Book Review: Finding Mr Write by Kelley Armstrong

 

Expected publication June 25, 2024

Buy on Amazon

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong delivers a fun romantic comedy about a woman writing under a male pseudonym and the man she hires to play the role in public. Daphne McFadden already knows that as a female author, the cards are stacked against her. Now she knows just how much. Because her sudden whim to pose as an “outdoorsy hunk of masculinity” male author for her new book just resulted in the a bidding war, a huge book deal, and the kind of fame every author dreams of. Now she’s in big trouble. Because she needs to convince the world that Zane Remington actually exists . . . but how? By hiring an actor, of course. Only Chris Stanton is not an actor—not officially. He’s used to balancing the books, not pretending he wrote one. Still, he’s mostly certain he can pose as some overly macho bro-author. But when the media descend on Daphne’s gorgeous remote home in the Yukon, it’s not enough for Chris to just be the face of Zane Remington—he’ll have to become him. All while hilariously balancing the terrifying dangers of the wilderness, a massive femme fandom, and a serious crush on Daphne. But as the hype circus gets more out of control, it’s just a matter of time before someone discovers their little write lie . . 

MY REVIEW.

Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of the best Romcoms I have ever read. A lot of them I find silly and always wanting to slap the characters upside the head but this one I was on both of their sides and I really liked them.
Daphne hasn't had much luck in wanting to get a book published so she sends in her book with a male name as an author. But with her friend as a lawyer, they figure how to cover her ass incase it gets out. Not only did her friend find a man to play the part but you could tell she was also up for doing some match making..
I have read quite a few books by Ms Armstrong but never a Romcom and she hit it out of the ballpark.
'Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC to review.
#NetGalley #findingmrwrite #Foreverpublishing

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Kelley Armstrong

Website

http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/

Genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Thrillers, Young Adult

https://www.goodreads.com/kelleyarmstrong

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Book Review: Filthy Rich Fae by Geneva Lee

 

Expected publication June 25, 2024

Buy on Amazon

“You made a bargain...

Your soul for his—and now, you are mine.”

Cate Holloway knows the unspoken rule of New avoid the powerful Gage crime family at all costs. Of course, that was before her brother got caught in their chaos. Now

Cate has no choice but to confront the dark and forbidding prince of New Orleans himself and beg for her brother’s life.

But Lachlan Gage is as lethal as he is beautiful…and the only currency he’s interested in is her soul.

Because Lachlan isn’t just some ruthless criminal. He’s fae. And he has his own secret reasons for binding her to him.

Tricked and desperate, Cate is torn between humanity and the breathtaking Otherworld. A place filled with shadows and secrets, with members of each fae court plotting against her just as her captor’s motives for trapping her become more mysterious.

And if she can’t break this sinister bargain in the next thirty days, she’ll be bound to the inscrutable yet infuriatingly tempting fae prince and his deadly world…forever.

MY REVIEW:

Filthy Rich Fae by Geneva Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cate works in a hospital and her brother is brought in with a gunshot would, Now she is going to go after the man who put it there. When she meets him she gives him her soul if he leaves her brother alone. Only to find out he is Fae and there is a whole underworld of them. He is also very powerful and rich.
She went to him on her own and I did not feel sorry for her when it got to be to much for her. But he does treat her well to a certain point and the things that go on n the Fae world stays there. I liked most of the characters and the book was fast paced. I can't wait to read the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC to review.

#FilthyRichFae #NetGalley

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Geneva Lee

Website

http://www.genevalee.com

Twitter

genevaleeauthor

Genre

Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy

https://www.goodreads.com/genevalee

Geneva Lee is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of over thirty novels. Her bestselling Royals Saga has sold nearly four million copies worldwide. She's shamelessly addicted to recovering alpha males, headstrong heroines, and drop-your-jaw plot twists. People Magazine calls Geneva's books "convincing with fluid writing that's full of drama." When she isn't writing or reading, you might find her on another adventure with her real-life hero and their three kids

Blog Tour: The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden

 

“You must be our new neighbors!” Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…

I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.

Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But her cold stare gives me chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?

I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?

From New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Freida McFadden comes the next installment of the unbelievably twisty, tension-packed and globally bestselling Housemaid series. This book can be enjoyed as a standalone read: and once you start, it will have you up all night racing through the pages until the final explosive twist.

 

First published June 11, 2024

Buy from Amazon

MY REVIEW:

The Housemaid Is Watching by Freida McFadden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When the family moves into their new house there is a nosy neighbor right away and another one who flirts all the time with the husband. So right off the bat I could not wait to see what happens. Mrs. Lowell does not stop leaving Enzo alone, Even having him help her with her backyard and she will give him his name to her clients, as she is a real estate person.
Then their son becomes violent and not his self. Their daughter is still the same but not quite sure what to think of her brother.
We also meet the neighbor's maid who is now coming to Millie's house twice a month.
There were somethings that I had a feeling of what was gong on but not quite all of it, and some twists I did not see.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

View all my reviews

Freida 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.

To hear Freida talk about herself more in the third person, check out her website freidamcfadden.com


Twitter: @Freida_McFadden


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Freida-McFadden-Author-of-Psychological-Thrillers-and-Medical-Humor-400860063303345/


Instagram: @fmcfaddenauthor


Newsletter sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/freida-mcfadden/

#1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Sunday Times, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into 40 language

#thehousemaidswatching  #NetGalley

Book Review: Cloak of the Vampire by Sapir A Englard

 

Expected publication June 18, 2024

Buy on Amazon

From the author of The Millennium Wolves series comes the hauntingly romantic story of a young woman’s descent into a League of vampires, and the Lord who means to keep her there.

Aileen Henderson’s unassuming life conceals a dark past. Outside of work, she hides behind her larger-than-life best friend, Cassidy, whose constant need for attention suits Aileen—and her secrets—just fine.

Until the night Aileen dies.

Awakening to a new world of brutality, bloodlust, and betrayal, Aileen plots revenge against Ragnor Rayne, the monster who cursed her with the Imprint. The demon who turned her into a vampire. The man whose eyes haunt her dreams.

She is going to make this vampire Lord regret the day he kissed her with the curse of immortality and made her his. If she can survive the Auction, and resist temptations of the flesh…

MY REVIEW:

Cloak of the Vampire by Sapir A. Englard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book of a new series and I could not put it down. It is different than other vampire books. Communities are underground and You are put on a list for years until you are turned. But Aileen was turned on accident and she had no idea that Vampires existed. This is set in New Orleans and the town is run by Lord Ragnor and there are other towns where Lords live and more vampires live. When you are turned you live and learn with just a small handful of people. All the rules and training. You are asked about your talents and they are used for auction.
I really liked the characters and yes a few times I wanted to smack them but again this vampire story was different than others.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC to review.

#CloakoftheVampire #NetGalley

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Sapir A. Englard

Bornin Ramat HaSharon

February 21, 1995

Website

https://www.sapirenglard.com/

Twitter

SAEnglard

Genre

Romance, Fiction, Fantasy

Influences

Nalini Singh Rick Riordan ...more

https://www.goodreads.com/alexapir

Sapir A. Englard is the author of The Millennium Wolves, an erotic werewolf fantasy series which has been read over 125 million times on Galatea’s mobile app. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Sapir is a full-time writer, public speaker, and music producer. Born and raised in Israel, Sapir enjoys traveling, chatting with readers, and creating new stories. Visit https://www.sapirenglard.com/ to learn more and read excerpts from The Millennium Wolves and other books by Sapir Englard.

Book Review: To Love a Dark Lord by Kathrynn Ann Kingsley

 

Published June 14, 2024

buy on Amazon

She pulled him close, in a desperate, perfect embrace. She loved him. And she would burn this world for him…

Gwen must free the Prince in Iron, before his mind is torn apart.

For centuries, Mordred ruled over Avalon and caged its magic. Now the elementals have seized power, sentencing him to an eternity of torment in his own magical prison.

