Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 31, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

When twin sisters Rose and Bel Enright enroll in The Odell School, a prestigious New Hampshire boarding school, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. But the sisters could not be more different. The school brings out a rivalry between them that few ever knew existed. And the school itself has a dark underbelly: of privileged kids running unchecked and uninhibited; of rituals and traditions that are more sinister than they seem; of wealth and entitlement that can only lead to disaster.

For Sarah Donovan, wife of an ambitious teacher who is determined to rise through the ranks, Odell also seems like the best thing that could happen to their small family. But how well does she really know her husband? What lengths will he go to to achieve his goals? And when one dark night ends in murder, who is guilty, who knows the truth, and who has been in on it all along? SHE WAS THE QUIET ONE. Because murderers are almost never who you expect.

Review:

I have to point out how much I love Campbell’s titles, It’s Always the Husband is so clever and this one is pretty smart as well! In an over saturated market things like a strong title always stand out from the crowd and after reading both of her books I can now say that there’s much more to her books than an eye catching title. They’re of the slow building, character driven variety but they sure pack a punch in the end.

This is told from various viewpoints, you have sisters Bel and Rose as well as Sarah, who is married to a young, handsome and charismatic teacher. The blend of two teenaged viewpoints and one adult gave this a YA vibe in a really good way. Campbell nailed the voices of both teenaged girls just trying to get through high school and a young wife and mom trying to keep multiple plates spinning while being scrutinized by an entire campus.

Once again this isn’t a fast paced, twisty, edge of your seat thriller but the ending was ultimately satisfying and it still managed to read like a fun page turning mystery with a heavy emphasis on character development and the bond between sisters. Twin sisters are always interesting and when you’re never sure how they really feel about each other it’s just double the fun 😜

She Was the Quiet One in three words: Simmering, Enthralling and Intelligent.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: August 7, 2018

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

In her latest captivating novel, nationally bestselling author Fiona Davis takes readers into the glamorous lost art school within Grand Central Terminal, where two very different women, fifty years apart, strive to make their mark on a world set against them.

For the nearly nine million people who live in New York City, Grand Central Terminal is a crown jewel, a masterpiece of design. But for Clara Darden and Virginia Clay, it represents something quite different.

For Clara, the terminal is the stepping stone to her future, which she is certain will shine as the brightly as the constellations on the main concourse ceiling. It is 1928, and twenty-five-year-old Clara is teaching at the lauded Grand Central School of Art. A talented illustrator, she has dreams of creating cover art for Vogue, but not even the prestige of the school can override the public’s disdain for a “woman artist.” Brash, fiery, confident, and single-minded–even while juggling the affections of two men, a wealthy would-be poet and a brilliant experimental painter–Clara is determined to achieve every creative success. But she and her bohemian friends have no idea that they’ll soon be blindsided by the looming Great Depression, an insatiable monster with the power to destroy the entire art scene. And even poverty and hunger will do little to prepare Clara for the greater tragedy yet to come.

Nearly fifty years later, in 1974, the terminal has declined almost as sharply as Virginia Clay’s life. Full of grime and danger, from the smoke-blackened ceiling to the pickpockets and drug dealers who roam the floor, Grand Central is at the center of a fierce lawsuit: Is the once-grand building a landmark to be preserved, or a cancer to be demolished? For Virginia, it is simply her last resort. Recently divorced, she has just accepted a job in the information booth in order to support herself and her college-age daughter, Ruby. But when Virginia stumbles upon an abandoned art school within the terminal and discovers a striking watercolor hidden under the dust, her eyes are opened to the elegance beneath the decay. She embarks on a quest to find the artist of the unsigned masterpiece–an impassioned chase that draws Virginia not only into the battle to save Grand Central but deep into the mystery of Clara Darden, the famed 1920s illustrator who disappeared from history in 1931.

Review:

Fiona Davis was one of the first HF authors I read and enjoyed, I loved both The Dollhouse and The Address and have been super excited about The Masterpiece. Davis has honed a keen ability to write dazzling stories about NYC, she really brings the city to life and truly sweeps you away to a different time and place.

This is told via a dual narrative flipping from the 1920s where Clara is a young artist trying to break in to a world where men rule and then Virginia in the 1970s as she also faces obstacles in a male dominated society. I adored both of these strong, female characters, even being fifty years apart they faced many of the same issues and had similar struggles and were both so brave and determined. Though their narratives both seemed connected in a loose manner I never guessed just how cleverly Davis would weave their tales together.

