Here it is already the end of another month. Where does the time go? I have been busy as usual reading some wonderful books for the month of October of 2023. Here are the 11 books I read and reviewed for October. I might have read even more if I didn’t have a few WIP. But I always seemed to have a WIP! That fact never stops me! I hope you enjoy reading these reviews.

I love sharing my eclectic reads in this Jemsbooks Segment, Books Read in the Month. I hope you will get a chance to look over these books soon. Thank you for your kind support of my work and that of my fellow authors.

If you are an avid reader, as I am, please review the books you love on Amazon or wherever you purchased them in order for others to enjoy your reviews. Reviews are one way for readers to know about an exceptional book. We indie authors love to receive reviews and appreciate the efforts of readers to do them. Once again, I thank you for your kind support of me and my books and for supporting my fellow authors too.

When I wrote these reviews I rated them on Amazon, Goodreads and sometimes Barnes & Noble. I did not include the ratings here though. It is best to share my thoughts with you about how I felt about the book without the rating. Ratings can be deceiving at times.

We all feel differently about books. Sometimes we love them, sometimes we like them and still other times we may dislike a book. Some others are so memorable they take our breaths away! While others are sweet, sensitive and enjoyable reads that we soon will forget. But all of these books I have reviewed were lovely reads as you can see from my reviews. I hope you enjoy my reviews and that they help you decide what will be your next read.

A lovely story of a kitten who discovers that she is different from her siblings. She is not happy at first but then realizes through her mother’s encouragement that she is special and one of a kind. Cat lovers will be enchanted by the adorable kittens in this book that will capture their hearts.

This is a beautiful book that has illustrations so life-like that they appear to be almost real. Children will enjoy this tale and will learn the important life lesson that it imparts.

This talented and creative award-winning author has created another winning book to add to your children’s library.

A comical story that is based on a true-life situation between a cat and turkeys the day before Thanksgiving. When a cat meets a turkey and threatens the bird that the area it is in is his territory the turkey unexpectedly fights back frightening the cat even more so when two other turkeys join in the scuffle.

Children will get a chuckle out of this story as the turkeys chase the cat up into a tree where it stays until its owner comes to rescue it. The cat certainly learns a lesson about being a bully and even if you are bigger doesn’t make you smarter than another.

This is part of a three-book series that involves cats or kittens in each tale that will keep children engaged. This is another book to add to your children’s growing library from this award-winning and creative author.

Forgotten Christmas Tree is a book that will capture the hearts and imagination of children everywhere. The tree that is forgotten is an artificial tree that was treasured at one time but now cast aside for a real one. The cats in this story discover the tree in the garage and learn about the true meaning of Christmas. Cat lovers will fall in love with these cats and enjoy reading this book not only at Christmas time but all year round.

The author has created a tale that teaches children the importance of the spirit of Christmas, of giving and sharing, of thinking of others and helping others to feel appreciated. Another excellent addition to add to your children’s library.

Keep it in the Family is a dark, horrific tale of bodies of young children found in this house that has been discovered by the new owners. The main protagonist who has purchased this house with her husband discovers something unthinkable in the attic and nearly loses her mind after realizing why and how these children were murdered.

The story carries several timelines going back and forth to give the reader a sense of when and who is speaking. It does get a little crazy following the timelines because they are not always in order, sometimes going back 30 years and then changes again to present.

It was a tough read about such a horrendous subject, children’s deaths, and I felt compelled to keep reading to find out who the killer or killers were and if they were brought to justice. The ending is shocking and disturbing. I may not want to read any more of this author’s books because of the way his mind is so disturbed. Reading about children being murdered is not a subject I want to read again. If I had known the book was going to be about a serial killer of children I would not have read this.

I gave it four stars because it kept me engrossed until I discovered the truth.

The Silence is a fast-paced thriller in this Columbia River Series with a horrific murder, conspiracy against the police and some missing persons to give the main protagonists, FBI Agent Ava McLane and Detective Mason Callahan, plenty to do to solve this mystery.

The characters are well-defined, strong, resilient and determined to work this case. This case involves an informant now deceased that Ava had contact with earlier and also her twin sister, Jayne, who has disappeared. Jayne has been a problem since they were young and nothing she has done up to this point has surprised Ava until she receives a distressed call from Jayne that puts her on alert that her sister is in real danger this time.

Whoever is responsible will not rest until anyone who interferes will be dealt a severe blow. Ava realizes this when her life is in danger each time she gets closer to the truth about what happened to the murder victim, why her sister has disappeared, where she could be and who has kidnapped her.

There are plenty of twists and turns and danger for both protagonists who are trying to stay alive and do their jobs while planning for their wedding.

An captivating and enjoyable read!

Hour of Need is full of mystery, suspense, action, bullying, murder and romance. The author does a commendable job pulling all these together in this non-stop mystery that kept this reader turning pages.

Major Grant Barrett goes on a LOA when he receives word about the death of his brother Lee and wife Kate. Their two children, Carson, and Faith, are now orphaned and Grant races home to take care of them and make arrangements for the funeral.

Grant’s brother Mac and sister Hannah are away too with their perspective jobs and he calls them in to help get the family together during this devastating time. What Grant doesn’t realize is that there is more to his brother and sister-in-law’s deaths than the police can fathom. Grant is deeply disturbed by not only what has happened to him while serving in Afghanistan when he had to kill a man, but how he feels toward this murderer. He wants to punish this person and kill him with his bare hands.

When Grant meets his neighbor, Ellie, the stirrings he had previously return full force and he feels drawn to her in spite of his limited time to stay home before he must return to the Army. Ellie, her daughter Julia and grandmother Nan, are pulled into the mix when danger threatens them too. Grant soon connects things to a file that his brother had in his recent case as a lawyer.

There are many twists and turns as things get uncovered and explained which force Grant to make some tough decisions of his life in more ways than one.

A quick and compelling read that I recommend!

La Vie, According to Rose is a story of one woman trying to find herself. Rose has been overpowered by her needy sisters, and her nagging mother who make her feel as if she is smothering. She has no life of her own and has been responsible for her sisters since they were young.

After the death of her father, Rose finds life even more difficult and feels like she is smothering from both her job and her home life. She has no one to turn to for comfort. Her mother and sisters depend on her to make decisions for them in everything they do. She needs to get away and escapes to Paris on a forced vacation from her job.

What she finds in Paris is not what she expected; a self-help guru who befriends her is one good thing but two men who come into her life, one she doesn’t trust but who fascinates her and another she has known from her past, not so good. They cause her more distress when she must confront them for their deceptions.

A frustrating read at times while the reader tries to see some good in Rose’s life, feels her angst and frustration while she tries to discover herself and finally is exhausted by her insecurity and inability to stand up for herself.

True Heart’s Desire is book 2 in the Colorado Heart’s Series. The saga continues with the Brinkman daughters. This time the focus is on Lavinia and her interactions with a new man in town who she mistakes to be the new town doctor.

Lavinia’s misconceptions about the man, Rhett Laughlin, a handsome stranger who comes to her rescue more than a couple of times, causes her more trouble than she is ready for. She finds that the more involved she gets with Rhett, the more she is mired in danger. Both characters have their own secrets that they must share in order to form a bond that they both desire. Whether they are able to reveal their secrets is another issue.

Another enjoyable addition to this series with plenty of intriguing characters, especially the Brinkman sisters, and situations. I look forward to the next one.

Heaven Adjacent is a thought-provoking story filled with uncertainty and finding one’s place in this life. The main character, Rosanna, who is a high-powered lawyer realizes the life she has is not what she wants and escapes after her friend dies.

What Rosanna discovers is a place close to what she envisions Heaven to be far from the maddening crowd with few comforts that she knew when she lived in the city. She finds that she does not need everything she left behind when she and her son renew their relationship after he comes looking for her. When others flock to her place for comfort she doesn’t know how to accept their intrusions until she realizes that she needs others in her life too.

This story touched me and made me think about things differently as Rosanna did. How much do we need in our lives and what really is important to us to be happy?

A touching story of coming to terms with retiring and learning how to love others, realize her inadequacies and accept others for their faults as well as her own.

An eye-opening story!

The Things We Do for Love is an emotional and heartfelt read. It brought tears to my eyes as the story opened up with a childless woman, Angie, and a seventeen-year-old girl who she befriends when the girl’s mother abandons her.

Angie has suffered a great loss, a baby daughter, and has not gotten over feeling the deep grief. This grief was so profound that it broke up her marriage to Conlan who she still loves.

The story is based upon a loving family who surround Angie with support and try to help her through this tragedy. When a teenager in need comes into her life she cannot resist helping her and invites her to move in with her. What Angie doesn’t realize is that Angie comes with baggage and problems of her own. Will she be able to help the teen without losing herself in the process? Will she be able to handle any situation when Conlan tries to come into her life once again?

This was such a touching and emotional read that I could feel the characters’ heartache as they dealt with their difficulties, tried to solve their problems, and find love.

A worthwhile read!

Once He Sees is a gripping and intense suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat. The main protagonist, FBI Special Agent Claire King, is a strong and fearless agent who risks her life and loses it only to be brought back to life a changed person. She is revived by her new partner after her confrontation with a serial killer.

What she doesn’t realize is that she has gained a psychic power that may help her solve her cases from this time on. She cannot share this with anyone or they may think she has lost her mind. Her latest case is a tough one once she begins to see into the life of the killer that is too frightening to comprehend. Claire’s partner, her life saver, is her support and never doubts her even when she shares some of the unbelievable clues from her new ability with him.

This was a heart-stopping read that I could not put down. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support of my blog and books. Feel free to come back anytime. You are always welcome.

Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!

READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE