12.30.2021 - The Last House on the Street

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest novel by Diane Chamberlain, one of my favorites!  5 stars!

Told in dual timelines - in 1965, we meet Ellie, home on summer break from attending college studying to be a pharmacist like her father.  She becomes involved with SCOPE, a civil rights organization trying to get Blacks registered to vote, a dangerous venture for a rich, white  woman in those days.  In 2010, Kayla is preparing to move into her newly-constructed home with her young daughter, Rainie, after the tragic death of her architect husband.  She meets Ellie, home from CA to take care of her brother and mother, living next door - the only other house on the street.  Kayla's home is the subject of much mystery and lore, with people saying it's haunted ground.

Diane Chamberlain is a master at intricately weaving historical fiction with current times, making the reader see the impact history has on our lives.  I learned so much about a time in our nation's history about such dedicated volunteers and the risk they undertook.  Unfortunately, racism isn't one of those lessons we learned never to repeat so that makes this book all the more worthy to read.  

I alternated between reading the digital copy and listening to the audiobook, wonderfully narrated by Susan Bennett who had a whole cast of characters of both sexes to voice.

12.26.2021 - Reckless Girls

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest suspense novel by Rachel Hawkins - 4 stars!

Lux and her boyfriend, Nico, have been hired by two young women, Amma and Brittany, to sail them to a remote island in the South Pacific - one that has a history attached to it.  Nico can't turn down the money the women offer him and Lux is looking forward to an off-the-grid vacation from their life in Maui.  Arriving at Meroe Island, they discover they aren't alone - another couple is there, Jake and Eliza - a seemingly golden couple with lots of money and a boatful of good food and alcohol.  The six become tight and enjoy an endless party, until a stranger sails into their life.  Suddenly the island, and all its inhabitants, aren't so golden any longer.

This was a great escape novel - especially when you're reading it in the cold winter.  It's very atmospheric and you can feel the suspense and tension building.  You will definitely find out that not all of the characters are who they seem and that they all have secrets.  Those secrets will all come crashing down - and that ending was a surprise!  

I alternated reading the digital copy and listening to the wonderful narration by Barrie Kreinik - she masterfully voiced all these different characters with different accents and genders.  Bravo!

12.26.2021 - Mouth to Mouth

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for gifting me a digital copy of this novel by Antoine Wilson - 4.5 stars!

At JFK airport, the narrator of this book runs into a college acquaintance, Jeff Cook, who invites him to wait in the first-class lounge for their delayed flights.  There, Jeff tells his story, possibly hoping that the narrator, a writer, will write his story.  Years ago, Jeff saved a man from drowning on the beach and became obsessed with finding him.  The victim, Francis, survived and was an art dealer.  Jeff inserted himself into Francis' world, hoping for a spark of recognition or validation of his actions.  The two continue along intertwined paths.

This is a short book and I really enjoyed it - especially that ending!  An interesting premise - unloading oneself to an almost stranger, again hoping for validation or understanding.  I liked the fact that we never learn the narrator's name - he is just a vessel for Jeff to tell his story.  Thought provoking and well written.

12.22.2021 - The Maid

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Penguin Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of this fabulous debut novel by Nita Prose - 5 glowing stars!

Molly Gray is not your typical 25-year-old.  She works as a maid in a luxury boutique hotel and loves her job.  While the rest of the world views Molly as "different," Molly lives by a set of standards set by her Gran, who raised her and recently died.  Her goal is to return each room to its pristine condition and will settle for nothing less.  But when she finds a deceased body in one of the rooms she's cleaning, Molly's life will never be the same.

This is the book that makes me want to go back and change all my other 5 star reviews (no disrespect to any of them!).  But Molly - and this book - are perfection!  You will fall in love with her, her views on the world, and should take heed of Gran's rules.  This is also a wake-up call to pay attention to those around us who make our lives easier and the ones who may not be quite the same as us.  This is a must read book, beautifully written (the author is a long-time editor and it shows!).  I already miss Molly and want to spend more time with her!

12.17.2021 - Twenty Years Later

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Recorded Books for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest mystery by one of my favorites, Charlie Donlea.  The audio was perfectly narrated by Vivienne Leheny.  5 stars!

Avery Mason is a popular TV news broadcast host but while she is in the public eye, she's also hiding her own true story.  She gets wind of a new story that she hopes will propel her star - after twenty years, the identity of a 9/11 victim was discovered using new DNA technology.  Then Avery discovers that person was accused of a sordid murder of a celebrity novelist and never brought to trial because she was in the towers when they fell.

I'm not going to go any more into the plot in this review - there are multiple mysteries at work here as well as a full cast of characters and I totally enjoyed watching all the intertwined pieces come together.  I figured some things out but was still stunned at the end!  I love Donlea's writing and I had a tough time putting this book down.  I enjoyed switching back and forth from the digital to audio versions as well for extra depth.  Highly recommended!

12.15.2021 - No Land to Light On

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this amazing book by Yara Zgheib, author of the wonderful book, The Girls at 17 Swann Street (must read!) - 5 stars for a beautifully written look into one couple's story of immigration.  

Hadi and Sama are a young Syrian couple who met when both came to the US to escape the war in their country and to have hope for a better future.  Sama received a scholarship to Harvard; Hadi was sponsored by a lawyer and his family as a refugee.  They get married and are anxiously awaiting the birth of their son when Hadi receives news that his father has died as his parents awaited a visa appointment at the embassy.  On his return to Boston, with Sama waiting for him at the airport, he is stopped from reentering the US due to a new executive order.  

I thought this was such an emotional look at the immigration/refugee story that is always in the headlines.  Beautifully written, it is heartbreaking on so many levels.  No matter what your political leanings, global news stories broken down into personal ones never fail to make you really think.  It's easy to gloss over and look at the big picture but there was so much sadness in this book that you can't help but extrapolate it into so many real peoples' lives.  Despite all that, it is also a story of hope - don't miss it!  After these two books, I'm so looking forward to more from this author!

12.14.2021 - Greenwich Park

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Katherine Faulkner - 4.5 stars for a twisty mystery.  Can't wait to read more from this author!

Two couples have been friends since university - Daniel and Helen, and Rory and Serena.  Both Helen and Serena are pregnant at the same time and scheduled to attend the same prenatal class.  But Serena decides on a different class at the last minute and Daniel is tied up with work, so Helen attends by herself.  She meets Rachel there and they become friends.  Helen enjoys having someone to hang around with while she is off work due to her high-risk pregnancy.  But suddenly Rachel needs a place to stay temporarily and things become a bit messy.  

The less said the better - you'll enjoy this mystery more if you go in somewhat blind.  The book is told from 3 different points of view which provides lots of insight into the story.  I loved the mix of past and present mysteries and the dynamics between all the characters.  Helen was a bit naive and makes questionable choices, but you could feel her loneliness and understand her being drawn to a new friend.  Hold on for that last chapter that wraps everything up!  And that gorgeous cover - swoon!

12.12.2021 - Why She Left

Many thanks to Bookouture Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of this drama by Leah Mercer, narrated by Mira Dovreni.  4 stars!

Fleeing a bad relationship, Isobel returns to her mother and her family home 15 years after she ran away.  Her mother, Ruth, is astonished to find Isobel and her teenage son, Isaac, on her doorstep but welcomes them back with open arms.  Ruth is in charge of a very successful family-run private school and Isaac is soon happily attending.  But being back in the school environment brings back many unhappy memories for Isobel.  When Isaac is harmed, Isobel threatens to blow up everything her mother holds dear.

This was a well-written family drama, complete with many family secrets and questionable characters.  I thought the narration was great - pleasant tone and pacing with no trouble distinguishing between voices.  There's lots to dissect here - family values, nurturing, resentment, secrets.  I was intrigued to figure out the mystery plot line of the book.  

12.11.2021 - The Perfect Escape

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for gifting me a digital copy of this twisty thriller by Leah Konen - 4.5 stars!

Three friends, all going through separation from their husbands, have bonded over their situations.  They decide to take a girls weekend to Saratoga Springs NY to get away from NYC and their troubles.  But when car issues strand them in the Catskills, their trouble is really just beginning.  When one of the friends doesn't come home after a night out, they realize that they may not know as much about each other as they thought.  

I loved this author's debut book, All the Broken People, and I really liked this one too.  It had me questioning everyone's motives and wondering about all the backstories.  Nothing like a creepy story set in a cabin in the woods!  Even when these women make questionable decisions, the storyline is tense with lots of twists and turns - especially that ending!  Extra points because, even though these women never quite made it to Saratoga Springs, I love reading stories that take place where I live!  Definitely an author to follow!

12.9.2021 - My Darling Husband

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin/Park Row for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Kimberly Belle - one of my favorite writers!  This book is another example of just why - you won't be able to put this one down.  4.5 stars rounded up for the non-stop tension!

Cam and Jade seem to be the perfect power couple.  He is Atlanta's Steak King - celebrity chef and restaurant owner - Jade gave up a promising design career to be a stay-at-home mom to the Bees (Beatrix and Baxter).  When Jade and the kids are held hostage in a home invasion, Cam is instructed to get a precise amount of money by that evening in order to prevent their deaths.  Unbeknownst to Jade, things aren't quite what they seem with Cam and his business empire - what will that mean for her and the kids?

This is a tense thriller that will keep you flipping the pages long into the night.  The writing puts you in the scenes and makes you wonder what you would do in the same situation to save your child.  Told in alternating chapters between Cam and Jade, along with Cam's interview with a local news anchor, I read this with my heart in my throat.  Who is the masked man and why does he seem one step ahead of everything?  Don't miss this book!

12.6.2021 - The Replacement Wife

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Darby Kane - 4 stars!

Elisa is convinced that her brother-in-law, Josh, is a murderer.  His first wife died in an accident and his fiancé disappeared without a trace.  Her husband, Harris, thinks that Elisa is having some sort of mental issue, relating to a recent incident from her past.  He helped raise Josh and thinks he can do no wrong.  When a new woman comes into Josh's life and befriends Elisa, she knows she has to do something.

This is one of those books that is more fun to read the less you know about it.  There's lots of gaslighting, unreliable narration and enough questions that will keep you guessing.  I didn't read Kane's debut novel, Pretty Little Wife, but I definitely need to!  

12.5.2021 - The Bone Cay

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for gifting me an audiobook ARC of this suspense novel by Eliza Nellums and narrated by Nancy Peterson- 4 stars!

Magda is a historian, somewhat obsessed with a young poet, Isobel Reyes, who died by suicide years ago.  Magda is now the caretaker of Isobel's home in the Florida Keys, Whimbrel Estate, and has made it her mission to restore the home to the conditions Isobel would have known.  Magda makes the decision to stay in the home when a hurricane is approaching.  The storm is more powerful than Magda could ever have imagined and she finds herself in peril.  She also makes a discovery hidden in a cistern when part of the house collapses.  In addition, the estate handyman, Hank, shows up with his daughter, Emily, to escape the storm.

This is a very atmospheric novel - not sure I've ever read a novel that featured a scary hurricane.  Makes me glad I live in the mountains!  The fight to survive amongst the odds brought a fraught tension to the novel.  Then there are multiple mysteries to solve - What is in the trunk?  What really happened to Isobel?  And who exactly is Hank?  I thought the narrator did a wonderful job - there were very few characters so it was easy to differentiate plus she did a great male voice as well!

12.3.2021 - The Ballerinas

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this novel by Rachel Kapelke-Dale - 4 stars!

Delphine, Lindsay and Margaux are best friends going through training for the Paris Opera Ballet since childhood.   Delphine has reached elite soloist position with the company when she abandons it and her friends to move to Russia, taking a secret with her that would upend the women's friendship.  She returns home years later hoping to repair the relationship with her friends, but the secret among them threatens that.

Alternating between the story of their childhood through the present time, this is a look at the fiercely competitive ballet world as well as a look at women's roles in society.  Friendship and secrets play an integral role in this book as does examining relationships with others in general.  While the first part of the book was a bit slow for me, it picked up and I loved the ending.  Delphine's understanding and awareness of the importance of a good apology at the end was really amazing and I will be thinking about this in my own relationships!