Book Review: If I stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens

 

published October 15, 2024

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An enemies to lovers romance with a spooky twist where two feuding writers end up on a writers retreat together at a haunted castle in Scotland

It's been months since horror author Penelope Skinner threw a book at Neil Storm. But he was so infuriating, with his sparkling green eyes and his bestselling horror novels that claimed to break Native stereotypes. And now she’s a publishing pariah and hasn’t been able to write a word since. So when her friend invites her on a too-good-to-be-true writers retreat in a supposedly haunted Scottish castle, she seizes the opportunity. Of course, some things really are too good to be true.

Neil wants nothing less than to be trapped in a castle with the frustratingly adorable woman who threw a book at him. She drew blood! Worse still, she unleashed a serious case of self-doubt! Neil is terrified to write another bestselling “book without a soul,” as Pen called it. All Neil wants is to find inspiration, while completely avoiding her.

But as the retreat begins, Pen and Neil are stunned to find themselves trapped in a real-life ghost story. Even more horrifying, they’re stuck together and a truly shocking (extremely hot) almost-kiss has left them rethinking their feelings, and… maybe they shouldn’t have been enemies at all? But if they can’t stop the ghosts pursuing them, they may never have the chance to find out.

Full of spooky chills and even more sexy thrills, If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens is the funny, fast-paced romp romance readers have been waiting for!

MY REVIEW:

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I started reading this book I almost DNFd it.
Penelope was so rude and such a bully that I could not stand her. She is an author and hates Neil, who she believes is writing garbage instead of what he should be writing.
We find out how the publishing companies had treated Neil. He is a Native American and had written a great story with Native Americans in it and set in that community but the publishing companies all said no. Penelope does not know that. They both suffered in their careers for a couple of years until they got to a writer's retreat at a haunted house.
I ended up enjoying this book and I really liked Neil. Penelope was still hard to warm up to.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ebook to review.

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Colby Wilkens

Website

Https://colbywilkens.com/

Twitter

colbywilkens

Genre

Romance, Horror, Young Adult

A white/Native and queer PNW author of YA and Adult romance and horror, Colby Wilkens lives for cozying up on the couch with her cats, tea, and a good book. She is an active bookstagrammer with a fondness for candles and dark stories.

book review: House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

 

First published August 6, 2024

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On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie.

A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny - in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce - and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there's something eerie about the house itself: It's a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.

As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?

MY REVIEW:

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A young Nanny falls through a window and the little girl no longer is talking. Not only that but all glass is being replaced with plastic or plexiglass.Everyone seems to be guilty of who knows what happened to the nanny and did she fall or was she pushed.
The parents are getting divorced and we find out secrets about them. The grandmother also lives in the house but she walks with a cane and can't get around real well. The little girl is stealing objects that are sharp. Just what is going on this house?
Stella is sent as a child advocate and to see what is going on with her and if she can get the little girl to talk.
I enjoyed this thriller and received it from NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ARC to read.

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Sarah Pekkanen

Bornin The United States

November 29

Website

http://sarahpekkanen.com

Twitter

sarahpekkanen

Genre

Thriller, Suspense, Fiction

I'm a #1 New York Times bestselling author of the upcoming HOUSE OF GLASS, which will be published August 6, 2024. The audiobook is narrated by Tony-awared winning singer/actress Laura Benanti.

My most recent novel, GONE TONIGHT, was hailed by Harlen Coben as "Jaw-dropping... A wild ride." The audiobook is narrated by actress Kate Mara.

I'm also the coauthor of four bestselling thrillers: THE GOLDEN COUPLE, THE WIFE BETWEEN US, AN ANONYMOUS GIRL, and YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

I've written eight novels that are contemporary fiction, not thrillers: THE EVER AFTER, THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS, THINGS YOU WON'T SAY, CATCHING AIR, THE BEST OF US, THE OPPOSITE OF ME, SKIPPING A BEAT, and THESE GIRLS. My linked free short estories, published by Simon&Schuster exclusively for ereaders, are titled "All is Bright," and "Love, Accidentally."