The rich and vibrant history of Grand Central Terminal was absolutely fascinating to me, I had no idea that at one time it was almost torn down! Besides the interesting bits of history you have some romance and even a mystery, a little bit of everything for everyone. HF will love this one and if you’re new to the genre Davis is a great author to start with, she’s fabulous!

The Masterpiece in the words: Dazzling, Captivating and Impassioned.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 7, 2018

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

On a bright January morning in the London suburbs, a family moves into the house they’ve just bought in Trinity Avenue.

Nothing strange about that. Except it is your house. And you didn’t sell it.

When Fiona Lawson comes home to find strangers moving into her house, she’s sure there’s been a mistake. She and her estranged husband, Bram, have a modern co-parenting arrangement: bird’s nest custody, where each parent spends a few nights a week with their two sons at the prized family home to maintain stability for their children. But the system built to protect their family ends up putting them in terrible jeopardy. In a domino effect of crimes and misdemeanors, the nest comes tumbling down.

Now Bram has disappeared and so have Fiona’s children. As events spiral well beyond her control, Fiona will discover just how many lies her husband was weaving and how little they truly knew each other. But Bram’s not the only one with things to hide, and some secrets are best kept to oneself, safe as houses.

Review:

The premise of this one captured my attention immediately, I can’t even imagine coming home and seeing another family living in my house, so crazy! As implausible as it sounds Candlish did a fantastic job at giving weight to such a preposterous idea, so much so that I kept wondering if it could happen to me.

The structure of this was really well done, it goes back and forth between the day Fiona realizes that strangers are occupying her home and then snippets from a podcast called The Victim where she appears after the incident. It also has a journal style narrative from Bram’s point of view going back months and laying the groundwork for what is to come. The style kept me really engaged and eager to see how what had happened in the past had such a devastating effect on the Lawson family in the end.

This was a slow burn, it’s on the longer side for a psychological thriller and the chapters are also fairly long. The pacing is more subtle than fast and furious but I remained engrossed and I think the unique structure helped to keep me interested. I think this will be on many lists for recommended summer reads and I can really see why, it has a truly original plot, some great twists and is extremely well written, Candlish has a nuanced style that had an air of sophistication that isn’t always found in thrillers and was really a breathe of fresh air.

Our House in three words: Original, Engaging and Secretive.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 24, 2018

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Thriller

Blurb:

Alvie Knightly is back . . . and she’s hungover.

When Alvie discovers that her hit man boyfriend has driven off with the Lamborghini and two million euros, she does what any heartbroken, deserted, amateur assassin would do–she drinks everything in the minibar and trashes her hotel room. And then she gets to work.

A perilous cat-and-mouse game takes the pair across Rome, leaving a trail of collateral damage in their wake. But as she wholeheartedly embraces her dark side, Alvie will have to figure out if Nino is her nemesis . . . or the only man bad enough to handle her.

Review:

This is the second book in a trilogy, I didn’t have a chance to read the first book, but no worries because Alvie begins by swiftly highlighting what happened so I was all caught up within a few pages. Right from the start you know that you’re not dealing with your typical thriller protagonist, Alvie is the type of character you’ll either love or hate, but whatever side of the fence you fall on on, you won’t soon forget her.

I have to expand on Alvie, she is SUCH a hot mess, seriously a train wreck I could not read about her madcap adventures fast enough. She’s brash, vulgar and insane and I loved every bit of her crude commentary and bold moves. Her inner monologue slayed me and the pacing was brisk and full of nonstop action and over the top scenes. There is some sexually explicit content throughout, its pretty in your face and unapologetic so be warned.

This would make a great summer movie, I could easily see this playing out on the big screen and I just know a movie would be just as much fun as the book. This was sharply funny, Alvie has a biting wit and takes no prisoners, grab this if you want something wholly unique, just know it’s not for those easily offended by outrageous behavior.

Bad in three words: Sexy, Fast and Outrageous.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: August 21, 2018

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all?

Andrea Cooper knows everything about her mother Laura. She knows she’s spent her whole life in the small town of Gullaway Island; she knows she’s never had any more ambition than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she’s never kept a secret in her life.

But one day, a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura.

Twenty-four hours later, Laura is in hospital, shot by an intruder who’s spent thirty years trying to track her down. Now, Andrea must go on a desperate journey to follow the breadcrumbs of her mother’s past. If she can’t uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either of them.

Review:

Most of you already know that I’m a huge fan of Karin Slaughter, I’ve read all of her books and think she’s the queen of crime, one of the best writers around, so every year I’m always very excited to read her latest book. While I wasn’t disappointed with this one it is vastly different from her other books and not at all what I was expecting, so heads up to the #SlaughterSquad!

While there were several of the components in this book that I’ve come to expect from Slaughter the plot itself differed from her other work. It follows two timelines, one in the present day as Andy is thrust down a dark path after a shocking incident that exposes things about her mother, Laura that she never expected to see. It flips back to the eighties and follows a group of anarchists who are plotting to take down “the system” in order to rebuild in a better way. While I wouldn’t say I was disconnected from the past timeline I was definitely more invested in the current one, I think this may be because it wasn’t a standard case of cop versus killer, more of a group think mentality and how people can be convinced to commit acts they never would otherwise and the psychology behind it. The characterization for both sections was phenomenal as usual, but this book went even deeper into the characters personas than any of her other books and was truly the focus of the whole book.

KS is an outstanding writer and I’ll continue to be her biggest fan but I wanted to make everyone aware that this was missing some of her trademark grit. There definitely were some graphic, visceral scenes and glimpses of what I love about her style of writing, but overall this was a highly character driven novel that explores the complex relationship between a mother and daughter while still very much landing in the thriller genre. This is a book to savor, not one to binge, it’s still dark and full of rich depth and dimension but it definitely marks a slight detour from Slaughter’s previous work.

Pieces of Her in three words: Intricate, Multifaceted and Dangerous.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: August 7, 2018

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Genre: YA/NA

Blurb:

A humorous debut crossover young adult novel about what happens when entering the “real world” means moving back in with your mother, inspired by actress and celebrity Autumn Chiklis’ real life.

Eloise “Lou” Hansen is graduating from Columbia University summa cum laude, and she’s ready to conquer the world. Just a few minor problems: she has no job, no prospects, and she’s moving back into her childhood bedroom. Lou is grimly determined to stick to a rigorous schedule to get a job and get out of her parents’ house. Shelly “Mama Shell” Hansen, on the other hand, is ecstatic, and just as determined to keep her at home. Who else will help her hide her latest binge-shopping purchases from her husband, go to SoulCycle with her, and hold her hand during Botox shots?

Smothered is a hilarious roman à clef told via journal entries, text messages, emails, bills, receipts, tweets, doctor’s prescriptions, job applications and rejections, parking tickets, and pug pictures, chronicling the year that Lou moves back home after college. Told from Lou’s point-of-view, Smothered tells the story of two young(ish) women, just trying to get it right, and learning that just because we all grow up doesn’t mean we necessarily have to grow old. (After all, what is Juvaderm for?)

Review:

I love books written in diary style, it feels so intimate like you’re seeing someone’s innermost thoughts, secrets and desires. Besides journal entities from Lou you also get Facebook messages, texts,?emails and Instagram posts SO fun! The format made for a quick read and made me legit laugh out loud quite a few times.

What made this such an entertaining read was the over the top personalities and behaviors of Lou and her family. Mama Shell is so overbearing and controlling that I had to laugh, some of her actions were so outlandish and out of bounds, poor Lou. Everyone from Lou’s friends to her moms friends were over the top, not super believable but completely engaging and funny!

This isn’t a read to be taken seriously, it’s dramatic and wild but incredibly positive in the end. For a pretty light read Lou did go through some serious changes by the end too, character growth is always appreciated especially when it’s unexpected! Recommended when you need a light, easy and hilarious read that will most likely make you feel better about your own relationship with your mother.

Smothered in three words: Humorous, Light and Outrageous.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 24, 2018

Publisher: Ballantine

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

One out-of-work British actress pays the rent on her New York City apartment the only way she can: as a decoy for a firm of divorce lawyers, hired to entrap straying husbands. When the cops begin investigating one of her targets for murdering his wife–and potentially others–they ask her to lure the suspect into a confession.

But with the actress pretending to be someone she isn’t, differentiating the decoy from the prey becomes impossible–and deadly.

