2.16.2026 - Adrift

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster | Atria Books | Emily Bestler Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by a favorite, Will Dean.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own.  I've never rated his books lower than 5 stars and this one is no exception - 5 shining stars!

Peggy and Dean live on an isolated and run-down canal boat with their teenage son, Sampson.  Dean was once a promising author and still works on his craft every night, requiring his family to be completely silent while he does so.  Peggy is not allowed to work, but volunteers at the local library where she works on her own novel in secret.  Sampson is bullied relentlessly at school, and his home life is full of tension.  Soon things come to a boiling point.

Will Dean has done it again - I sped through this book with my heart in my throat the entire time.  The tension and fear drip off every page and I felt all the emotions along with the characters.  The control and isolation inflicted by Dean onto the family is complete - they are at his mercy for whatever scraps he offers.  Told in the alternating POV of Peggy and Sampson, we get a first row seat to the gaslighting and abuse.  It's raw, real, emotional and you won't be able to look away.  Very highly recommended!

2.15.2026 - A Killer Guest List

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Sarah Bonner. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

The invitations come in the mail for the "Murder on the Moors" weekend at a luxury country house in Dartmoor.  Sadie has attended for the past 50 years; this year she's bringing her goddaughter.  Cassie and her wife are attending for the first time, hoping to relax at the luxurious setting, even though it's also sort of a work trip.  But this year someone new has taken over the murder mystery event and things are going to get very interesting.

I love a locked room mystery and a weekend set in a wonderful location revolving around solving a murder mystery definitely fit the bill.  Told from alternating POV between Sadie and Cassie, there are quite a few characters to keep track of, and twists and turns galore.  Sadie is an older woman who has lots of secrets, so she was a fascinating character.  Was it over the top?  Sure, but it was definitely fun and entertaining while letting you ponder the differences between justice and revenge.  

2.15.2026 - Ours is a Tale of Murder

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest domestic thriller by Nora Murphy.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

One quiet neighborhood.  Three different families.   Murder will soon thread its way through this world in ways no one will see coming.

Okay - shortest synopsis ever because you really need to go into this one as blind as possible.  To say I was shocked at the twist would be selling it short.  You really will not be able to put this one down once you get into it, because each of these storylines is compelling and emotional.  Each has characters that you will feel for, either in a positive or negative way.  There was that feeling of quiet dread throughout the book and the ending was perfect.  Loved the running theme throughout of motherhood.  Bravo - perfection achieved - very highly recommended if you love domestic suspense!

2.14.2026 - Trad Wife

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Saratoga Schaefer.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

When Camille Deming isn’t cooking, cleaning, or homesteading in her picture-perfect country farmhouse, she’s posting about her trad wife lifestyle for her online followers.  But in order to reach the next level, she needs a baby, and things with her husband, Graham, aren't as perfect as she pictures.  When she discovers a mysterious well in the woods behind her house, she makes a wish for a baby.  Her wish comes true in a most strange way.

I just read One Bad Mother by Ej Dickson, a nonfiction book that has a chapter devoted to trad wives.  This book takes that trend in a way that only Saratoga Schaefer, on the heels of their book, Serial Killer Support Group, can do., without putting the trad wife movement or followers down.  It sure makes you think about influencers and the stress some people put on their social media standing.  Trad Wife is a gross, disturbing, uncomfortable book that I loved and could not put down!  Social commentary, dark humor, horror - it had it all and then some.  

2.14.2026 - Our Beautiful Mess

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Adele Parks.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Connie can’t wait to have all her daughters back home for the holidays. It’s not just the excitement of the girls being together under one roof; uni student Fran is bringing a new boyfriend to stay. The empty nest will once again be full of friends, family and young love.  Yet from the moment she sees Zac, Connie feels a deep unease. Zac reminds her of the worst mistake she has ever a man whose charm and good looks nearly destroyed her marriage. Then, Fran announces she’s pregnant.  But Connie isn't the only one with secrets to hide, and someone is going to pay the ultimate price.

I read this on the hills of being introduced to Connie in Parks' first book, Playing Away.  While this is certainly a stand-alone book, it was fun knowing the backstory.  I liked how the story played out - it opens with a murder, and then goes back 11 days before and moving forward.  All along, you know that someone is going to die, but there are plenty of messy characters all with secrets to wonder about.  I always enjoy messy family dramas and this one had it in spades.  Don't miss it!

2.12.2026 - Playing Away

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of this re-released first novel by Adele Parks, narrated by Cassidy Janson, Antonia Desplat, and Arthur McBain.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Connie Green’s life should be perfect. She’s married to gentle, loving Luke, has a good job and really fabulous friends. She thinks she can’t be happier.  But she’s just met John Harding.  He's about to destroy her peace of mind and her happily ever after, and she just can't resist.

I'm a big fan of Adele Parks and this was a good story, made better by the fact that she has brought back these characters in her new book, Our Beautiful Mess.  And apparently there is a middle book that I'll have to catch up on too, Young Wives' Tales.  So I was happy to listen to this book to get the backstory.  Connie is definitely the epitome of the grass is always greener trope, because while she's pining for the excitement of a new man in her life, she's ignoring all the good things she has already.  Narration on the audiobook was great - love when there are multiple narrators - and kept me listening.

2.12.2026 - Family Drama

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Rebecca Fallon.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

It’s 1997, and two 7-year-olds watch as their mother's body is tipped overboard in a Viking funeral.  A confusing and apt send off for soap opera star Susan Bliss.  We go back in time 15 years, to when Susan meets Alcott, and her double life begins.  She struggles with the transition to New England wife and mother and the glitzy lights of LA.  In the present, Susan's twins still struggle with the loss of their mother in different ways.  

This is a sharp, beautifully written debut that intertwines timelines to explore and magnify the different forms of ourselves that we share with others and keep private.  I felt for Susan, even while I didn't condone her decisions, because she was raised in a time where women were supposed to be able to have it all.  But can we?  What gets sacrificed in the mix?  Al was harder for me to understand, because he kept Susan's other world away from the twins, even as they were adults, so that they weren't able to properly process their loss or the true nature of their mother.  I'm looking forward to more from this author.