Goodreads

Release date: July 28, 2020

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Is her new husband hiding something? 

Caught up in a whirlwind romance that starts in sunny Ibiza and leads to the cool corridors of a luxurious English country estate, Poppy barely has time to catch her breath, let alone seriously question if all this is too good to be true. Drew is enamored, devoted, and, okay, a little mysterious—but that’s part of the thrill. What’s the harm in letting his past remain private? 

Maybe he’s not the only one… 

Fortunately, Drew never seems to wonder why his young wife has so readily agreed to their unusual pact to live only in the here and now and not probe their personal histories. Perhaps he assumes, as others do, that she is simply swept up in the intoxication of infatuation and sudden wealth. What’s the harm in letting them believe that? 

How far will they go to keep the past buried? 

Isolated in Drew’s sprawling mansion, Poppy starts to have time to doubt the man she’s married, to wonder what in his past might be so terrible that it can’t be spoken of, to imagine what harm he might be capable of. She doesn’t want this dream to shatter. But Poppy may soon be forced to confront the dark truth that there are sins far more dangerous than the sin of omission… 

Review:

Imagine you make a deal with your future spouse that you guys don’t discuss your past at all. No past relationships, no childhood stories, very little is revealed about your family history, basically you’re starting fresh. Nothing sounds shady about that, right? 😏 This is the pact Drew and Poppy make after their whirlwind romance and right before their marriage and if that seems slightly ridiculous it’s because it is. But sometimes I like ridiculous and over the top and I flew through this wicked story about the past coming back to haunt you.

Of course you know there will be several secrets, I mean come on, why would you want to limit past talk unless you’re hiding something, but while I clearly knew that skeletons would be coming out of the closet, I did enjoy the way things all played out. For the majority of the book it almost felt like a contemporary romance with a dash of darkness and then by the time I got to the end things took a sharp turn to the super dark and twisted. So basically, the end saved it for me and I’m the type of reader that has everything riding on a strong ending. This was oddly fast and entertaining for me, I would hesitate to recommend this as a true thriller as I think it’s more of a light popcorn style thriller at best. Kinda perfect for summer though and can imagine it would be fun to read poolside.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 14, 2020

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

FOURTEEN YEARS BEFORE THE CABIN: Twenty-something Anne meets the man of her dreams right out of college, but after they get married, Anne notices that her husband begins acting differently. Why is Ethan suddenly so moody? And will their marriage endure?

A WEEK BEFORE THE CABIN: Ten years later, Anne and her twelve-year-old daughter, Thea, are safely living in Vermont. Anne is a successful therapist, Thea has friends at her new school, and they receive an endless stream of love, support, and baked goods from Anne’s sweet mom, Rose. When Thea takes to brooding and showing classic signs of teen angst, a trip for the three women to the White Mountains of New Hampshire seems like the perfect chance to bond.

THE CABIN: A man follows the three women on a hike at a nature reserve and drags them at gunpoint to an abandoned cabin in the woods. And just like that their peaceful weekend away turns into a fight for survival. It isn’t clear what this man wants from these women or how he is connected to them if at all, but it is increasingly clear that they won’t all get out of the cabin alive.

SURVIVAL INSTINCTS is a captivating and terrifying novel that brings to life one of the scariest truths of all–that people’s inner monsters come in various forms, some more recognizable than others, and that we are all one random encounter away from tragedy.

Review:

Before I get into my own thoughts about this one I want to address the problematic issues that I didn’t even realize were in the book until after I read my friend Toya’s review Be sure to check her post out, it was eye opening for me for sure. I also want to say that the team at Dutton and the author herself listened to Toya’s concerns and immediately began working on implementing changes. While it was too late to edit the hardcover book, the ebook and audio version will have edits and I have to applaud all parties involved in making said edits. You can also check out this post from the author as well.

I love an emotionally charged thriller and is there anything more fraught with emotion than a mother/daughter relationship? Throw in a scenario where a mom, daughter and grandma are fighting for their lives and you have one hell of a tense situation. This flips between multiple viewpoints and the one from the Man who kidnaps the family were chilling and super fascinating. He clearly had an agenda and a reason for taking them but I couldn’t figure out what that reason was before it was revealed, always a great sign in a thriller for me. This was a really solid read for me, if you like character driven thrillers check this one out!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 14, 2020

Publisher: St. Martin’s

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.

When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good. 

Review:

There are a very select few authors who’s books are pure magic for me and Center is most definitely one of them. There is something in the way that she tells a story that is just really special to me and I think it’s the combination of humor, wit, heart, emotion and fantastic characterization that just knocks it out of the park for me every single time.

This is definitely the kind of book that will make you feel all the feelings, Sam and Duncan both have traumatic events in their past that they’re working through and while there were definitely some heavy issues explored here, the author handles them with grace, sensitivity and humor which is just the best combination ever. They’re the kind of characters that you fall in love with yourself and root for and I was truly sad when I finished and had to say goodbye to them. Highly recommended by me and if you’ve never read a KC book before and love uplifting, funny and warm reads what are you waiting for?!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 14, 2020

Publisher: Flatiron

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Beauregard “Bug” Montage is an honest mechanic, a loving husband, and a hard-working dad. Bug knows there’s no future in the man he used to be: known from the hills of North Carolina to the beaches of Florida as the best wheelman on the East Coast.

He thought he’d left all that behind him, but as his carefully built new life begins to crumble, he finds himself drawn inexorably back into a world of blood and bullets. When a smooth-talking former associate comes calling with a can’t-miss jewelry store heist, Bug feels he has no choice but to get back in the driver’s seat. And Bug is at his best where the scent of gasoline mixes with the smell of fear.

Haunted by the ghost of who he used to be and the father who disappeared when he needed him most, Bug must find a way to navigate this blacktop wasteland…or die trying.

Like Ocean’s Eleven meets Drive, with a Southern noir twist, S. A. Cosby’s Blacktop Wasteland is a searing, operatic story of a man pushed to his limits by poverty, race, and his own former life of crime.

Review:

Ok friends, this one is a MUST read! This is especially true if you’re fan of action packed, dark, gritty, emotionally charged thrillers. The writing is painfully beautiful and evocative and while it’s exciting and bold, it also examines race and poverty through a sharp lens. It’s also highly atmospheric and so well described, it’s basically begging to be made into a movie, I really can’t say enough good things about this one.

Bug is the type of character that is so well crafted you wouldn’t be surprised to see him jump off the pages, hop into a car and drive like the wind. Never before have I read about a character that is more conflicted than he is, he’s a good man who wants what’s best for his family but he has demons, he can’t escape his past and he can’t quite get rid of the feeling that being a getaway driver is what he’s made to do, it’s who he is, it’s in his blood. It’s a constant struggle for him and that’s even before you touch on his struggles as a Black man trying to provide for his family in a world that is constantly pushing him backwards for every step forward he manages to take. His conflicts and issues were so well written they were a tangible thing, at times his pain and brutal honesty took my breath away.

Between the vivid and action packed scenes and the deep and complex characterization of Bug and his family I just couldn’t get enough of this one. If you enjoy dark noir style crime fiction that may break your heart a little one minute and then have you on the edge of your seat in anticipation the next you cannot miss this one!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 14, 2020

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

Dom is having a very bad day—one he literally can’t escape.

When Dom bumps into Mia, his ex-fiancée whom he hasn’t seen in almost a decade, he believes they’ve been given a second chance and asks her out. When Mia dies tragically on their date, Dom makes a desperate wish: to be given the chance to save her life. And when he wakes the next morning to the shock that she’s alive, he thinks his wish may have been granted. But day after day, no matter what he changes about their time together, she still meets a terrible fate.

Dom frantically searches for answers to save his beloved Mia and rekindle their former love. But the further he digs, the more obsessed he becomes, making him realize that slowing down time may be the only way to see things clearly. As he’s forced to confront the truth about himself and those he’s closest to, Dom vows that he’ll watch Mia die a thousand times if it means he can save her once.

Review:

In a time where we all feel like we’re living in the movie Groundhog Day I found an odd comfort in reading about Dom who is truly living the same day over and over again, and friends it’s not the best day for him. If I was feeling a little bit sorry for myself about how repetitive my own days have been feeling this quickly made me grateful that I wasn’t truly stuck in a time loop like Dom and made me count my own blessings just a little bit more.

While the basics of the plot may feel like they’ve been done before I do want to tell you that the authors put their own fresh twist on the concept. This was a departure from their latest few books and I’m once again super impressed by how they manage to come up with original story ideas time and time again. This felt like a combination of contemporary fiction and romantic suspense because the whole time you’re wondering if Dom will be able to save Mia and if so, how?! I’ll quit discussing the plot right here, but I found it to be fun and uplifting in the end. It’s also a super fast one sitting type of read and one that I definitely recommend that you add to your summer TBR.

Overall rating:4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 7, 2020

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance

Blurb:

With her deceased sister’s Route 66 bucket list in hand, California girl Joy Evers sets out on a cross-country road trip to meet up with her fiancé, checking off the bullets along the way.

Singer-songwriter Dylan Westfield has a serious case of wanderlust and a broken-down car. Stuck at a diner between LA and Flagstaff, he meets Joy, his complete opposite. She’s energetic. He’s moody. She’s by the book. He’s spontaneous. She believes in love at first sight. He thinks love is a complicated mess. But Joy has a brand-new convertible.

They strike a deal. She’ll drive him to New York. He’ll pay for gas. Only three rules apply: no exchanging of last names; what happens on the road, stays on the road; and if one of them wants to take a side trip, they both must agree.

A heart-stirring love story that spans a decade, Side Trip explores what-if. What if Joy and Dylan had exchanged last names? What if he’d told her she made him believe love was worth the risk? And what if they hadn’t made that second deal when they couldn’t say goodbye? 

Review:

Who’s ready for a road trip? With vacation plans across the world pretty much cancelled I think we’re all in need of a vacation and going alongside Joy and Dylan for an emotional, unforgettable road trip was the next best thing to taking a trip myself. I’ve followed along and read all of the authors books over the years and this is her best yet!

I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all wondered what if? about many different things in our lives, what if you and your partner never crossed paths? Or what if one small decision changed the course of your life forever and you don’t even realize it? That’s the heart of this book because when Joy and Dylan randomly meet and decide to team up for a road trip they lay some ground rules that include no last names so it makes it near impossible for them to find each other afterwards, what happens on the road trip stays there, but what if one or both of them decides the rules should be broken? This was much more clever than I can accurately convey to you guys, there was a super smart little twist that was a game changer for the whole story and without verging into spoiler territory that’s really all I can say. I definitely appreciated the direction this one took though and can only applaud the author for managing to pull off something unique and pretty magical in the end. Definitely recommended by me, especially if you’re looking for a truly escapist read.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.