REMAIN.....SPARKS AND SHYAMALAN JOIN FORCES....AND A HAUNTING THEY WILL GO......(****).

Remain by Nicholas Sparks with M. Night Shyamalan (2025)

     Although I purchased this book as a Christmas gift for a much cherished family member who loves a good ugly cry, how could I, as a book blogger, resist a read myself? 

     (Not to worry I got through 'Remain' without bending the pages or staining them with tears before the book hit the wrapping paper....)

      This isn't, by the way, Nicholas Sparks' first plunge into the supernatural or paranormal.....we seem to remember he tossed in a surprise little 'Twilight Zone' twist at the end of a previous novel....(and we'll not say which one so as not to spoil the surprise for anyone who's freshly exploring the Sparks-iverse.)

         'Remain' also signifies a major switch in location, moving from the author's favored North Carolina shores to Cape Cod. It's on that island where emotionally shattered architect Tate Donovan is tasked with designing a sumptuous new home for his friend Oscar.

         Tate spent months recovering from depression and grief over the cancer death of his beloved sister Sylvia. After a stay in psychiatric care, he's tentatively ready to face the world again. And, as they say in romantic conversation......he's met someone. 

          Not just any someone. He discovers he's not alone in the historic old house he thought he was the sole resident of while planning Oscar's new home. He finds a beautiful vivacious young woman named Wren living there as well.  In true Sparks fashion he's entranced by her at first and then slowly but surely falling hard, consumed with overpowering affection for her. 

        But there's way, way more to Wren than meets the eye, including her toxic, blighted relationships with three previous men in her life...a cheating business partner, an ex-husband and a prominent town figure who took to obsessively stalking her. 

        Here's where I seal my lips about any more plot details. But this much you should know.....you will find in 'Remain' the best of both worlds of novelist Sparks and filmmaker Shyamalan, renowned for his blending of the fantastic and scary with grounded, relatable drama and characters whose struggles and plights resonate with you.

      From Sparks, you'll experience all the familiar themes.....the aching joy of first love and its power to triumph over anything that thwart it.....even death. 

     M. Night delivers the shocks and thrills and Nicholas Sparks, as always, conspires to make you reach for a tissue box as your eyes start brimming.

      So all in all, a 4 star (****) holiday treat to put under the tree for your favorite avid reader.....or any other time of the year. 

        

THE KEEPER (MURPHY SHEPHERD # 4)......THE RESCUER OF TRAFFICKING VICTIMS....ON A NEW MISSION WHILE DEEP IN GRIEF...(*****)

 The Keeper (Murphy Shepherd # 4) by Charles Martin (2025)

     This is the fourth book in a series that chronicles the perilous and heartrending adventures of Murphy Shepherd, a mysterious man with combat, violence and tragedy in his checkered past. 

      Murphy has taken it upon himself to become the rescuer and avenging angel for countless, worldwide victims of modern day slavery and sex trafficking of women and and young boys and girls.

      Shepherd does way more than just use ruthless commando efficiency to destroy the leaders and minions of trafficking networks. Also a man of compassionate faith, he provides the shelter, love, empathy and Christian kindness that these broken victims desperately need to rebuild their shattered lives. 

       In this series, author Charles Martin has crafted a one-of-a-kind blend of genres that sounds like an impossible mixture that you wouldn't think could exist.....thrillers that read as suspenseful and action packed as any James Patterson or Tom Clancy novel combined with the tearful gut wrenching emotion and faith-based optimism of anything by Colleen Hoover or Nicholas Sparks.

       I was late coming to the world of Murphy Shepherd, but once I'd experienced the first book, I immediately binged my way through the next  two in a matter of days. You can still start this fourth entry as a stand alone, but it will leave you wanting to go right back to the beginning (with "The Water Keeper", "The Letter Keeper" and "The Record Keeper").

        "The Keeper" finds Shepherd at a low ebb, mourning the death of his beloved friend and mentor Bones, who perished as he and Shepherd  put an end to Bones' evil brother Frank, the head of a vast trafficking network. 

         But Frank's organization still has nest of vipers, second-in-command 'generals' positioned around the world.....and somehow one or more of them has engineered the brutal kidnapping of the three young daughters of Vice President Aron Ashley, Shepherd's longtime friend and ally, and a Presidential hopeful himself in the upcoming election. 

         Shepherd assembles his team to hunt down the traffickers and save the girls. But precious time's running out and still convulsed with grief over Bones' death, both he and his team wonder if Shepherd can maintain the sharp edge he'll need as they head into harm's way.

        As in the previous books in the series, everything you'd expect from a top-notch, keep-you-up-all-night thriller, you'll find here. Shepherd's painstaking hunt begins to yield leads......and it's possible that the malignant kidnapping plot might have its origins in the very halls of government power. 

         But what you'll also find here is what makes this series distinctly unique - almost overwhelming, overpowering amounts of so many deeply felt emotions....enduring love, loyalty, friendship, the struggle to heal from the most heinous of hurts. 

        Be prepared to being unable to stay dry-eyed through many scenes in this book.....yes, it's the kind of storytelling that'll put you, along with the characters, through a non stop barrage of poignant, impassioned moments. 

         Does all of this sound like the highest recommendation yet?   How about a 5 star rating (*****).  Send this one right to the top of your TBR list. 

        

ALL EYES ON HIM.....AN AMATEUR SLEUTH UNDERCOVER.....IN A LETHAL PREDATOR'S HOUSE OF SECRETS....(****)

 All Eyes On Him by Iliana Xander (2025)

     Even with all its many glaring faults, I still had a good time with this book and raced through it to find out what calamity would next befall its foolhardy heroine. It's rapidly plotted and paced and kept my full attention despite its Big Twist revelations that require a very sizable amount of belief suspension.

     Natalie plunges herself, like a Nancy Drew who's common sense deprived , into her very own amateur undercover operation. Her roommate's date, a Crypto Currency whiz in all the headlines, left the poor girl unconscious and coma-stricken. And her roomie maybe wasn't this predator's first victim. Natalie, in pursuit of evidence against him, manages to insert herself as a housekeeper in Mr. Crypto's vast sprawling estate, populated with minions and servants who cater to his every need. (Including one who's got the hots for Natalie.). She finds working there a creepy experience.......not only is the staff openly hostile to her, it appears that nobody's exactly whom they seem to be - and that includes the all powerful Crypto Prince himself, who's on the verge of sealing a deal that will make him a multi-Billionaire.

     No more can I say of course, without spoiling the over-the-top surprises that hurl Natalie into those constant life threatening situations that we all knew she was headed for sooner or later.

     If the last mystery thriller you read was overlong, too complicated and heavily gloomy, I'd recommend this one as a fresh, fast palate cleanser.....if you can keep your temper at Natalie's reckless investigative skills.....

     4 stars (****).

FINDING HER EDGE.....ESTRANGED OLYMPICS HOPEFULS FINALLY WARM UP TO EACH OTHER.....ON THE ICE.....(****)

 Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli (2025)

     Now here's a combination hard to resist........a sweet teen romance, rekindled after a long estrangement combined with the competitive intensity of Olympic figure skating and ice dancing.

     Ice dancer Adriana Russo is part of a skating dynasty run by her domineering father, who's been mentoring and training potential Olympic champions in a family owned facility with its own skating rink. Among these future champions are also Adriana's younger sister Maria and older sister Elisa, who's on her way to the Beijing Olympics in pursuit of a figure skating gold medal.

     But all's not well for Adriana on multiple fronts. The family's training center is in the red and if Elisa doesn't come home with a medal, securing much needed financial sponsorships, the facility may end up mortgaged to the max. Adriana herself is under the same kind of pressure as she prepares for Junior Championship ice dancing competitions in Paris. Though she has chemistry to burn with her new partner Braydon, she still pines for her original partner (and friend since childhood) Freddie. When younger, they were forced to break up as a team when Adriana grew too tall to dance with Freddie, and both have spent years nursing the hurt from their parting. But now Freddie's back with a new partner and among a group of other assorted skaters coming to train at the Russo family rink.

      From this point, author Jennifer Iacopellli brings on everything you'd expect or ever want from this story - plenty of slow burn swoon, and romantic drama both on and off the ice. Sorry to say, the large cast of characters swirling around Adriana and Freddie aren't particularly fully realized, especially Elisa and the girls' medal obsessed dad. But readers who can't wait for those 'At-long-last-they're-together!!' moments will enjoy a full helping.

     Also, anyone who never misses all those skating trials and competitions on TV, will want to dive into ''Finding Her Edge' as the next best thing in between the televised events.

     4 stars (****).