Goodreads/Amazon
Release date: July 26, 2016

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

Genre: Mystery/Psychological Thriller

Goodreads blurb:

Thirteen-year-old Julie Whitaker was kidnapped from her bedroom in the middle of the night, witnessed only by her younger sister. Her family was shattered, but managed to stick together, hoping against hope that Julie is still alive. And then one night: the doorbell rings. A young woman who appears to be Julie is finally, miraculously, home safe. The family is ecstatic—but Anna, Julie’s mother, has whispers of doubts. She hates to face them. She cannot avoid them. When she is contacted by a former detective turned private eye, she begins a torturous search for the truth about the woman she desperately hopes is her daughter.

 

Propulsive and suspenseful, Good as Gone will appeal to fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, and keep readers guessing until the final pages. 

Review: 

By this point, I think most of us are sick of every new thriller being compared to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. It drives me crazy, but I ignored it this time and decided to take a chance anyway. Though I wouldn’t say that I loved this book quite as much as the other two, I’m pleased to say that it does make sense to place them in the same category.

Anna has been living her worst nightmare for eight long years. When her missing daughter, Julie shows up on her doorstep she is overcome with emotions. Of course she’s thrilled, but she can’t help but have doubts. Is her family’s nightmare finally over? Or is it just beginning?

I totally found myself relating to Anna as I do to almost any mother in a novel who loses a child. I don’t even want to think about something happening to one of my children and I sympathize so deeply with these types of characters. Julie’s sister, Jane was also easy to identify with. At just ten years old, she was the only witness on the night Julie disappeared. A terror stricken child is clearly not reliable and the events of that fateful night are shadowed and fuzzy at best.

I was reminded of The Passenger by Lisa Lutz while reading this and I really liked that book. They share a few similarities that I’m hesitant to discuss as both books have secrets and twists that shouldn’t be revealed. Both are addicting, fast paced and keep the reader guessing with the unique way the story is told. 

This was a lightning fast read for me as it’s just shy of 275 pages yet I feel like a little more could have been added, especially at the end. After all answers are revealed, I felt like a bit more development in regards to the backstory would’ve been useful. Questions are answered, I just wanted more details. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Goodreads/Amazon
Release date: June 28, 2016

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Genre: Chick Lit

Goodreads blurb: 

In this dazzling new novel, Emily Giffin, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed, Where We Belong, and The One & Only introduces a pair of sisters who find themselves at a crossroads.

 

Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.

 

Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.

 

On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired. 

 

As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them, but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover they need each other more than they knew . . . and that in the recipe for true happiness, love always comes first.

 

Emotionally honest and utterly enthralling, First Comes Love is a story about family, friendship, and the courage to follow your own heart—wherever that may lead. 

Review: 

I’ve been such a huge fan of Giffin since Something Borrowed was released. She’s one of my auto buy authors and though she probably still will be for me, her past few books haven’t been on quite the same level as her earlier work for me.

This book is told alternately from both Josie and Meredith’s point of view, which is a touch that I can always appreciate. It was interesting to see how differently both women interpreted the same situations. Two sisters who couldn’t be more unlike, they fight and bicker over everything you can think of. They see the world differently, view love and marriage differently, and both have dealt with a tragedy in their family completely differently. 

I always love a novel that focuses on a relationship between sisters as my own sister is my very best friend. This one just made me sad as both of them harbored so much resentment, jealousy and bitterness towards each other. I understand that many relationships between siblings are complicated and not everyone is as close to their siblings as I am to my sister, but I found I really couldn’t relate to either of them.

While I enjoyed this book while reading it, I didn’t fall in love with it. I did like the overall themes of forgiveness and hope though and it was a book that was an easy and light read. Some of the magic Giffen was able to create in her books like Something Borrowed, Something Blue and Love the One You’re With is missing here. She is an extremely talented writer though and I can still say I’m a fan.

Overall rating: 3/5

Goodreads/Amazon/Author Website
Release date: August 2, 2016

Publisher: Atria

Genre: NA

Goodreads blurb: 

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

Review: 

Let me just cut to the chase. This book has been so hyped for months now, I swear everywhere I looked I saw it; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, countless most anticipated book lists for book bloggers. It lives up to the hype. It deserves every single bit of hype it is receiving. 
I’m rarely speechless, I tend to talk a lot and I have been known to chatter incessantly about books. This time, it’s really hard to put what I’m feeling into words. But that actually works out just fine as I think this is the kind of book you should read without knowing very much. Seriously don’t read anything but the blurb. And this review because I would never reveal anything. 

I’m just going to share some actual thoughts that I had while reading this:

• Stunning 
• Shocking 
• Such an important story with some very difficult and tough subject matter 
• Vitally important issues (did I already say important? Yes, it’s that big of a deal)
• Emotional. I’m not sure my heart can handle this. 
• I think this is the definition of a book hangover. Will I ever stop thinking about these characters? Do I really want to stop?
• Everyone needs to read this. Yes, you. I don’t care who you are or what type of books you normally read, this needs to be one of them. You won’t regret it.

Every once in a while a book comes out that has the power to change lives. Seriously.Change lives for the greater good. This is that type of book. I wasn’t kidding when I say I will always recommend this book to people. Now and forever. I’m going to make my daughters read it when they’re older. Required reading if you will. 

Watch for a giveaway within the next few days, I’m so passionate about this book that I have to share the love. 

I apologize if anyone is annoyed by how vague this review is, but once you read IEWU it will all make sense. 

Thank you Colleen Hoover for being so brave and bold. 

Overall rating: 5/5 

Goodreads/Amazon/Author Website
Release date: August 12, 2016

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance

Goodreads blurb:

Emily is happy with her life just as it is. 

She has a career as a midwife that she loves . She enjoys living on her own as a single woman. But she also feels it’s time for a change and a spot of some sea air.

So when her best friend Rebecca asks whether she’d like to spend the summer cooking on a ‘puffer’ boat just off the Scottish coast, she jumps at the chance.

But she barely has time to get to grips with the galley before she finds herself with a lot on her plate.

Rebecca is heavily pregnant and is thrilled to have her friend on board doing most of the work. Then there’s Emily’s competitive and jealous kitchen assistant who thinks she should be head-cook, not Emily.

And there’s Alasdair, the handsome local doctor who Emily is desperately trying not to notice.

Because if she falls in love with him, as he appears to be falling for her, will she ever want her old life back again? 

Review: 

Emily is such a delightful character. I grew rather fond of her while reading this book and found myself wishing she could find love and happiness. She really deserves it, she’s one of those people who is just innately good. She is a dear friend who willingly and happily drops everything to lend a hand to her best friend Rebecca. Rebecca is pregnant with her third child and her and her husband, James own a puffer boat that takes people on summer cruises along the Scottish coast. It’s all began to be a bit much for Rebecca so Emily flies in to save the day. (Quick side note, I had no idea what a puffer boat was until I googled it 😳)

I really enjoyed hearing about Emily’s career as a midwife as I had all of my children in a hospital and have no personal experience with midwives. Emily is quite opinionated and independent, especially when it comes to defending her career and homebirths to naysayers. I loved her fiery spirit and passion about things she feels strongly about.

This is a standard contemporary romance, but what sets it apart is Fforde’s ability to create such a warm and cozy atmosphere. The setting being in Scotland brought such a lovely charm to the story and I adored all the local characters that were a part of it as they added so much warmth and character. While I really liked all of them, I especially liked Alasdair, Kate and Maisie. Alasdair is James brother and a doctor who is also in a band. Swoon worthy! Maisie is an elderly guest on the puffer boat who is just a doll! Speaking of dolls, Alasdair’s daughter Kate is an adorable child whose friendship with Emily truly warmed my heart.

While this was my first experience with a Fforde novel it certainly will not be my last. This was a perfect summer romance with heart, soul and a little bit of magic.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads Amazon
Release date: August 9, 2016

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: Chick Lit

Goodreads blurb:

The new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Descendants—a hilarious and charming story about a quirky single mom in San Francisco who tiptoes through the minefields of the “Mommy Wars” and manages to find friendship and love.

