Goodreads

Release date: December 1, 2020

Publisher: Delacorte

Genre: YA

Blurb:

It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer. She’s headed off to the college of her dreams. She’s going to prom with the boy she’s had a crush on since middle school. Her best friend always has her back, and her mom, a B-list Hollywood celebrity, may finally be on her way to the B+ list. It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer–at least, it was, until the FBI came knocking on her front door, guns at the ready, and her future went up in smoke. Now her mother is under arrest in a massive college admissions bribery scandal. Chloe, too, might be facing charges, and even time behind bars. The public is furious, the press is rabid, and the US attorney is out for blood.

As she loses everything she’s long taken for granted, Chloe must reckon not only with the truth of what happened, but also with the examination of her own guilt. Why did her parents think the only way for her to succeed was to cheat for her? What did she know, and when did she know it? And perhaps most importantly, what does it mean to be complicit?

Review:

Talk about a timely, thought provoking, incredibly relevant book! I think we’re all aware of the recent college admissions scandal and this book was basically ripped straight from the headlines. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s just a gossipy read because it’s much more than that and takes a deeper look at several issues that I wasn’t expecting it to.

The family portrayed in this book are not likable at all, but they’re incredibly realistic and very well drawn. Chloe herself struggles with so many issues stemming from the scandal, including doubting her self worth, her own culpability and examining her own privileges that she’s always known existed, but to what extent? And at the cost of who exactly? See, she didn’t totally know what her parents were up to in the time leading up to her testing and application process. But she also didn’t totally not know. It flips back and forth between the lead up to her moms arrest and the days and months afterwards and it slowly tells the tale of a mother who will ignore her own morals, rules and any boundary in her way to get what she wants for her daughter. It also really examines Chloe’s behavior and the author doesn’t hold back at all. Chloe’s best friend, Shola is Black and attends their high school on a scholarship and with the backstory unraveling it’s quite clear just how privileged Chloe is and how unaware she is of her huge leg up in life. There are also several instances where she uses racial micro aggressions and I thought the author really handled it in an honest and true to life way. Overall this was a sobering read and one that really made me think, Chloe was an extremely messy character who fascinated me and the whole book definitely had me invested throughout. Highly recommended by me!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 18, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: The Hunting Wives share more than target practice, martinis, and bad behavior in this novel of obsession, seduction, and murder.

Sophie O’Neill left behind an envy-inspiring career and the stressful, competitive life of big-city Chicago to settle down with her husband and young son in a small Texas town. It seems like the perfect life with a beautiful home in an idyllic rural community. But Sophie soon realizes that life is now too quiet, and she’s feeling bored and restless.

Then she meets Margot Banks, an alluring socialite who is part of an elite clique secretly known as the Hunting Wives. Sophie finds herself completely drawn to Margot and swept into her mysterious world of late-night target practice and dangerous partying. As Sophie’s curiosity gives way to full-blown obsession, she slips farther away from the safety of her family and deeper into this nest of vipers.

When the body of a teenage girl is discovered in the woods where the Hunting Wives meet, Sophie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and her life spiraling out of control.

Review:

First off I have to apologize for my super early review but I couldn’t resist starting this one almost as soon as I got it in my hands. And then I figured I would read it earlier than I have any business doing but hold off on posting my review until, oh I don’t know maybe two months early instead of six 🤣 But as soon as I finished this one I knew I had to get it on everyone’s radar because I predict this one will be huge and I highly recommend getting a preorder in!

I feel like this is the thriller I’ve been waiting for, it felt so fresh and exciting and not just the same old overdone story with slightly different changes from ever other thriller out there. If you’re a fan of the Real Housewives this is a must. It had that same gossipy, scandalous feel but it was way sharper and smarter than any episode of RH. Add in a murder to the mix of housewives behaving badly and seriously, what more could you want?! This was also incredibly sexy and naughty to the point that I had no idea what the characters would do next. This was WILD y’all, between the questionable choices the characters continuously made and a twisty and tightly wound plot I was obsessed with this one from the first page to the last. Highly recommended by me if you can’t tell 😉

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: December 29, 2020

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: Debut author Darby Kane thrills with this twisty domestic suspense novel that asks one central question: shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead?

Lila Ridgefield lives in an idyllic college town, but not everything is what it seems. Lila isn’t what she seems. A student vanished months ago. Now, Lila’s husband, Aaron, is also missing. At first these cases are treated as horrible coincidences until it’s discovered the student is really the third of three unexplained disappearances over the last few years. The police are desperate to find the connection, if there even is one. Little do they know they might be stumbling over only part of the truth….

With the small town in an uproar, everyone is worried about the whereabouts of their beloved high school teacher. Everyone except Lila, his wife. She’s definitely confused about her missing husband but only because she was the last person to see his body, and now it’s gone.

Review:

I’ve had an on and off again relationship with thrillers for the last year or so but when I read the description for this one I was immediately sucked in. A missing husband is nothing new but a wife who is panicked not because her spouse is dead, but because his body isn’t where she left it reeled me right in. I’m so happy to say that this reignited my love of the genre because it was a really strong debut and one of those rare thrillers that hooked me from the first page to the last.

This is one with a super tricky plot with plenty of twists and turns so discussing it in any detail is difficult. In fact it’s so incredibly twisty you will need to suspend disbelief a few times in order to truly enjoy the reading experience, but if you’re able to just go with it, you’ll have one hell of a wild ride. It had a really strong ending, a powerful opening chapter and the middle was great too so overall an excellent thriller that was just a lot of fun.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Release date: September 29, 2020

Publisher: Forever

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb: Pine Hollow has everything Ally Gilmore could wish for in a holiday break: gently falling snow in a charming small town and time with her family. Then she learns some Grinch has pulled the funding for her family’s rescue shelter, and now she has only four weeks to find new homes for a dozen dogs! But when she confronts her Scroogey councilman nemesis, Ally finds he’s far more reasonable — and handsome — than she ever expected.

As the guardian of his dog-obsessed ten-year-old niece, Ben West doesn’t have time to build a cuddly reputation. But he does feel guilty about the shelter closing. So he proposes a truce with Ally, agreeing to help her adopt out the pups. As the two spend more time together, the town’s gossip is spreading faster than Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. And soon Ben is hoping he can convince Ally that Pine Hollow is her home for the holidays… and the whole year through.

Review:

I read this back in September but waited to post my thoughts until now, mostly because I think it may be the most perfect holiday romance EVER and I wanted to wait until a little closer to Christmas so it didn’t fly under your radar. It has everything I want in a holiday read and more, it’s warm and cozy and set in the cutest little town, it has a menagerie of sweet and zany dogs, there’s a single dad type trope, and a wonderful supporting cast of characters too! See, everything you could want!!

This was such a magical read, it really brought the Christmas spirit alive for me. Hell, it had me wanting to decorate for Christmas in mid September so it definitely will put you in a holiday state of mind. The romance aspect was adorable and tender and gave me all the warm fuzzies. If you read one holiday romance this year make it this one, I don’t think you’ll regret it!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: October 20, 2020

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Twin sisters Iris and Summer are startlingly alike, but beyond what the eye can see lies a darkness that sets them apart. Cynical and insecure, Iris has long been envious of Summer’s seemingly never-ending good fortune, including her perfect husband Adam.

Called to Thailand to help her sister sail the family yacht to the Seychelles, Iris nurtures her own secret hopes for what might happen on the journey. But when she unexpectedly finds herself alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean, everything changes. When she makes it to land, Iris allows herself to be swept up by Adam, who assumes that she is Summer.

Iris recklessly goes along with his mistake. Not only does she finally have the golden life she’s always envied, with her sister gone, she’s one step closer to the hundred-million-dollar inheritance left by her manipulative father. All Iris has to do is be the first of his seven children to produce an heir.

Iris’s “new” life lurches between glamorous dream and paranoid nightmare. On the edge of being exposed, how far will she go to ensure no one discovers the truth?

And just what did happen to Summer on the yacht?

Only Iris knows . . .

Review:

This one reminded me of a juicy soap opera with dramatic twists and over the top behavior of the characters. I don’t say that as a dig, I was a fan of The Young and the Restless for years, that’s just the vibe I got the entire time I was reading this. It had that same addictive quality and I kinda love nothing more than people behaving badly. It had a darkness to it that I also really liked, and is there anything more juicy than family members fighting over money?

This has a great and unique setting, a good portion of this is set on a yacht and I’ll just say I have no plans to sail anytime soon after finishing this. So besides it being atmospheric, it also kept me on my toes as you never know what exactly to believe. The ending was very strong if a tad bit over the top, but overall this was one of those fun thrillers! Recommended as one go binge in a weekend.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.