Book and Product Reviews by Roundtable Reviews

 Release Date - March 2021 I've been wanting to read Where the Crawdads Sing for awhile, but I finally decided to buy a copy as I realized my daughter also wanted to read it. I am well aware of the backlash against the author, but I'm not the judge or jury, so it's not my place to decide to blacklist a book based on what the media says. Where the Crawdads Sing was an atmospheric, delightful read. At the heart of the story is Kya Clark, aka "Marsh Girl." Her mother walked away from her at the age of six. Her sibings all left shortly after leaving young Kya along with her alcoholic father. She spent more time fending for herself than she did being parented, or even loved, and the one attempt she made to go to school ended with her being horribly bullied by her peers. Instead, she's learned to read with the help of one of her brother's friends, and she's made a name for herself writing and illustrating guides to the birds and shells in the marshlands

 Release Date - December 18, 2018 Mateo and Rufus are strangers who meet under the most unpleasant of circumstances. You see, they live in a time when a midnight call from Death-Cast means you're in the last 24 hours of your life. You don't know when your life will end, just that it will end at some point that day.  When Mateo gets the call, he's already dealing with so much. His father is in the hospital in a coma having suffered a stroke. Rufus is wanted by police for assaulting the abusive boyfriend of one of his friends. With death hot on their heels, they both head to a dating-style app that's for Deckers (people who get the call). The pair meet up and decide to spend the rest of their lives together, pushing each other to step out of their comfort zone and have the most fun they can before their time is up. This story is sad, humorous, and joyful at the same time. There's no secret. The title says it all. They Both Die at the End . There are no mistakes. Dea

 Release Date - August 1, 2022 It's probably been 25 years since I read my first Jacqueline Diamond romance. She's never failed to draw me into her worlds and want to become part of that community. More recently, she's done something so many authors haven't done. Her characters in the A Better Late Than Never series have grown up, like me, and are now 50-somethings with changing perspectives on relationships, family, and life in general. I'm very thankful for this as the so-called "bodice rippers" I read in my 20s just don't appeal to me anymore. As I grew older, my tastes shifted to suspense, mystery, and especially psychological thrillers. Going Home, At Your Age ? features Sara. She's back in her hometown, carrying the weight of a secret she's kept for decades. She had a child and gave that child up for adoption, sending a scathing letter to all who she felt turned their backs on her. Now, her baby is about to have a baby of her own, and S

Release Date - May 2019 Her dad walked away from her when she was young, and that's the main reason Caroline Corbett never made an effort to keep in touch with him. She didn't care about his other family. But, her dying aunt wants to see him one more time, so Caroline agrees to find him. It may be a good distraction from her husband's deception. When his mom remarried at the age of eight, Harris Fenton had a father figure he could look up to. Everything changed one day, and Harris found himself fatherless once more. It's always haunted him, and it's impacting his own relationships with his sons. As Caroline gets closer to the truth, Harris finds his life unraveling in major ways. Neither of them will be the same when the truth is revealed. I've always loved Lake Union books. They partner with fantastic authors, and Barbara Taylor Sissel is one of my favorites. For me, it was harder to like Harris than it was Caroline. You'll understand why as you read more

 Release Date - May 2022 What a fun bundle of a romance this was. Since her husband's death, Hattie Kavanaugh has done all she can to keep busy. She works for her in-law's home renovation company, but her latest purchase is proving to be more money pit than restoration. She feels horrible, and that's a big part of why she's agreeing to star in a new renovation TV show. She's there to renovate the house, get the cash, and be done with it. She didn't sign up to be part of the dating sideline the producer seems to be demanding. When someone sets fire to a dumpster outside and then find the missing wallet from a decades-old cold case, there's clearly more to this home than Hattie imagined. It's getting harder to complete the task at hand when so many unexpected events keep occurring. Part-mystery, part-romance, I loved the blend of home renovation, missing teacher, and current events with the arson, repeated pesky "noise violation" reports. It be

 Release Date - July 5, 2022 I love Rizzoli and Isles and binged the entire TV series one summer. So, it's not surprising I was delighted with the release of a new book. I especially love that Jane's mom plays an integral part in this book. When a nurse is found murdered in her home, Jane's on the case. It seems unusual though that anyone would have targeted Sofia, as everyone loved her.  Meanwhile, Jane's mom, Angela, is alone while her beau is on the other side of the country caring for his sister. When Angela gets secretive new neighbors, she can't help but find herself wondering why they never come out in the day, keep their blinds closed, and are putting up bars on the windows. Plus, one of Angela's friend's teen daughter runs away, and Angela is convinced something is awry in her usually quiet neighborhood. What Jane and Angela don't know is that their investigations are going to put them in a world of trouble. There's much more to either ca