Goodreads

Release date: June 20, 2023

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Stars. Lovers. Liars. Killers. This is Hollywood, and everyone has a part to play in a shocking novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author A. R. Torre.

Actress Nora Kemp loves two men. One is Hugh Iverson, a philanthropic movie star who gives Nora security and respectability. The other is Hugh’s twin brother, Trent, a Hollywood bad boy who brings out Nora’s wild side. When Trent and an unidentified woman are found dead on the Iversons’ Beverly Hills property, more than Nora’s and Hugh’s reputations are at stake.

An investigation suggests murder-suicide. But there’s more to the crime than first meets the eye: suspicions of a serial killer with a bizarre motive, Hugh’s unnerved and cautious staff, and a missing mother and son. As two LA detectives sift through the deceptions of the innocent and the guilty—some living and some dead—solving the case becomes a cunning cat-and-mouse game.

Because in a city of illusions, the truth—no matter how dangerous—is so easy to hide.

Review:

This read almost exactly like watching a juicy and dramatic soap opera style show and I mean that in the best way. Sometimes I just want brain candy and this fit the bill for my mood. It’s told via a bunch of different perspectives and while at first glance I thought maybe there were too many, once I settled into the story it actually worked well. There are lots of chapters from one of the detectives working the case so it gave it a strong police procedural feel, so keep that in mind whether you like that style or not. I enjoy it and love the feeling of solving a case alongside a detective so again, that aspect worked for me. There were some really fun twists too, yes they were over the top and you may have to stretch your beliefs a little but they were entertaining. This would be a really fun poolside read, it’s scandalous and fast paced.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 16, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

When a woman who’d rather do anything than read meets a swoon-worthy bookworm, sparks fly, making for one hot-summer fling in New York Timesbestselling author Jenn McKinlay’s new rom-com.

For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha’s Vineyard at her family’s tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she’s tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there’s no place Sam, who’s dyslexic, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library’s interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.

Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he’s never known. He’s taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn’t interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can’t stop thinking about her.

An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she’s always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.

Review:

Ok this one was adorable and I ended up liking it more than I thought I would which is always such a pleasant surprise. I wanted to read it based on the title alone, I mean how could a bookworm not want to read a book called Summer Reading?! I’m not even sure I fully read the synopsis before I started it but I’m glad, every little nugget that was revealed was like another little treat for me. I love foodie fiction so Samantha being a chef was great. Sibling stories also always appeal to me and you don’t often see brother and sister stories where there is such a wide age gap and Sam and Tyler’s relationship was so cute and funny. It also had all the summer vibes and a great Martha’s Vineyard setting so definitely consider it for your own summer vacation TBR. There was great dyslexia and neurodivergence representation as well, which is a topic I haven’t seen much in books and the authors not was so great and informative. Ben was the best kind of cinnamon hero, so endearing and charming and him and Sam were the sweetest match. Really enjoyed this one!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: April 9, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Two sisters have one summer to crush their comfort zones and save their grandmother’s legacy in this sweet, sexy, and heartfelt novel by Ali Brady, author of The Beach Trap .

Hannah and Libby need a miracle. The PR agency they inherited from their grandmother is losing clients left and right, and the sisters are devastated at the thought of closing. The situation seems hopeless—until in walks Lou, an eccentric self-help guru who is looking for a new PR agency. Her business could solve all their problems—but there’s a catch. Whoever works with Lou must complete a twelve-week challenge as part of her “Crush Your Comfort Zone” program.

Hannah, whose worst nightmare is making small talk with strangers, is challenged to go on twelve first dates. Libby, who once claimed to have period cramps for four weeks straight to get out of gym class, is challenged to compete in an obstacle course race. The challenges begin with Hannah helping Libby train and Libby managing the dating app on her sister’s behalf. They’re both making good progress—until Hannah’s first love rolls into town, and Libby accidentally falls for a guy she’s supposed to be setting up with her sister.

Things get even more complicated when secrets come to light, making the sisters question the one relationship they’ve always counted each other. With their company’s future on the line, they can’t afford to fail. But in trying to make a comeback to honor their grandmother, are they pushing themselves down the wrong path?

Review:

I loved the author duos debut last year so I had high expectations for their follow up and let me tell you, they delivered! This is a quintessential summer read, a total delight and I loved every single page. This is truly a story about sisters and their close relationship but you also get two romance storylines, one for each sister too. You get a second chance romance, Jewish representation deep themes of family and what that can mean and look like and mental health issues. It’s definitely multifaceted and so are Libby and Hannah. I kind of wish I had saved this for summer vacation reading because it would’ve been ideal but definitely add it to your own summer TBR, it was so so good!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 2, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

A deliciously entertaining novel about the stars of a popular teen show from the early 2000s—and the reunion special, thirteen years after their scandalous flameout, that will either be their last chance at redemption, or destroy them all for good.

Back in 2004, The Daydreams had it all: a cast of innocent-seeming teenagers acting and singing their hearts out, amazing ratings, and a will-they-or-won’t-they romance that steamed up fan fiction forums. Then, during the live season two finale, it all imploded, leaving everyone scrambling to understand why.

Afterward, the four stars went down very different paths. Kat is now a lawyer in Washington, DC. Liana is the bored wife of a famous athlete. Noah, the show’s golden boy, emerged unscathed and is poised to become a household name. And Summer, the object of Noah’s fictional (and maybe real-life) affections, is the cautionary tale.

But now the fans are demanding a reunion special. The stars all have private reasons to come back: forgiveness, revenge, a second chance with a first love. But as they tentatively rediscover the magic of the original show, old secrets threaten to resurface—including the real reason behind their downfall.

