coaster ride of self-discovery in the tradition of Thelma and Louise.

Needing to escape her abusive marriage, Hadley flees with her two kids, knowing it might be her only chance. A woman who can’t even kill a spider, Hadley soon finds herself pushed to the limits as she fights to protect her family.

Grace, new mother of baby Miles, desperately wants to put her rough past behind her for good, but she finds it impossible when her path crosses with Hadley’s, and her quest for a new start quickly spirals out of control and turns into a terrifying flight for survival.

Stronger together than apart, the two find their fates inextricably entwined, and as the danger closes in, each must decide how much she is willing to risk for the other.

A powerful story of self-discovery, Hadley and Grace is the heart-racing tale of two women facing insurmountable odds, racing to stay one step ahead of the trouble that is chasing them, and discovering new kinds of love and family along the way.

My Review:

My problem with reading a book like this is that I never feel like I do it justice. I’d love to impart the prose, the wisdom, and the wit the author bestows on the reader, but must admit at my age to losing some vocabulary and ability to articulate. Too bad, as this book grips you from the moment Frank wads the sheet of paper in front of Grace and tosses it unceremoniously into the round file. The SOB.

The author has taken an arguably classic Thelma and Louise and run with it, adding her own fantastic two main characters and then making it that much more complex, with a neurologically handicapped boy, a disdainful insouciant teenager, and a colicky four month old infant.

If Frank is not the kindest of bosses, he is worse at home, and my heart initially sank thinking this would be a domestic abuse trope. NOPE!

Hadley is the domestic goddess of the dysfunctional family with the teenager and the special needs boy she’s cared for after her much younger sister decided she couldn’t. She must look perfect for him when he comes home. Dinner has to be perfect. The house perfect.

Grace has a history. Not a particularly good one and leaves a record. She is now married, however, to a soldier currently serving in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, he’s continued his gambling habits one too many times and Grace has decided she will sneak into the office late to retrieve the paper and money owed her and split.

This particular evening, Frank goes on a rampage when the pizza is baked improperly. Hadley had been plotting her getaway and her sister has given her the perfect opportunity. And the two unlikely series of events converge.

Two women, 180 degrees in their experience, Grace more than ten years younger with the street smarts. They unwillingly flee together beginning a very rocky relationship that grudgingly begins to grow in respect.

Someone upstairs, however, is playing with them, pulling strings, watching them dance as they escape from one situation to the next. The situation escalates out of control, eventually putting a newly formed family unit into danger. It doesn’t seem possible there is anyway out.

The characters are so well developed. Concern grows for each of them with every page turn. Your heart sinks with each new development and the pages are now turning themselves. I loved the character of the FBI Senior Special Agent, Mark Wilkes.

The well-paced narrative ramps up right into the pulse-pounding conclusion and I won’t tell you how it works (or doesn’t) out. Suffice it to say, this is one devil of a ride. The book is in pre-order status at your favorite retailer. Get ahold of your copy—it releases early next year.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author through NetGalley. I loved it as well as her earlier novel, In an Instant. That was also excellent and those are my unbiased opinions.

Book Details:

Genre: Action and Adventure Literary Fiction, Friendship Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

ASIN : B082WW397G

Print Length: 344 pages
Publication Date: February 1, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Suzanne [Redfearn] is the bestselling author of four novels: Hadley & Grace, In an Instant, No Ordinary Life, and Hush Little Baby.

Born and raised on the east coast, Suzanne moved to California when she was fifteen. She currently lives in Laguna Beach with her husband where they own two restaurants: Lumberyard and Slice Pizza & Beer. In addition to being an author, Suzanne is an architect specializing in residential and commercial design.

TBR Meaning – In Bookish Terms It Means Different Things to Different People

I originally wrote this post back in March of 2018 and having it brought to my attention thought it was high time it was updated. I hope this answers all your questions!

