Book Review: Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

 

Published

April 23, 2024 by St. Martin's Press

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SISTERS, SECRETS, LOVE, AND MURDER... Sally Hepworth’s new novel has it all.

For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life.

But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?

A thrilling page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder

MY REVIEW:

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jessica, Norah and Alicia were foster sisters for a short time. Always told how lucky they were. But there were secrets in that house of abuse, both physical and mental. Now it is years later and they are adults, each with their own baggage.
The house they had lived in was taken down and they found a body buried under the house. Now they have to o n for questioning. Miss Fairchild, the foster mom shows up as well.
I liked getting to know all 3 girls and how they ended up the way they did. We also know someone is taking to a psychiatrist and the things that are said is also very disturbing.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the book to review.

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Sally Hepworth

Born in Australia

Website

http://www.sallyhepworthauthor.com

Twitter

sallyhepworth

Genre

Fiction, Chick Lit, Crime

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/sallyhepworth

Sally Hepworth is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels.

Sally's books have been heralded “enchanting” by The Herald Sun, “smart and engaging” by Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Emily Giffin have praised Sally’s novels as “women’s fiction at its finest” and “totally absorbing”.

Sally's novels are available worldwide in English and have been translated into 20 languages.

​

Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia with her three children.

Book Review: The Corpse in the Closet by Lucy Score

 

Published April 16, 2024 by Bloom Books

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Summer is heating up for reluctant psychic Riley Thorn and her handsome private investigator boyfriend, Nick Santiago. First, her disapproving grandmother arrives determined to make Riley take her powers seriously or face the wrath of "the Guild." Then there's the homicide detective who needs her help figuring out who murdered the well-dressed corpse in the walk-in closet. Nick's got his own hands full with a tricky missing person case and his parents who want to know why he didn't tell them about his live-in girlfriend. Then there's the fact that he's still the tiniest bit stressed about Riley almost getting murdered earlier that summer. The last thing he wants is her getting involved in another investigation. Things go from bad to worse when the body count starts stacking up, the meet-the-parents dinner goes horribly wrong, and their elderly roommate is up to no good…dressed like a mime. To top it off, Riley is forced to return to Channel 50 on official police business to question her spray-tanned news anchor ex-husband and his new weather girl fiancée. The trouble comes to a head when Riley receives a warning from the Back off or she's next. Someone has to solve these murders before she becomes the next corpse.

MY REVIEW:

The Corpse In the Closet by Lucy Score
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a fun and quirky series. Riley lives in a apartment/mansion complex with quite a few eccentric neighbors. She has a hot boyfriend who is a PI and hires her to work with him. She is also a psychic and helps the police with cases but also helps people without meaning to. Her parents and sister are quirky but her Grandmother is a horrible bully who I wish everyone at once would stand up to her and not give in to her demands. She is not friendly at all. Everything is her way and her timeline.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom for the arc to read.

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Lucy Score

Website

http://www.lucyscore.com

Twitter

lucyscore1

Genre

Romance

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/lucyscore

Lucy Score is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling author. She grew up in a literary family who insisted that the dinner table was for reading and earned a degree in journalism.

She writes full-time from the Pennsylvania home she and Mr. Lucy share with their obnoxious cat, Cleo. When not spending hours crafting heartbreaker heroes and kick-ass heroines, Lucy can be found on the couch, in the kitchen, or at the gym.

She hopes to someday write from a sailboat, oceanfront condo, or tropical island with reliable Wi-Fi.

Book Review: Escape to the Rome Apartment by Kerry Fisher

 

