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by Stacy Willingham

I just finished reading “Only If You’re Lucky”, by Stacy Willingham. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This book took me a long time to read. It started well and I was introduced to the character of Margot who is involved in a mystery involving her best friend who died. She goes off to college and meets some girls including Lucy who also has many secrets and seems overly interested in Margot. There is a lot of mystery and suspense in this book which slowly unravels and exposes all the truths in a succint way.

The part I liked about this book was the way all the characters were connected to each other in a way that makes sense. I also liked how each part of the mysteries unraveled slowly because the author took time to carefully construct each part of the novel. I liked how the book ended and that all the loose ends were tied up.

What did I not like? I didn’t like the main character Margot. She seemed a bit narcisistic and self-absorbed. I didn’t really feel an important connected to her and I didn’t feel any sympathy for her. I felt less sympathy for Lucy. She was an awful person and her story didnt resonate any sympathy from me. I didn’t like what happened to her at the end but I didnt care about her enough to feel anything more than “meh” at he end about her.

That is why the book took so long to read. It was good but not great. It was okay. But I am not sure I can recommend it.



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BY PHILLIP MARGOLIN

I just finished reading “Betrayal” by Philip Margolin. Here are my thoughts. First of all, many thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This book started of with a bang. A neighbour notices movement across the street of her home and then sees police cars. A family that lives across from her has been murdered. Then we find out about the murdered family-the Finches. They are not very nice, a mother who is a lawyer for the Russian mob, a father with a gambling addiction who makes drugs on the side, a son who is a loser and sells drugs for his father, and a daughter who is very young and is a bully in her highschool.

We also learn about a young lawyer who used to be a MMA fighter, and lost a fight many years ago to a superior oponent who is now accused of killing the entire Finch family.

There are many possible suspects and the lawyer (Robin) desperately tries to save her client. In court she has to face a smart District Attorney (who she is incidentally dating and must keep secret) and she thinks she has lost the case until…SURPRISE!

This book certainly. had a lot of promise, but it became bogged down with too many characters and uneccessary detail and information. I don’t care what she had for dinner (things like that). There were so many characters that they were almost cardboardish (is that a word). And what exactly was the betrayal? The description of the novel says that Robin has to defend her old nemesis, but she literally fought her once. I don’t think that qualifies her as a nemesis.

The ending was satisfying…but again, everything was wrapped up too quickly. I feel like this book started well but got caught up in unecessary detail and then ended abruptly and a little too perfectly.

All in all, I did finish it because I wanted to find out who the killer was…but I can’t recommend it.

#betrayal #netgalley #stmartinspress #mysterythiller #phillipmargolin #femalelead #courtroomdrama #robinlockwood

Happy Reading



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BY LISA JEWELL

I just finished reading “Watching You” by Lisa Jewell. Here are my thoughts.

First of all, I am obsessed with Lisa Jewell right now. Every time I see one of her books in the library I immediately pick it up and read it because I know that it will be awesome…This one did not dissapoint.

I takes place on a street in a small town and includes characters who are connected but the reader doesn’t know how or why and the mystery is slowly uncovered throughout the novel. There is a headmaster and his family with s slightly needy wife and a son who is on the spectrum which makes him interesting and engaging. Across the street are a brother and sister who are both married to not very nice people as it turns out. There are also two teenage girls who may or may not be involved in an innapropriate relationship with the headmaster.

The story begins with a murder and everyone is a suspect. The story is told from different perspectives and also involved an incident which happened far in the past involving the headmaster and a young woman. You know immediately that this incident is important but not sure how.

So the story slowly evolves and slowly uncovers the truth about all the main characters which is absolutely genius…so well done. This is were Lisa Jewell shines…in slowly unraveling how characters are related or connected to each other.

I liked this story because of how it was written. Well paced and an excellent mystery. The characters were compelling, complicated and full of mystery. To say not everything is as it seemed is an understatement, especially the females in this book…I won’t say anymore.

There is not much I didn’t like. It was readable and well written and not boring at all.

All in all, a great read. Happy reading everyone.

#lisajewell #mysterythriller #watchingyou #summerthriller #needtoread #fiction




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BY SALLY HEPWORTH

I just finished reading “The Mother-In-Law” by Sally Hepworth. Here are my thoughts.
This is not a new book, but I so enjoy this author’s books that when I saw this book in the library I jumped to take it out and was I glad I did.

The book begins with a death which is thought to be a murder. This means that every character in the story is a suspect and that means that the author goes back and tells the backstory of each character so that the reader has a better idea of who these characters are and how they interact with eachother.

The story revolves around the mother-in- law and the daughter-in-law and their relationship which seems fractures and typical of most relationships between mother and daughter in laws. But as the story unfolds the reader learns that nothing is as it seems.

I loved the relationship between the mother-in-law and her husband. It was full of genuine love and true feelings. I really enjoyed reading their backstory.

The kids I found unlikeable and selfish. They only carried about their inheritance and money. They were self serving and completely entitles, especially the daughter. The daugher-in-law was a mother of three who struggles and I thought all her actions were justified…I wont explain further. Suffice it to say that it was real. Towards the end of the book, the relationship with the mother-in-law was further developed and that is when the reader truly understand the mother-in-law and her intentions. She really does want the best for her spoilt entitled children. Its too bad they don’t realize that…but the daughter-in-law does.

All in all, while not my favourite Sally Hepworth book, it is definately worth a read.

Happy reading everyone

#themother-in-law #sallyhepworth #summerreading #mysterythriller #familyrelationships

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BY JOHN MARRS

I just finished reading “The Vacation” by John Marrs. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for the advancec copy in return for an honest revew. Here are my thoughts.

First of all, John Marrs has done it again. He has written a story which in some ways is a departure from his previous works but still manages to employ techniques of his past books. He manages to create characters each with very sad and problematic pasts who converge in a hostel in Los Angeles. These characters and their backstories, which are all very interesting ans compelling, all manage to converge in a way that is authentic and enthralling. I loved all the characters and their backstories. I loved the way the book evolved with small snippets being added about the characters and clues as to how their lives would end up. I loved the twists and turns throughout the book which kept me reading hopelessly even though the sun was shining outside and I was inside. I wasn’t sure how the book would end and there were parts that grossed me out, but…overall it was a big hit for me.

I have to admit though, I put my tablet down for a couple of weeks. I wasn’t thoroughly on board with this book at first. I actually put the tablet down and read another John Marrs book and it was awesome. So awesome that I thought…I should go and read The Vacation and I am so glad I did. Sometimes you just need to read on a bit more before it gets super good that you can’t put it down.

So , if the reader finds themselves thinking…Umm…No… KEEP READING. It gets really good the more you find out about the backstories of the characters.

All in all, an excellent book by John Marrs which is extremely well written (except for some gross parts towards the end) and has a satisfying, surprising and great ending.

Happy Reading everyone!

#johnmarrs #thevacation #mysterythriller #needtoread #summerfiction

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BY SHARI LAPENA

I have just finished reading “Everyone Here is Lying” by Shari Lapena. Here are my thoughts. First of all, any book that I can read in one day deserves to be praised, even though the characters in the story were a little flat and at times ridiculous, I could NOT put this book down.

The story follows many families that live on the same street in a small town, and it centers around a little girl named Avery who one day goes missing, and it follows the clues to find out what happened. The problem is that, in order to save themselves and protect their own secrets, everyone in this book lies, hence the title. Avery herself, is a sociopathic liar, so we don’t ever really learn the whole truth about everything that happened to Avery before she disappeared.

What I liked about this story was that everyone had something to hide, and the author did an excellent job of exposing secrets one by one. She created some delicious characters (especially Avery) and some great mysteries. The men in the book were pretty awful, narcisistic characters who were looking out only for themselves, and it made it seem at time that they were the culprits. That is what was so good about this book, everyone, except for Avery’s mom could have abducted Avery.

Avery’s mom was the character I felt for the most. I felt her pain and anguish as she was looking for answers. The police officers were also well written.

There really is nothing I didn’t like except for some of the characters, who were written as selfish and narcicistic, but it was necessary because they had to protect their own secrets at the expense of the truth. Avery’s dad was a real piece of work…he was so awful.
Oh by the way…the ending?…fantastic. I loved the last line. The truth always prevails, no matter how much we try to hide from it or cover it up.

#everyonehereislying #sharilapena #thriller #familydrama #femalelead #needtoread #summerthriller #canadianauthor

A great book and well worth the read.
Happy Reading everyone



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BY LISA JEWELL

I just finished reading “Invisible Girl”, by Lisa Jewell. Here are my thoughts. I wasn’t sure about this book when I read the cover description because I am not a fan of the awkward, weird, man who lives by himself and can’t get a girlfriend. But I found a copy in the Public Library so I thought I would give it a try…I was not disappointed.

This is a story about secrets and lies and misconceptions. A man named Owen, who is socially awkward and has never had a girlfriend, gets in trouble at the school he works at, for being innapropriate to his female students. He is put on leave and then starts diving into the world of incels (involutary celibats). In the meantime a young girls named Saffyre, who is a former patient of one of Owen’s, neighbours, goes missing and all fingers are pointed at Owen.

What happens next is a story told from three different perspectives: Own, Saffyre, and Cate, the wife of the man who treated Saffyre. The story presses onby revealing what happened to all characters involved from the past to the present. Much is learned and slowly revealed…and the ending is quite satisfying.

I really liked this book. I honestly had trouble putting it down. It was well written, engaging, and full of interesting characters, plot twists and drama. This is what Lisa Jewell is so good at. Developing these imperfect characters who have baggage but are trying to do the right thing. There is always a bad guy or more than one…but everything is revealed in the appropriate time and the reader feels as though all questions have been answered. There was one lingering question about Cate’s husband…but it was the same question that was on my mind as well.

I absolutely believe any fan of Lisa Jewell will enjoy this book. She somehow manages to consistently produce excellent stories with rootable characters and satisfactory endings.

Happy Reading.



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