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Wildflowers & Barbed Wire
“
Have you ever made a snap decision? A misinformed choice that
you knew would change your life forever?
I did, and boy, was it a doozy.”
-
Penny Monroe fled her home and her alcoholic father the minute she turned eighteen. She escaped with Ethan Webb, the golden child of the wealthiest man in town, and fled for the city in search of a better, more fulfilling life.
Three years later, her life isn’t what she imagined. Working two jobs while being the only present parent to their one-year-old daughter is wearing her down, especially as Ethan stays out all night, drinks all day, and won’t get a job. One fateful day, Penny stumbles onto something so terrifying that it turns her whole world upside down, and she has no choice but to flee, eventually landing back home in the small town she so desperately tried to escape.
Jack Hunter is the new guy in town, and being the new guy in a small town draws a lot of unwanted attention. He has secrets, and he’s looking for someone, the last name on his list. This someone took something very important from him, and his mind is set solely on vengeance.
He moves in across from a young single mom with two daughters, and although he gravitates towards her, he soon grows suspicious. This woman has secrets, too, and he needs to know more. What does she know? What did she do? Falling in love with her will only complicate things, especially if he has to hurt her.
A fast-paced romantic suspense told from a dual point of view.
Trigger Bad language, drug use, adult themes.
I did, and boy, was it a doozy.”
-
Penny Monroe fled her home and her alcoholic father the minute she turned eighteen. She escaped with Ethan Webb, the golden child of the wealthiest man in town, and fled for the city in search of a better, more fulfilling life.
Three years later, her life isn’t what she imagined. Working two jobs while being the only present parent to their one-year-old daughter is wearing her down, especially as Ethan stays out all night, drinks all day, and won’t get a job. One fateful day, Penny stumbles onto something so terrifying that it turns her whole world upside down, and she has no choice but to flee, eventually landing back home in the small town she so desperately tried to escape.
Jack Hunter is the new guy in town, and being the new guy in a small town draws a lot of unwanted attention. He has secrets, and he’s looking for someone, the last name on his list. This someone took something very important from him, and his mind is set solely on vengeance.
He moves in across from a young single mom with two daughters, and although he gravitates towards her, he soon grows suspicious. This woman has secrets, too, and he needs to know more. What does she know? What did she do? Falling in love with her will only complicate things, especially if he has to hurt her.
A fast-paced romantic suspense told from a dual point of view.
Trigger Bad language, drug use, adult themes.
395 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 10, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 14, 2025
Emotionally Engaging with Gripping Suspense
This is the first I’ve read by this author and was rewarded with a beautiful, gripping read. The story is well grounded and relatable. The characters are dynamic and multi-dimensional. Their backgrounds feed into the mystery and suspense, and the way they come together to confront a common enemy forms an ingenious plot. I found myself so emotionally engaged with Penny, her darling daughters, and Jack that the story’s suspense had my finger twitching to flip the page to see what happens next. Every bit of this book is compelling, memorable, and heartfelt. A brilliant work. Brava!
This is the first I’ve read by this author and was rewarded with a beautiful, gripping read. The story is well grounded and relatable. The characters are dynamic and multi-dimensional. Their backgrounds feed into the mystery and suspense, and the way they come together to confront a common enemy forms an ingenious plot. I found myself so emotionally engaged with Penny, her darling daughters, and Jack that the story’s suspense had my finger twitching to flip the page to see what happens next. Every bit of this book is compelling, memorable, and heartfelt. A brilliant work. Brava!
December 8, 2024
Thrilling story!
Wildflowers & Barbed Wire by Sarah Jacobson surrounds Penny Monroe after she flees from her alcoholic and abusive father and then falls into another abusive relationship with Ethan Webb.
Three years later she’s back home with her daughter, hoping for a new start.
This story had me hooked from the start and all the way through. The author has created a great romantic suspense with amazing characters and a thrilling storyline. Highly recommended!
Wildflowers & Barbed Wire by Sarah Jacobson surrounds Penny Monroe after she flees from her alcoholic and abusive father and then falls into another abusive relationship with Ethan Webb.
Three years later she’s back home with her daughter, hoping for a new start.
This story had me hooked from the start and all the way through. The author has created a great romantic suspense with amazing characters and a thrilling storyline. Highly recommended!