Most generally in Bookish Terms, TBR means “To Be Read.” Continuing with that wildly general term could mean anything from the print books on your list or shelf (shelves) or eBooks and audiobooks. It’s assumed these contain books that you added either by buying a print or digital book or by borrowing one of your favorite formats from your library.

Your TBR list may be a detailed Excel spreadsheet of all the books you want to read, perhaps in chronological, alphabetical, author, or genre order including print, ebook, or audio editions. However, I maintain the TBR meaning is those books currently in your possession in one format or another.

There might also be a specific list of those few next up in your queue. Mine consists of the latter, usually dictated by publishing date and rotated in and out of my Goodreads list. It’s impossible for me to schedule a month out as I never know what gorgeous cover will catch my attention, or if I see a thriller that I must have. That said—my TBR changes often—as books are read and new books are added. That said–here is a sample of this week’s books: (Title links are to Goodreads.)

On the TBR

All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee – Released October 1, 2024. Southern United States Fiction ASIN: ‎ B0CW1M4P8D

Half Moon Bay: A Novel by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman – Released July 21, 2020. Crime Thrillers ASIN: B0863359SD

To Die For (6:20 Man) David Baldacci – #1 Best Seller in Suspense Action Fiction Released November 12, 2024 ASIN: ‎ B0CW1KRXY2

What is your definition of TBR? Maybe you haven’t thought of that stack of books you want to read as a TBR. But organized or not, you have one. Is it totally out of control with every book that caught your eye on Giveaways or favs at the library? Now you have a name for it!

Twelve Points for Review Submission

Most new Indie authors believe reviews are the make or break of a book and aggressively pursue them.

There are numerous articles on the algorithm Amazon uses to determine Best Sellers Rank. While it is generally considered to be reviews that help to get you to the top of the pack, it isn’t, according to what I’ve read. Amazon won’t disclose its algorithm, but will readily agree that good reviews do seem to help drive sales, which IS the major contributory factor in Best Sellers Rank.

I’ve written before on reviews, discussing whether or not 300 five-star ratings are really all bogus or not. Having written and posted 1,000s of reviews myself, I’ve always strived for honesty, striking a balance between what I liked about the book as well as what I didn’t. The books I review are a mix of Indie books, as well as best-selling authors, and posted those reviews whether the author needed them or not. In addition, in an effort to accommodate a larger variety of genres, I got the CE involved in reading and giving me his synopsis. That also becomes a review.

Reviews can run anywhere from a short informal paragraph or an in-depth analysis of the book of more than 500 words detailing not only the description of the plot but a critical view of how the topic was handled. Point being: Did you agree with the observations or challenge every posture? I’ve developed the following twelve points in the submission of my reviews.

My reviews include:

1 Whether or not the title reflects the topic of the book.

2 Did the cover convey the genre; show you what the book is about without your having to read the blurb?

3 Was the setting properly introduced–did you know where it was located geographically or what year it was?

4 Did the opening chapter grab your attention and did the plot hold your interest throughout the remainder of the book?

5 Is the dialogue believable, natural, or forced?

6 Are the characters properly fleshed out? Can you identify or connect with them?

7 Did the protagonist and antagonist convey a strong opposing emotion?

8 Are the same scenes repeated, albeit with slightly different wording, until you “heard it all before.”

9 Is the plot unique? Is the book outside your normal genre?

10 Did the story end with a plausible climax, wrapping up the loose ends to a satisfying degree, or suddenly end when it appears the author is over-the-top tired of the whole thing.

11 Is it full of typos, edit errors, misused words, missing words, or extra words that should have been deleted from the final edit?

12 Can you honestly recommend the book? Can the book be recommended outside the reader’s normal genre?

Review Format

Since I have been receiving review requests, I thought it was time to change the way I post the reviews. Therefore, after the blurb and review, the format will be changed to reflect additional information about the author, the genre, the publisher, and the date published, followed by the review. The review will be posted on this blog as well as on Amazon and Goodreads. Many of the books are received through NetGalley and most reviews are also shared on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.