Tag: bookreviews

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Well Played by Jen DeLuca- Book Review

Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for this ARC. This was another fun read by Jen DeLuca. I read Well Met earlier this year and when I received this ARC I immediately started reading and ended up finishing it in one night. Those sleepless hours were lost but not regreted. I love that this story tied in with the characters of Well Met and focused on Emily’s friend Stacy (Anastasia). I laughed out loud many times trying not to wake my husband sleeping next me. It was such a cute and fast paced read! This book will be published Sept. 22nd. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.

Synopsis:
Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it’s been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey vows to have her life figured out by the time her friends get hitched at Faire next summer. Maybe she’ll even find The One.
When Stacey imagined “The One,” it never occurred to her that her summertime Faire fling, Dex MacLean, might fit the bill. While Dex is easy on the eyes onstage with his band The Dueling Kilts, Stacey has never felt an emotional connection with him. So when she receives a tender email from the typically monosyllabic hunk, she’s not sure what to make of it.
Faire returns to Willow Creek, and Stacey comes face-to-face with the man with whom she’s exchanged hundreds of online messages over the past nine months. To Stacey’s shock, it isn’t Dex—she’s been falling in love with a man she barely knows.

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Home Before Dark by Riley Sagers – Book Review

Riley Sager does it again! I have loved all of Riley Sager books although my favorite is Final Girls but that may be because it’s the first I read by him. I’m so excited that this book is out for everyone to read. Sagers knows how to write a fantastic novel that allows you to connect with the characters. This book has a little bit of haunting/ghost in it but don’t be fooled it’s so much deeper than that. I couldn’t put this book down and reading it in the dark was hard but I didn’t want to put it down. This book takes on a roll coaster of dark secrets and family drama. Also, the ending is so great because it’s a complete surprise (I seriously didn’t see it coming). I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.

Synopsis: Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism. Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.

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The World of Stephen King

I don’t know why I hadn’t read a Stephen King novel before this year. Maybe it’s because I always felt intimidated by this books because he is the STEPHEN KING. I read this The Outsider (my first book by him) in early February and absolutely loved. I have know read 12 of his novels and I can’t name one that I didn’t enjoy. Once of my favorites that I read by him back in March is The Bill Hodges Trilogy. I loved Holly in The Oustider and was recommended the Mr Mercedes books because she plays a huge roll in them. I of course couldn’t just read the first one without reading all three. I loved them and I loved the characters Holly, Bill, and Jerome.

Mr. Mercedes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Finders Keepers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

End of Watch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Ian Reid- Book Review

Whoa! Where do I even begin. This book took me on a crazy ride and I couldn’t put it down. The ending was not what I expected but has stayed with me for days after reading. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give anything away but I really enjoyed this book! It was a great suspense that kept my attention throughout the whole story and the ending was different than what I had expected or guessed but that’s the reason why I’m giving this book⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.

Synopsis:
I’m thinking of ending things. Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It’s always there. Always.
Jake once said, “Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can’t fake a thought.”

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Pretty Girls Dancing by Kylie Brant- Book Review

I’m loving all the thrillers I’ve been reading this month and this one is no different. I found this jewel on Kindle Unlimited and I’m so glad I did. I loved the well-molded characters and the compelling story that continuously had me guessing the whole time. There was a lot details to the story that really connected all the pieces of the story together. From the very beginning this book starts off with a twist and bring all the twist together at the end, which was great. This book is definitely worth reading and you won’t be able to put it down plus it’s free with Kindle Unlimited. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫. While I really enjoyed this book it’s hard to rate when I have read so many thrillers this month that have been amazing.

Synopsis:

Years ago, in the town of Saxon Falls, young Kelsey Willard disappeared and was presumed dead. The tragedy left her family with a fractured life—a mother out to numb the pain, a father losing a battle with his own private demons, and a sister desperate for closure. But now another teenage girl has gone missing. It’s ripping open old wounds for the Willards, dragging them back into a painful past, and leaving them unprepared for where it will take them next.
Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent Mark Foster has stumbled on uncanny parallels in the lives of the two missing girls that could unlock clues to a serial killer’s identity. That means breaking down the walls of the Willards’ long-guarded secrets and getting to a truth that is darker than he bargained for. Now, to rescue one missing girl, he must first solve the riddles that disappeared with another: Kelsey Willard herself. Dead or alive, she is his last hope.

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A Cold Trail by Robert Dugoni- Book Review

I have loved the Tracy Crosswhite series for years now and I’m always excited when Robert Dugoni writes another book in this series. It’s empowering to read a series with a strong female lead and while this book gave me a glimpse into the life of Dan (her husband), it also focused on Tracy and her career. If you haven’t read this series or even heard of it, then I encourage you to check it out. There are 6 books in the series now and this is the 7th book which comes out February 4, 2020.  Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the ARC. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫. Also a plus if you have Kindle Unlimited this book is free to read so put a star by this one.

Synopsis: The last time homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite was in Cedar Grove, it was to see her sister’s killer put behind bars. Now she’s returned for a respite and the chance to put her life back in order for herself, her attorney husband, Dan, and their new daughter. But tragic memories soon prove impossible to escape.Dan is drawn into representing a local merchant whose business is jeopardized by the town’s revitalization. And Tracy is urged by the local PD to put her own skills to work on a new case: the brutal murder of a police officer’s wife and local reporter who was investigating a cold-case slaying of a young woman. As Tracy’s and Dan’s cases crisscross, Tracy’s trail becomes dangerous. It’s stirring up her own haunted past and a decades-old conspiracy in Cedar Grove that has erupted in murder. Getting to the truth is all that matters. But what’s Tracy willing to risk as a killer gets closer to her and threatens everyone she loves?

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Lost You by Haylen Beck- Book Reviews

Whoa! I started this book honestly not knowing what it was about. I knew it was a suspense/thriller but that’s all I knew going into it. I started reading the book and thinking, okay I know where this is going. A woman says she will give up her child for adoption because she is getting the money she needs to survive but towards the end of her pregnancy she decides to keep the child but then it took a crazy turn of events. I couldn’t put this book down and I felt for the both of these women in this story. Libby, the one that couldn’t have children of her own so she put all her worth into adopting a child and Anna, the one who grows to love the baby in her womb and decides she can’t live without him. I loved the edge of suspense in the middle of the story being told because I did not see it coming. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫. Although, I enjoyed this story, it’s one of those that isn’t quite believable but still worth reading. Thank you to Penguin Random House for gifting me this book.

Synopsis:

Libby needs a break. Three years ago her husband split, leaving her to raise their infant son Ethan alone as she struggled to launch her writing career. Now for the first time in years, things are looking up. She’s just sold her first novel, and she and Ethan are going on a much-needed vacation. Everything seems to be going their way, so why can’t she stop looking over her shoulder or panicking every time Ethan wanders out of view? Is it because of what happened when Ethan was born? Except Libby’s never told anyone the full story of what happened, and there’s no way anyone could find her and Ethan at a faraway resort . . . right?  But three days into their vacation, Libby’s fears prove justified. In a moment of inattention, Ethan wanders into an elevator before Libby can reach him. When the elevator stops and the doors open, Ethan is gone. Hotel security scours the building and finds no trace of him, but when CCTV footage is found of an adult finding the child wandering alone and leading him away by the hand, the police are called in. The search intensifies, a lost child case turning into a possible abduction. Hours later, a child is seen with a woman stepping through an emergency exit. Libby and the police track the woman down and corner her, but she refuses to release Ethan. Asked who she is, the woman replies: …“I’m his mother.”

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Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center- Book Review

I had some catching up to do with Katherine Centers’s books. I read Things You Save in a Fire first because I was given the ARC through Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press. I read this book in two nights because I couldn’t put it down and loved it. I was immediately loved the main character Cassie, she was strong, capable and knew exactly what she wanted…until a hot young Rookie firefighter stepped into her life. I loved that she came a little damaged because that made her even more relatable. She wasn’t perfect, she had a back story and that made her even more like able. Also picturing what that Rookie looked like and his sense of humor and likable also helped. I loved this story and so glad I was able to read it. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. It was the perfect book to read in between my usual thrillers.

Synopsis:

Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she’s seen her fair share of them, and she’s a total pro at other people’s tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own. The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie’s old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren’t exactly thrilled to have a “lady” on the crew—even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn’t seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can’t think about that. Because love is girly, and it’s not her thing. And don’t forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping…and it means risking it all—the only job she’s ever loved, and the hero she’s worked like hell to become.


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The Swallows by Lisa Lutz- Book Review

Talk about girl power! I love the combination of mystery and suspense and the fact that the messaging centered around empowering teenage girls to push back against sexisim and degradation. I also loved that it was a story in which these girls come together in an environment (high school) that often encourages them to tear one another down. I’m also in love with the book cover! 😍 I haven’t read one of Lisa Lutz previous books but I will definitely be adding them to my tbr list now. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This book will be published August 13th! Thank you to Penguin Random House for this ARC.

Synopsis:

When Alexandra Witt joins the faculty at Stonebridge Academy, she’s hoping to put a painful past behind her. Then one of her creative writing assignments generates some disturbing responses from students. Before long, Alex is immersed in an investigation of the students atop the school’s social hierarchy—and their connection to something called the Darkroom. She soon inspires the girls who’ve started to question the school’s “boys will be boys” attitude and incites a resistance. But just as the movement is gaining momentum, Alex attracts the attention of an unknown enemy who knows a little too much about her—and what brought her to Stonebridge in the first place. Meanwhile, Gemma, a defiant senior, has been plotting her attack for years, waiting for the right moment. Shy loner Norman hates his role in the Darkroom, but can’t find the courage to fight back until he makes an unlikely alliance. And then there’s Finn Ford, an English teacher with a shady reputation, who keeps one eye on his literary ambitions and one on Ms. Witt. As the school’s secrets begin to trickle out, a boys-versus-girls skirmish turns into an all-out war, with deeply personal—and potentially fatal—consequences for everyone involved.

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The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine – Book Review

I read this book at the beginning of the year and I devoured this book within two days because I couldn’t put this book down. I loved this book and the ending was so satisfying that I couldn’t stop thinking about for days after I read it. This book is written in two parts, the first part is written from the point of Amber and the second part is written form the point of Daphne. The story is filled with so many secrets and every turn you find out more and more details that continue to hook you into the story. Plus, this book is a perfect summer read, I mean just look at that cover. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. If you haven’t read this book than I urge you to go out and buy it or check it out at your local library.

Synopsis:

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted. To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale. Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn’t have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.