10.30.2016 - Sharon Tate and the Manson Murders

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

While I feel like I should know all about the Tate/LaBianca murders because of the multitudes of books, movies, etc. that I've seen on the subject, this book was different. This book explores Sharon Tate, the person, and not just the victim. The murders are definitely written about, but the majority of the book is about Sharon. Her family background, her insecurities, her talent - these I knew nothing about. There were also so many celebrity tie-ins that I knew nothing about - from Candice Bergen to Jane Fonda.

I also liked that the book spent time at the end talking about the impact that these deaths had on the victims' families and updated what has occurred to them in the aftermath. My copy of the book didn't have pictures so I was spared looking at those again, although I understand they are in the published version.

Hopefully Sharon Tate's legacy will be the one that was fought for by her family - to fight for the victims in these crimes.

Well worth the read.

10.28.2016 - Fractured

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I loved this book and the way it was written. The basic premise is that Julie, her husband Daniel and their twins move to Cincinnati from Tacoma. Julie is an author and her first book was a success - so much so that she developed a stalker from her law school years. To compound the issue, the book that she wrote is loosely (or not?) based on an incident that happened during that time when a friend died. To get away from the stalker, they pull up their roots and move to Ohio.

One of the first people that Julie meets is the neighbor across the street, John. She finds in him a running buddy but there is some attractiveness between the two. Things in the neighborhood are strange - there is an uber-control freak who seems to rule the entire neighborhood.

There are basically two different timelines...one is from John's perspective counting up towards a legal proceeding. We don't know the details of this proceeding but infer that an accident happened - we're not sure to whom. The other timeline is from Julie's perspective and it starts from the year prior so that we learn all about the past.

I couldn't stop reading this book to find out what happened. It was interesting to read about how Julie was writing her second book and all that success can bring. I loved the theme that such small choices we make everyday can lead to big consequences - both good and bad.

I also just saw that The Murder Game, which was the first book that Julie wrote, is now a new book by Catherine McKenzie (written by Julie)! Love that and can't wait to read that companion book!

10.25.2016 - I See You

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this opportunity!

First - I was SO obsessed with Clare Mackintosh's first book - I Let You Go. I told everyone about it and insisted that they read it. It's still the only book I remember that literally made me gasp out loud and turn back the pages to see what I could have missed. Truly an amazing debut novel!

I was SO excited to read her second book but you always wonder if it will lead up to the hype of the first. No worries! Another amazing book - this author's writing truly pulls you into the story and doesn't let go until you turn the last page. And even then you are thinking about it and the characters. A true sign of a gifted author. I love all the police procedurals that ring true in these type of novels - and they certainly do here, no doubt due to the fact that the author worked on the police force for 12 years!

To get to the synopsis without giving much away, the story switches narrators between chapters, with a creepy interjection from the perpetrator stuck in between at various points. Zoe is a single mom in a live-in relationship with her boyfriend and whose 2 young adult children live with them. She lives a life that is lived by so many - commutes on the subway (London Underground), uncomfortable bosses, tension between boyfriend and son, an ex-husband still in love with her. In contrast, Kelly is on the police force but was basically demoted after an incident with a suspect. She's still trying to get over trauma that happened to her twin and seems to color her days with anger. She ends up investigating the case of personal ads that seem to lead to violence inflicted on the women in the ads.

Not giving any more away because you must.read.this.book! Kudos to the author for a wonderful second book - hope you're working on your next one!

10.24.2016 - The Twilight Wife

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this great book! Definitely a must-read for fans of the psychological thriller genre and very reminiscent of SJ Watson's Before I Go to Sleep. Only due to the fact that life interfered made me have to wait several days to finish this book - otherwise, I would have sat in one place until I finished!

Marine biologist Kyra suffered a traumatic brain injury while diving with her husband, Jacob. She has a complex form of amnesia where she has lost a 4-year period including the time before/after the accident. Her devoted husband takes her to his parents' old home on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest to recover. She starts having dreams or possible memory flashbacks and starts to question her relationship to her husband, her friends, and her own sanity.

No more details because the ride is such a good one that you don't want anyone to spoil it! Just make sure to pick up a copy and carve out some time. This book definitely makes me want to go back and read the author's first book, The Good Neighbor. Definitely a great writer!

10.20.2016 - A Portrait of Emily Price

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book. I would probably give this one 4.5 stars if allowed - a really good read. As a plus to those for whom it would matter, there is not even a hint of sex written about in this love story.

Emily is a restorer and is sent from Chicago to Atlanta to work on damage to a home from a fire. She is working out of a studio owned by Joseph, an Italian who is a fine art restorer. Her first night there, he takes her to a family restaurant that his brother, Ben, came from Italy to try and salvage. Cue love at first sight made all the more special by language and cultural differences. A quick marriage later and Emily is on her way to Italy. There, she confronts more than what she bargained for with a family full of baggage.