When I'm not writing or spending time with my three kids, I'm a passionate advocate for rescue animals. I serve as Ambassador of RRSA India, a shelter and sanctuary for abused and injured street dogs and other animals in Anand, India. And I'm the founder of the nonprofit charity IndiaStreetPaws.com.

I also serve on the board of the International Thriller Writers. Readers and writers - come join us at Thrillerfest in NYC every spring!

Please find me on Insta and Facebook for more!

My website is www.sarahpekkanen.com

Book Review: One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day

 

published July 16, 2024

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The newest, riveting summer suspense by the author of The Block Party, Jamie Day.

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there's murder in the air—and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe's nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she's using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills, and twists, Jamie Day delivers a unique brand of SUMMERTIME SUSPENSE.

MY REVIEW:

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The owner of a family hotel passes away and hs 3 daughters are on the way for the reading of the will. He was not a nice person and there is a few mysteries that are uncovered along the way. The Bishop sisters are not nice people either. A storm is brewing with a hurricane on the way and no one wants to be stranded at the hotel.
Charley is the chambermaid who has been working at the hotel for a while now and gets caught up in the family drama and she is trying to solve some of the mysteries that are showing up.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the book to review.

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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/
https://www.facebook.com/marykayandre...
https://www.instagram.com/marykayandr...

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.

View all my reviews

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 Guest - B.A. Paris

 

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 20, 2024

Buy on Amazon 

Some secrets never leave.

Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their closest friends, Laure, is in their house. The atmosphere quickly becomes tense as she oversteps again and sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris' clothes, even rearranging the furniture.

Laure has walked out on her husband—and their good friend—Pierre, over his confession of an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive of their friends, but as Laure's mood becomes increasingly unpredictable, her presence takes its toll.

Iris and Gabriel's only respite comes in the form of a couple new to town. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past. Soon, secrets from all their pasts will unravel, some more dangerous than they could have known.

                                                        MY REVIEW:

The Guest by B.A. Paris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Iris and Gabrielle have come home from vacation and when they get home there is a guest in their house. Their close friend , Laure has left her husband, Pierre. Saying that he told her he had a child with someone else.
They also meet their new neighbors and their new gardener who comes to help Gabrielle with hs garden.
I wasn't very trusting of the new neighbor for some reason.. She just seemed a little off to me.
If I was Iris and Gabrielle then I would have had to say something to Laure about her staying to long. she was driving Iris crazy. But the ending I did not see coming.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ebook to review.

View all my reviews

                                                                          B.A. Paris


Twitter
BAParisAuthor

Genre
Suspense, Fiction

B.A. Paris is the New York Times and Sunday Times Number 1 bestselling author of seven novels including the word-of-mouth hit, Behind Closed Doors and her upcoming thriller, The Guest.

Over 7 million editions of her work have been sold worldwide and her books have been translated into 41 languages. Her novels have been optioned for major screen adaptations with a film of The Breakdown, titled Blackwater Lane, in post production.

Before becoming an author, B.A. Paris worked as a bank trader and teacher in France. Today, she writes from her cottage in Hampshire, England, where she lives with her husband with visits from her five grown-up daughters. She has a newsletter and is on social media @baparisauthor

Book Review: Identity by Nora Roberts

 

Published May 23, 2023

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Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan's job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party—attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy who'd been chatting her up at the bar—her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor.

Soon, a horrific truth emerges: It was Morgan who let the monster in. "Luke” is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder.

What the FBI tells Morgan is beyond chilling. Nina wasn't his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan's nightmare is just beginning. Soon she has no choice but to flee to her mother's home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn't flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn't forgotten the one who got away.

MY REVIEW:

Identity by Nora Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Morgan owned a house and loved her jobs and her best friend. When she meets Luke one night she decides she likes him and they go on a couple of dates. Her best friend, Nina lives with Morgan so one night they have Luke over and Nina''s boyfriend over, for dinner.
That's when everything happens. Luke get all kinds of information off of Morgan's computer.
Nina is dead and Luke has stolen Morgan's identity racking up bills in her name. Morgan moves in with her mom and Grandmother and starts her life all over. Actually loving her new job and meeting a man. But Luke isn't done with her yet. I was so glad how much in the face that the FBI was and trying to track Luke down.
Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for the book to review.

