5 Star Review from Untold Reads
“Exquisite Blend of Suspense and Emotion”
Review by Ann at Untold Reads – October 16, 2024
A masterful blend of drama, crime, and emotional depth against the backdrop of 1930s America, ‘Memories’ by Laurie Loveman is a captivating introduction to the Firehouse Family series.
Set in the fictional town of Woodhill, Ohio, the novel follows two compelling central characters: Dan Darvey, a man deeply troubled by a traumatic past, and Jake McCann, a firefighter seeking a fresh start after the tragic loss of his family.
The story opens with a chilling scene where Dan, who hides the mummified remains of his infant daughter in his mother’s attic, regards it as a “treasure.” This disturbing attachment reveals his inability to let go of the past, driven by guilt and mental instability which immediately draws readers into Dan’s complex psyche, and his dark secret life entangled in crime and corruption. Meanwhile, Jake McCann arrives in Woodhill as the new fire chief, seeking a fresh start and hoping to leave behind the painful memories of his past. His professional challenge of transforming the town’s fire department into a modern one is paralleled by his personal journey of healing and forming new bonds. As Dan spirals further into his illegal dealings and Jake works to establish his place in the community, the tension builds toward an inevitable confrontation.
Loveman’s narrative is richly layered, moving seamlessly between the two men’s lives, exploring broader themes of loss, redemption, and the need for human connection. The novel is not just a drama about firemen but an exploration of the choices people make when faced with grief and moral dilemmas. Her language is evocative yet accessible, creating vivid images of both the bustling firehouse and the quiet moments of introspection in the characters’ lives.
‘Memories’ brilliantly delves into the landscapes of grief, guilt, and friendship, offering a story that is both touching and thought-provoking. If you’re drawn to suspenseful narratives with deep emotional and moral layers, this novel is an excellent pick. Loveman’s storytelling shines, leaving you anticipating the next book in the series. 5 stars!
All Our Girls Gets All 5-Stars in Readers’ Favorite Review
All Our Girls is the fifth book in the Firehouse Family series by Laurie Loveman, a well-crafted novel with strong themes and compelling female protagonists. It is the 1930s in New York, and the sex trafficking business is flourishing. One of the people with the biggest share of the pie is Jayden Wallace, a wealthy, powerful man. But his business is threatened by Linda Marie Newman and Jenny Donnelly who have been fighting sex trafficking over the years, rescuing girls from dirty traffickers. Their friend Captain Will Peterson needs their help to rescue a girl trapped in prostitution. Wallace believes the women are out to steal his girls and start their own business. He seeks help from the mob to find Linda and Jenny. Can they free the girl unhurt?
Fast-paced and character-driven, All Our Girls builds on the dignity of women. The story features characters that are well-developed and that reflect the spirit of freedom for women that is being challenged, at times systematically, by society. The themes of sex trafficking, friendship, and family are deftly explored. I enjoyed the way the characters are written and how the author allows dialogue to reveal each character’s depth. Right from the beginning, the reader encounters two of the key characters at Whyte’s Restaurant on Fulton, not too far from Wall Street. They are described as “strikingly beautiful women.” The story opens in a way that captivates the reader and makes them want to find out more about these characters. Laurie Loveman’s prose is crisp and the writing is effortless. This is an enjoyable story in a series but can also be read as a standalone novel. It is filled with humanity and realism.
All Our Girls, Book 5 of The Firehouse Family Series is now available!
Linda Marie Newman and Jenny Donnelly have been rescuing young girls from sex traffickers in 1930s New York City. Wealthy, politically and socially prominent Alderman, Jayden Wallace has been enjoying the income from trafficking until his operation is threatened by Linda Marie and Jenny.
When Linda Marie and Jenny are called upon by their friend, Captain Will Peterson, to help a teenager involved in prostitution, they are reunited with an old friend, Sharon Beckhurst. Convinced the women are stealing his girls to start their own brothel, Wallace enlists help from the Mob to find them. When Sammi’s friend, Conrad, also becomes Wallace’s target, Linda Marie sends him to safety in Woodhill, Ohio, where her estranged son is a firefighter.
Linda Marie must let go of the past to allow for a new future, but will it be in New York City or in a small town in Ohio?
Hey Guys, the Redhead’s Back! – Rediscovering My Single Self While Going Through My Divorce by Laurie Loveman
“It took me thirty years, and finding the notes I’d taken for a book I never wrote, to understand that the story I had been trying to tell all those years ago wasn’t about how fire departments operate, the notes were telling my story.” – Laurie Loveman
Life Coach Rebecca Cagle said, “Laurie Loveman is great at telling her story . . . This story touched my heart, made me laugh, showed Laurie’s grit through tough times and her love for her horse, Amigo.”
Listen to Certified Love Coach Nikki Leigh on the Ready For Love Radio podcast interview Laurie about the book.
The Firehouse Family Novels
The Firehouse Family Novels, set in 1930s Woodhill, OH tell the story of a close-knit community that grows and works together to overcome the all-too-common threats to peace and harmony: organized crime, drugs, prostitution, arson, anti-semitism, infidelity, human trafficking, and good, old-fashioned revenge.
The Firehouse Family Book Series is available in hard cover, paper back and ebook at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, on the iBooks application for iPad/iPhone, and by order through most retail bookstores.
Book 1: Memories
New York City Fire Captain Jake McCann is appointed fire chief in a small town near Cleveland, Ohio, where his twin brother is a physician. Until Jake’s arrival in Woodhill, Laura Darvey’s life has been completely predictable; she is 31, married, a nurse, and breeder of Appaloosa horses. Jake and Laura share an interest in horses that deepens into a love affair and leads to terrifying consequences when Laura’s husband, Dan, a small-time racketeer, exacts his revenge after Jake inadvertently exposes Dan’s deepest secret.
Book 2: The Quarry
Elderly Maudie Hegerty’s son, Boris, is foreman of the local quarry. Boris is facing not only potential labor problems, so rife in the 1930s, but he must also come to terms with the colon cancer that is killing his mother. Maudie is being cared for by Dr. Jessica Malloy, the physician in charge of the emergency department at Woodhill Memorial Hospital. In the course of her work, Jess befriends Woodhill Fire Department First-Aid officer, Eli Sheffler, who becomes her steadfast friend through the course of Maudie’s illness and events at the quarry that threaten everything they hoped was in their future.
Book 3: The Farm Fires
A small palomino horse brings Glynis Hampton, daughter of dairy farmer Ben Barneshill, into a chance meeting with Woodhill Fire Department Captain Freddy Pratter at the scene of the horseowner’s death. During his investigation of a series of field and farm fires, Freddy falls in love with Glynis even as his investigation leads him to suspect that a member of her family could be the serial arsonist who has killed twice and could kill again in his thirst for revenge.
Book 4: Demise of the Horse Fairy
Over the space of several weeks in the summer of 1935, 13 starving horses and ponies, along with one very fat pony and a goat, are left in Woodhill, Ohio. The people of Woodhill rally behind horse owner Laura Darvey and newly arrived Ramona Hernandez, to help restore the abused horses to health.
Bobby Darvey, the man behind the arrival of the horses, earns the nickname The Horse Fairy, but he is not out to save lives. Rather he is determined to avenge his cousin Dan Darvey’s death at, as he believes, the hands of his widow Laura and Fire Chief Jake McCann.
Read more About The Firehouse Family Novels
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