4 New May 1 Books

by Susan Roberts

There are lots of books being published in May and today I have reviews of four fantastic books that all published on May 1.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

The Way of Beauty by Camille Di Maio

May 2018; Lake Union Publishing
978-1503950122
audio, ebook, print (384 pages); family life

This is absolutely one of the best historical fiction novels that I've read in a long time. The characters are well written and believable and the setting of NYC's Penn station is a perfect focal point to tie the two main characters together.

Vera is the daughter of German immigrants who are forced to move when Penn Station is built in NYC. When she is in her teens, she falls in love with the young man who runs the newsstand but he marries a suffragette who later becomes Vera's friend. When Vera realizes that Angelo is also in love with her, she disappears from his life. One generation later, her daughter Alice has a dilemma because she is in love with two men. Both main characters live in the shadow of Penn Station and this historical site is an important part of both stories.

Vera and Alice are both trying to fulfill their dreams. As first mother and then daughter come of age, they’ll each discover that love is the only important thing in life. I loved this book and highly recommend it!

Buy The Way of Beauty at Amazon

Other Books by Camille DiMaio:  The Memory of Us and Before the Rain Falls

Limelight by Amy Poeppel

May 2018; Atria/Emily Bestler Books
978-1501176371
audio, ebook, print (416 pages); humor

Allison decides that her husband should accept a job promotion because it would be wonderful for her family (two teenage daughters and a son) to move to NYC - the most wonderful place in the world to live. She soon finds out that living in NYC is full of problems - her daughters had to leave friends and boyfriends and blame her for the move, she doesn't have any friends and can't find a job, her apartment is so much smaller than her house that she can't find room for everything and life is full of problems that she didn't face in Texas.  And then to top it all off, she has a fender bender in front of her son's school with all of the unfriendly mom's looking on. As she realizes that this move may have been a big mistake, something happens that may turn out to be her way into New York society - it will either make life better or she will fail miserably and be ready to return to Texas.

This is a fun read, full of humor as Allison tries to adjust to life in New York plus deal with her sullen children who are not happy with the move. I laughed out loud at some of the situations that she got herself into as she was trying to find her way to a normal life for her family.

This is a light fun book and I highly recommend it.

Buy Limelight at Amazon

Other Books by Amy Poeppel:  Small Admissions

Every Single Secret by Emily Carpenter

May 2018; Lake Union Publishing
978-1503951907
audio, ebook, print (316 pages)
psychological thriller

This fast past thriller had me hooked from the first page to the last. I was tense as I turned the pages - wanting to find out what happened next but afraid to find out. The setting was fantastic and made the story even more intense.

Engaged couple, Daphne and Heath go away to a couples retreat because Heath has been having nightmares and they want to find out why. They are total soul mates and appear to have a fantastic life together despite the fact that they both keep secrets about their past. They claim that the past didn't matter and that their future together is all that matters. Daphne refuses to go through the program but goes to a deserted retreat to help Heath as he goes through intensive psychological treatment. Daphne is uneasy about the entire set-up with cameras in the rooms and not being allowed to talk to the other participants in the program. As the week goes on, her unease continues to grow and what happens at the retreat will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

This is a creepy thriller that will keep you on edge throughout the book. It's Emily Carpenter at her best.

Buy Every Single Secret at Amazon

Other Books by Emily Carpenter:  The Weight of Lies and Burying the Honeysuckle Girls

Beauty in the Broken Places: A Memoir of Love, Faith, and Resilience by Allison Pataki

May 2018; Random House; 978-0399591655
audio, ebook, print (272 pages); memoir

This is a beautifully well-written memoir by Allison Pataki. At 30 years old and 5 months pregnant, she and her husband were on their way to Hawaii for a few days of rest and relaxation. Her husband, Dave, was a surgical resident who worked long hours and they both needed a few days away to relax before the baby changed their lives completely. Little did they know when they boarded the airplane, that their lives would be drastically changed before they landed. Dave had a stroke during the flight -an almost unknown occurrence for a young healthy person - and when they made an emergency landing, they weren't sure if he would live or die. Both sets of parents rushed to Fargo, ND. where the plane landed to help with the situation. What follows is such a beautiful story of family and love, friendship and faith that it brought me to tears.

When Allison finds out that Dave has no memory at all and can't retain information, she writes to him every day so that when/if he regains his memory, he will be able to read what happened in his recovery every day and about her concerns about their lives in the future.

This is a beautiful book that is full of inspiration and love. I am so glad that I read it and highly recommend it.

Buy Beauty in the Broken Places at Amazon

Fiction Books by Allison Pataki:  Sisi, The Accidental Empress

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads,  or Twitter. 

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