Tag: suspense

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Never Tell by Lisa Gardner- Book Review

I received this book to read and review from NetGalley and Dutton. I didn’t realize until after I’d finished it that it’s actually the second book in the D.D. Warren and Flora Dane series, but I still really enjoyed it. I was able to read and enjoy it without reading the first book in the series. I really liked Flora Dane’s character. She is a hard-ass, but given what she went through (more detailed in the first book), she has every reason to be. There were lots of twist and turns and a shock at the ending. This story mainly revolves about a character named Evie Carter who has found her husband dead. Secrets are exposed about her husband that she could never have imagined. She is also haunted by the shooting and death of her father, which is still unsolved. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I would probably have enjoyed it more if I had read the first book before so that’s on me. I just finished the first book so that review will be coming soon.

Synopsis:

A man is dead, shot three times in his home office. But his computer has been shot twelve times, and when the cops arrive, his pregnant wife is holding the gun. D.D. Warren arrives on the scene and recognizes the woman–Evie Carter–from a case many years back. Evie’s father was killed in a shooting that was ruled an accident. But for D.D., two coincidental murders is too many.  Flora Dane sees the murder of Conrad Carter on the TV news and immediately knows his face. She remembers a night when she was still a victim–a hostage–and her captor knew this man. Overcome with guilt that she never tracked him down, Flora is now determined to learn the truth of Conrad’s murder.  But D.D. and Flora are about to discover that in this case the truth is a devilishly elusive thing. As layer by layer they peel away the half-truths and outright lies, they wonder: How many secrets can one family have?

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Little Darlings by Melanie Golding- Book Review

The best way to describe this book would be creepy and haunting- it’s definitely one to read with a nightlight on. I read it a few times in the dark and creeped myself out a little. This book did a great job of incorporating a dark fairy tale along with the story, and I think that’s what madeit so intriguing. I really liked the main character Lauren, who is a new mom to twin boys and who lives in fear of something happening to them. She sees a vision of a creepy woman wanting to swap her twins with hers, but there is something not quite right with the fake twins. Lauren has to do the unthinkable, which is why it was so hard for me to put this book down- I had to know what was to come. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me the ARC of this book to read and review. I also just found out that this book will be made in a movie oh so soon! I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I really enjoyed it, but there were a few main characters who got on my nerves, and I felt that they sometimes took away from what was going on.

Synopsis:

Everyone says Lauren Tranter is exhausted, that she needs rest. And they’re right; with newborn twins, Morgan and Riley, she’s never been more tired in her life. But she knows what she saw: that night, in her hospital room, a woman tried to take her babies and replace them with her own…creatures. Yet when the police arrived, they saw no one. Everyone, from her doctor to her husband, thinks she’s imagining things. A month passes. And one bright summer morning, the babies disappear from Lauren’s side in a park. But when they’re found, something is different about them. The infants look like Morgan and Riley—to everyone else. But to Lauren, something is off. As everyone around her celebrates their return, Lauren begins to scream, These are not my babies. Determined to bring her true infant sons home, Lauren will risk the unthinkable. But if she’s wrong about what she saw…she’ll be making the biggest mistake of her life.


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A Few of My Favorite Books

My 35th birthday was just a few days ago, so since it’s still my birthday month I thought I would share a few of my favorite books! I loved each of these books for different reasons. Some are in the same genre of suspense/thriller but they are all easy going and beautifully written stories.

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The First Mistake by Sandie Jones- Book Review

I was sent this book by Minotaur Books and St. Marin’s Press before this book was published and just want to say thank you! This was the first book I’ve read by Sandie Jones and it definitely won’t be my last- I loved it. From page one to the last page, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters and the story. The ending was a complete shocker and mind blowing. I had to re-read the last chapter just to make sure that what I read was right. The main character Alice is relatable and easy to like. She has a normal life, so the thinks, and is working to move past the grief of losing her first husband. While her friend, Beth, is single and raising her daughter alone, there is something that draws them together and the secret is perfect. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Synopsis:

THE WIFE: For Alice, life has never been better. With her second husband, she has a successful business, two children, and a beautiful house. HER HUSBAND: Alice knows that life could have been different if her first husband had lived, but Nathan’s arrival into her life gave her back the happiness she craved. HER BEST FRIEND: Through the ups and downs of life, from celebratory nights out to comforting each other through loss, Alice knows that with her best friend Beth by her side, they can survive anything together. So when Nathan starts acting strangely, Alice turns to Beth for help. But soon, Alice begins to wonder whether her trust has been misplaced . . .


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The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine- Book Review

I was so happy to receive this book from Harper Books before it was published. I loved Liv Constantine’s first book The Last Mrs. Parrish, so I couldn’t wait to read another book by her (them really, since the books are co-authored by sisters who write under the name Liv Constantine). I dove right into this book with out skipping a beat. It had a lot of twist and turns. I was continuously questioning different characters and their roles in the story. While I enjoyed this book, it didn’t compare to The Last Mrs. Parrish. The ending was very interesting and I definitely wouldn’t have guessed it, but I felt as though it was a little extreme. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️. It had a quick pace held throughout, but the ending had me wishing it had turned out differently.

Synopsis:

Dr. Kate English has it all. Not only is she the heiress to a large fortune; she has a gorgeous husband and daughter, a high-flying career, and a beautiful home anyone would envy. That evening, Kate’s grief turns to horror when she receives an anonymous text: You think you’re sad now, just wait. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll wish you had been buried today. More than ever, Kate needs her old friend’s help. Once Blaire decides to take the investigation into her own hands, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems in Baltimore high society. As infidelity, lies, and betrayals come to light, and tensions rise to a boiling point, she begins to alienate Kate’s friends and relatives with her relentless, accusatory questions, as she tries to find Lily’s killer. The murderer could be anyone—friend, neighbor, loved one. But whoever it is, it’s clear that Kate is next on their list. . .

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid- Book Review

I had seen this book everywhere and everyone was giving it lots of great reviews so I was definitely intrigued. But sometimes a book being reviewed so well gets me nervous that I may not like it. Fortunately, I was worried over nothing, because there is no doubt that this book met the expectations I had because of all the great reviews. Evelyn is irresistible in every way. She’s bold, beautiful and gives her opinion freely which is why I loved her character. I couldn’t wait to find out more and more about the story of Evelyn Hugo. This book dives into the many stories of Evelyn’s life and relationships plus a secret that she has held closely for decades. Also, since June is pride month I encourage you to read this book now. You won’t regret it! This is one of my favorite reads this year and it’s definitely a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read!

Synopsis:

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

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Final Girls by Riley Sager- Book Review

There is a special place in my heart for the suspense/thriller genre, and Riley Segars’s Final Girls is perfect in every way. It’s got lots of twist and turns and keeps you guessing throughout the entire story. I had a guess as to “who done it” while I was in the middle of the book and was completely wrong in the end. That is one of the many reasons why I loved this book. I’m okay being wrong especially if ending blows me away. I thought the main character, Quincy, was intriguing because of what she had been through. It’s a book that takes the reader from past to present and the writing is perfect. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Synopsis:

Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls: Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout’s knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them and, with that, one another. Despite the media’s attempts, they never meet.
Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past. 
That is until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit; and Sam, the second Final Girl, appears on Quincy’s doorstep. Blowing through Quincy’s life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa’s death come to light, Quincy’s life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam’s truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.

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Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens- Book Review

This will be one of my favorite books this year. It was a beautiful story. The top two words I’d use to describe Where the Crawdads Sing would be moving and emotional. This is a book that you finish but it stays with you for days and weeks after reading. It’s one that I could easily re-read because I want to go through the story again. You feel for the main character Kya because she grows up alone, abandoned by her mother, with her father who drinks his life away. She doesn’t trust people because of how she has been treated but she teaches herself how to live and feel things. She grows up in the marshes and it becomes a big part of her life. I would give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, and would give it more than five stars if I could. I recommend this book to all my friends, family and strangers :). 

Synopsis: The story is set in the 1950s and revolves around a young woman named Kya Clark, who is from extremely rural North Carolina. Known by others as the Marsh Girl, she lives alone in nature—but the draw of other people, and specifically love, brings her into contact with the greater world.

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Hello!

My name is Anna and I love books, wine, cats, wine, Harry Potter, and also wine. That’s me in a nutshell.

I fell in love with reading when I read the Harry Potter series in high school. A friend gave me a copy of the first book and the magic began. After that I couldn’t help but read. I remember getting called out during class at school because I was caught reading a book instead of listening to the lesson being taught.

Now, I try to read as much as possible while working from home and raising three children. I love fiction, suspense/thrillers, and a little comedy/romance mixed in.