June 9, 2026
This story began when 13 year old "Poor Penny" / "Pinch a Penny" was thrust into a life of hardship after her mother ran off with another man and left Penny to take over supporting herself and her alcoholic father. At 17 she's had enough and decides to run off with her friend Ethan and start a new life of her own choosing. Things don't go as planned for either of them.
Homeless, jobless and desperate, Penny sets out to do what she'd just escaped, work two jobs to make a living, her problems compounded when she ends up pregnant and trying to raise her daughter alone. Eventually she leaves to go back to the town she had run away from, determined to start a new career and a new life with nary a man in it, including Jack Hunter, the mysterious investigator who's just moved into town and become her new neighbor.
Fate isn't cooperating. The man Jack is investigating is Ethan Webb, who's back into town with a grudge and a slew of evil secrets. Which means Jack needs to keep an eye on Penny, even if those eyes aren't entirely professional
For her part, Penny can't afford to let her guard down, having her own cache of dangerous secrets, among them 14 year old Keira whose real identity is as hidden as Jack's motives for being in town. Her stance on that changes when Ethan causes trouble, and Jack comes to her rescue. She's learned not to trust men, but might Jack be the one exception that proves the rule? The problem is, Jack has been living for vengeance, and Penny is trying to build a life for herself and her girls without it.
But sometimes fate has a way of stepping in and helping you make the hard decisions. Without giving away any more spoilers, I can only say that when Ethan, his unsavory business partner and their henchmen find and threaten them all, Jack finds surprising allies, and Penny finds a happily ever after in the end with all of her loved ones. If you enjoy complex plots, find family and redemption, you're going to love this romance.
Homeless, jobless and desperate, Penny sets out to do what she'd just escaped, work two jobs to make a living, her problems compounded when she ends up pregnant and trying to raise her daughter alone. Eventually she leaves to go back to the town she had run away from, determined to start a new career and a new life with nary a man in it, including Jack Hunter, the mysterious investigator who's just moved into town and become her new neighbor.
Fate isn't cooperating. The man Jack is investigating is Ethan Webb, who's back into town with a grudge and a slew of evil secrets. Which means Jack needs to keep an eye on Penny, even if those eyes aren't entirely professional
For her part, Penny can't afford to let her guard down, having her own cache of dangerous secrets, among them 14 year old Keira whose real identity is as hidden as Jack's motives for being in town. Her stance on that changes when Ethan causes trouble, and Jack comes to her rescue. She's learned not to trust men, but might Jack be the one exception that proves the rule? The problem is, Jack has been living for vengeance, and Penny is trying to build a life for herself and her girls without it.
But sometimes fate has a way of stepping in and helping you make the hard decisions. Without giving away any more spoilers, I can only say that when Ethan, his unsavory business partner and their henchmen find and threaten them all, Jack finds surprising allies, and Penny finds a happily ever after in the end with all of her loved ones. If you enjoy complex plots, find family and redemption, you're going to love this romance.
October 16, 2025
Wildflowers & Barbed Wire, by Sarah Jacobson.
Set in the southern states of America, with its easy western style dialogue and relatable, well-crafted characters, held my attention from the first to the last page in the book.
Penny Monroe is desperate to escape her drunken, lazy good for nothing partner Ethan, and finally finds the courage to leave him, taking her two daughters with her.
But Ethan hasn’t finished with her yet and follows her back to her hometown.
A mysterious stranger arrives in town. Jack Hunter is a man bent on revenge; his investigations lead him to Penny. At first Penny is wary of Jack, and a little scared too, but that changes as the story unfolds.
Penny and Jack get drawn into a sinister plot that revolves around Ethan and his family, which in turn, threatens Penny’s life and that of her daughters.
What follows is a thriller of a ride as the past catches up with her.
The last few chapters were compelling and I couldn’t stop reading this fast-paced, suspenseful drama.
A thoroughly enjoyable romantic, murder mystery, with family bonds at its heart.
Highly recommended.
Set in the southern states of America, with its easy western style dialogue and relatable, well-crafted characters, held my attention from the first to the last page in the book.
Penny Monroe is desperate to escape her drunken, lazy good for nothing partner Ethan, and finally finds the courage to leave him, taking her two daughters with her.