Review:

While I totally loved Delaney’s debut, The Girl Before it had mixed reviews among my Goodreads friends and one of the biggest complaints was that the entire story didn’t seem plausible. I’m generally not bothered by that, I read fiction because the idea of something far fetched happening intrigues me to no end, so I ended up on the love it side of the fence. This time around I wasn’t as pleased, I didn’t actively dislike Believe Me but I definitely did not enjoy it as much as TGB and I think it’ll be another polarizing read.

Claire is a typical psychological thriller narrator, her reliability is questionable and she’s extremely interesting because of it. She’s broke and new to NYC and desperately wants to stay, she has no desire to go back home to London so when she gets an opportunity to make some fast cash as a decoy she happily accepts. I never really liked her as a character but she did fascinate me, her motivation wasn’t clear and she definitely kept me guessing. There was a sense of the same addictive writing style here as in TGB and I definitely was curious about how things would end, but I wasn’t even half as invested which is troubling.

I found the premise to be somewhat believable but the things that followed were outrageous and wild. I really don’t want to spoil anything but everything from the decisions that Claire made to the outlandish directions Delaney took the story left me pretty unsatisfied. It was one of those books that got worse as I got further along instead of better and I just couldn’t muster up any excitement in the end. If you don’t mind suspending all disbelief while reading then maybe this will work better for you though as it is really well written and a pretty fast read.

Overall rating: 2.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 10, 2018

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: YA, Mystery

Blurb:

In the last day of summer, Grace Fairchild, the beautiful young wife of real estate mogul Allister Calloway, vanished from the family’s lake house without a trace, leaving behind her seven-year old daughter, Charlie, and a slew of unanswered questions.

Years later, seventeen-year-old Charlie still struggles with the dark legacy of her family name and the mystery surrounding her mother. Determined to finally let go of the past, she throws herself into life at Knollwood, the prestigious New Englandschool she attends. Charlie quickly becomes friends with Knollwood’s “it” crowd.

Charlie has also been tapped by the A’s—the school’s elite secret society well known for terrorizing the faculty, administration, and their enemies. To become a member of the A’s, Charlie must play The Game, a semester-long, diabolical high-stakes scavenger hunt that will jeopardize her friendships, her reputation, even her place at Knollwood.

As the dark events of past and present converge, Charlie begins to fear that she may not survive the terrible truth about her family, her school, and her own life.

Review:

I have a rocky relationship with YA mystery/thrillers, I actually quit reading them over a year ago because I found the ones I picked up to be predictable and not suitable for an avid reader of thrillers like myself. But as soon as I saw the cover of this I did a double take, it’s stunning! Then I read the description and got a Gossip Girl meets The Skulls vibe so I said, to hell with my self imposed YA thriller ban and added it to my TBR. I’m SO glad that I did, while this most assuredly is a YA novel it had enough depth and maturity to satisfy me and made for the ideal light summer mystery.

This flips between 2017 as Charlie begins her junior year at a prestigious prep school and then goes back in time to the mid nineties and you hear from both her mom and dad as they meet and get married. This was easy to follow along with, all the chapters are labeled clearly and each character had a distinct voice of their own, no confusion to be found. The whole elite, secret society at a boarding school has been done before but the author still managed to keep me engaged as Charlie had to complete a hazing of sorts to be granted admittance to the A’s. At the same time she is starting to look into her moms disappearance and finds out some things about her family that are shocking and disappointing. There was plenty of intrigue surrounding her moms disappearance to keep me interested, dark and long buried secrets and old feuds that Charlie knows nothing about along with a fairly tense current plot about her initiation. It’s also chock full of the type of characters I love to hate, always a bonus for me.

While there is nothing groundbreaking here Klehfoth was a talented enough writer that I was completely wrapped up in the dark history of the Calloway family and it felt like an ultimate guilty pleasure read. I may have figured out a few things before they were revealed but in the end I wasn’t totally right and I had a whole lot of fun along the way, and if I’m entertained when I’m reading I’ll always call that a win!

All These Beautiful Strangers in three words: Manipulative, Dramatic and Polished.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 17, 2018

Publisher: Little Brown

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Kit Owens harbored only modest ambitions for herself when the mysterious Diane Fleming appeared in her high school chemistry class. But Diane’s academic brilliance lit a fire in Kit, and the two developed an unlikely friendship. Until Diane shared a secret that changed everything between them.

More than a decade later, Kit thinks she’s put Diane behind her forever and she’s begun to fulfill the scientific dreams Diane awakened in her. But the past comes roaring back when she discovers that Diane is her competition for a position both women covet, taking part in groundbreaking new research led by their idol. Soon enough, the two former friends find themselves locked in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse that threatens to destroy them both.

Review:

Do you ever have certain authors that you feel like you should like, but just don’t? Let me elaborate, maybe their books sound exactly like the kind that you usually love or their writing is fantastic and their style is totally appealing, but something is missing for you, some little piece of magic that makes you a fan? I’m pretty sure that’s the case with me and Abbott’s books, they never quite satisfy me and I’m pretty sure it’s one of those situations where it’s me and not her.

This follows Kit and Diane Now and Then, the then chapters are back when they first meet in high school and the now are when they both wind up working in the same lab with a highly regarded Dr. Severin. There were several things that I really liked her, the setting primarily being in a science lab was cool and new, these aren’t some amateurs, these are truly skilled scientists trying to break ground in new ways. I also loved the exploration of Kit and Diane’s odd relationship, female friendships can be so toxic and theirs had a great sinister vibe that worked well for me.

My only true complaint, (besides thinking that I’m just not the right reader for Abbott’s style) is that I wasn’t as gripped by this as I had assumed I would be. It took me a fairly long time to finish this and when I’m reading a thriller that I’m super into, you can’t get me to stop reading easily. There was none of that here, which is a shame.

Final thoughts, if you’re a fan of the authors then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one more than me and if you’ve never read her before and are intrigued by the sound of this then check it out for yourself because I have a feeling I’ll be in the minority on this one and giving full credit where it’s due, Abbott is one hell of a writer, she has a razor sharp style that cuts deep.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: June 26, 2018

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

The author of The Fifth Letter takes a laser look at the uneasy relationships between women and the real-world ramifications of online conflicts and social media hostilities in this stunning domestic drama. A story of privilege, unspoken rivalries, and small acts of vengeance with huge repercussions sure to please fans of Sarah Jio and Ruth Ware.

Overwhelmed at the office and reeling from betrayals involving the people she loves, Poppy feels as if her world has tipped sideways. Maybe her colleague, Annalise, is right—Poppy needs to let loose and blow off some steam. What better way to vent than social media?

With Annalise, she creates an invitation-only Facebook group that quickly takes off. Suddenly, Poppy feels like she’s back in control—until someone begins leaking the group’s private posts and stirring up a nasty backlash, shattering her confidence.

Feeling judged by disapproving female colleagues and her own disappointed children, Frankie, too, is careening towards the breaking point. She also knows something shocking about her boss—sensitive knowledge that is tearing her apart.

As things begin to slide disastrously, dangerously out of control, carefully concealed secrets and lies are exposed with devastating consequences—forcing these women to face painful truths about their lives and the things they do to survive.

Review:

I think most of us are are guilty of watching drama unfold online in various groups, I know I sure am and reading this was exactly like having a front row seat at someone else’s virtual cat fight. The mommy wars are nonstop arguing and bickering about how to parent the right way, but what if the fighting was actually not only between the mothers themselves but divided between those who have children and those who actively chose not to? An interesting premise to say the least and one that was rife with backstabbing, betrayals, secrets and lies.

While this was a super light and easy read I did appreciate that the author dove into some relevant issues surrounding womanhood in a unique way. The vast majority of WF seems to highlight women with children or who are desperate to have children and are struggling and while I can definitely relate to those types of characters, it was refreshing to read about the other side of the coin. Having kids is such a deeply personal decision and one that no one should ever be questioned about, so why is it common practice for people to boldly ask women why they made the choice not to have kids? It’s a bit absurd really and this book made me really think about why it’s a fairly common occurrence. I have several friends who don’t have kids and won’t ever and while we’ve had discussions about it I would never dream of interrogating them, or worse yet trying to convince them to change their mind. Imagine a friend trying to tell you not to have more kids, ridiculous right?!

This was a gossipy, fun read with a little intrigue and spice that had me turning pages easily. It was also quick witted and entertaining, it had a very fly on the wall feeling to it, maybe because it included snippets of Facebook posts and messages, but either way it made for one juicy read and one that doesn’t take itself too seriously but also dives a little deeper than the average Chick Lit book.

Those Other Women in three words: Gossipy, Sassy and Amusing.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.