Month: January 2024

Review: The Wedding Party by L. R. Jones

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Goodreads

Release date: February 13, 2024

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

For a bride-to-be and her fiancé, secrets and lies make this a killer celebration in this psychological suspense. Carrie and Oliver. A couple completely in love and the hosts of a wedding to remember at Colorado’s legendary Stanley Hotel. This is Carrie’s fairy tale come true. Her fiancé, Oliver, is Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome; successful; and utterly devoted to her. Now family and friends have gathered to celebrate. It’s sure to be a wild night as the drinks flow freely and the fun begins. But the morning after is murder. FBI agent Andi Castle was just supposed to be a plus-one. This should have been a calming weekend getaway from what she does catch killers. Instead, Andi’s on the hunt again. The hotel is on lockdown. Secrets are being unearthed. And no one is above Andi’s suspicions. But which secrets are worth killing for? Andi’s forced to find the answers fast…before someone else dies.

Review:

This was one of those fun mysteries that really kept me guessing right up until the very end. You get two POVs, Andi an FBI agent who is attending events with an old friend of hers and Carrie, the bride to be. I loved Andi as a character and thought she was so interesting and layered, I could easily see her carrying a series because there was so much about her to like. The author used some dark humor throughout which I always like and things were pretty fast paced with me guessing and second guessing my opinion every chapter. Lots of suspects to choose from with plenty of secrets to uncover and when all was revealed I was satisfied.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Review: The Resort by Sara Ochs

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Goodreads

Release date: February 6, 2024

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Welcome to paradise. We hope you survive your stay…

There are three rules to survive a dive at the famous Koh Sang Resort

1 – Breathe normally if something goes wrong.

Scuba diving instructor Cass leads her students out for their first dive off the beautiful coast of Koh Sang, Thailand’s world-famous party island. It’s supposed to be a life-changing experience, but things quickly spiral out of control…

2 – Always dive with someone you trust.

By the time she’s back on the shore, Lucy, one of her students, is dead, another critically injured, and she knows the new and idyllic life she has built herself is about to be smashed to pieces on the rocks.

3 – Don’t panic if your oxygen is running out.

Because someone has discovered Cass’s dark secret, and on an island as remote as this, there aren’t many places to hide. There is a killer waiting, and whoever it is will stop at nothing until Cass’s life is ruined and justice is finally served.

Review:

This told via two perspectives, Cass who has made a permanent home on the island and Brooke, a travel influencer on vacation. Right away you realize that not only do Brooke and Cass both have some sort of secrets in their pasts, half of the residents on the island do as well. Cass has a group of friends turned family who all seemed to flee to the island to escape something in their pasts as well. So there’s plenty of secrets and skeletons in closets and I was so confident I knew how things would play out and I was wrong. I loved the setting of this beautiful island hiding deadly secrets that gave everything an unsettling feeling. It was a constant guessing game for me and the final twist was a really good shock. I’m definitely impressed this was a debut, if you like a slow burn that actually pays off in the end try this!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Review: Nowhere Like Home by Sara Shepard

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Goodreads

Release date: February 20, 2024

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

When Lenna gets a call from her old friend Rhiannon, she is startled; Rhiannon disappeared years ago without a trace. But Lenna is even more startled to learn that Rhiannon has a son and that she lives off the grid with a group of women in a community called Halcyon. Rhiannon invites Lenna, a new mother herself, to join them. Why suffer the sleepless nights by yourself? It takes a village, after all.

Lenna decides to go and hopefully repair her relationship with Rhiannon, but as she drives into the desert and her cell service gets weaker, she becomes suspicious. Who are these women and why did Rhiannon invite her here? And that is before she learns about the community’s rules (no outside phone calls, no questions about people’s pasts) and the padlock on the gate that leads out to the main road. But Lenna has other concerns, secrets from her past she is terrified will come out. When a newcomer arrives in the community, Lenna’s worst fears are confirmed—she was brought here for a reason.

Nowhere Like Home tackles themes of complicated friendships and trauma but all with Sara Shepard’s expert twists that you don’t see coming.

Review:

I initially grabbed this one because of the setup, I loved the idea of a mommune and hadn’t read a book with that exact premise before. I also loved the PLL series so that may have influenced me too, but the authors adult novels have been hit or miss for me and those fell somewhere in the middle. Like I said, a great setup and if you like a slow burn that has a slight literary feel that’s exactly what this one is. I don’t have as much patience with thrillers as I used to, I need something that a bit faster and more gripping but I never contemplated dnfing so there’s something to be said about that. I just feel like things got a little drawn out and convoluted at times and while the ending was more exciting, it was also a bit silly and far fetched so I’m not sure it was totally worth it. Fans of slow burns about toxic friendships and who like stories with cult like vibes may enjoy this one.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Review: Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen

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Goodreads

Release date: February 20, 2024

Publisher: Putnam

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Isolated and embroiled in a custody battle, Mary needs a friend more than ever. When she meets the charming and enigmatic Willa at a Brooklyn playground, the women’s connection feels fated. Finally, she has someone on her side. During a margarita-fueled moms’ night out, though, Mary shares her darkest secret about her ex, George, and Willa simply disappears. No calls, no texts, nothing. 

Two months later, Mary’s divorce is almost finalized, and she’s trying to build a new life for her son in upstate New York. On her first day in town, she runs into Willa…only Willa’s name is Annie now, and she’s got an entirely new family in tow. When George turns up dead and Mary becomes the prime suspect, she has no choice but to turn to her only friend in Willa.

As coincidences—and evidence—pile up, Mary begins to wonder whether Willa had something to do with George’s death. Is the other woman a friend or a foe, a confidante or just a con? Mary must uncover the truth before she loses everything.

Review:

I’ve read and enjoyed all of the authors books, she writes fast paced and engaging thrillers with unique edges and this was my favorite by her so far. I was totally addicted to it, the questions just kept piling up and I could not turn the pages fast enough. The first half was gripping enough and then the second half had so many great twists, (big and small) that I basically flew through it in one sitting. I HAD to know what was really happening and when all was revealed in the end I was pretty damn satisfied. Try this when you want an easy, pacey and really fun domestic thriller.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Review: The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr

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Goodreads

Release date: January 23, 2024

Publisher: MIRA

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

Four women come together at a tumultuous time in their lives, forging an unbreakable bond that will leave them all forever changed.

Celebrity cooking show host Marni McGuire has seen it all. She’s been married—twice—and widowed and divorced. Now in her midfifties, she’s single. Happily so. She just needs to convince her pregnant daughter, Bella, of this fact. And maybe convince herself, too. Especially after Marni’s efforts to humor her determined daughter result in a series of disastrous dates that somehow prompt Marni to wonder if maybe the right man for her is still out there after all. 

Similarly single, Marni’s best friend and colleague is confident she’s content without a man, but both older women soon find themselves leading by example as the young intern on their show appears caught in a toxic relationship—and Bella reveals her own marriage maybe isn’t built to withstand the stresses of the baby on the way.

Suddenly, all four women find themselves at a crossroads, each navigating the challenges of dating, marriage, loneliness and love. Thankfully, they have each other to lean on. The realities of modern love are far from easy, but there’s no better group to have in your corner than friends who will lift you up, no matter what, and hold fast in the face of any storm.

Review:

I never miss a chance to read a Robyn Carr book, her style is one of my absolute favorites and I’m always drawn into the stories she creates in an effortless way. I loved that this centered on a group of women during all stages of life. You have Marni, a fifty something celebrity chef who may finally be ready to renter the dating world, then there is her daughter, Bella a smart and ambitious woman pregnant with her first child, then there’s also Ellen, Marni’s coworker who leads a solitary life but may also be ready for love again and finally Sophia, their young intern who finds herself in a bad relationship. The support these women offered each other was so beautiful and I adored all their friendships. While it may seem like they’re an unlikely bunch, they truly brought out the best in each other. With four storylines there’s never a dull moment which made this such a fast read for me. I was caught up in their lives and rooting for them all every step of the way. If you like books about strong female friendships this was really wonderful.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.