Gwen accepted Mordred’s punishment to save his life. But the love that binds them cannot be denied. She vows to find him and release him, whatever the cost.

Mordred’s time is quickly running out. Trapped inside the Iron Crystal, he burns with rage and desire, haunted by shadows of the past. His sanity hangs by a thread.

Gwen will destroy anyone who stands between her and the crystal. But is she freeing the man she loves? Or unleashing a power more vicious and terrifying than Avalon has ever known?

Gwen and Mordred’s story reaches its searing conclusion in To Love a Dark Lord, Book Four of the Iron Crystal Quartet. Packed with battles, betrayal and spicy romance, this series is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Elise Kova and Danielle L. Jensen.

My Review

To Love a Dark Lord: A spicy enemies to lovers fantasy romance by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the 4th book and the conclusion of the series.
I did read the last book but not the first 2 and I still was able to enjoy the books. It has Camelot,Galahad, Lancelot and the wizard of oz all rolled into this fantasy romance book.
Mordred has ruled over Avalon for centuries and people fear hm. He is not the nicest being and some would like to take away his power, which has happened but now Gwen , who is in love with him wants to release him from captivity, But she s also afraid of what will become of Avalon when she does free him.
Gwen fight for those she cares about but she also does not want blood shed. Mordred doesn't like the Elementals and wants them all dead even if they are not the enemy. Gwen is also fighting against Galahad and his woman.
The ending was perfect for this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for the ARC to read.
#ToLoveaDarkLordTheIronCrystalQuartetBook4 #NetGalley.

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Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Bornin Northampton, MA, The United States

Website

http://www.kathrynkingsley.com

Twitter

vodriel

Genre

Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal

Kat has always been a storyteller.

With ten years in script-writing for performances on both the stage and for tourism, she has always been writing in one form or another. When she isn’t penning down fiction, she works as Creative Director for a company that designs and builds large-scale interactive adventure games. There, she is the lead concept designer, handling everything from game and set design, to audio and lighting, to illustration and script writing. Also on her list of skills are artistic direction, scenic painting and props, special effects, and electronics. A graduate of Boston University with a BFA in Theatre Design, she has a passion for unique, creative, and unconventional experiences. In her spare time, she builds animatronics and takes trapeze classes.

Book Review: Not In Love by Ali Hazelwood

 

First published June 11, 2024

Buy on Amazon

A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science.

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through - and he's a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can't stop thinking about. The woman who's off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business - one that plays for keeps.

MY REVIEW:

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book from the very start and it is my first book I have read by this author. But it will not be my last. I liked Rue and she reminded me of Tempence from the tv show Bones. Not many friends, not sure how to do relationships and very smart.
Rue and Eli met in a bar for sex only after they had met on an APP. Right after that she finds out he works for the company who is out to take the company she works for. He also did not know who she was when they met. They decide to go ahead and have sex anyways. She usually only does 1 night stands and never seeing the guy again, But there is something about Eli that she changes her stance.
I found these 2 fun and seeing their relationship grow.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC to review.
#NetGalley #Notinlove

View all my reviews

Ali Hazelwood

Bornin Italy

December 01

Website

http://alihazelwood.com/

Twitter

eversoali

Genre

Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit

https://www.goodreads.com/alihazelwood

I'm Ali, and I write contemporary romcom novels about women in STEM and academia. I love cats, Nutella, and side ponytails. I'm also currently learning to crochet, so as you can tell I'm a super busy gal with an intense and exciting life!

I only use Goodreads as a reader, to review and hype books that I've loved (many of these book are ARCs received from fellow authors)

Book Review: The Love Hack by Sophie Ranald

 

Published June 7, 2024

buy from Amazon

She’s a rookie advice columnist. He’s her office crush. It’s about to get complicated.

Landing a new job as online agony uncle “Ask Adam” Lucy dishes out relationship tips to men. But when it comes to her own love life, she’d rather spend Friday nights curled up on her sofa with Netflix and her cat, Astro. That is, until she meets Ross, her new co-worker who makes her snort with laughter at his silly jokes and sets off butterflies in her stomach when his hazel eyes meet hers over his laptop. After her last work boyfriend broke her heart, Lucy swore she’d never fall for someone in the office again. And she’s just about to have two more good reasons not to.