View all my reviews

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Book Review: The Prisoner by B. A. Paris

 

                                                     300 pages, Kindle Edition

                                                     November 1, 2022 by St. Martin's Press

                                                      Buy from Amazon

With Behind Closed Doors, B.A. Paris takes the psychological thriller to shocking new heights. Now she'll hold you captive with this stunning new thriller about one woman wed into a family with deadly intentions.

Amelie has always been a survivor, from losing her parents as a child in Paris to making it on her own in London. As she builds a life for herself, she is swept up into a glamorous lifestyle where she married the handsome billionaire Jed Hawthorne.

But then, Amelie wakes up in a pitch-black room, not knowing where she is. Why has she been taken? Who are her mysterious captors? And why does she soon feel safer here, imprisoned, than she had begun to feel with her husband Ned?

MY REVIEW:

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great story that made me mad, sad and all kinds of in between.
Amelie married Ned for money. He promised her so much money for her to go to law school and only had to be married to him for 30 days.
But that's when things start going wrong and he turns out to be a liar and a whole lot of other bad news.
Amelie had 3 best friends that she met when she moved to town. Her dad had passed away and she had nothing and was starting over. she met Ned through them.
After her and Ned are married they are kidnapped for ransom. As I kept reading this though I had a feeling that they really didn't want her or to hurt her.
I couldn't stop reading and another great book by this author,
Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this book to review.

View all my reviews

                                                                 B.A. Paris


Twitter
BAParisAuthor

Genre
Suspense, Fiction




B A Paris is the internationally bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown, Bring Me Back and The Dilemma. Having sold over a million copies in the UK alone, she is a New York Times bestseller as well as a Sunday Times bestseller. Her books have been translated into 40 languages. Having lived in France for many years, she and her husband recently moved back to the UK.
Her fifth novel is out in 2021

Book Review: Paper Gods by Goldie Taylor

 I read this book over a year ago and never got my review up. Trying to catch up on books I read and didn't review.

Paperback, 336 pages
Published June 29th 2021 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published October 23rd 2018)

Buy on Amazon

"From buttermilk fried okra to bibles and bullets, the story comes out the gate moving and never lets up.” —Eric Jerome Dickey, New York Times bestselling author of A Wanted Woman

Now in paperback—The mayor of Atlanta and a washed-up reporter investigate a series of assassinations, and uncover a conspiracy that reaches into the heart of the city's political machine.

Mayor Victoria Dobbs Overstreet is a Harvard-trained attorney and Spelman alum, married to a celebrated heart surgeon, mother to beautiful twin girls, and a political genius. When her mentor, ally, and friend Congressman Ezra Hawkins is gunned down in Ebenezer Baptist Church, Victoria finds a strange piece of origami–a “paper god”–tucked inside his Bible. These paper gods turn up again and again, always after someone is killed. Someone is terrorizing those who are close to Mayor Dobbs, and she can't shake the feeling that the killer is close to her, too.

                                                    MY REVIEW:

Paper Gods: A Novel of Money, Race, and Politics by Goldie Taylor


There was a lot of intrigue and politics going on. I liked the book but just a little political for me.
Atlanta Mayor Victoria Dobbs Overstreet is a Harvard-trained attorney and Spelman alum, married to a celebrated heart surgeon, mother to beautiful twin girls, and a political genius.
People start dying and it loos like not by accident. Newspaperman Hampton Bridges is in a suspicious car accident that leaves him partially paralyzed. Congressman Ezra Hawkins is assassinated in his church. Both are connected to the Mayor.
Victoria finds a strange piece of origami–a “paper god”–tucked inside Ezra's Bible and they show up more in the book.
Thank you to St. Martin's for the book to review.