But Ethan hasn’t finished with her yet and follows her back to her hometown.
A mysterious stranger arrives in town. Jack Hunter is a man bent on revenge; his investigations lead him to Penny. At first Penny is wary of Jack, and a little scared too, but that changes as the story unfolds.
Penny and Jack get drawn into a sinister plot that revolves around Ethan and his family, which in turn, threatens Penny’s life and that of her daughters.
What follows is a thriller of a ride as the past catches up with her.
The last few chapters were compelling and I couldn’t stop reading this fast-paced, suspenseful drama.
A thoroughly enjoyable romantic, murder mystery, with family bonds at its heart.
Highly recommended.
May 3, 2025
There is a lot going on in this book and some mysteries to settle as well as a stormy relationship brewing between Penny and Jack. It starts off with a teenage Penny falling head over heels in love with Ethan but after they run away to be together things rapidly deteriorate. Move on 5 years Penny has two children and somehow one of them is 14 year old Kiera which is not explained at first. Penny is running from some heavy trauma but what? And when Jack, an army veteran, comes into the picture he clearly has some issues to sort out but how is it all related to Penny? And who is Earl the abrasive old man who Penny is trying to help out? All these questions are answered over time in a lot of twists and turns that will give you neck ache and somehow manages to spiral into a massive shoutout between Jack, gangsters and the police with Penny and her children in the middle. This is a thrilling and fast paced read and with great character development. I look forward to reading more from this author.
August 22, 2025
The title - Wildflowers and Barbed Wire – grips you first, as does the cover. But that is nothing to what’s on the pages of this taut, exciting romantic thriller. Penny, along with her two kids, has returned the small town she left as a teenager to escape her abusive, alcoholic father.
But the town doesn’t warm to her and her ex, Ethan, is back.
And just who is Jack Hunter, the handsome stranger that’s moved in nearby?
This is a book you will not want to put down. Without giving away any spoilers, Penny’s past and present collide in a way that is fraught with danger, culminating in the explosive ending that will leave you breathless.
Highly recommended.
But the town doesn’t warm to her and her ex, Ethan, is back.
And just who is Jack Hunter, the handsome stranger that’s moved in nearby?
This is a book you will not want to put down. Without giving away any spoilers, Penny’s past and present collide in a way that is fraught with danger, culminating in the explosive ending that will leave you breathless.
Highly recommended.
January 26, 2025
Wow! What an amazing read. It didn’t take me long once I’d started, as I couldn’t put it down. I’ve read other books by this great author, and thoroughly enjoyed them. However, I have to say I think this is my overall favourite. It is a well written, intriguing story that gripped me from the start. I like that the protagonist (h) is a mother and attempting to build a life away from what has happened to her. I won’t give it away. And the H is brilliantly written. Loved it , and now I must stop gushing. Well done Sarah Jacobson… wow!
February 25, 2026
Wildflowers and Barbed Wire gets your attention quickly and keeps you hooked. Sarah Jacobson sets the story in a small town where everyone knows one another's business. Penny Monroe returns home with her two daughters, hoping to protect them and leave her troubles behind. She discovers that is easier said than done.
Jack Hunter brings his own problems, adding to the story's tension. The way he and Penny interact feels real. Their relationship develops as the story unfolds, with secrets hidden throughout and loyalties that change unexpectedly.
The story does a great job of mixing emotion and suspense. The pacing is strong, and the characters seem like real people you root for. When you reach the final chapters, you’ll want to make time to finish, because it’s hard to put down. If you want a story that blends romance and suspense, this book delivers.
Jack Hunter brings his own problems, adding to the story's tension. The way he and Penny interact feels real. Their relationship develops as the story unfolds, with secrets hidden throughout and loyalties that change unexpectedly.
The story does a great job of mixing emotion and suspense. The pacing is strong, and the characters seem like real people you root for. When you reach the final chapters, you’ll want to make time to finish, because it’s hard to put down. If you want a story that blends romance and suspense, this book delivers.
June 6, 2026
Wildflowers and Barbed Wire by Sarah Jacobson is a compact, emotionally charged novel that blends tenderness with grit. At its core, it’s a story about resilience and how people grow in the harshest conditions but still manage to bloom. Jacobson writes with a sharp, poetic edge, pairing moments of quiet beauty with scenes that sting.
