My Book Reviews

All the Water in the World 
Erin Caffell
5 of 5 stars
3/19/2025
When I read a book like this, I wish I could wipe my memory slate clean and read it all over again, enjoying it just as much time after time. What a beautiful, well-written story of a not so distant future when the earth is returning to one big ocean. This book reminds me of "The Light Pirate", which I also loved. It happened in the groves of Florida; this book happens in the steel and concrete world of New York. The author's perception of what could happen and how different personalities evolve is almost clairvoyant. 
If you tire of your little world and want a respite, crawl into this sweet novel. Faith in humanity, stamina when needed, and the hope for good is always a welcome respite.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is January 7, 2025.



The Jackal’s Mistress
Chris Bohjalian
5 of 5 stars
3/15/2025
I always enjoy Chris Bohjalian’s books, and his new novel doesn’t disappoint. Set during the Civil War, Chris breathes life into a cast of characters based on a true story. The book is seeped in human tragedy, forgiveness, and the will to live. Thank you for another enjoyable read, Chris!
Thanks so much to Doubleday Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is March 11, 2025.





Agony Hill
Sarah Stewart Taylor
5 of 5 stars
1/18/2025
Detective Frank Warren is new to the quiet town of Bethany, Vermont. He’s leaving a painful memory behind and choosing to be comfortable in his solitude. His first case is a death by fire, but the circumstances are difficult to unfold.
The victim is a solemn, strict older man with a young wife. They keep busy on the farm raising their four kids until the night he mysteriously perishes while locked in the barn.
Frank’s investigation allows him to meet the townsfolk and determine who is trustworthy, who to avoid, and who may mean harm to him. Surrounded by people and personalities who are well-described, it feels like you’ve moved to town and are meeting them yourself. The dry wit, background stories, and mystery in Ms. Taylor’s writing create an engrossing, atmospheric novel with a variety of emotions: tension, pain, humor, and regret, to name a few. Very well written; and very enjoyable to read.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 6, 2024.


House of Glass
Sarah Pekkanen
4 of 5 stars
11/8/2024
Sarah Pekkanen has written another tense thriller, this one involving my favorite character, an evil child. Stella is a best interest attorney who’s been assigned to review a divorce case for a nine-year-old girl, Rose. Her recommendations will determine who gets custody of the young girl. Bur Rose can’t speak; she saw her nanny crash through an upstirs window and fall to her death. Stella is familiar with this condition, she was similarly affected when she was a child. The police haven’t been able to determine if the nanny’s death was murder or an accident, so they’ve asked Stella to assist in determining what actually happened the day the nanny died. 
There are four people living in the home, and each one had their own reasons for wishing harm on the nanny. But who can Stella trust? Is she safe or is there a reason for her life to be in danger? Just when the reader thinks they’re figuring it out, the author throws in another red herring, making this an enjoyable, fast-paced and exciting read.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 6, 2024.




The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon
The life and Times of Washington’s Most Private Lady
5 of 5 stars
11/5/2024
I remember Mrs. Nixon quietly supporting her husband as he slowly became one of the most unpopular presidents in American history. I never gave much thought to her as a person. This book woke me up. Pat Nixon was an amazing lady, a strong-willed, independent woman who was ahead of her time. The author goes through extensive research, backs up her facts with references, and speaks without judgment. I cringe at how politicians are vilified today, but am shocked to read that during Pat Nixon’s reign in politics, she endured much worse, even being spit upon. I wish Americans had taken the time to know her better.
No matter your political belief, the First Ladies have always been someone’s daughter, someone’s mother, so much more than the shadow standing behind the president. This would be an excellent study for those of us who have trouble remembering that simple truth.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 6, 2024.



Like Mother, Like Daughter
Kimberly McCreight
4 of 5 stars
11/5/2024
I’ve enjoyed two other books by this author, so I was honored to read her new thriller, Like Mother, Like Daughter. Kat is burdened with an unfaithful snake of a husband and a bitter, smart-mouthed young lady for a daughter. Kat misses the earlier years when she and her daughter, Cleo, were close. Nothing she does can get through Cleo’s frozen heart. Until Kat disappears, leaving behind an empty home and a pool of blood.
Cleo immediately takes an about-face. Nothing makes you realize the errors of your ways like losing a parent and never being able to apologize. She’s determined to find out what happened, and in the process, she learns there’s so much more to her mother than she ever imagined. Also, during her dogged pursuit of the truth, she realizes she’s just like her mother. 
Fast-paced, full of twists, compassionate characters, and a stealthy plot, McCreight doesn't disappoint yet again.
Thanks so much to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor / Knopf for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 30, 2024.



We Burn Daylight
Bret Anthony Johnston
4 of 5 stars
11/5/2024
We Burn Daylight is a historical fiction novel based on the events at the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, in 1993. Bret Anthony Johnston creates a character, Jaye, who is forced to live in the compound because of her mother’s desires, and another character, Roy, who lives in Waco with his father, the sheriff. The young kids meet and immediately Roy develops quite the crush for Jaye. He does everything he can to be in her path as often as possible, which is rare based on the control her leader The Lamb has on all occupants of the farm.
Law officers increase their suspicions of what’s going on at the farm. A rumor is strongly suspected that they’re amassing large quantities of firearms and military weapons. Roy and Jaye know it’s just a matter of time before the lid blows off, but Jaye can’t convince her mother to leave. 
The characters are believable, and the plot is, well, we already know how it turns out, but the ending is given a reprieve. I only have one issue with the revised ending; the kids are too young to do what they accomplish. Stranger things have happened, though, and it leaves the legacy of horror in Waco with a sliver of hope. 
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group, Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 30, 2024.


Look in the Mirror
Catherine Steadman
4 of 5 stars
11/5/2024
The Squid Game but centralized in one beautiful British Virgin Island home, hidden away in the vast basement where only the twisted elite have access. Nina finds this gorgeous island home has been left to her in her father’s will. At first, she’s shocked that her father owns a mansion on an island, but as she stays there, it’s just a matter of time before she’s caught in its web. The games are reminiscent of mind games she and her father played when she was a child, but losing a round at this game will cost her a life.
The stakes are high, and the confusion is mind-boggling, but Nina knows the only way she’ll ever live through this cruel and horrible trap is to keep her wits, stay calm, and above all, think.
This is a fun cat-and-mouse game where the mouse is at a huge disadvantage, so you’re pulling for the mouse to win. Fast-paced and full of well-plotted surprises, it kept me enthralled to the end. Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 30, 2024.



A Hunger to Kill
Kim Mager; Lisa Pulitzer
5 of 5 stars
11/5/2024
I’ve become a big fan of true crime and the legal professionals who use their wiles to find the criminals and hold them responsible. This book is written by Kim Mager, a career law enforcement officer who has seen and heard more than the average human mind could wrap itself around. Her writing style is comfortable as if she’s talking to you, and it’s “just the facts, ma'am”.
On September 13, 2006, she was asked to interview a suspect. Little did she know that this would change her career path, sharpen her interrogation skills, and expose a serial killer who had flown under the radar for years. She kept pristine notes and used these to write this compelling book that gives the average person a glimpse of what it’s like to build a relationship with a dangerous criminal to solve heinous crimes and bring resolutions and answers to families. I was glued to her words from beginning to end. This book isn't for the faint of heart but is perfect for true crime enthusiasts, police procedurals, and a study in how to have a heart while working closely with evil.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 16, 2024.



Bright Objects
Ruby Todd
11/5/2024
5 of 5 stars
Sylvia longs to feel emotion again. Since the hit-and-run death of her husband, which remains unsolved, Sylvia has felt nothing. She has narrowed down the culprits, and the law is involved in the cover-up. She’s tightly wound, passing through each day, a ghost of her former self.
A comet is hurtling toward Earth and excites everyone except Sylvia. Even this pending disaster doesn’t change her focus from the murder of her husband. Until she meets the alluring astronomer who discovered the comet, Theo St. John, although he tries to play it down, the comet has been named in his honor.
This debut author has set a most unusual stage for us as we watch people do what they do best- make mistakes, feel inadequate, or on the other side of the spectrum- feel as if they are God and can lead the people. Each page is an unforeseen action, a microscope over an anthill, the erratic scattering increasing as the danger of extinction races across the sky.
I enjoyed this fresh voice, and hope Ms. Todd is working on another captivating read. Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 16, 2024.


Women in the Valley of Kings
Kathleen Sheppard
4 of 5 stars
8/24/2024
Archeology in Egypt has completely evolved over the past century. At one time, anyone and everyone could plunder a historical site and bring home ancient artifacts with no regard for preservation. This free-for-all was slowly tempered down, and most if not all historical sites and excavations are now under strict control. 
What Ms. Sheppard brings to light with this informative book are the unknown women who played a big role in respecting archeological sites, the study of Egyptian history, and the documentation that helped build our knowledge of ancient Egypt. During what was dubbed “The Golden Age of Exploration”, a few women were instrumental in discovering, preserving, and documenting history, but they were never given the credit. Theirs was a tough world to live in; the heavy clothing and cloaks they had to wear in the heat of Egypt, the look and ostracization by the public for these ladies with messy hair, covered in dust, doing what no ladylike woman had any business doing.
With pages of footnotes, hours of study, and eloquent writing, Ms. Sheppard shines a light on these early archeologists, giving them their rightful place in history.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 16, 2024.
Ladykiller
Katherine Wood
4 of 5 stars
8/24/2024
Abby has been best friends with Gia and her brother Benny for years. But lately, she’s seeing a mean streak in Gia and becoming attracted to her little brother Benny. While Benny and Abby are in Switzerland waiting for Gia’s arrival, they become aware of Gia's imminent danger with her new husband. They race to the family home on a remote Greek island, and can only find the diary Gia was writing until she disappeared.
The plot is twisty and surprising. The setting is gorgeous- a beautiful estate on the shores of Greece. There was a bit too much casual sex, and the degradation of the female body was cringeworthy. The suspense was enough to keep me reading, though. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, and Bantam for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 9, 2024.



Whoever You Are, Honey
Olivia Gatwood
4 of 5 stars
8/14/2024
Mitty lives with an older friend of her mother’s, Bethel. They’re at the end of a long line of impressive beach-front homes built by the Silicone Valley rich. Theirs is a rundown shack of a house, though, the bane of the neighborhood, the eyesore. Mitty has lived here for ten years with her head down, her shoulders hunched, a dishwasher at the local pub. She carries the cross of a mistake she made when she was eighteen, a time in her life that brings her shame and self-disgust. And Bethel does little to make Mitty feel any better about herself. 
The big glass “dollhouse” next door has stood empty for years. But finally, an attractive, enigmatic young couple moves in. And since they don’t believe in shades, Mitty can’t help but be captivated by the lives the two live, especially the sex they enjoy with one another. She and Bethel assume the beautiful young lady wants nothing to do with the hags that live next door in the shack. But they’re wrong. When Lena knocks on the door, she enters their world lonely and hungry for the layers of life, the colors, the cluttered world they live in. Soon, they spent time with Lena and her husband, Sebastian. Once the film of glamour and entitlement is lifted from their eyes, they both begin to see how Lena is treated. So when she asks for Mitty’s help, she has no choice but to say yes, even though the friendship mirrors what went so wrong in her life years before.
This is a story of three damaged women; one beautiful stage on the beaches of Santa Cruz. A character study of how women are raised to trust only their beauty, or lack thereof, of the shallow expectations of the basest of men. And the strength it takes to free yourself of those limitations. 
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 9, 2024.



