Goodreads/Amazon/Author Website
Release date: June 7, 2016

Publisher: Crown

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Goodreads blurb:

In I Almost Forgot About You, Dr. Georgia Young’s wonderful life–great friends, family, and successful career–aren’t enough to keep her from feeling stuck and restless. When she decides to make some major changes in her life, quitting her job as an optometrist, and moving house, she finds herself on a wild journey that may or may not include a second chance at love. Like Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, I Almost Forgot About You will show legions of readers what can happen when you face your fears, take a chance, and open yourself up to life, love, and the possibility of a new direction. 

Review: 

I’m kind of ashamed to admit this, but I’ve never read any of McMillan’s books before. There’s not any particular reason and it’s not like I was avoiding them, I just never got around to it. I am so glad that I finally did though, now I need to add her other work to my TBR.

Georgia is a fifty something strong, independent and extremely intelligent woman. From the outside, she has it all. She’s a successful optometrist with two grown daughters and grandchildren and close friends that love her. All that is missing is love. She’s been divorced twice and she’s sick of the games that come with being in a relationship.

Even though her life is full in many aspects, there is something missing that makes Georgia feel unsettled and lost. On a whim, as she’s reflecting on her past relationships she decides to embark on a journey. She’s going to contact her old lovers and make peace.

All of the female characters in this book are strong, smart and witty. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Georgia and her BFF Wanda. They were so funny and reading their conversations was like listening to my girlfriends banter and chat. It was warm and seriously funny!

I adored Georgia, I want a no nonsense yet still fun loving friend just like her. I’m not quite middle aged, but I could still relate to her. As she’s on this emotional journey, she begins to question her life and the decisions she’s made that lead up to where she is now. She goes through so many emotions that women of any age can relate to; self doubt, body image issues, regret and old heartbreaks that sometimes still feel fresh.

My only very minor complaint is that because there are so many very minor male characters throughout the book I was a bit confused a few times. It was a little hard keeping the names straight, but it didn’t take away from the story.

I felt like this could be a modern day love story for the middle aged woman but as a thirty something woman, I still very much enjoyed it. Georgia isn’t a big fan of social media and I laughed many times when she talked about her dislike and confusion as it reminded me of the women her age in my own life.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Blogging For Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads/Amazon/Author Website
Release date: May 3, 2016

Publisher: Berkley/NAL

Genre: Mystery/Psychological Thriller

Goodreads blurb: 

On a rainy afternoon, a mother’s life is shattered as her son slips from her grip and runs into the street . . .

 

I Let You Go follows Jenna Gray as she moves to a ramshackle cottage on the remote Welsh coast, trying to escape the memory of the car accident that plays again and again in her mind and desperate to heal from the loss of her child and the rest of her painful past. 

 

At the same time, the novel tracks the pair of Bristol police investigators trying to get to the bottom of this hit-and-run. As they chase down one hopeless lead after another, they find themselves as drawn to each other as they are to the frustrating, twist-filled case before them. 

Review:

Every parents worst nightmare comes true at the start of this book. Five year old Jacob is killed in a car accident and for Jenna Gray, life will never be the same again.

Though the events unfolding in this book are tragic and absolutely awful, part one of this book gently lulls the reader into a sense of complacency. It takes the entire first part of the novel for the real action to begin as it sets the stage for completely mind blowing events.

Then part one ends.

I literally gasped and covered my mouth when I read the last paragraph of part one, I needed some time to collect myself. I set the book down as my mind was racing trying to work out what I had just read, and what I had missed. I found myself frantically flipping pages towards the beginning, then reading and rereading the last paragraph. I was that blown away.

Part two is where things get tense. I was glued to each and every word, completely absorbed. Told alternately from Jenna’s point of view, then the police investigating the accident was clever and interesting. I was blindsided again and again as the book went on and revealed shocking turns and unique angles. The first half of the book took me a day or so while part two took me a matter of hours.

The twists are such a sucker punch that I’m scared to say more though I would love to as they’re that good. Mackintosh wrote a stunning debut and if you are a fan of psychological thrillers like Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and My Girl then don’t miss I Let You Go. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5 

Goodreads/Amazon/Author Website
Release date: July 5, 2016

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: YA/Mystery 

Goodreads blurb: 

When her father is accused of being a serial killer, Bex becomes the ultimate bait in this game of cat and mouse
Bex is ready to start a new life in foster care. There, she won’t be known as a serial killer’s daughter. Though her father was never tried for the murders attributed to “The Wife Collector,” he disappeared after questioning. And Bex struggles with the guilt that she provided the circumstantial evidence that convicted him in the public’s perception—and drove him to abandon her.
But when a body turns up in her new hometown, all signs point to the Wife Collector. Bex’s old life isn’t ready to let her go. The police want to use Bex to lure in her father. But is she baiting a serial killer or endangering an innocent man? 

