Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison Release Date 12/30/19

5 Stars for Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison! Being a fan of J.T. Ellison, I've been looking forward to reading this one since I caught wind that it was coming out months and months ago. Knowing the release date was 12/30, I wanted to make sure I could fit it in as one of my last books of the year and J.T. Ellison didn't disappoint!

Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I could easily see the imagery and understood the pros and cons of attending Goode School. Landlocked, tucked away, sheltered, trapped...all characteristics of the school as well as the main characters. Ellison uses her skill to build one mystery after another, making Good Girls Lie impossible to put down.

Goode School is elite, private, and the girls who graduate from there are the cream of the crop, on a path to any Ivy League School of their choice. Traditions and alliances run deep and a lot rides on being tapped and belonging. Ellison lays a foundation with the setting, the hormones, and peer pressure. Ghost stories, rumors, and secrets are part of the mortar that Ellison uses as she throws in one twist after another. When a student is found dead, the scramble begins to find out if she committed suicide or if she was pushed. One mystery builds upon another in a race to save the school's reputation, and to get to the bottom of multiple suspenseful and shocking elements, all tied to one student.

Whether you are looking for a quick read to end 2019 with, or your first read of 2020, Good Girls Lie needs to be added to your TBR list. Also, kudos to J.T. Ellison, providing the Suicide Prevention Lifeline number at the end of her book and telling readers they aren't alone. Since I didn't have a cover with this egalley, I thought that would be the best "cover," to share.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. @thrillerchick, this was worth the wait and anticipation. I loved it! #thriller #GoodGirlsLie #NetGalley #tbrlist #booksof2019 #booksof2020 #bookworm #booknerd #sendmebooks #bookreview #readnext #ivyleague #allgirlsschool #suspense #readgoodbooks #5stars

Book Review: No Fences In Alaska by Glen Sobey Release Date 6/27/2019

4 stars for No Fences in Alaska!

Cooper Lyons hasn't spoken to his son or grandchildren in years. Every year, he sends Christmas cards with gift cards in them. Year after year goes by without any responses. He chose to start over in Alaska years ago when his reputation was scarred by lies and deceit. Out of the blue, he gets a phone call from his teenage granddaughter,  also desperate for a chance to start over and get away from her difficult parents.

What develops as soon as Harper arrives to stay with her grandfather is incredibly moving. Odds are, if you have a grandparent that has loved you into being, you'll see pieces of them in this book and you'll reflect on that love and the impact it has had on your life.

Harper struggles with so many of the things that have been plaguing young adults for as long as humans been wandering this earth. Author Glen Sobey does a really great job weaving in acceptance, freedom, peer pressure, the search for unconditional love, and self-identity as key threads in No Fences In Alaska. And, he really wrote like he has experience with all of the above from the perspective of  a grandparent, a parent, sibling, and teenager.

The other thing that I loved about No Fences in Alaska was the scenery. Glen does a magnificent job describing the setting in the book. I felt like I was also among the moose and bears, hiking, and surrounded by majestic views and the smell of moss and cold air.

I hesitate to put this one in the hands of a young teenager and that's why it didn't get 5 shining stars from me. Y'all please don't throw tomatoes at me. I'm aware of how many awards this book has won. There are 2 sides of the fence (pun intended). And, since all of my kids are preteens, my opinion may be a little biased. Maybe they'll all get a copy the first time drugs, sex, or naked pictures turn up on their phones. Teenagerdom is going to hit my household like a wrecking ball, I'm sure of it.

Thank you to my friends @blackrosewriting for providing this read to me after the release date. I wanted to read it after so many fellow bookbloggers were talking it up on instagram and reached out for the opportunity to review it. Thank you also to @glensobeyauthor for educating me on a few things and taking me on an adventure in Alaska with a grandpa similar to my own. #nofencesinalaska #blackrosewriting #glensobey #alaskanbook  #4stars #bookreview #oakcitybooks #winterreading #takemetoalaska #sendmemorebooks #readmorebooks #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #booknerd #read #literarygrandpas