Long Island Compromise
Taffy Brodesser-Akner
3 of 5 stars
8/14/2014
The patriarch of a rich, successful Jewish family is kidnapped for a week. This story delves into the various effects the trauma has on the family over the next forty years. The plot sounded interesting, so I gave it a strong effort. There was so much that I was turned off about, though. The harshness of the mothers/grandmothers, the detailed S&M, the self-pity the kids felt, it was all just a little too overboard for me. But there is an audience out there for this author and her books, so please don’t let my review give you pause. I’m just of the wrong mindset (age?) to appreciate a story whose finger is on the pulse of what’s happening in so many rich families today. Excuse me while I go stick my head in the sand again.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 9, 2024.



Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder
Kerryn Mayne
5 of 5 stars
8/14/2024
We love Lenny. She’s socially awkward, has a good heart, and means well. Her best friend lives in a comedy TV series, which she rewatches ad nauseam. She’s a fantastic school teacher, even though some of her tactics are unorthodox. She rides her bike everywhere, too afraid to drive after losing her foster father. And she kidnaps a dog to save him from further abuse. She’s doing the best she can to deal with her mother’s abandonment. Her foster mom Fay wants Lenny to be more social. So she tries to be buddies with the two most vapid coworkers she could choose. But one evening, she builds up her nerve to attend trivia night at the local pub, and finally, things seem to be moving her way.
This is a beautifully written story of a survivor who doesn’t realize she’s survived. You want to hug her at each turn, and you hate it when the book ends. There are so many layers to Lenny, and watching her come out of her shell is endearing, precious, and heart-wrenching all at the same time. Ms. Mayne, please keep writing. There’s an audience out here starving for the books that still linger in your creative mind.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 9, 2024.



The Blind Devotion of Imogene
David Putnam
3 of 5 stars
8/14/2024
This is a tongue-in-cheek thriller about Imogene, who just came off a 12-year stint for murdering her husband, whom she deeply loves and misses. Imogene has a sad little job and lives in a sad, little apartment, but she still manages to find trouble and keep excitement in her life. From her friends next door in the cat house, to the neighborhood thug, to various friends and not-so-friends who cross Imogene’s path, she just can’t seem to live a boring life, which is bad when you’re on parole.
I enjoyed the plot of this story but found it difficult to follow along with the characters. This book would make a fun comedy crime movie, and I hope someone considers that. But I couldn’t stay focused on the story.
Thanks so much to IBPA, Members’ Titles for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 9, 2024.



The World After Alice
Lauren Aliza Green
5 of 5 stars
8/14/2024
Through the first part of this heart-wrenching story, we meet the people who were affected by Alice’s death ten years earlier. Her brother, Benji, has suddenly announced that he’s marrying Alice’s best friend, Morgan. No one even knew they were seeing one another. His parents have divorced since losing Alice, and in an interesting twist, his mother, Linnie, is now dating Ezra, one of Alice's professors. One that had an inappropriate relationship with Alice. 
This is just the tip of the convoluted relationships that have formed since Alice left. Her dad has a new life with his mistress. Morgan’s dad has an undying love for Alice’s mom. And there are undercurrents of conflicting emotions between the people Alice left behind. 
This story could be a case study of the effects of suicide on the people who remain. Each character has its flaws, some more than others. As the reader, you can’t help but judge whose actions may have contributed to Alice’s choice, who loved her unconditionally, and who never noticed her signals of distress. 
This is a clean-cut, beautifully written, bare-bones study of relationships ten years on, and the individual history each character must live with in the shadow of what Alice left behind.
Thanks so much to Penguin Group- Viking for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 2, 2024.


All the Colors of the Dark
Chris Whitaker
5 of 5 stars
7/31/2024
I love it when a book like this comes along. There’s a path of stepping stones in my book-reading brain. The books that reach me, grip my heart, affect my day, and will earn their own stepping stone. This book has achieved that, and to the point, I hesitate to continue my travels.
Saint is living with her grandmother in a small Missouri town. Saint’s parents died years earlier, so all they have is each other. And Saint is not your typical little girl. She’s rough and tough, doesn’t worry about appearances, could care less about schedules and demands, loves her bee hives, and has one favorite friend. Patch is an outsider like Saint. Small, a bit weak, and has only one functioning eye. He’s convinced himself he’s a pirate; it makes his difference easier to explain. Patch and Saint use their imaginations and enjoy every hour of every day. Until one afternoon when Patch foils an attempted kidnapping and is taken instead. His chances are very slim. There have been other kidnappings over the years; young girls leave and never return, and there’s blood and Patch’s eyepatch where he was last seen. The years that follow that day are not what a reader would expect. The author threw out the boilerplate and created a whole new world evolving around missing children, growing up scarred, being in unrequited love, sacrificing for others, and accepting the crappy hand you are dealt in life.
This book is so much more than a thriller, a mystery, a saga about kidnapped girls. It’s a study of human nature, developing characters, and the torture of time. Sit down with this book. Read a few pages. Do yourself the huge blessing of living with the lives Chris Whitaker has created.
Thanks so much to Crown Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is June 25, 2024.

Pitch Dark
Paul Doiron
4 of 5 stars
7/30/2024
This is the fifteenth book in a series about Game Warden Mike Bowditch, but was easily a fun read for me as a stand alone. He’s a game warden investigator in Maine, so the scenery and setting of the book is gorgeous enough to enjoy this read. 
Mike gets tangled up with the builder of his good friend, bush pilot Josie Johnson. Things just don’t add up, and when a stranger who came looking for the builder disappears, Mike must step in. The builder, Mark Redmond, is a highly skilled craftsman, but there's something not quite right with him. His 12- year old daughter, Cady is a force to be reckoned with on her own. As Mike gets deeper into the mystery, close friends pay the price, and Mike has no clue what’s ahead for him.
This is a fast-paced crime thriller that doesn’t turn you loose until the very end.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is June 25, 2024.


Eye of the Beholder
Emma Bamford
4 of 5 stars
7/30/2024
The author created the perfect setting for this tense thriller. It’s a large, lonely mansion located in the Scottish Highlands, full of windows, cold drafts, unlocked doors and things that go bump in the night. But Maddy, our protagonist, isn’t intimidated. She’s got a job to do and somehow manages to sleep at night in this creepy place. Things are moved, there’s handprints on the glass, and the person who hired her, Dr. Angela Reynolds, a renowned cosmetic surgeon, is elusive and somewhat creepy herself.
But Maddy plugs along at a breakneck speed and manages to meet the deadline only to learn that Dr. Reynolds has pretty much had a book ready to publish all along. And to mark the horrible occasion, on the day of the book launch, Maddy learns that Scott, another tenant of the home who she’s fallen for, has committed suicide on the lonely cliffs outside the manor.
Nothing adds up, and Maddy can’t let it go. Untangling the web of lies and deceit she fell for proves to be more complicated than she imagined, and she has unwittingly placed her own life in danger.
This is a fast-paced and tense thriller and I look forward to more from this new author. On a side note, take time to read about Emma Bamford. She’s lived quite the life by her right.
Thanks so much to Gallery/Scout Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 6, 2024.



Swift River
Essie J. Chambers
5 of 5 stars
Diamond Newberry has determination. She knows life has dealt her a bad hand; she knows the kids at school ridicule her, and most embarrassing of all, her father left and never came back. But she’s determined to get her driver’s license. She says the thought is like a puddle with a river inside it.
One day, Diamond gets a letter from someone who says she’s her Auntie Lena. Through her letters, Diamond learns there’s so much more to her family, things to be proud of. So begins Diamond’s quest to learn as much as she can about her past. It’s a beautiful story, filled with strength and tragedy, a family’s love, and the pain of a family’s secrets. I’m impressed that this is Ms. Chambers debut novel. I look forward to reading more from this bright, new author.
Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.


Shelterwood
Lisa Wingate
4 of 5 stars
Lisa Wingate writes historical fiction usually involving the plight of children during trying times in the United States. Her books shine a light on eras past that we have forgotten, a light that often exposes a part of history people choose to forget.
Her newest novel, Shelterwood, is written about the early 1900’s Oklahoma. The Choctaws were being forced out, their children stolen to be raised with a Christian education. Oil was being discovered, often under land that the Indians or poor Americans owned. Through the stealing, kidnapping, and double-crossing, many children became orphans. And as orphans, they had less rights than a farmer’s mule.
The story focuses on Ollie and Nessa, forced to run to avoid a worse fate. Their path takes them through various obstacles and they cross paths with some colorful people, some good, some horrible.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable book to read, even though some parts are difficult to be made aware of. But this story is based on factual history, which makes it so much more interesting to me.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.


Emily Usher
5 of 5 stars
7/15/2024
Perseverance is the word that best describes our main character, Neef. She’s raised by a poor excuse of a mother, treated like trash by everyone because of her mother, and seen as a sex object due to the actions of her mother. 
When Neef moves to a small Yorkshire town with her stepfather, she meets Danny, who is also treated as an outcast due to being Jamaican and his older brother’s bad history.
These two unwanted souls find acceptance with each other and a deep friendship quickly blooms. But as with everything else in their life, it’s out of their control when they’re separated and forced to hate each other. The story continues to follow Neef for years as she struggles to be something or someone. Her fortune turns when she meets Fionnoula and Ali, a spirited couple who run a restaurant. They give Neef a job and a room upstairs to stay in. Things are looking up, and Neef has created a spot for herself. Until the past shows up and rips out Neff’s heart once again.
A love story of friendship, bonds that save and bonds that pull you down, covering years in the life of Neef. At times you love her, at times you’re screaming at her, but you can’t quit turning the page. 
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.


Rednecks
Taylor Brown
4 of 5 stars
6/16/2024
Taylor Brown did it again. He breathes life into a time in history, and brings the emotions to the surface as if they just happened. His subject with Rednecks is the West Virginia Mine Wars of 1920-1921. You may have never heard of such a war and that’s what makes this book even more enjoyable. It’s a lazy way to learn about some pivotal moments in our nation’s history that we normally would have never known about. And it’s an indepth look at how hard life was for the mining families, and especially the families struggling to survive the terrain of West Virginia. Thank you Taylor, for another historically entertaining read. 
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 14, 2024.


Last House
Jessica Shattuck
5 of 5 stars
6/16/2024
I enjoyed the concept of this story. You take a piece of land located in a remote area of a sparsely populated country and you follow it through the years; the farmers, families, children, crops, animals, good people and greedy people. As the purpose of the land and the ideals of the people living on the land evolved, so too did the nation. But more so, vice versa.
This story elaborates on one specific era. A man made rich in oil buys the land and sells pieces to his closest friends. The idea is no matter what happens in the rest of the world, this establishment will survive. 
Nick Taylor buys into this dream and spends a major part of his children’s childhood living at Last House, learning about crops and nature, about coexisting with nature. But this is in stark contrast to the way Nick and his wife made the money to buy the land. Nick by dealing in oil and arms, his wife by being a covert code-breaker during the war. Their wealth and comfort comes at a cost, and the conscience of their two children questions the ethics of this as they mature. And the land quietly watches.
The Greatest Generation butts heads with the radicals and anti-establishment; the parents versus their children. Told with great insight from both perspectives, vilifying neither, this typical American family, for this particular eighty years, lives on this piece of land. 
Thanks so much to William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 14, 2024.



