Thriller Thursday Reviews: Dear Hanna & The Family Experiment

August 22, 2024/4 Comments/by Sharon

Hi, Sharon here with another Thriller Thursday post. I am so excited to share my thoughts on Zoje Stage’s Dear Hanna and also John Marrs’ The Family Experiment. I love both of these authors and always look forward to reading their newest releases.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Dear Hanna & The Family Experiment

Dear Hanna Goodreads

Author: Zoje Stage

Publication Date: August 13, 2024

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Zoje Stage’s Dear Hanna was one of my most anticipated books of 2024. I loved Baby Teeth and was so excited when I saw that Stage was writing a sequel. I couldn’t wait to find out what became of Hanna in her adult life, and I am happy to report that Zoje Stage did not disappoint with Dear Hanna.

When Hanna was seven years old, she tried multiple times to kill her mother. Hanna was a very disturbed child, but after therapy she has been able to curb her dark thoughts, well for the most part. Hanna is now twenty-four and works as a phlebotomist, which is perfect for her for when she feels the need to inflict harm in people, she just gives them extra jabs while trying to find a vein. LOL! It is at work that Hanna met widower, Jacob and his teenage daughter, Joelle. Hanna and Jacob hit it off and within a few months they were married. Everything is going great for a few years, but then Joelle comes to Jacob and Hanna with some news, and the perfect world that Hanna has built starts to slip out of her control. Hanna’s dark thoughts come back with a vengeance as she tries to find a way to get her perfect family back under her control.

I loved grown up Hanna. She really is damaged and in this book I could not help but have sympathy for her. Sure, she is plotting to take people out and some of her ideas were bizarre, but I think if she had the love and support of her parents and kept up with the therapy she needed, she would have been okay. I loved how Stage was able to make Hanna a protagonist that was such a sociopath, but also a protagonist that I was rooting for.

The first half of the book was a slow burn and we got normal Hanna. But then halfway through the book, after Joelle breaks her news, the paced really picked up and we got psycho Hanna.

As much as I loved getting to know Hanna again, I also loved the letters between Hanna and her younger brother Goose. Goose is the only one that loved Hanna for who she was. In the letters, Hanna and Goose would bounce ideas around on the best way to get rid of someone without getting caught.

There was a reveal at the end that though it didn’t take me by surprise (I kind of figured that was where it would go), it still made me gasp and brought tears to my eyes.

While Dear Hanna is considered a stand-alone sequel to Baby Teeth, and Zoje Stage does a great job of giving enough back story on Hanna, I would still recommend reading Baby Teeth first. I think getting to know Hanna as a seven-year-old and then getting to know her as an adult is the way to go. Dear Hanna was everything I was hoping for and if Zoje Stage wants to write another sequel (hint hint), I would not be opposed to getting more Hanna. 4 ½ stars

The Family Experiment Goodreads

Author: John Marrs

Publication Date: July 9, 2024

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

John Marrs’ newest book, The Family Experiment, is set in the same world as, The One, The Marriage Act and The Passengers. In a world where most people can no longer afford to start a family or raise one in, one company, Awakening Entertainment, has developed software where couples can access the metaverse and create and raise a virtual child. To launch this new technology, Awakening Entertainment has created a reality TV show called, The Family Experiment. The show will follow five couples and one single dad who will raise a virtual child, from birth to eighteen years old, condensed into a nine-month period. Viewers will pick their favorite and at the end of the nine months, the winner will be able to keep their virtual child or have them deleted and take the prize money to start a real family of their own. What could go wrong?

When the story opens, we are introduced to all the contestants: Rufus and Kitty, Selena and Jade, Cadman and Gabriel, Woody and Tina, Dimitri and Zoe, and single dad Hudson. Rufus and Kitty are eliminated right away, when there was an accident with their virtual child. All the other contestants have secrets that they do not want anyone to find out. And what juicy secrets they are.

I loved getting to know each contestant and watching them interact with their virtual child. Hudson was my favorite. He is twenty-two and his virtual child is Alice. Hudson is not in the contest to win the prize, he wants to expose something, which we don’t find out until the end of the book what it is. But I loved watching him with Alice. For someone who was not in this for the child or money, he was a great dad.

Cadman and Gabriel were my least favorite couple, well Cadman mostly. Cadman is a social media influencer, and he is in this contest for the money. He makes some very questionable decisions, and I just hated him.

Dimitri and Zoe had a son years ago but lost him. This contest is their only chance to be parents again. They seem like a nice couple, but behind closed doors they are anything but. Someone knows their secret and has been sending them threatening letters.

Woody and Tina are another couple that seem nice, but they are hiding a dark secret in their basement.

Rounding out the contestants are Jaden and Selena. Selena is not very motherly and does not connect with her virtual child as much as Jaden does. Jaden has a stalker, that is about to explode their world.

I really cannot say much about what happens in the book, but I will say that as I was reading, I kept thinking “I could never go on a show like this, knowing that if I lose, the child I was raising and loved would be deleted right before my eyes.”

As usual, John Marrs has created an intense futuristic story that kept me glued from beginning to end. And one that also made me think “Yup, I could see virtual families unfortunately becoming a thing one day.” I definitely recommend The Family Experiment. 4 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Storm Child & I Will Ruin You

August 1, 2024/4 Comments/by Sharon

Hi, Sharon here with another Thriller Thursday post. This week I am excited to share my reviews on, Storm Child by Michael Robotham and I Will Ruin you by Linwood Barclay. I hope you enjoy. 😀

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Storm Child & I Will Ruin You

Storm Child (Cyrus Haven, #4) Goodreads

Author: Michael Robotham

Publication Date: July 2, 2024

Publisher: Scribner

Storm Child is the fourth installment of Michael Robotham’s Cyrus Haven series. I love this series and was so excited to reunite with Evie and Cyrus again.

