book lovers unite

BY FREIDA MCFADDEN

I just finished reading “One by One” by Freida McFadden. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book involves three couples who leave for a one week stay in a cabin the woods. The main character Claire, is married to Noah but they hate each other. They are joined by Lindsey and her boyfriend Warner and Michelle and Jack (Noah’s. best friend). There is also a mystery narrator who seems very interesting and you know is one of the six travellers.

When the minivan breaks down on the way to their destination, the six decide to walk to the cabin because there is no cell service and they have a map as well as a compass. It is during their trek through the trails that they start to disappear and we realize that someone is after them. The story is told through the perspective of Claire and we soon realize that there are many secrets which put different characters in a shady light. Nevertheless, soon, there are only three left….what is going to happen now?

Read the book and find out. But I must warn you. It’s not heartstopping or exciting or even a little bit suspenseful. First of all, the characters are not inspiring or interesting. They serve one purpose…that is to keep the reader guessing. The twist is so out there it is not even a little bit believable, and the reason for the dissapearances is not very understandable.

The book is written such a way that the reader wants find out what happens…but mostly I just wanted the story to end. Sadly, thisis my least favourite Freida McFadden book and I have read quite a few of them. I just found it was not up to par with her others. A bit too over the top with not a lot of credibility when it came to the bad guys or their reason for what they did.
Happy Reading.

#FREIDA MCFADDEN #ONEBYONE #NETGALLEY #WOMENSFICTION #MYSTERYTHRILLER #POISONEDPENPRESS #FICTIONBOOKREVIEW



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By FREIDA MCFADDEN

I just finished. reading “The Inmate”, by Freida McFadden. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisone Pen Press for the advancec copy in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, I enjoy Freida McFadden books. They are entertaining and twisty and full of suspense. The twists are always surprising and she uses a lot of red herrings. I have read alot of her books, and this one was no different. And that is not a bad thing. You always prepare yourself to be surprised.
This story is about a girl named Brooke, who helped put her boyfriend behind bars for trying to kill her. She left town abruptly after the trial because she found out she was pregnant, but she returns ten years later (with her sone) to work in the prison where her ex-boyfriend is being help. She also rekindles her friendship with Tim, her childhood friend who has always had a crush on her and was also present when she was attacked by her ex, and survived.
She is torn between believing her ex actually tried to kill her or believing that he is inonocent and someone else did. There are certainly alot of twisty events that lead the reader to believe that Shane (her ex) might actually be innocent. A LOT.
She begins a relationship with Tim and it seems to be going well until something happens. Then the book takes off at bullet speed to the finale where…the unexpected twist happens, and the whole truth is finally revealed.
This book had alot of twists and revelations and red herrings. It was entertaining and fun to speculate what was true and what wasn’t. Every character introduced had an important role to play in finding out the truth.
But there was a level of frustration that I felt with Brooks that didn’t sit well with me. As. a proffesional and a mother, I expected her to be a better judge of character and not to be so lofty. She had doubts…and then she didn’t. Make up your mind girl!
Anyway, I like the book but there was too much disctraction and the ending for me was different from what I imagined. I was told that the epilogue was what made the book unforgettable. I did think it was good…really good. Definately a final twist worth reading.
Happy Reading.

