Finding Grace

FINDING GRACE is an excellent thriller, as well as a commentary on motherhood, daughterhood and mental illness. when Louise's mother, Grace, is found half-naked on the George Washington bridge, singing Pearl Jam at the top of her lungs, Louise is angry and frustrating. Her whole life, her mother has turned up at inconvenient times, embarrassing her, and vanishing when she need her most. Louise is done. But Grace is not. Grace has a plan and Louise is going to help her with it. Well-written, great characters and a marvelous plot, FINDING GRACE kept me reading way past bedtime. Fan of Lisa Unger will love this book.

Thank you very much Blackstone Publishing for this incredible eARC!
You have no clue how much I've been wanting to read this!
The cover honestly caught my attention 😍

Janis Thomas is such a damn good writer! She can suck a reader in, in a matter of minutes.
This is an incredibly well-told story that hooked me.
A story about determination, not giving up hope and finding out who you really are!

In California
We have twelve-year-old Melanie who's been in foster care her entire life.
She holds a big secret one that if was ever to be discovered it would turn her world upside down!
She talks to someone but other people can't see or hear that someone.... because it's a presence and this presence has a message for her.... SOMETHING BAD IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!

Over in New York we have Louise
Who has been dealing with her unreliable troubled mother.
One day outta no where Grace shows back up in Louise's life and begs her to help her save a child from danger.
She says no at first but she realizes the only way to get Grace outta her life is to follow along.

Louise and Grace set off across America in search of Melanie, Before bad things start to happen!
Can Louise trust her mother after the pain and hurt she has put her through?
Will they be able to patch things up in order to save a young girl?

I was captivated from the first page. The story telling is something amazing and I couldn't look away until I finished "one more chapter" and before I knew it..... Halfway through the book!
That's how captivating this book is. Its remarkable really!
The story is told in a way that kept my interest piqued.

⭐Five star read for sure⭐

Thank you so much for this opportunity to read this remarkable story!
I will post to my platforms closer to pub date!
And cross post!

Finding Grace tells the story of three women, Grace, Louise and Melanie, whose lives intersect. A bartender living in New York, Louise is estranged from her unreliable mother, Grace, who has been in and out of her life since she was 6 years old. Melanie is a 12-year-old girl who has been shuffled to different foster homes for most of her life. Their paths cross when Grace has a premonition that a young girl is in trouble.

One of the things I liked most about this book was how the story unfolded. The story alternates among the perspectives of each of the women and it also bounces back and forth between the past and the present day. While this had the potential to be confusing, it was woven together deftly and was very easy to follow. This storytelling style kept me guessing and wondering what would happen next.

I also appreciated the distinct voices of each of the characters. With her calm demeanor and a deep wish to be loved, you root for Melanie right from the start. Louise’s strength pulls you in and Grace is written with just enough tenderness that you want her to be okay, despite your impression that she was a terrible mom to Louise.

I liked that there were both predictable elements and unexpected turns in this story that explores the depth of the bond between mother and daughter. I would definitely read another book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing a free e-ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

OMG! I love love love this book! I just finished reading Finding Grace, but I can already tell that this is one of those stories that stays with you long after the last page. And while I hated to reach that last page because I didn't want the story to be over, I also could not stop reading because I just had to know how everything turned out. All I can say is, Janis Thomas, WOW!" What an emotional roller coaster ride this book was for me. Great job! 🖤

Are you ready to have your mind blown? If so, pre-order Finding Grace, NOW.

This book was absolutely incredible and is sure to break the internet on release day. I just don't have the words to truly review this book in all that it brings to the table.

Anything less than five stars would be a disgrace. Janis Thomas, you have a talent that shines on every page. I was instantly captivated from the first chapter. Every flip of the page became an addiction , an itch I had to scratch. I just had to know what was going on and I couldn't find out fast enough!

The suspense nearly killed me.

Do yourself a favor, read this book.

Five Stars.

Billed as a suspense novel, I would loosely consider this work more of a supernatural thriller. The writing is tight and compressed, the chapters short and distinct. They remind me of snapshots, snippets of each character and life at a specific moment. Louise and Grace, estranged mother and daughter, come together as they race to save a girl from some unknown ‘bad thing.’ While Melanie, a foster child almost three thousand miles away, tries to make sense of the messages her invisible friend is sending her. Each of these three are broken, with heavy burdens and sins they must atone for. Outlying characters also struggle, hoping for a normalcy just beyond their reach. Or maybe this story is more of an honest look at what normal really is. Hurt and dysfunction. Anger and mistakes. But also, misconception. And family, no matter whatever form it comes in.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I will be purchasing this title upon its release date. I will be talking about it on my blog and recommending it to others. And I will be placing it next to my other very favorite works, such as The Lovely Bones and All the Ugly and Wonderful things.
Thank you Netgalley, Blackstone Publishing, and especially Janice Thomas for allowing me early access to this incredible work. I was honored to read this story.

