Goodreads

Release date: August 16, 2022

Publisher: Blackstone

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Movie-making can be murder.

The project
Final Draft, a psychological horror. Promising Young Thing Steve Dade will direct.

The tagline
‘Based on a terrifying true story. That hasn’t happened – yet.’

The location
A cottage deep in a forest, miles from anywhere in the wintry wilds of West Cork.

The lead
Former soap-star Adele Rafferty has stepped in to replace the original actress at the very last minute. She can’t help but hope that this will be her big break.

The problem
Something isn’t quite right on the set of Final Draft.
Adele is about to discover that the real horror lies off the page…

Review:

I am a huge fan of the author and I always appreciate that she comes up with exciting premises with each book and this being set during the making of a movie was super interesting for me. There was so much about this one that I loved. It had a creepy, isolated atmosphere that added to the tension of the story in such a bold and dramatic way. The format was also great, think book inception with a movie being filmed with a book as a major plot point and also excerpts from the script as well. Definitely a lot going on but I wasn’t put off or confused by it, in fact I really enjoyed the parallels between the script and what was happening with Adele. I was super into this one until the very end, I thought it was underwhelming and slightly mediocre BUT I will still say I recommend it. I think I have super high expectations for the author and just expected to be blown away, but overall this was still an intense and entertaining read.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 25, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Ryan Hutton has spent his entire life being the shy, nerdy, rule-following nice guy on Summersweet Island. He’s the high school bowling coach and algebra teacher, who’s always predictable, and he’s always been fine with that. At least until a sexy nutjob gives him the best kiss of his life in his favorite pizza place. Suddenly, he doesn’t like being the quiet, obedient nice guy anymore.⁣
⁣
When Danica Brewster first set foot on this beautiful island a few days ago, she just wanted a place to call home—far, far away from her family. A place where she could be wild and free without their judgment. When she finds out her new roommate is the stranger she kissed for free pizza, Danica knows this is a complication she definitely doesn’t need in her life right now.⁣
⁣
However, the memory of that kiss is making them 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 act out of character. Ryan and Danica soon realize you can’t ignore your problems and hope they’ll go away. Those problems will just come back with a vengeance, tossing everything into the gutter.⁣
⁣
It doesn’t make sense for a nerd to fall in love with a nutjob, but with the magic of Summersweet Island, anything is possible… especially if you have enough balls.⁣

Review:

I’ll just start by saying that while this is the sixth book in the Summersweet Island series it could be read as a standalone BUT I’ll tell you why that’s a bad idea. This series is one of my faves when I want to legitimately laugh out loud, every book is hilarious and I’ve become super attached to each couple. So reading them all in order provides you with the ultimate experience so I definitely recommend all six books. They’re seriously so so good!

It’s always awesome to be reunited with the residents of the island and they’re every bit as outrageous and silly as ever. I’ve been super curious about Ryan for awhile now and he was the absolute cutest, sweetest most adorable hero ever and he may have even edged Bohdi out for my favorite male islander now. Danny was also awesome and I loved how she brought Ryan out of his shell and brought out a new side to him while still very much appreciating his true self. I always say I’ll pace myself when I read one of these books but I lied again and finished in a day. Sigh. I am really hoping the next book follows Spencer and Melanie and will be counting down the days until I’m back on the island.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 9, 2022

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

From E. G. Scott, the utterly gripping tale of three couples whose game night goes horribly wrong. Full of twists and turns that you’ll never see coming, this is the summer read you won’t be able to put down.

Once a week, three women get together for book club in Kingsland, a private, gated community full of neighbors looking to do their business away from prying eyes. On the same night, their husbands meet up to play poker, where much more is being planned than anyone could guess.

But on this particular night, something goes terribly wrong. When all three men end up dead or hospitalized, and the entire town is being questioned, no one seems to be able to answer the only question that really needs asking: What the hell happened?

This is a riveting story, not just of powerful women or vengeful men, but of secrets, neighbors, blackmail, business gone wrong, and the most intimate of desires spilling into full view.

Review:

One thing that this author duo does really well is they write a gripping premise that pulls you in immediately and they keep you on the edge of your seat as they hop back and forth between points of view and this was no exception. You also have not only one, but two dead bodies and another that may hit survive so there is a ton going on here right off of the bat. The pacing was fast and furious and most of the chapters were short and ended with more questions than answers which is always a tactic I enjoy. As with their prior books you get the perspectives of two cops, Silvestri and Walcott and I always like that police procedural angle. This had plenty of drama between all three couples as well as the residents of their exclusive neighborhood and made for a pretty delicious and wicked summer read. A tad over the top? Absolutely but I like a bit of that in a summer thriller.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 19, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Photographer Cassie Harris loves her job—her company Buxom Boudoir makes people look beautiful and feel empowered with her modern twist on classic pinup photography. Cassie’s best friend, Dana, is about to launch her own dangerously dreamy lingerie line and wants Cassie to shoot and direct the career-changing national campaign. But company politics and Dana’s complicated pregnancy interfere, and Cassie finds herself—a proud plus size Black woman—not behind the camera but in front of it.

Though she’s never modeled herself, Cassie’s pretty sure she can handle the sheer underwear and caution tape bralettes. She’s not sure she can work so intimately with the chosen photographer, her long-time competitor in the Chicago photography scene, Reid Montgomery. Their chemistry is undeniable on set, however, and feelings can develop faster than film…

Review:

I really loved the premise of this one with Cassie going from photographer to model and I adored the fact that she was a plus sized Black woman as well. The author did a great job sharing Cassie’s experiences as not only a woman in the industry but as a Black woman and I enjoyed Cassie’s transformation from a sometimes doormat to a strong woman who finally stands up for herself and gets the life she wants and deserves. This one brought some heat too, Reid and Cassie taking lingerie pictures made for some sexy foreplay and their chemistry was hot. Cassie and Reid both have some friends that made up a fun supporting cast too, so overall a well balanced read. I thought this was funny, sexy and a great representation for body positivity.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 12, 2022

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Thriller

Synopsis:

The best of friends keep the deadliest secrets…

Jo is my best friend. From high school to adulthood, we’ve gone through everything together. Even when I made a foolish mistake and betrayed her in the worst way, she forgave me. She’s godmother to my son and our lives are intertwined. We want the best for each other, always.

I hope she approves of my new boyfriend Noah. How could she not? Noah is kind, attentive and loves me for who I am. But when I introduce them over dinner one evening, Jo doesn’t look happy. She’s always been protective of me and as Noah clutches my hand, I force her reaction to the back of my mind.

But later Jo tells me that someone is threatening her and she fears for her life. And all too soon, the threats land at my door too. At first it’s small things: my precious roses destroyed, my mail sabotaged. But when I receive a note saying, “I want your life,” I’m terrified.

Someone wants to cause me harm. They’re prepared to take everything I love. But are they closer to me than I could have ever imagined?

Review:

I absolutely love a domestic thriller that is dramatic and maybe even a little over the top in a soap opera kind of way and this one delivered on all fronts! There was lots of unreliability, seriously as it flipped back and forth between Jo and Abi’s perspective I had no idea who was telling the truth or lying. Maybe both? Such a mindfuck in the best way. I sped through this really fast because I couldn’t stop reading, give me all the drama and I’m entertained. It was juicy and surprising and while I did figure out one twist only right before it happened it didn’t bother me in the slightest because this was the best popcorn thriller I’ve read in awhile! Definitely would be ideal to read by the pool this summer.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 2, 2022

Publisher: Random House

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Rose O’Connell is barely surviving. Her relationship with her husband is on the rocks and their son has isn’t fitting in at his new school, the prestigious Woolf Academy. Their tiny flat in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood–the very place Rose grew up as the daughter of an infamous local con artist–can barely contain her family. Rose can’t catch a professional break either, trapped in the same junior bank teller role for years. Life as the only mom in a nametag and uniform at The Woolf’s shiny school gates isn’t easy.