Published April 11, 2024 by Bookouture

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Sara’s eyes fill with tears as she reads the letter, her last words from her dearest ‘I’m buying you your freedom. You don’t need to ask your husband’s permission and you have to put yourself first for once. Have an incredible adventure before it’s too late for both of us…’Sara has lost her zest for life. Trapped sharing a house with her soon-to-be-ex-husband, with grown-up children who still need her but take her for granted, working in a job where her boss bullies her, the final straw is the heartbreak of losing her beloved best friend Lainey. But Lainey’s death could be the beginning of Sara’s new life… as the last gift Lainey gives to her friend is a sum of money and Sara travels to Italy, the scene of the pair’s youthful adventures, and scatters Lainey’s ashes on the beach at Portofino. For once, Sara decides to be brave. She quits her job, tells her family they can manage without her, and sets off on the trip of a lifetime. Swept up by new friends and relishing the freedom of being away from home in beautiful Florence, Sara finds herself drawn to Carlo. Handsome and charming, he is everything Sara finds it so hard to be carefree, impulsive, living in the moment without worrying about the future. And then Sara sees something she shouldn’t… and discovers a secret about Carlo that makes her question everything she thought she knew. Stuck at a crossroads in her life and her travels, she can’t face returning home yet, but nor is she brave enough to continue the challenge that Lainey set her. And then she meets an English woman who tells her about an apartment in Rome, that could just be the answer to everything…Return to the sunny streets of beautiful Rome with this heart-warming and romantic story about discovering your true path in life

MY REVIEW:

Escape to the Rome Apartment by Kerry Fisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sara lost her best friend, Lainey to cancer. Lainey left a note for her to go to Rome and scatter her ashes. They had gone there is young adults and always wanted to go back.
Sara's marriage is over and her boys are graduating from high school. She quit her job and so she packs and goes.
I couldn't stand her ex. It was all about him and his needs. Her sons weren't any better. All 3 of the men needed a kick in the butt.
Once Sara gets on the plane she meets a women and this woman tells her about her friend with enough room in his apartment and all the fun they will have.
I enjoyed getting to see Rome through her eyes and the people that she met and maybe even a relationship. I enjoyed this book very much.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc to read.

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Kerry Fisher


Website
http://www.kerryfisherauthor.com

Twitter
kerryfswayne

Member Since
January 2013

Book Review: Nowhere To Hide by Keri Beevis

 

Published April 2, 2024 by Boldwood Books

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Duncan Stone is one of the country's most eligible and handsome bachelors, and he wants to take me, Callie Parker, on a date. At first I am surprised and flattered, the envy of my friends. Then when our whirlwind romance escalates and he asks me to move in with him, it's like a dream come true. But as I get to really know my new boyfriend, my fairytale turns into a nightmare. Duncan is no Prince Charming. He is the Devil. Isolated from my friends and family, watched day and night, a prisoner in my own life, I know if I am going to survive, I need to escape. When a chance encounter with an old friend throws me a lifeline, I realise this is my live or die moment, and I find a hiding place deep in the Norfolk countryside. I'm supposed to feel safe here, so why do I hear footsteps outside my hideaway late at night, and sense that someone is watching me? Is it paranoia, or has Duncan managed to find me?

Or perhaps the danger is closer to home than I realise.

MY REVIEW:

Nowhere to Hide by Keri Beevis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Duncan is charming and handsome but underneath he is a control freak, a nightmare, and a devil all rolled into one.
When he takes a liking to Callie, the relationship moves fast. Then he isolates her. Makes it look like she is not stable to her family and her job. He s abusive both physically and mentally.. She even gets rid of her dog to keep the dog safe.
Then she decides to go to her sister for help but that backfires. But help she does get and tries to start over again by old friends. Even to start a new relationship with a man. Someone I liked from the start.
I could not put this book down and I hope to read more books by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc to review.

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Keri Beevis

Born in Norwich, The United Kingdom

Website

https://keribeevis.com/

Twitter

keribeevis

Genre

Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/allaboutbeev

Hi, I'm Keri Beevis, and I'm the author of the bestselling psychological suspense thrillers, Deep Dark Secrets, Dying To Tell, The Sleepover, and The Summer House.

Other titles I've written include Trust No One, Every Little Breath, The People Next Door, and The House in the Woods (previously released as The Boat House).

I am signed with Boldwood Books and my twelfth thriller, Nowhere To Hide is out 2nd April.

You can find out more about me on my website.

https://keribeevis.com/

Book Review: One By One by Freida McFadden

 

Published April 2, 2024 by Poisoned Pen Press

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From New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes a dark, twisting thriller about a group of friends lost in the one by one, they each will fall, and only the killer will return home alive... A night spent sleeping on dirt and leaves is not how Claire Matchett expected to spend her vacation. She thought this would be a break from the stresses of work and raising her young children. A chance to repair her damaged marriage. A week of hiking and hot tubs with friends. It sounded like heaven. Then Claire's minivan breaks down on a lonely dirt road. With no cell reception, the group has no choice but to hike the rest of the way to their hotel. But it turns out the woods aren't as easy to navigate as they thought. Hours later, they are lost. Hopelessly lost. And as they navigate deeper into the woods, the members of their party are struck down mysteriously one by one. Has a wild animal been hunting them? Or is the hunter one of them? But as more time passes, one thing becomes Only one of them will return home alive.