View all my reviews

                                                                      Goldie Taylor

@StMartinsPress

Book Review: The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee

 

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 320 pages

                                              Published August 3rd 2021 by St. Martin's Griffin

                                                                Buy from Amazon 

With witty characters and heartrending romance, Jayci Lee, author of A Sweet Mess, returns with The Dating Dare—where two people might just find out how hard it is to resist falling in love with the right person.

No serious relationships. This is the one rule Tara Park made for herself and it has been working swimmingly, thank you very much. The occasional fling is fine, especially since she’s busy with Weldon Brewery. But when Seth Kim, temptation personified and her best friend’s new brother-in-law walks into her life, Tara might be willing to bend her golden rule…but only for four dates—the four dates she agreed to after a few good rounds of beer and a game of truth or dare. It’ll be fun. No biggie.

Seth Kim can’t believe Tara agreed to his dating dare. He’s leaving for a new job in Paris in a month and a no-strings attached fling seemed like a nice little distraction for both… But their secret dates, while sweet and sexy, always hit roadblocks straight out of a romantic comedy. Thankfully, their non-dates and chance meetings are smoother, frequent, and heated. However, the more Seth sees of Tara, the less willing he is to let her go—and what was supposed to be a little fun game turns into something that neither of them are ready for.

But sometimes, the best things in life are the ones we never see coming.

                                            MY REVIEW:

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun and quick read.
I enjoyed Tara and Seth. They both have come from relationships that made them feel unworthy and they now know better but don't want to be another relationship like that.
Tara met Seth at her best friend's wedding, who married Seth's brother. They were attracted to each other but wanted a friends with benefit relationship. Especially since Seth is moving to Paris in a month. They are also keeping this to themselves and don't want anyone else to know they are involved so they sneak around.
Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for the ARC to review.

View all my reviews

                                                                          Jayci Lee
Website
http://www.JayciLee.com

Twitter
authorjaycilee

Genre
Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary




Jayci Lee writes poignant, sexy, and laugh-out-loud romance every free second she can scavenge. She lives in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys with boundless energy, and a fluffy rescue whose cuteness is a major distraction. At times, she cannot accommodate real life because her brain is full of drool worthy heroes and badass heroines clamoring to come to life.Because of all the books demanding to be written, Jayci writes full-time now, and is semi-retired from her fifteen-year career as a defense litigator. She loves food, wine, and travelling, and incidentally so do her characters. Books have always helped her grow, dream, and heal, and she hopes her books will do the same for you.

Book Review: Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

 

                                                    Kindle Edition, 368 pages
                                                Published March 2nd 2021 by Minotaur Books
                                                    Buy on Amazon

In one of the year’s most anticipated debut psychological thrillers, a family made infamous by a true crime documentary is found dead, leaving their surviving son to uncover the truth about their final days.

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.” So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears.

After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why.

The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime.

When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear.

Told through multiple points-of-view and alternating between past and present, Every Last Fear is not only a page-turning thriller, it’s also a poignant story about a family managing heartbreak and tragedy, and living through a fame they never wanted.

                                             MY REVIEW:

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.” So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears.
After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico.
The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted.
When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever.
Told through multiple points-of-view and alternating between past and present.
The Pine family sure has gone through some tough times and as the story moves along we learn more about what happened to Danny's girlfriend, how the town treated the Pine family nd what lead up to the Pine families deaths.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Minotaur for the ARC to review.

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About the Author
                                           Alex Finlay

Website
https://alexfinlaybooks.com/

Genre
Fiction


Alex Finlay is the pseudonym of an author who lives in Washington, D.C. Born in the American South, Alex spent years traversing the globe, from a tropical island in the Pacific to a small village in the UK to a remote region in the Far East. But it was on a trip to Tulum, Mexico that Alex was inspired to write Every Last Fear.

Book Review : You Have a Match by Emma Lord

 

                                                      Kindle Edition, 309 pages
                                                     Published January 12th 2021
                                                      Buy on Amazon

When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie…although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front.

But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister.

When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents — especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself.

The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby's growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything.

But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.