When Mele Bart told her boyfriend Bobby she was pregnant with his child, he stunned her with an announcement of his own: he was engaged to someone else.

Fast forward two years, Mele’s daughter is a toddler, and Bobby and his fiancée want Ellie to be the flower girl at their wedding. Mele, who also has agreed to attend the nuptials, knows she can’t continue obsessing about Bobby and his cheese making, Napa-residing, fiancée. She needs something to do. So she answers a questionnaire provided by the San Francisco Mommy Club in elaborate and shocking detail and decides to enter their cookbook writing contest. Even though she joined the group out of desperation, Mele has found her people: Annie, Barrett, Georgia, and Henry (a stay-at-home dad). As the wedding date approaches, Mele uses her friends’ stories to inspire recipes and find comfort, both.

How to Party with an Infant is a hilarious and poignant novel from Kaui Hart Hemmings, who has an uncanny ability to make disastrous romances and tragic circumstances not only relatable and funny, but unforgettable.

Review: 

I really wish Mele were real and not a fictional character because I would find her and become her friend. Yes, she’s been dealt a pretty crappy blow. She didn’t know Bobby was engaged to someone else when they began their relationship but when she found out she was pregnant she decided to go it alone. She has some help from Bobby, but the majority of child rearing falls on her shoulders. Instead of wallowing in self pity, she makes the best of the life that she has. I admire that and love her kick ass, fighting spirit.

The format of this book is cool. Mele decides to enter a cookbook contest hosted by the San Francisco mommy group she’s a member of. The book is her filling out the application for the contest, which sounds boring. Except it’s Mele who is writing it and she is anything but boring. She’s funny, brutally honest, and carefree. In between answering the questions for the contest there are personal stories from each of her friends from her parenting group; Annie, Henry, Georgia and Barrett. These tidbits are authentic and candid and add so much to this story. 

Clearly Hart Hemmings has participated in mommy groups as well as online parenting message boards because she nails it! They are full of cattiness, competitive parents constantly trying to outdo each other, and bickering about the most asinine things. Mele’s tales of trying to find a group to join before finally finding people that she actually wants to spend time with are wickedly funny and accurate. If you’ve ever joined a parenting forum you’ll know exactly what I mean.

I haven’t laughed this much while reading a book in a long time. Seriously, I’m not just saying that like I chuckled underneath my breath. I’m talking full blown cracking up laughter. Mele is not afraid to air her dirty laundry or the dirty laundry of her friends and this makes for some highly entertaining and hysterical scenes. 

The ending did feel a little bit rushed after all of the build up to, should Mele go or not go to her exes wedding? But I would like to think that’s because Hart Hemmings was making the point that Mele didn’t need Bobby anymore and that he isn’t significant enough to take up more time in her story.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for my copy in exchange for an honest review. 

 

Goodreads  Amazon
Release date: June 28, 2016

Publisher: Random House

Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery 

Goodreads blurb:

For readers of Kate Atkinson and Tana French comes a page-turning literary mystery that brings to life the complex and wholly relatable Manon Bradshaw, a strong-willed detective assigned to a high-risk missing persons case.

At thirty-nine, Manon Bradshaw is a devoted and respected member of the Cambridgeshire police force, and though she loves her job, what she longs for is a personal life. Single and distant from her family, she wants a husband and children of her own. One night, after yet another disastrous Internet date, she turns on her police radio to help herself fall asleep—and receives an alert that sends her to a puzzling crime scene.

Edith Hind—a beautiful graduate student at Cambridge University and daughter of the surgeon to the Royal Family—has been reported missing for nearly twenty-four hours. Her home offers few clues: a smattering of blood in the kitchen, her keys and phone left behind, the front door ajar but showing no signs of forced entry. Manon instantly knows this case will be big—and that every second is crucial to finding Edith alive.

The investigation starts with Edith’s loved ones: her attentive boyfriend, her reserved best friend, and her patrician parents. As the search widens and press coverage reaches a frenzied pitch, secrets begin to emerge about Edith’s tangled love life and her erratic behavior leading up to her disappearance. With no clear leads, Manon summons every last bit of her skill and intuition to close the case, and what she discovers will have shocking consequences not just for Edith’s family, but for Manon herself.

