Is it really stealing if you just relocate an object and not keep it or sell it?
⠀
Nicole certainly thinks of her habit of picking random objects up as a compulsion to relocate objects to where they want to be, everyone else sees her as a kleptomaniac, beyond hope. Now she is in a huge mess and while trying to fix one mess she seems to be stirring up a whole lot more.
⠀
When the PI her estranged husband hires to follow her sees her a bit differently than her husband had described, he takes a keen interest in finding out what makes Nicole tick, and why he cares so much.
⠀
Once again this book, Other People’s Things by Kerry Anne King, proves that going into a book without a clue as to what to expect can be wonderful. I had no idea what was going to happen, I fell in love with Nicole and her heart. She is admirably honest and remarkably compassionate in spite of her, umm, relocation projects.
⠀
The way the author wove the random characters through Nicole’s life created texture and each new person added a lovely layer to the story. There was mystery, family drama, romance, scandal, blackmail, and a thread of beautiful magic that makes this novel special.
⠀
I am literally sitting here with a smile on my face at 4:00 a.m. because I was so entranced in the story I couldn’t put it down. I am really hoping that this is the start of a series. I would buy every one. Meanwhile, I am going to check out the authors back list!
⠀

First off, lets look at this cover, its beautiful! Eye catching and engaging!

Other People's Things is a "pick me up" kind of book. The chapters easily flow . The characters come to life and you cant help but smile while reading .

This was a bit of a unique read for me as I tend to gravitate toward thrillers. However, when my ARC book club picked this book I said "why not?" and I am so glad I did!

Nicole has a "little problem" . She likes to take things that do not belong to her. Nicole swears they want to be taken but that doesn't make much sense, does it? Nicole also swears she doesn't lie. Do you see where I am going with this? No? Well then I guess you are going to have to pick up your own copy on September 21!

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5.

Nicole is called a thief, kleptomaniac. She prefers relocator. She doesn’t take things for her benefit, she gets energy from objects that need to move to its correct place. She’s been in jail, but was hoping her life had fallen into place with her new husband only to be sadly disappointed.

Just the type of domestic suspense I needed! This book had me hooked from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down! A unique and thought provoking storyline. Loved Nicole, and my heart went out to her. She is flawed and lovable, takes full accountability for her issues. She just couldn’t find anyone to believe her, but understandably so! Perception of others working against her. Storyline progressed at a quick pace, never found myself bored or waiting for the story to pick up. Great characters and development. Ending did feel a little rushed with the relationship of Nicole and Hawk. I have read this author before and look forward to doing so again.

Thanks to Ms. King, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Kerry Anne King instantly grabbed me and drew me in with this action-packed, page-turning novel. There was some romance as well as other family drama and a bit of magic too. Nicole's story was very interesting to me and I loved it. Wonderful character building and complex situations and just so many situations weaved together. I highly recommend this book as well as her other novels.

I received a copy of this from the author in exchange for fair and honest review.

WOW! What a book. This book took me to a good place. After reading quite a few very sad tearjerker yet excellent books I needed some magic. This book gave me that and more. It's edge of your seat in places also. But the magic was so much fun. I really loved and enjoyed this book.

Told from two people's pov, Nicole and Hawk. I absolutely loved both of them. They were easy to love. Both have a lot of good in them. Both are in need of something good in their lives. Both are good and caring people.

Nicole has this somewhat hard to explain gift of finding things. Things that belong to the wrong person. She takes them to where they rightfully belong. She calls it moving them. She has no idea why these things speak to her but she will figure it out when she can. For now she just has to do this. She's had this in her life since she was six years old. She is also not a liar. No matter what she will tell you the truth. Anyone that knows her well knows that.

Hawk is a PI who you will also love. He's suppose to follow Nicole and find out what she did with some money she moved. In the process of following her he finds out a lot. He in a way gets to know her. He starts questioning whether or not her ex or almost ex is really the good guy in this situation.

Then there is Andrea. At first I did not think I was going to like her at all. She's a bit overbearing and wants everything done her way no matter the cost. She's very reclusive and always watching. She also suffers from terrible anxiety. I can relate. After you get to know her and find out how she fits in this story you will like her. I did. I found her to be a tough woman who had some secrets she was terrified of being revealed. She definitely needs someone to help her and she doesn't even know it.

As for Nicole's family. I didn't like them too much. I felt sorry for her mother but her siblings were kind of jerks. Way to judgmental and seemed to lack the caring a sibling should have. They know Nicole. They know she is not a liar, yet they believe her almost ex when he tells them things? Makes no sense. But he was very convincing. He fooled almost everyone. He used Nicole's gift against her. You may like him. I didn't. I thought he was a big jerk.

This book was just so good. Well written and made you feel like you was there with the characters. From the start to the finish you will keep turning the pages. You will feel some's fears and other's tears. Some's anger and other's forgiveness. And it's a bit of a love story too. That just made it better.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #KerryAnneKing, #LakeUnionPublishers for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

5/5 stars and a very high recommendation. Read it and enjoy. It's magic.

I was so entertained by Other People’s Things! I loved the Object Relocation Program!! So clever from start to finish! Kerry Schafer is a master storyteller - a creator of characters you will love - putting twists of fate into a perspective you’ve never heard before!!

Linda Zagon's review Sep 12, 2021 · edit
it was amazing

“Other’s People Things” by Author Kerry Anne King, is an intriguing, captivating, witty, and thought-provoking novel that I enjoyed and highly recommend for other readers. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Suspense, Women’s Fiction, and a touch of Magical Realism. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex, complicated, and flawed. Kerry Anne King vividly describes her characters, settings, and events.

The protagonist in this story, Nicole Wood is very controversial. To some, she appears to be a thief or a kleptomaniac. Without a doubt, Nicole has taken things that don’t belong to her. The question is “WHY”? Nicole has been in jail, and it is documented that she has taken things that don’t belong to her. Her almost ex-husband can tell you that she has stolen from him, and he is very intent to get what she took back. On the other hand, he seems to be providing a therapist to help her with this problem. (Or is he?)

Nicole reminds me of a sort of female “Robin Hood”, in that she seems to have a special ability to see where select items belong. The problem is that she has to remove the item from one place and move it to where it should possibly be. Should we consider this a gift of sorts? Some of these times the movement of these objects is a catalyst in discovering something bigger and often is very positive. There is an essence of magical energy that seems to exist, or perhaps not.

When Nicole has no choices, she starts to work for her sister’s cleaning company. Nicole is really an excellent cleaner, and observant, but if she gets that strong feeling that something doesn’t belong, that can cause problems. Nicole really wants to do the right thing.

The author discusses the importance of family, second chances, forgiveness, love, and hope. I read this book in one sitting and just couldn’t put it down. I suggest that you read this memorable and thought-provoking book. Happy Reading!

Oh this book was SO lovely and unique. It is quite magical and engaging. I was sucked right in to Nicole's story. I loved both the premis and the execution and read it in one sitting. Although Nicole has many issues and unlikeable qualities I couldn't help but cheer her on, she grabbed my heart and didn't let go. This book can be placed under many genres such as romance, fantasy, suspense and even young adult and I think that's why it has such a broad appeal. It's really beautiful storytelling at its best.

I wanted to like this book but it felt like a ...book club for mom's book. I don't mean that in a bad way, just that it was a little....too ....soft for me.

Family mystery, soft romance plot, plot twists that really didn't surprise me. It's good, but good for people who read 10 books a year.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

The premise was intriguing and unique. The characters are lovable despite their imperfections. I was curious about the magical gift of the main character, but I think it is more of a good intuition than a supernatural ability. The story was well written and with good character backstories.

The story follows Nicole Wood, a jailbird, a kleptomaniac with no employment experience and trapped in a tumultuous marriage. Thank Roberta, her oldest sister, for allowing her to work as a cleaning service staff. Despite repeating her mantra while working, Nicole can't help but move a book from one client's house to another. Little did she know that such action would open up family issues, solve a mystery, and another chance at love.

Overall, it was a good and enjoyable read, although it sends a central message that moving things that don't belong to you is not stealing. I love that the main characters own their mistakes and decide to change and be better people.

I'm thankful to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this family drama story filled with love, suspense, mystery and humor! Nickle, is known for her desire to shoplift or as she says, she moves things to another place. This behavior creates multiple issues for Nickle. It is negatively affecting her marriage and relationships with others. The other characters are also flawed. It’s an emotional story with some humor and romance! This is such a fun book! I’d recI’m mend this to anyone who loves family dramas.

Thank you to NETGALLY for an advanced copy for my honest opinion.

Nicole has lived pretty much her entire life as a disappointment, Her marriage is over, she has moved back in with her mother, the only job she can get is because her sister owns the business, and she has just gotten out of jail. All of this is because Nicole is seen by the world as a kleptomaniac.

Nicole has felt the need to 'move' objects from a young age. The objects that she steals can impress upon Nicole where they would rather be, and this causes Nicole all kinds of trouble. Nicole's biggest problem right now is that she found a substantial amount of money in her husband's desk drawer that wanted to be moved, and he wants the money back.

No review I give will possibly do this book justice. What looks like cut and dried theft at the beginning of this book actually ends up being an amazing story of fate intertwining itself into Nicole's life to use her to serve it's own purposes. The story is magical and touching. The characters are raw and endearing and real. And a continual theme presented throughout the book is that situations look differently on the outside than to the people involved.

I loved this book so much, that I didn't want to say goodbye to it. It was magical, and real, and touching all at once.

Thank you so much to Lake Union Publishing for providing me an ARC copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

What a Pearl of a book. Long past my bedtime but could not put this down. If you read one book this year make it this one.
Nicole relocates things, #OtherPeoplesThings and it has got her into so much trouble including jail time, but this time she moves something so small, a book and unleashes forces that spiral out of control. Can anything good come from this.
A fabulous read that will stay with you. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have to say, I loved this book. Total enjoyment from start to finish. Nicole Wood was a very likable main character, that fascinates with her ability to relocate items, that she comes across or finds , usually belonging to someone else. For this, she has been labeled a kleptomaniac and jailed for her antics. When she takes $20,000 from her attorney husband, and slips it into the jacket of a struggling young mother, she has gone too far.
Married to a conniving good looking guy, that has won over her entire family, Nicole has now estranged herself from those closest to her. She even has a hulk of a private detective on her tail.
This story has the components that I enjoy in a page turner! A wonderful storyline, with suspense, funny moments, friendship, romance, all provided by interesting and likable characters.
I’ve never read anything by this author, but her previous books are on my wish list and I’ll be looking forward to future releases.
My thanks to Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing and of course, Kerry Anne King
For the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Nicole (Nickle) has a problem. People think she's a thief. She insists she's not. She just takes things. That WANT to be taken. Yeah, right. Just about 100% of people who hear this from her have a tendency to disbelieve her. Wouldn't you? But she says she doesn't lie. Hmmm. This is a fun, fun book. It's no wonder. Kerry Anne King has a gift for that. And it shines brightly throughout these pages. I enjoyed it so much that I kept turning and turning until I was able to find my way to the end where I regretted reading it so fast. This is a great book to read when you're feeling sad because it will lift you up in no time. Or maybe you're looking for a lighthearted change from something you've read previously. This one is perfect. I wondered whether this girl could catch a break. I wondered what she would get herself into next. But I never once got bored with this book. And I loved the character development so much that I am officially, right here, thanking Kerry Anne King for the creation of Hawk who came to her late in the writing process but adds so much to the storyline. And thank you to her and #NetGalley for providing my advance reader's copy. This one publishes September 21, 2021 and is well-worth preordering so you can start it the minute it comes out.

This story was more than I was expecting. The author layers family drama, mystery, magical realism, and romance. The twists are surprising and I enjoyed the premise that more than fate is playing a hand. Feeling when an object needs to be moved from one place to another sounds like an adorable quirk to have. But the reality of it gives this story traction. The stakes and the drama feel real. The weaving together of all of the characters lives and individual stories is complex but is laid out effortlessly.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union for the arc. This was a joy to read.

This book has suspense, family drama and romance. It's well written and was a fun read. I almost stopped reading this book, but I'm so glad I didn't, it was a truly magical read!
Thank you Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Nicole has always believed that she is a fuck up. The protagonist of Other People’s Things, by Kerry Anne King, has just had her marriage blow up, a criminal history, no job, and a significant percentage of her family isn’t happy with her for all of the above. The root cause of all this is something that Nicole thinks of as a curse. Every now and then she will feel an unbearable compulsion to take an object, followed by an equally unbearable compulsion to leave that object somewhere else. Nicole says this is relocation; that she is simply moving things to where they want them to be. Everyone else calls this theft. I was prepared to call it theft, too, but I started to seriously wonder well before the end of this deeply satisfying book.

Nicole’s first attempt to get a job after her latest catastrophe doesn’t last long. While working on her first two jobs for her sister’s cleaning company, she moves a book from one house to the other. The client whose book was taken is surprisingly calm about the whole thing, although she didn’t get a chance to finish that secondhand copy of Dante’s Inferno. The second client, however, completely comes unglued when she sees the book and sees an inscription inside that reveals it to be the property of someone she’s been hiding from for thirty years. Nicole loses her job and is right back where she started, except that her soon-to-be-ex-husband is getting impatient for her to return the money she took from him before he kicked her out.

I hope this description captures the way King blends whimsy with very serious interpersonal problems, because this is what Other People’s Things was like to read. Nicole—and her new protector, Hawk, a PI who switched sides for Nicole after being hired by her husband—provide a lot of the levity and warm fuzzies in this book. I loved watching them fall in love with each other without trying to let on. I also loved watching scheme to take down Nicole’s increasingly appalling spouse, as well as investigate the secrets hinted at by Nicole’s objects. The horrible husband and those secrets kept the whimsy grounded enough to keep the whole story from getting too twee for me to finish. To be honest, the way that Nicole’s gift/curse set things in motion felt deeply satisfying to me. I know a lot of readers will roll their eyes at too many coincidences, but I have a special place in my heart for books that make it seem like the universe knows what it’s doing.

Other People’s Things was a marvelous read, in every sense of the word. I would absolutely recommend it to readers who can cope with the scenes in which Nicole’s soon-to-be-ex gets violent.

I love a book that does magical realism well and this one certainly delivered! It really had it all - themes of romance, redemption, friendship, family, and a little bit of mystery too.

Links to come closer to pub day!

“A magical story about improbable connections, difficult gifts and the unexpected events that heal us and bring us together.”

WOW! What an AMAZING book – a magical adventure - to choose as an introduction to Kerry Anne King’s writing! I was mesmerized within the first few sentences, and she held my attention to the last page. PHENOMENAL skills and a FIVE STAR READ.

Thirty-year-old Nicole Angelica Marie Wood Brandenburg, or Nickle, as “her people” call her, is known as a jailbird, a nutcase, and a failure to launch. She has the best intentions, but somehow, she’s misunderstood by family and friends alike, and always ends up in hot water. She was born with a gift – she can sense the energy left behind on objects and relocates the object from one place to another. She’s honest. She doesn’t steal for her personal gain. She just ‘moves’ things to where they really NEED to be. She was six years old when she relocated her first item and has felt the need to become a “cosmic moving company” ever since! In fact, it’s the reason her marriage is on the rocks.

Roberta, Nickle’s older sister, is the owner of Sunny Side Up Cleaning Services and takes a huge risk in hiring Nicole. She has every reason to believe she’s an incorrigible kleptomaniac but Roberta has a big heart. Unfortunately, the moment Nicole relocates something from one home to another, it costs Roberta. Her reaction is exactly what we’d expect and King uses this to further the plot. Another broken character is introduced who is the catalyst to the Wood family learning to trust and accept each other. The subplot featuring this character is the mystery in this story.

King’s characterization is spectacular. Her characters in this Pacific Northwest setting feel so very authentic. They’re flawed and are embarking on an emotional rollercoaster, and I felt impelled to join them! I noticed that the deeper I became involved in the story, the more willing the characters were to shed their protective façade and become vulnerable. I understood Roberta, I felt Nicole’s pain, I fell in love with Hawk, I loved to hate Kent and my heart broke with the characters in the subplot…all of them.

I rarely enjoy a novel which features a romance. I’ve yet to find an author who can write a saccharine-free love story….until now. I loved the tension and realistic build up to the romance. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I loved the author’s sense of humour. My husband noted how much I was smiling and giggling while I was reading!

A refreshingly unique plot and endearing authentic characters mixed with family drama, mystery and romance makes this a compelling read. It needs to top your TBR list this Fall.

Publishes September 21, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Kerry Anne King, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.