                                                         MY REVIEW:

You Have a Match by Emma Lord
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie…although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front.
The DNA reveals she has a secret sister, one she never knew about and that is when things got weird. Abby didn't confide in her parents or ask them questions. Instead she took it upon herself to meet up secretly with Savannah Tully. A shimmery-haired Instagram star.
They end meeting up at summer camp. Abby is a risk taker and Savanah plays by the rules.
I had a hard time thinking that a teenager wouldn't ask their parents what the hell? Why didn't you tell me? Then go meet up with the sister no matter what the parents said.
I don't like lies or secrets so I always confront and did even as a teenager no matter what.
Thank you to NetGalley and St, Martin's for this ARC to review.

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                                                                    Emma Lord
Born
July 09

Website
https://www.emmalordwriting.com

Twitter
dilemmalord

Genre
Young Adult




Emma Lord is the NYT bestselling author of YOU HAVE A MATCH and TWEET CUTE, a BuzzFeed market editor, and dessert gremlin living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, a whole lot of love, and copious amounts of grilled cheese.

Book Review: Faithless In Death by JD Robb

 

                                                             Kindle Edition, 383 pages
                                               Published February 9th 2021 by St. Martin’s Press
                                                                buy on Amazon

The scene in the West Village studio appears to be classic crime-of-passion: two wine glasses by the bed, music playing, and a young sculptor named Ariel Byrd with the back of her head bashed in. But when Dallas tracks down the wealthy Upper East Side woman who called 911, the details don't add up. Gwen Huffman is wealthy, elegant, comforted by her handsome fiancé as she sheds tears over the trauma of finding the body--but why did it take an hour to report it? And why is she lying about little things?

As Eve and her team look into Gwen, her past, and the people around her, they find that the lies are about more than murder. As with sculpture, they need to chip away at the layers of deception to find the shape within--and soon they're getting the FBI involved in a case that involves a sinister, fanatical group and a stunning criminal conspiracy.

                                                           MY REVIEW:

Faithless in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

the 52nd book of this series and I can never get enough. This was one of my favorites.
The scene in the West Village studio appears to be classic crime-of-passion: two wine glasses by the bed, music playing, and a young sculptor named Ariel Byrd with the back of her head bashed in. But when Dallas tracks down the wealthy Upper East Side woman who called 911, the details don't add up.
Gwen Huffman is wealthy, elegant, comforted by her handsome fiancé as she sheds tears over the trauma of finding the body.
As Eve and her team look into Gwen, her past, and the people around her, they find that the lies are about more than murder.
We find out about a big Cult that isn't just in NY city but in other states that branch off of it. Gwen's parents are part owners of the cult. How they treat women is deplorable and they don't believe that gay people should be accepted or mixed marriages. You want to go in steal the children and raise them yourselves.
Thank you to Eve and her team and working with the FBI to see what needs to be done to disban this cult.


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                                                                 J.D. Robb



Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, The United States

Website
http://www.jdrobb.com/

Genre
Suspense, Science Fiction, Fiction





J.D. Robb is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series and the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. The futuristic suspense series stars Eve Dallas, a New York City police lieutenant with a dark past. Initially conceived as a trilogy, readers clamored for more of Eve and the mysterious Roarke. Shadows in Death(St. Martin's Press, September 2020) is the 51st entry in the series.

#stmartinspress

Book Review: Shadows In Death by JD Robb

 

                                                          Kindle Edition, 345 pages
                                      Published September 8th 2020 by St. Martin's Press
                                                        buy on Amazon

Lt. Eve Dallas is about to walk into the shadows of her husband's dangerous past.

As it often did since he'd married a cop, murder interrupted more pleasant activities. Then again, Roarke supposed, the woman lying in a pool of her own blood a few steps inside the arch in Washington Square Park had a heftier complaint.

When a night out at the theatre is interrupted by the murder of a young woman in Washington Square Park, it seems like an ordinary case for Detective Eve Dallas and her team. But when Roarke spots a shadow from his past in the crowd, Eve realises that this case is far from business as usual.

