Mary Ellen Taylor – Chapters & Lattes

September was a good reading month. I finished three books, gave all three five stars, and started a fourth that already has me hooked. Grab your latte and let’s get into it.

Books I Finished

The Sky Beneath Her by Mary Ellen Taylor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From page one, I felt like I was right there with Tula Cassidy, carrying the weight of grief, guilt, and unfinished questions. She’s messy in the most relatable way, trying to rebuild her life while still tripping over the pieces of her past. Then there’s the historical storyline with Gertrude Werner, which is so vivid and tense that I kept catching myself holding my breath. Mary Ellen Taylor writes women with such tenderness and grit that you can’t help rooting for them.

What I loved most is how the book handles trauma and healing. It doesn’t rush it, and it doesn’t sugarcoat it. It lets these women find their strength in their own time, in their own way. And the ocean imagery? Gorgeous, haunting, and healing. It becomes a character all its own.

Link to full review: The Sky Beneath Her by Mary Ellen Taylor – Chapters & Lattes

Trust No One by Mary Burton ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This one is all about tension. Mary Burton doesn’t just ask “who did it?” She builds a creeping sense that nobody in the story is who they seem to be. The title is no exaggeration: you truly can’t trust anyone in this book, and that’s exactly what made it so addictive. I kept turning pages long past when I meant to stop.

Link to full review: Trust No One by Mary Burton Book review – Chapters & Lattes

It’s Only Love by Kay Bratt (Hart’s Ridge #17) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kay Bratt delivers another gripping, emotional mystery in the 17th installment of the Hart’s Ridge series. This time the story shifts gears. Taylor takes a backseat, and her husband, PI Sam, steps into the spotlight during a trip to the Florida Gulf Coast.

When Walker Barrett arrives searching for the truth about his brother Wade’s mysterious disappearance, a case everyone else believes was a simple drowning, Sam and Taylor are pulled into a dangerous web of hidden betrayals, family secrets, and a trail of clues someone is desperate to keep buried. Seventeen books in, and this series still knows how to keep me hooked.

Link to full review: It’s Only Love by Kay Bratt Book Review – Chapters & Lattes

Currently Reading

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

I’ve just started this one, and so far I’m loving it. It caught my attention the moment I read what it was about, because part of the story takes place in the city where I was raised. It’s a fictional account inspired by the real-life Georgia Tann, who ran an illegal adoption operation in Memphis, Tennessee. Reading about a dark chapter of history set in streets I know so well is a little haunting, and I’m anxious to see where it goes. Review coming soon!

September Wrap-Up

Three five-star reads is a pretty great month. The theme of the month seems to be mysteries. I love a good mystery, and these did not disappoint.

What did you read in September? Drop your recommendations in the comments, because my TBR is never full enough.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Sky Beneath Her by Mary Ellen Taylor is a beautifully layered story that surprised me and totally blew me away.

I love a good story that blends the past and present, and this one does so intentionally, emotionally, and with a touch of magic.

In the present day, we have Tula, who is still reeling from her mother’s sudden death seven years prior, which occurred while diving the wreckage of the Oceanus, a ship torpedoed and sunk in 1942 off the coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Then we jump back to 1942 aboard the Oceanus, where a young, pregnant woman named Gertrude is trying to escape her abusive husband by taking the ship to the United States.

From the first page, I was immersed in Tula’s world, feeling the weight of her grief, guilt, and unresolved questions. Her struggle to rebuild her life while confronting pieces of her past makes her a messy but relatable character. The historical storyline, following Gertrude, is just as captivating as I imagined how difficult it would be to protect her unborn child while escaping her abusive husband.

This is one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve read the last page—the kind you finish and sit with for a moment, not quite ready to let go. It’s an emotional and beautifully researched story, with a compelling mystery that will keep you turning pages long past bedtime as you uncover the connection between Tula and Gertrude. The ending ties everything together in a truly satisfying way.

This was a new author for me, but it won’t be the last book I read by her. This was definitely a 5-star read.

If you enjoy books that connect the past with the present day through the stories of strong, determined women, then this is the book for you. It is also about reconnecting with old friends and finding your way to where you are meant to be.

Have you read this book? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Click on the book below to buy it on Amazon.