The Diary at the Irish Adoption House by Michelle Vernal

I was adopted??  Why didn't my parents tell me?

When Micky's parents passed away he was summoned to their solicitor's office.  He didn't know why because everything had been taken care of.

He was devastated to find out he was adopted, and the diary his mother left told her story.

We hear Sheila's story in alternating timelines as we learn of what happened before she fell in love, what happened that put her in a home for unwed mothers when she was married but in an abusive relationship, and  to current day.

The timelines made it a bit confusing, but the storyline kept my interest.

You will enjoy Sheila's story told through her diary jottings. 

T​H​E DIARY AT THE IRISH ADOPTION HOUSE is a heartbreaking yet heartwarming read that reveals what really happened to women in Ireland, detailing how they had to work as servants to pay for their stay and ultimately give up their children.​ 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.  All opinions are my own.

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Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humour and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.

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What readers are saying about Michelle Vernal:

‘I absolutely fell in love… Heart-wrenching… Had me reaching for tissues multiple times while reading late into the night.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Heartbreaking… I was moved to tears… Gripping… Held my attention and my heartfrom beginning to end.’ Robin Loves Reading, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow wow wow!!!! I read this in less than twenty-four hours. So gripping, it had me hooked and unable to put it down.’ diane.likes.to.read, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Omg I went through quite a few tissues… Totally shattered my heart while at the same time putting the pieces back together again… Amazing.’ leannebookstagram, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Heart-wrenching… Unputdownable… I couldn’t resist flipping through the pages, my eyes brimming with tears… Phenomenal.’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow! I have to say that this page-turner is so outstanding that I read it in a single day! Putting it down was not an option.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A heartbreaking and very powerful book… I couldn’t put it down… Brilliant… This book was magic… Just so heartbreaking… Captivating.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What an incredible read!… Raw and heartbreaking… Attention-grabbing, page-turner… Excellent… Kept me hooked… One to add to your list!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Heartbreaking… Beautiful story that will tug at your heart… You instantly feel drawn… Definitely a must-read.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli

Molly’s entire family was murdered except for her, but where is she?

That has been the question for the past 12 years, and only Molly herself knows the answer.

Why is she the only one who knows the answer? Because she is alive and is now, Rachel.

How did she hide and go undetected all this time, and why is she worried now that someone is going to find out she is alive?

She’s worried because the newspaper she works for is about to go under and they decided to start a podcast about where did Molly go and she knows the killer is looking for her because she can identify him.

Will everyone find out she is really Molly and cause the killer to easily find her?

Find out what happens in this tense read that will keep you turning the pages as always with a Natalie Barelli book. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.  All opinions are my own.

Spotlight of The Key To A Killer by Olivia Blacke

PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA
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THE KEY TO A KILLER

OLIVIA BLACKE

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF SARA LACOTTI | PUBLICITY | ST. MARTIN'S PRESS

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A woman and her ghost roommate investigate their most personal case yet in Olivia Blacke’s THE KEY TO A KILLER, the final book in the Anthony Award winning Ruby and Cordelia Mystery trilogy.

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October 20, 2026

Macmillan/Minotaur Books

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PRAISE FOR THE KEY TO A KILLER:

“For readers who like their mystery with a solid dose of the otherworldly.”—Kirkus Reviews

 

“With these likable characters and a quirky storyline, Death at the Door is a fun read that feels fresh, perfect for fans of supernatural mysteries with a cozy mystery mentality.”—Booklist

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ABOUT THE KEY TO A KILLER:

A woman and her ghost roommate investigate their most personal case yet in Olivia Blacke’s The Key to a Killer, the next book in the Anthony Award winning Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries.

When Ruby Young discovered that her Boston apartment was haunted, she did what any reasonable person would do: befriend the ghost. Their relationship overcame a shaky start—Cordelia Graves never wanted a roommate in life, she certainly didn’t want one in death. After working together to solve a few murders, the two are close friends, but there’s a lingering question neither of them have been able to answer: what led to Cordelia’s death?

Lately things have been adding up that suggest foul play. And when Cordelia’s memories of that day start to come back, the roommates can’t ignore it anymore: Cordelia was murdered. Ruby and Cordelia are going to have to piece together what Cordelia’s final days looked like—otherwise a killer could go free.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

OLIVIA BLACKE (she/her) had her first encounter with a ghost when she was only five years old, but her first involvement with an active crime scene wasn’t until much later, when she accidentally stepped into a chalk outline on a Manhattan sidewalk.