#PSYCHOLOGICALTHRILLER #NETGALLEY #BOOKREVIEW #THEINMATE #FREIDAMCFADDEN #MINDTWISTS #FICTIONREVIEW

BY LUCINDA BERRY

I just finished reading “The Perfect Child” by Lucinda Berry. I bought this book when it was suggested to me because I loved “Push” by Ashley Audrain. I knew what the book would be about but I wasnt prepared for it…no way.
The story follows a wonderfully in love couple who can’t have kids and decide to adopt a young girls who showed up mal nourished at a hospital one night. They know it will not be easy but are convinced they are up for the task. The little girl Janey is damaged, but they feel they can help her, especially the Dad (Christopher) who was infuriating at some points because he was so blinded by his love for Janey that he couldn’t see what was happening to his wife Hannah.
The story goes balistic when Hannah becomes pregnant and Janey becomes jealous. I won’t say any more other than to write that I could not put this book down. It was crazy and very disturbing but very addictive.
It was hard to read the book at times because there is such a strong attachment between parents and their children and you don’t want to believe that there are possibilities of true evil…but in this case it was riveting and so so sad. Lives are ruined and destroyed and this beautiful couple will never be the same.
I enjoyed the book so much that I gave it five stars, but it might not be for everyone. Like I said, very disturbing. But I will say that there is something about this book that made it impossible to put down, and I will be thinking about it for a long long time.
Happy Reading.

#LUCINDABERRY #FIVESTARBOOK #PSYCHOLOGICALTHRILLER #FAMILYDRAMA #THEPERFECTCHILD #NEEDTOREAD



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BY TAYLOR JENKINS REID

I just finished reading “After I Do” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Here are my thoughts
This is a book about the love story between two characters, Lauren and Ryan. They met as young college students and their story was an incredible romantic journey into adulthood where they got married young. Ryan was well loved by Lauren’s family and they seemed to have it all, even buying a house and a dog. It was awesome…until it wasn’t. The cracks in their marriage seemed small at first and then because of neglect the got progressively worse, until one day they decide they need a break from one another. They decide that they will spend one year apart…no contact…and then reassess where they are.

This story is told from Lauren’s perspective and we learn about how Ryan is doing through e-mails that Lauren finds on his computer. As the year progresses, Lauren forges a new closeness with her sister, spends more time with her family and her friends..and even meets a fellow named David who seems delightful and just what she needs. She learns that she can indeed live without Ryan in her life….but…does she want to?

This is a great story about the journey of marriage, its ups an downs, and how hard we are willing to try to make something work. At the end of the day it makes you question how hard any of us try not just in marriage but in any relationship. Do we give up too easily? Do we always try our hardest? Do we have unrealistic expectations? Do we communicate our needs and wants even when its hard?

At the end of the day it was a good way to do some self-reflection through a simple and ultimately very good book that was easy to read and easy to cheer for the two main characters. We were also introduced to Laurens family: her grandmother, her mother and her siblings…all of which gave a different perspective on what is most important in a relationship…and that is never giving up.

I enjoyed this book. It was an enjoyable read, and made me think about what I would do in that situations. Marriage is not easy, but ultimately everyone has a different idea on how to make it work. And sometimes…no matter how hard we try…its a decision we have to make for ourselves.

#TAYLORJENKINSREID #AFTERIDO #WOMEN’SFICTION # RELATIONSHIPDRAMA #FAMILYDRAMA


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BY SALLY R0YER-DERR

I just finished reading “The Secrets Next Door” by Sally Royer-Derr. Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, abd the author for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an hoest review. Here are my thoughts.

This book is about twin sisters, both married, who live on the same street, right next to each other. One day a mysterious woman, an author, moves into the house next door to one of the twins and she is full of mystery. The twin sisters think she is up to something, so much so that they sneak into her house to sneak around. One of the sisters, Talia, is friendlier to the stranger, but the other, Tabitha, takes an instanct dislike to her. The story follows the revelation of secrets not only of the stranger, but also of the sisters themselves and their husbands.

I liked the ending. It was good. I enjoyed seeing each character get what they deserved. I love stories about twins. Which is why I can’t understand the deception that took place. It didn’t seem realistic to me. But…I liked the ending.

This book had ALOT of description…to much. Interspersed with so much description was the slow uncovering of the mystery. The story is told through the perspective of the twins: Talia and Tabitha. Mostly Talia. Too much thinking. Not enough action. There were some red herrings, but that is to be expected. But I found myself skimming most of the pages until I got to the dialogue, and I didn’t really miss anything.

I would consider this to be a domestic thriller. It is good. If you can get through the parts of the story that are not important to the development of the plot, then the ending will make you happy. If not…then skim through it like I did. Not much more to say.

