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by Megan Miranda

I just finished reading “Such a Quiet Place”, by Megan Miranda. This is the first book I have read by this author and it was a pleasant surprise.
This story takes place in an ideal suburban like neighborhood where everyone knows everyone else’s business and pretends to live in a perfect bubble. There is one character, who returns back to the neighborhoos after serving time for the murder of a couple in the neighborhood. There are lot of uncomfortable neighbors who want her to leave which leads to a murder mystery and the uncovering of many secrets.
I enjoyed this book. The author creates a strong background to the plot which makes the development of the story fun to follow. The characters all have secrets of their own which creates alot of added mystery as to WHODIDIT!
But in the end, I found the conclusion predictable. I agree that we all do things to protect our kids, but this story exposed the seedy underbelly of how devious humans can be with complete lack of a moral compass. I suppose I didn’t want to be reminded of that. I didn’t like that there was no integrity among the characters, maybe a little in the main character, because at the end, she did the right thing.
A good book written by a great author who I definately will read again.

#suchaquietplace #meganmiranda #femalefiction #murdermystery #needtoread

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by Nancy Jooyoun Kim

I just finished reading “The Last Story of Mina Lee” by Nancy Joyoun Kim. A very slow simmering book that offers a glimpse, both realistic and haunting, of the life of a Korean immigrant and their ways of surviving life in a sometimes cruel and uncompramising America.
Margot, the main character is dealing with the death of her mother: a woman she both admired and rejected for not learning English. We learn both the backstory of Mina (the mom) and her struggles when she arrived in America, and Margot who is now faced with unearthing the truth her mother’s past, which is sad, tragic, and hopeful at times.
The story is very well written and I felt great empathy both for Margot and for Mina. The author did an excellent job of weaving together a story with few characters but all important to the outcome, which was wistful and satisfying. I loved that toward the end of the book, Margot was embracing her language and heritage and in essence, who her mom was. Mina is a very uncomplicated woman, and although I didn’t agree with all her choices, I understood them, in part because of Ms. Kim’s wonderful writing.
Everyone should read this book because it opens the eyes to the great divide between the hardworking immigrand, and the rich powerful elite, not just in America, but in our own back yard.
Wonderful story by a wonderful write.

#mustread #thelaststoryofminalee #strongfemalelead #neadtoread #koreanimmigrantlovestory #minalee #femalefiction




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by A.S.A Harrison

I just finished reading The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison. A story of a disintegrating marriage ruined by secrets and lies, and told through the eyes of both husband and wife.
Riveting storytelling is the strongest part of this book. The author is an amazing writer, and her ability to weave words together to tell the story makes it compelling on every page.
The author created interesting and fractured characters, although Jodi (the wife) was definately more sympathetice. Todd, the husband was a fascinating character and many times throughout the story, I felt sorry for him, but he made some bad choices and untimately, paid the consequences for the choices her made.
This story reminds us that we have to face our pasts and move on from them, and that our past definately shapes our present but it doesn’t have to define it.
The best part of this book is the exquisite writin style of the author. It is an absolute treat to read good writing.
There were some lingering questions: What happened to Allison? What about Todd’s “illness”. For there to be so much time devoted to it, I expected a better resolution.
But…small quibbles. I really enjoyed this book and I am sure to read more from this wondeful author.
Happy Reading!
#thesilentwife #nedtoread #domesticthriller #asaharrison #strongfemalelead


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by Sandie Jones

I just finished reading “The Blame Game” by Sandie Jones and this is my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

First of all, I am a big fan of Sandie Jones and I have read many of her books. Always entertaining and filled with crazy plot twists, this book is no exception.
The main character, Naomi, is a therapist who helps victims of domestic abuse. She herself comes from a dark family past, which seems like it should have been further explored but it wasn’t. Naomi tends to care too much for her patients in particular, a man names Jacob and a woman named Sara. She crosses the lines with both these patients which puts her in a compromising position when one of them goes missing.

In order to protect herself, she lies to the police and to her husband, Leon, but these lies end up making her look suspicious and she wonders who it is that is setting her up.

Through the course of the story there are many red herrings which leads the reader in a different direction, but it all wraps up in the end with quite the explosive reveal.

I enjoyed this book and I think that most fans of this genre will as well. The characters were well written and the story moved quickly it was exciting throughout. My only disappointment is that there was such a focus on Naomi’s past and her issues with her sister, and I feel like this plotline was dropped with no resolution. I would have liked to see what happened with Naomi and her sister.
Otherwise, an entertaining read by an author who never disappoints.
Happy Reading!

#theblamegame, #psychologicalthriller, #femaleleadcharacter, #SandieJones, #needtoread

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By Jennifer Hillier

I just finished reading “Things We Do in the Dark”, by Jennifer Hillier. Thanks you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.I would definately classify this as a thriller. The main character Paris Peralta is charged with killing her husband who is much older than her. The story unfolds according to different view points and time frames. Going between the past and the present, we meet a young girl names Joelle who herself is a victim of abuse. What is the connection between Paris and Joelle. The twists and turns of this book make the revelation very satisfying. The characters in this book are very likeable and easy to root for. The character of Ruby is a true villain and adds an edge to the intrigue in the book.
I liked that there were no slow parts in this book. The story flowed at a steady pace. I also liked that the story partly took place in Canada. That was cool.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Very interesting plot line with a satisfying ending. I think all readers will enjoy reading “Things We Do in the Dark”.
Happy Reading!
#thingswedointhedark #jenniferhillier #needtoread #strongfemalelead #thriller

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by Megan Goldin

I just finished reading “Stay Awake” by Megan Goldin. Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book about a young woman who has a rare form of amnesia where everytime she wakes up, she has forgotten everything that has happened in the last two years. There is a constant electric energy in the book as the main character is trying to find out what happened to her life while at the same time a police detectice is investigating a homicide that may or may not have included her.

I loved this book. It definately had some “Memento” vibes because in order to remind herself of important information, the main character ,Liv, writes notes to herself on her body. Her body is covered with notes like “Stay Awake” that lead her on a wild chase to find out what is going on. The story goes back and forth between the past where the reader gets an idea on what Liv was like before the amnesia and is introduced to her best friend and her boyfriend. Then there is the point of view of the main detective who is tasked with investigating a homicide. Throughout the book, we meet different characters who may or my not want to hurt Liv, but the ending ties up all the intrigue and action with a conclusion that explains everything.

I liked the pace of the story and the shifts in perspective. I did get a little confused a couple of times about the timeline so i had to go back to the beginning of the chapter, but it wasn’t a big deal.

I like how the author tied all the characters together in the book. There were a few moments which I thought were a little farfetched but overall, the story telling was great.

I liked the main character. She was messed up and scared and smart and brave all at once. I found myself rooting for her and I found her back story fascinating.

I am so glad I read this book. It was a riveting and thrilling ride into the mind of an amnesiac searching for the truth. I am sure everyond will love it.

Happy Reading!

#stayawake, #needtoread #NetGalley #MeganGoldin #thriller #strongfemalecharacters

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By Sarah Clarke

“It’s widely understood that unconditional love is reserved for a child” And so the story begins…
I just finished reading “Every Little Secret”, by Sarah Clarke. Thank You to Net Galley and Harper Collins for a free copy in return for an honest review.
This book is absolutely amazing. What a wonderful adventure, gripping tale of motherly love how secrets and lies keep important truths from becoming revealed.
This is a story about a woman named Grace who is married to Marcus. They have a child named Kaia. When Kaia is Seven, she begins making horrible accusations about her father which leads Grace down a difficult path of trying to protect her daughter and finding out the truth.
What follows is a trip into the past and her relationship with her best friend Coco and her brother Josh. The past and the present collide in spectacular way, and all the lies are uncovered to reveal surprising truths.
In the end, the reader is left feeling like they just got off the best rollercoaster ride of their life.
I was fascinated with the back story of Grace and her friend Coco, as well as the story of Marcus and his freind Josh. Excellent writing and pacing kept this story moving along at a breakneck speed and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Small hints of the truth were enough to keep me reading to the end..and what an ending it was.
This is a great book because it is highly entertaining, with great characters and drama. Your next favourite book for sure.
Happy Reading!

#NetGalley #thriller #unconditionallove #needtoread #EveryLittleSecretbySarahClarke #strongfemalelead



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by Julie Clark

I just finished reading “The Lies I Tell”, by Julie Clarke. Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a story of revenge and how nothing is quite as it seems. The story is told from the perspective of the two female lead characters Meg and Kat. Meg is a conwoman who was conned herself as a child with devastating results. This event has shaped her future. Kat is a reporter who was a victim of a crime and holds Meg responsible and she wants revenge on Meg by exposing her cons.
The two women meet and form a fake frienship each knowing what the other is up to and then…Le’ts just say that thats when things get complicated.
I really liked this book. Well written with interesting characters and plots. While there was no WOW moment or huge cliffhangers, it flowed well and was so intriguing that I read it in one day. I liked all the characters and felt like I knew them well.
I love books that have strong female characters that can also be vulnerable at times. I absolutely loved the ending. The last page was AWESOME. Girl Power!!!!
The only little thing was that sometimes the timeline confused me so I had to go to the beginning of the chapter to see where in the timeline it was.
Overall though, an excellent read. This is my first read by this author, and I will be sure to read more.
Happy Reading!

#theliesitell #NetGalley #revenge #strongfemalecharacters #nothingisasitseems #thriller #JulieClark

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by Samantha M Bailey

I just finished reading “Watch Out For Her” by Samantha Bailey. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

There is a line in this book that kind of sums up what this story is about: ” Desperate people do desperate things. Not always on purpose. But sometimes.”

This is a book about imperfect people trying to do the right thing but often for the wrong reasons. It shows how humans can be so imperfect at times: making bad choices for what seem to be good reasons.

The book is about Sarah and her husband Daniel, who hire Holly to babysit their son Jacob. There is alot of mutual admiration and caring on everyone’s behalf but there is also secrets and lies, which ultimately leads to betrayal and loss.

The story is told from the perspective of the two female leads: Sarah and Holly. While both characters have their fine points, they are both guilty of making bad decisions in the book, which ultimately leads to an end to their relationship.

I really like that the setting for the story is Vancouver and Toronto. Nice to see Canadian content. I like the characters of Sarah, Holly and Daniel, but I loathed Holly’s parents and i thought her stepsister was a little weird.

I liked that the story went back and forth between two different perspectives which made it more interesting and engaging. And even though there were no big WOW moments, there was enough action and intrigue to keep me interested until the last page…and the ending was quite satisfying.

All in all, it was a good read…I have read this author’s first book and this is her second book. I am excited to read her next novel. It is sure to please.

Happy Reading!

#watchoutforher #psychologicalthriller #strongfemaleleads #liesandsecrets #SamanthaMBailey


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by Tarryn Fisher

I just finished reading “An Honest Lie”, by Tarryn Fisher. Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fascinating story which looks at the aftermath of childhood trauma and it’s impact on life as an adult. The main character, Rainy or Summer, is full of contradictions and turmoil and her backstory is the most fascinating part of the book. The novel is written in past and present form, with Rainy taking a trip to Vegas with girlfriends. She goes even though she doesn’t want to and it is there that she is forced to face her past.
The story is well-written and the characters are interesting and relateable. I was never quite sure whether Rainy was accepted in her group or not, and at the end the same questions remained.
My favourite part of the book was the back story to Rainy’s life when her name was Summer. It was fascinating to read and very well-written.
The ‘now’ part was good but not as riveting. I enjoyed this book and ther relationships between the characters. It was a story that was, for the most part, easy to follow along. Even though there were no major plot twists or revelations, it was still an interesting book to read. There were alot of honest lies told in this book, which made it even more relateable, blurring the line between saving someone from hurt and being truthful is always a tough decision to make. Happy to recommend this book.

#anhonest lie #NetGalley #psychologicalthriller #femaleleadcharacter #cult
Happy Reading



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