7.30.2021 - Where the Truth Lies

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital copy of the debut novel by Anna Bailey - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Small town Whistling Ridge, Colorado, is like many small towns - teenagers anxious to leave taking risks they shouldn't, small minds scared of people and things unlike them, and lots of secrets behind closed doors.  When her best friend, Abigail, goes missing after a party in the woods, Emma feels guilty for leaving her and determined to find out what happened.  Abi's family, the Blakes, are a product of their father's abuse and are all holding secrets, even while the town sees the signs on their bodies.  The local preacher stirs up his own brand of hate.

This is a dark book, filled with characters behaving badly but sadly it feels so incredibly real.  I loved the slow burn of discovering all the secrets in this book and thought Anna Bailey was masterful at teasing out this story, told in two timelines.  You feel the tension and the suspense for all the characters as they both try to hide and uncover secrets.  While the ending may not have been wrapped in a bow, I was a huge fan of how there were hints as to the futures of the characters without coming out and stating it all in an epilogue.  Bravo for a fabulous debut novel - can't wait to read more from this author!

7.28.2021 - Did I Say You Could Go

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me a digital ARC of this thriller by Melanie Gideon - 4.5 stars!

Two single moms - Ruth and Gemma - and their two daughters - Marley and Bee, respectively - meet at a kindergarten meet-and-greet.  On the surface, the two moms are polar opposites.  Ruth is divorced and very wealthy and Marley is socially awkward; Gemma is a widow with limited means but Bee is very pretty and popular.  But it works - the two women and two girls become the best of friends until they aren't.  Fast forward to when the girls are freshmen in high school and Ruth offers to help Gemma out of a scandal with her company.  They gradually get back to being tight friends, although the teenagers are too far apart socially to really connect again.  Ruth is Gemma's savior but she starts feeling that the. price tag of being indebted to Ruth is too much.

This is mean girls in two generations!  Told in alternating POV with all four women, we see how the obsessions play out, jealousy reigns supreme, and friendships are tested.  Definitely showcases the difficulties that can spring up with mom and daughter relationships as well - even with the best of intentions at heart.  This is also a cautionary tale of social media and how spreading gossip and rumors has such devastating consequences.  This one kept me glued to the pages and the ending was perfect!

7.27.2021 - The Dare

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Lesley Kara - 4.5 stars!

Lizzie and Alice were best friends.  Lizzie has epilepsy and her classmates ostracized her; Alice watched out for her and made her feel normal.  Until they went on a walk one day and Alice was hit by a train.  Lizzie woke up after having a seizure with no memory of the accident.  But everyone else blamed her for Alice's death.  In the present time, Lizzie has finally gotten her epilepsy under control with close monitoring of her health and the right medications.  She's engaged to be married to Russ, a doctor.  But suddenly someone from her past has come back into Lizzie's life along with long-buried memories.

The story is told in different timeframes from the past to the present, mostly from Lizzie's point of view.  This draws the reader into her state of mind both as a teenager and a young woman.  This was one of those books that had a twist that made me gasp out loud - love when a book can do that!  Go into it with as little info as possible and enjoy all the twists and turns!  Another great book by Lesley Kara!

7.27.2021 - Goldenrod

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and One Signal/Atria Publishing for gifting me a digital copy of Maggie Smith's new poetry collection - 4 stars!

Maggie Smith's poetry collections are the only ones that have ever really spoken to me and not left me thinking I just never got what the author was trying to say.  She speaks in real language and sees the beauty and wonder in the every day.  This collection focuses on that as well as parenting and the status of the world today.  Her previous Keep Moving collection, spoke loudly to me and I find myself continually going back and rereading things.  I have bought the book for myself and others.  Goldenrod didn't touch me in quite the same way but it's still a wonderful book to make you think and look at things a bit harder.

7.26.2021 - Then She Vanishes

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for gifting me a digital copy of this thriller by Claire Douglas - 4.5 stars for a book that's tough to put down!

Jess and Heather were best friends when they were teenagers, up until the night when Heather's older sister, Flora, didn't come home.  The secrets and lies that Jess has kept since then have haunted her.  Now, Jess is a journalist and is sent back to her hometown to investigate the story that Heather has killed an older copy and tried to kill herself.  

This story will pull you in from the very beginning and you won't be able to come up for air until it's finished.  The author takes you back in the past when Jess and Heather were younger, as well as hearing the perspective of Margot, mom of Heather and Jess.  There are lots of questionable characters in this book to keep you guessing.  Plus, the author is so skilled at putting you in the scene - you can picture the atmosphere of the fair and feel the angst of young girls on the cusp of adulthood.  

7.25.2021 - The Turnout

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam's Sons for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Megan Abbott - always a must-read author for me.  4 stars for a slow burn book you won't be able to look away from!

Dara and Marie are now the owners/operators of a prestigious dance studio, following in the footsteps of their mother.  The sisters inherited the studio and the family home after their parents were killed in a car accident on their anniversary.  The story unfolds along with the preparations for the biggest event of the dance year, The Nutcracker.  Dara, married to former dancer, Charlie, who does the business end of the studio, and Marie are well versed with their roles in life as well as preparing their dance students.  When Marie leaves the family home and starts living in the attic of the studio, she inadvertently starts a chain of events that will affect all of them.  A fire brings a contractor into their lives and into Marie's heart threatening the delicate balance of their lives.

This is a wonderfully-written character study with so much tension just dripping off the pages.  There is the relationship between Dara, Marie and Charlie now upset with the onset of Derek, the contractor.  There is the tension between the dancers, all vying for the key roles in the ballet.  There is the sexual tension and secrets seeping through every page.  There are the feminine tensions between power and submission, light and dark.  A bit of a different book from this author but once again a winner!

7.24.2021 - We Are the Brennan's

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me the audiobook of Tracey Lange's debut novel - 5 stars!

The Brennan's are a large Irish Catholic family in New York.  They were shocked when only daughter, Sunday, suddenly left NY for Los Angeles 5 years ago.  When she wakes up in a hospital after a drunk driving accident, her oldest brother, Denny, is there encouraging her to come back home.  She swallows her pride and heads back.  Back at home, she has to deal with her brothers' resentment for not being there to help out and her ex-fiancee is now remarried with a son and still active in the business.  All of the family are keeping secrets and when the business is in trouble, they are forced to reveal them and deal with them together.

I really loved this book!  I was drawn immediately into the family saga and loved the interaction between all the characters.  This family felt real - they were flawed, resentful, secretive, loving - but they were family above all else.  The writer was so skilled at making this novel flow.  Each chapter ended with a conversation and a snippet of that conversation was carried over into the start of the next chapter, voiced by a different character.  I listened to the audiotape, narrated by Barrie Kreinik, who voiced all the characters so well; I had no issue following along.  Her voice was smooth and pleasant and enhanced the wonderful writing.  Hard to believe this is a debut novel and I can't wait to read more from this author!  Highly recommended!