The book follows characters who are shaped as much by what they’ve survived as by what they hope for. Jacobson’s strength is her ability to sketch people who feel raw and real, their inner lives tangled like the barbed wire of the title. Yet she never lets the darkness swallow the story; there’s always a thread of wildflower-like hope pushing through.
Readers who appreciate character‑driven fiction with lyrical prose and emotional honesty will find a lot to love here.
The book follows characters who are shaped as much by what they’ve survived as by what they hope for. Jacobson’s strength is her ability to sketch people who feel raw and real, their inner lives tangled like the barbed wire of the title. Yet she never lets the darkness swallow the story; there’s always a thread of wildflower-like hope pushing through.
Readers who appreciate character‑driven fiction with lyrical prose and emotional honesty will find a lot to love here.
February 25, 2026
Non stop page turner!
Sarah Jacobson has written a fabulous non stop page turner!
This is the type of book that draws you in before you realize you've been hooked. Its just that effortless.
Penny the main character is scrappy and vulnerable in all the best ways. Her single minded determination to protect her daughters and make a good life for them is a quality any parent will relate to.
But a shadow, her ex, clings to her threatening her future.
Jack, the new neighbor, is more than he seems. Ex military, he's searching for his sister.
When he meets Penny her determination attracts him.
How are the two connected? Will the secret of Penny's past with her Ex pull them apart or bond them even more strongly?
Read this fabulous book and find out! I highly recommend.
Sarah Jacobson has written a fabulous non stop page turner!
This is the type of book that draws you in before you realize you've been hooked. Its just that effortless.
Penny the main character is scrappy and vulnerable in all the best ways. Her single minded determination to protect her daughters and make a good life for them is a quality any parent will relate to.
But a shadow, her ex, clings to her threatening her future.
Jack, the new neighbor, is more than he seems. Ex military, he's searching for his sister.
When he meets Penny her determination attracts him.
How are the two connected? Will the secret of Penny's past with her Ex pull them apart or bond them even more strongly?
Read this fabulous book and find out! I highly recommend.
July 5, 2026
What’s in Sarah’s head isn’t on the page. Characters just appear and start talking when readers don’t even know they are present. And the dialogue isn't realistic. A writers’ group of experienced writers, who know the craft of producing a good book, would help Sarah if she read her book aloud to them and had them critique it. As we all have to go through a writer’s apprenticeship, Sarah is at the very start of hers.
I do like the title of the book, but I see Paul McCreary has a book titled “Barbed Wire and Wildflowers.”
I do like the title of the book, but I see Paul McCreary has a book titled “Barbed Wire and Wildflowers.”
August 2, 2026
A Nice Surprise!
Contemporary Romance is not my usual genre. This book has opened me up to new possibilities. It was a nice surprise and a very enjoyable read. I loved how strong the FMC, Penny, was from the get go and I was tantalized by the mystery surrounding the MMC, Jack. The story unfolds in a steady pace and comes to a nail-biting climax. You know it’s a good book when you become so invested that you start rooting for the characters and can’t put the book down. The characters are well rounded and thought out. I want to know more about all of Jack’s tattoos!
Contemporary Romance is not my usual genre. This book has opened me up to new possibilities. It was a nice surprise and a very enjoyable read. I loved how strong the FMC, Penny, was from the get go and I was tantalized by the mystery surrounding the MMC, Jack. The story unfolds in a steady pace and comes to a nail-biting climax. You know it’s a good book when you become so invested that you start rooting for the characters and can’t put the book down. The characters are well rounded and thought out. I want to know more about all of Jack’s tattoos!
July 9, 2026
Thrilling Romance
This story gets better the more you read. Penny and Jack have great chemistry, the story is fluent, the tension is constant and the pace builds nicely.
Highly recommended.
This story gets better the more you read. Penny and Jack have great chemistry, the story is fluent, the tension is constant and the pace builds nicely.
Highly recommended.
July 10, 2026
This story gets better the more you read. Penny and Jack have great chemistry, the story is fluent, the tension is constant and the pace builds nicely.