MY REVIEW:

One by One by Freida McFadden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Claire and her friend's decide to vacation together along with their spouses/boyfriends. Then Claire's van breaks down and that's when everything starts happening. One by one a person either dies or disappears. Then only 2 are left. It was very intense and I was on the edge of my seat to fin out exactly what was going on.
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc to review.


View all my reviews

Freida McFadden

Website

https://www.freidamcfadden.com/

Genre

Thriller

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/freidamcfadden

New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher's Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

Book review: Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle

 

published April 23, 2024

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A steamy second-chance romance about a magical florist’s unexpected reunion with her high school sweetheart as she fake dates his soon-to-be stepbrother.

A small, magical town tucked away in rural Ohio, Moonville is the perfect place for flora fortunist Romina Tempest to expand her shop, where she uses the language of flowers to help the hopeful manifest their love lives. After giving up on her own big romance eleven years ago, at least she can bask in the promise of others’.

So, when the shop’s potential financier shares news of his wedding, Romina jumps on the opportunity to discuss buying the business. What better place to negotiate a deal than at a wedding, even if she has to fake-date her chaotic colleague Trevor to get an invitation? But all hell breaks loose when she discovers Trevor’s soon-to-be stepbrother is none other than Alex her high school sweetheart. Her greatest love. The boy who, eleven years ago, broke her heart, and who now thinks she and Trevor are dating.

What starts as an innocent misunderstanding becomes a week-long fake dating scheme, as Romina resolves to make Alex pay for breaking her heart. The only issue? She can’t deny their still-burning connection. Caught between proving to Alex what he lost, and coming clean and risking her business, Romina must decide whether giving Alex another chance means going back on herself, or finally releasing her hold on the past.

MY REVIEW:

Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Romina is a florist and uses magic through the flowers and the flower's meanings. She pretends date a guy who ends up being a soon to be step brother of her ex,
Alex was her high school sweetheart and she never got over him. As we read more about him then he never got over her either.
I thought the book was cute.
The one thing I don't like with books meant for adults are the cutesy cartoon covers. It looks like a mid grade fairytale cover.
I received the arc from netGalley for review.

View all my reviews

Sarah Hogle

Website

https://www.sarahhogle.com/

Twitter

witchofthewords

Genre

Contemporary, Romance

Sarah Hogle is a mom of three who enjoys trashy TV and provoking her husband for attention. Her dream is to live in a falling-apart castle in a forest that is probably cursed. Her novels are You Deserve Each Other, Twice Shy, Just Like Magic, and Old Flames and New Fortunes.

Book Review: Riley Thorne and The Dead Guy Next Door - Lucy Score

 

First published August 27, 2020

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A nice, normal life. Is that too much to ask? For Riley Thorn it is.

Divorced. Broke. Living with a pack of elderly roommates. And those hallucinations she's diligently ignoring? Her tarot card-dealing mom is convinced they're clairvoyant visions.

Just when things can't get worse, a so-hot-it-should-be-illegal private investigator shows up on her doorstep looking for a neighbor...who turns up murdered.

Nick Santiago doesn't play well with others. Unless the "others" are of the female persuasion. Wink. He's a rebel, a black sheep, a man who prefers a buffet of options to being stuck with the same entrée every night, if you catch his drift.

When the pretty, possibly psychic Riley lands at the top of the list of suspects, Nick volunteers to find out whodunit. Only because he likes solving mysteries not because he wants to flex his heroic muscles for the damsel in distress.

All they have to do is figure out who pulled the trigger, keep the by-the-book detective with a grudge at bay, and deal with a stranger claiming he was sent to help Riley hone her psychic gifts. All before the killer discovers she's a loose end that requires snipping.

MY REVIEW:

Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Riley s divorced and living alone. She has Psychic powers that she can help people and solves crimes but sometimes I don't get why she can't see what is going to happen to her or Nick. Nick is a PI who has a chemistry with Riley
Riley lives in a mansion with some pretty weird characters but fun. Her family is accentric with abilities as well.
It was a fun reads.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the book to review.

