Book and Product Reviews by Roundtable Reviews

Setting: Duneen, Ireland Genre: Mystery Publisher: Simon & Schuster Release Date: July 18, 2017 Sergeant P.J. Collins has his hands full with one of the biggest cases he's seen. The quiet town never has much going on, so his days tend to be limited to tickets and squabbles. When a body's found on a local farm, he has the first real case of his career. Decades earlier Tommy Burke disappeared. He was engaged to one woman and romantically involved with another. After the two women fought in the street, rumor has it Tommy took off. No one ever saw or heard from him again. Questions quickly arise. Could this be Tommy's body? To solve the case, P.J. has to delve into town gossip and long-hidden secrets. It's not an easy case, but it's his first and he's determined to figure out whose body is on the farm and how that person's life came to a tragic end. I'm a fan of Graham Norton's, so I was eager to read his first novel. His interviews alw

Genre: Women's Fiction Publisher: MIRA Release Date: July 25, 2017 In just about a month, Kat Carmichael will celebrate an anniversary of sorts. It's not a typical anniversary. In exactly 34 days, it will mark the two-year anniversary of when she and her boyfriend last had sex. It's been two years since her "special" shut down and refused to allow Ryan to enter. It's been two years of no sex, no intimacy, and certainly no orgasms. Kat's had enough. She tells Ryan she wants to take a break from each other and really get herself back in working order. Her bakery is thriving and her friends/bakery co-owners are more than happy to lend emotional support, as well as buy her a few toys, as she sets off on a quest to fix what's broken. What Kat never expects is to find one of their frequent customers becoming her advisor in this quest. He's a physical therapist and very good looking to boot. If he can't be the one to get her personal busine

Setting: Various locations that include Mexico, California, and Hawaii Genre: Women's Fiction Publisher: Lake Union Release Date: July 4, 2017 I loved the first book in this series. Everything We Keep was emotionally charged and eloquently written. I found myself rooting for Aimee and truly felt for her. Everything We Left Behind is the sequel. This time, readers see things from James' point of view. I wanted to love it, but I simply disliked James too much for that to happen. Now that James' memories have returned, he's stuck being father to two sons he doesn't know and lost the woman he loves, Aimee. Worse, his brother, the reason he's in this predicament, is about to be released from prison. James witnessed something that could land Phil back in prison, so his safety is also on the line. To really knows what he's facing, James needs to remember who he was both before and after the events that led to his fugue state. To do that, he turns to

Setting: England Genre: Suspense/Thriller Publisher: St. Martin's Press Release Date: July 18, 2017 Cass is already having a hard time. Her mom, who had early-onset dementia, died of pneumonia. She's still grieving. Driving home from a gathering with her co-workers, her husband tells her to go the long way around due to a storm, but Cass takes the short cut anyway. She spies a woman sitting in her car. While her first thought is to stop and see if the woman's okay, Cass heads home instead and then forgets to call police for a welfare check. When she learns the woman had been murdered, Cass panics. Worse, she knew the woman. They'd just met and were becoming good friends. Guilt sets in, and Cass fears the murderer may have seen her. She starts getting strange calls. She's forgetting important details. She even orders a baby carriage, yet never remembers doing so and has no reason to have done so. Soon, Cass's husband is convinced she's having a br

Setting: Tulpen Crossing, Washington Genre: Women's Fiction/Romance Publisher: HQN Books Release Date: July 11, 2017 Secrets of the Tulip Sisters  revolves around Kelly and Olivia Murphy. Their mom walked away from the family when they were young, and it has shaped the non-existent relationship. Kelly works hard at her father's tulip farm, while Olivia hasn't been back in 15 years. Olivia suddenly returns with the goal of proving her place in Tulpen Crossing. She's not the only person returning. The boy who broke Kelly's heart is back, too, and he's all man. He only has eyes for Kelly, and she's not sure she trusts him. Within the pages of  Secrets of the Tulip Sisters , readers get to meet the Murphy family and experience a family reunion, along with three developing romances, that warm the heart. Part of me thinks there was so much thrown into Susan Mallery's latest novel that I almost would have preferred it as a trilogy. You have Kelly

Genre: Suspense Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Release Date: July 27, 2017 After losing her job at a popular magazine, Holly returns to her hometown. There, she finds her school friend's son murdered both of his parents before taking his own life. Holly's shocked. The gentle boy she knew did not seem capable of hating his parents that much. Holly can't have the story at her new employer, but she's determined to get to the bottom of things on her own time. The more questions she asks, the more danger she gets into. Someone doesn't want answers revealed. Holly could be putting her very own life on the line. Beneath the Surface  is a work of fiction, but there were aspects of the story that did seem very real. In fact, something similar happened just up the road from me. It was horrifying and I'm still not sure how I feel about the entire case. That made Sibel Hodge's story very real and very frightening. This isn't an easy read. A lot happens

Setting: California Genre: Suspense Publisher: Spiegel & Grau Release Date: July 11, 2017 Billie Flanagan never returns after heading out hiking. This leaves her teen daughter and loving husband to wait for her body to be recovered. All that's ever found is one hiking boot and her cell phone. A year passes. Jonathan is trying to keep money coming in, mostly by writing a memoir about her. His daughter, Olive, deeply misses her mother. When Olive starts to have visions that Billie is still alive, Jonathan is, at first, worried that his daughter has a brain tumor. That is until Jonathan begins to learn little things that prove Billie was keeping secrets. Watch Me Disappear  is a gorgeous piece of writing. The descriptions are so vivid, and I loved most of the characters. I felt their pain, their hope, and their uncertainty. The story winds and weaves painting this incredible tale of pain, joy, and the effort to move on with your life. One thing I did love is, and her

Genre: Contemporary Romance Publisher: The Wild Rose Press Release Date: March 2015 Claudia's a single mom and talented cake maker. Her partnership in Decadence, a one-stop wedding shop, pays the bills and keeps her happy. Her dating life isn't quite as promising. Things happen all at once when Claudia learns her son's absentee father is coming back into town, plus the guy Claudia's been dating informs her that when they marry he wants her to give up her company. What's perhaps more baffling is that Claudia finds herself suddenly attracted to her long-time friend, Nate, who happens to be the guy who's always been her son's father figure. Nate isn't sure what to make of Claudia's sudden flirtations. He's promised to always be there for her, but he's perplexed by her sudden attention. Is she really ready to become more than friends? What's Life Without the Sprinkles? is fun, pretty steamy at times, and doesn't take long to

Setting: Honey Ridge, Tennessee Genre: Contemporary Romance With a Historic Twist Publisher: HQN Release Date: July 25, 2017 The Innkeeper's Sister  continues where The Memory House left off. Julia, her new husband, and her stepson are off to a great start as a new family unit. Valery, Julie's sister, owns Peach Orchard Inn with her sister. While her sister's great love is being an innkeeper, Valery's first love has always been dance. Her past, however, makes sure the demons stay hot on her case. Valery is certain that happiness is not in the cards. Not only that, but Valery doesn't feel she deserves to find happiness outside of the bourbon she drinks all too regularly. Grayson remembers Valery from his years as a nerdy teen. He's always found her attractive. He'd like nothing more than to get to know her. When he learns his brother's purchased the remains of the old grist mill, Grayson finds himself staying across the street at Peach Orchard

Genre: Children's Picture Book Publisher: Chronicle Kids Release Date: August 1, 2017 Poor Mr. Orange. All around him, he sees rhymes. He's upset that nothing rhymes with orange. Banana has cabana. Grapes have capes. A fig is big, and a kiwi is a peewee. While all these cute fruit have rhymes, Mr. Orange is the odd man out. Is there a rhyme out there for Mr. Orange? Any word at all? Nothing Rhymes With Orange is brilliant on many levels. First, it explores rhymes in a whimsical fashion. Second, it teaches children many of the different types of fruit. Illustrations are a mix of real photos and drawings, so even that draws your attention. Everything about  Nothing Rhymes With Orange  delighted me. It's filled with humor. The interjections from Mr. Orange made him a very sympathizable character. Eventually, things take a turn and you realize that everyone has issues, and there are always solutions to the things that bother you. It's a great, creative way to ge

Setting: San Francisco Genre: Suspense/Thriller Publisher: Random House Release Date: July 25, 2017 Where to begin? I was mesmerized and horrified by The Marriage Pact . I hated it, loved it, and was terrified by it all at the same time. It's been a very, very long time since a book has pulled my emotions in so many directions. Kudos to Michelle Redmond for that. Alice and Jake were friends first and married feeling it was the natural step to take. Alice, a rock star turned lawyer, and Jake, a psychologist, have a laid back, dream wedding and are ready to start this new chapter of their life together. A mysterious wedding gift has them both curious to learn more. The Pact is a program designed to make a marriage last forever. The couple are instantly taken up in the thought of being in an exclusive group where everyone strive to remain happily married for life. They love the ideas of giving surprise gifts monthly and taking two vacations together each year. What they do

Genre: Children's Picture Book Publisher: Chronicle Kids Release Date: August 1, 2017 To start each day, Mr. Crocodile gets out of bed, goes to the bathroom, grooms himself, has breakfast, and goes off to work. Watch as he navigates the city and gets to the subway. Where is he going? What kind of work does he do? Professional Crocodile  is a picture book. There are no words. Instead, children tell their own story by looking at the pictures. Multiple pictures fill each set of pages, so there's a lot to explore and narrate on your own. The ending was quirky and not what I expected. I like that it led to a relatively big surprise. While there are no reading skills to build, your child will get to explore his or her storytelling skills, and that's a huge plus. Look for  Professional Crocodile  on August 1st.