An email has just landed in the “Ask Adam” inbox and Lucy is convinced it’s from Ross. He’s most definitely not single. As her advice column goes viral and her inbox overflows with problems, Lucy turns to her AI assistant for help decoding romantic troubles, including her own. Can her state-of-the-art cupid really help her navigate her feelings for Ross? Or will the truth behind “Ask Adam” turn her non-existent love life into a hot mess?

A totally heart-warming, feel-good, and relatable romantic comedy that will have you laughing and crying as you race through the pages. If you love Sophie Kinsella, Emily Henry and Beth O’Leary, you’ll instantly fall for The Love Hack.

My Review:

The Love Hack by Sophie Ranald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wish we could rate .5 stars as I would give it 3.5 stars. It wasn't quite a 4 star for me.

Lucy has a an advice column called Ask Adam and so everyone thinks she is a man except her coworkers know and one of them she has a crush on but he is dating someone.
Lucy uses AI to answer some of the questions and even has one who she believes is from Ross, her crush.
Then once comes in that sounds exactly like what is going on with her sister and BIL. She sets out to prove if it is right or wrong.
I liked Lucy and Ross. They were cute and you could tell they liked each other but it took awhile for them. It's a cute romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the arc to review.

View all my reviews

Sophie Ranald

Website

http://www.sophieranald.com

Twitter

sophieranald

Sophie Ranald is the youngest of five sisters. She was born in Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa until an acute case of itchy feet brought her to London in her mid-20s.

As an editor for a customer publishing agency, Sophie developed her fiction-writing skills describing holidays to places she’d never visited. In 2011, she decided to disregard all the good advice given to aspiring novelists and attempt to write full-time. After one false start, It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister’s Boyfriend (Wouldn’t It?) seemed to write itself.

Sophie also writes for magazines and online about food, fashion and running. She lives in south-east London with her amazing partner Hopi and Purrs, their adorable little cat.

Blog Tour: The Woman at my Wedding by L.G. Davis

 

publication June 13, 2024

Buy on Amazon

I’ve dreamed of this day forever. But will it be my last?

My stomach flutters as I try on my shimmering wedding dress with my two closest friends. In just a few weeks I’m going to marry the man of my dreams. I can’t believe the next time Nathan sees me it’ll be when I walk down the aisle. I’ve never told him my real name, and I hate lying to him. But it’s for his own good, and nobody could love him more than me. I’ve been through so much; don’t I deserve this happiness?

As I’m gazing at my reflection in the mirror, there’s a knock on the door and when I open it my heart leaps into my throat. Right in front of me is someone I hoped I’d never see again: my mother-in-law.

Nathan doesn’t speak to her, and the estrangement has been a huge relief to me. Because Debbie knows my secret. And she could ruin everything…

From the moment she sweeps in, it’s clear that if I don’t let my mother-in-law stay, she won’t stay quiet about my dark past. But she has no idea how far I’ll go to stop her destroying everything I’ve worked for.

But when I realise my friends have been lying to me too, I wonder if my mother-in-law is really the person I need to worry about. Is there another woman in my life who is determined not only to ruin my wedding, but to take my life?

An utterly heart-pounding and nail-biting new novel from bestseller L.G. Davis. This twisty, gasp-out-loud thriller is perfect for fans of Gone Girl, Teresa Driscoll and Freida McFadden.