Same As It Ever Was
Claire Lombardo
4 of 5 stars
6/16/2024
Julia is preparing to celebrate her husband Mark’s 30th birthday. Her oldest son, Ben, drops a bomb that he and his girlfriend are pregnant and they're getting married. Her daughter, Alma, is in that horrible stage of teenage angst, meaning she hates her mother with a passion.
Julia has fought depression her entire life. Her saving grace has been the constant love of her husband, but at one time it was the close friendship she struck up with a total stranger, Helen. She sees Helen in the grocery store after many years. The gamut of emotions Julia feels are slowly unwrapped and displayed to us as we watch her ponder the past, question many decisions she’s made, and discern why she’s never truly ever been happy. 
Still waters run deep, and Julia’s formative years explain a lot about her depression. Her story is terribly sad at times, quirky and quick-witted at others. The talent of an author to create a fictitious person with so much depth and feeling is an impressive art. Claire has breathed life into Julia, and we are standing right beside her as she’s growing up. So much is relatable, and her emotions become our emotions. This, to me, is the true art of an excellent author. I look forward to discovering more of Claire’s worlds that, for now, are still in her creative mind.
Thanks so much to Doubleday Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is June 18, 2024.


Within Arms Reach
Ann Napolitano
5 of 5 stars
6/3/2024
This is a re-issue of Ann’s book, first published in 2004. Ann’s two recent major blockbusters have spoiled us readers- Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward. Please consider that she could write something this good so early in her career, twenty years before she became so popular.
The plot of this story is one she writes so well: generations of family going through life, but told with a microscopic eye on emotions and unsaid words. Where does she get the ideas for the various families she’s peeled open and revealed to us in all their pain and honesty?
Gracie, who was my favorite character, is unmarried and pregnant with no plans to marry. The only family member who seems to understand is the one everyone was afraid to tell- her grandmother, Catherine. Gram is dying, but with the new pregnancy, no one seems to remember. 
Gracie’s parents and the rest of the McLaughlin family are a beehive of emotions, especially Lila, the sister, who's forced to move in with Gracie for strictly financial reasons. 
Ann Napolitano takes a fairly normal family and shows the reader that we all, no matter how calm our lives appear, have binding secrets, blind faith, and good in each of us.
Thanks so much to Dial Press Trade Paperback, for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was April 30, 2024.


Knife River
Justine Champine
5 of 5 stars
3/17/2024
Our protagonist, Jess, tells us the story of her mother’s disappearance when she was a child as she’s taking us back to the sad little town she grew up in. We meet her sister Liz, who’s been frozen in time since the day her mother left. The home, the decor, the dishes, everything is exactly as it was when the sisters’ hearts were broken. They knew their mother loved them. She was beautiful, free spirited, and strong willed. And they know in their hearts that she’s dead. 
They’re brought back together when their mother’s bones are found. It reignites the burning desire in Jess to understand who did this, who committed this heinous crime. Jess and Liz have such different personalities, though. They literally circle each other like prey. Liz wants to keep her head down. Jess wants to scream to the mountains. As these two coexist in their childhood home, so many burned bridges are rebuilt. Yes, a crime needs to be solved, but the story of Jess and Liz is told in bare bones, suffer through it, raw words. This is an excellent emotional read with depth and color.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group, Dial Press, for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 28, 2024.


Safe and Sound
Laura McHugh
5 of 5 stars
4/3/2024
Laura McHugh is officially on my radar. I devoured “The Wolf Wants In” and her new book “Safe and Sound” kept me on edge to the very end. Laura writes in a style that is deeply creepy but full of emotion and kindred spirits. It’s easy to feel close to her characters (or at least the ones we like!)
Meet sisters Amelia and Kylee, who will soon graduate high school and hopefully get out of the sad little town they’ve grown up in. The hollow loss of their favorite cousin Grace when they were younger doesn’t make them any fonder of this town full of secrets.
Bones are found in the woods which reignite the sisters’ hope that they’ll finally know what happened to Grace. The more they question, the more walls they hit. It seems that others in the town want to keep Grace where she is, and would like for these nosy sisters to take it down a notch, get married, have kids, and work in the meatpacking plant. 
Amelia and Kylee have other plans, but their blind luck and bad choices put them in so much more danger than they ever conceived. Well written with likable characters living in a miserable little town that makes the perfect stage for Laura’s newest best seller.
Thanks so much to Random house Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 23, 2024.



Darling Girls
Sally Hepworth 5 of 5 stars
3/17/2024
Three foster girls spend two years together in a hellhole with an evil foster mom, but somehow they manage to grow into responsible adults with not too many hangups. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have stayed close and always considered themselves sisters, the only people who understand each other and what they actually went through. Then one phone call brings it all crashing back down.
A body has been found buried in the basement of the home they all fled as young girls. They’re each considered a suspect along with their foster mother. Once again, they’re thrust together with no choice but to cooperate and help the police solve who died in the home and how this death happened.
Rehashing through horrific flashbacks, the three sisters must relive much of what they’ve worked so hard to leave behind. And Miss Fairchild is still up to her old tricks of conniving, fooling the police, and even more evil than ever.
With characters you hate and others you empathize with, Sally Hepworth has written another thriller that takes you careening through the full gamut of emotions. A must read for thrill seekers.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for the Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 23, 2024.



You Know What You Did
K.T. Nguyen
4 of 5 stars
3/8/2024
When a story is being told from a single POV and that person happens to be unstable, I absolutely love it. Meet Annie, who has OCD, PTSD, anxiety, with a touch of pathological liar thrown in. And she has truly earned each illness the hard way. Her childhood, her mother, the recent death of an acquaintance, and being a suspect of said death. But she’s worked hard and turned her life around. 
In the process, she discovers a new strength in herself: the desire to be with someone she’s attracted to instead of the boring love life she has with her “sort of a schmuck” husband. She has affairs when her husband is traveling for work. She’s feeling independent, strong, and considering how to leave her husband when she wakes up next to her dead lover. Not just dead, but covered in venomous spider bites dead. Here's where the roller coaster really hits the big hills and valleys! 
With a twisty plot, colorful characters, and a guessing game of events, K.T. Nguyen is establishing her place as an up-and-coming author. Keep writing, please! Love this debut novel.
Thanks so much to Penguin Group Dutton for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 16, 2024.



Thorn Tree
Max Ludington
3 of 5 stars
3/8/2024
I really dread giving a 3-star rating. I know the author and publishing company have all worked very hard to get a novel to the review stage. But we’re supposed to be honest, so here goes. 
I tried so hard to get into this novel. It has all the required points: interesting characters, a plot that goes back years, and a beautiful landscape for the stage. But I kept losing the string we’re supposed to pull ourselves along with; the thought, the main backbone, the deepening plot. I feel sure this is unique with me and others will enjoy the story, so please give it a try. I am sorry, but I just couldn’t get there.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 16, 2024.


A Better World 
Sarah Langan
5 of 5 stars
3/7/2024
Linda and her family jump at the opportunity to be accepted into the private community of Plymouth Valley. It’s elitist, separate from the crimes and filth of the outside world, and a huge step up for her husband. What could possibly go wrong? 
To start, they’re shunned by everyone. Ignored, passed over, and the kids are treated horribly at school. And what is this weird bird living in each home’s front yard? It’s gross but must be respected as a holy creature. Linda perseveres and is finally accepted into the community because of her medical skills. Immediately, her husband and kids are all accepted. Things are great now in this perfect utopia. For just a minute.
Now, her husband is terribly distant. Her kids have fallen in with a bad crowd. And Linda’s volunteer work could care less if she has any medical knowledge at all. The more Linda questions, the more she’s warned to put a lid on it. 
There’s a huge yearly celebration coming up called the Plymouth Valley Winter Festival. The people of the town seem to suffer a blend of excitement and fear in anticipation of the event. Linda knows something is terribly wrong with this idyllic community, and the way it’s snatched her family right out from under her. She’s willing to fight to keep them, but she has no clue what they’ve stumbled into. 
Fast-paced, ingenious and written in a snarky tone condemning humans’ cliquish tendencies, this story isn’t similar to anything else you’ve read. Sarah Langdon does it again- gives us an obsessively interesting dark tale that leaves you a bit squeamish about the near future.
Thanks so much to Atria Books for an ARC in return for my honest review. The publishing date is April 9, 2024.



There’s Going to be Trouble
Jen Silverman
5 of 5 stars
2/19/2024
Minnow is a quiet, abiding teacher in her small American community until she chooses to help a young student in a difficult situation. Once exposed, she’s vilified to the point of being forced to move to Paris. Her father, Keen, is devastated; he tried so hard to raise her to fit in and go with the flow. 
Once in Paris, Minnow discovers a new type of attitude in people her age. They’re protesting the government in louder and more elaborate ways. Minnow falls in love with Charles, and supports him and his beliefs with all her heart. Little does she know that she’s mirroring the life of her father, a person she thinks she knows everything about.
Moving from past to present, we meet Minnow’s parents when they fall in love in college. Olya is everything Keen is not, and he loves her for it. But she, like present day Charles, has rebellion in her soul. As we watch Keen’s and Minnow’s mirrored lives scream forward to what can’t be a peaceful future, the parallels prove that blood, unwittingly, is thicker than water. Told from a beautifully neutral viewpoint with vivid characters and plot, this story held my attention to the very last foreboding paragraph.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 9, 2024.



C.J. Tudor
5 of 5 stars
2/16/2024
First and foremost, if you cringe at books involving vampires (vampyrs is the spelling used in this story), walk away. The basis of this book involves vampires living peacefully (somewhat) with humans. Years before, a treaty was reached, and vampires are now protected from mass killings. Our protagonist, Barbara Atkins, works for the enforcement group responsible for monitoring one-on-one cases of vampire-human conflict. And she takes her job very seriously. 
She’s called to the town of Deadhart Alaska, where a human has been killed by a vampyr. If she agrees with that ruling, then a cull, or mass killing, of the nearby vampyr colony is authorized. But Barbara is suspicious; she smells a bat, err, rat. We run alongside Barbara for the next few hectic days trying to solve who did what before the small town and the colony of vampyrs end up killing one another.
The personalities of the people and the vampyrs involved make this an interesting and fast-paced story. The history behind the town and its earlier occupants shed a sad light on the situation Barbara finds herself in. 
This entire format may sound uninteresting to you, but please give it a try. I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and read a book about something I would normally scoff at. Tudor’s writing style adds so much more to this story and its difficult ending.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 9, 2024.