Cyrus and Evie are enjoying some down time at Lincolnshire beach when the bodies of seventeen migrants wash up on shore. The only survivor is a teenage boy, who tells police that their boat was deliberately rammed. While Cyrus is trying to help recover the bodies from the ocean, he and Evie are separated. When Cyrus finally finds Evie, she is in a catatonic state. The images of the bodies in the ocean have started to unlock her memories of what happened on the boat she and her mother and sister were on years before. Cyrus is helping the police determine if the boat was targeted and who is responsible, and he also hopes that he can finally help Evie unlock the memories of her past.

I loved how broken and flawed both Evie and Cyrus are. They are both equally vulnerable and strong at the same time. Cyrus wants to help Evie bring down the wall she has put up on her past, but at the same time knows he needs to tread carefully. Evie desperately wants to be normal and at the same time she is afraid of growing too much and possibly losing Cyrus.

Cyrus’ investigation as to what happened on the migrant boat and who was responsible, takes him closer to learning what happened to the boat Evie was on when she was ten years old and the events that ultimately lead to her being found in the secret room three years ago. But the information from both these events, put both Cyrus’ and Evie’s lives in danger.

As Evie starts remembering, we get a look into her life when she was a child, both before she and her mother and sister fled Albania, as well as what happened on the boat that was taking them to England. I loved getting these memories. Some of them made me smile, especially her memories of her father, and a lot of them made me so sad, like when her father died.

As with the three previous books, Robotham has created a story full of tension that kept on building. I love how he intertwines both the mystery and suspense of the story, with the heartfelt characters. I was glued to this story from the very first page and was on the edge of my seat as the end neared. And the end of the book had me in tears.

Storm Child was everything I was hoping it would be. I cannot recommend Michael Robotham’s Cyrus Haven series enough. I am very impatiently waiting for the next installment. I need more Evie and Cyrus in my life. 4 ½ stars

I Will Ruin You Goodreads

Author: Linwood Barclay

Publication Date: May 7, 2024

Publisher: William Morrow

Linwood Barclay’s latest book, I Will Ruin You, follows English teacher Richard Boyle, who is hailed a hero after taking down former student, Mark LeDrew, who was going to blow up the school. But after his moment in the spotlight, Richard finds himself up against a blackmailer with a score to settle. As Richard tries to figure out why he was targeted, he finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation.

After the incident at the school Richard is understandably on edge. When he returns to school, he finds out that the parents of Mark LeDrew have filed a lawsuit against the school as well as Richard. Just Mark himself ended up being blown up and his parents believe that Richard should have done more to be able to stop that from happening. And if all this is not enough, Richard is contacted by another former student of the school that saw him on the news, and this student has made allegations to Richard that he molested him when he was at the school, allegations that Richard vehemently denies. This student is now blackmailing Richard. This student is also involved with big time drug smugglers, and when he turns up dead, Richard finds that he is now in the middle of a murder investigation and no matter what he does to try and get himself out of this mess, he just keeps getting himself in deeper. The deeper he gets, the more his life is in danger.

I liked Richard. Yes, he made some really stupid decisions, but he was dealing with a lot with the aftermath of the potential school bombing. So, when he finds himself being blackmailed and then in the middle of a murder investigation, I kept finding myself yelling “No Richard! Why are you doing that?” As Richard digs deeper to find a way to clear his name with the blackmailer, he finds a connection between, the school bomber, the blackmailer and another teacher at the school. And as things started to be revealed, I thought for sure that I knew what was going on and who was responsible. But boy was I wrong.

I Will Ruin You was a fast paced read that had a lot of things going on. There were so many twists and turns, especially at the end. Linwood Barclay does a great job of creating a story that kept me engaged as well as kept me in the dark. 4 stars

Reviews – BETTER LEFT UNSENT, UNDER YOUR SPELL, WHAT’S IN A KISS?

July 22, 2024/3 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! I hope you’re all doing well and that you’ve been reading some amazing books. It has been a while but I’m back today to share some of my recent reads that I think may be of interest and that I haven’t already reviewed over on my bookstagram account.

Better Left Unsent Goodreads

Author: Lia Louis

Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Better Left Unsent follows Millie Chandler, a 30 year old receptionist, who after experiencing a very public and embarrassing breakup, has since kept all of her thoughts and feelings to herself. It’s a way to protect herself from being embarrassed again but it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have strong feelings about certain people and situations. Whether it’s a hard truth that needs to be said, a sarcastic reply to a rude boss, or a love letter to her ex who is now with someone else, Millie has been drafting emails to her coworkers whenever she has feelings she needs to get off her chest. She just doesn’t actually send them. That is, until a major server outage somehow sends all of Millie’s draft emails when the system comes back up.

I felt so bad for Millie because I know that whole scenario would be the stuff of nightmares for me. Not only does she now have to worry about possibly losing her job, but some of those emails were super harsh so she has to worry about whose feelings she may have unintentionally hurt. I thought it was interesting watching how each coworker reacted, especially the ones who actually took Millie’s criticisms to heart and decided to make positive changes because of what she said. I was fully invested in seeing how Millie would deal with the fallout from each email and how she might grow as a result of this uncomfortable journey.

Where the story fell a little flat for me that while Millie was focused on making things right with her coworkers, she also seemed hyper-fixated on figuring out who did this to her. I don’t know if I just skimmed over and missed some detail that made it seem like someone tried to hurt her on purpose, but I was confused as to why she was investing so much time and energy investigating who might have purposely sent out all of her emails.

