Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: March 1, 2020

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

On the surface, Rachel Marin is an ordinary single mother; on the inside, she’s a fierce, brilliant vigilante. After an unspeakable crime shatters her life, she changes her identity and moves to a small town in Illinois, hoping to spare her children from further trauma…or worse. But crime follows her everywhere.

When the former mayor winds up dead, Rachel can’t help but get involved. Where local detectives see suicide, she sees murder. They resent her for butting in—especially since she’s always one step ahead. But her investigative genius may be her undoing: the deeper she digs, the harder it is to keep her own secrets buried.

Her persistence makes her the target of both the cops and a killer. Meanwhile, the terrifying truth about her past threatens to come to light, and Rachel learns the hard way that she can’t trust anyone. Surrounded by danger, she must keep her steely resolve, protect her family, and stay one step ahead, or else she may become the next victim.

Review:

There’s been a theme in many thrillers over the past few years (especially if the main character is a woman) where she’s delusional and helpless and frankly, I’m beyond sick of reading books with these pathetic women. This book had none of that nonsense, Rachel is the polar opposite of a weak woman, she’s the kind of kickass character that you can not only root for, you can respect her and I couldn’t get enough of her sheer grit and determination.

I was pleasantly surprised that a big aspect of this book focused on police procedure but it was coupled with Rachel’s own story and it was revealed slowly via flashbacks, you know something awful happened but getting to the what takes some time. It build up suspense slowly with that storyline but the other plot line in contradiction was fast paced making for a really engrossing read. Basically if you like domestic suspense AND a police procedural you’ll like this because you get a little bit of both worlds. A super solid start to a new series and finally, a heroine I can enjoy!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Good reads|Amazon

Release date: March 3, 2020

Publisher: Gallery

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Summer has come to Atlantic City but the boardwalk is empty of tourists, the casino lights have dimmed, and two Jane Does are laid out in the marshland behind the Sunset Motel, just west of town. Only one person even knows they’re there.

Meanwhile, Clara, a young boardwalk psychic, struggles to attract clients for the tarot readings that pay her rent. When she begins to experience very real and disturbing visions, she suspects they could be related to the recent cases of women gone missing in town. When Clara meets Lily, an ex-Soho art gallery girl who is working at a desolate casino spa and reeling from a personal tragedy, she thinks Lily may be able to help her. But Lily has her own demons to face. If they can put the pieces together in time, they may save another lost girl—so long as their efforts don’t attract perilous attention first. Can they break the ill-fated cycle, or will they join the other victims?

Evocative, eerie, and compelling, Please See Us is a fast-paced psychological thriller that explores the intersection of womanhood, power, and violence. 

Review:

I had very high hopes for this one, maybe a little too high if I’m honest and while this wasn’t a bad book by any means, it didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s very slow paced and while I was initially interested in how things would play out, I also found it to be slightly disjointed. It switches between a few viewpoints and while I appreciate multiple narrators, it felt choppy for me.

One thing that really kept me reading despite my issues was the authors gorgeous writing, she’s really talented and her sense of place was amazing. This one is bleak y’all, and not just in terms of the plot, it’s atmospheric and incredibly well written with a strong sense of despondency throughout every component. If you’re going to give this one a try I recommend taking your time with it, definitely not one to race through, and be prepared for a more subtle style of suspense.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: February 25, 2020

Publisher: Forever

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Firefighter Luke Marini moved to the small town of Sweetwater Springs with the highest of hopes – new town, new job, and new neighbors who know nothing of his past. And that’s just how he wants to keep it. But it’s nearly impossible when the gorgeous brunette next door decides to be the neighborhood welcome wagon. She’s sugar, spice, and everything nice – but getting close to someone again is playing with fire. 

Brenna McConnell put college on hold to raise her little sister. Now that Eve is grown, Brenna is ready to leave Blueberry Creek and finish what she started. Moving on isn’t easy, however, when her gruff new neighbor gives Eve a dangerous firefighting job. And yet, even as Brenna is telling him off for putting her sister in harm’s way, she can’t deny the sizzling chemistry between them. She put her dreams on hold once. Is she willing to make that sacrifice again for a chance at forever?