March 8, 2025
There’s more than one mystery surrounding Penny Monroe. Having left her hometown some years ago in circumstances which caused bad feeling against her, why—when she could have gone anywhere else—did she choose to return to a place where there’s so much bad feeling harboured against her? Further, as she’s now aged twenty-six, who is the eldest of the two young girls she’s brought with her? She calls them her daughters, but as Keira is fourteen Penny would have given birth to her when she herself was twelve—but there’s no suggestion that she had a young daughter when she left town. In addition, why does she go out of her way to care for the curmudgeonly drunk Earl? That’s not immediately obvious.
Enter Jack Hunter, a man on a mission with his own agenda—until the feelings he reluctantly develops for Penny force him to make a detour. Why reluctant? Because something about Penny—and her children—suggest that she could hold a clue or two to his own questions. If getting involved with her compromises his need to find the answers he’s in search of then he’s not interested—except that he already is.
Author Sarah Jacobson manages to infuse the text with a claustrophobic air which pervades a small American town like those seen in films, and where I’d never like to find myself. Everybody knows everybody else, and stranger-in-town Jack stands out—which manages to alert the wrong people, and ultimately put Penny, her family and friend Eve in danger. How will it end? You’ll have to read to find out.
Enter Jack Hunter, a man on a mission with his own agenda—until the feelings he reluctantly develops for Penny force him to make a detour. Why reluctant? Because something about Penny—and her children—suggest that she could hold a clue or two to his own questions. If getting involved with her compromises his need to find the answers he’s in search of then he’s not interested—except that he already is.
Author Sarah Jacobson manages to infuse the text with a claustrophobic air which pervades a small American town like those seen in films, and where I’d never like to find myself. Everybody knows everybody else, and stranger-in-town Jack stands out—which manages to alert the wrong people, and ultimately put Penny, her family and friend Eve in danger. How will it end? You’ll have to read to find out.
February 8, 2025
Author Sarah Jacobson has another winner with Wildflowers & Barbed Wire. It’s an engaging mystery with thrilling intrigue and likeable characters in a plot that is guaranteed to entertain and even boggle the mind a bit. It hooked me in within a couple of pages of the prologue.
The story has an interesting backstory of drug gangs and trafficking of young girls intwined to give the story texture, structure, and context for the present-day mystery of stolen money and incriminating murder evidence.
Main character Penny Monroe is a sweet, loving mother of two girls and desperately tries to outrun her past only to have it come roaring back with life-threatening danger from a no-good ex-husband.
The fun begins when a Delta Force beefcake named Jack Hunter arrives on the scene with Penny as the target of his investigation into the murder of his sister. Jack unexpectedly falls deeply in love with Penny. A beautiful love story evolves, and Jack must decide if he continues his wave of destruction of those responsible for his sister’s murder or does he protect his new love and take the high road.
This book was an enjoyable read with lots of thrills to keep me turning pages. I highly recommend this read.
The story has an interesting backstory of drug gangs and trafficking of young girls intwined to give the story texture, structure, and context for the present-day mystery of stolen money and incriminating murder evidence.
Main character Penny Monroe is a sweet, loving mother of two girls and desperately tries to outrun her past only to have it come roaring back with life-threatening danger from a no-good ex-husband.
The fun begins when a Delta Force beefcake named Jack Hunter arrives on the scene with Penny as the target of his investigation into the murder of his sister. Jack unexpectedly falls deeply in love with Penny. A beautiful love story evolves, and Jack must decide if he continues his wave of destruction of those responsible for his sister’s murder or does he protect his new love and take the high road.
This book was an enjoyable read with lots of thrills to keep me turning pages. I highly recommend this read.
December 13, 2024
Desperate to escape her unhappy life living with her alcoholic father, Penny Monroe falls for the son of the wealthiest man in town, and the youngsters flee to the city in search of a better life. However, Penny quickly realises she has swapped one sad life for another, as Ethan refuses to find work and spends all day drinking. Eventually, Penny leaves him and returns home to the small town she was so anxious to leave. A new man, Jack Hunter, arrives in town, living a short distance from Penny and her two daughters, and the pair are irresistibly drawn to each other. However, Jack is on a mission and bent on revenge, and before long, he realises the woman he is falling in love with may be involved with the person he is seeking. The book is told from a dual point of view by Penny and Jack, and I thought this worked well. A thrilling storyline and strong characters made this a very enjoyable book and one of the best yet by this author.