MY REVIEW:

The Woman at My Wedding by L.G. Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, I could not believe the gall of Debbie and how she treated Brynn.
Brynn is getting ready to marry Nathan and they are using a wedding planner, who is a friend of theirs. Debbie shows up and Nathan hasn't spoken to his mother in years and does not want her at the wedding. Brynn says she won't tell Nathan as he is busy with a court case. Brynn's maid of honor is also helping out with wedding plans.
We also know there is a woman who is watching Brynn all the time and wants Nathan for herself and is out to ruin the wedding plans.
The ending has some twists that I did not see coming and one twist that I saw coming but with the wrong person.
I read this in one sitting and could not put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC to review.
#NetGalley #thewomanatmywedding

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                                                                          L.G. Davis

Author L.G. Davis (Liz) creates fast-paced, unpredictable, twisty-turny, psychological thrillers set in small towns. She strives to create characters that feel so real that her readers would want to meet them in real life. She loves to set her thrillers in small towns that, at first sight, look picturesque, but upon closer inspection, dark secrets, and dangerous minds threaten the residents.

In addition to being an author, Liz is a self-taught digital artist who enjoys transforming a blank canvas into anything she can imagine.

Her greatest joys in life consist of spending time with her family, reading a good book, watching a great movie, or daydreaming about the next story she wants to bring to life in the future.

Liz Grace Davis was born in a refugee camp in Angola, where she spent the first eight years of her life. She grew up in Angola, Namibia, South Africa, and Germany. She now lives with her husband and their two children in Vienna, Austria.



AUTHOR SOCIAL MEDIA



Twitter: @LGDavisAuthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LGDavisBooks

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Blog Tour : Did I Kill My Husband? by A.J. Campbell

 

Expected publication May 29, 2024

Buy from Amazon

The police officer’s voice is steady as he tells me the news. ‘Your husband is in hospital.’ My heart pounds. I think about my children, safely tucked up in bed. What will happen to us if he loses his life? And more importantly… do the police know where I really was tonight?Everybody thinks Michael and I are the perfect couple. But everybody is wrong. Because my dear, lovely husband was at the heart of a scandal at the school where he teaches. He was cleared of any wrongdoing. At first I believed him. Now, I’m sure he’s been hiding something terrible. But I can’t tell the police a thing. Because my husband isn’t the only one with secrets.So, as I stand here knowing I have to tell my children that Michael is fighting for his life, I ask what would be worse? For my husband, the much-loved local teacher, to die? Or for him to live, and for all his lies to come home again?In the end, the choice is easy. I know what I have to do…I’ll tell the police that I would never, ever hurt my husband. But will they believe me?

My Review:

Did I Kill My Husband? by A.J. Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We know from the beginning that Christina hits something and she thought it was an animal. She did get out of the car and looked around. She saw nothing and went on her way home.
When the police come to the house she yells out to Michael that the police are there. He doesn't greet them with her. That's when they tell her is in the hospital.
Christina isn't happy but would never harm Michael. she stood by his side after a scandal at the school , where he teaches. As the story kept going and we get glimpses of Christina's family and Michael, I wasn't sure what to think. Who is really lying and covering things up. Who is really Christina's friends are has her back. The ending though is not what I saw coming.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ebook to review.

View all my reviews

                                                                     A.J. Campbell


Born Enfield, The United Kingdom

Website
https://www.ajcampbellauthor.com/

Twitter
AuthorAJC

Genre
Suspense, Thriller, Fiction


AJ CAMPBELL is an Amazon bestselling author of six psychological suspense novels and promises stories full of twists, turns and torment. Her fourth book The Phone Call was released in July 2022, and it topped the Amazon charts for several months. It was shortlisted for the Adult Prize for Fiction at the Selfie Book Awards 2023. She released her fifth novel The Wrong Key in January 2023, and her sixth one Her Missing Husband in May 2023.

AJ draws inspiration for her stories from seemingly unbelievable situations in which ordinary people find themselves. She creates compelling characters that resonate with her readers. AJ lives in the UK on the Essex / Hertfordshire border with her husband, sons, and cocker spaniel, Max. She is a dog lover, Netflix junkie, and a wine and Asian food enthusiast. And, either reading, watching TV, or writing, AJ enjoys nothing more than getting stuck into a twisty story!