The writing and portrayal of the Italian landscapes, treasures, food and lifestyles just encouraged my dream of visiting. This book lends a voice to what is involved in family and the secrets that are kept, finding oneself while giving of oneself.

Highly recommended!

10.16.2016 - Always

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I've loved all of Sarah Jio's books and this is no exception. In the 1990s, Kailey and her best friend move to Seattle after college where Kailey gets a job with the local newspaper. She meets Cade, a music executive who started a company to promote new artists in the Seattle music scene. They fall madly in love - until Cade suddenly disappears after a fight.

Contrasted with the background of their love affair, fast forward ten years. Kailey has had no choice but to move on with her life. She's engaged to Ryan, a wealthy building project manager. While at times his occupation is at odds with hers (she is still writing for the paper with an emphasis on the homeless population), they are planning their wedding and new life.

Then, Kailey meets a homeless man who she eventually recognizes as Cade. She can't let it go and makes it her mission to find him and find out what happened.

This is a great story as we learn about Kailey & Cade's past while she presently struggles on how to let her heart move forward with Ryan instead of being back in the past with Cade. A great story of compassion and following your heart.

P.S.  What a pretty book cover - love it too!

10.13.2016 - The Light in Paris

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved Eleanor Brown's first book, Weird Sisters. I didn't love this one as much, but it was still a good book.

The story alternates between two characters and two different time periods. Madeline, in 1999, is trapped in a marriage that she knew was wrong to begin with. Her husband is controlling and basically married her for her family's social connections. Madeline was never able to fit into the mold that her mother wanted for her and felt that this marriage was her last chance. She gave up her passion - art - to try and fit in others' molds.

On a trip back to her mother's house, Madeline finds her grandmother's journals from 1924. Margie is very similar to Madeline - trying to fit into a mold and being miserable with her choices. When an opportunity arises to go to Paris, she finds herself slowly waking up and becoming the person she wants to be.

These two contrasting stories tell a similar tale of being true to yourself. A good read!

10.7.2016 - The Long, Hot Summer

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I really liked this book and enjoyed getting to know the MacEntee family. This book takes place in Ireland in 2013, when there was apparently a very unusual hot summer. The story opens with the matriarch, Dieirdre, planning an 80th birthday party for herself.

Each chapter segues into the story of another family member - from her husband who left her for a much-younger man, their 3 children and their spouses, and her granddaughters. The writing style was wonderful - I loved how intimately we got to know each of these people. While the characters didn't always behave appropriately, they each felt personable and we grew to understand their behavior.

A great portrait of family, in all its many shapes and sizes, and how it shapes each of us.

10.2.2016 - The Roanoke Girls

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

First - those easily offended or put off by disturbing situations might want to choose another book. This one will definitely make you squirm and angry.

If you can get past that, this is a winner of a book. Told in alternating views of Then and Now, with short snippets in between to give more info on other characters, this story pulls you in and won't let you go until you find out what happens.

Lane is a very neglected teenage girl living in NYC with an apparently mentally unstable mother. After her death, she is sent to live with grandparents in Kansas she's never met. Allegra has lived her whole life at Roanoke because her mom ran off when she was young. This is both a coming-of-age book (the then chapters) as well as mystery when Allegra goes missing and Lane comes home to Roanoke to help search for her (the now).

I couldn't put this one down. Creepy, sure, but a great read!

9.30.2016 - One to Five

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this cookbook.

I love cookbooks - can sit and read them like a novel!  This one was great and definitely lived up to the title.  Rachael Ray wrote the foreword so you know it's a good book.

This is a great concept - take one recipe for a food...say a pot roast.  Then he gives you 5 more recipes to make that use the pot roast.  Genius!  Plus, this is not one of those "have to run to the store for some weird ingredient" cookbooks.  This uses things you probably already have in your house. Plus, he gives you great tips on essentials for your pantry and refrigerator.  I've already bookmarked lots of recipes. 

This is just personal preference, but I love when cookbooks have nutrition info for their recipes.  I knew going into this book that since it uses some processed foods (like canned biscuits) it probably wasn't uber-healthy but I still enjoy the nutrition info.

Bravo to the chef!  Families short on time as well as those just starting to cook will love this book!

9.29.2016 - The Fall Guy

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a good suspense novel, although it's one that has a slower build with more emphasis on the characters' lives.

Matthew and Charlie are cousins but because of their family situations are more like brothers. However, Charlie is a wealthy businessman with a gorgeous wife and beautiful homes. Matthew is an out of work chef who comes to spend the summer with Charlie and his wife, Chloe. Matthew also has a secret crush on Chloe.

I enjoyed this book and it was a page turner to find out what happens. Everyone has an agenda and you're never sure where the truth lies. However, none of the characters were exceptionally likeable.