Until the Day I Die by Emily Carpenter

Grieving the loss of her husband Perry, Erin throws herself into work at the company she, Perry, and a couple of college friends started. After suffering memory blackouts, the worst being when she stole a friend's car and showed up drunk at her daughter's college party, she is urged to check herself into an island spa resort. But the resort is a front for something far more sinister and Erin is soon running for her life in the creepy jungle.
This is a thriller with a lot of twists and turns. The jungle island setting was creepy but beautiful. I like the alternating perspectives of Erin and her daughter, Shorie and how they worked to find the traitor. It was not who I was expecting!!

Mona Lisas and Little White Lies by John Herrick

After a chance encounter when Ryder, a starving artist, rescues a drunk Lily at her cousin's wedding, he can't get her face out of his mind. She becomes his muse in everything from his own personal paintings to magazine and billboard advertisements.
Lily, an auto mechanic, has become a celebrity without even knowing it and everyone is clamoring to find out who the woman in the paintings really is. When she finds out, she tracks Ryder down to confront him but ends up falling in love with him. She only wants to be the glamorous woman he's created on canvas. One little white lie about her job won't hurt. But when the truth hits the tabloids, everything falls apart.
I thought this was a different twist on the Cinderella story. Like the Prince in the fairy tale only having a shoe to find his true love, Ryder has only a first name and the memory of her face. Cute story.

Deep River by Karl Marlantes

Three Koski siblings-Ilmari, Aino, and Matti-escape Finland during political unrest and find a home in Deep River, Washington. The two boys find jobs in the dangerous logging profession while Aino, the central character of the book, works in the logging kitchens. She sees the terrible working conditions of the men working long hours for little pay and becomes a strong voice for unionization.
The story follows the three through the downfall of the logging operation, river salmon fishing and the rise of unionization.
I think Aino was a strong female character in the book, and I like how passionate she was about fighting for the common worker. But I also thought she was so selfish putting the cause before everything else: her husband, her freedom, and even her daughter. This is a large book, but well worth the time. Great story!