An amazing book that hooks the reader immediately 'Finding Grace' is filled with high emotions and higher storylines.
Louise and Grace's backstory really sold this book to me and they're coming together to help/save Melanie shows the intricate relationships and emotions of human beings.
This book has great characters that make you feel and care about each other immediately. I love reading hard/dark backstories for characters and watching them come to terms with them and Janis Thomas definitely delivered with that.
An amazing story that I recommend to anyone who loves suspense and supernatural elements in their stories.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this advance copy of Finding Grace

Finding Grace kept me interested until the end. This book was a very good and interesting read. If you want engaging material, then look no further. Finding Grace was well written and engaging. It evoked emotion. The story was beautifully written, with a consistent style and tone, and efficiency of description that didn't slow the pace.

Louise grew up with her crazy mother, Grace, who would leave at the drop of a hat and reappear sporadically. So when Grace tracks her down after many years of absence asking Louise to go on a road trip to California to rescue Edie, Louises daughter, she gave up for adoption, Louise has a plan to recommit her mom. Edie, who is now Melanie, lives in yet another foster home and her only friend is Penny who lives in her left hand giving her warnings. The plot is more complicated then this as all three women have psychic abilities and each accept them to varying degrees.
It’s a great story, and I throughly enjoyed this book. My criticisms are with the end scene at the airport, I’m so sorry it ended that way, and the epilogue, where so many plot points were not fully resolved and l was left with too many unanswered questions. I don’t want to give any any spoilers but too many things are unfinished.

Powerful and healing.
This book was a good read, once you started reading you feel intrigued What is going to happen and can Louise and Grace close the wounds and become closer?
it is a race against time to save Melanie.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Blackstone Publishing and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Excellent commentary on mental health, life, anxiety. It’s a refreshingly honest look while enjoying a well written, fast-paced thriller,

Once again I would like to say thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and the Author for allowing me to read an ARC and provide an honest review.

What an incredible book! I couldn’t bare to put this down , it took me three days to read in-between all the day to day tasks adults have to do . If left to my own devices I could have finished it in one sitting it was that good.

I wasn’t expecting Grace , Louise and Melanie to draw me in so much but they did, I was took on a wild thrilling ride told from three very different view points but all connecting together along the way. It was honestly an edge of your seat or sofa experience.

I really didn’t want this book to end , it’s like it needs more maybe a backstory /prequel about Grace and her adventures around the country and Louise’s teenage years and all that followed right up until Finding Grace Begins.

Louise has never had a good relationship with her mother, Grace has never been a very good mother. She pops in and out of Louise’s life and that’s when she isn’t being committed for mental problems. When Grace gets the attention of Louise and tells her they are driving from NYC to California it is the last thing Louise wants to do. However, she finds herself on a cross country trip with the woman she grew up not trusting, but will learn the secrets Grace has been keeping that could change her perspective forever.
I so enjoyed this book. It’s told for a variety of points of view, but the author weaves them together so well that it’s easy to follow. The story is gripping, the characters well developed. So glad I came across this one!

I was intrigued from start to finish. It is super quick paced and the Multiple POVs and timelines made it so intriguing that I had a hard time stopping. It has continuous suspense and amazing character built. I was at the edge of my seat with a quick hart pace throughout. Definitely a quick mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Short Chapters
Continued suspense
Multiple POVs

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢: 𝘛𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦—𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘪𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦, 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳: 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯.

𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬: 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘶𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳. 𝘜𝘯𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨.

I thought that Finding Grace was a really unique and intriguing story, yet in some ways reminiscent of Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep.

Melanie is a 12-year-old living in foster care in California and harboring a secret: someone (whom she refers to as Penny) is communicating with her through her journal and she delivers a warning of impending danger to Melanie.

On the opposite side of the country, in New York, Louise is struggling with the reappearance of her mother, Grace. Louise has her guard up, not wanting to become ensnared in her mother’s madness, but Grace claims there is a young girl in danger and she requires Louise’s help. Louise plays along, but in doing so, she discovers secrets kept by her mother that shed new light on Grace’s strange behavior.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and appreciated the author’s subtle and gradual way of colliding of Melanie’s and Louise’s/Grace’s lives. They were all wonderful and dynamic characters with relatable relationships that made the story even more enjoyable. Definitely recommending this one!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4646172700

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Finding Grace" and all opinions expressed are my own. I enjoyed reading this book. I like supernatural themes. The characters were interesting and the story kept me wanting to read. I wanted to see what would happen to everyone. I looked forward to reading this book each day and it was one of those - just one more chapter and I'll put it down type of books.