Eve has two complex cases on her hands - the shocking murder of this wealthy young mother and tracking down the shadow before he can strike again, this time much closer to home. Eve is well used to being the hunter, but how will she cope when the tables are turned? As Eve and the team follow leads to Roarke's hometown in Ireland, the race is on to stop the shadow making his next move . . .

                                                   MY REVIEW:

Shadows in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When a night out at the theatre is interrupted by the murder of a young woman in Washington Square Park, it seems like an ordinary case for Detective Eve Dallas and her team. But when Roarke spots a shadow from his past in the crowd, Eve realises that this case is far from business as usual.
Roarke keeps seeing someone and thought maybe it was his dad but then things keep happening and we find out who it is.
As Eve and the team follow leads to Roarke's hometown in Ireland, the race is on to stop the shadow making his next move . . .
We learn even more of Roarke's past and I fell in love with his family in Ireland.
Thank you JD Robb for another great book.

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#StMartinspress

Book Review: The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman

 

                                                      Kindle Edition, 304 pages
                                         Published December 29th 2020 by St. Martin's Paperbacks
                                                     Buy on Amazon

A princess in disguise is forced to live with a rogue in order to protect her from danger in this fun, sexy regency romance.

Bow Street agent Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, doesn't believe in love―until a passionate kiss with a beautiful stranger in a brothel forces him to reconsider. When the mysterious woman is linked to an intrigue involving a missing Russian princess, however, Seb realizes her air of innocence was too good to be true.

Princess Anastasia Denisova has been hiding in London as plain 'Anna Brown'. With a dangerous traitor hot on her trail, her best option is to accept Wolff's offer of protection―and accommodation―at his gambling hell. But living in such close quarters, and aiding Wolff in his Bow Street cases, fans the flames of their mutual attraction. If Anya's true identity is revealed, does their romance stand a chance? Could a princess ever marry a rogue?

                                           MY REVIEW:

The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was so funny.
Bow Street agent Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, walked into a brothel and asked for the woman that he was interested in. The only thing was she didn't work there and was there for something else.
Princess Anastasia Denisova has been hiding in London as plain 'Anna Brown'. With a dangerous traitor hot on her trail, her best option is to accept Wolff's offer of protection―and accommodation―at his gambling hell.
There is someone after Anastasia , who wants to marry her and plans on getting his way when he finds her. Even though she has rejected him many times. Her father and brother also refused him many times but with both men in her life now gone he is persuing her hard. But is it just for the means to an end. Does he know the reason her brother is dead?
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's for the ARC to review.

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                                                 About the author

Kate Bateman

Website
http://www.kcbateman.com

Genre
Romance



Also writes as K.C. Bateman

Book Review: Take It Back by Kia Abdullah

                                                          Kindle Edition, 304 pages
                  Published December 8th 2020 by St. Martin's Press (first published August 8th 2019)
                                                        Buy from Amazon

One victim.
Four accused.
Who is telling the truth?

Zara Kaleel, one of London's brightest legal minds, shattered the expectations placed on her by her family and forged a brilliant legal career. But her decisions came at a high cost, and now, battling her own demons, she has exchanged her high profile career for a job at a sexual assault center, helping victims who need her the most. Victims like Jodie Wolfe.

When Jodie, a sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities, accuses four boys in her class of an unthinkable crime, the community is torn apart. After all, these four teenage defendants are from hard-working immigrant families and they all have proven alibis. Even Jodie's best friend doesn't believe her.

But Zara does—and she is determined to fight for Jodie—to find the truth in the face of public outcry. And as issues of sex, race and social justice collide, the most explosive criminal trial of the year builds to a shocking conclusion.

