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 January of 2024. Here are the 6 books I read and reviewed for January. 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 still 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.
The Atlantis Code is the cross between Indiana Jones and The DaVinci Code. It takes the reader on an adventure fraught with danger and surprising revelations involving the church.
The story begins slowly and ratchets up with danger at every turn as the main character, Prof. Thomas Lourds, travels from one part of the world to another in search of five instruments that are hidden and under the protection of select individuals that he must find from clues he obtains as he moves from one place to another.
Lourds finds his life in danger as he discovers each instrument by someone who is looking for the same things as he. There is a person who is willing to risk her life to protect him as she goes after the person responsible for murdering her sister, Yuliya, a professor of antiquities and friend of Lourds.
The story began slowly involving ancient languages that were a little confusing and almost made me stop reading. But as it went along it became more interesting and gripping as the story unfolded with the significance of what Lourds was trying to accomplish.
A worthwhile read that is the beginning of a four-part series that I look forward to reading.
Fortune is a mystery fraught with secrets involving not just three women who are the main protagonists but others as well. The past is brought forth in this story when one wealthy woman begins a DNA lottery to help solve a crime that happened years in the past. She offers a chance to win millions to all the inhabitants present and past of her city if they just donate a sample of their DNA.
When three women are brought into the mystery and are suspected of knowing something about the crime, they are forced to share their secrets which causes more havoc to the situation, for the one in charge of the lottery has secrets of her own that could destroy her.
An intriguing story that kept me riveted and wondering who committed the crime and why and how all the secrets somehow connect to the past.
An enjoyable read!
All the Pretty Girls was a gripping story full of murder, mystery and secrets. Taylor Jackson, Homicide Lieutenant, is on a case involving a serial killer along with her boyfriend, Dr. John Baldwin, who is a FBI profiler.
Taylor has had a serious injury from a previous case from which she is still recovering. She has her own issues to get over and dealing with this new case has only increased her anxiety.
There are a lot of twists and turns, murder and mayhem that will keep the reader swiftly turning pages as the action ratchets further. I found this to be an engrossing read that I couldn’t put down.
This is only the first story in this series that will grip the reader and make you want to read more of them. I look forward to the next book.
The Color of Heaven is an emotional read that deals with an out of body experience of the main protagonist, Sophie Duncan. Her daughter becomes ill and life is not what it used to be with her marriage. She feels like she is falling apart with nowhere to go for help.
During an auto accident Sophie crashes through the ice of a lake and is under water for forty minutes before she is rescued. Will she survive? Will she be able to return to the person she was before? During the time she is in the hereafter she experiences some strange things that the author delves into keeping the reading wondering if this is real or imagined.
A truly gripping and emotionally draining story that kept me in tears and praying for Sophie as she tries to deal with this outerworldly experience.
An enjoyable read that kept me turning pages and hoping that Sophie would find a way back.
Her Name was Rose is an emotional, gripping and frightening thriller about a troubled and abused woman who tries to step into the life of another that she thinks is perfect. The main character, Emily, is a woman who has been abused by a former boyfriend and is still tortured by the memories of this abuse that she cannot erase.
Things aren’t always as they appear unless you step into the shoes of another and realize their supposedly perfect life is anything but. This is what this story portrays in an emotional way. I felt depressed for Emily and hoped that she would wake up and see the man she thought she wanted was not the man she thought he was. Rose realized that too late.
This is a difficult story to read if you have ever experienced abuse in the past. It was a book that I read holding my breath as unexpected developments were uncovered.
I did enjoy this book even though I felt depressed for Rose and Emily and hoped that maybe there was hope and a light at the end of the tunnel for at least Emily.
Angel Falls is an emotional story of love and family, a tearjerker that you will not forget. The characters are well defined and bring the story full circle evidencing the love and commitment of a family who is grieving and struggling to survive in spite of what life has thrown at them.
This story will make one think about one’s own life and what one would do in the circumstances laid out in this tale. It’s a courageous and unselfish story of a man’s love and commitment to his family above all odds, putting their interests above his own.
This author has created another beautiful story that is an unforgettable read. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Come back again for more book news, reviews and whatever else pops into my already overcrowded head.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
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Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina
Award-Winning Author
Jemsbooks for All Ages!
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Those all sound so good, Janice. I am especially drawn to the Kristin Hannah book and Her Name Was Rose. Thanks for sharing!
It was enjoyable! You are welcome! I like to share reviews with readers. I hope others will see how important it is to authors this way. 🥰