She’s Not Sorry
Mary Kubica
4 of 5 stars
1/20/2024
I love this author, but occasionally, her novel can be a bit confusing. Her most recent novel, She’s Not Sorry, is a twisty and tense story, but there’s a point where I completely lost the thread and never recovered. But it’s still an entertaining plot, and the stage couldn’t be creepier; the ICU unit and a patient who hasn’t regained consciousness. 
Meghan is a single mom of her teenage daughter and working long and demanding hours as an ICU nurse. It doesn’t help her stress and tension that someone has been attacking women near her neighborhood. Meghan’s patient is a young lady who tried to kill herself by jumping off of a bridge over the railroad tracks. Meghan prides herself on keeping her personal feelings out of her job duties. But as she watches her patient’s parents stay bedside and struggle with their daughter’s actions, Meghan can’t help but feel a strong emotional pull. Her feelings cross the line to a personal level, an intensely all-consuming level. With each day of wondering if and when her patient will open her eyes, Meghan enters a mindset that’s not normal or healthy. 
What actually happened that night on the bridge, and how are these events tied to the person attacking women in the area? Keeping her signature tense pace and twisty plot, Mary Kubica entertains the reader to a nerve-wracking ending.
Thanks so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 2, 2024.


Finding Sophie
Imran Mahmood
4 of 5 stars
1/20/2024
Imran Mahmood will certainly leave you guessing throughout his new book, Finding Sophie. Sophie is seventeen, and her parents make one major mistake in their discipline of her. She leaves the house angry and has been missing for six weeks.
We’re told the story through alternating perspectives; from her mother, Zara and her father, Harry. They’re fixated to an unhealthy degree on the neighbor in #210. He refuses to answer the door. He has strange habits, and his behavior is hiding something.
We follow the thoughts of each parent as they both become more and more determined to make their neighbor talk. Individually, each parent is steadily losing it. They’ve driven themselves from each other. They're no longer working, barely eating, not sleeping. It’s a recipe for disaster. 
It’s no shock when the man in #210 is found murdered. Now for the tedious part- the Court must determine which, if either, parent is guilty. Did they work together, or have they developed an elaborate scheme to cast doubt on each other?
With a fast-paced plot and an ingenious ending, this book is perfect for crime sleuths.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Bantam for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is March 5, 2024.


After Annie
Anna Quindlen
5 of 5 stars
12/21/2023
I just love this author. As I was reading her new book, I kept asking myself, has Anna recently lost someone very dear? How else does she have her finger on the pulse of how each individual family member will react? How does she reach into their psyche and understand each person’s unique response to death? She definitely hits you in the heart.
Ali is the oldest of four siblings. She has great parents. Both are attentive, loving, and stay active in their children's lives. Until dinner one evening, when everything changes in the blink of an eye.
Ali, her three brothers, her father, and her mother’s best friend are each studied in this novel about human emotion. I couldn’t read it fast enough. There was never a point where I rolled my eyes and disagreed with the author. I finished and felt like I knew this family. They’re real, they may live down the street. Those are the signs of a very well-written contemporary novel.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is February 27, 2024.

Bye, Baby
Carola Lovering
4 of 5 stars
12/21/2024
As usual, Carola Lovering does not let me down. Her new book about a best friend who feels left behind is a high-wire act of a tense thriller. 
Billie West seems like an intelligent, friendly young woman who thrives at her job as a travel agent. She’s a bit miffed that her best friend since childhood, Cassie Barnwell, has left her behind as Cassie becomes a famous influencer. Not only has Cassie left her behind, she intentionally rubs Billie’s face in it. As Billie reminisces about the close friendship the two young girls had, and the one terrible secret she keeps for Cassie, she slowly becomes more and more agitated. Her behavior becomes creepy, stalker-type, unstable. Then, in a moment of weakness, Billie takes the one thing that will knock Miss Cassie to her knees. She steals Cassie’s baby.
Billie is now needed by Cassie, and stays by her side as Cassie recovers from the horror. The tension grows, the Psycho knife theme plays, and I can’t turn the pages fast enough. This is a train wreck that can’t end well. But leave it to Carola to write a final chapter that no one will see coming. Definitely a must-read for mystery & thriller readers.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is March 5, 2024.




Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead
Jenny Hollander
4 of 5 stars
12/10/2023
This is an easy and quick-paced read following a group of friends as they meet and form their cliques in college. They were all present when a murder-suicide occurred on campus, dubbed the “Scarlett Christmas”. Told from the viewpoint of Charlie, who some called a survivor while others considered her a witness. She lost three of her friends, and is haunted by what actually happened that night compared to the witness statement she gave.
Jumping from past to present, it revives the events leading up to the fateful night. Just as I would feel sure I knew who was evil, then a red herring is tossed my way. I was a bit confused and would have done better if I had kept a character log while reading. But thanks to the miracle of the Kindle file, I’m able to search by name and quickly review all I needed to know about a particular character. This was a twisty thriller with an unexpected end.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur, for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is February 6, 2024.

I Am Rome (Julius Caesar, #1)
Santiago Posteguillo
5 of 5 stars
12/9/2024
“I Am Rome” is historical fiction, not to be confused with an encyclopedia, or a reference work. It’s based on the life of Julius Caesar, but with the added imaginative details provided by the author. He added these imaginative details for the reader's entertainment. His narrative creativity made this book interesting enough for me to read it through without it slipping out of my hands. 
I’m fascinated by Julius Caesar, but am never disciplined enough to read reference books about him. This novel, granted with some added flare, kept my interest. And common sense tells me that conversations that were held between Julius and his wife while in the bedroom are pure speculation, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story plot their intense love affair created.
Filled with anecdotes, battles, trials, and tribulations that developed Julius into the man who faced Senator Dolabella (what a brute and a pig) in the courtroom.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is March 5, 2024.


The Other Year (audiobook)
Rea Frey
5 of 5 stars
2/25/2024
I listened to this book while on break at the beach. The theme of the story occurs at the beach, so immediately I felt connected. The concept involves one traumatic incident, but two very distinct results, called Timeline One and Timeline Two. The narrator, Brittany Pressley, does such an excellent job conveying the emotion of each unique path. This is one reason I preferred to listen to the audiobook instead of reading it myself. Her tone alone helped delineate each set of circumstances. It's written well; thoughtful and thought provoking. I would highly recommend this book, but to make it even better, get the audiobook.
Thanks so much to Harper Muse for an audio copy in return for my honest review. The publishing date was August 15, 2023.





Under the Storm
Christoffer Carlsson
5 of 5 stars
12/8/2024
I love stories located in other lands. I can visit, feel the weather, learn the habits, listen to the forms of speech, stay in their homes, eat their food, and feel their pain without leaving the comfort of my reading chair. And I absolutely love this young author. It’s one of my life’s goals to read every one of his books. Well, one of many.
This story takes place in Marbäck, Sweden. A sweet young lady, Lovisa, is found murdered inside her burned out home. The crime haunts a recently retired Officer Vidar Jörgensson. He feels sure they overlooked something in the rush to arrest Lovisa’s boyfriend, Edvard. And Edvard’s young nephew, Isak, feels the worst effect of the murder. He is taunted, isolated, and angry. 
As Vidar refuses to believe in Edvard's guilt, the stress over the years affects his home, his health, and his relationship with others in the small town. The years are especially cruel to Isak as he chooses the wrong path, has no respect for himself or others with one exception, a lonely horse who stands in the field each day waiting for him to walk by.
The beautiful way these lives connect over time is what makes this book a must read. It reads like poetry, but is a study in human nature. A book that leaves you hurting for the characters long after you’ve finished.
Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group- Random House, Hogarth for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is February 17, 2024.



The Guest
B.A. Paris
4 of 5 stars
12/7/2023
This is a story of an idyllic happy home and just how quickly things can go to pot. Iris and Gabriel have built a solid and happy home with their daughter, Beth, who is in Greece volunteering at a dog shelter.
Gabriel is on an early morning run and discovers a former student, 18-year-old Charlie, who has fallen into an old limestone quarry. He’s seriously injured, but can mutter a few words before death. Words that are filled with anger and blame. It crushed Gabriel with guilt. He’s presented with a moral dilemma he’s not prepared for. We’ll label this scene the foreshadowing because everything after this point goes downhill quickly.
Laure, a long-time friend, suddenly shows up, angry and distraught. She’s just learned that her husband Pierre has a child out of wedlock. She overstays her welcome quickly, wearing Iris’s clothes, bemoaning her marriage, then worst of all, flirting with the gardener, a man of a very questionable past. 
Through all of this, Iris tries to maintain some level of normalcy. She meets their new neighbors, who are a breath of fresh air and a break for everyone’s tension. But Pierre is ignoring his wife, refusing to meet with Gabriel, and Charlie’s mother is asking to meet with Gabriel to discuss Charlie’s last few minutes of life. 
What was once idyllic has now become a house of doom and gloom. And through it all, Iris does what is needed to maintain a sense of normalcy. Ignoring all the surrounding calamities, she’s determined to keep her home safe and happy for her family. But at what costs?
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is February 20, 2024.



Nowhere Like Home
Sara Shepard
4 of 5 stars
12/7/2023
Lenna and Rhiannon have a history, and some parts aren’t worth reminiscing about. They also had a common friend, Gillian, who fell to her death while hiking. They’ve been estranged from one another for years, when suddenly Lenna gets a call from Rhiannon asking to meet. 
The end result: Leena takes her baby, who is colicky, ignoring that she's showing all the symptoms of postpartum depression, and travels across the country to visit a new age home for mothers. 
Getting the reader to this point in the book is a little slow and scattered, but once Leena gets to the compound, the tense reading speed shifts to high gear.It’s clear that something isn’t quite right with the group home. It’s isolated, fenced-in, no phones allowed and absolutely no visitors. Leena quickly begins efforts to return home, but undoing what she’s agreed to isn’t so simple. 
As the various residents display odd and unusual behavior, the tension grows to a fever pitch.
I enjoyed the character building, the atmosphere in a roasting desert, and the twisty ending. Ms. Shepard never fails to entertain with her tales of scheming, sneaky young women.
Thanks so much to Penguin Group- Dutton for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is February 20, 2024.



Twenty-Seven Minutes
Ashley Tate
4 of 5 stars
12/6/2023
Grant lost his sister one rainy night ten years ago in a wreck on the bridge, a bridge the town is going to tear down. An elderly lady just lost her life there, and the town feels like it's time to demolish the problem. But the attention has opened old wounds, especially for the survivors. 
Becca was in the truck with Grant the night Phoebe died, and has stuck by him all these years. Their story is missing 27 minutes, though, and June, whose brother Wyatt also disappeared that night, wants to know the truth. 
As tensions increase while the town prepares to vote on the bridge demo, Wyatt returns to his childhood home. He’s not well, though, and he has a lot to say before he’s gone again. 
Told from four viewpoints across ten years, the mystery, sadness, and horror of that night will eventually come to light.
Thanks so much to Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is January 30, 2024.

