Literary Marie

April 13, 2023

You Never Know

"Then along came a resentful ex-boyfriend—thanks to her inconsiderate blabbermouth girlfriend—and an embittered son. Was it an omen?" ~ 45%

Bestselling author Connie Briscoe is legend! I still remember her P.G. County book from back in the day with its rich plot featuring characters of color. Briscoe returns with a new novel of domestic suspense and a character that mirrors her own hearing impairment in You Never Know.

Alexis Roberts is asleep when someone breaks into her home and tries to assault her. She manages to escape but can offer no help to the investigation as it was dark and her cochlear implants couldn't be found. Just a year earlier, Alexis marries Mr. Right a bit too soon. She unearths that his first wife is missing and he was the main suspect. Isolated and alone, Alexis waits for the intruder to return.

I'm disappointed in You Never Know. The main character was not the brightest color in the Crayon box. Her actions made no sense and seemed almost juvenile. If someone is after you, do something and not be a sitting duck. The story picked up in pace way too late for me to care about the ending.

Happy Belated Pub Day, Connie Briscoe! You Never Know is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: You Never Know
Author: Connie Briscoe
Published: March 2023
Pages: 288
Edition: Galley
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 🖤 🖤

April 12, 2023

Black Candle Women

"Voodoo is the more spiritual part." ~ 75%

Before delving into this book review, let us admire the cover. The rich shades of purple, pop of yellow, brown-skinned women and of course, lit candles. Along with the title is what caught my interest. Unfortunately the buck stops there.

Black Candle Women is a family drama with a magical twist about four generations of Black women with a family curse. The Montrose women have always lived together. But when a boy is brought home for the first time, each woman has to reckon with her own past choices and reveal the secret that any person a Montrose woman falls in love with will die.

Then the story goes back to 1950s New Orleans with a mysterious book. Random, right? It was all too confusing, jumpy and simply not my kind of story. Although, it has been named Best Book of the Month by several media outlets including Shondaland, Reader's Digest, BookRiot and Goodreads. So it may be to your liking!

Happy Belated Pub Day, Diane Marie Brown! Black Candle Women is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Black Candle Women
Author: Diane Marie Brown
Published: February 2023
Pages: 336
Edition: Galley
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Rating: 🖤

April 11, 2023

Life and Other Love Songs

"A person can't just disappear from a Detroit sidewalk—poof—into thin air. Dead or alive, the missing are somewhere here on earth. But how do you find them?" ~ 5%

What seems to be a normal bright afternoon, Ozro Armstead leaves for work on his 37th birthday. At home, his wife and daughter prepare a surprise party. Later Ozro has lunch with his brother and waves goodbye. But he doesn't make it back home or even to his desk; Ozro disappears.

Life and Other Love Songs is best described as a slow burn. It starts off at a slow pace but slowly builds in the days, months and years to follow. It moves from the Great Migration to 1970s Detroit and 1990s New York. All the while connecting the dots to the man they love, miss and wonder about.

I am always interested in books with a setting in my hometown of Detroit. Anissa Gray did such an excellent job with describing the environment and getting it right. Her writing talent shows in this new release. Well done, ma'am!

Happy Pub Day, Anissa Gray! Life and Other Love Songs is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Life and Other Love Songs
Author: Anissa Gray
Published: April 2023
Pages: 336
Edition: Galley
Genre:Women's Fiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

Things I Wish I Told My Mother

"Maybe the most important thing I learned from you: people don't always give you what you want. They give you what they have to give. But if you stop and think about it, that can be enough." ~ 98%

A mother and daughter literally unpack secrets while on vacation in new release, Things I Wish I Told My Mother. Laurie travels the world with a worn duffel bag while her mother travels with matching suitcases. Each woman has her own style and distinctive voice. When Laurie invites her mother on a trip to Paris and Norway, unexpected sparkles and secrets come up.

Even through all the marketing and emails from James Patterson's subscription list, I imagined the content to be different. I assumed it was a true mother-daughter story considering that both authors lost their moms in the same year. What I got was fiction—no doubt with the writing help of hubby. This book had the potential to be so much greater as a co-memoir.

Happy Pub Day, Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo! Things I Wish I Told My Mother is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Things I Wish I Told My Mother
Author: Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo with James Patterson
Published: April 2023
Pages: 320
Edition: Galley
Genre: Women's Fiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

Bet on Black

"A knowledgable Black American is a deep threat to white supremacy." ~ 13%

Journalist, podcast host, attorney and media personality Eboni K. Williams shares how Black unity is crucial for individual and collective success in her new book titled Bet on Black: The Good News About Being Black in America Today. It is a call to action. Through personal experiences, in depth research and accurate facts, she shows readers what it means to be Black today and our worth.

Bet on Black is a book that I will frequently reference. I have more highlighted passages than not. The shout-outs to specific historical events, quotes from Frederick Douglass and the keep-it-real directives as we move forward in society. There are so many key takeaways.

Eboni K. Williams' goal of writing her second book is to unite us. We will not let our futures be dictated by anti-Black nonsense. Bet on Black is inspiring, relatable and a celebration of Blackness. It goes without saying this is the best nonfiction book I've read thus far in 2023.

Happy Belated Pub Day, Eboni K. Williams! Bet on Black: The Good News About Being Black in America Today is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Bet on Black: The Good News About Being Black in America Today
Author: Eboni K. Williams
Published: January 2023
Pages: 256
Edition: Galley
Genre: Nonfiction; Memoir
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

April 5, 2023

Blogmoir: But You Don't Look Sick

The term invisible illness refers to any medical condition that is not outwardly visible to others, even healthcare professionals. Invisible illnesses are a broad range of conditions, including autoimmune disorders that are misunderstood and often misdiagnosed.

You never know what someone is dealing with silently. As of February 2023, I was diagnosed with an invisible illness (as if migraines were not enough). However, this new illness has severely affected my way of life. It is a lot to deal with mentally and physically.

There are times when I want to give up the fight. But the prayers, support and outpour of love from family and friends keep me going. I am oh so very grateful for Chickadee. She has been my anchor through it all. Her sacrifices, time and immediate calls to action are everything. The best part of this journey is the extended Mother-Daughter Quality Time.

Along with uncertainty and extended hospitalization, the most frustrating side effect was blurry vision. I COULD NOT READ. Bookhearts know I cannot function without my fiction. Thank God it is restored so I have a lot of books to read and many reviews to post in the coming weeks.

Once I get acclimated to this new diagnosis, maintain meds, join online support groups and educate myself further, I may share tidbits and more deets here. In the meantime, I challenge you to: