Goodreads

Release date: January 17, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

A working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore’s high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself—in this propulsive novel by debut author Kyla Zhao.

For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine—and she’d do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status cause her dream to feel like a distant fantasy.

Now Samantha finds herself working at a drab PR firm. Living vicariously through her wealthy coworker and friend, Anya Chen, is the closest she’ll get to her ideal life. Until she meets Timothy Kingston: the disillusioned son of one of Singapore’s elite families—and Samantha’s one chance at infiltrating the high-society world to which she desperately wants to belong.

To Samantha’s surprise, Timothy and Anya both agree to help her make a name for herself on Singapore’s socialite scene. But the borrowed designer clothes and plus-ones to every glamorous event can only get her so far. The rest is on Samantha, and she’s determined to impress the editor in chief of Singapore’s poshest magazine. But the deeper Samantha wades into this fraud, the more she fears being exposed—especially with a mysterious gossip columnist on the prowl for dirt—forcing her to reconcile her pretense with who she really is before she loses it all.

Review:

This was such a fun read and it felt like a guilty pleasure as you’re getting a glimpse into high society life. I immediately liked Sam, her hard work and drive to succeed was impressive. I loved her relationship with her mom, it was really sweet and the fact that most of her reason behind wanting to better herself came from the desire to set her mother up with a better life was adorable. All of the relationships here were great actually now that I’m really thinking about it, Sam and her friends scheming was just so fun especially set against such a glitzy backdrop. Everything was so well described, from the fashions the socialites were wearing to the decadent food and the party decor you really felt like you were attending fab parties with Sam. Definitely recommended if you like Crazy Rich Asians with a side of The Devil Wears Prada.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 10, 2023

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Narrator: Karissa Vacker

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

One year ago, Isabelle Drake’s life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.

Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.

Isabelle’s entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle’s past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust… including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.

Review:

Well this author has no firmly cemented herself as an auto read for me after impressing me with her debut and her follow up. I’ve been putting together my best of the year lists over the last few days and I noticed that as much as thrillers are my first love, 2022 wasn’t great for me in that genre. Yeah, there were a handful that I really loved but my favorites were romance by a landslide which actually made me a little sad. But all of that rambling to say, when I find a good thriller and I rave about it just know that I’ve gotten pretty picky and I’ve gotten stingier with my thriller ratings so I really mean it when I say SW is a thriller author to get excited about. One of the things that I enjoy most about her books is that she writes the type of thrillers that I truly don’t want to put down. She’s got the whole gripping and addictive thing down and I was invested in this one from start to finish. The suspense was a steady and methodical build up that culminated in a strong ending that satisfied me. Karissa Vacker is such a pro, her narration was outstanding so I highly recommend the audio version of this one, she’s just so incredibly talented. Definitely recommended by me, it was both fun and entertaining as well as twisty and tense.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 10, 2023

Publisher:

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

She’s an outsider desperate to belong, but the cost of entry might be her darkest secret in this intoxicating debut of literary suspense following a clique of dangerously ambitious students at the University of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh, Scotland: a moody city of labyrinthine alleyways, oppressive fog, and buried history; the ultimate destination for someone with something to hide. Perfect for Clare, then, who arrives utterly alone and yearning to reinvent herself. And what better place to conceal the dark secrets in her past than at the university in the heart of the fabled, cobblestoned Old Town?

When Clare meets Tabitha, a charismatic, beautiful, and intimidatingly rich girl from her art history class, she knows she’s destined to be friends with her and her exclusive circle: raffish Samuel; shrewd Ava; and pragmatic Imogen. Clare is immediately drawn into their libertine world of sophisticated dinner parties and summers in France. The new life she always envisioned for herself has seemingly begun.

And then Tabitha reveals a little project she’s been working on, one that she needs Clare’s help with. Even though it goes against everything Clare has tried to repent for. Even though their intimacy begins to darken into codependence. But as Clare starts to realize just what her friends are capable of, it’s already too late. Because they’ve taken the plunge. They’re so close to attaining the things they want. And there’s no going back.

What is the cost of an extraordinary life if others have to pay? Reimagining the classic themes of obsession and striving with an original and sinister edge, The Things We Do to Our Friends is a seductive thriller about the toxic battle between those who have, and those who covet–between the desire to truly belong, and the danger of being truly known.

Review:

What a strange read this one and my experience with it overall was odd as well. My feelings were mixed the entire time I was reading it and I flipped back and forth between being interested in these toxic and obsessive relationships and then being kind of bored. There were so many times I wondered where the whole thing was going and wondering if it would be worth my time in the end and I’m still not sure if I have a straight answer to that question. I did like parts of this bizarre tale and I always like when an author veers into dark and dangerous territory but there were aspects of the plot and the characters behavior that just frustrated the hell out of me. So overall I’m somewhere in the middle here, but I would definitely read more from the author because some of the darkness was pretty good.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 10, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

A romance novel–obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love in this romantic comedy from the author of Set On You.

Romance-novel connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men–all of whom dumped her because of her “stage-five clinger” tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.

Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn’t his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara’s journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter.

The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily-ever-after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?

Review:

I adore the authors brand of romance, she writes such authentic feeling stories and as much as I loved her previous book, I am obsessed with this one! The characters were the best, Tara is a romance book reviewer so clearly I thought she was super cool and Trevor is a firefighter who has the whole broody sexiness thing going on. They were both so well drawn and such a perfect match for each other and their love story was hard fought. Romance readers will delight in the way the author uses well loved tropes as part of the story, Tara’s love of second chance romances prompts her to revisit past relationships to see if there’s still a chance with any of her exes and I adored that fun premise. You also get forced proximity mixed with some friends to lovers with some sexy moments and lots of fun banter. Safe to safe I really loved this one and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 3, 2023

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

A captivating psychological suspense debut about a young woman still haunted by her childhood best friend’s death who learns of an eerily similar incident and must find her way back to a cabin in the New England woods, armed with only hazy memories, to finally uncover the truth that has eluded her.

Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they’d been hanging around with all summer. Seven years later, Maya is just managing to move on; she lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret Klonopin habit that’s allowed her to cope with what happened all those years ago.

But her past comes to haunt her when she discovers a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged back into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her small Berkshires hometown to figure out the truth.

With guidance from a half-written book by the father in Guatemala she never knew, Maya’s quest for answers forces her to relive that fateful summer—the influence Frank once had on her, and the jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey—finally leading her to Frank’s cabin in the woods.

The House in the Pines is an utterly unique and surprising thriller about the subtlety of memory and manipulation, confronting the past and returning home, and the powerful and lasting bonds of family and friendship.

Review:

This was a middle of the road read for me so I’m just gonna tell you what I liked and what didn’t work for me and leave it there. I liked the setting, the culture, the folklore and the overall premise. There was definitely enough interesting elements that kept me reading, I never considered DNFing so I have to say I still liked parts. What I didn’t like was another woman with a pill problem can we just be done with that already? I feel like we can have an unreliable narrator without substance abuse. Things seemed to meander around about halfway through and I kept thinking, can we get to the point already? The ending/big reveal was also just ok for me. I wouldn’t even classify this as a thriller, I think calling it womens fiction with a side of suspense would be more accurate actually but not once did I feel like I was reading a thriller. All of that said I would try the author again knowing her style of suspense would be helpful and I think could make me like things more.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 10, 2023

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Therapist turned stay-at-home mom Jules Hart’s idyllic suburban life shatters when she crashes her car into an icy lake. Her son and another teenage boy plunge into the water with her, but Jules can only manage to save one—the wrong one.

Reeling from the death of her son, Jules spirals into a violent and unstable mental state. Ten months after the accident, she’s still trying to reckon with the fact that she rescued Isaac Greer, another woman’s child, when Isaac suddenly vanishes.

Jules finds herself at the center of a massive police investigation. While she harbors her own dangerous secrets, Jules is adamant that she didn’t take Isaac. But then who did? Is Isaac the victim of a dangerous killer who’s been targeting boys in the Midwest? Or is someone else pulling the strings in this deadly game?

Review:

I always know when I start one of the authors books that I’m gonna want to do nothing but sit and read it until I’m finished and this was no exception. She always tends to mix really emotional situations with darkness and that’s what she did here as well. The loss of a child is just such an awful thing to even think about and Jules son has already passed away when the book begins so this is super heavy. The author’s psychological insights are also very apparent as she really knows what she’s talking about based on her own experiences and I love that side of all of her books. This one mostly worked for me, lots of unlikable characters, some decent twists and a nice pace but in the end things went a little odd. I’m not sure I liked the explanation given for Issac’s disappearance but it wasn’t the worst I’ve read. Overall if you like bingeable thriller that really look at the psychological side of things try this.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 10, 2023

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

A Knives Out-style whodunnit with a twist of Taylor Jenkins Reid, You Must Remember This is an immersive Gothic mystery, with a long-ago love affair, icy death, and a rich family gone bad, from Kat Rosenfield, the acclaimed author of No One Will Miss Her.

On Christmas Eve, eighty-five-year-old Miriam Gardiner walks onto the vast frozen river behind her home. As a younger woman, she used to steal out on winter nights to meet her lover, walking straight across the ice to their secret meeting place. She knows the way—but not the year. Miriam, her mind clouded by dementia, doesn’t hear the snap of thin ice until it’s too late.

Was it an accident? Suicide? Or worse: did someone urge the old woman onto the frozen river on purpose?

There are plenty of suspects; Miriam’s fractured and complicated family has gathered in their Bar Harbor mansion to celebrate what they already thought would likely be the matriarch’s last Christmas. The guests include Delphine, Miriam’s granddaughter, a frightened and insecure young woman who adored her grandmother, and Miriam’s live-in nurse, Adam, a handsome man from a working-class background, whom Delphine has been secretly dating. Then there’s Miriam’s children: Nicole, who hated being thrust into the role of caretaker; Diana, whose deadbeat husband has long been a family joke; and Richard, who always said they’d all be better off if Mother would just hurry up and die. But it’s Delphine who comes in for the greatest scrutiny when they learn the shocking news that Miriam’s will cut off her children, and left the entire estate to Delphine only.

As her relatives obsess over getting the will thrown out, Delphine begins to notice inconsistencies in their stories and is emboldened to start investigating…until the trail seems to lead her onto thin ice as well.

Review:

I really wanted and actually expected to love this one after really enjoying the authors last book, No One Will Miss Her but sadly, I found this one to be lacking. For me it was missing the intensity of a mystery/thriller and read more like women’s fiction with a small side of suspense. I’ll admit I was intrigued in the beginning it had a strong opening that piqued my interest but as things went on I was a little bored. What kept me reading was the atmosphere of a bitter winter and the wide variety of suspects as to whodunnit. I did know who it would be early on but I kept reading and hoping I was wrong but sadly the author went with the predictable route. So in the end this was just ok for me, if you want to read one of the authors books the one I mentioned earlier was better! I would definitely read more by her in the future though just to see if she could capture that spark that NWMH had for me.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.