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Release date: June 20, 2017

Publisher: Post Hill Press

Genre: Chick Lit

Blurb: 

Need someone to talk to or a friend to lean on?

Call Best Friend for Hire.

I am here for you.

Jersey Girl Jessie DeSalvo has her dream job at one of New York’s top publishing companies. After ten years of hard work the day of her big promotion has arrived. Unfortunately, her company has other ideas. Instead of a corner office, Jessie is handed her pink slip. 

Left with little more than her cell phone and an unusable contact list, Jessie retreats to less-than-fashionable Hoboken, New Jersey, to figure out her life—and deal with the attentions of her loving but inquisitive Italian-American family. Then she accidentally stumbles into a career as a professional best friend—by helping friends and strangers straighten out whatever is wrong with their lives. Her jobs include planning the New Jersey wedding of the year and saving a bankrupt rock club in town. Soon, things get complicated when she falls in love with the club manager—and promises an appearance by Bruce Springsteen.

In the end, Jessie realizes that not even “The Boss” can make things right—and that she needs to become her own best friend to be truly happy. 

Review: 

This was such a cute, fun read! It starts on the day Jessie thinks she’s receiving her long awaited promotion, but instead she gets fired. The hits just keep on coming for her and she finds herself in a series of hilarious scenarios and mortifying moments. She’s desperate for money and starts Best Friend for Hire on a whim, she’ll take on just about any client and along the way she meets some memorable and eclectic characters. 

Jessie was such an easy character to like, she’s very relatable and I especially liked her sarcasm and sharp wit. Watching her take herself from a career driven woman to one who has watched her carefully laid plans go up in flames was sad, yes, but also funny and entertaining. She was really able to take everything on the chin and used humor to get her through tough times. She HAS to have a great sense of humor especially when she’s dealing with her highly critical Sicilian family. There’s a scene where her and her brother go for Sunday dinner at their parents house that had me laughing so hard! 

This was an easy, light read about finding a new path in life and also finding confidence in oneself. It was a super fun way to spend an afternoon and is a great summer read! 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

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Release date: February 24, 2015

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Women’s Fiction 

Blurb: 

Daphne White is staring down the barrel of forty—and is distraught at what she sees. Her ex-husband is getting remarried, her teenage daughter hardly needs her anymore, and the career she once dreamed about has somehow slipped from her grasp. She’s almost lost sight of the spirited and optimistic young woman she used to be.

As she heads off to a Caribbean island to mark the new decade with her best friends from college, Daphne’s in anything but the mood to celebrate. But when she meets Clay Hanson, a much younger man, she ignores her inner voice warning her that she’s too old for a fling. In fact, this tropical getaway might be the perfect opportunity to picture her future in a new sun-drenched light.

With the help of her friends, Daphne rediscovers her enthusiasm for life, as well as her love for herself—and realizes that her best years are still ahead. 

Review: 

What a fun, feel good read this one was! It was light and easy, ideal for a summer read. I flew through this in a few hours and loved the escape it provided as I followed three woman on an exotic vacation. 

What I loved most about this book was how realistic is was. From the conversations between Daphne, KC and Skylar to the situations they found themselves in, everything was so relatable and authentic. The book focuses on their trip as they reunite after not seeing each other for ten years and it was really fun to be a fly on the wall throughout their adventures. Daphne had so many of the same fears that I think many women have, from being scared about getting older to nervousness about dating again after being off the market for years. The dialogue really rang true and I felt like I was eavesdropping on conversations between a tight knit group of friends. 

Murnane’s writing style was easy and effortless, but also really funny. As much as I had assumed that the main plot line would focus on Daphne and Clay’s romance, it was really about her finding herself again and embracing who she is with confidence, I love that! I’m excited to read the second book in this series and can totally recommend this one as a perfect beach read. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy. 

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Release date: June 27, 2017

Publisher: Park Row Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Blurb: 

New York Times bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL, Mary Kubica is back with another exhilarating thriller as a widow’s pursuit of the truth leads her to the darkest corners of the psyche. 

“The bad man, Daddy. The bad man is after us.” 

Clara Solberg’s world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident…until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon. 

Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick’s death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more important, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out—and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit. 

Told in the alternating perspectives of Clara’s investigation and Nick’s last months leading up to the crash, master of suspense Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date—one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried.

Review: 

My good friend Chelsea at The Suspense is Thrilling Me said she’s a Mary Kubica junkie and I have to admit I am as well. I’m thinking we need t shirts made that say something to that effect  but that may be taking things a little bit too far?! Either way, when she releases a new book I get giddy, she’s such a talented writer and she really knows how to manipulate the reader and take them on a journey that they won’t soon forget. 

While I still consider this to be a total page turner, it isn’t a super fast paced thriller, it almost lulls you into a false sense of security at the start. You know that Clara is going to uncover some secrets and lies about her husband Nick, but the character development is so deep, and the storytelling is so descriptive and just flat out good, that you wind up being consumed by their marriage and their lives together (and separately) that you almost forget to look out for some twists and turns. Right when you’re feeling all cozy, the plot shifts in an unexpected direction reminding you that there’s more going on than meets the eye and there is a mystery waiting to be solved, I love the way this happened here!

Clara was a character that I felt connected to right away, her grief was so palpable and raw that she broke my heart. She was in some deep stages of denial about Nick’s death, but who could blame her? She has two small children, one of which is a newborn and as a mom to young kids myself, I can clearly remember how hard it is to keep your emotions in check right after birthing a baby. I can’t imagine dealing with such a loss simultaneously, and even though some of her behavior was erratic, I felt it was highly realistic and she was behaving in a believable way.

Kubica is a master at building tension slowly, by the end you could cut it with a knife. I do think the ending is going to get mixed reactions, but I loved it. It definitely didn’t head in the any of the directions that I had ran through in my head, but I’m not sure every reader will be as satisfied by it as I was. Domestic suspense is one of my favorite sub genres and Kubica is particularly skilled in my humble opinion. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

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Release date: June 15, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Blurb:

One day, Vanessa would return and unwrap her father’s secrets. She might even remember the mysterious scarred woman’s name, and push the little gold key that she’d been given at her father’s graveside into a lock and hear it click… 

London 1945, and as victory unfurls throughout Europe, a young war widow steps aboard a train in search of a new life. Clutching the key to an unknown inheritance, Vanessa Kingcourt can no longer ignore the pull of the threads that draw her to the old Farren Theatre; an enchanted place, seeped in memories of her actor father and of Eva, the seamstress who took a lock of her hair with a promise she would return. 

Now owned by troubled ex-sea captain, Alistair, The Farren is in need of a Wardrobe Mistress and a new lease of life. With no experience and no budget for supplies, Vanessa must use her intuition to create beautiful, elaborate costumes from whatever scraps of silk and thread survived the blitz. It’s a seemingly impossible task, but a welcome distraction as she struggles to resist Alistair’s advances. 

The war may be over, but for Vanessa the heart-ache has only just begun – what she discovers will unravel family secrets sewn deep into the very fabric of the London theatre scene. Will she repeat the same terrible mistakes her father made? Will she ever dare to love again? 

Review: 

I have to start by wishing the author a very happy publication day! The Wardrobe Mistress was an absolutely gorgeous read with vivid imagery, beautiful, polished writing and a lovely story that stole a little piece of my heart. 

It’s set in England just after the end of World War Two and Vanessa is a young woman who has had a painful and troubling life. The only clear memory she has of her father is going to the theater with him where she met the wardrobe mistress after an enchanting evening. Years later, she is determined to try and unlock the secrets of both her fathers past and her own so she decides to try and get a job as a wardrobe mistress herself. 

There was an air of mystery surrounding Vanessa and her past and Evans slowly and painstakingly reveals the secrets throughout the book, keeping me engaged and waiting on pins and needles the whole time. I really liked her as a character and wanted her to find answers and her own happiness. Her romance with Alistair was fraught with drama and complications, which always draws me in deeper. 

I loved the setting of the theater and enjoyed the eccentric cast of characters that worked there. Evans writes beautifully and I could easily picture the theater, she truly brought everything to life. This was an emotional read filled with intrigue and tension and I really liked how it all came together in the end.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

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Release date: June 13, 2017

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Blurb: 

When Solène Marchand, the thirty-nine-year-old owner of a prestigious art gallery in Los Angeles, takes her daughter, Isabelle, to meet her favorite boy band, she does so reluctantly and at her ex-husband’s request. The last thing she expects is to make a connection with one of the members of the world-famous August Moon. But Hayes Campbell is clever, winning, confident, and posh, and the attraction is immediate. That he is all of twenty years old further complicates things.

What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate relationship. It is a journey that spans continents as Solène and Hayes navigate each other’s disparate worlds: from stadium tours to international art fairs to secluded hideaways. And for Solène, it is as much a reclaiming of self, as it is a rediscovery of happiness and love. When their romance becomes a viral sensation, and both she and her daughter become the target of rabid fans and an insatiable media, Solène must face how her new status has impacted not only her life, but the lives of those closest to her. 