People, relationships, perspectives, secrets

“Finding Grace” is the story of three women Grace, Louise, and Melanie. The story opens with an event filled with apprehension and mystery. Grace is found on the George Washington Bridge, disoriented and troubled. Authorities call a number from her phonebook, her long estranged daughter, Louise. And then there is Melanie, a girl who needs help, a girl with a secret, a girl in danger. The paths of these characters intersect, and each person is changed by that connection.

The narrative goes back and forth in time to give readers insight into the past experiences that shaped these characters. Readers are pulled into the events and become both observers and confidantes. Sections are appropriately labeled with name and time period, and each account is distinctive and unique. Characters talk to others, talk to themselves, and talk directly to readers sharing thoughts, apprehensions, hopes. They also have secrets, big important secrets that must eventually be resolved.

As the drama unfolds, readers gain insight into each character. The relationships are multifaceted and complex. Some events are foreseeable and typical while others are unanticipated and surprising; all are compelling and illuminating.

“Finding Grace” is an account of refurbishing relationships, overcoming pain, rebuilding trust, and gaining a new perspective. I received a review copy of “Finding Grace” from Janis Thomas and Blackstone Publishing. “Finding Grace” is now available at independent bookstores, retail outlets, online booksellers, and public libraries in print, as an e-book, and as an audiobook.

** Thank you to Netgalley for this Advanced Reader's Copy **

I went into this not knowing a whole lot. I did not even read the synopsis, because I like to go into most of my books with a blind eye and not too much outside input. I was very intrigued by the cover of Finding Grace. It looked like it would be a good and tangled web of mystery for the reader to try and find out.

It did not disappoint! We are following the stories of three different women, Grace, Louise, and Melanie. As we flip back and forth in time, we start to see why these girls are connected and how each one of their tragedy's play a part in who they are. The character development and relationships are also complex and interwoven beautifully. At the core this is a story about a mother/daughter relationship. I really enjoyed this book and I recommend checking it out if you like mystery/thriller/ complex character development books!

This one pulled at my heartstrings, not gonna lie.

FINDING GRACE is a story about three women finding each other. Mother Grace and daughter Louise have a rocky past. Grace wasn’t always there for Louise. Their relationship is nonexistent. Until Grace shows up at Louise’s apartment and insists they have to go to California. Meanwhile, in California, Melanie is a 12 year old girl in the system. Her foster parents, Ray and Delilah, give her everything they can. But Melanie is hiding a secret from them. If her foster parents were to find out this secret, Melanie’s life would be ruined.

This book was fast paced. Separated into three parts with four different POVs, this book FLEW by. Paranormal elements. Dual timelines as well, as we learn about Louise’s upbringing. The character development throughout was strong. All my favorite thriller elements were in this novel.

Did I guess some of the twists? Yeah. But there were some parts that left me guessing.

I was disappointed in how abrupt the ending was, but at ~350 pages, I understand why the author ended it the way she did. I also wish we could have learned more about the foster mother, Delilah. Honestly though, if there was a sequel to this book exploring what happens after the ending I’d be all for it.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read that held my attention until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending me a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Read this if you:

Enjoy short chapters
Love alternating POVs
Want a book with insights on psychic abilities

My Thoughts:

This was a very enjoyable fast paced thriller! I was curious and intrigued from start to finish!

The plot line seemed very unique to me and the characters were well developed with good background stories. I didn’t like all the characters but I definitely felt that I could relate to all of them in some way. The way the author described the characters and what they were going through made me understand them.

I loved that the chapters were very short and that they ended in such a way that made me want to read more.

Something else that I loved about this book were the insights on psychic abilities. I found out things I didn’t know before and I was curious to research about them more after finishing the book. It’s probably not a subject for everyone, but I personally enjoyed it.

The only reason why this book wasn’t a five star read for me is that, while it was suspenseful from beginning to end, there weren’t any big jaw-dropping twists for me. I kind of guessed what was going to happen and the things that surprised me were minor details.

I loved the ending, but it was, again, somehow expected. Usually in a thriller I’m looking for mind blowing twists throughout the book or a jaw-dropping ending for the five stars.

Overall, this was a great read. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a suspenseful novel or who’s looking for a lighter thriller. This was my first read by this author but I will probably check out more of her books.

I found this a fascinating read! Finding Grace is a page turner! I couldn’t put it down. The end really threw me through a loop with its twist. I would like to say thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and the Author for allowing me to read an ARC and provide an honest review.