Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 2, 2019

Publisher: Putnam

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

FBI Agent Nell Flynn hasn’t been home in ten years. Nell and her father, Homicide Detective Martin Flynn, have never had much of a relationship. And Suffolk County will always be awash in memories of her mother, Marisol, who was brutally murdered when Nell was just seven.

When Martin Flynn dies in a motorcycle accident, Nell returns to the house she grew up in so that she can spread her father’s ashes and close his estate. At the behest of her father’s partner, Detective Lee Davis, Nell becomes involved in an investigation into the murders of two young women in Suffolk County. The further Nell digs, the more likely it seems to her that her father should be the prime suspect–and that his friends on the police force are covering his tracks. Plagued by doubts about her mother’s murder–and her own role in exonerating her father in that case–Nell can’t help but ask questions about who killed Ria Ruiz and Adriana Marques and why. But she may not like the answers she finds–not just about those she loves, but about herself. 

Review:

We’re about to head off to Legoland but I wanted to jump on really fast and tell you guys how much I enjoyed Alger’s latest. This was a fast paced and exciting read and I loved that it was told via one POV, it made for a really nice change. Nell was exactly the kind of strong and determined lead character that I live for and the setting was seriously detailed and truly brought to life. Throw in a current mystery as well as some questions about Nell’s mothers death from years ago and this had all the ingredients for the perfect, binge worthy summer thriller! Recommended as a vacation read, I read this over mine and it was exactly what I was in the mood for.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 1, 2019

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Stay calm, keep smiling, and watch your step. In this marriage of secrets and lies, nothing is what it seems.

For days, all of Denver, Colorado, has worried over the fate of a missing child, little Tanner Holcomb. Then, a miracle: handsome, athletic Johnny Bradley finds him, frightened but unharmed, on a hiking trail miles from his wealthy family’s mountain home.

In a heartbeat, his rescuer goes from financially strapped fitness trainer to celebrated hero. The heat of the spotlight may prove too much for Johnny’s picture-perfect family, however. His wife, Veronica, despises the pressure of the sudden fame, afraid that secrets and bitter resentments of her marriage may come to light. And she’s willing to do anything to keep them hidden.

But when a shocking revelation exposes an even darker side to Tanner’s disappearance, Veronica realizes that nothing in her life can be trusted. And everything should be feared. 

Review:

Last year one of my favorite and most memorable reads was Jane Doe so of course False Step was high up on my list of most anticipated reads for this year. I loved how original and unique that one was and I adored Jane as a character even though I probably shouldn’t have loved a sociopath as much as I did. I’m so sad to say that this one just didn’t work for me at all.

While initially I was very interested to see where this one was going by about a quarter of the way in I had worked out exactly what was going to happen. I also hated every single character besides the young daughter, Sydney. Veronica was endlessly annoying to me and the whole cast was hypocritical and so exhausting. I’m not gonna sit here and endlessly bash the book because I still really enjoy Stone as an author and will gladly be reading Problem Child as I’m a fan of her writing style. This was just predictable and cliches and just not the right book for me. If you haven’t read JD though I highly recommend that one and if you’re not a seasoned thriller reader this one may work better for you than it did for me.

Overall rating: 2/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Dead Inside: Dark, Disturbing and Bold

The Friends We Keep: Heartfelt, Juicy and Effortless

The Unbreakables: Sexy, Empowering and Fresh

The Friend Zone: Witty, Relatable and Emotional

Waiting for Tom Hanks: Adorable, Entertaining and Funny.

The Friend Who Lied: Addictive, Fast and Tangled

Mrs. Everything: Powerful, Timely and Moving.

The First Mistake was an ok read for me but nothing for me to get excited about.

Fix Her Up: Cute, Sexy and Light

The Honeymoon: Twisty, Quick and Tense

Summer of 69: Breezy, Spirited and Delightful

The Rumor was a decent read, nothing super memorable

This is Home: Raw, Beautiful and Heartfelt

The Road She Left Behind: Emotional, Compelling and Memorable

Hello Lovelies: Snarky, Witty and Hilarious

Still Out There: Quick, Engrossing and Original

Rouge: Sophisticated, Dramatic and Devious

Dear Wife:Slick, Surprising and Compulsive

A Nearly Normal Family: Unusual, Smart and Methodical

Pretty Revenge: Addictive, Delicious and Wicked

Lock Every Door: Menacing, Dark and Creepy

The Summer of Sunshine and Margot: Delightful, Genuine and Sweet

One Summer in Santorini Picturesque, Fun and Sweet

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 2, 2019

Publisher: Ballantine

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

Review:

There is just something so appealing to me about books set in Nantucket, every summer I look forward to reading books set there and though this is only my third book by Thayer, it’s my favorite one so far! It had everything I look for in a beach read. It’s light and fun yet has plenty going on in the characters lives too, throw in a perfect summer location and some romantic drama and it’s the best possible combination for me for a summer read.