Diva
Daisy Goodwin
4 of 5 stars
11/27/2023
I’m so glad I asked to read and review this historical fiction based on the life of Maria Callas. I only knew her as the girlfriend who was scorned in 1968 by Ari Onasis when he suddenly met and married Jackie Kennedy. This was big news back then, a scandal of sorts. The public felt nothing but sympathy for Jackie, so no one acknowledged how Maria must have felt.
Maria was so much more than her brief time with Ari. Her talent, determination, and structured lifestyle to support her beautiful soprano voice is detailed ‌in this story, and she was quite the amazing woman. While reading this, I saw an article that they opened a museum in Greece in October of this year, honoring her 100th birthday. It’s a fabulous museum, and her career as one of the most influential opera singers in the 20th century. And you don’t have to be interested in opera to enjoy this. Maria’s history on its own will astound and entertain you.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is January 23, 2024.



The Heiress
Rachel Hawkins
5 of 5 stars
11/27/2023
As with any of Rachel Hawkins’ books, you enter the story on the first page and you live through each event. Her staging, character creation, her quick wit and cunning will keep you entombed until the final page. Only then may you leave.
In “The Heiress”, Rachel takes the reader to a gloriously run-down mansion in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. Cam. who’s adopted mother has passed, isn’t happy about inheriting the mess, mainly because he doesn’t feel like fighting with his kin who now reside there. He has no choice but to go, so he takes his happy-go-lucky, down-to-earth wife with him to help keep him sane. Jules tries to play it cool, but she can’t contain her awe when she lays eyes on the home. Even with its needed repairs, it's a beautiful and extravagant manor. Let the feuds and back-stabbing begin.
Through an intricate web of past and present, the true nature of all involved is slowly exposed. The history of Cam’s mother, Ruby (the heiress), is colorful, entertaining and reminiscent of finer times. The remaining family’s opinion of her is less than stellar. And each day it gets worse, then less safe. 
This is a fun read for anyone drawn to thrillers, mysteries, Gothic, and family jealousy.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is January 9, 2024.





One of the Good Guys
Araminta Hall
4 of 5 stars
11/27/2023
I read this as a tongue-in-cheek thriller poking fun at men who think they’re fully aware of male toxicity, and avoid it at all costs, but in reality, they’re the most toxic of all.
This describes the main character, Cole. He’s just moved to the seaside in order to rethink his life. He’s thrilled to meet another newcomer, Leonora, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that she’s attractive. They hit it off and are soon visiting each other every day. And she’s so darn cute. Cole does everything in his power to gain her love and respect, because they need to start making babies now. Because she’s good stock for a mother. But then a series of events puts Cole under suspicion. From the police, the townsfolk, and the pretty new neighbor. This is where the fun begins.
With a series of who’s manipulating who, this is a quick and entertaining read that made me chuckle. The ending was a bit off, and suddenly got complicated, but I love the writing style and plan to read more from Ms. Hall.
Thanks so much to Zando, Gillian Flynn Books, for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is January 9, 2024.



Northwoods
Amy Pease
5 of 5 stars
11/24/2023
I can hear you rolling your eyes after you read the book's description. Another alcoholic soldier drama that tears at your heart but all ends beautifully, right? No. This novel goes so much deeper than that, but in a manner that sneaks up on you. 
Yes, Eli North is an alcoholic who’s employed because his mama hired him. It takes a bit to even care about him; he’s so worthless at his meal ticket job. But read on. He doesn’t want our pity, and his mama would knock you on your keester if you pitied her. She’s tough enough to do it. And she refuses to give up on her son when everyone around her thinks she’s a fool.
Eli ever so slowly responds to a radio call late one night, assuming it’s another noise complaint on the lake. He finds, in the hull of a boat floating off the dock, the body of a young man who had the entire world ahead of him. Unable to turn a drunk eye on this young man’s life, Eli digs deep into his former military police days in an effort to solve the murder. It’s not all smooth sailing; Eli is fighting a demon who has his claws sunk deep into him. You’re going to feel anger towards Eli, then probably his mother, because he seems like such a waste of skin. And that’s what makes this book so worthwhile.
The eloquent writing, the subtle glimpses of light, then dark, cause an emotional reaction to the reader. The tug and push of Eli’s internal war while fighting a new kind of war on his homeland won’t cause you to pull for the good guy. He’s still not a good guy in your eyes. But you will be feeling a whirlwind of varying emotions as you turn the pages. So worth your time to read.
Thanks so much to Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is January 9, 2024.


The Porcelain Maker
Sarah Freethy
4 of 5 stars
11/2/2023
This beautifully written historical fiction is set during World War II and the implementation of Hitler’s Final Solution. Two young and highly talented artists, Bettina and Max, meet and begin a whirlwind romance which inadvertently takes them into the mouth of the lion, the city of Berlin.
Bettina is safe, but Max is Jewish and it doesn’t take long for him to be reported and sent to Dachau. The only surviving grace for Max is his extraordinary talent with designing porcelain. Because of this, he’s allowed to work in the shop and survive slightly better than the other inmates.
Bettina pretends to move on with her life, when in reality she is doing whatever it takes to bring herself closer to Max, including marrying a German officer.
We follow these two, each as much in love as the day they met, while they do whatever little is possible to be close and survive the terrors of war. Tense, sensitive, and full of highs and lows, their love story could easily have happened in reality.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is November 7, 2023.


When I’m Dead
Hannah Morrissey
4 of 5 stars
11/2/2023
This is the third book of the Black Harbor series, but can easily be read as a standalone.
Rowan, the city’s medical examiner, and her husband Alex, a detective, are so caught up in the murder of their daughter’s friend that they leave her school production early. As their guard is down, their own daughter, Chloe, disappears. 
Searching for clues while trying to forgive themselves for their own inactions, they each learn hints from other school friends and their mothers that leave them wondering, was their daughter who they thought she was? Were they really that disconnected from their own family and each other?
The clues are scarce, and each seems to discount the next, meanwhile the clock is ticking. And even you, the reader, won’t hear from Chloe during these tense hours, leading you to believe the worst. There are no happy harbingers here, just a very bleak outlook for the young girls of Black Harbor.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was October 31, 2023.


Search History
Amy Taylor
4 of 5 stars
11/3/2023
Amy is young and hopeful, full of potential at her new job, new apartment and, most of all, a new boyfriend….maybe. But Amy has a personality disorder, one she’s not at all aware of and would deny vehemently if confronted with the accusation. She searches for any tidbit about a person that she can find, and at the moment, her new boyfriend is under the magnifying glass. 
Full of oblivious humor, bordering on dangerously sociopathic, and pretending to be as natural and sincere as can be, Amy has no idea who she actually is, but is really great at assuming other peoples’ traits.
This is a quick, fun read poking fun at the dating scene suffered by young adults since the advent of the internet, Facebook, and multiple dating apps.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Random House, Dial Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is November 7, 2023.


This House of Grief
Helen Garner
5 of 5 stars
11/2/2023
Helen Garner writes about true crime from the most ambiguous viewpoint, which makes her books so intriguing and thought-provoking. At no point does Helen try to sway your opinion. She doesn’t drop little snide hints (although this crime had thousands of opportunities to do so), and she doesn’t show one party in a more positive light than the other. At the end of this novel, I was thinking, “Oh, sure, even a blind mouse can tell who’s the guilty one here”, but later in the quiet, my mind returned to the individuals involved and I questioned my own quick conclusions. In short, Helen makes you an independent juror, and the weight of your decision makes you feel as if it’s real. 
Father’s Day 2005, Robert, who is estranged from his wife Cindy, is returning the kids after a visit. A horrible accident happens on the way home, and the three boys are lost forever. Cindy’s initial response, of course, is shock and horror. After some time, though, she develops a forgiving soft spot for Robert, and stands by his side when the authorities question him as a suspect.  
The investigation turns up some interesting behaviors and questionable actions. Friends and family are both divided and strongly opinionated about what actually happened. Helen dives deeper into the backgrounds of the parties involved, and her revelations clarify some suspicions, but they shoot an arrow right into the heart of others. Meanwhile, you, the reader, are not being spoon-fed and directed at what to think. Your thoughts of the incident follow you long after you’ve set the book aside. Your decision weighs as heavily on you as some people who actually bore the burden.  
This is a fabulously written account of true crime, the legal proceedings, and the questions that linger long after the gavel hit the bench. 
Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was October 10, 2023. 





The Intern
Michele Campbell
4 of 5 stars
10/14/2023
Another fast-paced thriller from Michele Campbell! This plot has multiple perspectives. One viewpoint: Madison Rivera, who can't believe her luck when she gets an internship with a judge she’s respected since high school. The other viewpoint: Judge Kathryn Conroy, who’s worked hard to get where she is, surviving insurmountable odds. 
Told in a nonlinear timeline, it may get confusing but stick with it. The timelines will meet, and it all makes sense. From time to time, you’ll mistrust or dislike both Madison and her mentor, Judge Conroy. They actually have a lot in common, including the keen ability to be calculating, scheming and shrewd. But who’ll get the upper hand? Will Madison lose her new career as a lawyer before it even begins? Will Judge Conroy allow herself to be knocked off her throne by her innocent young intern? 
The pace is excellent; no boring wordiness and no dull moments. This new thriller by Michele is a must-read for mystery enthusiasts.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was October 3, 2023.



The Stranger Upstairs
Lisa M. Matlin
5 of 5 stars
10/8/2023

What a fun and twisty debut thriller! I’m so glad Lisa quit playing drums and started writing. Her novel, “The Stranger Upstairs”, is told in first person from Sarah, who denies that she may have a drinking problem. She and her husband have gone deep in debt to buy the Black Wood House, the scene of a horrible murder/suicide. Her husband isn’t as positive about the project and there’s strife in the marriage that has moved to the new home with them. They also brought Sarah’s grumpy cat, Reaper. 
Reaper is the first to alert Sarah that something’s not right with the house. He sits at the base of the attic access and stares. And the attic stinks horribly. The workers are not cooperative and workplace accidents are a common occurrence. The neighbors are rude and extremely odd in their treatment of the new neighbors. And Sarah knows she’s crazy thinking it, but she swears the house hates her.
Each day, things get worse, yet Sarah continues to go to the same bedroom where the murder/suicide took place, close her eyes and sleep. This is where you, the reader, start screaming at her to get out. But there’s another side of Sarah that is slowly eking through. A side we don’t especially like. 
Each morning is a new day for bad news, and each night Sarah stays, going against logic, common sense, and our (the readers) nonstop warnings. The author has definitely set a stage for a page-turning, fast-paced thriller. This debut simply must be put on your “to read” list. Even the house says so…
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Delacorte Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was September 12, 2023.


Out There Screaming
Jordan Peele
4 of 5 stars
10/14/2023
Anyone who’s enjoyed Jordan Peele’s movies, Get Out, Us and Nope will love this collection of horror stories assembled by Peele. He gives various horror writers a stage to showcase their work, and the end product is multi-faceted and addictive. I can easily see any of these becoming Peele’s next blockbuster film. 
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was October 3, 2023.


Midnight Showing (Malice Compendium #2)
Megan Shepherd
3 of 5 stars
10/10/2023
This is the follow-up novel to Malice House by Megan Shepherd. While some books in a series can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, I think the reader will understand and appreciate this one more if Malice House is read first. The home, its history, and her father’s legacy are further explained in the first book, adding key elements of horror to the second book.
Haven and her newly discovered sister Kylie are in search of clues into their family’s curse. Haven can’t draw and Kylie can’t write. If either does, the curse gives life to whatever entity they’ve created. Some entities are irresistible and some are pure terror. 
Megan Shepherd has an exceptional talent for creating an environment of fear and the writing prowess to breathe life into her characters. I loved Malice House and enjoyed the follow-up, but the pace was a bit slower with a little more chatter, which took away from the tense atmosphere. I highly recommend both for any horror readers. 
Thanks to Hyperion Avenue for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was October 3, 2023.





The Breakaway
Jennifer Weiner
5 of 5 stars
8/19/2023
It’s so easy to live inside the plots of Jennifer Weiner’s books. She gives the characters depth and feelings and the settings are well-described. I’ve enjoyed this feature with every Jennifer book I’ve read, and her newest novel, “The Breakaway” was just as relatable. 
Abby loves to ride her bike. On brief trips or long rides, that’s where she’s the most comfortable. She struggles with self image, so the freedom of her bike is comforting.
Abby is offered a job at the last minute to guide a bike trip from New York to Niagara Falls. She has a lot on her mind and accepts the offer, hoping the time on the bike and the change in scenery will help her make some tough decisions. But she’s surprised when she sees that a former onetime date is attending. The tension between the two is apparent immediately. Abby is equally upset to learn that her mother, whom she’s distant with, has joined the ride.
As the ride progresses, the little white lies and secrets of the different riders slowly unfold. The mix of issues, personalities, feelings, and the difficulty of the ride combine to make an entertaining trip. As always, Jennifer makes it so easy to feel like the reader is riding along.
Thanks to Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 29, 2023.


North of Nowhere
Allison Brennan
4 of 5 stars
8/18/2023
I had not read an Allison Brennan mystery before, so I’m excited about the opportunity to read and review “North of Nowhere”. This is a fast-paced thriller set in the mountain wilderness of Montana. Kristin and Ryan, sister aged 16 and brother aged 11, have looked up to Tony as their father figure for the past five years. He was a hitman for their real father until he realized their lives were in danger and escaped with the kids; living in hiding ever since.
But Boyd, their true father, has caught on to their trail and is fast behind them as they attempt to escape. Their plane crashes in the wilderness of the mountains, and there’s a severe snowstorm on its way. Also searching for them is the sheriff, Tony’s employer, the kids’ aunt, and a couple more unsavory characters.
The woods are full of hunters, some there to kill, some to save. But in the middle of a blinding snowstorm, it’s impossible to tell who to trust. This is a tensely paced with some heartwarming moments and a few twists that keep you guessing.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press- Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 8, 2023.

Dark Corners
Megan Goldin
8/18/2023
I’m a sucker for Megan Goldin’s books, and I’m devoted to her character, Rachel Krall, a true crime podcaster. Her first Rachel book, “Night Swim”, was easily a 5-star for me. Her second book, “Dark Corners”, is even better. The two books are stand alone, so don't feel obligated to start at #1. Just feel obligated to do yourself the favor of reading them both.
A suspected serial killer, Terence Bailey, has served his time plus four more years. He’s about to walk at the horror of law enforcement and the families of victims. The FBI asks Rachel for help when a social influencer, Maddison, who visited Terrence in prison, goes missing. 
Rachel jumps at the chance, even though the danger to her is imminent. She attends an influencer conference to learn more about Maddison and it isn’t long before more people disappear.
Just learning about the lifestyles and personalities of social influencers is enough to make this book worth reading. I didn’t know what a cutthroat industry it could be. The attendees at the conference are beyond self-centered and egotistical to the point of ludicrous. But I digress. Back to the mystery. Rachel is quick-witted and smart. She combines her efforts with the procedural intelligence of FBI Agent Martinez, placing them both in the race to save another victim’s life.
With twists, dry wit, knowledge and creative plot, Goldin writes another fantastic thriller.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 8, 2023.

Saving Myles
Carl Vonderau
3 of 5 stars
8/18/2023
I love the plot of this book and the author’s writing style. But there were some weak points and a stretch of imagination that brought the book down in my rating.
Wade and his estranged wife Fiona are trying to share the responsibility of raising their son, Myles. After some tough love decisions, they learn quickly that Myles didn’t learn any life lessons in his boot camp. He’s kidnapped by the cartel in Mexico while conducting a drug deal. 
When the ransom demand comes in, the couple is forced to try some unorthodox ways to come up with the money. What sounded like their only choice turns out quickly to be very ill-advised.
Through the negotiations, the character development of the main characters falls shallow. Myles, in particular, displays as a son we would all cringe to deal with- he’s arrogant, self-absorbed, and horribly spoiled. His parents' actions and how they respond to stress is an obvious sign that they helped create this desperate young man.
As the suspense winds down, the belief that true young love can be found in 2-3 weeks; a love that you should marry and spend the rest of your life with casts a silly pall over the plotline.
I stayed with the book and completed it. I was interested in how the plot unfolded and what would happen in the end. But I would shy away from recommending this to a friend.
Thanks to Oceanview Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 15, 2023.




California Golden
Melanie Benjamin
5 of 5 stars
8/3/2023
Writing an eloquent and well-deserved review for an outstanding author is difficult for someone like me. Someone who hasn’t learned proper grammar, good sentence structure, sentences that flow like a stream. But here I am, struggling along to describe this beautiful contemporary novel by Melanie Benjamin. I just can’t do it justice. So, please, just stumble along with me.
The Donnelly’s, a mother and two daughter team, are known along the coast and in Hawaii for their outstanding surfing skills. But the toll paid by each behind the scene is crippling. Mother Carol is unusual. She doesn't dress up to go out in public; normally she’s wearing her bathing suit. Her shoulders and arms are muscular and toned, her hair is, well, beach hair all day, every day. Mindy and Ginger, two years apart, starve for their mom’s love. They decide to show a great interest in surfing so mom will spend time with them. It works, but all other aspects of their earlier life are thrown to the side, including school, friends, and their dad.
Mindy and Ginger are very different. Because of this, they pick different paths with the life they’ve been given. This is where Ms. Benjamin’s writing shines. She breathes life into each person. We can feel what they feel, be it joy, pain, success, anger, or regret. And there’s a full spectrum of emotions you’ll go through as you read. In the author’s notes, she mentions a surfing family that she found inspiration in. She gives us a glimpse of what life could be like as a strong female athlete in a man’s world. Kudos, Ms. Benjamin.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Delacorte Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 8, 2023.


The Freedom Clause
Hannah Sloan
5 of 5 stars
8/2/2023
The description of this novel didn’t grab my attention at first. Then I read it’s a debut by Hannah Sloan, and I’m a sucker for debut novels. They’re a fresh voice, a new perspective, uncharted territory, so to speak. 
From the first page, Sloan builds her two main characters, Daphne and Dominic. They’re bored in their marriage, and even though it crushes Daphne’s soul to do it, she agrees to a Freedom Clause. This allows each partner one night a year with someone else. 
What develops from this clause is an eye-opening series of events for each of them. But the paths they’re taken down are completely different. One makes a major job-affecting error, the other is offered a ladder to success. One develops a new level of self-respect, the other is amazed at how hard it is to get someone to sleep with them. There’s so much more to know.
I absolutely love the characters in this book, and I snickered at various places due to how their newfound freedom affects each. This is a glorious story of finding oneself, rising above anger, and finally realizing what a wonderful person you’ve always been.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 25, 2023.



Gone Tonight
Sarah Pekkanen
5 of 5 stars
8/2/2023
I love everything this author has written and her new book, “Gone Tonight” keeps the standard held high. The story follows Ruth, a mother losing her memory, and her daughter Catherine, who is excited to move away. Ruth refuses to tell Catherine who her father is, but Catherine searches for him behind her back. She doesn’t understand all the “cloak and daggers” lifestyle they’ve lived, and is determined to find out what’s truth and what’s fiction.
As Ruth’s illness progresses, Catherine reads and studies everything she can about it. Catherine is stunned to read an almost identical play-by-play of episodes her mother has had with her forgetfulness. She knows she’s being manipulated, and she’s going to fight back. The more she learns, the more she realizes everything she thought she knew about her mother is a lie. And meanwhile, her mother remains quiet, calculating, and conniving. Is the truth something to fear?
Tense from the first paragraph with an interesting twist near the end, I will gladly add this to my list of 5-star reviews for Sarah.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 1, 2023.


The Block Party
Jamie Day
4 of 5 stars
8/2/2023
Jamie Day envisions a neighborhood where virtually everyone is hiding a secret and no one knows how to mind their own business. From Alex, an alcoholic who hasn’t realized it yet, to her daughter Lettie, an outcast with a sweet soul who can’t keep her eye off of Jay, the new hunky guy neighbor.
Sprinkled throughout the story are colorful characters: the voluptuous widow maker, the weird controlling dad, the picture perfect dad, Alex’s sister and her family, and various other forceful personalities. Jamie also uses references from a community page to tell us what things look like from the outside, and this is hilarious!
A murder happens, and we’re flashed back a year to untangle the tales. Jamie well describes each character. Some you’ll like, some you won’t. And you’ll probably change your mind about them as the story unfolds. This is a story about a neighborhood you would never want to live in, but it’s so fun pulling back the curtain and being nosy!
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 18, 2023.



Little Monsters
Adrienne Brodeur
5 of 5 stars
7/18/2023
I make a point not to jump on the bandwagon of trending books. I like to go into the read and my review with an open mind. I tried that with Adrienne Brodeur’s new novel “Little Monsters”. Just a few pages in, I knew this was going to a 5-star satisfying read. 
Abby Gardner, who lost her mother as a child,  is an aspiring artist, waiting to be discovered. Her paintings are dark, multi-layered, open to interpretation. It’s obvious she’s fighting demons, although her personality and attitude seem positive and wholesome. Abby’s brother Ken, on the other hand, is angry, money hungry, never quite satisfied and married to Abby’s best friend. Reigning over these two is Adam, the bipolar father who’s approaching his 70th birthday and decides to celebrate by stopping his meds. It’s really the only way he can speak with the humpback whales, so obviously he’s doing the right thing. Slowly spinning around this nucleus of a family is Steph. She has recently learned that Adam is her birth father and is slowly inserting herself into their lives.
This story is set in the beautiful landscape of Cape Cod. I’ve never been there, probably never will be able to, but while reading this novel, I was there and was able to watch the events unfold. 
There’s a deep dark past for the kids, and Ms. Brodeur is absolutely superb in her art of foreshadowing. I will gladly recommend this to readers who love stories about family dynamics, mental health, and childhood trauma.
Thanks to Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was June 27, 2023.

