Goodreads

Release date: August 16, 2022

Publisher: Minotaur

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Games can be dangerous. But blame can be deadly.

As a psychologist specializing in domestic abuse, Naomi has found it hard to avoid becoming overly invested in her clients’ lives. But after helping Jacob make the decision to leave his wife, Naomi worries that she’s taken things too far. Then Jacob goes missing, and her files on him vanish. . . .

But as the police start asking questions about Jacob, Naomi’s own dark past emerges. And as the truth comes to light, it seems that it’s not just her clients who are in danger.

Review:

I think I’m finally realizing that maybe this authors books are just not for me. I was a huge fan of her debut and then her last few books have been just ok for me. I’ve been waiting for another amazing read from her and instead I end up being underwhelmed and disappointed. Her books always start out strong for me, I’m usually interested and they are definitely fast and addictive reads. But then everything falls apart in the end and that’s unfortunately what happened again with this one. Things just got ridiculous and a lot of the story didn’t make sense. It was either predictable or just downright absurd and I just couldn’t believe it. Definitely would classify this as a popcorn thriller but if you do decide to try it know that’s it out there, dramatic and incredibly over the top.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 12, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Two down-on-their-luck comedians embark on a road tour and find more than a few good laughs on the way.

Olivia Vincent dreams of stand-up comedy stardom. Bustling around a busy Manhattan office by day and hustling from club to club by night, she can’t catch a break. Work is falling through the cracks, and after ditching a major client to make a performance, Olivia gets the boot. 

Determined to pursue her dreams, she snags an audition in Los Angeles for a coveted spot on late-night TV. But the only way to get there is to join Nick Leto, a seasoned stand-up, on a cross-country road tour. She agrees on one condition—no funny business.

Icky comedy condos, tiny smoking nightclubs, and Nick’s incessant classic rock radio are a far cry from life on the Upper East Side. Reality sets in, and Olivia wonders if she can hack it in showbiz or if she’s just a hack. As Nick helps Olivia improve her act along the way, sparks begin to fly and ignite what they thought was an impossible flame. Maybe being stuck with Nick in a Jeep isn’t so bad. As long as it doesn’t get in the way of Olivia’s actual funny business.

Review:

I’ve never read a romance where the main characters are comedians before and that was such a fun angle! It provided a unique backdrop that I’ve never read before too and add in a cross country road trip and I was sold! As much as there is a romance developing between Olivia and Nick it almost felt like it took a backseat to Olivia and her personal growth. That was ok with me because I was invested enough in her anyway, just know this isn’t all that sexy and it’s closed door too, again Nick and Olivia both have to figure their own shit out in order to move forward both professionally and romantically. There were some great pop culture references from the 90’s and before that I loved and plenty of laughs, these two are comics after all! I really enjoyed this one and think if you know what to expect you just might too.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 12, 2022

Publisher: Forge

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Set in the upscale DC private school scene, where silence can easily be bought, Aggie Blum Thompson’s All the Dirty Secretsasks how far you would go to protect your status and your family, and if some secrets should ever be revealed.

One warm summer night twenty-five years ago, Liza Gold and her friends celebrated their high school graduation with a party on the beach. It should have been the best night of their lives, only one of them never came back out of the ocean.

The tragedy haunted Liza Gold for years. Now, she’s a recently divorced working mom struggling to connect with her standoffish teenager daughter Zoe when history repeats itself. Another young woman has drowned at Beach Week, and this time the victim is Zoe’s secret best friend.

Liza begins to suspect that the two deaths are somehow related, which causes her to face hard truths and take an unflinching look at the people she’s called her closest friends for the past two decades. She must discover what really happened to both women before it’s too late.

Review:

As soon as I saw this centered on an elite private school I was already interested and then add in a dual timeline with a past mystery and I was sold. Told in both past and present and mainly from Liza and her daughter Zoe’s viewpoints I was engaged by this, both in the past and the present timelines. The author managed to craft a compelling mystery as well as add in some timely issues that are seen in the news today. The pacing was solid with most of the action happening in the last quarter of the book and while some things were predictable I still found the journey to get to the end to be both enjoyable and pretty gripping.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: June 7, 2022

Publisher: Atria

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

What if you knew exactly when you’d meet the love of your life? Edie Meyer knows. When her Grandma Gloria was a young woman, she had a vision of the exact day she would meet her soul mate—and then Grandpa Ray showed up.

Since then, Gloria has accurately predicted the day every single member of the family has met their match. Edie’s day arrives on June 24, 2022, when she’s twenty-nine years old. She has been waiting for it half her life. That morning, she boards an airplane to her twin sister’s surprise engagement, and when a handsome musician sits beside her, she knows it’s meant to be.

But fate comes with more complications than Edie expected and she can’t fight the nagging suspicion that her perfect guy doesn’t have perfect timing. After a tragedy and a shocking revelation rock Edie’s carefully constructed world, she’s forced to consider whether love chooses us, as simple as destiny, or if we choose it ourselves.

Review:

I was SO into the premise of this one, the whole idea of fate and destiny is always interesting to me and I was excited to see what the author would do with the concept. I was immediately sucked in as it’s Edie’s day and when she meets a guy who seems like he could be the one I was so excited to see what would happen. So I was into it for at least the first half as Edie and Theo begin dating. I adored the relationship Edie had with her family, and especially with her grandparents and I really loved learning about her Jewish culture and heritage. But then things happen, I know that’s vague but I’m trying not to spoil anything and the story completely lost me. The romance elements I was expecting just didn’t pan out to my satisfaction and by the time I finished I was underwhelmed. Overall this was just ok for me in the end, I really liked so much of this but the end part of Edie’s journey just didn’t work for me at all.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: June 21, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

After a decade of silence, Dee and Ben reunite for a road trip they once promised to take. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Dee Matthews is the cohost of the smash-hit podcast Did I Forget To Tell You?, where she interviews family, friends, and past lovers. Nothing is off limits, except for one man (known on the show only as Name Redacted) who happens to be her high school best friend Ben. During their senior year spring break, Dee and Ben took a road trip to visit Ben’s grandma. They buried a time capsule in her backyard, pledging to return in ten years to open it. Then their friendship fell apart in spectacular fashion. They haven’t spoken to each other since.

Ben Porter’s life since that moment has been unexciting but comfortable, until his grandma reveals a family secret that flips his whole world upside down. Her dying wish is for him to stop doing what is safest and go after what he really wants. He starts by showing up on Dee’s doorstep with every intention of fulfilling their long-ago promise. Despite her reservations, Dee can’t say no. This trip could be her chance to give her listeners the Name Redacted interview they’ve been begging for–and finally put her unresolved feelings for Ben to rest.

As the miles fly by, Dee and Ben’s friendship reignites. But the closer they get to reaching their destination, the more apparent it becomes that their attraction to each other cannot be ignored. Their last adventure ended in disaster, and they’re about to find out if any hope of a future together is in the rear view mirror.

Review:

This is the second time in the last few months that I’ve read a second chance romance that I’ve really enjoyed. I’ve always said that it’s not my favorite trope, but after two standouts I may need to quit saying and thinking that. Maybe I just need them to be really well executed to adore them and I think the author did a great job here. Dee and Ben are the real stars of the show here, I mean duh they’re the main characters, but what I mean is that the majority of the book is filled with scenes of just the two of them. This gave the book a really intimate feeling as they reconnect after ten years of total silence and have to really hash out some old issues if they want to move forward together. The road trip aspect was fun and summery and there was a real sense of nostalgia as well as they spend some time reminiscing about their high school days. Ben was the cutest most lovable hero and Dee was as well, but in a neurotic but wholly endearing way. I really enjoyed my time with these two, their connection was heavily apparent and the way they bantered back and forth showed just how true their friendship was and maybe still is.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.