Posted on by Jacquie Biggar

Catching Up on My #ReadingList #BookReviews-Deep in the Forest Where Poetry Blooms @DLFinnAuthor, A Different Kind of Gone by Catherine Ryan Hyde, The Price of Atonement @MaeClair1


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Are you spooked by the bevy of horror movie commercials out right now?

I spend more time covering my eyes than I do watching programs these days. There are SO many scary commercials!

Speaking of which, are you watching Halloween cooking shows on The Food Network? The artistry is gory and amazing, lol. It makes me wonder about the people who create these things. Their dreams must keep them up at night!

This week, it’s all about new releases. I have a poetry collection, a suspenseful women’s fiction novel, and a ghostly paranormal by one of my favorite authors.

As always, click the covers to learn more about each book.

The posts on this site may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission should you make a purchase using a link.

Deep in the Forest Where Poetry Blooms: Just Her Poetry Book Two by D.L. Finn

Embark on a captivating journey with D. L. Finn as she guides you through the intricate landscapes of free verse and symbolic poetry. Hike with her through the magical forest, feel the wind on your face riding on the back of a Harley, or bask on the warm Hawaiian shores. 

Enchanting and engaging are two of the many adjectives that come to mind when reading D.L. Finn’s lovely poetry.

Her respect for nature and the passing seasons guides us through a wonderland that can be as gentle as a butterfly’s kiss.

GIFT
Warmth melts away the cold winter months
An early bird’s warble welcomes the azure skies
Gentle breezes flutter the vivid emerald leaves
Butterflies search for the season’s first blooms…
Dogwood trees offer their white-flowered nectar.
Nature’s breath brings life to the world…
Awakening me from my winter’s hibernation
My bare arms absorb the sun—and moment,
Blissfully receiving the gift of spring.

Deep in the Forest Where Poetry Blooms- D.L. Finn

Or cold and lonely like My Magic or The Puppeteer’s Strings, a deeply personal foray into feelings that match the cold of winter and end with the promise and hope of spring- powerful!

PUPPETEER’S STRINGS
The golden couple enters in hushed admiration.
Their beauty captures the imagination.
Women ache to stand in “her” shoes.
I don’t.
I’ve heard his tone…
I’ve seen the bruises…
I’ve held her crying.

Deep in the Forest Where the Poetry Blooms- D.L. Finn

SEA TURTLE
A sea turtle emerges into my life,
Her calm presence swims next to me.
I’m a visitor to her underwater splendor.
Our eyes meet and we connect.
Turtle wisdom fills my emptiness.
It was as if I’d been blind before.
She nods to me…
An understanding passes…
Then she’s gone…
But what she gifted in that moment,
Is with me every day after.
And I hope that perhaps in our swim,
She gained something from meeting me too.
On that beautiful day in the warm sea,
I was blessed with the turtle’s sage presence,
And my weary essence was healed.

Deep in the Forest Where Poetry Blooms- D.L. Finn

This collection is meant to be savored. Reflect on the lyrical quality of the lines and how the author’s words connect with your inner spirit, you won’t be disappointed.

A Different Kind of Gone by Catherine Ryan Hyde

The truth behind a teenage girl’s disappearance becomes something to conceal in a gripping novel about justice, lies, and impossible choices by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.

When a young woman goes missing, volunteer Norma Gallagher is called to join the search and rescue mission. With the help of her incredibly smart horse and two hounds, Norma tracks the girl to a cave and is stunned when Jill refuses to go back. Then she learns of Jill’s abusive boyfriend and reluctantly agrees to secretly deliver the girl to her frightened parents.

Norma has a rigid moral code, which makes the lie she’s keeping a weight on her chest, even though she knows from personal experience just how dangerous a man like Jill’s ex can be.

There are a lot of back-and-forth struggles over ethics in this novel, which makes for slow reading, though the subject is serious. I would have liked more action and less inner wavering, but that’s not to say this isn’t a good story.

Catherine Ryan Hyde often sets older and younger characters together with complex plots that teach important lessons. For me, this one fell a little flat.

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

The Price of Atonement: Harbor Pointe Series Book 1 by Mae Clair

The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.

Ghost whisperer Leviticus Sinclair seeks to bury his own guilt and remorse by roaming the country to eradicate troubled spirits unwilling to leave this plain for the next.

Called to Harbor Pointe Inn, Leviticus and his aide, Wyatt, find a malicious phantom bent on revenge- but against whom?

As with all of her novels, Mae Clair paints visceral pictures, this time of the old inn and lighthouse bathed in fog and mystery.

Wyatt glanced out the panel of windows toward the lighthouse. By now the moon had risen, turning the white column of the tower into a spectral needle. A strip of clouds hung in the background, oyster gray and ragged.

The Price of Atonement- Mae Clair

The mood is eerie, and the pace is quick as details emerge, forcing Leviticus to make a choice he prays won’t haunt him for the rest of eternity.

Excellent read!

My baby brother and his wife surprised us with a visit. My mom was thrilled!

54 Replies to “Catching Up on My #ReadingList #BookReviews-Deep in the Forest Where Poetry Blooms @DLFinnAuthor, A Different Kind of Gone by Catherine Ryan Hyde, The Price of Atonement @MaeClair1”

  8. Great reviews, Jacquie. I thoroughly enjoyed “Deep in the Forest” and “The Price of Atonement.” What great reads. Thanks for introducing me to Hyde’s “A Different Kind of Gone” and for the thoughtful review. Happy October!

    Liked by 2 people

  9. Thank you for the amazing review for Deep in the Forest, Jacquie! Happy dance through the Magical Trail 🙂 I loved Mae’s story too. Thanks for all the thoughtful reviews. Happy yoir family got a reunion too. Hugs

    Liked by 2 people

  12. Hi, Jacquie! I’m delighted to find The Price of Atonement included with these other fabulous reviews. I read Denise’s poetry collection and think it’s her best yet. Catherine’s novel sounds wonderful as well.

    Thanks for the great review, and I’m so glad you had a fun time with the surprise visit from your brother and his wife. And I agree with you about some of those Food Network creations. Sheesh! 🤣

    Liked by 3 people

  15. I’m on board with the entire Harbor Pointe series. I’ve only picked up Mae’s book so far, but I plan to read them all.

    Liked by 2 people

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