Happy Reading

#THESECRETSNEXTDOOR #STORMPUBLISHING #DOMESTICTHRILLER #TWINSISTERS #MYSTERTHRILLER #FICTION #WOMENSFICTION



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BY GEMMA ROGERS

I just finished reading “The Good Wife”, by Gemma Rogers. Thanks to NetGalley, Gemma Rogers and BoldWood Books for an advanced copy in return for an honest review. This was an excellent book. I was not expecting to be so into it because it seemed at first like a recycled plot…but it wasnt.
The story follows a young wife named Chloe who is married to the most revolting human imaginable, Tom. He is not a nice man and CHloe longs to escape. When she finds out he is having an affair with a call-girl she approaches the woman and offers her a deal. The deal, if it works will be her ticket to freedom…or will it?
What I liked about this story was that it moved quickly and the main character was completely rootworthy. Even the mistress was rootworrthy. Thats how despicable the character of Tom was. I also loved the ending. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Let’s just say everyone got what they deserved. This was such a good book that I found it impossible to put down. I read it in one day…basically ignoring al my duties and family to find out what happened.’
If you are a fan of the domestic thriller, then this is the book for you. I can’t wait to read more books from this author. Just a warning that there are some possible triggers, especially if you been the victim of an abusive partner.
My congratulations to the author…Well DOne!

#BOOKREVIEWS #GEMMAROGERS #THEGOODWIFE #NEEDTOREAD #DOMESTICTHRILLER #FEMALELEADCHARACTERS #WOMENSFICTION #FICTION

by SUE FORTIN

I just finished reading “The Missing Wife”, by Sue Fortin. Thanks to NetGalley, Sue Fortin and Storm Publishing for giving me an advancec copy in return for an honest review. This novel can best be describes as a family mystery or mystery thriller. It is about three sisters who grow up in Ireland. One day the oldest sister Kathleen goes missing, and noone knows why. The middle sister receives a mysterious phonecall one day and rushes back to her hometown to thry and find out what happened to her sister, and stumbles upon a suspicious set of events that she and her daughter get caught up in. Throughout the book, we find our Kathleens big secret, why she left and what happened to her.

The way the author goes back and forth between present and past makes the story interesting because we slowly find our clues to what happened to Kathleen, while at the same time we find out the reason why she left… and is missing. The story contains interesting suprises but remains focused on providing the answers to the questions about where Kathleen is.

I liked the family dynamic between the three sisters and the parents. I liked how the story make the bad guys (and girls) layers so that the readers kind of felt sorry for some of them. I liked the main character and her resolve to find her sister.

I really liked the setting of the novel, and how it made me feel like I was actually in Ireland, by writing how some words were pronounced in Ireland. I liked that there was a back story that made sense to the outcome of the story.

Now the backstory…I think I was expecting it to be a bit more juicy. I don’t know. I was a little underwhelmed by it all. But that didn’t take away from the fact that I enjoyed learning about Kathleen as Siobhan her sister did. It was well paced, entertaining, and had a satisfying ending.

Happy Reading

#THEMISSINGWIFE #SUEFORTIN #NETGALLEY #STORMPUBLISHING #MYSTERYTHRILLER #FICTION #FAMILYTHRILLER #DOMESTICTHRILLER #WOMENSFICTION #SUSPENSE



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BY GILLIAN MCALLISTER

I just finished reading “The Good Sister”, by Gilliam McAllister. Here are my thoughts.

If there is one word I could use to describe this book it would be haunting…absolutely haunting. Two sisters, so close growing up, both have kids. One is steady and hardworking and organized the other lives life on the edge, throws caution to the wind and is slightly discombobulated. The older sister Martha, has a new born baby named Layla who is always collicky and crying and difficult. Her sister Becky is the wild one with a child of her own named Xander, and she volunteers to help Martha with baby Layla whenever Martha needs her.

So when Martha is called to take care of some business away from home and has to leave for two days, Layla is taken to stay with Becky. Unfortunately Layla is found dead in her crib and noone knows what happened and Becky is charged with killing her neice.

The entire book revolves around the trial, and is told from the perspective, of the sisters, the witnesses, and even the judge. It is harrowing and awful and so very sad. It is easy for the reader to feel empathy for both sisters and what they have lost.
I really went back and forth on what really happened and at the end all is revealed.
It was an excellent book, wel written and full of incredibly sad and emotional moments. The author seemed to hit on every emotion that might have been felt if this had actually happened. I was hooked.

Even though it was slow to start it was an excellent rollercoaster of emotions that was an incredible read.

Well done Gilliam McAllister…well done.

#THEGOODSISTER #GILLIANMCALLISTER #FIVESTARBOOKS #FIVESTARS #FICTION #WOMEN’SFICTION #FEMALELEAD #NEEDTOREAD #FIVESTARFICTION



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BY JAMIE DAY

I just finished reading “One Big Happy Family” by Jamie Day. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’a Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of a young housemaid who works in a hotel owned by a creepy owner who dies and has his daughters ascend to the hotel for the reading of the will. There is also a possibly dishonest lawyer and a stowaway who is hiding in the hotel because of her abusive boyfriend. How are all these characters related….Well, that is one heck of a story which weaves in and out of the past and present to expose all the secrets the sisters have (and boy are they BIG secrets) and leads to a very explosive ending where all secrets are revealed.

What I liked about this story was the back story of the sisters and how they grew up with a total loser of a father who had many mistresses and didn’t really care about his children. I kind of felt sorry for them. The back story set up and explained alot of why there were so many secrets in the family.

What I also liked was how the author managed to keep the mystery secret and tie everything together at the end in an explosive way. I liked that all the sisters were deliciously flawed and all acted terrible to each other. I liked the murder mystery and how it also led to secrets being revealed.

What I didn’t like was the flow of the book. I went from being exciting to really wordy and I found myself skipping paragraphs because I didn’t see their importance. I also didn’t like the Charley was stealing from guests to help pay her grandmothers rent.

Overall, I liked this book. It was filled with interesting characters who had secrets that impacted everyone in the book. The ending which revealed the villain behind everything was brilliant. I felt sorry for the villain because their backstory was incredibly sad but….everyone got what they deserved.

A good choice for anyone who enjoys this genre. Happy Reading!

#ONEBIGHAPPYFAMILY #JAMIEDAY #NETGALLEY #STMARTIN’SPRESS #FEMALELEAD #MYSTERYTHRILLER #WHODIDIT #THRILLER #WOMENSFICTION

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BY ALEX FINLAY

I just finished reading “If Something Happens to Me”, by Alex Finlay. Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This is my first time reading this author. I went into this story blind. Sometimes I read online reviews or summaries before starting a book, but not this one. This is a story about a fairly new Officer, Poppy is asked to look into a mysterious dissapearance of a young girl named Allison, when the car she was abducted in is found in a nearby lake but…she isn’t in it. The story also includes Allison’s dad, her boyfriend Ryan and Poppy’s family. Then there is the mysterious hitman Shane O’Leary and his family and we don’t get the connection at first until we do and then the story takes off…

But I think I’ve said too much…this book is awesome. It is a fast paced adventure involving alot of characters and is told in parts so that the reader doesn’t lose track.

What I loved about this book was that it was so seemless in its transition between characters and plots. The author chose the perfect time to make revelations in the novel to make it interesting and suspenseful and surprising.

There were a few loose ends that I had questions about…but it certainly didn”t take away the impact of the story and its resolution which was awesome and necessary and totally satisfying. All the characters were flawed, except for maybe Ryan who I just wanted him to be happy.

All in all, a great book. Five out of five stars. A must read for lovers of this genre.

Happy Reading everyone
#IFSOMETHINGHAPPENSTOME #ALEXFINLAY #STMARTIN’SPRESS #NEEDTOREAD #MYSTERYTHRILLER #FIVESTARRATING #FICTION #FEMALELEAD #BOOKREVIEWS #THRILLERBOOKREVIEW


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