Connect with AJ here:

www.ajcampbellauthor.com
www.facebook.com/AJCampbellauthor
www.instagram.com/ajcampbellauthor/
www.twitter.com/AuthorAJC

Book Review: The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer

 

First published May 7, 2024

Buy On Amazon

Eddie Grant is happy with her life and her work as a personal assistant to Dinah Lavender, one of the most famous and renowned romance authors in the business. But being a spectator to notoriety and glamour isn’t as fulfilling as she once thought. Thankfully, Eddie has the perfect excuse for a Her hardworking younger sister, Barrett, is opening her gift shop on Memorial Day weekend, and could use all the help she can get.

But going home to the beautiful island of Nantucket means facing the family’s difficult past. Shortly after the death of Eddie and Barrett’s brother, their mother left them and their father made the spontaneous decision to buy a small farm. Eddie stayed there for only a year before her family’s grief threatened to consume her as well, and had been living in Manhattan ever since. Now that she is back, Eddie must face all she left her father’s increased eccentricities, which has led to a house bursting at the seams with books; her sister’s resentment over Eddie’s escape; and a past love connection, one that is still undeniable and complicated, all these years later. But the Grant sisters are nothing if not resilient and capable, opening a used bookstore in their father’s abandoned barn to manage his hoarding, and navigating the discovery of a long-buried family secret that will change all of them forever.

MY REVIEW:

The Summer We Started Over by Nancy Thayer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eddie is a personal assistant to a romance author. Her sister, Barrett is opening a store in their hometown. Their father had become a recluse and book hoarder after their brother died and their mom and dad got divorced. Going back to Nantucket is not something Eddie had planned on but her sister needed her. It was only supposed to be for a short time. Then the man she loved and left came back into her life complicating things. Also the author came to visit as well.
I loved all of these characters, flaws and all. I wanted to be in Nantucket as well. It sounds so beautiful.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ebook to review.

View all my reviews

                                                                        Nancy Thayer


Born in Emporia, The United States

Website
http://nancythayer.com/

Genre
Literature & Fiction, Women & Gender Studies




Nancy Thayer has published 35 novels, including Family Reunion and Secrets in Summer. She has lived on Nantucket Island year-round for 38 years with her husband Charley Walters. They have two children and five grandchildren.

Book Review: Man's Best Friend by Alana B Lytle

 

 First published May 14, 2024

Buy On Amazon

Ever since her year as a scholarship student among the ultra-wealthy at a Manhattan private school, El knows what it is like to feel rich—to feel chosen. And being not chosen is her current living at age thirty, she has given up her dream of becoming a famous actress, she has no passions, no great love, nothing to look forward to.

Then El meets a mysterious trust-fund Cambridge grad who holds the keys to the world she has long dreamed of. Bryce may not be particularly good-looking, charming, or interesting, but he has chosen her. El allows herself to be lulled by the ease and safety that his wealth provides, becoming Bryce’s little pet, and giving up her job, friends, and apartment in short order. But when a series of disturbing and slightly surreal events reveal that Bryce is not quite what he seems, but something entirely more sinister, El must face the consequences when his darkness—and her own—are unleashed.

MY REVIEW:

Man's Best Friend by Alana B. Lytle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I did not care for this book. The main character, El is a boring person. I never liked her and found her very selfish. Only wanting the rich around her and what they could do for her. The friends she did have she only saw them when she felt like it.
El meets Bryce. He is smitten with her and pretty much will do anything for her. But things don't add up and before we know it she isn't quite the person I thought either but then again maybe she is.
I had a hard time liking the book, the characters and the storyline.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ebook to review,

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Book Review: Twenty Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate

 

First published January 30, 2024

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Phoebe Dean was the most popular girl alive and dead.

For the last ten years, the small, claustrophobic town of West Wilmer has been struggling to understand one thing: Why did it take young Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help on the fateful night of the car accident that took the life of his beloved sister, Phoebe?

Someone knows what really happened the night Phoebe died. Someone who is ready to tell the truth.

With Phoebe's memorial in just three days, grief, delusion, ambition, and regret tornado together with biting gossip in a town full of people obsessed with a long-gone tragedy with four people at its heart—the caretaker, the secret girlfriend, the missing bad boy, and a former football star. Just kids back then, are forever tied together the fateful rainy night Phoebe died.