Review: 

When I first read the blurb for this book I have to admit that I did (wrongly) assume that it would be one of those cliched, happily ever after love stories. It was far from it, instead it was a genuine, raw and honest look at a “taboo” relationship that explored some really cool themes and smashed some well known stereotypes, especially ones towards women. 

I liked the structure of this, it was divided into sections based on where Hayes and Solene were traveling at the time and they visited some really amazing and exotic locales as he toured with his band and she raced off to meet him whenever she could. This definitely isn’t a typical romance novel, besides the obvious age difference between the two leads, there was more intelligence and sophistication here, both in the authors writing style and in the characters themselves. 

Both Solene and Hayes were complicated characters individually and their relationship itself was complex as well. She’s a divorced mother to a teenaged girl and when the media gets wind of their romance, their lives are effected in a deep and profound way. Hayes was a really mature guy for a twenty year old and there was much more substance to him than I was expecting there to be. I can totally see why Solene was charmed by him! 

This was definitely an alluring and risqué read, there are some steamy and passionate love scenes and Hayes and Solene’s chemistry was smoking hot. Watching her transformation throughout the book was a beautiful thing to witness, when it starts she’s a strong, independent business woman, but she’s lost a vital piece of herself along the way. By the end, she had embraced her sexuality as a middle aged woman and found a new type of self confidence she was lacking before. 

Lee also explored some common stereotypes that most women face at some point in their lives and she really focused on the age old double standard where older men date much younger women and no one bats an eye while an older woman dating a younger man is frowned upon and judged harshly. 

This was one of those books that just begs to be made into a movie, I can only imagine that it would be stunning! The ending was really bittersweet and emotional and I’m not sure whether I loved it or hated it to be completely honest. But the book itself was great and I’m extremely impressed this is Lee’s debut, I think she has a juicy, sexy hit on her hands. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

ROBINNE LEE is an actor, writer and producer. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, Robinne was born and raised in Westchester County, New York. Robinne has numerous acting credits in both television and film, most notably opposite Will Smith in both Hitch and Seven Pounds. She recently completed shooting Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, playing Ros Bailey. Robinne currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. The Idea of You is her first novel.

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Release date: June 13, 2017

Publisher: Atria Books

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb: 

From Taylor Jenkins Reid, “a genius when it comes to stories about life and love” (Redbook), comes an unforgettable and sweeping novel about one classic film actress’s relentless rise to the top—the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Written with Reid’s signature talent for “creating complex, likable characters” (Real Simple), this is a fascinating journey through the splendor of Old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it takes—to face the truth. 

Review: 

Can we start by taking a moment of silence to appreciate the beauty of that absolutely stunning cover?! It’s breathtakingly gorgeous and it’s even more so in person. This book was different than what I had expected, I assumed it would be a campy, lighthearted read where an aging movie star detailed her life. It actually had way more depth and heart than that, it explored some substantial themes including sexism, racism and sexuality especially as they were handled in the 50’s and 60’s. 

Monique is shocked when her editor informs her that the Evelyn Hugo is doing her first interview in years and has specifically asked for her. In fact, she won’t do it unless Monique is the writer. The why isn’t answered until much later, but the journey there was a captivating experience. What’s more, when they meet for the first time Evelyn tells her she’s actually ready to tell the story of her fascinating and tragic life that no one in the world knows and she wants Monique to write a book. The addition of the mystery as to Evelyn’s true motivations was constantly in the back of my mind, but when it was revealed, I have to admit I was pretty shocked. The clues were all there, I just missed them. 

It’s told in sections separated into one for each of Evelyn’s seven husbands. The bulk is told in the past and there are a few scenes in the present, mostly Monique reacting to what Evelyn has just told her. The big question is who was the true love of her life? I found myself so curious about this and was really into the story of her life. The price of fame is high and Evelyn paid dearly. 

Evelyn was a highly complex woman, she’s bold, unflinching, fierce, unapologetic and surprisingly tender and vulnerable as well. She was so well crafted that I felt like I was getting the inside scoop on a Hollywood icons life even though she’s fictional. It was so glamorous, scandalous and filled with juicy gossip but it was also emotive and touching, I even cried at one point. It really read like the epic saga of one woman’s life and I enjoyed every mesmerizing page of this book. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher and Booksparks for my review copy.