Fireworks Every Night
Beth Raymor
5 of 5 stars
7/18/2023
Bless this young lady and her younger self- as we meet each one through alternating timelines we can’t help but say that. CC, named after her dad’s favorite bourbon, doesn't realize as a child that things aren’t normal. She doesn’t know any different. But things are far from normal, and her survival can be credited to her optimistic attitude and resilient sense of humor.
CC is the youngest of two girls. Her dad is a car salesman, her mother is a beauty queen wanna-be. Their dealership, which includes their trailer home, burns to the ground. Dad loads them in a car, gets lost, ends up at a new subdivision site, and is told if he doesn’t mind the rattlesnakes (while the man has a dead rattlesnake under his shovel), the place would be perfect for raising kids. Sold. Just like that. In record speed, they build a fancy home, complete with a swimming pool, hot tub and slide. All from the insurance payouts for what may have been arson. But CC doesn’t see all of that. She sees the turquoise of the pool. Her entire life is seen through these shaded glasses. Even though she is learning that life was wrong, unfair, brutal to her sister, tough for her, and all because she was born to horribly dysfunctional parents, CC still perseveres.
This book is about growing up in unfathomable living conditions, but you’ll still snicker and smile as you see life through CC’s eyes. You’ll want to cry for her, but she won’t let you quit smiling.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was June 27, 2023.





Dead of Winter
Darcy Coates
4 of 5 stars
7/16/2023
Christa and her boyfriend Kiernan are on a bus traveling up the mountainside to spend a few days in a beautiful retreat. A fallen tree stops them, then a horrible snowstorm hits. Christa is separated from Keirnan but is able to make her way to a small cabin where she finds the rest of the tour group. Christa’s primary concern is getting back out there and finding Keirnan, but the murder of the trip guide changes her focus.
Unexplained things continue to happen with cruel regularity. The days go by, the food runs out, and the remaining few are infighting. Just as you think you’ve figured out this “Agatha Cristy” type of tale, the author throws a wrench in your theory. The pace is super-quick, the actions and thoughts of Christa keep you on your toes, and the description of the cold is painstakingly descriptive. If you love who-done-its, this is your next read.
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was July 11, 2023.

The Spare Room
Andrea Bartz
4 of 5 stars
7/16/2023
This is my third Andrea Bartz book, but definitely won’t be my last. She writes with such painful honesty, saying the things most people would leave unsaid. She had a lot to shock the average older woman (me) in this book, and I couldn’t put the book down. 
Kelly is bored with her fiance to the point that she walks out when the wedding plans are almost complete. She’s been in touch with a distant friend from school, who invites her to come visit. 
Sabrina is no longer the mousy quiet girl Kelly remembers. She’s gorgeous, married to her gorgeous husband Nathan, and they live in a beautiful home located in a secure neighborhood. As their days and nights ease by, Christa becomes more and more sexually attracted to both Sabrina and Nathan. This leads to a very active threesome between them. Christa’s thoughts move away from this home being temporary, instead planning the rest of her life with these two that she loves.
All is “eat, drink, and be merry” for a bit, then Christa starts noticing odd things. There’s a two-way mirror in the bedroom, a video camera is found, and there are polaroids of another girl, badly bruised. Comments by Sabrina and Nathan both catch Christa off guard. Her happy little love nest is quickly falling apart.
Determined to find out what’s going on, Christa goes against the wishes of the other two and begins snooping and asking questions. And what she finds is scary. She soon realizes she’s in danger, but can she stop her feelings from getting in the way? 
This is a cat-and-mouse-mouse story that will keep you on your toes. I look forward to Andrea’s next book. She’s a must-read author for mystery thriller fans.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Bantam for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was June 30, 2023.

One Night
Georgina Cross
4 of 5 stars
7/16/2023
A family who suffered the loss of their daughter Meghan 10 years earlier all receive an invitation to meet at a beach house. No one knows who it’s from, but they all have their suspicions. We hear from various points of view, including Sam, the younger daughter, Alice, the middle daughter, and Maureen, the mother. There’s also Paul, their dad, with his new wife Rebecca, and a close family friend, Geoff. The attendees are shocked when they learn that the organizer had invited Cal, the man who was sentenced for Meghan's murder.. 
A horrible storm has kicked up, and they’re unable to leave. Power flickers on and off, and the night lasts years long for each of them. Due to the storm, Cal has been knocked unconscious and his health is declining with each hour. Maureen wants to smother him. Sam wants to save him to hear what he has to say. Everyone has conflicting feelings about the unconscious man dying on the floor.
Clues are found, and fingers are pointed. No one can escape until the storm abates. Everyone has hidden feelings towards someone else, and the forced closeness is making them talk. So what happened to Meghan? Who’s behind this slow torture the family has found themselves in?
This is a quick-paced, continually guessing game of a plot that kept me wondering until the final pages.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Bantam for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 1, 2023.


The Rachel Incident
Caroline O’Donoghue
5 of 5 stars
7/16/2023
I wish I could read this book over and over, and it would be as great as it was the first time. The two main characters are precious, and their friendship survives years in spite of many painful reckonings.
Rachel meets James at the bookstore where they both work. Their friendship is amazing; their relationship is true, fun, and sincere. This is the kind of friend any human longs for.
Rachel is smitten by her professor, Dr. Fred Byrne, who doesn’t seem to notice she’s there. She and James devise a plan to invite Dr. Byrne to a book signing in honor of his new book. Sparks fly and love is in the air, but not Rachel’s air. It turns out that Dr. Byrne, who is married, is bisexual and begins an affair with dear sweet James, who finally admits that, yes, maybe he is gay.
Rachel takes the high ground, but finds herself in the middle of the affair since she and James share an apartment. This proximity causes numerous issues, and one distinctive issue with Dr. Byrnes’ wife when she realizes where Rachel lives. 
Vines of lies and deceit grow and intertwine until Rachel has to throw herself on the knife in order to help others. This magnanimous decision is truly honorable, but she suffers greatly from the fallout. 
Entertaining, funny, heartbreaking, with wonderful characters. This book hugged me the entire time.
Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was June 27, 2023. 2023.










The Woman Inside
M.T. Edvardsson
7/10/2023
4 of 5 stars
I loved this author’s first book, “A Nearly Normal Family” and was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of his new book, “The Woman Inside”. 
The story centers on a single dad (we like this uncharted territory for most books), his darling daughter, who doesn’t come across as whiney and spoiled, and an attractive new tenant he takes on to help with the bills. As usual, we immediately think we’ve figured it out, but we read the story anyway just to prove how right we are. On this one, we were wrong. They don’t start having sex and the tenant doesn’t immediately become the “mother” the child needed, and they don’t all live happily ever after…
What does happen is a spider web of lies, deceit, theft, and eventually murder. The best part is the odd turn- how does one get from such an obvious storyline to a tale of intrigue and death? This is why I love M.T. Edvardsson’s books- you just never know where the plot will lead.
If you love twisty plots, relatable characters, and an interestingly believable storyline, read this. Then read the author’s first book. Then anxiously await for him to write his third book. And so on….
Thanks to Celedon Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was June 13, 2023, so get out there and buy your copy!


A Most Tolerant Little Town
Rachel Louise Martin
4 of 5 stars
7/10/2023
This is a well-researched history of school desegregation in a tiny town, Clinton, Tennessee, and the lengths people in the community went to to avoid allowing blacks into their schools. We meet the black students, their families, and their desire for a better education. And we meet the bigots, the young and old alike, who were raised to believe blacks were inferior and they don’t want to give up on that notion. 
But we also meet the people who tried to help cross that gap between the two factions. They weren’t as plentiful as the bigots, but they stood tall. 
The law was being enforced across the nation. It was a tumultuous time for many, a sad remembrance for the students that were affected, and a point of shame for those who fought desegregation. 
I was in middle school in Georgia when the law took effect in our little town. I was bussed over to the black neighborhood, where the residents were proud of their community, their churches, and especially their high school, which had won titles for years for their outstanding athletic teams. Then along comes a bunch of skinny, weak, uncoordinated little white boys to water down their athletics program. We were hated, picked on, shoved, hit, and taunted every day as soon as we stepped off the bus but we were never treated the way the black students in this story were treated. And as we moved through the years toward our senior year, we began to get along and wonder what all the fuss had been about. 
I knew bad things were happening across the South, but we were never told the absolute truth, just the spin the white leaders put on it all. Reading the account of this one little town in Tennessee, and knowing the struggle was happening in hundreds of little towns across America, is sobering. This book documenting the people, their actions, and ending results is well worth your time to read and reflect on, no matter what age or color you may be.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was June 13, 2023.




You Can Trust Me
Wendy Heard
4 of 5 stars
7/10/2023
Summer and Leo have been spat out from their pasts, their homes, and their family. They find comfort in each other and survive the best way they know how- grifting, pick-pocketing, and thievery. All is great and big fun until Leo falls for the rich billionaire she’s supposed to be grifting, then honestly tells him her true background. And this particular billionaire doesn’t have a sense of humor. He has a few lies and tricks up his tuxedoed cuff-linked sleeve, too. Let the game begin.
The pace is quick, the characters colorful and the tension is high. How hard will Summer fight to locate and save her only friend in this mean and evil world? Is she even worth it? 
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Bantam for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was June 13, 2023.



The Quiet Tenant
Clémence Michallon
5 of 5 stars
7/10/2023
First, we meet Rachel. She’s locked in a shed, she knows it’s in the woods. She knows she must forget her name and do everything her captor instructs her to survive. She wants to survive because she believes she will free herself one day. She is living worse than a dog tied in the yard. She doesn’t know if it’s day or night. She’s starving for scraps. She sits with a bucket full of her excrement. This is a tough part to read, but the author wants you to understand Rachel’s iron will and determination to be free.
Next, we meet Aiden. The town loves him, what’s not to love? He’s a single dad who lost his dear wife to cancer. His 13-year-old daughter, Cecilia, is everyone’s pet. Aiden is handsome, quiet, and a loner. The bartender at the local restaurant, Emily, looks forward to his routine of stopping in and drinking soda, no alcohol.
These four characters begin a slow dance around a Maypole, but what’s being beckoned is not summer. It’s a wily play for survival with all parties slowly understanding what’s at stake.
Thank goodness it wasn’t a work night when I started this- it’s an all-nighter. You won’t put it down until the final sentence. This is an author you’ll want to keep on your radar. 
Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an ARC in exchange for my honest
review. The publishing date was June 20, 2023.



Night Will Find You
Julia Heaberlin
5 of 5 stars
7/11/2023
Vivvy walks with a limp. When she was a child she saved the boy she loves from the “Blue Horse”, a vision she had seen. Mike was saved and went on to marry Vivvy’s pretty sister Brigid, and they have a loving son, Will. And Livvy still limps. Her visions still haunt her, and after she returns home to bury her mother, she is asked to look into the disappearance of a girl in her hometown.
This revelation immediately catches the attention of a blabbermouth psychopath podcaster, Bubba Guns, who relentlessly hounds Vivvy. When she does agree to appear on his show, he mutilates her reputation.
But she can’t stop now, she’s seen enough to pique her interest. Her brother-in-law Mike, another detective, Sharp, and Vivvy race against the clock and the constant hounding of Bubba to unravel the mystery, but this is a small town. Not all mysteries should be solved. Vivvy doesn’t need to be psychic to know her life is in danger. Fast-paced to the very end with characters we actually can relate to, Julia Heaberlin does it again- she stabs me in the heart with her plots.
Thanks to Flatiron Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest
review. The publishing date was June 20, 2023.