                                                          MY REVIEW:

Take It Back by Kia Abdullah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A shocking, twisting courtroom thriller.
The Victim: Jodie Wolfe, a physically flawed 16-year-old girl accuses four boys in her class of something unthinkable. Jodie Wolfe is a white girl with horrific facial deformities. Her mother is an alcoholic who is mentally abusive to Jodie.
Four handsome immigrant and Muslim boys are coming from good, hard-working families, having a bright future ahead them.
Zara Kaleel, a former lawyer, one of London's brightest legal minds, takes on this case.
Together, they enter the most explosive criminal trial of the year, where the only thing that matters is justice for Jodie.
Zara is Muslim and her family is not a family I would want to be a part of. They treat her horribly and because she is a lawyer defending a white girl against Muslims then they feel she is betraying the community, along with the Muslim community.
There are a couple of twists and turns that I didn't see coming and the ending will leave you shaking your head in confusion.
Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for the book to review.

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                                                                     Kia Abdullah


Born  London, The United Kingdom

Website
https://kiaabdullah.com

Twitter
kiaabdullah

Genre
Suspense, Thriller, Crime

Influences
Gillian Flynn, Louise Doughty

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



Kia Abdullah is an author and travel writer from London. Her novel Take It Back was named one of the best thrillers of the year by The Guardian and Telegraph and was selected for an industry-first audio serialisation by HarperCollins and The Pigeonhole. The follow-up, Truth Be Told, came out on 3rd September 2020 (HQ/HarperCollins).

Kia has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Times and The Telegraph, and is the founder of Asian Booklist, a non-profit organisation that advocates for diversity in publishing.

Website: kiaabdullah.com
Twitter: @kiaabdullah
Instagram: @kiaabdullah

#stmartins #netgalley

Book Review: The Wicked Hour by Alice Blanchard

 

                                                      Kindle Edition
                                                     Published December 1st 2020
                                                      Buy from Amazon

The day after Burning Lake’s notorious, debauched Halloween celebration, Detective Natalie Lockhart uncovers a heartbreaking scene—a young woman, dead and lying in a dumpster. There’s no clue to who she is, save for a mystifying tattoo on her arm, and a callus underneath her chin. She’s not from around here. No one knows who she is.

As Natalie retraces the young woman’s steps leading up to her death, she uncovers a deeper, darker horror—a string of murders and disappearances, seemingly unconnected, that may have ties to each other—and explain the abrupt disappearance of her best friend years ago.

As she digs deeper within the mind of the hunter, Natalie finds a darkness she could never have imagined. And as she draws closer to the truth, the killer is weaving a trap for her that may prove inescapable.

                                                            MY REVIEW:

The Wicked Hour: A Natalie Lockhart Novel by Alice Blanchard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The day after Burning Lake’s notorious, debauched Halloween celebration, Detective Natalie Lockhart uncovers a heartbreaking scene—a young woman, dead and lying in a dumpster. There’s no clue to who she is, save for a mystifying tattoo on her arm, and a callus underneath her chin. She’s not from around here. No one knows who she is.
Natalie is not going to give up on uncovering this mystery and she finds more clues that link to other murders and disappearances. We also find out that Natalie's best friend from high school had gone missing without any clue as to where she is.
I know I will continue on with this series as we learn more about Natalie and I think eventually the clue about her best friend, Belle's disappearance.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for this book to review.

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                                                                     Alice Blanchard


BornThe United States

Website
https://aliceblanchard.com/

Twitter
Alice Blanchard @AliceBooks333

Genre
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller




Alice Blanchard is the award-winning author of "Trace of Evil" and "The Wicked Hour," an evocative new mystery series from Minotaur Books.
An IndieNext Pick!
"Powerful." ― Ann Cleeves
"Gripping." ― Associated Press

"Trace of Evil” was selected as an Amazon Best Mystery/Thriller for December, an Indie Next Pick, a Loanstars Top Pick and a CrimeReads Magazine "Books You Should Read in December."

Her standalone mystery, "Darkness Peering," was a New York Times' Notable Book, and her thriller "The Breathtaker" was an official selection of NBC’s Today Show Book Club. Her work has been published in 17 countries.

"The Stuntman’s Daughter,” won the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction. She has received a PEN Award, a New Letters Literary Award and a Centrum Fellowship.

Website: www.aliceblanchard.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aliceblanchard.author/
Twitter: twitter.com/AliceBooks333
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Blanchar....
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alice...