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by Shari Lapena

I just finished reading “Not a Happy Family”, by Shari Lapena and I was not disappointed. It was a fast paced easy read full of twists and turns that kept me on my toes.
A Domestic thriller about siblings who are set to inherit millions after their parents are found murdered. The father was a total jerk to his children, so the three siblings are all considered suspects.
What follows is a series of revealed secrets that lead the reader down a delicious path of lies and deceit and red herrings until…the truth is uncovered.
Shari Lapena knows how to engage and keep her audience. She does an excellent job or creating not so perfect characters who have something to hide, and make them interesting to the reader.
This book was read quickly, and I found most of the story lines were tied up nicely at the end. The author did an excellent job of providing each main character with a great backstory to explain their action or inaction. At one point, any of the main characters could have done it, but I liked how the story was tied it up in the end.
Another great book by Shari Lapena that everyone who likes this genre should read.
Happy Reading everyone!

#domesticthriller, #familydrama, #notahappyfamily, #sharilapena, #whodidit


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by Rachel Hawkins

I just finished reading “The Wife Upstairs”, by Rachel Hawkins. A book filled with unlikeable people who do unlikeable things to each other and only look out for themselves. You never quite know if these people actually like each other or not, but either way, it was a good read.
This book’s main character is called Jane, and she is the character I like the most. Trying to run from her past and make a better future, she meets Eddie, a widower and they fall in love, but she has to deal with the story of his dead wife Bea, and her best friend Blanche. There are other sub-plots in the story which add to the intrigue for sure.
This boom was filled with twists and turns and the ending was just vague enough that it left me wondering….
Anyway, The Wife Upstairs is well written, with well developed characters and a plot that is interesting and intriguing. Even though I was left with questions at the end of reading this book, it didn’t really matter because that was the essence of the book: How everything we think we know is not really what we know and how people are not who we think they are. Mysterious and full of secrets and bad intentions.
I liked the book and I think others will as well.
Happy Reading.
#thewifeupstairs, #rachelhawkins, #psychologicalthriller, #femalelead #lovetriangle


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by Sandie Jones

I just finished reading “The Half Sister”, by Sandie Jones, who is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors. I would consider this book a domestic thriller and it is quite a read.
The story centers around a family of two girls and a mother (the father is recently deceased), and follows their reaction when a mysterious young woman appears on the mom’s doorstep claiming to be their half-sister, fathered obviously by the dead father who can’t provide any clarity.

There are some sub-plots like the one sister’s (Kate) difficulty with getting pregnant, and the other sister’s (Lauren) difficulty with her loser husband.

The story is told from the perspective of the two sisters, one who is accepting, the other who isn’t. In the middle is the mother, who I couldn’t quite decide whether I liked or not.
There is alot of action and revelation which drives the story and makes it interesting to read. I definately wanted to find out the truth…and in the end I did.

The story was concluded in a way that left me satisfied and happy. I really liked the sisters, but there were a few unanswered questions that left me wondering…
All in all, a good book and a worthy read.

Happy Reading!

#thehalfsister, #domesticthriller, #mysterythriller, #femaleleadcharacters, #sandiejones, #sisters, #women’sfiction



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by Kimberly Belle

I just finished reading “The Marriage Lie”, by Kimberly Belle. It is about a woman (Iris) who is happily married to Will. One day Will leaves for a business trip but then his plane falls down and he is presumed dead. Only problem is that he wasn’t supposed to be on the plane to Seattle….where was Will really going and why did he lie?
Iris begins an investigation, first with her brother Dave, and then with her attorney/friend Owen, and what follows is a constant flurry of truths uncovered and clues found that eventually lead to the truth.
I liked this book. It started off great, with the author perfectly describing the grief and pain that Iris is going through and finding out Will isn’t who she thought he was.
As great as the story began, at some point it became a little over the top. I think it was when the story flipped from Iris and her brother to the introduction of Corban. At that point I started liking the story less, because I really enjoyed reading about Iris and her brother.
Anyway, I did like the ending…it was very satisfactory. I was happy with the main character (Iris) and the decisions that she made. Overall, I good read, but not my favourite by this author.
Happy Reading.

#domesticthriller, #psychologicalthriller, #women’sfiction, #themarriagelie, #kimberlybelle

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by Sally Hepworth

I just finished reading “The Good Sister” by Sally Hepworth. All I can say is BRAVO!!. What a great book. The main character (Fern) is absolutely delightful. She has a twin sister named Rose who always takes care of and protects her…or does she?
Rose and Fern are twins and have a shared secret about a past event that occured in their childhood. The story is told through Fern’s perspective (she is a librarian with sensory issues who relies on her sister alot) and Rose’s diary which explains her perspective on her past and present. Fern wants to make Rose happy by having a baby for her, but slowly begins to realize that perhaps Rose isn’t who she seems to be. In the meantime, Fern meets “Wally”…let the fun begin. I won’t tell you who the good sister is, you need to read the book to find out.
I devoured this book in two days, and I was so caught up in it I even forgot to eat lunch. The mystery in this book slowly unravels itself and the author perfectly sums it all up at the end..leaving no stone unturned or questions unanswered.
I love books that have great characters and Fern was just that. So well written that I couldn’t help but love her and want the best for her. There weren’t alot of unnecessary characters or events in the story and I felt like every chapter was important to understanding the relationship between the two sisters and how it developed over time.
I loved the ending and felt satisfied that all characters got what they deserved. I can’t recommend this book enough. Definately a must read for all lovers of this genre (psychological thriller). I am so happy I read this book. Sally Hepworth, the author, never disappoints and I will definately read more from her!
Happy Reading!

#psychologicalthriller #thegoodsister #twinlove #femalelead #sallyhepworth #mustread


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by Laura Dave

I Just finished reading “The Last Thing He Told Me” by Laura Dave. I thought it was amazing, one of the best books I have read this year. Definately Top Five on my list. I chose this book because it was highly recommended and I am so glad I did.
The story is about a woman whose name is Hannah. Her husband disappears without a trace leaving behind a note which asks Hannah to protect his daughter Bailey. What follows is a desperate journey to finding the truth about her husband and an ending that is both surprising and appropriate.
The author did an excellent job of hooking the reader and providing a history of Hannah and her husband through flashbacks. Her journey to find her husband was filled with mystery and intrigue which was resolved at a steady and consistent pace. The characters were flawed but rootable and that’s what I liked about the story. The way the characters interacted seemed natural and believable.

This novel showed the lengths that adults will go to in order to protect their children, and also the need that children have for stability and trust. It showed that people are not one dimensional that they can be good and bad at the same time.
There was enough mystery and intrigue that I read this book in less than two days. Well written well paced, interesting characters, great mystery, wonderful conclusion. Everything you could ask for in a psychological or mystery thriller.

A great read for lovers of this genre, and I will definately be reading this author again.

#psycholgicalthriller #thelastthingheToldme #femaleleadcharacter #mustread



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by Lisa Jewell

I just finished reading “The Night She Disappeared” by Lisa Jewell. This book came so highly recommended I couldn’t wait to read it. I was so excited to read this author because I do so enjoy her novels. And it was very well written, with wonderfully developed characters, and an emerging story line that was extremely layered and well crafted. The author tied up everything at the end and managed to connect all the characters in some way to the main event of the story which was the disappearance of a young mother Tallulah, and her boyfriend.

I really felt alot of pain for Tallulah’s mom and her grief and frustration was palpable. All the supporting characters were well written as well: I especially liked the character of Sophie and her determination to get to the bottom of the mystery.

But even though the story was well written and the characters were well developed, the story just fell flat for me. I am not sure why, because normally I like books like this one. Maybe it was the main mystery as to why a young woman would disappear without a word to anyone. I am not sure, but I read the whole book hoping that my mind would change.
I will say that the last 50 pages or so were the best part of the book, in my opinion. The ending was satisfactory, but overall, not my favourite read.


#psychologicalthriller #thenightshedisappeared #femaleleadcharacter #lisajewell
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I just finished reading the book “I’ll be You”, by Janelle Brown. I would like to thank NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start by saying that twins fasinate me. It must be awesome to have your carbon copy in this world with whom you can secretly commnicate, and at times, change places. Not alot of people can do that. Oh the fun you would have, but then again your identity is forever linked and it must be hard to maintain a separate identity.
That is generally what this book is about. Two twins trying to find their own identity while also supporting each other. Trying to accept differences and similarities between each other, and ultimately, helping each other through difficult times while accepting these similarities and differences.
This book also touches on cults and how they prey on innocent women who are feeling lost and alone.
The twins are former TV stars whose adult life isn’t what they hoped it would be and when one of the sisters “disappears” the other is left to pick up the pieces and find out what happened.
I enjoyed the book. It was full of drama and intrigue which the author played out very well. The characters were likeable and rootable and I wanted them both to be happy and healthy. The intrigue and suspense focussed around the sister’s past dynamic and their present issues. It was well written and easy to read and follow.
I like that the story was written from both sister’s perspectives. I also like that the story didn’t deviate into unecessary story telling or sub-plots. It stayed on task throughout. The author did an excellent job of creating a fascinating back story which made the sisters more appealing and interesting.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre. It was dramatic, exciting, and full of interesting characters and events. Well Done to the author.

Happy Reading.

#I’llBeYou #psycholgicalthriller #twinsisters #cult



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by Samantha Hayes

I just read “The Happy Couple” by Samantha Hayes. It was one of these books that you have a hard time putting down because the author does such a good job of giving just enough information that you want to find out happens.
The story centers around Jo, a young woman whose husband, Will just disappears without explanation. It has been a year and Jo decides to house sit a place that she sees online that may or may not have a clue as to where her husband has disappeared.
What follows is an interesting journey to the truth. There is alot of internal dialogue in Jo’s head which makes the reading a little confusing, and at times I wondered if Will was a figment of her imagination. I honeslty didn’t know the truth until the very end.
I enjoyed this book. The characters were layered and interesting and I was hooked into finding out the truth.
The ending was the best I’ve read in a while. Truly satisfying and worth the read. I loved it. It explained everything and it all made sense.
I love reading books where everything comes together at the end, with a few surprises I didn’t see coming. Highly recommend to lovers of this genre, and I will definately read more from this author in the future.

Happy reading everyone!

#thehappycouple #samanthahayes #femaleleadcharacter #psychologicalthriller #lovehurts


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I just finished reading “The Golden Couple” by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have read quite a few books by these authors. They always do a very good job of creating a mystery and growing that mystery through a variety of suspicious characters. I kept trying to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth and the main suspects kept changing.
The novel is about a couple who are undergoing therapy because of infidelity. There are many small mysteries throughout the book, and the authors do a masterful job of weaving it all together into a logical conclusion at the very end.
The characters in the book were layered and all had their own secrets, so that it was not easy to predict who was good and who wasn’t. I liked this book because it kept me interested in the characters and what their real motives were. There was an interesting backstory to the main characters that played a huge part in the resolution of the story.
I liked that the main character, Avery, was portrayed as a strong and confident woman who could stand her ground and make her own decisions. I also liked all the supporting characters (Polly, Skip, even Natalie-especially at the end) because they were mysterious in their own right. As for the “Golden Couple” Marisa and Matthew- I knew something was off with them and I wanted to figure out what they were up to. It was a good ending-that is all I am going to say.
I have enjoyed all books by these authors. They are a reliable duo and they write stories with strong female characters, which I like. While this novel wasn’t as exciting as previous ones, it was certainly entertaining enough to merit a recommendation from this reader.

#psychologicalthriller #NetGalley #goldencouple #strongfemalelead #infidelity #secretsandlies

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