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                                                                    Lucy Score


Born The United States

Website
http://www.lucyscore.com

Twitter
lucyscore1

Genre
Romance



URL
https://www.goodreads.com/lucyscore


Lucy Score is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling author. She grew up in a literary family who insisted that the dinner table was for reading and earned a degree in journalism.

She writes full-time from the Pennsylvania home she and Mr. Lucy share with their obnoxious cat, Cleo. When not spending hours crafting heartbreaker heroes and kick-ass heroines, Lucy can be found on the couch, in the kitchen, or at the gym.

She hopes to someday write from a sailboat, oceanfront condo, or tropical island with reliable Wi-Fi.

Book Review: The Perfect Housemate by Lorna Dounaeva

 

Published March 28, 2024

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You let her in. You shouldn’t have…I was so nervous about someone new joining our house share; after everything that happened with my parents, my friends are like my family. Our imperfect but well-loved house is the only place where I can be myself. But when Poppy knocks on our door, blonde hair, wide eyes and a friendly smile, we all agree she’s a perfect fit. I just wish I could shake the feeling that I’ve seen her before…At first, everything runs smoothly. But one day, Poppy arrives home with my housemates in tow. She says she ‘forgot’ to invite me to the movie. My stomach drops. As she sidles up to my friends, I’m gripped by a familiar panic. If Poppy is from my past, will she turn my friends against me? Will she tell them the secret I’ve so carefully buried?I feel like Poppy’s watching my every move. My home used to be the place where I felt most comfortable. But as she places a delicious home-cooked meal in front of me, I don’t even feel safe eating here.I have to find out who she really is, and what she wants.And when I do, will she realise too late which one of us is truly dangerous?

MY REVIEW:

The Perfect Housemate by Lorna Dounaeva
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

June and her housemates need a new housemate to help with rent . So they now have Poppy. But things start happening with June and it looks like Poppy has it out for her or is June making things up?I liked the friendships between the women until Poppy shows up. I even like June's new boyfriend.
You will find out why Poppy has it out for June but is she the only one?
I loved this book and was giving it a 4 star until the very end. This is supposed to be a standalone but it was ended with a cliffhanger. That should not ever happen in standalones.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc to review.

View all my reviews

                                                                            Lorna Dounaeva


Born in London, The United Kingdom
July 08

Website
http://www.LornaDounaeva.com

Twitter
LornaDounaeva

Genre
Thriller, Suspense, Mystery



URL
https://www.goodreads.com/lornadounaeva


Lorna Dounaeva is a politics graduate who worked for the British Home Office before turning to crime fiction. She writes dark domestic thrillers and is especially fond of female villains. She lives in the Orkney islands with her Ukrainian husband and his parents, three children, a crafty cat and a happy dog.

Book Review : The Mistress by Valerie Keogh

 

published March 25, 2024

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She wants what you have...

Hannah Parker is a woman who always gets what she wants.

When her current husband discovers she has been lying to him – again - she knows it’s time to move on and find someone who can give her the life she desires… The life she knows she deserves…

But who will be the lucky man?

When her eye catches a glimpse of an old flame in a photograph, she’s sure it’s a sign. Mark Shepherd has always been in her thoughts – they’d been happy once, he’d adored her, but she’d made a mistake and let him get away. She won’t make the same mistake again….

Hannah is older now and wiser. She knows what men want and she knows how to keep them happy.

So what if Mark is happily married with a family of his own?

All good things must come to an end…

MY REVIEW:

The Mistress by Valerie Keogh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, if you aren't happy with what you have then go after what you want no matter what.
Hannah is evil and she could have had a lot with who she was married to but it seems she is never happy. How she goes after an ex boyfriend and the wife suspects something is going on, I just wanted to throttle her.
I received the ebook from NetGalley for review,

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                                                                       Valerie Keogh

Twitter
ValerieKeogh1

Genre
Mystery


Valerie started to write several years ago. She self-published eight crime novels and one psychological thriller before signing a two book contract with Bookouture in March 2018. The first of these, Secrets Between Us, is available now and the second is due in Feb 2019. She is a registered nurse with a degree in English and a Masters in American Literature. Recently she has given up nursing to concentrate on her writing career.