December 17, 2024
Page-turning romantic suspense
I thoroughly enjoyed this character-driven story of Penny and Jack, two lost souls who have the potential to totally change each other’s lives. Penny’s relationship with her two kids and best friend is affectingly portrayed, adding emotional depth to this well-written romance. The pacing is spot-on, and as Penny’s past catches up with her, the tension and suspense gradually build until, in the last 20-percent, you need to fasten your seatbelt as the author takes you on a thrilling ride. The ending is perfect, and the payoff with Penny’s father, Earl, very touching.
I thoroughly enjoyed this character-driven story of Penny and Jack, two lost souls who have the potential to totally change each other’s lives. Penny’s relationship with her two kids and best friend is affectingly portrayed, adding emotional depth to this well-written romance. The pacing is spot-on, and as Penny’s past catches up with her, the tension and suspense gradually build until, in the last 20-percent, you need to fasten your seatbelt as the author takes you on a thrilling ride. The ending is perfect, and the payoff with Penny’s father, Earl, very touching.
December 16, 2024
I was hooked from the very first pages. And the biggest intrigue for me – who was Keira?
I’ve read all of Ms. Jacobson’s books and personally this must her best one with great characters who we connect with easily. I like a good romance read, but I also like a little suspense, and this book ticked those two boxes.
Written from two POV’s, we follow both Penny and Jack in their quest to find answers to their questions – answers which they may not like or hadn’t expected…
If you like romantic suspense, then this book could be right up your street.
I’ve read all of Ms. Jacobson’s books and personally this must her best one with great characters who we connect with easily. I like a good romance read, but I also like a little suspense, and this book ticked those two boxes.
Written from two POV’s, we follow both Penny and Jack in their quest to find answers to their questions – answers which they may not like or hadn’t expected…
If you like romantic suspense, then this book could be right up your street.
February 2, 2025
An unputdownable romantic suspense from start to finish. Impeccable plotting and fascinating characters hooked me for days.
Penny Monroe, a mother of two girls, is empathetic and well worth rooting for a better life. Jack Hunter, Penny’s love interest is sexy and mysterious. But will he hang around for the long haul when the going gets tough?
This book is my favorite of Sarah’s work that I’ve read. The suspense had me breathless, page after page. Highest recommendation. Best read of 2025 so far for me.
Penny Monroe, a mother of two girls, is empathetic and well worth rooting for a better life. Jack Hunter, Penny’s love interest is sexy and mysterious. But will he hang around for the long haul when the going gets tough?
This book is my favorite of Sarah’s work that I’ve read. The suspense had me breathless, page after page. Highest recommendation. Best read of 2025 so far for me.
December 3, 2025
This was captivating! I really liked this book and loved the writing. I was drawn to the title and I have to say it really suits the story, it was pitted with suspense, had some real grit and contrasting lovely moments. It was written as dual POV and this really worked, I felt part of this emotive story. If the blurb had said it was a romance, I probably wouldn't have bought it, I am sooo glad I did. The characters are so well drawn and believable, the dialogue is spot on. This was a real page turner and I have another novel by Sarah Jacobson waiting on my kindle. Highly recommended.
December 8, 2024
Penny Monroe was desperate to escape her unhappy life caring for her drunken father and working odd jobs to support them. Her boyfriend, Ethan, comes from a wealthy family but is equally desperate to escape too. However, all is not as Penny had hoped for. Ethan was not the man she thought he was and she finds herself once more in need of escaping her life. The story is very well written and emotion-filled. I would highly recommned.
August 21, 2025
Loved this book so much; towards the end I couldn’t put it down. The characters were likeable and relatable and the chemistry between Penny and Jack was beautiful. I especially liked this from Jack: ‘I want all of your tomorrows to the point I'm pissed that I missed out on so many of your yesterdays.’ Some of the things he said to Penny just made me melt. I loved the interactions with the children too. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable and thrilling story.
September 16, 2025
A fast-paced novel with great characters and a thrilling story. Fleeing from her alcoholic and abusive father, Penny Monroe only succeeds in entering into another abusive relationship. I enjoyed the suspenseful read, and the storytelling made the book go quickly. There are some wonderful moments and an overall sense of how small-town America works that I found compelling. A very enjoyable book in every sense.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews