Thriller Review: RAZORBLADE TEARS by S.A. Cosby

July 2, 2021/26 Comments/by Suzanne

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
Also by this author: Blacktop Wasteland

Published by Flatiron Books on July 6, 2021
Genres: Fiction, Thriller
Pages: 336
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads

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

S.A. Cosby’s high octane crime thriller Blacktop Wasteland was one of my favorite reads of 2020, and as high as my expectations were for his follow up novel, Razorblade Tears, I was pretty sure there was no way he could top Blacktop Wasteland. I was dead wrong though because Razorblade Tears is one of the most powerful and provocative books I’ve ever read. It’s a story about loss and grief, revenge and justice, and it’s also a story about regret and about learning from the mistakes of your past.

Set in Virginia, the story follows ex-cons Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee Jenkins. On the surface it would appear these two men have nothing in common aside from their criminal pasts. Ike is a Black man who used to run with a gang, while Buddy is, as he refers to himself, redneck, white trash. What these two men do have in common though is their sons, a married gay couple, both of whom were brutally murdered. What they also have in common is that both men let their homophobia prevent them from having loving relationships with their boys and now they’re filled with regret because they can no longer make things right between them.

Most of the book focuses on Ike and Buddy Lee’s quest to bring their sons’ killers to justice and their road to justice is paved with violence, blood and gore as well as coarse language as Ike and Buddy Lee encounter some pretty rough crowds. To put it mildly, it’s an intense read that isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s also a fast-paced adrenaline rush that I devoured in a day because I just had to know who was responsible for the murders and whether or not Ike and Buddy Lee would bring them down.

Razorblade Tears, as its name implies, is also a story that is filled with pain, grief and raw emotion and it’s this angle that really took this book to the next level for me. These two fathers know they made terrible mistakes when it came to their sons and how they refused to just love them and accept them for who they were. Both Ike and Buddy Lee desperately wish they could go back and do things differently. I enjoyed reading their journey, both as they became unlikely friends bonding over this tragedy and as they both try to learn from their mistakes and become better men. This personal journey of growth made for such an interesting contrast with the gritty violence of their revenge quest.

With Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears, S.A. Cosby has proven he’s a force to be reckoned with in the crime thriller genre. I highly recommend both books if you’re looking for a powerful read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

About S.A. Cosby

S. A. Cosby is a writer from Southeastern Virginia. He won the 2019 Anthony Award for Best Short Story for “The Grass Beneath My Feet”, and his previous books include Brotherhood of the Blade and My Darkest Prayer. He resides in Gloucester, Virginia. When not writing, he is an avid hiker and chess player.

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Romance Reviews: TO SIR, WITH LOVE & ONCE UPON A ROYAL SUMMER

June 28, 2021/24 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday! Today I’m sharing my thoughts on two fantastic contemporary romances that I devoured this weekend. This was my first time reading a novel from Lauren Layne even though I’ve wanted to for ages, and this was my second novel from Teri Wilson, whose novel The Accidental Beauty Queen I fell in love with a couple of years ago. Also, how cute are these covers together? I just noticed they’re color-coordinated as I was putting this post together, lol.

Romance Reviews: TO SIR, WITH LOVE & ONCE UPON A ROYAL SUMMER

To Sir, with Love Goodreads

Author: Lauren Layne

Publication Date: June 29, 2021

Publisher: Gallery Books

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

I’ve been wanting to read one of Lauren Layne’s contemporary romances for a while now, and when I saw her latest book, To Sir, With Love, being compared to You’ve Got Mail, one of my favorite films, I knew this was the book for me.

The premise of the story is a fun one. Main characters, Gracie Cooper and Sebastian Andrews, meet on a dating app and really hit it off. They haven’t exchanged real names, only referring to themselves as Sir and Lady, and have not met in person, but they regularly correspond through the app and it’s clear they have great chemistry. There’s just one catch. Gracie and Sebastian do know each other in real life, and Gracie can’t stand Sebastian. She thinks he’s nothing more than a greedy corporate big shot who is trying to force her to sell her family’s struggling champagne business.

I had so much fun reading this story. I loved the contrast between the friendly and flirty messages Sir and Lady send to one another versus the outright sparks that fly between Gracie and Sebastian every time they interact. I also loved watching Gracie’s feelings toward Sebastian evolve as she gradually starts to realize he isn’t the monster she had made him out to be in her head. I love a good enemies to lovers story so I was completely invested in the changing status of their very entertaining relationship.

In addition to the relationship between Gracie and Sebastian and their alter egos, Sir and Lady, there’s also a big focus on family that I loved. Gracie’s two siblings feature prominently as they are also part owners of the family business, even though they’ve pretty much abandoned Gracie to run it alone while they live their own lives. There’s a bit of family drama around that, but I did love the bond between these siblings and how they’re able to come together and have an honest and supportive discussion about what to do when it becomes clear the store may not make it. There’s also a wonderful cast of secondary characters who work in the shop with them, as well as Gracie’s neighbor Keva, a quirky chef who pops in at all hours. They all add an extra layer of fun and humor to the story.

There’s also a very important message about the importance of living your own life and following your dreams and passions. Gracie didn’t want to let her father down since it was his dying wish that they keep the business in the family, but it was his passion, not hers. Gracie’s struggle with that is a struggle I think many readers will relate to.

I truly loved everything about To Sir, With Love, from its Manhattan setting to waiting with anticipation to see what would happen once Gracie and Sebastian realized their connection through the dating app. The reading experience was everything I hoped it would be and more and I look forward to reading more from Lauren Layne. 5 STARS

Once Upon a Royal Summer: A delightful royal romance from Hallmark Publishing Goodreads

Author: Teri Wilson

Publication Date: June 15, 2021

Publisher: Hallmark Publishing

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

The tagline on the cover of Teri Wilson’s new contemporary romance, Once Upon a Royal Summer, describes it as “A theme park princess. A real-life prince.” As a Disney fanatic and a romantic at heart, I couldn’t resist the story’s premise and its promise of a modern-day fairy tale. And boy does it deliver!

Wilson grabbed my attention and my heartstrings from the opening pages when we meet Lacey, who works at Once Upon a Time theme park in Florida as Princess Sweetpea. We learn that Lacey’s mom passed away when Lacey was seven and that one of the few joys she had during her mom’s many hospital stays were princesses who would come around and visit the children to keep their spirits up. Lacey remembers how special they made her feel and now she wants to pay that forward by doing her best to make special moments for as many children as she can. I had tremendous sympathy for her for losing her mom so young and I just loved how big-hearted she is.

Our real-life Prince Charming, Prince Henry of Bella-Moritz, is also a lovable character. Henry has brought his young daughter, Princess Rose, to Florida to celebrate her birthday and to let her have a few days where she can just be a normal little girl, without all the pressures of being a Royal, which have already started to bear down on her. When Lacey first meets Henry and Rose, she has no idea who they are. All she sees is a girl who loves princesses and a single dad doing his best to give his daughter the time of her life. Henry’s devotion to his daughter just melted my heart and I just knew from the moment we met him that he would be perfect for Lacey. I was so happy to see sparks between them as soon as they met.

After their initial meeting, Lacey is informed who Henry and Rose are and is charged with giving these VIP guests a magical vacation. I adored watching Lacey spend time with Rose. She brings out the best in her and also makes her happy in a way Henry hasn’t seen since Rose’s mom died. And she does the same with Henry. Henry and Lacey share so many sweet, romantic and flirty moments. At first neither of them can tell if it’s just the magic of the theme park or if there’s really something between them, but the answer soon becomes clear and I was loving every minute of it because I’m just such a sucker for the royal falling for a commoner trope!

There’s so much to love about this story beyond just Lacey, Rose, and Henry. I also really enjoyed the magical, romantic setting, which is split between the theme park and Henry’s charming kingdom of Bella-Moritz. It’s a picture-perfect backdrop for romance. I also loved the fabulous secondary characters, including Ava, Lacey’s best friend who works as Little Red Riding Hood at the theme park, and Ian, Prince Henry’s bodyguard, who is like an uncle to Princess Rose and who according to Ava, looks like a long-lost Hemsworth brother. The Queen is also a pretty great character as she struggles between what is “right and proper” for royals, but is also a caring mother and grandmother who just wants her son and granddaughter to be happy and loved.

If you’re into modern-day fairytales that will warm your heart and leave a smile on your face, I highly recommend Once Upon a Royal Summer. I devoured the story in less than a day so it’s a perfect choice to throw in your bag for a weekend at the beach or to read poolside. 4.5 STARS

Reviews: Near the Bone & You Will Remember Me

June 24, 2021/12 Comments/by Sharon

Hi everyone! Sharon here with another edition of Thriller Thursday. This week I am sharing my thoughts on Christina Henry’s new book, Near the Bone and Hannah Mary McKinnon’s new book, You Will Remember Me. I have enjoyed the writings of both these ladies and their new books are no exception. They were both awesome reads.

Reviews: Near the Bone & You Will Remember Me

Near the Bone Goodreads

Author: Christina Henry

Publication Date: April 13, 2021

Publisher: Berkley Books

I loved the last 2 books I read by Christina Henry, The Girl in Red and The Ghost Tree so I was thrilled when I saw she had a new thriller, Near the Bone, coming out. I couldn’t wait to read this book and let me tell you, this is my favorite so far. If you are a thriller fan and love slasher movies like I do, then this is definitely the book for you.

Mattie and her husband William live alone in the mountains. Mattie has no contact with the outside world and cannot remember her life before William. Mattie tries to be the good wife William expects, because when William gets angry, Mattie pays. One day while checking the traps in the woods, Mattie finds what look like bear tracks but are way too large to be a bear. When Mattie and William go searching the woods for this animal, they find its cave and what they find inside makes no sense for a wild animal. Inside the cave are bones that are separated into categories, skulls in one pile, ribs in another etc. as well as a pile of intestines. When 3 strangers show up on the mountain to hunt for this animal, Mattie needs to make them leave before William sees them. William will be angry and it will be Mattie that suffers.

I had so much sympathy for Mattie. The only life she knows is with William and she just suffers such abuse from him. And now Mattie has 2 monsters to worry about, William and the creature in the woods. I was rooting for her to have the strength to finally escape. And I was also cheering her on when she gradually found the strength to fight back at both William and the creature. As the story progresses, we do get bits of info of how Mattie came to be living with William and the more we learned the more my heart broke for her. When everything was finally revealed I was praying that the creature in the woods would give William a slow and torturous death. Oh, how I hated that man.

Griffin, CP and Jen are the three strangers that showed up on the mountain. And while we don’t get a lot of background on them, I did like how they were sympathetic and interacted with Mattie. But boy, these 3 came across to me as the group in a horror movie you kept yelling at to shut up. I kept thinking “Why don’t you just have a neon sign above you, Yo killer over here!” LOL. Mattie got so frustrated with them when she was trying to get them to realize they need to listen to her if they wanted to get off the mountain alive.

I really liked how Henry left what the creature looked like for the reader to decide. She gives vague descriptions of the creature, but the rest is up to the reader to create their own image. I really thought this was a great way to add to the terror of the book. I am not going to tell you what I pictured, but I did conjure up one heck of a terrifying creature. I also thought Henry did an amazing job of creating a creepy setting with the isolated snowy mountains.

I really cannot say much about this book because I don’t want to spoil anything. But if you are a horror fan that likes gore, then I think you will love this book. 4 ½ stars

You Will Remember Me Goodreads

Author: Hannah Mary McKinnon

Publication Date: May 25, 2021

Publisher: MIRA Books

You Will Remember Me is my third read by Hannah Mary McKinnon and I enjoyed it as much as The Neighbors and Sister Dear.

The novel starts by introducing us to several seemingly unrelated characters. A man wakes up on a beach in Maryland with a gash on his head and no memory of who he is. When he sees a car with a Maine license plate something is pulling him to go to Maine.

Lily Reid’s boyfriend Jack is missing. He was going to go for a swim one night and was supposed to show up at her apartment the next morning but never did. As Lily searches for Jack, she finds information that Jack was not who he said he was, and she really did not know him at all.

Maya Scott’s stepbrother Ash went missing 2 years ago. Now he is back, though he has no memory of his life with Maya or where he has been for the last 2 years. Which is fine with Maya, the less Ash remembers the better and she will go to any length to make sure he doesn’t remember.

We learn pretty early in the book how all these characters are connected, so it is not a spoiler to say that Jack and Ash are one in the same. The real mystery is, why did Ash take off 2 years ago without telling Maya where he was going and what happened to him on the beach 2 years later to give him amnesia? We learn the answers to those questions as Ash’s memory comes back in bits and pieces.

Maya was the character I loved to hate. She came across right away as someone that could not be trusted. So, whenever she told Ash some information from their past or if Ash remembered something and she told him it was a false memory I did not believe her one bit. From her POV we learn that Maya had some pretty strong and unhealthy feelings for her stepbrother. I did feel sorry for her at times when she was remembering things from her childhood, but then some of her actions had me thinking “Okay, you are a psycho.” LOL.

I Liked the determination Lily had in finding what happened to Jack. She didn’t just leave it to the police, and when items from Jack’s belongings pointed to Maine that is where she headed. I did have to roll my eyes at her though when she got mad when she found out that he had been lying about who he was, because there are things in Lily’s past that she hid from him as well. Neither of them was very honest with each other. But once they reconnected, I did hope that they would be able to overcome all this and have their happily ever after.

I had a lot of sympathy for Ash. I cannot even imagine not being able to remember anything about your life and having to rely on others to fill in the gaps and trust that they are telling you the truth.

I liked trying to piece together the mystery of what happened to make Ash take off 2 years ago. And while I did have things figured out for the most part, there was one twist right at the end that literally had my mouth drop open. This was going to be a 3 ½ star review but after that ending I had to bump it up to 4 stars. Bravo! Hannah Mary McKinnon, Bravo! 4 Stars

Review: THE MAIDENS by Alex Michaelides

June 21, 2021/21 Comments/by Suzanne

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Published by Celadon Books on June 15, 2021
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 352
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads

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

I was very impressed with Alex Michaelides’ debut psychological thriller The Silent Patient when I read it last year. It was a shocking and compelling read that I just couldn’t put down, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of his latest offering, The Maidens. Set primarily at Cambridge University in England, The Maidens is a twisty, atmospheric psychological thriller that follows Mariana Andros, a group therapist who unexpectedly finds herself at the center of a murder investigation and becomes obsessed with catching the killer.

Mariana is a pretty complex character with a lot of layers, so having the story unfold from her perspective made for a very addicting read. Mariana is a former Cambridge student herself and she also met her husband there, so her ties to the university run deep, especially since her husband has recently died in a tragic accident. Mariana is still grieving and just going through the motions from day to day, so when her niece Zoe, currently a Cambridge student, calls to tell Mariana that her roommate is missing and a dead body has been found on campus, Mariana heads to the university right away. She goes on the premise of offering comfort to Zoe, but when it’s determined that Zoe’s roommate is the victim and that she was a member of a secret all female society called The Maidens, whose members are all hand-picked by the handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor, Edward Fosca, Mariana becomes convinced he must be involved in the girl’s death, especially when it becomes clear that his only alibi are the other girls in his secret society and when another one of them turns up dead. Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt is what drives the action in the story and makes for such an intense, unputdownable read.

It is of course a wild, twisty, and suspenseful ride as we follow Mariana on her quest. I loved how unpredictable the story is. It took me in directions I never expected to go and kept me guessing to the very end. As intoxicating as the murder mystery itself was though, I was also very much drawn to both Mariana and to Fosca. I love it when a thriller has complex characters to complement its complex plot. Mariana is such a sympathetic character because she has experienced so much loss and is obviously still trying to cope. Being surrounded by university memories of her dead husband has to be so overwhelming and in some ways, I think she tunnel visions on the murders as a distraction from her own pain. Fosca, on the other hand, is fascinating in his own right because he’s so charismatic. Students line up for a chance to sit in on his lectures and the young women he chooses for his special society are clearly willing to do anything for him. The subject matter he is so passionate about also ties quite closely to the manner in which the girls were murdered. Is it a coincidence or is this guy’s charm all an act to cover up something sinister?

I don’t want to give anything away with respect to the murders, but if you’re looking for an atmospheric psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and that has an almost Gothic feel to it at times, be sure to check out The Maidens.

About Alex Michaelides

Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel and was the biggest-selling debut in the world in 2019. It spent more than a year on the New York Times bestseller list and sold in a record-breaking forty-nine countries. Alex lives in London.

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Romance Reviews: VERY SINCERELY YOURS & LOVE SCENES

June 18, 2021/20 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Friday everyone! Today I’m sharing my thoughts on two romance novels that I think are going to find their way into a lot of beach bags this summer because they are both truly delightful.

Romance Reviews: VERY SINCERELY YOURS & LOVE SCENES

Very Sincerely Yours Goodreads

Author: Kerry Winfrey

Publication Date: June 15, 2021

Publisher: Berkley Books

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

Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey follows Teddy Phillips, a young woman who is going through a rough patch. Her longtime boyfriend has just unexpectedly dumped her and kicked her out of their home. After spending so many years catering to this man’s every whim, Teddy feels like she doesn’t even know who she is without him. She spends most of her days working at a vintage toy store and engaging in her biggest guilty pleasure, watching a local children’s show that is hosted by a sexy Mr. Rogers type named Everett St. James. Of course Everett is easy on the eyes but what Teddy really loves about his show is how kind and respectful he is to all of the children who send him letters looking for advice. When Teddy decides to take a chance and send him a letter herself, she has no idea how much her life is about to change.

I swear this book was like catnip for me. I loved every page of it and just couldn’t get enough of both Teddy and Everett. They’re both just such sweet, soft, adorable characters and as soon as I met each of them, and especially as soon as Everett wrote a response to Teddy and they basically became flirty email pen pals, I knew they would be perfect for one another. Their emails truly gave me life as I was reading. They’re filled with witty banter, good advice from Everett, as well as humorous sign offs that made me laugh out loud. The more Teddy and Everett wrote to each other, the more I was rooting for them to find their way to each other in person.

It’s not even just Teddy and Everett that made Very Sincerely Yours such a wonderful read for me; it was also all of Teddy’s friends. She has such a lovely and supportive relationship with the owner of the toy store. They’re more like mother-daughter than boss-employee and I really enjoyed their friendship. I also adored Teddy’s roommates, who were her best friends prior to her relationship with loser guy. He basically monopolized her attention to the extent that she drifted apart from her besties, but they were right there for her every step of the way after she got dumped and they really helped her pick up the pieces and get back to living her life and having fun. It was just so nice to see Teddy surrounded by so much love and support.

Very Sincerely Yours is one of the most delightful romantic comedies I’ve read so far this year. It’s a gem of a book that is sure to put a smile on your face. 5 STARS!

Love Scenes Goodreads

Author: Bridget Morrissey

Publication Date: June 22, 2021

Publisher: Berkley Books

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

Love Scenes by Bridget Morrissey follows Sloane Ford, a young actress who hails from Hollywood royalty. Everyone in her family works in film and they’ve decided to work on a project together, a WWII era romance, and although they wanted Sloane to play the lead, she declined because it conflicted with work she was doing on a TV series. When her character is abruptly killed off, Sloane’s mother offers her a job as a producer on their film, but doesn’t tell her they’ve cast Joseph Donovan, her arch nemesis and the man who almost derailed her acting career, to play the male lead. Oh boy, what has Sloane gotten herself into?

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Sloane and Joseph from the moment they come face to face on the movie set. It’s clear that there is some loaded history between them, and it’s also clear that they have feelings for one another, whether they want to admit it or not. Joseph knows how awful he was to Sloane the last time they worked together and he really wants to make amends. Sloane was recently dumped by her musician boyfriend and is completely off the whole idea of love. But when she steps on the movie set, and the female lead is abruptly fired and Sloane is asked to fill in, the more she works with Joseph, the more she realizes she doesn’t hate him as much as she thought she did. I really liked both Sloane and Joseph a lot and wanted her to give him a chance to prove he has changed.

As much as I enjoyed the evolving relationship between Sloane and Joseph, what I loved most about this book is Sloane’s family. They’re such a fun, tight-knit, and quirky group and I love watching them all interact as they worked together on the film. The egos, the personalities, the ex-husbands and ex-wives who are still very much part of the family, etc. were just so entertaining to watch and I loved how vividly and realistically the author brings this family to life. I especially loved the relationship between Sloan and her sister Tyler, who is also directing the film. The two of them are very close and actually used to make home movie versions of their favorite films for fun when they were kids. I love a good sibling relationship and watching these two sisters work and grow together just made for a lovely read.

Love Scenes is a fun read that is filled with romance, family, and all the drama you could ever expect to find on a movie set and then some! It’s also a wonderful story about second chances that will warm your heart. 4 STARS.

Review: PACK UP THE MOON by Kristan Higgins

June 14, 2021/18 Comments/by Suzanne

Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins
Also by this author: Good Luck with That, Always the Last to Know

Published by BERKLEY on June 8, 2021
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction
Pages: 480
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads

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

Kristan Higgins’ new novel Pack Up the Moon is a beautiful story about love, loss, and grief, and it’s about how to pick up the pieces of your life and start again when the love of your life is taken away way too soon.

The story follows Joshua and Lauren Park, a newly married couple who are just perfect for each other and madly in love. Their happy lives come crashing down around them, however, when Lauren is unexpectedly and tragically diagnosed with a terminal illness and is told she probably only has 3-5 years to live.

What I loved most about this book is how Higgins chooses to unfold the story of Joshua and Lauren. Within the first few pages of the book, Lauren dies and we are presented with Joshua, the grieving widow. It is actually after Lauren’s death that we really get to know her because Lauren has spent many of her final months living writing letters for Joshua that he is to be given in the months after her death. Her thought in doing that is that it will help him better cope with her death and start to live his life again. She also tried to process her own life ending so prematurely by writing letters to her dead father. She talks to him about her fears, about how sad she is that she’ll be leaving Joshua alone and that they never had children, etc. She also communicates her hope that she will be reunited with her father in the afterlife. Each chapter of the novel presents us with either a letter from Lauren to Joshua or one from Lauren to her dad.

I fell in love with both Lauren and Joshua as I read these letters and then read the flashbacks that accompanied so many of them. Lauren is such a beautiful soul and it’s easy to see why Joshua loved her so much and is so devastated by her loss. I loved the glimpses of their life together that the flashbacks provided, and I especially loved Lauren’s letters to Joshua, which were actually quite funny at times and gave him very explicit instructions that she fully expected him to follow, from simple things like go to the grocery store to more challenging tasks like ask a woman out on a date, and because he loved her so much, of course he followed them to the letter.

Pack Up the Moon broke my heart into a million pieces, but at the same time, it gave me hope that there is a way to move forward after tragedy. Keep your tissues handy because this is a story that will make you cry your eyes out, but it will also surprise you with some humorous moments and, most importantly, it will leave you with a full heart because there’s just so much love in the story.

About Kristan Higgins

Kristan Higgins is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of more than a dozen novels. Her books have been honored with dozens of awards and accolades, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, the New York Journal of Books and Romantic Times. She is a two-time winner of the RITA award from Romance Writers of America and a five-time nominee for the Kirkus Prize for best work of fiction. She is happily married to a heroic firefighter and the mother of two fine children.

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YA Reviews: WE CAN’T KEEP MEETING LIKE THIS & TROUBLE GIRLS

June 7, 2021/12 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday all! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We had really nice weather here so I spent a lot of my weekend outside reading. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on two of my weekend reads, We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon and Trouble Girls by Julia Lynn Rubin.

YA Reviews: WE CAN’T KEEP MEETING LIKE THIS & TROUBLE GIRLS

We Can't Keep Meeting Like This Goodreads

Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon

Publication Date: June 8, 2021

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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

We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This is my third time reading Rachel Lynn Solomon and once again she has captured my heart with her relatable storylines and her wonderfully complex characters and their equally complex relationships.

Quinn Berkowitz is headed to college in the fall. She has gotten into a great school but doesn’t seem all that excited about her future. Why? Well, her parents have basically mapped it out for her, from deciding that she will be a business major, choosing her courses for her, and making the assumption that when she graduates, she will join them in their family wedding planning business. Quinn hasn’t corrected them in this assumption because she doesn’t want to hurt their feelings, but it has left her feeling trapped and frustrated. To make matters worse, her longtime crush, Tarek Mansour, is back home after his first year away at college and Quinn doesn’t really want to see him because of an embarrassing confession she made to him when he left for college the previous fall. Avoiding Tarek is pretty much impossible though as his parents run the catering business that Quinn’s parents frequently partner up with for their weddings. So basically Quinn has set herself up for a summer of awkwardness.

I think most readers will find Quinn to be a likable relatable character and will sympathize with the situation she finds herself in. None of us want to disappoint our parents and I know, like Quinn, I would probably put off a difficult and painful conversation like that for as long as I possibly could. Her situation with Tarek is probably going to be equally relatable because there are plenty of us out there who have done embarrassing things in front of someone we were crushing on. Quinn’s situation with Tarek made me especially sympathetic toward her because she has major trust issues when it comes to love and putting herself out there because her parents temporarily separated when she was much younger and that separation really messed with Quinn’s head when she was little and continues to do so to this day because her parents have never talked about it.

Speaking of Tarek though, what a sweetheart this boy is. He’s a hopeless romantic who likes to bake wedding cakes and who loves Sleepless in Seattle. He is the softest of soft boys and it’s clear that he has feelings for Quinn. I was hardcore rooting for him to break through the walls Quinn has put up around her own heart and I really enjoyed watching the ups and downs as their relationship evolved.

As much as I enjoyed the romantic storyline between Quinn and Tarek, Quinn’s journey to figure out her place in this world and the future of her relationship with her parents was what really made We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This such a compelling read for me. 4 STARS

Trouble Girls Goodreads

Author: Julia Lynn Rubin

Publication Date: June 1, 2021

Publisher: Wednesday Books

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

Trouble Girls by Julia Lynn Rubin is a retelling of the popular ’90s film, Thelma and Louise. Rubin puts a fresh and timely spin on this classic film by making it a queer YA retelling that is set in present day during the #MeToo movement.

The story follows Trixie and Lux, two young women who have been best friends forever and who are looking to escape their dead-end little town for a few days. They pack for a weekend getaway and make a pitstop at a college bar on their way out of town. The night goes terribly wrong and in one violent moment, Trixie and Lux’s lives are changed forever.

Just as in the original tale, the author does a wonderful job of painting both women as sympathetic characters. Trixie is an only child who has the huge and often overwhelming responsibility of caring for her mother who is suffering from what appears to be dementia. It’s a huge weight to carry and Trixie is exhausted. Lux also has a less than stellar home life. Her mother is gone, and her overbearing father treats her as if she’s his maid and babysitter. When their one chance to get away and relax and have fun is torpedoed by a pig who can’t keep it in his pants, it’s hard not to root for them when they fight back.

The story becomes an action-packed thrill ride as Trixie and Lux flee west hoping to escape from both the law and the media. The media attention is unexpected as Trixie and Lux find themselves at the center of the #MeToo movement when protesters become aware that their attacker has a track record of similar incidents in his history. There are just as many people cheering the girls on as there are people who want them to pay for what they did.

The writing is taut and sharp, making this a real page turner for me even though I was very familiar with the original Thelma and Louise and could somewhat guess where the story was headed. I do wish it hadn’t followed the original storyline quite so closely, but what did make it a fresh take though was the journey of self-discovery that we get as Trixie and Lux gradually realize they have more than just friendly feelings toward each other. It’s a beautiful and hopeful journey tucked into what is otherwise a pretty dark tale.

If a fresh take on Thelma and Louise sounds like something you would enjoy, I highly recommend Trouble Girls. 3.5 STARS

Reviews: Find You First & House of Hollow

June 3, 2021/19 Comments/by Sharon

Hi everyone! Sharon here with another edition of Thriller Thursday. This week I read a couple of books from authors that are new to me, Linwood Barclay’s Find You First and Krystal Sutherland’s House of Hollow. And I am happy to say these were both amazing reads.

Reviews: Find You First & House of Hollow

Find You First Goodreads

Author: Linwood Barclay

Publication Date: May 4, 2021

Publisher: William Morrow

When Stephen King gives a rave review on a book I just have to check it out, and he hit the nail on the head with Linwood Barclay’s Find You First. This book hit the ground running and kept going through the very last page.

Billionaire Miles Cookson has just been diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. Twenty years ago, Miles donated sperm to a sperm bank, that resulted in nine children. So, Miles has nine children that could possibly have the gene for this disease. After much soul searching Miles decides that he needs to find his “children” to let them know they should be tested, and he has also decided that he is going to leave them an inheritance. Chloe Swanson is one of Miles’ children who is on her own quest to find out who her biological father is. When Miles and Chloe find each other, the excitement is short lived when they find out that Miles’ other children are vanishing, with every trace of them eliminated, almost like they never existed. Could one of the nine have found out about the others and the inheritance and decided they want all of it for themselves? Or is there something more sinister going on?

The book starts off with a bang when one of Miles’ children, Todd, is murdered. Two unknown assailants posing as police officers show up at his door and once inside his house they inject him with some kind of poison that paralyzes him and then eventually kills him. That opening chapter had me like, Woah! Okay, you have my attention. Lol. We then jump back in time 3 weeks to when Miles gets his diagnosis and the story plays out from there.

I really liked Miles. When he found out that his “children” were going missing, he turned into Papa bear. He may not know them, but he was going to do everything in his power to keep them safe.

Chloe was by far my favorite though. She did not take crap from anyone. She may only have been twenty, but she was a very strong woman. She sent her DNA into an ancestry app and found one of her siblings, Todd. Yup the same Todd who was killed in the first chapter. Chloe’s interactions with Todd were bittersweet for me. I was happy that she had connected with her brother and they were getting to know each other, but also sad because I knew what Todd’s fate was. But it was her interaction with Miles that I loved the most. She didn’t care about his money and she didn’t want to know if she had the gene for this disease. She just wanted to get to know her dad. And when he experienced symptoms of his disease, she showed such care and compassion for him. They really clicked and worked well together.

This book was a wild ride full of twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I don’t want to say anything else about what was happening because that will just spoil things. But I will say, I was very happy with the ending, it left me with a smile on my face. This was my first book by Linwood Barclay, but it will not be my last. 4 ½ stars

House of Hollow Goodreads

Author: Krystal Sutherland

Publication Date: April 6, 2021

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

I have never read anything by Krystal Sutherland, but when I saw the book cover for House of Hollow I knew I was going to have to read this book. And I am so glad I did because this book was as awesome as the cover is. This is a dark and twisted read that I devoured in a few days.

Ten years ago the Hollow sisters (Grey, Vivi, and Iris) vanished. Their parents took their eyes off them for two seconds and they were just gone. One month later they mysteriously reappeared on the same street from which they vanished with no memory of where they were or what happened to them. Their once blue eyes are now black, their dark hair is now almost white and they each have a scar in the shape of a half moon on the base of their neck. They also have the ability to make other people do what they want with a simple touch or kiss on the lips. What happened to the Hollow sisters and why did they come back changed? The answer to those questions makes for a terrifying, dark and at times grotesque story. Just the kind I love.

House of Hollow is told from the POV of Iris. Iris is now seventeen and since returning she has just been trying to lead a normal life. But when Grey goes missing, Iris and Vivi will do whatever they have to to find Grey and bring her home safe. I loved the bond the Hollow sisters had. Grey was the protector and when I say protector, I mean don’t mess with her younger sisters because you will not like what Grey will do. One example is when a girl in Iris’ school was bullying Iris, Grey used her ability to make this girl stand up in front of the whole school during an assembly and shave off her long dark hair. Yup Don’t mess with the sisters, got it lol.

To find their sister, Iris and Vivi must follow the clues that Grey left behind. One of the clues takes them to Grey’s apartment and while they are searching for clues as to where Grey could be, a dead body that has white flowers growing out of its eyes and covering most of the body, falls from the closet. They are also being stalked by a man wearing a Bull head. ‘Cause you know, no thriller would be complete without a character walking around with a bull head on, trying to kill the main characters. LOL! I actually loved the eeriness that this character brought to the book.

A secondary character I really liked was Grey’s boyfriend, Tyler. He has some great one liners that often gave me a chuckle during some tense moments, and I loved how he called Iris “Little Hollow”. He was just a great addition to round out a great group of characters.

I really liked how Krystal Sutherland slowly revealed what happened to Grey, as well as what happened to the Hollow sisters 10 years ago. As each layer was pulled back, the tension and suspense just increased to an ending that had my jaw dropping as well as wanting more. With that ending, I really hope there is a sequel to this book. 4 ½ stars

Be forewarned though, there are some grotesque moments in this book. I even shivered and crinkled my face at some of it, and it usually takes a lot to gross me out, lol.

Reviews: MALIBU RISING & THE INVISIBLE HUSBAND OF FRICK ISLAND

May 31, 2021/28 Comments/by Suzanne

Sorry I disappeared off the blogosphere for a few days but man, it has been a week. We are short-staffed at work, as usual, so the universe decided this would be a great week for a trip to the ER with my son, followed by a fender bender this weekend when a teen driver decided to plow into the back of my car while we were stopped at a traffic light. We’re all fine thankfully, but if the universe could cut me a break for a bit, that would be fantastic. Anyway, my life drama aside, I do have two reviews to share today, one for Malibu Rising, one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and one for The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, which I was drawn to because of the island setting. When I read the synopsis, it reminded me of a little island off the coast of Virginia called Tangier Island and being from Virginia, I was intrigued.

Reviews: MALIBU RISING & THE INVISIBLE HUSBAND OF FRICK ISLAND

Malibu Rising Goodreads

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publication Date: June 1, 2021

Publisher: Ballantine Books

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

Taylor Jenkins Reid became one of my favorite authors after I fell in love with her most recent novels, Daisy Jones & the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Her masterful storytelling and her ability to bring unforgettable characters to life just really won me over, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of her new novel, Malibu Rising.

Malibu Rising is a story of love and loss, secrets and betrayals, and at the heart of it all is the Riva family, the parents Mick and June, and the four Riva children, Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit. Those familiar with TJR’s books will probably recognize Mick Riva, who appears in the Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo novels. Mick is an iconic musician who can’t seem to break the cycle of infidelity that he falls into the moment he becomes successful as a musician. He waltzes in and out of June and their kids’ lives, leaving wreckage in his wake each time he decides family life isn’t for him. To say the Rivas are a dysfunctional family is probably putting it mildly.

Malibu Rising is told using a dual timeline, which I’m always a fan of if it’s done well, and TJR uses it effectively here to peel back the layers on the Riva family. One timeline is set in the past which explores Mick and June Riva’s life together, showing how they met and the dramatic ups and downs of their relationship and how it impacted their young children. The second timeline is set in the 1980s and focuses on the Riva children, Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit, who are all adults now and are experiencing their own ups and downs.

This family’s journey is a wild and often heartbreaking one and because of that, I loved the modern timeline that shows the kids all grown up and trying to make their way in the world. I loved how tight their sibling bond has grown over the years, probably because they could only rely on each other. Nina, the eldest, was a particular favorite of mine in that she sacrificed everything to basically become a mother to her younger siblings. Their lives are full of ups and downs as well, but they are all there for each other in ways their parents weren’t there for them.

The only part of the novel I didn’t enjoy was actually the big end-of-summer party that is the focal point of the story. Yes, it’s most definitely a life-changing event as it brings many issues to a head and turns quite a few lives upside down. At the same time, however, I found it to be somewhat tedious at times. I guess the Hollywood life doesn’t appeal to me and I just got bored reading page after page of celebrity after celebrity showing up and behaving in utterly predictable ways. The drama surrounding the Riva siblings at that party is riveting and everything else just felt like it was in the way.

Even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of the party itself, everything else about the novel made for a very compelling read. If you enjoy family dramas and sibling stories, you’ll enjoy Malibu Rising. 4 STARS.

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island Goodreads

Author: Colleen Oakley

Publication Date: May 25, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

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

Colleen Oakley’s new novel The Invisible Husband of Frick Island is an emotional story about love, loss, and grief and the lengths people will go to in order to help those they love. The story centers on Piper Parrish, a young woman who lives on Frick Island, a tiny island located in the Chesapeake Bay and only accessible by ferry. The Frick Island community, cut off as they are from the mainland, are a tightknit group who look out for each other. When Piper’s husband Tom is lost at sea when his boat capsizes during a terrible storm, the community rallies together to help Piper cope with the loss. It’s the method in which they choose to rally that brings a bit of a whimsical element to the story. When they realize that Piper is hallucinating that Tom is still alive and by her side, the community decides to play along with it and pretend he’s still alive as well. When Anders Caldwell, an aspiring journalist, is sent to the island on assignment, he witnesses Piper and her hallucinations as well as the community going along with it, he can’t believe what he is seeing and decides he needs to investigate it further. He thinks this is a story that could make his career but has no idea how truly life changing it will end up being.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I especially loved the small town island setting and how they’re all practically one big family. I also loved all the quirky characters who live on the island. They were fun and I immediately liked them all just by virtue of what they were willing to do to keep from breaking Piper’s heart. Piper herself is of course an incredibly sympathetic character because of the loss she has suffered and it’s easy to see why her community loves her so much. I very much enjoyed watching her interact with Anders as he tried to piece together what was motivating the community to go along with Piper’s hallucinations rather than set her straight about Tom’s death. There were times when I wanted to shake him for using Piper’s tragedy to further his career, but he shows tremendous growth in this area as he and Piper grew closer and he starts to realize his own mistakes.

My only real issue with The Invisible Husband of Frick Island is that it felt a little slow at times. As much as I enjoyed it, I felt like the story got a little bogged down by Anders’ repetitive ferry rides back and forth to the island. I think I would have preferred either fewer trips or maybe less description of them each time.

If you enjoy small town settings, quirky characters, and reading about the things we do for love, you’ll want to check out The Invisible Husband of Frick Island. 3.5 STARS.

Book Reviews: The Road Trip, One Last Stop, & Playing the Palace

May 24, 2021/26 Comments/by Suzanne

It’s hard to believe that summer is already almost upon us, but here we are nearly finished with the month of May already. One of the many wonderful things to look forward to about summer are the fantastic romance books that will be soon be hitting the shelves. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on three more books that I read recently and really enjoyed.

Book Reviews: The Road Trip, One Last Stop, & Playing the Palace

The Road Trip Goodreads

Author: Beth O’Leary

Publication Date: June 1, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

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

Beth O’Leary’s new novel The Road Trip hilariously combines a second chance romance with what might actually be the worst road trip ever. The story follows Addie and Dylan, who broke up two years ago and haven’t spoken to each other since but find themselves traveling to attend the same wedding. Addie is traveling with her sister, Deb, and some random, socially awkward guy named Rodney who needed a ride to the wedding. As if that isn’t awkward enough for an 8 hour car ride, almost as soon as they start out on their trip, their car is rammed from behind in traffic by none other than Dylan and his best friend, Maurice. It’s an accident of course, but Dylan and Maurice’s car is totaled. Addie and Deb reluctantly agree to give Dylan and Maurice a ride and all five adults pile into Deb’s mini Cooper and off they go!

This was a fun and quick read for me. The road trip itself was a highly entertaining comedy of errors where truly everything that could possibly go wrong did, and I loved the way the author structures the story into Now and Then timelines. The Now timeline is where all of the hilarity takes place, while the Then chapters gradually reveals the backstory between Addie and Dylan, how they met and fell in love and of course what happened to drive them apart as well as the role Maurice plays in their breakup.

The road trip is messy, and Addie and Dylan’s history is equally messy, but I couldn’t help but root for them to somehow find their way back to each other through all of the awkwardness. I won’t say that I was quite as attached to Addie and Dylan as I was to the characters in O’Leary’s last two books, The Flatshare and The Switch, but I still liked them both and thought they belonged together. I also really enjoyed the secondary cast of characters, especially Addie’s sister, Deb. Maurice was the character I loved to hate, although he grew on me over time, while Rodney might have been the biggest surprise of them all. No spoilers but keep your eye on that guy!

If you enjoy road trip stories and second chance romances, you’re going to want to add Beth O’Leary’s The Road Trip to your list of must-reads. 4 STARS.

One Last Stop Goodreads

Author: Casey McQuiston

Publication Date: June 1, 2021

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

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

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is one of my favorite reads of 2021 so far. The protagonist of the story is 23-year old August, who has moved to New York City because she has become cynical about everything to do with her life and feels like New York is the perfect place for her to embrace her cynicism and go through life alone. August’s new roommates, however, have other ideas. They help her find a job, show her everything that is wonderful about New York, and basically adopt her into their little found family and it’s the cutest thing ever. Think “Friends” but with a much more diverse cast, including a drag queen who lives across the hall and a lovable extended family at the 24-hour pancake diner where August ends up working.

August is also taking college courses and encounters a young woman named Jane on the subway one morning when she spills coffee all over herself and Jane comes to her rescue. August is attracted to Jane right away and it seems like Jane feels the same way. They meet on the train every morning and evening and grow closer with each encounter. August even starts thinking that maybe she doesn’t want to be alone after all and decides to ask Jane out. Every time August asks Jane to go out, Jane tells her she can’t come. August is confused by the mixed signals Jane is sending until she finally figures out that something very strange is going on. Jane has somehow been displaced in time from the 1970s and is trapped on the subway line. She can’t go out with August because she’s literally stuck on the train. August loves Jane and is determined to figure out how to set her free, even if it means sending her back to her own timeline and never seeing her again and she calls on her roommates to help.

I don’t want to give anything away about how this all plays out, but wow, I just fell so hard for this entire lovable, quirky cast of characters and I also loved how unique the overall premise of the story is. Sometimes magical realism doesn’t work for me, but I thought McQuiston used it perfectly here. It was like Quantum Leap with a side of romance set in the subway. One Last Stop is such a refreshing and original read and I just loved every page of it. 4.5 STARS

Playing the Palace Goodreads

Author: Paul Rudnick

Publication Date: May 25, 2021

Publisher: Berkley Books

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

I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much while reading a book, but Paul Rudnick’s new romantic comedy Playing the Palace delivers nonstop laughs and kept me entertained from cover to cover. The story follows Carter Ogden, who is an event planner and an adorable hot mess whose number one skill is self-sabotage. When Carter meets Edgar, the openly gay Prince of England, their attraction is immediate and the two men decide to get to know each other better. They try to keep it lowkey with little pancake dates at the local IHOP, but it doesn’t take long for the media to figure things out and to go looking for trouble. The more nervous Carter gets about the fact that he is dating a Prince, the more his self-sabotage skills kick into high gear, resulting in one embarrassing incident after another, much to his dismay as well as that of the Royal Family.

I was invested in Carter and Edgar’s relationship from that first meeting and really wanted Carter to get his act together, although his blunders did make for hilarious reading. I also loved his encounters with Edgar’s Nana (a.k.a. the Queen of England). She gives Carter a hard time but he gives it right back to her and they are actually quite hilarious together. Add in Carter’s loud and lovable Jewish family, in particular his sister Abby who is just the absolute best, and his Aunt Miriam, who practically becomes bffs with the Queen, and the story really is just one big barrel of fun.

If you’re in the mood for a romantic comedy that is truly laugh out loud funny, Playing the Palace is the book for you. 4 STARS