4.29.2020 - The Sister-in-Law

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Sue Watson for the opportunity to read her latest novel - loved it!  4.5 stars for an entertaining book that was hard to put down!

Clare and her husband, Dan, and their three children are at an Italian villa with his parents for their annual vacation.  It's been a tough time for Clare and Dan and she is looking forward to reconnecting and working on their marriage, plus getting some needed relaxation.  All that changes when Dan's younger brother, Jamie, the spoiled prince of the family, shows up with a wife, Ella.  Ella is young and beautiful and seems bound and determined to cause issues between Clare and Dan's family.  Worst of all - Ella apparently knows Clare's deepest secret and is threatening to expose her.

This book was like watching a train wreck - you just couldn't look away from the drama!  And that was the fun of it.  A quick read that will make you thankful for the lesser dramas in your own family!

4.28.2020 - Take Me Apart

Many thanks to NetGalley, Farrar, Straus & Giroux/MCD, and Sara Sligar for the opportunity to read and review her debut novel - I loved it and am anxious to see what will be next from this writer!  5 stars.

Kate lost her job in NYC as a result of sexual harassment.  This loss caused her to lose more than her job - she lost her self-confidence, her career, her home as she was forced to take a job across the country and to live with an aunt and uncle while trying to regain her footing.  The job she takes is to archive the personal collection of Miranda Brand, an infamous artist who died under mysterious circumstances.  As Kate starts to work, she quickly becomes obsessed with the artist and her family and is driven to find out exactly how Miranda died.

Told in the form of Miranda's writings and collections as well as Kate's life in the present, this is a great character-driven novel, delving into the personal feelings of everyone involved.  It also explores many current topics - mental illness, sexual harassment, abuse, feminism, as well as personal feelings of inadequacy and the result of keeping secrets.

I lost myself in both these women's worlds and loved the creativity of the way the story was told.  Bravo to all involved!

4.27.2020 - The Split

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Sharon Bolton for the opportunity to read and review her latest psychological thriller.  Between the intense atmosphere of the South Georgia island near Antartica and the character drama, this is a book you won't be able to put down.  4.5 stars rounded up!

Felicity is a glaciologist living on the extremely remote South Georgia island.  She is anxiously awaiting the departure of the last tourist ship to the island for the summer and then she will be able to feel safe again.  She lives in fear of Freddie, her ex-husband, who is out of prison and determined to find her.  The book also takes us to the past in Cambridge, where Felicity is preparing for her trip and seeing a counselor to work through some issues.

Enough said - this is a very intense read and I loved it!  I may have figured some things out along the way but it in no way took away from the thrill of this book and figuring out all the secrets involved.

4.24.2020 - Final Judgment

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Marcia Clark for the opportunity to read and review her latest chapter in her wonderful series - these books keep getting better!  4.5 stars for a suspenseful read and fun reconnecting with these characters.

This installment finds defense attorney Samantha Brickman representing her lover, Niko, who is a suspect in a murder of an investor that bilked millions from people and ruined Niko's life.  But Samantha, who has a hard time trusting anyone, is starting to have serious doubts about Niko's innocence.

I really enjoy the characters of Sam and her two partners at her firm and was glad to get back into their world again.  This is a fast-paced suspense book - you could certainly read it on its own but these characters are so good that you really need all the history!

4.23.2020 - The Apartment

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer/Amazon Publishing, and K.L. Slater for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller - 4 stars for a quick, entertaining read.

Freya is a single mom to Skye, still reeling from her husband's betrayal and death, and desperate to quickly find an apartment she can afford after selling her home.  When a man approaches her in a coffee shop with an offer to rent an apartment near Kensington Palace in a gorgeous building, she is cautious but feels like she has found the answer to all her prayers.  But of course some things are really too good to be true!

Another good read by K.L. Slater!

4.22.2020 - A Tangled Web

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Leslie Rule for the opportunity to read and review her true crime story, following in the footsteps of her infamous mom, Ann Rule.  5 stars for a wonderfully-written story of a very complicated case.

Without revealing much, this is the case of the mysterious disappearance of Cari Farver from Omaha, Nebraska.  She was a responsible, single mother close to her family, who knew she would not just leave.  Investigating this crime took years and many different detectives/departments to follow the cyber crime trail.

I was so excited to read this book because I have read every one of her mom's books.  I used to obsess over the pictures included just looking to see if you could detect the evil in those happy snapshots.  This book will not disappoint any of Ann Rule's fans.  I hope this is the start of many more to come from her daughter!

4.20.2020 - The Closer You Get

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Mary Torjussen for the opportunity to read and review this book - 5 stars for a wonderfully-written book I couldn't put down!

An affair is never simple but when two married people (who work together no less) embark on an affair, things can get very messy indeed.  Harry and Ruby are drawn to each other from the moment she begins working for him as his personal assistant.   Ruby is not happy in her marriage to Tom and can't wait to start a new life with Harry.  They decide on a day when they both will leave their spouses; Ruby leaves but Harry never shows up.  Told from the points of view of both Ruby and Harry's wife, Emma, this is such an entertaining twisty tale.