Review:

This is the fourth book in the Sweetwater Springs series and this lives up to it’s name, it doesn’t get any sweeter than this! You can definitely read this on it’s own but after four books I’ve become really attached to the residents of this adorable town and really believe I’ve enjoyed this series as much as I have because I’ve read all of the books.

As much as I’ve liked every single book in this series this one was my absolute favorite so far. I say so far because I’m hoping Annie Rains keeps on writing these books for a long time. You know those books that truly provide an escape for you when you read them? The ones where you forget about anything troubling in your own life because you get so caught up in the story and you forget you’re not actually living in a picturesque little town with a hot firefighter as your next door neighbor? Ok, that last part is just me, but what I mean is this was the perfect little escape for me and a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Small town romance fans, this series is not to be missed!

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: February 11, 2020

Publisher: Knopf

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

For more than seven hundred years, the vast, rambling Trelawney Castle in Cornwall–turrets, follies, a room for every day of the year, four miles of corridors and 500,000 acres–was the magnificent and grand “three dimensional calling card” of the earls of Trelawney. By 2008, it is in a complete state of ruin due to the dulled ambition and the financial ineptitude of the twenty-four earls, two world wars, the Wall Street crash, and inheritance taxes. Still: the heir to all of it, Kitto, his wife, Jane, their three children, their dog, Kitto’s ancient parents, and his aunt Tuffy Scott, an entomologist who studies fleas, all manage to live there and keep it going. Four women dominate the story: Jane; Kitto’s sister, Blaze, who left Trelawney and made a killing in finance in London, the wildly beautiful, seductive, and long-ago banished Anastasia and her daughter, Ayesha. When Anastasia sends a letter announcing that her nineteen-year-old daughter, Ayesha, will be coming to stay, the long-estranged Blaze and Jane must band together to take charge of their new visitor–and save the house of Trelawney. But both Blaze and Jane are about to discover that the house itself is really only a very small part of what keeps the family together.

Review:

This isn’t my typical kind of read but there was something so intriguing to me about an aristocratic, dysfunctional family that I decided to take a chance on it. I’m really glad that I did because I found this one to be witty, quirky and entertaining. Sometimes it’s nice to step outside my comfort zone a little and that’s one of my personal reading goals for the year.

This one was really character driven, it focused on the family dynamics and the eccentricities of each family member and they were an odd bunch. It was a little over the top, very satirical and even a little theatrical at times, but I liked that aspect especially since the plot itself almost seemed secondary to the cast of characters as well as the House of Trewlaney. The house was a character all on its own, there was SO much history, and if I’m honest maybe a tiny bit too much for me, but overall I did enjoy this one and the author is a very talented writer.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: February 11, 2020

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Being the second wife can be murder . . .

“Once a cheat, always a cheat,” they say. Marcie Maddox has worked hard to get where she is after the illicit affair that started her new life a few years ago. But her world of country clubs, yachts and sumptuous houses in Savannah, Georgia, isn’t easy to maintain, no matter how hard she tries. Nor is keeping her husband, Jason, truly interested.

So, when Jason’s boss brings home a hot new wife from his trip to London, the young Mrs William Radford IV isn’t quite the souvenir everyone expected. Sexy, drop-dead gorgeous and black—Keisha quickly usurps Marcie’s place as the beautiful second wife. But when Marcie sees the extra spark in the room when Keisha and Jason are together and their obvious, magnetic attraction, the gloves come off.

Revenge is best served cold, but in the steamy Savannah heat, blood runs so hot that this summer it might just boil over into murder. 

Review:

Do you ever read a book and really like the first half and then the second half everything just kind of falls apart? That’s what happened for me here unfortunately, I was definitely interested in the first half and then after that things just got weird and while I like weird stuff sometimes, this time it just didn’t work for me at all. I found it to be predictable and just slightly annoying with a bunch a stuff that felt like it was added in just for the sake of it.

Ok so even though this one wasn’t great for me I do think that a certain type of reader would like this. If you like unlikable characters with secrets and domestic drama, this one has all of that. If you like a strong atmosphere, this one had a great one. (That was actually one of the things that kept me reading) If you are interested in voodoo and black magic, this one had that too. It’s also pretty sexy and a bit tawdry so if that’s your thing, check it out. For me, all of that together was messy and blah and left me disappointed in the end, I wanted more.

Overall rating: 2.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.