Perfect for fans of Jane Harper and Celeste Ng, Tate's literary suspense Twenty-Seven Minutes is a gripping debut about what happens when grief becomes unbearable and dark secrets are unearthed in a hometown that is all too giddy to eat it up.

MY REVIEW:

Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

10 years ago there was a car accident. Grant Dean was driving and his sister Phoebe was with him. Another person, was also in the car. Why did it take 27 minutes for Grant to call 911. That is the oe question everyone has asked.
Meanwhile you have a mother who has died and her daughter is dealing with that when her brother shows up after many years of missing.
The twist at the end got me. I did not see that coming.
I liked how the characters developed and going from the past to the present to find out what had gone on. Things are not always as they seem. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Press for the book to review,

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                                                                            Ashley Tate

Ashley is a Canadian author; Twenty-Seven Minutes is her debut novel.

Book Review: Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

 

published May 7, 2024

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Everyone refers to the St. Cecelia as “the Saint.” If you grew up coming here, you were “a Saint.” If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.” Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders whose family wasn’t rich enough or connected enough to vacation here. But she could work here. One fateful summer she did, and married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days, even as staff shortages and financial troubles threaten to ruin it. Plus, her greedy and unscrupulous brother-in-law wants to make sure she fails. Enlisting a motley crew of recently hired summer help—including the daughter of her estranged best friend—Traci has one summer season to turn it around. But new information about a long-ago drowning at the hotel threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair.

Traci Eddings has her back against the pink-painted wall of this beloved institution. And it will take all the wits and guts she has to see wrongs put to right, to see guilty parties put in their place, and maybe even to find a new romance along the way. Told with Mary Kay Andrew’s warmth, humor, knack for twists, and eye for delicious detail about human nature, Summers at the Saint is a beach read with depth and heart.

MY REVIEW:

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Saint is a country club for the wealthy.
A kid died many years ago when Traci was a lifeguard there. The other lifeguard had been fired but it was no one's fault. Now his half brother is looking into what really happened. Traci is also trying to keep the club going and finding new ideas and remodeling where she can,. Her husband had a died a few years ago and so she inherited his part of the hotel while his brother is trying to make her look bad.
Then someone ends up dead and more things come into light. I really liked Traci and her niece.It was a good book
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

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                                                                      Mary Kay Andrews


Born St. Petersburg, FL, The United States

Website
http://www.marykayandrews.com

Twitter
mkayandrews

Genre
Fiction, Mystery, Chick Lit



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


https://marykayandrews.com/
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MARY KAY ANDREWS is the New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels (including The Homewreckers, The Santa Suit, The Newcomer; Hello, Summer; Sunset Beach; The High Tide Club; The Weekenders; Beach Town; Save the Date; Ladies’ Night; Christmas Bliss; Spring Fever; Summer Rental; The Fixer Upper; Deep Dish; Blue Christmas; Savannah Breeze; Hissy Fit; Little Bitty Lies; and Savannah Blues), and one cookbook, The Beach House Cookbook.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she earned a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia. After a 14-year career working as a reporter at newspapers including The Savannah Morning News, The Marietta Journal, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she spent the final ten years of her career, she left journalism in 1991 to write fiction.

Her first novel, Every Crooked Nanny, was published in 1992 by HarperCollins. She went on to write ten critically acclaimed mysteries under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. In 2002, she assumed the pen name Mary Kay Andrews with the publication of Savannah Blues. In 2006, Hissy Fit became her first New York Times bestseller, followed by twelve more New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers. To date, her novels have been published in German, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Hungarian, Dutch, Czech and Japanese.

She and her family divide their time between Atlanta and Tybee Island, GA, where they cook up new recipes in two restored beach homes, The Breeze Inn and Ebbtide—both named after fictional places in Mary Kay’s novels, and both available to rent through Tybee Vacation Rentals. In between cooking, spoiling her grandkids, and plotting her next novel, Mary Kay is an intrepid treasure hunter whose favorite pastime is junking and fixing up old houses.

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