Not so for those in the elite and secretive Circle, a tight-knit group of mothers who rule the school, led by the charismatic and glamorous Amala Kaur. In exchange for supporting The Woolf’s relentless fundraising and public image drives, the women enjoy lucrative business opportunities, special privileges for their children, and the admiration of the entire community.

After the mysterious death of one of The Circle’s members, Rose dares to hope that filling the vacancy could set her family up for success. And when Amala makes the shocking decision to invite Rose into their clique, her fortunes, self-esteem, and status soar. But the deeper Rose gets inside The Circle, the darker the secrets lurking within every perfectly Instagrammable life. Far from being a dream come true, being inside The Circle could prove Rose’s worst nightmare…

Taut, complex, and compulsively readable, Such a Good Mother is a razor-sharp take on modern motherhood and the myth of having it all.

Review:

I am such a sucker for books about despicable rich parents behaving abhorrently so the description was of this sounded right up my alley. I actually enjoy reading about unlikable characters and I don’t think there was a single truly likable character here. That’s not to say the characters weren’t well developed because they were, the author takes an interesting look at mothers who will stoop to low levels for their children and they don’t care who they hurt in the process.

My experience reading this book was odd, I was always definitely interested in seeing where things were headed but I did feel it get a little dragged on at times. By the time I finished I could clearly understand the authors intention though and it all made more sense for me. I really had no idea how things would end and I was surprised which is always nice. Overall I mostly enjoyed this dark and dramatic read.

Overall rating: 3.75/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 2, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Once upon a time, Sandy Macintosh thought she would have her happily ever after with her high school sweetheart, Hank Tillman. Sandy wanted to be an artist, Hank was the only boy in town who seemed destined for bigger things, and they both had dreams to escape town together. But when Sandy’s plans fell through, she stayed in their small town in Ohio while Hank went off to Boston to follow his dreams to be a musician, with the promise to stay together. Only that plan fell through, too.

Fifteen years later, Sandy runs a successful greenhouse while helping her parents with their bed and breakfast. Everything is perfect…until Hank rolls back into town, now a famous alt-country singer with a son in tow. She’s happy with the life she’s built by herself, but seeing Hank makes her think about what might have been. There aren’t enough cliché love songs in the world to convince Sandy to give Hank another chance, but when the two of them get thrown together to help organize the town’s annual street fair, she wonders if there could be a new beginning for them or if what they had is just a tired old song of the past.

Review:

If you’re looking for a totally charming and sweet romance to add to your TBR I’ve got you, because this was adorable. It’s a second chance romance with a single dad and a small town setting, gimme all the tropes please! I would say this is a slower burn as far as the romance goes, Sandy and Hank both have to work through some stuff before they’re ready to give each other another chance and I enjoyed their path back to each other wholeheartedly. Secondary to the romance is the small town setting but man was it cute. The residents were quirky, meddling and hilarious and added so much charm to an already charming story. There are also big summer vibes and lots of nostalgia as Sandy spends time thinking about her and Hank’s high school relationship. I loved the towns annual street fair too and the strong sense of community among the members of this little Ohio town. Overall a great summer read if you want light and breezy.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 2, 2022

Publisher: Avon

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

Review:

Julia Whelan is one of my very favorite audiobook narrators, she’s SO good and if I see she’s narrating a book I’m on the fence about, I immediately add it to my TBR when her name pops up. So I wasn’t sure what to expect from her as an author and y’all, she blew my mind! This was such a fantastic romance, it had everything that matters to me and more and will surely be in my top reads of the year list come December.

There was something so playful about this one, there is a lot of talk about various romance tropes and there some fun, witty and sarcastic commentary surrounding the genre as a whole. I fell in love with Sewanee and found her to be charming, hilarious and totally genuine. There is one whole section that is epistolary and seeing as that format is one of my absolute favorites I was happy!! I adored every single page of this one although I never do rereads I’ll be listening to this one in the future.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.