There's no great twist in this book; it was just so fun to read this tale from these two different viewpoints.  You'll feel for both women, even though you may not agree with the choices they made.

4.18.2020 - The Herd

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Andrea Bartz for the opportunity to read this gripping book - another one that I couldn't put down!  4.5 stars!

The Herd is an all female shared workspace, complete with spa like amenities.  Eleanor, the founder, is the picture perfect leader who has surrounded herself with strong women and her close group of friends from Harvard.  Hana, her best friend, is the consummate PR person, putting a positive feminist spin on everything and having women clammer to be accepted into The Herd.  Hana's younger sister, Katie, has always been accepted into the best friends' groups.  Back in NYC after taking care of their mom and trying to write a book, she's struggling to be accepted into The Herd and back with her friends again.  On the day of a big press announcement about the company, Eleanor suddenly disappears without a trace and everyone becomes a suspect because they are all hiding secrets.

Told in alternating voices of Hana and Katie, I thought the writing was wonderful and the suspense gripping.  Add in the very current topics of women in power and social media portrayals and this makes for a fascinating read.  I didn't read Bartz' debut book but I definitely will now.

4.17.2020 - Can You See Her?

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and S.E. Lynes for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller - whew - what a great way to tell this story - it will definitely keep you guessing.  4.5 stars rounded up!

Rachel is the mom of two grown kids, married for 27 years to Mark.  Suddenly, Rachel realizes she's invisible to everyone around her unless someone needs something, wants something, or she's done something wrong.  She used to turn heads, now people look right through her.  If no one can see you, can you get away with murder?

This story is told in the voices of Rachel, who is being interviewed, as well as in police interviews with Rachel's family, friend and neighbor.  You should go into this story knowing as little as possible - but definitely read this twisty book!

4.16.2020 - Pretty Things

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House and Janelle Brown for the opportunity to read her latest thriller - oh my, I literally just sat in my chair and read until I finished this one!  5 stars for a twisty tale that will definitely keep you guessing as to who exactly is telling the truth!

The book opens with a body in Lake Tahoe, notorious for not giving up its dead.  Then the rest of the book is told in two distinct voices - Nina and Vanessa.  Nina is a grifter raised by a mom who was always looking for the next mark.  Nina was smart enough to get away for school but when her mom got cancer, she came home to take care of her, meaning she had to resort to making big money fast, with the help of her con man boyfriend, Lachlan.  Vanessa is an heiress but who has managed to turn into a famous Instagram influencer, but fame can't hide her broken pieces and the tragedies that have befallen her family.  These two very different women come together for one last scam.

I loved the way this book was told - we hear from both Nina and Vanessa, giving their very different interpretations to the same events, while both hiding secrets from even themselves.

4.15.2020 - Little Secrets

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Jennifer Hillier for the opportunity to read and review her latest book.  I loved Jar of Hearts but this one was even better - 5 stars for a book that I read with my heart in my throat and literally could not put it down.

What would you do to try and save whatever is left of your family?  It took just minutes - a quick decision to answer a text while with your son in a crowded market days before Christmas.  Then he was gone.  That was Marin's new reality.  She blamed herself for the fact that 4-year-old Sebastian was gone.  The FBI exhausted all leads and even the PI that Marin hired had only more bad news for her - while investigating Sebastian's kidnapping, she discovers that Marin's husband, Derek, is having an affair with much younger McKenzie.  Marin feels such rage and needs to do whatever she can to hold on to whatever family she has.

That's enough information.  Such a heartbreaking premise - what mother hasn't experienced that hopefully momentary panic of not knowing where your child is in a crowded place?  And what would you do afterwards if it came true that your child was gone?

Fabulous read - highly recommended!

4.13.2020 - Truths I Never Told You

Many thanks to NetGalley, Graydon House Books, and Kelly Rimmer for the opportunity to read and review this book - 5 stars for a book that I was really pulled into and one that covers quite a few heavy subjects; it would be perfect for a book club selection.

Told in two different timeframes:  In 1996, Beth and her siblings are going through their father's house.  He has dementia and heart disease and has been moved to a Hospice facility.  Beth finds the attic locked and once she gains access, full of her father's paintings that she has never seen as well as some letters written by her mother, Grace, who died when Beth was small.  Beth is also struggling after the birth of her son, Noah, and her father's imminent death is making that worse.  In 1957, we learn about Grace through the writing of those letters.

Life in 1957 was very different for women, from life choices to available contraception to married women not being hired to the way mental illness is treated.  However, mental illness still carries a stigma today.  But this was a gripping read for me.

4.13.2020 - Perfect Tunes

Many thanks to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, and Emily Gould for the opportunity to read and review this novel - great read!  If you liked Daisy Jones and The Six, you'll love the gritty, behind the scenes music world of NYC presented here.  But where this book shines is in the road not taken storyline.  4.5 stars.