Suspenseful and keenly observed, Missing, Presumed is a brilliantly twisting novel of how we seek connection, grant forgiveness, and reveal the truth about who we are. 

Review: 

This blurb instantly caught my eye while browsing Netgalley, especially with the comparison to Tana French. I fell in love with her Dublin murder squad series last year and am eagerly awaiting her newest release. I’m pleased to say that the comparison is valid and fitting.

From the start, you think this may turn out to be a standard missing persons novel. Which is fine, I read quite a few of those, but as the story unfolds, you realize that there is far more to the story than just the mysterious disappearance of Edith Hind. The characters drive this story, and though the mystery plays an important role, there is so much more to be offered.

Told from several POV; Manon, her coworker Davy, Edith’s close friend Helena, her mother Miriam, and Edith herself, things are rapidly paced and the chapters flow seamlessly while revealing personal aspects of all of these characters that fascinated me.

Manon is quite the character. She is a police officer who is overwhelmingly lonely and longs for a companion, someone who can bring some joy and light to her oftentimes dreary existence. At thirty nine, she is desperate enough to try online dating and I really enjoyed following along with her on her forays into this odd world. Over the course of the book, Manon’s humanity is deeply developed and she is so very easy to identify with. 

Davy isn’t quite as developed as Manon, but as I just read that Steiner is turning this into a series, I can see her exploring his character more in the future. I loved how his optimism balanced out Manon’s jaded outlook. Speaking of balances, some police procedurals/crime fiction novels can be a bit dry, but this book maintained a nice balance between the dry parts by showcasing the characters.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads Amazon

Release date: August 9, 2016

Publisher: Random House/Ballantine

Genre: Women’s Fiction 

Goodreads blurb: 

She never saw it coming. Without even a shiver of suspicion to warn her, Caroline Hammond discovers that her husband is having an affair with a man—a revelation that forces her to question their entire history together, from their early days as high school sweethearts through their ten years as a happily married couple. In her now upside-down world, Caroline begins envisioning her life without the relationship that has defined it: the loneliness of being an “I” instead of a “we”; the rekindled yet tenuous closeness with her younger sister; and the unexpected—and potentially disastrous—attraction she can’t get off her mind. Caroline always thought she knew her own love story, but as her husband’s other secrets emerge, she must decide whether that story’s ending will mean forgiving the man she’s loved for half her life, or facing her future without him. 

Review: 

I think it’s safe to say that any married persons worst nightmare is dealing with the hurt and betrayal in the aftermath of infidelity. Imagine finding out your spouse is unfaithful. Take it one step further and imagine they cheated on you with a man and they may be gay (or if you’re a guy, with a woman) Not only did they throw away your marriage vows for someone else, they may have been hiding a huge part of their life from you for years.

Caroline is the woman scorned and she is such a lovely character. She truly thought she had it all with her husband, Adam. Life was as close to perfect as she could imagine and she was blissfully happy in her marriage, especially  as Adam was not only her lover, but her best friend. All of that comes crashing down when she discovers he has been unfaithful and she has to learn who she really is as she begins to navigate through a life alone, one that she never dreamed of nor wanted.

I found Caroline to be so relatable and likable. I was really rooting for her the whole time and just wanted her to find her own peace and happiness within herself. She handled her terrible situation with grace and dignity and was far more classy than I think I would’ve been if I were ever in her shoes. The relationship between her and her sister, Ruby was fantastic and Chase did a great job of capturing the honesty and raw emotion that is shared between sisters. Caroline’s best friend, Jonathan was also a nice addition to the story and I always enjoy a male/female friendship that is fun and is just truly about two people who like each other with no sex involved.

This book is heartfelt, raw, honest and endearing and I really enjoyed following Caroline on her journey of forced self discovery. It’s written in a thoughtful manner that is beautiful and vulnerable and I think anyone that has ever been in love can relate to it. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Random House/Ballantine for my copy in exchange for an honest review.