This is told solely from Keely’s perspective and begins when she’s a young girl and meets her future best friend, Isabelle. It follows both girls over the years until they’re almost thirty and you get to see them experience highs and lows, both in their separate lives and also in their friendship with each other. I’m really glad that Keely was the narrator as I liked her a lot more than I did Isabelle, she was just a genuinely good person trying to follow her dreams and maintain her relationship with her friend. Although Isabelle wasn’t my favorite kind of character both women were incredibly well developed and interesting.

Highly recommended to pack in your beach bag, this was charming, fun and featured plenty of drama and angst from the characters to keep you engaged.

The Surfside Sisters in three words: Breezy, Carefree and Charming

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 1, 2019

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

Elle, an accomplished baker, has a recipe for every event in her life. But when she discovers her husband’s infidelity, she doesn’t know what to make of it. Jam, maybe? Definitely jam.

Fed up with the stale crumbs of her marriage, Elle revisits past recipes and the events that inspired them. A recipe for scones reminds her of her father’s death, cinnamon rolls signify the problematic courtship with her husband, and a batch of chocolate cookies casts Elle in a less-than-flattering light. Looking back, Elle soon realizes that some ingredients were missing all along.

After confronting her husband, Elle indulges her sweet tooth in other ways, including a rebound that just leaves her more confused. As secrets from the past collide with the conflicts of the present, Elle struggles to manage her bakery business and maintain the relationships most important to her. In piecing her life back together, will Elle learn to take the bitter with the sweet?

Review:

I think we’ve all read books where a woman discovers her husband has been unfaithful but Gold was able to put her own spin on the premise with this one. This jumps from the time period after Elle discovers his betrayal to when they first met and also the years in between. The chapters are fairly short and it does jump around time wise quite a bit, but it was very easy to follow and keep up as every chapter was clearly labeled. It was fascinating to see how their relationship had changed and evolved, both for the good and the bad over the years and by the end I felt like I had a really strong sense of who Elle was and what she believed in.

I am such a sucker for any book that incorporates food into the story and Gold infused food in such a unique and fun way with this one. Elle is a baker and each of her beloved recipes reminds her of an event in her past, some incredibly happy times, but also some not so good times. No matter what, baking has been a huge part of not only her life, but who she is as a person and when she finds out her husband cheated on her she obviously turns to her comfort; baking. What was clever that instead of just having Elle bake these items she included the actual recipes as well! These also weren’t your run of the mill basic recipes either, they were full of fun little sidebars and tidbits that let Elle’s personality shine through and they also made me incredibly hungry, I’ll absolutely be trying some of these out myself.

This was a strong debut and felt like something new and fresh, it also had an ending that I wasn’t expecting and was just a really well written and well executed read. If you like foodie fiction definitely check this one out!

The Ingredients of Us in three words: Delectable, Fresh and Emotional

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 2, 2019

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 2, 2019

Publisher: Gallery

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

The name of the game is revenge—no matter the cost—in this emotionally charged thriller reminiscent of The Wife Between Us and The Perfect Nanny.

Kerrie O’Malley, jobless and in an unfulfilling relationship, can isolate the singular moment in her life when things veered off course—the night she was irrevocably wronged by someone she looked up to. Eighteen years later, when Kerrie sees the very woman who destroyed her life on television, a fire ignites inside her. The stakes are high. The risks are perilous. But she’ll stop at nothing to achieve the retribution she deserves.

Jordana Pierson is a gilded New Yorker who appears to have it all: wealth, glamour, a successful and handsome husband, and a thriving wedding concierge business. Her record is spotless. Her business is flourishing. No one knows the truth about her and the dark shadows of her past.

No one, that is, except Kerrie.

Exploring just how far someone will go for vengeance, Pretty Revenge is a riveting, compulsively readable novel bursting with twists and turns and plenty of suspense. 

Review:

I love a story about about revenge, seeing how far someone will go to get the vengeance they feel is deserved never ceases to intrigue me and with the word revenge in the title I knew this would be a perfect addition to my summer TBR! I was right, I can’t think of a better book to read poolside, this one was juicy and wickedly fun.

Right away to learn that Jordana has somehow wronged Kerrie in the past, you don’t find out until much later what the transgression was, and it really didn’t matter much in the end because the entire ride to to the truth is where the fun lies. You hear from both women in alternating chapters and watching Kerrie plot and scheme against an unknowing Jordana was all sorts of entertaining. Throw in some juicy interesting secrets from them both and you have the perfect recipe for a summer read. This is fun, Fast and dives into the obsessive side of female friendships in a really campy and dramatic manner.

Pretty Revenge in three words: Addictive, Delicious and Wicked

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy