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Gimme Shelter–blackmail and murder
Gimme Shelter
by Libby Klein
“Vice and Virtue?” What kind of name is that for a cozy mystery? What does it even signify? The title gradually revealed its meaning, as I read the first book in the Layla Virtue Mystery series. By the time I closed that book, I was hungry for the next which, fortunately, had already been published in the spring of 2026. Gimme Shelter was every bit as exciting as I hoped it would be.
The protagonist, Layla, wasn’t looking to be part of any investigation. She had left the cop part of her life behind when she and her alcoholism were responsible for the deaths of her team members and the bungling of a sting operation. She does get pulled in, however, by the drug peddlers who escaped her carefully laid plans. She is also asked by her former nemesis on the force Detective Castinetto to use her skills to find the murderer of a well-loved teacher.
Layla uses her investigative skills while also trying to survive the social situations she finds herself in. She is attracted to Nick, her neighbor at the trailer park, who has as much of a traumatized past as Layla does. Layla battles addiction, guilt, and an inability to trust. With the help of her three new friends from AA, she gradually begins to regain her memory of that traumatic day. She never wanted friends, but these three ladies stick by her and don’t allow her to leave their circle of friendship. As she is learning what it means to be a friend, she finds one in an unexpected place—Ringo, a lovable and loving support dog trained by Nick. Humor plays a role in the book whenever Layla has a gig as a guitarist and singer. She ends up filling in for bands who are in need of a substitute, wearing crazy costumes and performing in unlikely venues. Also humorous are Layla’s interactions with other trailer park residents after she becomes owner of the park, a gift of her father, Don Virtue, a famous rock and roll guitarist. Her interactions with him display the poignant and amusing sides of dementia.
The problems posed in the first book continue in the second with closure on some and not on others. Layla’s relationship with Nick carries on with ups and downs while he proves essential to her investigation with his high level security skills. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. Will Layla ever be trusted as a police officer again? If so, would she want that life or will she be too busy caring for her unpredictable, but good-natured father?
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #2 in the Layla Virtue Mystery series but the new reader of the series will be brought up-to-date in this book.
2. Clean.
3. The Layla Virtue Mystery Series has a protagonist that deviates from the typical, but will still please cozy mystery readers and Klein fans.
Publication: April 28, 2026—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
November through New Year’s was prime season for addiction meetings. No matter how airbrushed the advertisement, holiday meals and family gatherings didn’t usually fulfill their promises of bringing one peace and joy. And if they did, the feeling was fleeting and followed by a dangerous post-holiday letdown as soon as the day was over.
I threw the Jeep in reverse and backed out of there so fast, if I was still on the force, I would have given myself a ticket.
“What if I forget who I am in Italy? Who will help me? I only know how to say like four things in Italian and three of them will get me arrested.”
Vice and Virtue–addictions and mysteries
Vice and Virtue
by Libby Klein
Layla has been keeping her head down for six months in a shabby trailer in Lake Pinecrest Mobile Homes, formerly a tourist resort. Hated by her former police colleagues and hiding her relationship with her rock and roll father, she ekes out a living playing her guitar, usually songs from the 80’s, when she is able to land entertainment gigs from children’s parties to anniversary celebrations. Trouble rears its head when lecherous Chuckles the Clown and Layla are both hired for a child’s birthday party held at the mansion of a wealthy family and attended by a number of mothers who are sloshed. When Chuckles’ body jerks and flops, it is not part of his act. Thus begins an investigation that Layla, who quit the police force in shame, should not be a part of. She does not want to be a part of it…but she was there and she notices things.
There are a lot of interesting characters in Vice and Virtue. Layla doesn’t want to have anything to do with the people around her. That’s how you get hurt. But many of them force themselves on her. There are neighbors in the mobile home park who are really “characters.” They will keep you chuckling. Recognizing she has a drinking problem, Layla attends AA meetings and tries to keep her distance from others, but several ladies there want to be her friends and won’t let her push them away. Nick is a handsome next door neighbor with a great, compassionate dog, Ringo. Nick is almost as secretive as Layla and could successfully compete with her in a tortured background contest. Layla and her former colleagues on the police force agree that she is responsible for the deaths of her team, including a boyfriend, but that investigation was not tied up neatly and she is willing to let it lie. Her absentee father Don shows up on her doorstep, but not to sponge off of her. Quite the opposite, he wants to make up for the years he wasn’t in her life. Can he win her over and get her to accept help? The fame that accompanies him whenever he is recognized is a huge stumbling block for Layla. As a character who was strung out on drugs in the early years of his career, he seems to be in and out of the present and of reality. He is a genuinely nice guy and a very funny character.
I read this book as an Advance Reader Copy, but I liked it so much that, upon finishing it, I immediately went to my library online and checked out the next book in the series. So, watch for my reactions to Gimme Shelter in my next review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #1 in the Layla Virtue Mystery series
2. Clean
3. I enjoyed Libby Klein’s Poppy McAllister Mysteries, but with 9 in the series, it seems the author decided to try something new and different. The Poppy McAllister series is excellent and fits well in the typical cozy mystery genre. The Layla Virtue Mystery Series has a protagonist that deviates from the typical, but will still please cozy mystery readers and Klein fans.
Publication: April 29, 2025—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
SOME DAYS SEEM LIKE THEY’RE JUST OUT TO GET YOU. SOMETIMES the attack announces itself right out of the chute so you can begin damage control. Buy a couple gallons of ice cream, some chocolate syrup, sign into Netflix, and hunker down for the aftermath.
“There’s no worse feeling in the world than regret. But we don’t live in the past, and we can’t change anything.”
“You know my memory is like Swiss cheese anyway. It’s why I call all the gals things like sugar and doll. It keeps me outta trouble for saying the wrong name.”
So Into You–too many secrets
So Into You
by Kathleen Fuller
Britt is a talented artist and art teacher in her late twenties who makes a living creating YouTube tutorials for art. She has extreme social anxiety which she has addressed in various ways, but none of the treatments or recommendations have had long-term benefits. Although she supports herself financially, she still lives with her mom Amy, a high school math teacher. Britt’s parents divorced when she was young because her father Daniel had problems with alcohol and anger.
Hunter comes from a wealthy, successful family but got mixed up with alcohol and drugs as a pre-teen. Some tough love from his parents resulted in a stint in jail where he turned his life around with the help of a chaplain who introduced him to Jesus. After his release, Hunter got a job at a warehouse and worked on getting his life in order. He happens onto Britt’s YouTube channel and becomes interested in her tutorials. He also thinks she is very cute. Now he just has to meet her without coming across as a creepy stalker.
All of the major characters have secrets that they resist sharing; and, as might be expected, those secrets cause major problems. Hunter, who used to be a “player,” becomes a sensitive, respectful friend to Britt and wants to help her with her social anxiety issues. Other family members and friends are involved in the story as well. The author connects the characters in a way that the reader can see coming. I held my breath as I watched the relationships develop and anticipated how the secrets would be revealed and what blow-out would result.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction, Christian
Notes: Discussion Questions included.
Publication: December 3, 2024—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
A year ago when they signed the lease together, he’d made a pact with Sawyer that he would stay clean and sober, and he’d kept it. That was in the past, and it was a road he never wanted to travel again.
Immediately she was hit with a blast of heat, and it was a only May. The next few months would be brutal. Otherwise known as summer in Texas.
“We love each other more deeply now than we ever have. But love isn’t all you need to make a relationship work. You must have communication, patience, and empathy, along with understanding and honesty. Above all, you have to be willing to make it work. If you give up, the relationship is over.
Keep Your Family Close–sisters and friends
Keep Your Family Close
by Annette Dashofy
With murders and multiple disappearances, this mystery will keep you turning pages. You’ll have to pay attention to figure out who did what to whom. Once you figure something out, you may need to double check your work, just as the detectives had to, because you may not have it right. Also, there is always the issue of who is telling the truth and what motivations the characters have for what they say and do. There is one egotistical, abusive man that the detectives (and I) would like to pin a murder on, but they have to stick to the evidence. If he did commit the murder, can they prove it?
Emma was a potential romantic interest for Detective Matthias Honeywell in the first book. She reappears in this book, and her focus is still on locating her sister Nell who has been challenged with drug problems since the death of their parents. Both women have found themselves in difficult, abusive situations. In this book we meet their childhood friend Eric who will do anything for them. Also returning is Kari, a yoga instructor, who becomes a good friend to Emma. Emma puts herself in dangerous situations by going to some seedy bars and a homeless tent area looking for Nell and following leads on the murderer.
I enjoyed Keep Your Family Close and look forward to the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction, Mystery
Notes: #2 in the Detective Honeywell Mystery Series. When I read the first book in the series, I suspected I would see some of the characters again, and happily I was right. You could read Keep Your Family Close as a standalone, but I felt more grounded having read the first in the series.
Publication: 12/8/2023—One More Chapter (Harper Collins)
Memorable Lines:
Carlisle turned his fierce glare on Matthias, who met it with the one he’d mastered long ago. No twenty-something with a trendy haircut could outlast Matthias where intimidating looks were concerned.
Flop Dead Gorgeous–action, mystery, dogs, and fun
Flop Dead Gorgeous
by David Rosenfelt
There are lots of things reading can and should be, but in the case of Flop Dead Gorgeous, it is FUN! I enjoyed this legal mystery with a dollop of cozy and a heavy dose of humor. The dogs add animal charm, and now I’m addicted. That is okay because this book is the 27th book in the Andy Carpenter Mystery Series!
Out to dinner with a starlet, lawyer Andy and his retired cop wife Laurie experience some real life drama when Jenny’s demanding and irrational ex-boyfriend shows up. Thanks to Laurie’s reflexes, all seems well until Jenny discovers his body on the floor of her kitchen in the middle of the night. Andy, who dated Jenny a few times in high school (as he humorously reminds the reader multiple times), is convinced Jenny did not kill Ryan, but the only way to persuade the jury of her innocence is to find out who did kill him. Sam, his cyber investigator who has a way of “entering” off limit computers is called upon to track phones, to find out what the authorities know, and to learn what those active in the dark web are up to. Andy also has his team safe guarding himself and Jenny—a smart move since some really nasty foreign mobsters may be involved.
I enjoyed Andy’s persistence and his straight-faced wise cracks in the face of a probably negative outcome for his lovely client. He has a number of loyal friends that include a police chief and a local newspaper editor. They are ethically sound, but they also will help when they can. Andy has an excellent record as an attorney, but he maintains a fairly rundown office above a fruit stand that successfully throws some off guard.
The author’s love of rescue dogs is reflected in this mystery in which he has three dogs living with him. Mamie, Jenny’s dog, adds to the pack when Jenny and Mamie live with his family during the trial to avoid the press. As a Basset hound aficionado, I particularly enjoyed these quotes about his Basset Sebastian:
“…Mamie runs around him, trying to get him to play. She doesn’t know it yet, but she has more chance of getting a response from a clothes hamper.”
and
“Ricky always holds Sebastian’s leash because there is no danger that Sebastian will pull free and run off. It’s like walking a barking turtle.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Legal Mystery, Humor
Notes: 1. #27 in the Andy Carpenter Mystery Series. This could definitely be read as a standalone. This is my first book by David Rosenfelt, and I had no problem with bouncing into this large series.
2. There is some inappropriate language which could have been left out, but not enough to keep me from reading another in the series.
Publication: July 4, 2023—St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books)
Memorable Lines:
“I’ve got water, flavored water, and flavored carbonated water.” “None of the above,” I say. Just because I’m in California, it doesn’t mean I am going to abandon my principles and start being health conscious.” …“You’re representing the person who killed Ryan.” “Apparently the innocent until proven guilty concept hasn’t worked its way west?” “It’s probably somewhere over Nebraska at this point,” he says.
…people who invest in movies are not usually the killer types. They certainly are not above stabbing people in the back, but they do it metaphorically.
He spit at Marcus Clark. As stupid maneuvers go, that ranks well above tugging on Superman’s cape and pulling the mask off that old Lone Ranger.
Swamp Story–humor in the Everglades
Swamp Story
by Dave Barry
I have long enjoyed Dave Barry’s humor in the columns which brought him fame. I have four of his books on my bookshelf which in general are thematic collections of his writings on subjects like travel and aging. Swamp Story is my first reading of a novel by Barry. His humor permeates this book from tongue in cheek jabs at politicians to outrageous slapstick.
There are several major characters whose lives cross dramatically and surprisingly. Jesse and her baby Willa live with the baby’s worthless father Slater and his equally worthless buddy Kark. Jesse has made a series of mistakes and wants to get her baby out of their disgusting circumstances in the swamps of Florida. Stu, a marketing executive, and Phil, an alcoholic journalist, are middle aged, unemployed men. Ken and Brad are the Bortle brothers, trying (not very hard) to make a living in the bait shop left to them by their father. Ken’s main income sources are illegal.
Emerging from Dave Barry’s pen, these characters find themselves in some serious situations that Barry transforms into humor. Drug use leaves most of the men stoned most of the time, deciding that they have brilliant ideas. Phil and Stu are last minute hires as Elsa and her sidekick at a four year old’s birthday party. What happens there is caught on video and goes viral. That intersects with Ken’s idea to bring in customers with a branding of the Melon Monster. Kark gets involved as a videographer, and Slater sees this as an opportunity to show off his flawless body. Thanks to the wonders of TikTok and social media, the branding plan works! In a separate plot line, there are a number of characters involved in a search for lost gold which legend says is somewhere in the Everglades. As the story plays out, we see that the love of money is indeed the root of all evil. The tale includes a number of tense moments and a little romance. Not to be forgotten characters include the Secretary of the Interior who hates the outdoor; Skeeter Toobs, the longtime Python Champion winner and his emotional support boar Buddy; Zelda the python; and a fast-moving, hungry alligator.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Fiction, Humor
Notes: 1. There is LOTS of salty dialogue in this book along with drug use.
2. Dave Barry is a talented writer. I thought the book was funny and inventive, but because of the language (which was appropriate to the characters) I would not reread it.
Publication: May 2,2023—Simon & Schuster
Memorable Lines:
The Bongo Mongo business model was built on the assumption that by the time the customers were handed the check, they would be too wasted to read it.
To say that Erik had a gambling problem was like saying that Hitler had an empathy problem.
Chastain handled the Cornwall interrogation with the smooth professionalism of the experienced, principle-free politician, emitting a dense, billowing cloud of words suggesting, without explicitly saying it, that he either was or was not deeply concerned about climate change, and as such was taking all necessary steps.
Hopefully Ever After–struggling against a past
Hopefully Ever After
by Beth Wiseman
This novel has a lot going for it:
- So many important themes including: forgiveness, faith, love, security, family, abuse, goals, healing, independence, maturity, drugs, love of books, respect.
- Interplay of Amish and Englisch characters with several experiencing one culture and considering or actually changing to the other.
- Temptations for both Amish and Englisch characters.
- Contrast of Amish lifestyles with Englisch lifestyles.
- View of how technology, especially cell phones, has affected the Amish.
- A great plot centered around a 16 year old girl, Eden, with a difficult upbringing who stays for a month with her Amish cousin and her husband. She discovers what a real family could be like.
- Lots of characters with their own difficulties—Samuel, a 17 year old with overly strict parents; Yvonne and Abraham who take in Eden for a month; Emma, a much older cousin who is Eden’s guardian; and Eden’s mom, a currently imprisoned drug addict.
- Emotional tale as Eden and Samuel struggle with their attraction to each other. Eden, who is determined to not be like her mother, has a past to overcome. Samuel is unsure of God’s will and is anxious to see the world outside his home community as it must be so exciting.
- The setting is described so well. Without air conditioning, beautiful Indiana farmland can be very hot in July. It was easy to imagine the characters with sweat pouring off them, trying to rehydrate and get a little cooling from battery operated fans.