Review: 

I’m going to write this review a little bit differently than I normally do, because there were many parts that I really liked, but unfortunately there were many that I didn’t like. 

What I liked: 

I liked the main character, Bex. She’s lived with a noose around her neck for ten years and she’s only seventeen. Her father is the alleged Wife Collector, a serial killer who terrorized women in Raleigh years ago. Bex helped the police back when she was just a little girl providing them with enough evidence to lock him up. But he disappeared before his real sentence could even begin. The poor kid has spent the past ten years absolutely torn up by guilt over what her younger self did to her father. 

The pace of this book is fast and the chapters are fairly short. Jayne knows how to build up suspense in an impressive manner that really sets the tone for a nail biting book. Bex has lots of flashbacks throughout the story that provides, in pieces some of her background information. She is desperately lonely and just wants to be accepted. Her life has been clouded by judgements and assumptions just because of who her father is. She’s continuously trying to reconcile the father that she loved as a young girl with the monster the police say he is. 

Bex goes to live with her new foster parents, Michael and Denise after her grandmother passes away. They were one of my favorite parts of this book. It was so nice to see a loving and caring set of foster parents, as most books that I’ve read with either adoptive or foster parents portray them as mean and hateful. They were sweet people who genuinely loved Bex and wanted only the best for her. 

What I didn’t like: 

Parts of this book were a little contrived and predictable. Bex starts out at a new school and is instantly accepted into the “in crowd” and begins dating a handsome and popular boy. It was better than the typical use of high school mean girls, but it was all a little bit too convenient. While there were many twists and turns throughout, sadly I was easily able to guess the majority of them. Knowing what is going to happen next always kills the mood of what could have been a great book. 

While the mounting suspense was nicely executed, all of the sudden it just kind of…stopped. The end felt rushed, sudden and abrupt and I felt like there were still a few unanswered questions, which is my reading pet peeve. 

While I felt that were parts of this book that needed to be a bit more developed, I still felt like it was an interesting read. Jayne shows great potential as a suspense writer and I can definitely see the appeal this book would have for a YA reader. I was just left wanting more.

Overall rating: 3.5/5 

Thanks to Goodreads giveaways for my copy!  

Goodreads/Amazon/Author Website
Release date: July 28, 2016

Publisher: Avon

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Goodreads blurb: 

You’d kill to protect your child – wouldn’t you?
When radio presenter Anna Graves and her baby are attacked on the beach by a crazed teenager, Anna reacts instinctively to protect her daughter.
But her life falls apart when the schoolboy dies from his injuries. The police believe Anna’s story, until the autopsy results reveal something more sinister.
A frenzied media attack sends Anna into a spiral of self-doubt. Her precarious mental state is further threatened when she receives a chilling message from someone claiming to be the ‘Ophelia Killer’, responsible for a series of murders twenty years ago.
Is Anna as innocent as she claims? And is murder forgivable, if committed to save your child’s life…? 

Review: 

Let me start by saying this cover is gorgeous! I need to by a real copy as the ebook cover is stunning, I can only imagine the real one is beautiful. 

This is my second time reading one of Buchanan’s novels. I reviewed My Sisters Secret last month and fell in love with her writing style. She has a beautiful way with words and creates stunning imagery that allows the reader to really feel like they’re part of the setting. 

This book really made me think about what I would do if one of my children were in danger. How far would I go? I think most parents would say that they would do whatever was necessary to keep their children safe. But what if that meant taking someone else’s life in order to keep your children out of harms way?

Anna finds herself in this awful situation. Right from the beginning, this book jumps right in. Anna and her infant daughter, Joni are walking along the beach where they find themselves in a strange and horrifying situation. Anna reacts as any mother would and protects Joni at all costs. But when the boy who attacked them dies, Anna’s whole life begins to shatter.

Understandably, Anna is constantly second guessing her actions. She is filled with self doubt and regret. She knows that she is not a murderer, yet that is exactly what the press is labeling her as. After all, she did kill a young boy, no matter if it was only in self defense. As if her own guilt isn’t already eating her alive, now she is thrust into the unrelenting and harsh media spotlight. She is at once both villianized and hailed as people have strong opinions about her hand in the boy’s death. I liked the way this angle was presented. It was true, as in this day and age people can and do become unwilling celebrities every single day. Buchanan showed the dark side to the media in a realistic and current manner.