Laura writes the perfect song when she is a teenager.  It opens up a world of possibilities and dreams in her mind, dreams that fall away when she meets Dylan, a troubled musician in a band that is gaining popularity.  She lets her dreams take a back seat.  Her best friend, Callie, is more of a bright star though less talented and their relationship is not always smooth or equal.

I think less is said about the storyline in this book.  I also think this would be a great book club read for mothers - so much emotion and feelings about motherhood in every stage in this book.  I loved these characters, even when I didn't like them, and hope to read more about them in another book possibly?

4.10.2020 - The Big Finish

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Brooke Fossey for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful debut novel.  This was just the book I needed to read during our self-isolation period - a book full of quirky characters, and so very many emotions - you'll laugh, cry, feel sad and hopeful.

Duffy lives in an assisted living center, rooming with Carl, his best friend and confidant.  They live in fear of becoming in need of moving to a nursing home, so they are always looking out for each other and keeping away from Sharon, the administrator, who seems to have an agenda of her own in moving the residents out.  Enter Josie, a young girl who sneaks in Duffy and Carl's window one evening and announces that she is Carl's granddaughter.  Duffy recognizes a kindred spirit in Josie, one who is going through issues he once went through.  As he tries to help her, he has to take chances that put his stay at the center in jeopardy.

This is such a heartwarming story - it's so wonderful to read about the elderly population in such positive ways as these residents look out for each other.  And I hope that we all have such wonderful caregivers when we need them.

Bravo for a wonderful debut novel - I can't wait to read more from this author.  I will miss spending time with these characters!  Highly recommended!

4.9.2020 - The New Husband

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and DJ Palmer for the opportunity to read and review his latest domestic thriller - 4.5 stars for a wonderfully written twisty thriller that will keep you glued to the pages!

Nina is struggling to put her life together after her husband, Glen, went missing and is presumed to be either dead or a runaway.  She is raising two teenagers, Connor and Maggie, and discovering love again with a new man, Simon, who seems picture perfect.  Yet...Simon and Maggie don't get along at all and there are signs that not everything is as perfect as Nina wants it to be.

You don't want to know any more going into this book but trust me, pick this one up when it is published on Tuesday.  You won't be disappointed!

4.7.2020 - The Book of Lost Friends

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Lisa Wingate for the opportunity to read and review her latest historical fiction novel.  5 stars for such an amazing story based in the sad past of slavery.

The story is told in the viewpoints of two women, a century apart.  Hannie, is a slave and the last of her family returned to the plantation home of the Gossetts, the others being sold further into slavery.  Lavinia is the spoiled daughter of the plantation owners.  Lavinia embarks on a journey with her illegitimate half-sister, Juneau Jane, and Hannie, looking for their father who has gone missing.   In 1987, first-year teacher Benny is desperate to make a connection with her students, most who come to school hungry if they come at all, and who no one has hope for.  When Benny gains access to a book of the Gossett clan, things begin to change for her and her students.

In between these chapters are haunting, real life advertisements placed in a southern newspaper by freed slaves desperate for word on their lost family members.

An amazing story that needed to be told to keep all those voices alive.  Highly recommended!

4.5.2020 - The Secrets They Left Behind

Many thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Lissa Marie Redmond for the opportunity to read this mystery/police procedural - great book to get lost in.  I thought I had it all figured out but was wrong!  Obviously Redmond, being a retired Buffalo Police Department homicide detective, knows her stuff!

Buffalo Police Officer is still healing from her physical and emotional scars after being used as an undercover FBI agent to solve a serial killing.  To make it worse, her colleagues on the force don't know what role she played and still think of her as a young, weak officer.  But the FBI knows what she did and Bill, the agent who recruited her before, has another assignment for her.  Three young college students have gone missing from a small western NY town.  The families are devastated and clues have dried up.  Shea is sent into the town to go undercover as a college freshmen with the girls' friends to see what she can uncover.

Well written with a very interesting look into the world of undercover police operations.  I will definitely go back and read this author's previous books!

4.2.2020 - The Stationery Shop

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Marjan Kamali for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book - 5 glowing stars!  Why did I let this one languish on my TBR shelf for so long?  You definitely need to read this one if you haven't yet!

In Tehran in 1953, on the cusp of the Iranian Coup, a young couple meet and fall in love,  Roya, a 17-year-old daughter of more progressive parents who want their daughter to be educated, meets Bahman, a young man from a more well-to-do family, at the local stationery shop.  Helped in their courtship by the shop owner, they become engaged despite family issues.  Sixty years later, in America, we see how Roya's life turned out and how she will finally get the answers to the question that has haunted her for most of her life.

I don't want to give one detail away that could keep you from enjoying this wonderful love story.  There is just so much here - different cultures, beliefs, food, family loyalty and expectations, grief, heartbreak, love.  All wrapped up in such beautiful writing.  I didn't want it to end!  Highly recommended!