- There are lots of twists along the way, and as the book moves toward its conclusion, a happily ever after seems out of reach. Thanks to some surprises, although problems are not magically solved, the ending is quite satisfying.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Romance, Religion, Fiction
Notes: #3 in the Amish Bookstore Novels, but the author fills in background quite well so it could be read as a standalone.
Publication: April 18, 2023—Zondervan
Memorable Lines:
Eden didn’t even try to make friends at school these days. What was the point? They’d eventually find out her mother was in prison—a fact that seemed to define Eden, whether it was fair or not.
She could either choose to be a victim—life surely hadn’t treated her fairly—or let go of the past and commit to being the best person she could be. Eden chose the latter, but it wasn’t without a struggle.
“I know that everything changed for me once I found a relationship with God. At first it was like having a new friend, someone I could talk to about anything. And the more I talked, the more I knew God was listening.” She didn’t verbalize the last thought in her mind, probably the biggest change in her life since she had found God: she was no longer alone.
Bound for Murder–books, dancers, and hippies
Bound for Murder
by Victoria Gilbert
I always look forward to cozy mysteries in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series. The female protagonist, Amy, is the library director in Taylorsford and Richard, the male protagonist, is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, and teacher at the university. He also is Amy’s next door neighbor. In this episode we find that they are engaged. Without trying, Amy finds herself involved in solving murders. Again!
There are a lot of interesting supporting characters. She lives with her Aunt Lydia who has many intriguing contacts. Amy’s best friend Sunny works in the library and has recently broken up with the Brad, the local Sheriff, making for a bit of discomfort for their friends. Amy also has a careful relationship with one of her aunt’s former friends. He deals in art and is not above some shady deals.
Sunny’s grandparents are former hippies who ran a commune on their farm in the sixties. When a skeleton is accidentally dug up during some work on the creek bed, it starts a series of investigations and new crimes. Amy has several almost encounters with someone who is intent on warning her off of interviewing former members of the commune. It seems that all of these young people were doing drugs of some sort from weed to LSD. Sunny is afraid for her “grands,” which draws Amy into the fray.
The relationship between Amy and Richard is sweet, and they are very respectful of each other. There is not as much about dance in this book as in some in the series, but there is a lot about research through library sources. Multiple threads are attached to the various former commune members, but there are others who could be the murderer also. I had a strong feeling that I knew who the murderer was about half way through the book, but I still enjoyed watching Amy’s pursuit of the truth. There are some tense scenes as Amy and several other characters are put in danger. On a more humorous note, there are two kittens who provide some fun antics. Richard’s very proper and authoritative mother always tries to take center stage in wedding planning and any social occasion, but Richard and others have effective ways of defusing her efforts. All in all, Bound for Murder is a good cozy mystery that I enjoyed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #4 in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, but I have read some of the earlier books in the series and some of the later ones without a problem, so I feel confident in saying it works as a standalone.
Publication: January 7, 2020—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
There are two times in a woman’s life when complete strangers think it’s appropriate to offer unsolicited advice—when she’s obviously pregnant, and when they discover she’s planning a wedding.
People often assumed that anyone who worked in a library got to read on the job, but sadly, that wasn’t true. I always had a towering “to read” stack of books teetering on my nightstand and far too many unread titles filling my e-reader.
“Oh, most of them are polite enough. But they were all talking shop and I had nothing to contribute, so I just sat there silent as the grave, drinking like a mourner at a wake.”
The Sound of Sleighbells–Christmasy romance
The Sound of Sleighbells
by Janet Dailey
Are you looking for a clean romance with good characters in complex situations? The Sound of Sleighbells is all of that in a Christmas setting that is essential to the plot.
In the little town of Branding Iron, Texas, Ruth is trying to recover from a relationship that 16 years earlier left her a single mom disowned by her family. She found stability a few years later with a kind hearted man who loved her son Skip as his own. After his untimely death, she married Ed who revealed his true self as an abusive, mentally disturbed husband. Fortunately he did not abuse Skip or the two precious girls that he fathered with Ruth.
Judd went to prison for five years for defending a friend in a motorcycle gang fight. He has changed his ways and has become a responsible and successful rancher and leather craftsman specializing in custom saddles. Skip looks just like him.
Ruth has kept Skip and Judd apart to protect Skip, but when they meet she is terrified that they will both discover the secret she has worked hard to hide. Also, both Ruth and Judd feel sparks, but Ruth tries to distance her family from him to protect them from hurt.
There are other good characters in the story and many examples of people helping others. A conflict arises, however, when Digger, the man Judd saved so many years ago arrives fresh from prison with dreams of quick drug money on his mind. He becomes a danger to several of the characters.
For me, this was a quick read, and I enjoyed this Christmasy tale. It had many special moments handled with charm. The three kids and their friends help us see Christmas through children’s eyes. Butch, a massive shaggy brown dog who looks like a small bear, is one of the heroes of this novel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: #6 in The Christmas Tree Ranch Series, but I read it as a standalone with no problems.
Publication: September 26, 2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
She knew she should be grateful. But she could feel her stung pride lashing like the tail of an angry cat.
A hush fell over the crowd as the prerecorded piano music began the introduction to “Silent Night.” Voices joined in the beloved old song. Slowly, the magic began to happen—Christmas lights blurred by falling snowflakes, the sigh of a breeze passing through snowy branches, the fresh scent of pine on the chilly air.
To the children who waited, watched, and cheered, this Santa was absolutely real—not just because Abner was round and jolly by nature, but because the living spirit that surrounded him like an aura wasn’t an act. It was genuine.
Honeymoons Can Be Hazardous–greed!
Honeymoons Can Be Hazardous
by Amanda Flower
Where you see zany, flamboyant Lois, an Englisch grandmother who helps out in her granddaughter Darcy’s café, you will probably also find Millie, her Amish best friend from childhood. Millie tries to stay within the rules of her Amish district, but it’s hard when Lois encourages her as the “Amish Marple” to pursue investigations. This time the victim almost literally falls in their laps in a particularly bizarre means of murder.
There are personal complications also as one of Lois’ many ex-husbands shows up in the little town of Harvest with his new bride of two days. What a shock for Lois to see “Rocksino-Guy” again and in her own hometown. The bride is very interested in Amish furniture specially designed with secret compartments. Millie and Lois investigate three local furniture makers to try to discover what the compartments might be used for.
Millie is an unofficial matchmaker, and she is called on by various Amish locals to determine if a match is suitable. She doesn’t go out looking for people to match, but she has a good feeling about whether a couple is compatible or not. If asked she will give her opinion, but she never offers it unsolicited or charges for her service. Even Millie’s matchmaking skills are an important thread in this mystery.
Harvest is always supporting some community event. In this story, it is a Valentine’s Day Spaghetti Supper that is a fundraiser for a drug counseling treatment program. Both the Amish and the Englisch citizens are concerned about the rising drug problem in Holmes County especially following the recent overdose death of an Amish teenager.
Millie and Lois, in their late sixties, find themselves in dangerous situations as their investigations draw them ever closer to discovering the truth. With someone slinking around the widowed Millie’s isolated farm and the discovery of a threatening note, Lois and chief deputy Brad determine to get the district bishop Yoder to allow Lois better phone access for emergencies. Even Ruth Yoder, the bishop’s strict wife, softens up to Lois and encourages the pair in their investigations.
A visit to Harvest wouldn’t be complete without Jethro, the pot-bellied pig, who puts in an appearance. Millie’s mischievous goats have prominent roles and even come to Millie’s rescue. Honeymoons Can Be Hazardous is a good cozy mystery with lots of threads and humor. The series always shows the ways the Amish and Englisch can work together with respect despite their differences.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #4 in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone.
Publication: December 27, 2022—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
What I saw was a man with bloodshot eyes, sunken cheeks, and a heart shattered into a thousand shards.
Even with her zany Englisch ways, my parents welcomed her onto our farm and let her stay as long as she wished. They knew she needed a safe place to go.
“I can speak to bad marriages. They are hard. In fact, I can’t think of anything about the single life that’s as awful as a bad marriage.”
education pathways 