Past and present collide as it seems the Ophelia Killer is back after a twenty year hiatus. This part was interesting as well as usually most novels involving serial killers tend to have young women as victims. In this novel, the victims were young boys. It was a creative and appreciated twist.

The Ophelia Killer begins to taunt and torment Anna, doing some downright creepy things to her as the story unravels. Parts of it chilled me right to the bone, which I adore. I felt completely terrible for Anna and found myself wishing she was my friend so I could help her. She was so relatable to me, maybe because her thoughts and feelings about motherhood are so common.

The ending/twist absolutely floored me. Like jaw dropping, did not see that one coming whatsoever. I won’t reveal more, just suffice it to say that I completely recommend this book. It was dark, twisted, and creepily satisfying.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Goodreads/Amazon/Author Website
Release date: May 3, 2016

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Goodreads blurb:

Imagine:

A boy with a gun waits for the man who killed his mother.

A troubled detective confronts her past in the aftermath of a brutal shooting.

After thirteen years in prison, a good cop walks free. But for how long?

And deep in the forest, on the altar of an abandoned church, the unthinkable has just happened…

This is a town on the brink. This is a road with no mercy.

Review:

I went into this book knowing very little about the premise or about the author, but I’ve heard great things about John Hart’s books. He’s been called a master storyteller and a gifted writer. After reading Redemption Road I can see why.

The story is told using multiple narratives including Elizabeth, a cop who is brittle, fragile and clinging to the edge of hope. Adrian is recently released from prison and just trying to heal old open wounds while battling current demons. Gideon is a young man who is desperate, broken and wounded. Channing is an eighteen year old girl who has lived through nightmares and isn’t quite sure how to make it through to the light of day. I always find it morbidly fascinating to get a glimpse inside the mind of a homicidal manic and Hart doesn’t disappoint.

All of these characters are so flawed and damaged and this is revealed fantastically by Hart. He creates characters that simply come alive in an honest manner that is heartbreakingly real. The town they live in is full of secrets, pain and betrayal. 

Hart also touches on a current tense and hot topic;  how race plays a factor in police investigations and procedures. It brought a sense of current events to the book as it also briefly discussed how the media’s involvement can ramp up the tension.

I really enjoyed the twists in this novel as they were believable but still surprising. There were just enough shocking moments to keep the reader engaged, but not so many that it seemed unlikely or contrived. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads/Amazon/Author Website
Release date: July 26, 2016

Publisher: Pocket Books

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Chick Lit

Goodreads blurb: 

Discovering her fiance is an international con man just moments before they exchange vows devastates celebrity wedding planner Brooke Baldwin’s business—and breaks her heart. Now a pariah in Los Angeles, she seeks a fresh start in New York City and thinks she’s found it with her first bridal client, a sweet—if slightly spoiled—hotel heiress. Then she meets the uptight businessman who’s holding the purse strings.
Seth Tyler wishes he could write a blank check and be done with his sister Maya’s fancy-pants wedding. Unfortunately, micromanaging the event is his only chance at proving Maya’s fiance is a liar. Standing directly in his way is the stunning blonde wedding planner whose practiced smiles and sassy comebacks both irritate and arouse him. He needs Brooke’s help. But can he persuade a wedding planner on a comeback mission to unplan a wedding? And more importantly, how will he convince her that the wedding she should be planning… is theirs? 

Review: 

This is my first Lauren Layne novel so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but it sounded cute. I love reading about weddings and wedding related stuff, so the idea of a novel about a wedding planner sounded fun! This is the first book in a new series, the Wedding Belles.

I have to say, I’m a huge fan of Layne’s writing style. It’s sharp, witty and a little bit snarky. I found myself laughing out loud while reading a few scenes. She captures a modern New York woman perfectly in a hip and fresh manner. 

The chemistry between Brooke and Seth was sizzling hot! They had the whole love/hate and hot/cold thing going on, but it was executed well. Their sex scenes were spicy, flirty and sexy without being smutty. Layne pushes the envelope a bit, but doesn’t cross any lines. 

I really liked both Brooke and Seth. She’s sassy, sarcastic and vulnerable. He’s cool, calm and controlled. They balanced each other out nicely and just made sense as a couple. They’ve both been damaged and hurt in past relationships and as a result are naturally skeptical of all things related to love. 

I read this book while on vacation and it was a perfect light and fun read for a relaxing trip! I’m looking forward to the next book in this series as the secondary characters in this book were fun and interesting as well. The second book in the series is called For Better or For Worse and will be released August 30, 2016.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Pocket Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.