Genre: Self-help Publisher: Alzheimer's Association Release Date: 2006 After my aunt died, my mom had an argument with me one day that was a little frightening. She insisted that no one had told her that my aunt had hemochromatosis. My own mom had told me a few years earlier. I wrote it off to the grief. That was the first true sign I saw that made me question. Over time, she was often asking the same question dozens of times a day. Telling me she hadn't talked to me in ages when we'd just talked an hour earlier. She even started giving me clothing that she swore was my aunts, but I knew we'd bought it together when our shopping just a week earlier. I urged my dad to take my mom to a specialist and the diagnosis was Mild Cognitive Impairment. Every few months, he'd tell me he'd taken my mom for another check and she was find. When my dad died, I quickly found out that MCI was the initial diagnosis, but it had progressed to Alzheimer's in 2014. We

Genre: Children's Picture Book Publisher: Chronicle Kids Release Date: July 11, 2017 Under the Silver Moon: Lullabies, Night Songs & Poems is a collection of well known songs and poems about the night.They're paired with illustrations by Pamela Dalton. It's the illustrations that really caught my attention. Each page reminds me a little of a tapestry. Within the book are songs like "All the Pretty Little Ponies." There is the Robert Louse Stevenson poem "My Bed is a Boat." How about "Diddle, Diddle Dumpling?" These are just a few of the many songs and poems you'll find within  Under the Silver Moon . This is an adorable picture book that is ideal for bedtime. It comes out July 11th, so don't miss out!

Setting: England Genre: Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Gallery Books Release Date: July 25, 2017 They met at a boarding school. The four young girls formed a fast friendship that's never faded. Now that they're adults living their own lives, Thea, Fatima, and Isa all make the trip back to Salten when their friend Kate sends the message "I need you." A dog's found a human bone in a tidal estuary. That bone threatens to reveal everything the four woman have hidden for so very long. It's the one thing that could destroy the lives they've established. Everything stems from a game they used to play, a game known as The Lying Game . The rules were easy: tell everyone whatever lie you conjure up but never lie to each other. It's been years since these women have returned to Salten, and now they're back and it's time to face what really happened back then. Expect a lot of twists in this book. There's a creepy factor as clues are revealed

Setting: Portree, Scotland Genre: Contemporary Romance Publisher: Lyrical Shine Release Date: July 25, 2017 Bella is in Scotland for a few weeks while her brother and his new bride take their honeymoon. Hoping to have time to focus on her writing, Bella is stunned when a sexy stranger shows up and asks her to let him in. After a phone call, Bella is able to confirm that the stranger is one of Britain's most desirable bachelors. He's also a friend of her brothers and was offered a place to hide out and dodge the press. What was supposed to be a quiet Scottish vacation is now very different as Bella has to deal with her feelings for this irritating, sexy man. Scot on the Run  is apparently the follow-up to Bella's brother's novel and one of the Kilted Heroes series by Janice Maynard. The chemistry between the characters is definitely all there and very heated at times. As the fourth novel in this series, I did have worries that I would feel as though I was j

Genre: Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Berkley Release Date: July 11, 2017 Bring Her Home  offers a chilling tale about two teens who are found near dead in a local park. When widower Bill Price gets the call that his missing 15-year-old daughter was found beaten to near death and that her best friend was found dead, he's despondent and rushes to hold vigil. His daughter is unrecognizable and may suffer permanent brain injury due to the beating she took. As time passes, Bill starts to uncover startling truths that make him doubt what he really knows about his daughter. As the case progresses, more is revealed leading Bill and investigators to really wonder just what is going on and who can really be trusted. There are parts of  Bring Her Home  that I found very easy to solve. Usually, I'd find that to be a bit of a letdown, but that's not the case here. Even though I'd solved some of the mystery, I was still intrigued. The plot progresses with twists and turns hi

Setting: WWII France/Germany Genre: Historic Fiction Publisher: MIRA Release Date: February 21, 2017 There is a little bit of a "Like Water for Elephants" feel to The Orphan's Tale . Pam Jenoff's story is so much more, however. The setting is Europe during WWII. The story actually begins with an elderly woman in France searching desperately for something hidden in a circus car at a museum. It then goes back in time to tell a very bittersweet story of two women, the situations they face, and the events of WWII. After 17-year-old Noa has an affair with a Nazi soldier, she ends up pregnant. Her father orders her to leave them and never return. Her blonde hair and blue eyes are her saving grace. She ends up in a home for unwed mothers where she'll give birth to her child and give that child up for adoption. Heartbroken and childless, Noa ends up in a train station where she is given a job cleaning. One day, she finds piles of infants in one of the train ca