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Release date: January 30, 2018

Publisher: Park Row Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

A riveting novel about how the past never stays in the past, from the critically acclaimed author of The Drowning Girls and The Mourning Hours .

Megan Mazeros and Lauren Mabrey are complete opposites on paper. Megan is a girl from a modest Midwest background, and Lauren is the daughter of a senator from an esteemed New England family. But in 1999, Megan and Lauren become college roommates and, as two young women struggling to find their place on campus, they forge a strong, albeit unlikely, friendship. The two quickly become inseparable, sharing clothes, advice and their most intimate secrets.

The summer before their senior year, Megan joins Lauren and her family on their private island off the coast of Maine. The weeks go by, filled with fun and relaxation, until late one night at the end of the vacation, something unspeakable happens, searing through the framework of the girls’ friendship and tearing them apart. Many years later, in the midst of a political scandal, Megan finally comes forward about what happened that fateful night, revealing a horrible truth about Lauren’s family and threatening to expose their long-buried secrets.

In this captivating and moving novel of domestic suspense, Paula Treick DeBoard explores the power of friendship and secrets and shows how betrayal can lead to disastrous, and deadly, consequences.

Review:

Last year The Drowning Girls was one of my most pleasant surprises in terms of discovering a new to me author so I was super excited to get my hands on DeBoard’s latest novel. While this was very different from TDG I still enjoyed it and will always be a huge fan of the authors style.

This is told from two viewpoints, both Laura and Megan. It starts in 2016 before a press conference that’s obviously important to both women but the reasons behind it won’t be revealed for some time. It then skips back to when they were in college and meet for the first time. The past/present switch was very a effective tool here as it slowly draws you into these women’s lives and makes you desperate to know what’s ahead. DeBoard has a unique ability to capture the reader slowly and assuredly using a combination of steady, composed pacing and a gradual style of suspense that somehow sneaks up on you.

This isn’t a mystery in the typical sense of the word, there isn’t the usual scramble to figure out who committed a crime but rather you’re constantly wondering how things will play out in the end and what exactly will happen next. This is heavily character drive with a focus on getting to know both Lauren and Megan and dives deep into their histories and backgrounds. These two couldn’t be more different but they bond almost instantly and have an unmistakable chemistry.

I couldn’t believe how timely this was as it explored themes such as political scandals and sexual assault, parts of this could’ve been ripped from current headlines making for the kind of read that would be really fantastic for a book club. DeBoard is such a fluid writer who makes some keen observations, she’s extremely talented and I will continue to follow her closely.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author and the Great Thoughts Ninja review team for my copy.

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Release date: November 21, 2017

Publisher: Gallery Books

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Beloved author Molly Harper launches a brand-new contemporary romance series, Southern Eclectic, with this story of a big-city party planner who finds true love in a small Georgia town.

Nestled on the shore of Lake Sackett, Georgia is the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop. (What, you have a problem with one-stop shopping?) Two McCready brothers started two separate businesses in the same building back in 1928, and now it’s become one big family affair. And true to form in small Southern towns, family business becomes everybody’s business.

Margot Cary has spent her life immersed in everything Lake Sackett is not. As an elite event planner, Margot’s rubbed elbows with the cream of Chicago society, and made elegance and glamour her business. She’s riding high until one event goes tragically, spectacularly wrong. Now she’s blackballed by the gala set and in dire need of a fresh start—and apparently the McCreadys are in need of an event planner with a tarnished reputation.

As Margot finds her footing in a town where everybody knows not only your name, but what you had for dinner last Saturday night and what you’ll wear to church on Sunday morning, she grudgingly has to admit that there are some things Lake Sackett does better than Chicago—including the dating prospects. Elementary school principal Kyle Archer is a fellow fish-out-of-water who volunteers to show Margot the picture-postcard side of Southern living. The two of them hit it off, but not everybody is happy to see an outsider snapping up one of the town’s most eligible gentleman. Will Margot reel in her handsome fish, or will she have to release her latest catch?

Review:

Have you ever read a book and felt like the author wrote it just for you? Like it truly speaks to your soul, the characters seem like your type of people and there is such a strong connection you wouldn’t be at all surprised if said characters jumped off the page and strolled into your home? That’s exactly what happened when I read Sweet Tea & Sympathy, I felt understood. That may sound silly as this book is a very lighthearted read, but it’s true! I loved everything about it from the setting of small town Georgia, to the characters and the sweet and funny storyline.

I think what made me enjoy this book so much is that Margot’s sense of humor is similar to my own. She’s sharp and sarcastic, but underneath her cool exterior she has a pretty huge heart. Her burgeoning relationship with Kyle was equal parts awkward, adorable and spicy which is basically my favorite combination of all time. Besides those two you have Margot’s family, which although extremely embarrassing they made me laugh so much. The residents of Lake Sackett aren’t exactly welcoming to Margot but her altercations with some of the prissy ladies in town had me rolling.

This is the start of a new series and I couldn’t be more thrilled, I already miss these characters and can’t wait to catch up with them next spring. I was utterly charmed and delighted by Sweet Tea and Sympathy and Harper is such a wonderful storyteller.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: November 21, 2017

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

From the author of The Good Neighbor and The Glass Wives comes an enchanting story of returning home and discovering what truly matters after loss.

No one knows why Teddi Lerner left her hometown, but everyone knows why she’s back.

Twelve-year-old Shayna— talented, persistent, and adorable—persuaded “Aunt Tee” to return to Chance, Ohio, to photograph her father’s wedding. Even though it’s been six years since Shay’s mother, Celia, died, Teddi can hardly bear the thought of her best friend’s husband marrying someone else. But Teddi’s bond with Shay is stronger than the hurt.

Teddi knows it’s time to face the consequences of her hasty retreat from family, friends, and, her old flame, but when she looks through her viewfinder, nothing in her small town looks the same. That’s when she truly sees the hurt she’s caused and—maybe—how to fix it.

After the man she once loved accuses Teddi of forgetting Celia, Teddi finally admits why she ran away, and the guilt she’s carried with her. As Teddi relinquishes the distance that kept her safe, she’ll discover surprising truths about the people she left behind, and herself. And she’ll finally see what she overlooked all along.

Review:

This was my first book by Nathan but I enjoyed it so much that I’ll be adding her earlier work to my TBR. There was something so natural and authentic about her writing, I was almost immediately invested in Teddi’s life and that of the residents of Chance, Ohio. This was full of poignant moments and plenty of life lessons that stick with you long after you turn the final page.

Teddi doesn’t want to go back home but there’s no way she can say no to Shay. When I say she left six years ago I actually mean she fled, leaving everyone she knew and loved because she was in so much pain and had no idea how to face it. Running away was easier. Her homecoming is awkward to say the least, the only person who seems truly happy to see her is Shay. I loved that Teddi’s life was far from perfect, it was totally messy but she was finally willing to face her issues head on. She was brave, honest and she had a terrific sense of humor.

This book had it all, a fantastic small town setting, characters that felt like friends or people that you would want as friends, and wonderful, touching lessons about friendship, loss, love and life. It all had so much warmth, tenderness and heart behind it and I throughly enjoyed every second I spent getting to know these lovely characters.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: October 5, 2017

Publisher: Avon Books

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

No-one remembers your past. But you do.

‘Antonia, Antonia. My name is Antonia.’

It’s been her name for many years. But sometimes, like tonight, she forgets.

Antonia has a secret. A secret so dark and so deep that she can barely admit it to herself. Instead, she treats herself to Friday night sessions of self-harm while her husband David is at the pub, and her best friend Sophie is drinking too much wine a few doors down.

Nobody close to her knows the truth about what the teenage Antonia saw all those years ago. No-one, that is, except her mother. But Candy is in a care home now, her mind too addled to remember the truth. Antonia is safe. Isn’t she?

The lies start small. They always do. But when the tightly woven story you’ve told yourself begins to unravel, the truth threatens to come to the surface. And then what’s going to happen?

Review:

I want to start by saying that I think this book was slightly misleading only because I don’t believe it was marketed correctly, which is unfortunate. It’s billed as a psychological thriller and while I can definitely agree with the psychological aspect it’s not a true thriller by any means. It’s more of a character driven psychological drama with some unexpected developments. Despite having to adjust my expectations once I really got started with this one, I did enjoy it but I just wanted to clear that up for any future readers!

This follows four different couples who all have ties to each other and the story goes back and forth between all of them, weaving in and out rather seamlessly. You have Antonia and David, Sami and Sophie, Charlie and Helen and Olivia and Mike and you’ll like some of them and loathe others, which I always think is entertaining. They were all extremely well crafted, the characterization is really the base of this book and what makes it really good. They have tangled pasts and are harboring their own secrets making for a dark, unpredictable tale.

England is a really talented writer, she has a beautiful writing style with prose that flows and holds your attention. This has super slow building tension that gradually builds up, it’s structured into three parts and once the second part starts things get more intense than they were previously. There were some loose threads in the end that did leave me wanting a bit more, but overall I was pretty satisfied. I would recommend picking this up if you need a break from a typical psychological thriller, I’ve heard this described as a domestic noir and I think that is an apt and fitting label.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: November 7, 2017

Publisher: Seventh Street Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Detective Joe “Preach” Everson, a prison chaplain turned police officer, is coming home. After a decade tracking down killers in Atlanta, and with a reputation as one of the finest homicide detectives in the city, his career derailed when he suffered a mental breakdown during the investigation of a serial killer who was targeting children.

No sooner does Preach arrive at home in Creekville, North Carolina–a bohemian community near Chapel Hill–than a local bookstore owner is brutally killed, the first murder in a decade. The only officer with homicide experience, Preach is assigned to the case and makes a shocking discovery: the bookstore owner has been murdered in exactly the same manner as the pawnbroker in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment.

With the help of Ariana Hale, a law student and bibliophile who knew the victim, Preach investigates the local writer’s community. As their questions increase, a second body is found, this time eerily resembling the crime scene in a famous Edgar Allan Poe novella. Preach and Ariana realize that their adversary is an intelligent, literate killer with a mind as devious as it is disturbed–and one or both of them may be his next target.

Review:

What is it about flawed detectives that speaks to my soul? There is something about damaged protagonists with complex and dark pasts that always gets under my skin and Preach wiggled his way into my cold, black heart. Oftentimes a brooding, handsome, complicated cop is a total cliche but for some reason, it didn’t feel that way here. I immediately connected with Preach and was dying to know more about his motivations, his history and what made him the person he is today. Throw in a clever killer and what more can a girl want?!

I absolutely loved the creativity behind the premise for this one, the idea of a killer referencing famous literary works was so intriguing to me. While the case Preach is working has a heavy literary vibe the author didn’t weigh down the text with too many dense, hard to decipher quotes but rather there were a handful of them that enhanced the story and brought a really intelligent aspect to the plot.

This was a good old fashioned police procedural with a subtle sophistication to the authors writing style. The characterization was incredibly strong both in Preach and his fellow officer Kirby and witness Ari. The plotting was super involved and there were a ton of head spinning misdirections that left me reeling. Highly recommended for a cosmopolitan type of reader that wants a classic murder mystery with a literary bent.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.