OLIVIA BLACKE (she/her) is the Anthony Award-winning author of the Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries, as well as the cozy Record Shop Mysteries and the Brooklyn Murder Mysteries.

Armed with a Criminology and Criminal Justice degree, she finally found a way to channel her love of the supernatural and passion for writing into the darkly humorous Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries. 

She is also the author of the Record Shop Mysteries and the Brooklyn Murder Mysteries.

She still wants to be a unicorn when she grows up.

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Goodreads

Author Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

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Spotlight of Unto The Day by Dayle Furlong

PHOTO SOURCE:

TYPORAMA

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UNTO THE DAY

DAYLE FURLONG

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF KAITLYN CSENKEY | PUBLICIST | DUNDURN PRESS

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Life changes dramatically for suffragist Anne Brown after her husband’s death.

Immersive, epic, and emotionally moving, Unto the Day is an intelligent, captivating literary feat.

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October 13

Dundurn Press

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PRAISE FOR UNTO THE DAY:

“Furlong gives voice to those most intimately involved with [George] Brown's story ... Each is given a poignant backstory, fully fleshed out with the full range of human emotion and experience — a visceral reminder that the histories of the famous include a variety of no-less-important secondary characters.”– Booklist

“Tracing the entangled fates of doppelganger pair George Bennett, an alcoholic labourer with literary aspirations, and George Brown, newspaper magnate and founding father of Canada, Dayle Furlong sketches a sensitive, finely detailed portrait of an early Canada wracked with the tension of uneasy political union and gaping class, gender, and religious inequities. Unto the Day joins Alias Grace and The Colony of Unrequited Dreams as some of this country's best-researched and most compelling historical fiction.”– Sarah Henstra, author of The Red Word

“If you love historical fiction and perfect prose, be prepared to enter a world filled with rebel suffragists, poet-assassins, and high drama. Set in a wonderfully realized 1880s Toronto, this is the book for everyone who's tried to walk that razor-thin line between absolute loyalty and undeniable treason. Or even just felt the weight of someone else's shadow. A heart-pounding literary page-turner you won't be able to put down.”– Andrew Kaufman, author of Enjoy Your Stay at the Shamrock Motel

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ABOUT UNTO THE DAY:

In the spring of 1880, wealthy politician and Globe editor George Brown was at the height of his career when he was shot by a disgruntled poet who worked in the newspaper’s boiler room.

Brown left an undeniable legacy as a founder of the modern Liberal Party, fierce abolitionist, industrialist, and preeminent Father of Confederation.

Yet he was not without his flaws: Brown infamously disliked the Irish and arrogantly declared that women should not vote.

In this deeply imagined work of historical fiction,narrated through the perspective of characters most impacted by his formidable presence, readers witness the struggle of a motherless Irish domestic in fear and awe of Brown; his wife, Anne, a suffragist who is caught between devotion and defiance of her husband’s authority; and the world-weary poet who seethes with resentment, harbouring notions of revenge.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dayle Furlong is the author of Lake Effect & Other Stories, the novel Saltwater Cowboys, and a collection of poetry entitled Open Slowly.

She has a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and works as a librarian. Originally from Newfoundland, Dayle lives in Toronto.

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FIND THE AUTHOR AT THE LINKS BELOW:

Instagram

Goodreads

Website

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It's Monday!! What Are YOU Reading? - 10/19/2026

                                         

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I hope you had a great reading week.

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This is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at BOOK DATE!

Post the books completed, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish at some point.

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Books Completed:

EVERY SECRET THING by Susanna Kearsley - review will be on November 26, 2026.

A dual timeline that has mystery, intrigue, danger, great characters, vivid descriptions, and a pull-you-in storyline.

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ALL THE LITTLE SECRETS by May Cobb - review will be on November 21, 2026.

Has all the antics May Cobb entertains her readers with.

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THE BOOKER REBELLION by Susan Palmer - review will be on November 20, 2026.

Intense and fast paced with great descriptions and characters.

