Book and Product Reviews by Roundtable Reviews

 Release Date - March 30, 2021 Opal may not have the same voice or look as her sister, but she's a powerhouse all on her own. She also has bigger dreams than taking some office or production line job in Detroit. She wants to change the world. Her chance to do just that is revealed when British guitarist and singer Neville Charles takes an interest in her one day. He needs someone to partner with, and fiery Opal seems to be a perfect choice. Thus, Opal & Nev is born. Opal soon learns that while she's ready to take on the world, the world may not be ready for her. Her protests would make Black Lives Matter proud, but it costs her and those around her a lot in the 1970s.  Several decades later, Opal & Nev is set to return for the show of a lifetime. Music journalist S. Sunny Shelton is tackling a tell-all book about the pair. She stumbles onto something that could change what everyone knows about the fateful events in the 1970s, but only if she dares to tell it and get o

 Release Date - March 30, 2021 How I love my trips to Cape Sanctuary, California. In The Path to Sunshine Cove , Jess Clayton comes to town to help her new client, Eleanor, declutter her home. She quickly falls in love with Eleanor and with the area, but her tenuous relationship with her sister, Rachel, isn't going as well. She'd hoped they could spend time together, but Rachel is testy at best and certainly not welcoming. It's not the only cold welcome. Eleanor's son, Nate, all but calls Jess a trespasser on their first meeting and tells her to leave. Despite a bad start, Jess is going to do this job well and then move on to the next client. What she doesn't realize is that she may end up finding it harder to leave than first imagined. Jess is such a strong character with so much to learn. I didn't love Rachel, but I understood her hesitance at bonding. It still didn't make me enjoy her. Mostly, I found myself wanting to give her some advice on motherhood

 Release Date - March 16, 2021 The 1970s are turbulent for sisters Vera and Kelly Exton. While their widowed mom dreams of them settling down and having a bunch of grandchildren, both of these young women want more.  Vera has stuck around to help her care for her mom, but she plans to head off to Africa as soon as Kelly's finally married. At that point, a. Kelly will have married the local vet's son and become a partner in the family veterinary practice. The nearer they get to the plans that have been laid out, the more the sisters realize that the best-laid plans aren't always what's right for you. They have to decide if they do what their mom is expecting or if it's time to do what they feel is right in their hearts. I liked the build-up in Meant to Be but about three-quarters into the book, it lost me. I found myself overwhelmed by the abrupt jump to the 1990s and the rush of new characters. It started to feel heavy and just sad. I'm used to a lighthearted f

 Release Date - March 30, 2021s I missed the first two books in this series. While I want to go back and read the first two sisters' stories, The Last Carolina Sister is a stand-alone romance. Meredith Ventner is working hard to turn her animal rescue into a thriving non-profit. She relates to animals in ways that others cannot understand. When a handsome doctor temporarily becomes her neighbor, she can't help but notice he's hiding his own share of hurt. Ryan Sorensen is in town for a few weeks to heal following tragic events at the ER where he works. It's going to be hard to move on, but it's the friendly people and passion that Meredith shows that seems to be helping. The more he gets to know Meredith, the more he realizes that what he thought he wanted from life isn't what he needed. All he really needs is right here in this charming Carolina town. Both Meredith and Ryan are wounded souls for different reasons. They come together in a sizzling romance that&

 Release Date - March 2, 2021 At 83, Millie has gotten into a bit of trouble. She's been in a couple of car accidents. She accidentally shoplifted. Her son is convinced she's in need of full-time care. That brings Sylvia into her life. The thing is that Sylvia is not all that she seems to be. Millie's son, Kevin, also has his hands full with his kids. One of his solutions is to ship one of his daughters off to boarding school. He hopes it will get her to calm down, but the opposite happens and Aideen ends up in even more trouble there. For the family to come to terms with everything going on in their lives, the family is about to face its greatest challenge ever. Here's the deal with Good Eggs . Kevin is not likable. I have a parent with Alzheimer's, and many of Millie's actions seemed to be early-stage Alzheimer's to me. It broke my heart that he wasn't listening. The first section of the book is all about Kevin's need to control the things in his

 Release Date - March 2, 2021 Skye Starling is over the moon when her boyfriend of six months proposes to her. She never expected she'd find a man who loves her despite her obsessive habits. Yet, Burke Michaels doesn't seem to care she has OCD and has specific routines. The problem is that Burke is hiding a secret. He's married and a father to three children. He owes his wife, Heather, a better life than she has and he knows it. Skye is his ticket to ensuring his family has a better life. Or, is there more to the story? Too Good to Be True is told from Heather's POV, but it's back when she's a teen and meets Burke. There's Skye's present-day POV. There's also Burke's POV from the letters he writes to his therapist. What seems to be true isn't always the case, and that creates a story that goes from one place to the next and leaves you eagerly awaiting for the truth to be revealed. While there was a lot in this novel that I loved, there wer

 Release Date - March 9, 2021 Only Darcy Phillips knows the truth about locker 89. She's been running a relationship advice business from the empty locker for years. Her advice is always spot-on, so it's become a steady business. One day after checking the hallway before opening the locker, Alexander Brougham happens to come across her and quickly learns her secret. He won't tell anyone if she'll help him win back his ex-girlfriend. Darcy's up for a challenge, even if it is becoming a dating coach for a guy who drives her nuts. She can't tell her best friend and object of her affection anything, and that could be a problem. The more she pushes away Brooke while spending time with Alexander, the harder it becomes to handle. One thing is certain, she can't reveal the truth or her friendship with Brooke could be over forever. Darcy is bisexual and deals with a lot of conflicting feelings in the book. I loved her honesty in different situations. I also loved t

 Release Date - March 2, 2021 Days before they're to go on an anniversary trip to London, Caroline Parcewell learns her husband had an affair. She's hurt and opts to go on the trip on her own. When she comes across a tour guide who hosts a mudlarking adventure, something inspires her to join in. It's on the banks of the Thames that she finds an old glass jar. Back in the 1700s, Nella works in secret as an apothecary creating potions and powders that are designed to help women kill off the men in their lives that have caused them some form of harm. There are two rules Nella always follows. The poisons can never be used on a woman and all names of buyers and victims must be recorded in a secret ledger. Past and present merge when Caroline starts using her untouched history degree to research the jar's history. She stumbles into a series of apothecary murders in the 18th century and realizes she may have the key to solving them. This book bounces between present day and

 Release Date - February 16, 2021 I adored U2 as a teen and never gave much thought to the song Van Diemen's Land . In 1841, 180 women convicted of crimes board a ship bound for Van Diemen's Land. In what would become Tasmania, these women will serve their time for crimes such as petty theft. One woman hides a secret that she will do anything to keep hidden. As the ship sets sail, the women get to know each other. It isn't long before one of the women, a young mother, is stabbed and struggling to stay alive. The matron and the ship's captain lead the questioning to try to determine the killer's identity. Dangerous Women is told from several perspectives and in the past and present. There are plenty of women on the ship, but you'll spend the majority of the time seeing the mystery play out between Kezia, the matron, and Clara, the women with a secret. There's also Hattie, the victim, whose story is focused on events leading to the stabbing and then as she l