Goodreads

Release date: August 4, 2020

Publisher: HQN

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

[ ] Dance till dawn 

Two best friends jump-start their lives in a summer that will change them forever… 

Single mom Ellen Fox couldn’t be more content—until she overhears her son saying he can’t go to his dream college because she needs him too much. If she wants him to live his best life, she has to convince him she’s living hers.

So Unity Leandre, her best friend since forever, creates a list of challenges to push Ellen out of her comfort zone. Unity will complete the list, too, but not because she needs to change. What’s wrong with a thirtysomething widow still sleeping in her late husband’s childhood bed?

The Friendship List begins as a way to make others believe they’re just fine. But somewhere between “wear three-inch heels” and “have sex with a gorgeous guy,” Ellen and Unity discover that life is meant to be lived with joy and abandon, in a story filled with humor, heartache and regrettable tattoos. 

Review:

Susan Mallery has an uncanny knack for writing about female relationships that I’ve never quite found in another author. I’ve read several of her books that focus on sister/sibling relationships and she always nails the dynamics at play between family members. This time around she explores the relationship between two longtime best friends, Ellen and Unity, who are as close as sisters anyway and once again she created wonderful characters that felt so damn real.

Ellen and Unity have both gotten a little too comfortable in their lives lately so they decide to make a list of things to do that will push them outside of their comfort zones. At first, they both start the list not actually for themselves, but Ellen so her teenaged son will realize she’ll be ok when he goes to college and Unity so Ellen isn’t doing it alone and both have no real intention of getting anything meaningful out of the list. But as they spend the summer trying new things (skydiving, tattoos, etc) they both actually start to not only have fun, they learn a few things about each other and themselves. So, an adorable premise with a little something for everyone. Besides the BFF relationship there is some romance with some heat 🔥, plenty of humor and some emotional depth and growth as well. Definitely recommended by me as a super fun summer read.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 25, 2020

Publisher: MIRA

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

You meets Fatal Attraction in this up-all-night psychological thriller about a lonely empty-nester’s growing obsession with a young mother who shares her name.

It all begins on an ordinary fall morning, when Kelly Medina gets a call from her son’s pediatrician to confirm her upcoming “well-baby” appointment. It’s a cruel mistake; her son left for college a year ago, and Kelly has never felt so alone. The receptionist quickly apologizes: there’s another mother in town named Kelly Medina, and she must have gotten their numbers switched.

But Kelly can’t stop thinking about the woman who shares her name. Lives in her same town. Has a son she can still hold, and her whole life ahead of her. She can’t help looking for her: at the grocery store, at the gym, on social media. When Kelly just happens to bump into the single mother outside that pediatrician’s office, it’s simple curiosity getting the better of her.

Their unlikely friendship brings Kelly a renewed sense of purpose, taking care of this young woman and her adorable baby boy. But that friendship quickly turns to obsession, and when one Kelly disappears, well, the other one may know why. 

Review:

The blurb calls this one You meets Fatal Attraction and that is such a great comparison for this one you guys! It has the creepy, stalker vibes of You with a twist and was a perfect popcorn thriller as my friend Abby at Crimebythebook called it. Think pure entertainment with some over the top scenarios and dark enough to satisfy most thriller fans.

While I wouldn’t necessarily call this one twisty, it did have some surprises as well as some parts that were predictable for me. BUT the predictability didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all because the shocks were pretty good on their own. Obsession plays a big role here and half of the fun was following along with Kelly as her obsession caused her life to unravel in front of the readers eyes. It’s definitely an escapist, binge worthy read and definitely perfect to pick up over a weekend and just lose yourself in. Have fun reading about characters that are way crazier than the problems in your own life, that’s exactly what I did 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 18, 2020

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Best friends Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani endure every parent’s nightmare when a tragic accident befalls their teenage boys, leaving one dead, another in a coma, and a third too traumatized to speak.

Reeling from the worst night of their lives, the three mothers plunge into a desperate investigation of the bizarre incident. How could something so horrible happen in their wealthy Southern California suburb?

They soon discover that the accident was just the beginning, and troubling discoveries lead to chilling questions: Do they really know their children? Do they even know each other? As more secrets surface, a fog of doubt and suspicion threatens to poison their families, their friendships, and the whole community.

With the illusion of happiness and safety long gone, these women must now confront the hazards of heartbreak, the consequences of jealousy, and the dangers of living double lives.

Review:

If you’re looking for your next binge worthy thriller look no further because good lord you guys was this one good! It’s highly emotional, dark and disturbing and also incredibly sad and there are several instances where it was even a little hard for me to read, but damn was it great.

You hear from all three women who are best friends and have sons that are also best friends and I’ll admit, at the beginning I had a hard time settling in and keeping everyone straight. They seemed so similar on a surface level that they seemed interchangeable but that feeling soon left as I read more and learned more about the women as individuals. This was a complicated story of grief, loss and so much more but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone by saying any more. I read it fast because it’s one of those books that just grips you tightly and as awful as some of the situations were, I just couldn’t stop reading it. I’m such a fan of this author and think this may be her best book yet, definitely give it a try when you’re in the mood for an addictive read.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: October 6, 2020

Publisher: Gallery

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Goodreads

Release date: August 11, 2020

Publisher: Forever

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Blaire Calloway has planned every Instagram-worthy moment of her cupcake and cocktails shop launch down to the tiniest detail. What she didn’t plan on? Ronan Knight and his old-school sports bar next door opening on the very same day. He may be super swoony, but Blaire hasn’t spent years obsessing over buttercream and bourbon to have him ruin her chance at success.

From axe throwing (his place) to frosting contests (hers), Blaire and Ronan are constantly trying to one-up each other in a battle to win new customers. But with every clash, there’s also an undeniable chemistry. When an even bigger threat to their business comes to town, they’re forced to call a temporary time-out on their own war and work together. And the more time Blaire spends getting to know the real Ronan, the more she wonders if it’s possible to have her cupcake and eat it too. 

Review:

Oh my lord was this one CUTE y’all! If you like baking, enemies to lovers and a slow burn romance this one is a must. It made me feel all the warm and fuzzies and was such a perfect escape for me.

Blaire was downright adorable and quirky to boot, and Ronan was basically her polar opposite. From the moment they meet their banter was hilarious and HH is the queen of creating amazing chemistry between her characters so this one had some heat to it. It does take awhile for their to be any sexy scenes, there’s a lot of buildup before they hookup, but I think the wait was definitely worth it. This was heartfelt and sweet, tons of endearing characters and the most charming and adorable love story I’ve read about in awhile. I adored this sweet couple and was definitely bummed when I finished. Highly recommended by me for romance fans!

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 4, 2020

Publisher: Blackstone

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

At the age of twelve, Eve Black was the only member of her family to survive an encounter with serial attacker the Nothing Man. Now an adult, she is obsessed with identifying the man who destroyed her life.

Supermarket security guard Jim Doyle has just started reading The Nothing Man–the true-crime memoir Eve has written about her efforts to track down her family’s killer. As he turns each page, his rage grows. Because Jim’s not just interested in reading about the Nothing Man. He is the Nothing Man.

Jim soon beings to realize how dangerously close Eve is getting to the truth. He knows she won’t give up until she finds him. He has no choice but to stop her first …

Review:

After a string of mediocre “thrillers” I had high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint. I’ve had a long fascination with serial killers so the description immediately pulled me in and I also was intrigued by the survivor angle as well. And then the fact that you already know who the killer is made for a tense game of cat and mouse, so basically what I’m saying is I was SOLD!

I’m a big fan of a book within a book, especially if it’s done well and fortunately for me this one was done incredibly well. Jim is reading Eve’s book about his own killings and it unfolded in such a wickedly delicious way, it felt like you were reading a true crime book and a thriller which was pretty damn cool. I don’t wanna discuss the plot anymore but this is a good one y’all, if you like a true page turner that’s clever and fresh don’t miss this!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 4, 2020

Publisher: MIRA

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Daisy and Simon’s marriage isn’t what it seems… 

After years together, the arrival of longed-for daughter Millie sealed everything in place. They’re a happy little family of three.

So what if Simon drinks a bit too much sometimes—Daisy’s used to it. She knows he’s just letting off steam. Until one night at a party things spiral horribly out of control. And their happy little family of three will never be the same again.

In Lies, Lies, Lies, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Adele Parks explores the darkest corners of a relationship in free fall in a mesmerizing tale of marriage and secrets.

Review:

Much like the last book I read from this author you have to go into this with the right expectations in order to enjoy it, in my opinion. While it starts out in a fairly average way, after you get to about the halfway point things take a sharp turn and you definitely need to be able to suspend some disbelief in order to not drive yourself crazy trying to decide if things are actually possible or not. What begins as a look inside Daisy and Simon’s troubled marriage soon takes a really dark turn and things get intense and super dramatic.

Per the title the lies pile up throughout the book and as it flips back and forth between Daisy and Simon it was hard to tell who was lying, maybe both of them? Tons of unreliability and while I did see a few of the many twists coming, there were so dang many that I didn’t because they were WILD. Wild can be fun though and I mostly had a fun experience with this one, but seriously, one of the reveals was so bizarre I had to laugh. If you’ve read this DM me so I can see if you had the same reaction to it as I did please! I’ll definitely read more from the author, she writes pretty entertaining and original, of over the top books.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 28, 2020

Publisher: Kensington

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

A chilling murder in a prestigious prep school is at the heart of this riveting new novel from acclaimed author Charlie Donlea, featuring forensic reconstructionist Rory Moore and her psychologist partner, Lane Phillips.

Inside the walls of Indiana’s elite Westmont Preparatory High School, expectations run high and rules are strictly enforced. But in the woods beyond the manicured campus and playing fields sits an abandoned boarding house that is infamous among Westmont’s students as a late-night hangout. Here, only one rule applies: don’t let your candle go out–unless you want the Man in the Mirror to find you. . . .

One year ago, two students were killed there in a grisly slaughter. The case has since become the focus of a hit podcast, The Suicide House. Though a teacher was convicted of the murders, mysteries and questions remain. The most urgent among them is why so many students who survived that horrific night have returned to the boarding house–to kill themselves.

Rory, an expert in reconstructing cold cases, is working on The Suicide House podcast with Lane, recreating the night of the killings in order to find answers that have eluded the school, the town, and the police. But the more they learn about the troubled students, the chillingly stoic culprit, and a dangerous game gone tragically wrong, the more convinced they become that something sinister is still happening. Inside Westmont Prep, the game hasn’t ended. It thrives on secrecy and silence. And for its players, there may be no way to win–or to survive. . . .

Review:

This is the second in a series and while I’m sure you could jump in here there is quite a bit of backstory, mainly with Rory in the first book so just keep that in mind if you jump in at book two. Also, if you’re a fan of the author you may notice some character crossover here, don’t worry if you haven’t read all of his books, (but you should cause they’re all solid reads) it’s just a nice little treat for longtime readers.

There is a lot going on in this one, a few main plots and then subplots but they all make sense as you keep reading, just know that there’s a few characters to keep track of and it did take me a short time to feel settled into the story. But once I was, I was all in. With so much going on there is no room for boredom which is always appreciated by me and this one was super fast paced and exciting. The flashback chapters to a year ago at Westmont Prep were super atmospheric and had a sinister feel to it as you already know many of the kids will be dead within a year. I loved diving even deeper into Rory and Lane’s characters, they’re both so fascinating and I hope we get more from them. If you enjoy the addition of popular stylistic thrillers like podcasts, etc give this a try it was a tricky mystery and another great read from the author!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.