There was also a little romance, but it definitely felt secondary to the plot. I enjoyed the chemistry between Millie and her coworker Jack but wish we had gotten a bit more of them. I actually preferred Millie’s interactions with her roommate, who was both supportive and hilarious.

I went into Better Left Unsent with very high expectations because I’ve read and loved three other of Lia Louis’ books. While I still thought Better Left Unsent was a solid and enjoyable read, it unfortunately didn’t have quite the same magic that I’ve come to expect from a Lia Louis book. 3.5 stars

Under Your Spell Goodreads

Author: Laura Wood

Publication Date: June 25, 2024

Publisher: Atria Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Under Your Spell follows Clemmie Moore, who when we meet her, has just been fired from her dream job, cheated on by her now-ex boyfriend, and is in danger of losing her apartment. Needless to say, she is having a rough time. In an effort to cheer her up, Clemmie’s sisters, Lil and Serena, get her drunk and then decide it might change her luck for the better if they revive one of their favorite childhood rituals, the Breakup Spell.

Soon after, Serena approaches Clemmie with the perfect job offer to help get her back on her feet. It’s a six week gig to basically babysit her label’s reclusive rock star, Theo Elliott, at an isolated beach house, and make sure he finishes writing his overdue album. Clemmie is hesitant to take the job because she has issues thanks to her dad, who is an aging rock star, but reluctantly agrees since she really has no other prospects at the moment.

Clemmie doesn’t want to be interested in Theo because of what her dad put their family through, but she can’t deny that Theo is irresistible. I adored both Clemmie and Theo and I loved how not only did they have incredible chemistry, but they also just perfectly balanced each other out. They both had issues from their pasts that they needed to work through, but I loved that they not only had a lot of fun together hanging at the beach house as they grew closer, but they also just made a great team in every way. I especially loved this for Clemmie since the rest of the men in her life have been such losers. She deserves someone wonderful like Theo who is so supportive.

The romance is swoony, but what really made this book such a special read for me was the bond between Clemmie and her sisters. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know I’m a sucker for a good story about sisterhood and I love how close these sisters were, especially since they only shared the same dad because apparently daddy rock star really got around.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Under Your Spell since I hadn’t heard much buzz about it at all, but it has ended up being one of my favorite romances of the summer so far! 4.5 STARS

What's in a Kiss? Goodreads

Author: Lauren Kate

Publication Date: July 2, 2024

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

When they were in high school, Olivia and Jake were major rivals and both were voted Most Likely to Succeed. Olivia had planned to attend Julliard but ended up not going after her dad died and her mom needed her, and her entire life path changed because of this. Now Olivia is a laid-off drama teacher who drives a Lyft, while Jake is a successful TV personality. Although they were huge rivals, Olivia and Jake did share an “almost kiss” moment at their senior prom. When she learns that she will be reunited with Jake at a friend’s wedding, Olivia can’t help but wonder what life might have been if she and Jake had really kissed all those years ago. She has no idea that this reunion with Jake will take her on the adventure of a lifetime as she gets to experience firsthand a parallel universe of what life might have been like if she and Jake had, in fact, kissed that night.

“What if?” stories like Lauren Kate’s What’s in a Kiss? always intrigue me because I think it’s so interesting to imagine what direction someone’s life might have taken if they had made a different decision at some moment in their past. In this version, the “what if” takes Olivia down a path where not only does Jake turn out to be the love of her life, but Olivia also has the career she has always dreamed of.

What I most enjoyed about this book was that not only does Lauren Kate bring all of the fun vibes and banter that I love and expect to see in romcoms, but she also touches on the more serious theme of “Be careful what you wish for” because you just might get it and what you thought you wanted may come at a heavy price tag. In the case of the alternate world, the trade off for getting the guy and the career is losing her relationships with her mother and her best friend. Olivia has to really reflect on what is most important to her and decide which life is the one she really wants.

If you’re in the mood for a fun romcom that is also quite thought provoking, What’s in a Kiss? is the book for you! 4 STARS

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Gathering & Long Time Gone

July 11, 2024/4 Comments/by Sharon

Welcome to another edition of Thriller Thursday with Sharon. I hope everyone is doing well, enjoying their summer, and getting great reads in. I certainly am. 🙂 This week I happy to share my thoughts on another couple of great books I have read. C.J. Tudor’s, The Gathering, and Charlie Donlea’s, Long Time Gone. I highly recommend both of these books and authors.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Gathering & Long Time Gone

The Gathering Goodreads

Author: C.J. Tudor

Publication Date: April 9, 2024

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Can C.J. Tudor write a bad book? In my opinion, the answer would be a big NO. Her latest book The Gathering will definitely be in my top five 2024 reads.

In the small town of Deadhart Alaska a fifteen-year-old boy is found dead with his throat ripped out. The citizens of the town are all on edge, they have not seen a killing like this in twenty-five years. They know the vampyr colony living at the old mining settlement deep in the woods is responsible and they want a cull (authorization from the police to kill all vampyrs in the colony). Detective Barbara Atkins is a forensic detective who specializes in vampyr killings, and she has been brought in to determine if the Colony is responsible and authorize a cull. Barbara enlists the help of Deadhart’s former sheriff, Jenson Tucker, to help with her investigation. Tucker was the sheriff twenty-five years ago when the last killing took place, and he knows the Colony better than anyone. As they dive into their investigation and the history of the town, they uncover dark secrets. When more bodies turn up dead, the citizens of Deadhart are growing restless and time is running out for Barbara and Tucker. They need to figure out who is responsible for the murders before there is an all-out war between the citizens of Deadhart and the Vampyr Colony.

While I loved all the characters in this book, Barbara Akins was my favorite. She was one bad ass lady. She did not take her job lightly and even though she was getting pressure from her boss as well as the town to authorize a cull, she was not going to do that until she had all the facts.

I also loved the setting Tudor created. It is Alaska in the winter, so it is cold and dark. That just intensified the creepiness and supernatural feel of the book. I also loved how Tudor redefined the vampyr stereotype. They don’t have a weakness for holy water or garlic and the sun does not burn them up. They can actually have children as well, with another vampyr or even a human. While some vampyrs do go rogue, most just want to live their life in their colony.

I loved everything about this book. C.J. Tudor did an amazing job of creating it all. There were so many twists and turns. There was never a dull moment, and I was hooked from the very first page to the very last. And WOW! what an ending The Gathering had. I so hope there will be a sequel in the works soon. 4 ½ stars

Long Time Gone Goodreads

Author: Charlie Donlea

Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Publisher: Kensington

Long Time Gone is the third book I have read by Charlie Donlea, and he is now on my must-read author list.

Dr. Sloan Hastings is a forensic scientist. Sloan has always known she was adopted and has never had any interest in searching for her biological parents, but in order to complete a research assignment she submits her DNA to an online genealogy site and the results turn Sloan’s world upside down and opens a thirty-year-old missing person’s case. Thirty years ago, in the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada, Charlotte Margolis, aka “Baby Charlotte” disappeared along with her parents. The results of Sloan’s DNA test confirms that she is Baby Charlotte. If Sloan is Baby Charlotte, then what happened to her biological parents? Sloan travels to Cedar Creek to meet the Margolis family and try and get answers on what happened to her parents. But those answers could put Sloan’s life in danger.

The story is told in a dual timeline. In the present timeline we follow Sloan as she tries to find the answers on what happened to her parents and why she was put up for adoption thirty years ago. And we also follow the story in the days leading up to the day Baby Charlotte and her parents went missing in July 1995.

Sloan teams up with the local sheriff, Eric Stamos, whose father was the sheriff back in 1995 and was investigating the disappearance until he died under suspicious circumstances a week after Baby Charlotte and her parents went missing. I loved following Sloan and Eric as they worked to uncover what happened in 1995. Both being in law enforcement gave them information that would probably not be available to just anyone. They need to tread lightly though because the Margolis family controls the town and Sloan and Eric need to make sure that the Margolis’ do not find out they are working together. Eric is sure that the information his father found out about the disappearance is the reason he died. And as information is uncovered, it looks like someone in the Margolis family knows more than they are saying.

I loved following the events in 1995 as well. For the most part we get the POV of Eric’s father as he is investigating the disappearance. But we also get the POV of Baby Charlotte’s mother. And by the end of the book when it was revealed what happened, I wanted to cry.

Long Time Gone was full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. And what an end it was! I was on the edge of my seat; the tension was so high. Charlie Donlea has once again delivered an amazing mystery. I definitely recommend reading Long Time Gone, as well as his other books. 4 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Reappearance of Rachel Price & The Intruders

June 27, 2024/7 Comments/by Sharon

Hi Everyone. It’s me, Sharon, back with another edition of Thriller Thursday. Sorry I was MIA for a bit. Work got super crazy and then I was on vacation, so had vacation brain for a couple weeks, I did get some great reading in though. 😀 Today I am excited to share my thoughts on a couple of great books, Holly Jackson’s The Reappearance of Rachel Price and Louise Jensen’s The Intruders. These were both excellent reads and I loved both of them.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Reappearance of Rachel Price & The Intruders

The Reappearance of Rachel Price Goodreads

Author:Holly Jackson

Publication Date: April 2, 2024

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Nothing that I say in the review below will do justice to how much I loved Holly Jackson’s, The Reappearance of Rachel Price. I was excited to read this book and it totally exceeded my expectations and is one of my favorite reads of 2024.

Annabel (Bel) Price was two years old when her mother Rachel disappeared sixteen years ago. Bel was the only witness, though she does not remember anything. Bel has grown up in the shadow of her mother’s disappearance and wants nothing more that to just get on with her own life. Bel’s father, Charlie, has agreed to take part in a documentary called “The Disappearance of Rachel Price.” One day after filming a reenactment of the day Rachel disappeared, Bel is walking home and who does she see on the street, but her mother Rachel. Rachel’s reappearance is about to turn everyone’s world upside down. Rachel’s story of where she has been for sixteen years is unbelievable. Bel sure doesn’t believe her story and she is determined to prove that Rachel is lying about what happened to her and where she has been. With the help of the documentary’s camera assistant, Ash, Bel sets out to find out what really happened to her mother, but Bel may not like the answers she finds, and her life is put in jeopardy.

There is not a lot I can say about what happens in this book because I don’t want to spoil anything. I will say I did not trust any of the adults in this book. I thought they all were hiding something and knew more about Rachel’s disappearance than they were saying. Instead of being overjoyed that Rachel had returned, Bel’s father, Charlie, as well as her uncle and aunt, Jeff and Sherry, were acting very strange and standoffish with Rachel. And Rachel was acting strange as well. She took an instant shine to Bel’s sixteen-year-old cousin, Carter. It also seemed like Rachel was trying to provoke and get under Charlie, Jeff, and Sherry’s skin. It wasn’t the happy reunion one would expect.

I loved Bel. She was very resourceful and strong. She was not very nice when Rachel first returned, which I can somewhat understand, and she was very protective of her family. I loved her interactions with Ash. They had me chuckling a few times. Ash was also another character I loved. He was 100% in helping Bel figure out where her mother was for sixteen years. I am glad Bel had Ash on her side.

The second half of the book had a lot of twists and turns. I never guessed what was going on. I do think the “what happened to Rachel” was a bit over the top, but I loved this book so much I didn’t care. LOL!

The ending had me on the edge of my seat and I was very happy with the outcome.

If you like YA mysteries, then I definitely recommend Holly Jackson’s, The Reappearance of Rachel Price. 5 Stars

The Intruders Goodreads

Author: Louise Jensen

Publication Date: April 11, 2024

Publisher: HQ

I have loved all of Louise Jensen’s books I have read, so I don’t know why I put off reading The Intruders. I am glad I finally picked it up and read it because I loved this book.

Cass and James have been dating for six months and want to move in together, but without the money to rent an apartment they cannot. But then a perfect opportunity falls into their lap, well it seemed perfect at the time. There is a manor house that is available rent free, and all Cass and James have to do is housesit and take inventory of the items that are in the house. The new owners are going to make the manor into a retreat. The only catch with the house though, is that thirty years ago the family that lived there were brutally murdered. Cass and James decide to move in anyway, since this is the only way they can save money. As soon as they move in though, strange things start to happen, objects go missing, a window on the stairs landing keeps opening, the swing in the yard moves on its own and the clock in the living room always stops at 8:30. Is the house trying to get them to leave or is there something more sinister going on?

This book sure gave me the creeps with everything that was going on in it. Not sure I would have been able to stay there. Sure, I like reading thrillers, but I don’t want to live in one. LOL!

The story is told from the POV of Cass and James in the present, as well as from the POV of Rose, thirty years in the past. I loved getting the story this way because I was trying to piece everything together that we learned from the past, with what was going on in the present. Louise Jensen did a great job of unfolding this mystery and keeping me in the dark.

I thought for sure I had things figured out, but then a twist came that blew my theory out of the water. The more I tried to piece things together, the more twists would pop up. The Intruders is one of those books that when things are finally revealed, I had to go back to the beginning of the book and reread a couple of chapters to make sure I didn’t miss a pivotal clue. I love when a book does that to me.

The end of the book had so much going on I could not read fast enough. And the very end! OMG! Yup I was a bit freaked out by that. The Intruders is another winner for Louise Jensen. 4 1/2 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Darling Girls & Daughter of Mine

May 23, 2024/3 Comments/by Sharon

Happy Thriller Thursday with Sharon! I hope everyone is doing well. I am so glad the nice weather is finally here. I look forward to sitting in my backyard and reading this summer. This week I am excited to share my thoughts on Sally Hepworth’s, Darling Girls and Megan Miranda’s, Daughter of Mine.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Darling Girls & Daughter of Mine

Darling Girls Goodreads

Author: Sally Hepworth

Publication Date: April 23, 2024

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Sally Hepworth’s latest book, Darling Girls, follows three sisters who are forced to relive their childhood horrors when bones are found on the farming estate where they lived with their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, twenty years ago.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia may not be sisters by blood, but they are sisters in every other sense of the word. They were all foster children at Wild Meadows, run by Miss Fairchild. From the outside life at Wild Meadows looked like a fairy tale for the girls, in reality though it was anything but. Miss Fairchild had rules and she was never to be crossed. Make Miss Fairchild mad and you would pay the consequences. Aside from going to school and keeping their grades up, they girls had to make sure that the house was cleaned top to bottom every day. One day Miss Fairchild came home and told the girls that she adopted a baby, Amy. No one but Miss Fairchild was allowed to hold or take care of Amy. But Amy didn’t love Miss Fairchild the way she wanted her to. Amy loved the girls and when the girls started to fear for Amy’s life they reported Miss Fairchild to the authorities, but when the police showed up there was no sign of Amy or that she was ever there. What happened to Amy? Are those her bones that were found buried on the estate?

The book is told from the POV of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia both in the present as well as in the past when they lived at Wild Meadows. I loved all three of them. I loved how they became sisters when they were younger and stayed sisters throughout their lives. They are there for each other no matter what. When the bones are found and they are forced back in time, it takes a toll on each of them. I had such sympathy for them the more I learned about what they went through living at Wild Meadows. They are each broken and complex characters.

We also get chapters from therapy sessions of an unknown character. Reading these chapters and not knowing right away who it was, really intrigued me. When it was revealed who it was, I started putting pieces together, though I didn’t figure things out completely. When I thought everything was revealed, Sally Hepworth gave me one more twist that blew my mind.

I don’t want to say much more and spoil things. Darling Girls was a great mystery that was full of twists and turns, as well as amazingly developed characters. 4 ½ stars

Daughter of Mine Goodreads

Author: Megan Miranda

Publication Date: April 9, 2024

Publisher: Marysue Rucci Books

I am a fan of Megan Miranda and was excited to read her latest book, Daughter of Mine. While some of her books I have liked more than others, I am happy to report that Daughter of Mine is a top favorite of mine.

Hazel Sharp moved to the small town of Mirror Lake with her mother when she was seven years old. Her mother married local sheriff Perry Holt, who had two sons, nine-year-old Gage, and seven-year-old Caden. When Hazel was fourteen, her mother left and never returned. Hazel’s mother had a habit of just uprooting their lives when things got too complicated, so everyone assumed she had done the same thing, only this time leaving Hazel behind. Hazel left town after graduating college and only returns for holidays. When Perry Holt died, Hazel returned to town for the service and found out that Perry left his house to her. Mirror Lake has been experiencing a severe drought, and when the water levels drop in the lake behind their house, a car is found. The car is Hazel’s mothers. Hazel is now determined to find out what really happened to her mother. If her car is in the lake, did she do it on purpose or did something more sinister happen all those years ago?

I want to first mention how much I loved how Megan Miranda had each chapter labeled with how many days the drought was going on. I just found that very unique and I think it added to the mystery of the story. I just kept thinking, “What else is going to be found in the lake as the water recedes more with this drought?”

I also loved how the sibling tension just kept increasing. Hazel was close with Gage and at first things were good with them when she came back, but as the story progressed, Gage was pushing Hazel to just leave things alone. Hazel and Caden were never that close. Caden resented the attention that Hazel got from their father and then when her mother left, he was sure that Hazel was in on it. I really did not trust Gage or Caden. In fact, I did not trust anyone in the town. No one seemed to want Hazel digging into why her mother’s car was found in the lake and what happened to her.

As Hazel was trying to find information on what happened to her mother, she came across information about an accident that claimed the life of Gage and Caden’s mother, Perry’s first wife, years before Hazel and her mother came to town. As more clues are revealed, it becomes clear that someone in the Holt family is hiding the truth about what happened to both of Perry’s wives. And when all was revealed I was on the edge of my seat and was totally in the dark.

Daughter of Mine is another winner by Megan Miranda. If you have read any of her other books then I definitely recommend this one as well. 4 stars

Review – EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE by Natalie Jenner

May 20, 2024/4 Comments/by Suzanne

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner

Series: Jane Austen Society #3
Published by St. Martin's Press on May 14, 2024
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 336
Source: the Publisher
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FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via the Publisher. All opinions are my own.

Every Time We Say Goodbye is the third book in Natalie Jenner’s popular Jane Austen Society series. I was a little nervous going in that I would be confused since I have admittedly not read the first two books in the series. Thankfully, while all three books are set in the same world, this one works quite well as a standalone and I didn’t find myself lost at all.

This compelling story follows Vivien Lowry, a playwright whose most recent play, which opened in London’s West End in 1955, was panned by critics and quickly shut down. At a loss for what to do next, Vivien takes a friend’s advice and takes a job in Italy working as a script doctor in the film industry. She, like many others, is still healing from the devastating losses of WWII, including the loss of her fiance David, who went missing in Italy during the war and is presumed dead. Vivien looks at her trip to Italy as a way to both find a new path forward for herself and to find out what really happened to David. Vivien is a complex, well drawn character and I found myself very invested in everything to do with her time in Italy, especially since it becomes such a personal journey for her.

One of my favorite parts about reading historical fiction is that I always learn something new when I read it. In the case of this book, I learned a tremendous amount about post-WWII Italy, and especially about the Italian film industry. Not only were there numerous iconic Italian actresses like Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida present, but there were also many well known Expatriate actors and directors from the U.S. and from England on the scene. All the glitz and glam of the film scene provided quite the contrast to the struggles of the orphans and refugees that were of course also present in Italy after the war. She also explores just how much the Catholic church was policing and censoring the content of Italian films, as well as the political landscape of Italy as it tries to come to terms with its own role in the war.

Jenner also effectively uses a dual timeline in this multi-layered story. During her time in Italy, Vivien works with a director who is determined to make a movie about a young woman he doesn’t want the world to forget. This woman was not only his girlfriend, but she was also a member of the Italian Resistance and an assassin, who was tortured and murdered during the war. We learn more about the circumstances that led to her death in a timeline that is set during WWII.

Even though I read a lot of WWII historical fiction, I’ve not come across many novels that cover what happens in the years immediately following the war. If like me, you’re interested in books that help expand your knowledge of that time period, I definitely recommend Every Time We Say Goodbye. It is both a well researched work of historical fiction and an engaging story of love, loss and truth.

If you’re an audiobook fan, I also highly recommend the audiobook for this novel. It’s narrated by Juliet Aubrey who does a wonderful job bringing Vivien to life and capturing all of the complexities of emotions that run through the story. I alternated between the physical copy and the audio and was able to comfortably listen at my usual 1.75x speed.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, MacMillan Audio, Natalie Jenner, and Laurel at Austenprose PR for the gifted copy and for the opportunity to take part in the tour for this book!

About Natalie Jenner

NATALIE JENNER is the author of the instant international bestseller The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls. A Goodreads Choice Award runner-up for historical fiction and finalist for best debut novel, The Jane Austen Society was a USA Today and #1 national bestseller and has been sold for translation in twenty countries. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie has been a corporate lawyer, career coach and, most recently, an independent bookstore owner in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs. Visit her website to learn more.

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Thriller Thursday Reviews: Holly & Almost Surely Dead

May 9, 2024/6 Comments/by Sharon

Welcome to another edition of Thriller Thursday with Sharon. This week’s reviews are, Holly by Stephen King and Almost Surely Dead by Amina Akhtar. These books were both so different from each other and terrific reads in their own ways. I loved them both and hope you enjoy the reviews. 🙂

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Holly & Almost Surely Dead

Holly Goodreads

Author: Stephen King

Publication Date: September 5, 2023

Publisher: Scribner

Why I waited so long to read Stephen King’s Holly, is beyond me. Stephen King is one of my favorite authors, yet it took me until now to read Holly, even though it came out last September.

We first met Holly Gibbs in King’s Mr. Mercedes series. I fell in love with Holly then and am so glad she was able to branch out into her own books after that series ended. Holly is now running the private investigating office of Finders Keepers, after the death of Bill Hodges. The office is temporarily closed due to the death of Holly’s mother and Holly’s current partner, Pete, having Covid. Penny Dahl leaves a message for Finders Keepers; her daughter, Bonnie, is missing, and she desperately needs their help to find her. After listening to Penny’s message, Holly reluctantly takes the case. As she is following leads in Bonnie’s disappearance, Holly starts to uncover that more people have gone missing in the same area and under similar circumstances. Holly must use all the talents Bill taught her to uncover this mystery and to keep herself alive.

I loved watching as Holly pieced together Bonnie’s last movements and at the same time uncover information of another missing person. As each new missing person was introduced, the next chapter would be from their abduction. We know early on who is responsible, but I am not going to give that away here. You need to read for yourself and find out. Lol! Okay, I will give you a hint: Watch out for the seemly sweet elderly couple.

It takes Holly a while to really connect each disappearance. Even though they all seem to have the same M.O., each disappearance happened three years apart. But the closer Holly got to connecting everything, the more on the edge of my seat I was.

I also loved how Jerome and his sister Barbara from the Mr. Mercedes series was in this book as well. They are part of Holly’s found family, and I loved seeing them together and helping Holly as much as they could.

Wow! Stephen King certainly ramped up the creepy and horror meter in this book. When we find out why these people were taken and what happened to them after, all I will say is that even I got a bit queasy, and it usually takes a lot for that to happen to me.

If you are a Stephen King fan I think you will love this book. Even though Holly is a spin off from a different series, I don’t think it matters if you read this first. Though I do recommend reading the Mr. Mercedes series as well at some point. 4 ½ stars

Almost Surely Dead Goodreads

Author: Amina Akhtar

Publication Date: February 1, 2024

Publisher: Mindy’s Book Studio

I have never read anything by Amina Akhtar before, but when Almost Surely Dead showed up as free on Amazon first reads, I thought I would give it a try.

Dunia Ahmed is the daughter of Pakistani immigrants living in New York working as a pharmacist. Dunia did not have an easy childhood. Her father died when she was six years old, and her mother and older sister blamed her for his death. She had cut off most communication with her mother and sister and tried to make a life for herself in New York. Recently though her world was turned upside down. Her mother died six months ago, and she recently broke up with her boyfriend. And then one day while waiting for the train, some one tried to kill her by throwing her on the tracks. Her assailant ended up throwing himself on the tracks, and as the police try to figure out why this man tried to kill Dunia, there were two more attempts on her life. Dunia is now missing, has been for a year, and is the subject of a true crime podcast called “Find Dunia”.

I loved how this book was presented. There are chapters told by Dunia, starting from when the first attempt was made on her life. There are also chapters from the podcast and chapters from when Dunia was six years old. I loved getting all the different perspectives and timelines and then trying to piece together on who wanted Dunia dead and where she was now.

My favorite parts of the book were from when Dunia was six. I had such sympathy for her. Dunia’s mother was convinced she was being haunted by a Jinni, a spirit that can take many forms. Evil did seem to follow Dunia, her father died of a sudden heart attack when she was the only one home with him, and close family members who were not nice to Dunia ended up having accidents. So, it is no wonder her mother thought she was haunted, as well as the rest of their community. So poor Dunia was basically shunned and spent most of her time alone or with a neighbor. Learning all these things gave the story a supernatural vibe and added to the mystery of what was going on now with Dunia.

I don’t want to say much and spoil things. I think experiencing all that happened to Dunia as you are reading, adds to the mystery and enjoyment of the book. I did love how Amina Akhtar created the mystery surrounding why someone wanted to kill Dunia and where has she been the past year, with the Islamic culture and folklore. I thoroughly enjoyed Almost Surely Dead and would definitely recommend it. 4 stars

Romance Review – HAPPY MEDIUM by Sarah Adler

April 30, 2024/6 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Medium by Sarah Adler

Published by Berkley Books, Berkley Romance on April 30, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 416
Source: Netgalley
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Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I fell in love with Sarah Adler’s style of storytelling last year when I read her debut, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. It was just such a fun, unique and heartwarming story and I still think about it to this day. When a book resonates with me that much, I immediately want to read everything that author writes so of course, I had to get my hands on a review copy of Adler’s new novel, Happy Medium! It did not disappoint either. Happy Medium is equally unique and charming, if not more so than Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, and I enjoyed every page of it!

Gretchen Acorn is a con woman. She pretends to be a psychic medium and is apparently pretty convincing at it because one of her wealthy clients offers to pay her $10,000 to go check out her bridge partner’s goat farm, which is believed to be haunted. He has been trying to sell it but unexplained phenomena keep happening while potential buyers are there, scaring them off. Gretchen knows she’s a fraud, but hey, she’s got to pay her bills, right? And if she can help an old man sell the place and retire, even better.

Gretchen is shocked by two things when she arrives at the farm: 1) Charlie Waybill, the old goat farmer she’s expecting to meet, is actually a gorgeous grump who is actually her age, and 2) there is actually a chatty, goofy ghost named Everett there and she can both see and talk to him. She has never been able to do that before so her mind is blown to say the least! Everett fills her in on why he’s there and why he’s trying so hard to keep Charlie from selling the place. When Everett tried to abandon the family farm and follow his dreams nearly a century ago, a relative cursed him. He died in a tragic accident that same day and has been haunting the farm ever since. If the farm is sold to someone who isn’t a Waybill, the last Waybill there will suffer the same fate as Everett. Everett scares off every potential buyer because he wants to save Charlie from his fate. Gretchen finds herself drawn to both Charlie and Everett, and when Charlie proposes that she stick around and help him save the farm if he can’t sell it, she agrees, having no idea what a life changing decision this will be for her.

I don’t know if I can fully express how wonderful this story is! I was a little nervous I wouldn’t like Gretchen since she is so morally gray, but she won me over as soon as it became clear that she really doesn’t like taking advantage of people and makes it her mission to leave them no worse off than when they first came to her. She also endeared herself to me once she gets to the farm and starts interacting with both Charlie and Everett. She and Everett become besties and some of their banter is truly hilarious, especially some of their battles that revolve around Everett’s television addiction. I also loved the chemistry that quickly blossoms between Gretchen and Charlie after their initial rocky start. They’re actually a great team as they work together to save the farm, and I loved how the more Gretchen gets to know Charlie, the more she wants to save him from the curse. Adler does a fabulous job here using the situation surrounding the curse to create a wonderful redemption arc for Gretchen. Not only did I like Gretchen, but I ended up actually adoring her by the end of the story.

Happy Medium has a little something for everyone. The humor is top notch, the paranormal antics of Everett are entertaining, and the personal and romantic journeys of both Gretchen and Charlie are so poignant and heartwarming. Happy Medium is perfect for fans of enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, and of course silly ghosts and adorable goats!

Thanks so much to Tina Joell at Berkley for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour!

About Sarah Adler

Sarah Adler grew up in rural South Central Pennsylvania, the land of Civil War reenactors and snack food factories. She received both her BA in History and American Studies and MA in History from American University in Washington, DC, where she focused on 19th and early 20th century U.S. culture. She currently lives in Frederick, MD with her husband and daughter. When she isn’t writing or yelling at Noodle, her very mischievous cat, to stop opening the kitchen cabinets, Sarah enjoys crocheting, going for walks, exploring used bookstores, reading, and eating baked goods.

Sarah’s debut novel, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, was published by Berkley/Penguin Random House on May 23, 2023.

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Reviews – FUNNY STORY & CHRISTA COMES OUT OF HER SHELL

April 19, 2024/9 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! My blogging slump unfortunately continues, but I did have to pop on to share two of my favorite reads from April. Emily Henry and Abbi Waxman are both auto-buy authors for me, and their latest releases prove why

Funny Story Goodreads

Author: Emily Henry

Publication Date: April 23, 2024

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Berkley Romance via Netgalley and a gifted ALC from PRHAudio. All opinions are my own.

Emily Henry has knocked it out of the park yet again with her latest novel, Funny Story. It’s the perfect blend of heartache, humor, and healing, and I devoured it in a couple of sittings.

When we meet Daphne, she has just been dumped by her fiance Peter, who has decided, at his bachelor party of all places, that he would rather be with his childhood best friend, Petra. Since the house they were living in is in Peter’s name, this leaves Daphne homeless until Petra’s ex, Miles, invites her to move in with him now that he finds himself dumped and living alone.

I fell so hard for both Daphne and Miles. On the surface, they seem to have nothing in common – Daphne is a children’s librarian who has basically let Peter dictate most of her life’s choices, while Miles comes across as a stoner who spends most of his time either high or tending bar. As the two of them start to bond, however, Daphne quickly realizes there’s more to Miles than meets the eye and he realizes the same about her. Even though they initially started hanging out as a way to mourn their breakups and then shift to fake dating to make their exes jealous, they eventually start to do things together simply because they enjoy each other’s company.

I loved the chemistry and the easy banter between Daphne and Miles. Their evolution from roommates to lovers is fun, flirty, and just an all around good time. The star of the show for me though is actually the more emotional journey that each character takes on their path to healing. I thought Henry just did such a beautiful job seamlessly weaving in those more emotional moments with all of the fun ones.

Julia Whelan narrates the audiobook and as always, her narration is flawless!

Funny Story is Emily Henry at her best, so be sure to pick up a copy. 5 STARS

Christa Comes Out of Her Shell Goodreads

Author: Abbi Waxman

Publication Date: April 16, 2024

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Berkley Romance via Netgalley and a gifted ALC from PRHAudio. All opinions are my own.

I’m a huge fan of Abbi Waxman’s writing because she has a gift for creating the most wonderful characters. They’re charming, quirky, and just so lovable that you can’t help but root for them to overcome whatever struggles they are facing. And she has done exactly that in her latest book, Christa Comes Out of Her Shell.

When we meet Christa, she is happily studying snails on a remote island in the Indian Ocean. That is, until she receives a phone call that rocks her world. Her father, a beloved TV star who was presumed killed in a plane crash 25 years ago, has suddenly turned up, alive and well. As much as Christa would love to stay on her little island, she knows she has to go home, both to meet her dad and to confront the demons of her own past.

I adored Christa right from the start and absolutely loved the journey of personal growth that she goes through in this story. Christa was so young when her dad went missing that she barely knew him but both his immense fame and the media circus surrounding his disappearance impacted her young life tremendously. There were people in her life who hurt and betrayed her, making her close herself off from people. I loved watching her gradually come into her own and confront those who had hurt her, which in turn allows her to more freely open her heart to those who would never hurt her. While it definitely takes a backseat to Christa’s personal journey, there is also a delightful second chance romance with a childhood friend in this story.

While some of what Christa and her family faces veers into some heavy topics, Waxman keeps things from getting too heavy by infusing the story with her signature humor and warmth. I especially enjoyed listening to the audiobook because the narrators, Jesse Vilinksy & Jonathan Todd Ross, do such a wonderful job capturing both the heartwarming and humorous aspects of the story. 4.5 STARS