Rose Madder/ Stephen King/ 608 pages/ Horror

          After fourteen years in an abusive marriage, Rose Daniels leaves her husband, Norman. Her first step is to find a place he won't find her and start her life over again.
          Rose meets new people, finds friends, gets her own apartment, a job, and meets a new guy, Bill. Even with all this that she has built for herself she still is nervous of Norman finding her. He is a cop and is very good at hunting down who he is looking for. As we follow Rose and her new life we also follow Norman and see his mind as he mentally unravels while searching for his wife.
           This novel had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was an incredible novel with a terrible villain that had me checking over my shoulder while reading. The fantasy in the novel is a little out there but still interesting. Before starting, I was thinking this was going to be boring since it's not like other King novels but I was very wrong. I would recommend looking into this one if you are looking for a mystery/horror novel to try.

Milk and Honey / Rupi Kaur / 202 pages / Anthology

Milk and Honey is a collection of poems that are structured in a simple manner,

usually

with one

or two

words per

line.

It dives into topics on falling in and/or out of love, what it means to be a woman, and how one can overcome some of the most cynical moments of her life.

I loved these poems— I had to listen to the audiobook a second time because I wanted to remember some of them.  The ones on healing and coming hand-to-hand with fellow women were the most powerful, and had made me reflect back on myself and what I could do to become a better person.  Give it a listen, folks, 'cause I'm recommending it to all of you!

The Bishop's Wife/Mette Ivie Harrison/358 pgs.

The bishop's wife in the title is Linda Wallheim--her husband, Kurt, is a bishop in the Mormon Church. This fictionalized account is told in Linda's voice, and deals with possible domestic violence occurring in her husband's ward. When Carrie Helm, a young wife and mother, goes missing, Linda involves herself in trying to find out where she is, or even if she is still alive. This book gives insight into life as a Mormon, in addition to being an excellent mystery. It's the first in a series. Highly recommended!

The Day She Died / Catriona McPherson / 301 pages

The Day She Died is a suspense novel written by Catriona McPherson.  The reader meets Jessie as she extracts herself from a cupboard.  Jessie has an unusual phobia, the fear of feathers.  Jessie Constable comforts and aids Gus when his wife, Becky, leaves him.  Later, but not as late as Gus would like, Becky's body and car are found in the river.  Coupled with the note she left behind, it appears to be a suicide.  Jessie finds herself pulled into Gus's life in a way she would not have anticipated.  But why does something seem so wrong?  Set in Scotland, this is a fairly dark suspense story that includes abusive, child abuse, and mystery.  For more information and read-a-likes check out the SCCCLD website.

Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Bk 3) / J.R. Ward / 481 pgs.

"A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion and terror his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful female from the evil Lessening Society.
Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for each other begins to overtake them, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past and find a future with her...." - From Amazon.com

Zsadist has a hard, feral exterior; but the reader is quickly shown how incredibly alone, afraid, and tormented this character has become due to the years of abuse he endured.  It is his vulnerability when he opens up to the protagonist Bella, that just makes him so damn sexy.   I feel, the author, JR Ward, does an admiral job in creating a romance where the protagonist Bella is not trying to "save" or "change" Zsadist; instead try to love and heal a broken person.  It is also a poignant reminder that males can also be victims of sexual abuse, by female abusers.    

This book is fast paced, with vengeful, bone-cracking fight scenes, steamy romance, and the characters run through a gamut of emotions.  Highly recommended for Paranormal Romance readers readers who don't mind dark themes in their romances, and readers who like flawed/tormented/tortured hero types.  5 out of 5 stars!!!

The Hurricane Sisters/Dorothea Benton Frank/326 pages

Maisie, Liz and Ashley represent three generations of an old Charleston family. Maisie is the 80-year-old, fun-loving grandmother who is in a relationship with the 65-year-old chauffer her daughter Liz hired when it became apparent that Maisie was  a threat to anyone else on the road. Liz is the wife of very successful (she doesn't even realize how successful) businessman who stays in New York City every week and comes home on the weekends. She's consumed by her charitable work for abused women and hurt by the lack of interest her family shows in her efforts. Ashley is an aspiring painter working in a gallery and living in the family beach house with her friend Mary Beth on Sullivan Island. These women, along with the men in their lives, tell the story from alternating points of view.


Overall, this was a satisfying story about a family and their secrets. I love the Charleston setting and hope to visit there sometime soon. There is a twist I didn't see coming--a small mystery that gives the story some unexpected depth.