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REVENGE PLOT by Stephanie Wrobel - spotlight will be on November 12.

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WHEN THEY FIND ME by Carter Wilson -  spotlight will be on November 11, 2026.

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PEREGRINE HILL by Nina De Gramont - spotlight will be on November 10, 2026.

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SUNFLOWER SEASON by Danica Nava - spotlight will be on November 4, 2026.

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THE FRIDAY BOOKSHOP by Sawako Natori - spotlight will be on November 3, 2026.

Couldn't get connected to the storyline or the characters.

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THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett - No review, but I finally took the plunge into this 600-page doorstop.  :)

Very good - great characters.

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COZY LITTLE CHRISTMAS by Rae Anne Thayne - review will be on October 29, 2026.

A sweet read with characters you will love.

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THE PIANO TEACHER OF MONTPARNASSE by Heather Morris - review will be on October 23, 2026.

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MISSING MOLLY by Natalie Barelli - review will be on October 21, 2026.

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THE DIARY AT THE IRISH ADOPTION HOUSE by Michelle Vernal - review will be on October 22, 2026.

A good read!!

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BAD GIRLS GO EVERYWHERE by Ellen Sherman - spotlight will be on October 16, 2026.

Too many antics by the main character that I couldn't connect with the storyline and main character.

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MURDER ON 34TH STREET by Mariah Fredericks - review is in the book's title.

A light, entertaining read about Macy's and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - someone threatens to kill Santa.

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RED SEAL by Rosa Kwon Easton - review is in the book's title.

Historical fiction about Korea during their turmoil during WWII.

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THE STORY BAKER by Carsten Henn - review is in the book's title.

A very enjoyable, heartfelt read with characters that will stay with you.

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THE UNDERCOVER BOOKSHOP by Katherine Reay - review is in the book's title.

Very good - a delightful read with characters you would love to meet.

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THE MEMORY OF BORROWED BOOKS by Meg Anderson - review is in the book's title.

Ohhhh...this book is so good.  Don't miss it!!

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Book Currently Reading:

MURDER UNABRIDGED by P. J. Nelson - review will be on December 1, 2026.

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Books Up Next:

THE MAGIC OF CHAMOMILE COTTAGE by Heather Webber - review will be on December 2, 2026.

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ELEVEN DAYS by Laura Thompson - review will be on December 3. 2026.

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THE BUREAU OF UNKNOWN FATES by Gaëlle Nohant - review will be on December 8, 2026.

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RABBIT, RABBIT by Jennifer E. Smith - review will be on December 15, 2026.

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THEY ONLY FOUND HER by Emy McGuire - review will be on December 16, 2026.

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DARLING YOU'RE NEXT by Marlee Bush - review will be on January 5, 2027.

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TAKE BACK THE NIGHT by Heather Gudenkauf, Kaira Rouda, and Kimberly Belle - review will be on January 12, 2027.

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THE GOLDEN CHILD by Lucinda Berry - review will be on Janaury 13, 2027.

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BAD HONEYMOON by Jessie Garcia - review will be on January 19, 2027.

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SCREAM CITY by Hannah Norrissey - review will be on January 26, 2027.

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PLAY ME ONCE by Mary Desch - review will be on January 27, 2027.

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THE BOOKBINDER'S CODE by A. D. Bell - review will be on January 28, 2026.

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MARIA, MARIA by Jennifer Galvao - review will be on February 2, 2027.

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LIGHT THE WAY by Monica West - review will be on February 3, 2027.

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THE SOCIETY OF FORGOTTEN WIVES by Pam Jenoff - review will be on February 4, 2027.

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SOMEWHERE, SOMETHING INCREDIBLE by Susan Meissner - review will be on February 9, 2027.

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LAST MORNING AT NORA'S TABLE by Kathy Wilson - review will be on February 11, 2027.

Gorgeous Cover!!

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FIVE MORNINGS AT THE BOOKSHOP by Shea Ashdown - review will be on March 9, 2027.

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MOTHER DEAREST by Clare Bird - review will be on March 10, 2027.

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THE ENIGMAS by Emilia Hart - review will be on April 6, 2027.

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EMERALD LAKE by Nita Prose - review will be on April 7, 2027.

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PARIS MATCH by Christopher Bollen - review will be on April 8, 2027.

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