book lovers unite

by Nita Prose

I just finished reading “The Maid’s Secret” by Nita Prose. Many thanks to Net Galley and Viking for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
Well Nita Prose has done it again. She has created this unforgettable character whose story and anventures make me smile and laught and cry all at the same time.
This book continues the story of Molly the Maid who gets the surprise of her life when what she thinks is a trinket in her Gram’s collection turns out to be invaluable and likely to change her life forever. What starts out as a lovely surprise quickly turns into a mystery that could potentially harm Molly. The book also provides the back story of Flora, Molly’s beloved Gram, and it is so lovely and sad and inspiring and joyful with a wonderful message and ending.
This book is both funny and sad and mysterious and joyful. Learning about Molly’s Gran as she is trying to solve her own mystery is what makes this book so great. The way Nita Prose ties everything together is wonderful and the way she weaves past and present creates a page turner that is read very quickly.
I love this series and I love the character of Molly. She is so authentically wonderful and real, and she reminds us how we should live and treat others.
Brave Nita Prose. Bravo!

#themaidssecret #nitaprose #netgalley #viking #fivestarread #needtoread #womensfiction #feelgoodbook #canadianauthor



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by Gemma Rogers

I just finished reading “The Honeymoon”. by Gemma Rogers. Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The story begins with an intriguing premise. A newlywed couple goes on a honeymoon but the tension quickly builds into suspense and mystery. There are many twists and turns to keep the readers engaged and wanting to see what happens next. The author does an excellent job of creating intrigue throughout the book.

Unfortunately, the characters seem uninteresting and one dimensional. I found them hard to root for and at times I had to suspend by disbelief to keep on reading, especially with Chloe.

It is a good domestic thriller that can be read quickly and without alot of pause. But it suffers from typical plot twists and flat characters.

While the plot offers plenty of twists to keep readers engaged, the character development occasionally falls flat, and some of the twists require a suspension of disbelief.

#thehoneymoon #gemmarogers #domesticthriller #women’sfiction #netgalley

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BY NORA MURPHY

I just finished reading “The Favor” by Nora Murphy. Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in return for an honesy review. This book is definately a domestic thriller that may be difficult for some to read because it revolves around domestic abuse.

Two women who don’t kow each other but live very similar lives because the are both being abused by their partners. Leah and McKenna are smart intellgent women who are both seemingly living perfect lives: beautiful husbands, beautiful cars, beautiful homes. But behind closed doors they are struggling to survive their monster husbands. The story of how domestiv abusee begins slowly and eventually dominates is told perfectly by the author, who has definately done her research.

Both women find themselves wanting to help each other, but without really knowing each other. Interspersed with their struggle is a police office who is trying to solve a crime. It is very well written and provides an excellent back story of both women which makes them bery sympathetic and rootworthy. The men are completely despicable and it is hard to believe that such people exist but unfortunately they do.

I liked the honesty of this book, and the pace of the story. It was completely absorbing and I found myself not wanting to put the story down. The main characters were not perfect, but they were very real and relateable. The way the story ended was realistic and satisfactory.

I obviously hated reading about the men. They made me angry and I was shocked by some of the things they did to these women they professed to love.

In the end, I was engrossed in this story and invested in what happened to these women. What was the favor? You’ll have to read the book to find out. You will not be disappointed.

Happy Reading.

#THEFAVOR #NORAMURPHY #DOMESTICTHRILLER #DOMESTICABUSE #FEMALELEADCHARACTERS #WOMENSFICTION #NEEDTOREAD

BY KAIRA ROUDA

I finished reading “The Second Mrs. Strom” by Kaira Rouda. I can best be described as a marriage thriller. Many thanks too NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This story is about a couple going on a romantic trip to Paris to celebrate their wedding anniversary. The book starts at the end so the reader knows that something bad is going to happen to one of them. Then the story goes to the past and present and we learn about the romantic history of Paul and Cecilia and how they came to be. We also quickly learn that Paul is a sociopatic narcicist and his wife is no better. They both have their reasons for getting married and for what they are about to do.

My favourite thing about this book was the setting. Paris and its wonderful sights are the main character of the book for me. I loved imagining myself visiting all the wonderful places mentioned in the book and the author did an excellent job of describing the beautiful city.

I don’t have any other favourite things because quite frankly i had a hard time getting through this book. It was intriguing with an interesting back story. If was fun to find out what these characters really wanted and what their motivations were. But they were truly despicable people and I couldnt cheer for either of them. They were sociopaths, selfish, vengeful and self-serving. I didn’t care what happened to them.

Another problem I had was that there were too many ‘other’ characters who were written in such a comical way that I lost interest in them. I couldn’t really cheer for anyone or care for anyone because they were all a bunch of liars.

I did manage to finish this book and was happy when I got to the last page. But I felt like the last page left it open for a sequel… If there is a sequal, I don’t thnk I will be reading it. So I cannot recommend this book. It just wasn;t for me.

Happy Reading

#THESECONDMRSSTROM #MARRIAGETHRILLER #THREESTARREVIEW #KAIRAROUDA #WOMENSFICTION #NETGALLEY #TOREADORNOT




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BY LIANE MORIARTY

I just fininshed reading “Here One Moment”, by Liane Moriarty. Many thanks to and Crown Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book can be described best as a slow burn to awesomeness. I loved this book. I loved the back story, I loved the characters, I loved the way the author wrote this book to its very satisfactory conclusion. If you read any book please read this one…you will not be disappointed.

The story starts on an airplane where a number of passengers are on a short flight. On the flight we meet interesting characters who all come into contact with an interesting woman who tells them how they will die and when. SOme are unraveled by these revelations and it sets in motion a series of events which is their response to hearing the prediction. BUT…when one of the passengers dies as the lady predicts…then the book gets really good because…was it a coincidence or did the lady actually have a gift.

We also learn through many different narrations, that the woman who made these predictions had a very interesting life herself. We slowly learn the truth but the author does such an excellent job of telling us about these people that we are I was so firmly invested in them all. ALL of them! There was not one single character who didn’t have an interesting story and set of circumstances that led to really caring about them. But the best part of the book was when somehow, the author tied everything together in such a magnificent way that I just sat there and was in awe at her excellent story telling. This rarely happens. And if it does, I shout it from the rooftops : READ THIS BOOK! IT IS AWESOME!
What did i like about this book…everything, but it really boiled down to the story telling by the author. It was absolutely magnificent. Every character was layered with pain and joy and suffering and longing and love.

There was one thing that bothered me and that was that there were some characters that received a much more detailed ending than others. I wish I knew how all characters ended up.

In the end, I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who wants that moment at the end of reading when you wish the story didn’t end.

Happy Reading.

#HEREONEMOMENT #BOOKREVIEWS #MUSTREAD #NEEDTOREAD #LIANEMORIARTY #FIVESTARREAD #STRONGFEMALECHARACTERS #TOREADORNOT



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BY HANNAH MARY MCKINNON

I Just finished reading “Only One Survives” by Hannah Mary McKinnon. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is definately a mystery or psychological thriller and many lovers of this genre will enjoy this book. It is twisty, suspenseful, filled with mystery, and a GIANT twist in the middle of the book.

The story revolves around two friends, Madison and Vienna who form a band when they are in High School. Circumstance finds them in New York after graduation and they decide to add members to their duo and name it The Bittersweet. Their music takes of and theiy are on their way to the Catskills to meet people when their van crashes.

Band mates are injured and Madison and Vienna are left to find help. At the end of the ordealonly Vienna is left, and questions about what happened to the other bandmates are left hanging and the mystery deepens as the secrets are revealed.
This story is told in two different timelines, the past and the present, and there are alot of surprises. Revealing them would ruin the ending so I will stop there. Suffice it to say….there are surprises throughout that will keep the reader glued.
What I liked about this book was the pace. It was fast and furious. There were alot of characters but the story and plot were easy to follow. The ending was good.

What I didn’t like about the story was the irredeamable awfulness of the characters, especially the main ones and their families. I need to have rootable characters to enjoy the book, but the only rootable characters where minor ones. Also some of the outlandish things the characters did to accomplish their goals were unrelatable for me. I won’t go into detail about that because it will spoil the story.

This book is ultimately about the price of fame, and what people will do for fame, and the intricacies of friendship. The backgorund of music and being in a female band were great…I enjoyed that. Also, the toxic presence of online social media came into account and definately had an effect on the outcome of this story.

I liked this book and have no problem recommending it with the caveat that I had to roll my eyes a few times and sus[end disbelief to continue reading. Besides that, a very creative take on the price of fame. It clearly is not worth it.

Happy Reading

#ONLYONESURVIVES, #HANNAHMARYMCKINNON #NETGALLEY #THRILLER #FEMALELEADCHARACTERS #WOMENSFICTION #MYSTERTHRILLER #MUSIC #BOOKREVIEW



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BY SUE FORTIN

I just finished reading “Your Little Lies” by Sue Fortin. Thanks to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for the Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review. This book I would consider to be a psychological or mystery thriller revolving around a young woman who moves with her husband and daughter to a posh neighbourhood in what I can only describe as a gated community.

From the beginning we know that the main character Hannah is hiding something from everyone, including Jasper her husband, and the story switches narratives from Hannah to another woman named Laurel. Laurel is also married with a baby and she and her husband and trying to secure an investment from a somewhat shady man who has the hots for Laurel. What could possible go wrong? Well it turns out that Laurel has to make a sacriifice and restart her life as Hannah.

The problem is once whe moves into her new neighbourhood, her past meets her present…and secrets and lies are exposed in an explosive and deathly way.

What I liked about this book was the way the story unfolded step by step. I loved learning about Hannah’s past and how it was impacting her future. She was a very interesting character although sometimes I wanted to strangle her. The secrets were juicy and the author did a great job of maintaing my interest.

What I didn’t like was some of the over-the-top lines and actions of the characters. There were some characters that were written in a strange way. To further explain would mean giving away the plot so I won’t. There were also some questions that I had that went unanswered. I felt like I missed a page in some parts, especially at the end.

Nevertheless, a good read, that is entertaining and easy to follow. A recommendation from me for the lovers of this genre.

Happy Reading

#YOURLITTLELIES #SUEFORTIN #FEMALELEADCHARACTER #WOMENSFICTION #BOOKREVIEW #TOREADORNOT #MYSTERYTHRILLER #NETGALLEY #STORMPUBLISHING



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BY LISA UNGER

I just finished reading “The New Couple in 5B” by Lisa Unger. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the Advanced Copy in return for an honest review.

This story is about a yound couple who inherit an apartment in New York, in a beautiful part of town that is clearly out of their economic capability. When they move in, they discover that the apartment building has a rich history that is shrouded in mystery. There is a feeling of supernatural and scary vibes. Rose and Chad are awestruck in their new plae, but soon weird things start to happen thatn noone seems to be able to explain. Then someone is killed and the race to the truth leavers everyone shocked and surprised.

I felt uneasy while reading this book. I enjoyed it but it was a little too creepy for me. The characters were interesting and the back story of former residents was captivating. I am not a fan of horror or the supernatural, but if you are then this is defiinately the book for you

Happy Reading.

by Sarah Pekkanen

 I just finished reading “House of Glass” by Sarah Pekkanen. Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martins’ Press for the Advanced Copy in return for an honest review.

This story is all about lies and deception and how far people go to keep secrets, no matter what the cost. It revolves around a seemingly perfect family so are torn apart when the Nanny is murdered in their homw. She had an affair with the husband and now there is a fight for custody, but thet all life under the same home. Enter Stella, whose job it is to find out which parent will be better for for the child, Rose to stay with. The thing is that Rose is a trauma iduced mute who refuses to speak. Being a victim of trauma herself, Stella really wants to make sure she makes the right choice and decides what is best for Rose. But who killed the Nanny? it seems everyone is a suspect included Rose herself. As it turns out…someone killed tha Nanny, and all the lies and secrets are exposed when the truth explosively reveals itself.

I did like this book. I read it quickly. The characters were likeable and the author did an excellent job of freating mysery and suspence with every chapter. It truly was hard to figure out who the bad guy was. Rose was the most ineresting character because she was a small child caught in the middle of a custody battle and not able to speak because of the trauma surrounding her Nanny’s death.

It is called House of Glass for a reason. There is both a literal and figurative House of Glass which evokes the idea of a fragile house that could shatter under pressure of lies and deception.

There were some parts that I felt were unecessary, but I did like the background story of the main character, Stella. She too had secrets of her own that shaped her actions and responses.

I would recommend this book for those who enjoy a good family or psychological thrller. Not my favourite but definately worth the read.

Happy Reading.

#houseofglass, #summerread, #femaleleadcharacter #womensfiction #mysterythriller #familythriller #netgalley #bookreview #booklover