Charm City Rocks
Matthew Norman
5 of 5 stars
6/27/2023
This is such a sweet and happy feel-good story! Your happy-go-lucky everyday Joe meets the rock idol of his youth, sparks fly then fizzle out. There’s so much more to this story, though. You’ll love Billy, his son Caleb, and even his ex-wife Robyn. You’ll be impressed with Margo Hammer, first a popular drummer, then married to a handsome actor, up until that one particular MTV Video Music Awards show when Margot kicked her drums off of her platform and stormed out…in the middle of the song.
Caleb thinks his dad and Margot would hit it off, so he tells a little white lie. Amazingly, after everyone gets over the lie, they really do hit it off. But they come from different backgrounds. She’s still famous and he’s a wonderful neighborhood music teacher and dad, but no paparazzi. It’s just not going to work. And surprisingly, it’s Billy that calls it quits.
But you can’t put out a fire that easily! Various characters in each person’s life play a pivotal role in this story, from the record store owner, the little kid who plays drums on buckets, Margot’s ex-husband Lawson, to the pro football player who just wants his son to learn piano from the best.
Read this book and meet the neighborhood. You’re gonna love it!
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest
review. The publishing date was June 6, 2023.




The Girls of Summer
Katie Bishop
5 of 5 stars
6/27/2023
Rachel and Caroline are on a Greek island-hopping vacation the summer before their A levels. Rachel, 17 years old, is groomed by a much older man, Alistair, and she falls for it hard. Caroline returns home on her own, and Rachel can’t believe her luck. She automatically finds a job at a bar and a place to stay in an old house shared by various girls. It’s painfully apparent to the reader that Rachel is on a perilous path as she hops carefree along the whims of Alistair. 
As the summer days pass, Rachel is invited to a big party at the home of Alistair’s boss, Henry Taylor. Henry is a rich old man with lots and lots of rich old man friends. At this point, the reader is screaming out loud to her, “Don’t do it! Don’t go!”, or at least I was. This is when I know I’m loving a book- I feel strong emotions for the characters.
Katie Bishop has developed her characters so deeply that you will feel emotions about numerous uncomfortable subjects. The book deals with sexual abuse, underage sex, underage drinking, drugs, and suicide. Rachel’s innocent view of the world is stolen and as the book reveals from past and present timeframes, the damage is permanent.
Jump to the present, and Rachel’s marriage is in shambles. Out of the blue, one of the fellow teenagers she lived with on the island reaches out. Reluctantly, Rachel goes. The table is full of people who lived on the island together during one specifically difficult time. Rachel feels like it’s a trap and her first instinct is to flee, but in time, she begins to come around and finally realize what was done to her in her youth. It doesn’t help the healing process that she’s seeing Alistair again, but now he’s broke and lives in a rundown apartment building. And so, as they say, the plot thickens.
I feel like I’ve gone into too much detail but there's so much more to this story. This is Katie Bishop’s first book, and I think it’s superb. I hope she continues writing because I’ll gladly continue reading her work.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was June 6, 2023, so get out there and buy your copy!




Flawless
Elise Hu
4 of 5 stars
5/16/2023
Elise Hu has written an eye-opener for the Westerners of the world. I had no idea there was a thing called “K-beauty”, and I certainly had no idea how competitive and manipulative beauty can be in South Korea. The amount of plastic surgery, up to and including your “woohoo”, the multitude of steps for the perfect skin, the strictness of weight, skin tone, and perceived beauty would make Korea a horrible place for anyone with less than stellar self-esteem. Elise explains how the industry led an entire nation to this point, and what could be done to alter that concept. 
This is a richly researched, well-worded study on an epidemic of sorts that is flourishing under our very nose and could quickly spread to other cultures—a wake-up call for men and women alike.
Thanks to Penguin Group-Dutton for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 23, 2023.


Happiness Falls
Angie Kim 
4 of 5 stars
5/16/2023
Throughout the pages of this book, Mia shares her thoughts with us. She is quite a conversationalist and enjoys delving into deep topics, creating theories, and crafting lists. Mia has a fraternal twin brother named John, who looks so different from her that people often assume they are not related, and a younger brother named Eugene, who has Angelman Syndrome. This condition is further explored in the book, where we learn about Eugene's resilience and his struggles with communication. 
One fateful afternoon, Eugene returns home from the park without their father, but no one realizes something is amiss for an extended period of time. This haunts Mia, especially when they finally take action. However, her impulsive and over-exuberant behavior muddles the mystery even more. As Mia, her two brothers, and their mother search for their missing father, the police get involved, and the situation quickly turns into a devastating family event when Eugene is suspected of being the prime suspect. 
The story is told in beautiful, meandering prose that at times moves slowly, and at other times, moves quickly. Mia introduces us to her world, her family, the intricacies of Angelman Syndrome, and most importantly, the mystery of the disappeared father. I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group- Random House for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book is set to be published on September 5, 2023.


The Wishing Game
Meg Shaffer
4 of 5 stars
5/16/2023
Lucy is an exceptional person who has overcome a difficult childhood. Her heartfelt desire to adopt Christopher, a child in the child welfare system, is hindered by her shared living arrangements, two jobs, lack of stability, and a modest income. However, a contest held by their favorite author, Jack Masterson, offers them a glimmer of hope. Lucy's extensive knowledge of Masterson's books makes her an ideal candidate for the contest taking place on the island where his stories are set. Winning would provide the financial stability needed for Lucy to adopt Christopher, as well as granting them first access to Masterson's new book. Filled with hope, dreams, and the struggles of accepting one's limitations, this heartwarming tale will resonate with book lovers everywhere. Special thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on August 30, 2023.




Watch Us Shine
Marisa de los Santos
5 of 5 stars
4/17/2023
Marisa isn’t able to write anything less than 5 stars as far as I’m concerned. Her books are just the right combination of drama, love, misdeeds, life, death, success, and failure.
In her new book, “Watch Us Shine” we return to Cornelia and her family. Cornelia’s mother is dying, and has one wish before she goes: “Bring me the Northern Lights”. Although this wish stumps Cornelia, it doesn’t deter her from doing everything she can to meet her mother’s final wishes. 
As she digs into Mom’s past, Cornelia learns of a life she had no clue her mother had lived. A childhood of loveless pain, and surprisingly, a sister.  Thus begins a process that is healing and enlightening for all of the family. But she still hasn’t found the Northern Lights in a form that she can take to her mother.
This is a heartbreakingly honest story of a family’s pain, but more importantly, a family’s love that brings them together to heal.
Thanks to William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is June 6, 2023.




The New Mother
Nora Murphy
5 of 5 stars
3/21/23
The tension in this new thriller will make you crack your teeth from gritting. Natalie Fanning has entered motherhood with a less-than-optimistic attitude. The hardest change to accept is her lackluster job performance, which requires her to go on a sabbatical. She’s tired of breastfeeding and suffers from lack of sleep, her husband tries to help except HE got to keep HIS job. She’s so confused she mistakenly returns to their old house after a doctor’s appointment, only to terrify the new tenant.
She hasn’t been crazy about the new home since they moved in. It doesn’t feel cozy, and the neighbors aren’t as friendly. Except for the one stay-at-home dad, Paul. Their relationship seems platonic, but there’s an undertone of something that’s not healthy. Is one infatuated with the other? Does one have nefarious reasons for the friendship? Told from the two points of view, the weaving plot and subtle hints add to the tension. This is one of those fun thrillers you stay up reading, it’s a welcome break from the boring monotony of our real life.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 30, 2023.




Sing Her Down
Ivy Pochoda
5 of 5 stars
4/17/2023
It took a few pages for me to get in the swing of the author’s style of communicating with her reader, but once I did, the mood and tension of the story never let up.
During the first months of COVID, Florida, and Dios are serving time in an Arizona prison. The acts that put them there are hinted at, but remain a mystery. Dios is constantly badgering Florida, threatening her, stalking her, and telling her they’re very much alike. Florida doesn’t believe she’s as cold-hearted and mean as Dios, who can take a beating just as easily as she can dish it out. 
After one of the inmates dies from the disease, some of the other inmates are given an early release. Florida is thrilled to learn she’s one of the lucky ones, and she won't let it dampen her spirits when she learns Dios will walk out the same day.
Immediately after their release, Dios stalks Florida. As Florida attempts to outpace Dios, she quickly learns that Dios isn't going to be so easy to shake. They both immediately break parole by leaving the state and riding an illegal transport bus to California. They leave behind them a trail of crimes, including one murder. This gets the attention of Lobos, an LA investigator with her own type of monkey on her back. 
Three relentless women, one hot and dry summer, everything closed due to COVID, and riots are ongoing in response to police brutality. But these women aren’t concerned with anything but the one goal they each have in mind. But only one will rule.
Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 23, 2023.




No One Needs to Know
Lindsay Cameron
4 of 5 stars
3/21/23
I’ve never lived a life like the characters in this book: filthy rich, with beautiful homes, bodies tucked and molded, and children that are definitely going to the finest schools, no matter what. After reading this, it quells any desires I might have had to live the life of the rich.
Meet Poppy, Norah, and Heather,  a cut-throat group of mothers whose daughters are vying for a few spaces in the most prestigious school. Two-faced, manipulative, and determined to succeed, these women will do whatever it takes. They all anonymously vent their frustrations on a safe website, UrbanMyth. They openly discuss affairs, money, and personal family secrets. All is fun until one day it isn’t. The cloak of secrecy is thrown back and life gets vicious.
You’ll detest these ladies, but at times you’ll actually have a small amount of compassion for them. This is another fun, quick, entertaining read by the author of “Just One Look”. Both books will keep you hooked until the last page.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest
review. The publishing date is May 9, 2023.



The Guest
Emma Kline
5 of 5 stars
3/14/2023
I love meeting the characters in Emma Kline’s books. They’re risk takers, strong but unwise, savvy but loose with their morals. These are the characters we love to live vicariously through, taking risks, sleeping around, and making mistakes while we remain in the comfort of our favorite reading chair. 
Meet Alex, a grifter of lower expectations. As long as she has a roof over her head, someone to take care of her, and nice trinkets, she’s happy.
Currently, she’s living off of Simon in a beautiful home on the coast of Long Island. Her days consist of floating in the ocean, then the pool, then going to nice restaurants. Her abuse of chemicals and alcohol is an acceptable hazard, but this is what makes her judgment blurry. Suddenly she’s out on the street again. Slinking from place to place, sleeping out in the elements, and showing absolutely no respect for herself, Alex slowly spirals down. She also has a debt to pay to Dom, a previous victim, and he’s getting closer. This is such a tense read, you’re constantly amazed at how little Alex cares about protocol, rules, and herself. I love this author and anxiously await her next amazing read.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 16, 2023.

Adelaide
Genevieve Wheeler
4 of 5 stars
3/14/2023
Adelaide is a good person who just wants to be loved. She’s sure he’s out there right now and she’s going to find him. Along comes Rory, who catches her eye. He has some drawbacks, like ghosting her for days, but she works hard on her thinking to make him perfect. 
This book is about a young woman who doesn’t trust her own feelings or instincts, isn’t true to herself, making herself appear to be a person she thinks people will love, and is determined to make Rory the love of her life, no matter what. Courageous at times, and sadly needy at others, the years that Adelaide wastes being unfair to herself is the most unfortunate aspect of her story. It’s an emotional read that captivates you to the end.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 18, 2023.