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ARC Book Review: If the Tide Turns by Rachel Rueckert

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction
Length: 432 pages
Author: Rachel Rueckert
Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: March 26th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Set during the Golden Age of Pirates and the shadowy aftermath of the Salem witch trials, this vivid literary debut is inspired by the captivating true story of real-life pirate Samuel Bellamy, combining high seas adventure, star-crossed longing, surprisingly timely questions about social justice and freedom, and the emotionally satisfying tale of one strong-willed young woman determined to choose her own path.

1715, Eastham, Massachusetts: As the daughter of a wealthy family, Maria Brown has a secure future mapped out for her, yet it is not the future she wants. Young, headstrong, and restless, Maria has no desire to marry the aging, mean-spirited John Hallett, regardless of his fortune and her parents’ wishes. As for what Maria does want—only one person has ever even asked her that question.

Samuel Bellamy, an orphaned sailor searching for work, meets Maria by chance, enthralling her with talk of far-flung places and blasphemous ideals. But neither is free from the social order into which they were born. When Sam is banished from Maria’s parents’ home after asking for her hand, he vows to return a wealthy man, and Maria promises to keep the faith until then.

Sam is drawn into piracy and discovers a brotherhood more equal and fulfilling than any on land, despite its dangers. Beguiled by the chance to both fight for justice and make a fortune to bring home to Maria, Sam is torn between duty to his crew and his desire to return. Separated by more than just the ocean, time slips by as Sam and Maria cling to their love for each other. Maria is determined to stay strong in her conviction in Sam, but as rumors swirl and her position in Eastham turns perilous, Maria is forced into an impossible decision.

Now, on a journey no less treacherous and eventful than Sam’s, Maria draws on every shred of her courage and resilience not merely to survive, but to honor her own yearning for freedom.

Thank you to Bibliolifestye Tours and Kensington Books for the gifted ARC.

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.

I had high hopes for this one after seeing some good reviews but I find myself with middle of the road thoughts about how everything went down. The insta-love was a bit meh. I was a little bit charmed by the swept away vibes of it, but he mostly taught her to swim and then they were in love and I feel like I’m missing something.

Then for 90% of the story they are in separate parts of the world both doing completely different things. It made this hard to call a romance (which was my expectation). There’s some good self growth journey moments and I liked where things ended up at the closing pages at least. There was a lot of pirate content, which is always my favorite and I could tell this book was well researched. I always appreciate that aspect when reading a historical book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fiction + Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: still birth, mistreatment/shaming of a women, death of friends

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Book Review: The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Memoir / True Crime
Length: 320 pages
Author: Shari Franke
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog and the hidden abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother, and how, in the face of unimaginable pain, she found freedom and healing.

Shari Franke’s childhood was a constant battle for survival. Her mother, Ruby Franke, enforced a severe moral code while maintaining a façade of a picture-perfect family for their wildly popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers, which documented the day-to-day life of raising six children for a staggering 2.5 million subscribers. But a darker truth lurked beneath the surface—Ruby’s wholesome online persona masked a more tyrannical parenting style than anyone could have imagined.

As the family’s YouTube notoriety grew, so too did Ruby’s delusions of righteousness. Fueled by the sadistic influence of relationship coach Jodi Hildebrandt, together they implemented an inhumane and merciless disciplinary regime.

Ruby and Jodi were arrested in Utah in 2023 on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. On that fateful day, Shari shared a photo online of a police car outside their home. Her caption had one word: “Finally.”

For the first time, Shari will reveal the disturbing truth behind 8 Passengers and her family’s devastating involvement with Jodi Hildebrandt’s cultish life coaching program, “ConneXions.” No stone is left unturned as Shari exposes the perils of influencer culture and shares for the first time her battle for truth and survival in the face of her mother’s cruelty.

THE STRENGTH.

That’s the over arching emotion I had while listening to this book, rage. It’s hard to put into words thoughts about someone’s journey so this isn’t going to be a long review.

I think it was a powerful testament of Shari’s journey and what she went through. It’s incredibly well written and does not shy away from the deep wounds that have been created from this situation. The abuse and manipulation of Shari and her family went through is difficult but important to understand.

This helped me gain an even firmer stance on how I choose to keep my kids offline and the dangers social media and certain personalities can have on those around them.

I hope for peace and healing for all of those involved.

Overall audience notes:

  • Non-fiction memori
  • Language: none
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: discussions of multiple types of abuse throughout

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Book Review: The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allen

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 272 pages
Author: Suzanne Allen
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: January 9th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the author of Mr. Malcolm’s List comes a delightful romantic comedy set in Regency England about a widow who takes high society by storm.

Diana Boyle, a wealthy young widow, has no desire to ever marry again. Particularly not to someone who merely wants her for her fortune. 

So when she discovers that she’s listed in a directory of rich, single women she is furious, and rightly so. She confronts Maxwell Dean, the man who published the Bachelor’s Directory , and is horrified to find he is far more attractive than his actions have led her to expect. However, Diana is unmoved by Max’s explanation that he authored the list to assist younger sons like himself who cannot afford to marry unless it’s to a woman of means. 

She gathers the ladies in the directory together to inform them of its existence, so they may circumvent fortune hunters’ efforts to trick them into marriage. Though outraged, the women decide to embrace their unique position of power and reverse the usual gender roles by making the men dance to their tune. And together… the ladies rewrite the rules.

IT WAS CUTE.

This was one of those books that I liked listening when I was, but now that it’s over I don’t remember all that much. It’s a sweet book and the general premise was fun. I liked seeing the women fight back against ridiculous rules while finding love.

I don’t love this story telling style though with multiple POV’s in a short book. It lacks the character depth I often crave and feels more superficial overall.

But if you need something short and sweet and are in the mood for a historical romance I wouldn’t hesitate to say try this one out.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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ALC Book Review: The Thrashers by Julie Soto

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Thriller
Length: 352 pages
Author: Julie Soto
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: May 6th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Either you’re in or you’re out.

Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High.

They’re everything everyone wants to be.

Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them. Julian, Lucy, Paige, and the infamous Zack Thrasher are rich, sophisticated, and love attention. Jodi feels out of place, but Zack’s her childhood best friend, so she’s in.

Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself.

But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet.

A twisty thrill-ride of unforgettable drama and suspense that “encapsulates the vulnerability of adolescents playing adult games” (Ali Hazelwood) from USA Today bestselling author Julie Soto, The Thrashers will keep you up at night desperate to read just one more page.

Thank you MacMillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

NOT QUITE SURE.

This one left me a little befuddled as to how I was going to create a review. I enjoyed the first 50%ish or so. It’s dark, there’s rich kids behaving badly and I was intrigued by the bones of the story. This was my first Julie Soto book too and I thought the writing style had an easy flow as well. The pace was slow at times but picked up as the book went on.

Now, I am just not a seance/Ouija board fan. Especially if that’s not necessarily referenced in the summary and I didn’t know going in. It took me out of the story and my engagement level dropped significantly. I thought it took away from the thriller aspect.

I felt conflicted about many of the plot points and where characters ended up (and that’s fine, I think that’s often the point of thrillers too, even if it’s frustrating).

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Thriller
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: suicide, bullying, loss of a parent, drug and alcohol use, domestic abuse

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