Will this reunion be a chance to make things right? Or will it be the biggest mess the world has ever seen? No matter what, the ratings will be wild.

Review:

This was very middle of the road for me and I’m not exactly sure why because the setup had so much potential for me but there was something missing in the execution. I think I wanted more depth in the characters, things jump back and forth between 2004 and 2018 so I had assumed the characters would show some growth but sadly they didn’t for me. Kat narrates the majority of this with snippets from the other cast members and I didn’t connect with her at all either. The conflict was also lacking in my opinion, I expected something more juicy so overall this one was just ok for me.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: April 30, 2023

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

They want an ideal life.
She’s the only thing standing in their way.

The Ashleys are determined to build a future detached from the issues in their pasts, and it seems to be working.
They’re happily married.
In love.
Established in their dream careers.
Closer than ever to being debt-free.

But when a mysterious opportunity arrives with an offer they can’t refuse, everything changes.

Soon, they meet her.
She’s rich.
Powerful.
Single-minded in her goals.
She is not used to being told no.

Worst of all, she knows about the dirty deeds they’ve done in the dark…

If they don’t do exactly what she wants, the ramifications of their secrets being exposed are endless. In a battle of wits against a woman who knows too much, the Ashleys find themselves with an impossible choice to make.

Whom do you trust when the only person who can save you is the one who might bring you down?

Review:

KMod is back with yet another winner for me! I made the mistake of starting this late one night after my family went to sleep because I was just going to read a couple chapters to get a feel for the story. I know better than that honestly, the authors books are meant to be devoured in one breathless sitting and needless to stay I was up way past my bedtime finishing this. But it was worth it for sure, this was another unique and super twisty read that I clearly couldn’t put down. The description of this one is perfect, it alludes to what’s to come but it doesn’t give anything away and the best part of this was my shock as things unraveled in a deliciously wicked manner. It kept me guessing and was just so much fun as well. The author really never misses for me.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 2, 2023

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey?

Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills — the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.

But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives — monitoring every word, every minor disagreement — and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honor and obey.

Review:

I was so interested in the concept here, it was so original and terrifyingly believable that I felt like it had to be a fascinating read. While parts of it were interesting and the overall idea was solid, unfortunately the story as a whole didn’t really work for me. There was a lot going on here with several viewpoints from different couples who are impacted by The Marriage Act in some way and instead of things flowing smoothly it all felt kind of choppy for me. The style also just felt really dry and bland as well and things dragged for me at different points, so it was also too long for me. It seems like I’m an outlier here so if you enjoy this author or this one just sounds intriguing to you give it a try, it just wasn’t the book for me.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 2, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t.

At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s Muskoka lakeside resort–something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.

She needs a plan–a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is.

But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?

Review:

I loved the authors debut so me not loving this one actually hurts but here we are. I think the main thing that made this not work for me from the start was that it was very hard to believe that Will and Fern spent one day together and then she spent ten years pining over him?! That just doesn’t make much sense to me and I never bought into it. I also didn’t really think Will was all that great either, pretty hard to root for a couple when I didn’t think he deserved her. Sadly a miss for me here.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 2, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

When two best men in a wedding party fall for each other, they realize love isn’t a piece of cake in this hilarious and heartfelt romantic comedy debut by screenwriter Sidney Karger.

Max Moody thought he had everything figured out. He’s trying to live his best life in New York City and has the best friend a gay guy could ask for: Paige. She and Max grew up next door to each other in the suburbs of Chicago. She can light up any party. She finishes his sentences. She’s always a reliable splunch (they don’t like to use the word brunch) partner. But then Max’s whole world is turned upside down when Paige suddenly announces some huge news: she’s engaged and wants Max to be her man of honor. Max was always the romantic one who imagined he would get married before the unpredictable Paige and is shocked to hear she’s ready to settle down. But it turns out there’s not just one new man in Paige’s life–there are two.

There’s the groom, Austin, who’s a perfectly nice guy. Then there’s his charming, fun and ridiculously handsome gay younger brother, Chasten, who is Austin’s best man. As Paige’s wedding draws closer, Max, the introverted Midwesterner, and Chasten, the social butterfly East Coaster, realize they’re like oil and water. Yet they still have to figure out how to coexist in Paige’s life while not making her wedding festivities all about them. But can the tiny romantic spark between these two very different guys transform their best man supporting roles into the leading best men in each other’s lives?

Review:

I freaking loved this one SO much, it had me charmed right from the start and my giddy excitement never stopped. The thing that made it such a standout for me was the incredible wit and humor, I just really enjoyed the authors style and I seriously laughed so much. The romance was sort of a side plot here but it doesn’t matter because where this one shines is through Max and his personal journey with his career, friendships and yes his love life but it’s not entirely the focus. It’s also a super slow burn but it was truly worth the wait for me because Max and Chasten were so cute and I just loved them together. It’s mostly set in NYC and the author also really brought things to life for me, there is a small section set in Fire Island and again, he definitely did a great job with that setting too. This was a total delight and impressed me as a debut, I can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: April 25, 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Synopsis:

After being hospitalized for panic attacks two years after his mother’s death, charitable foundation executive Teagan van Zijl is dragged by his sister to a wilderness therapy retreat in Montana. Lost in the woods, Teagan nearly gets eaten by a bear but is saved by an angel in muddy hiking boots—the program’s handywoman, Darcy Albano, that is. After spending the summer with Darcy, Teagan realizes he doesn’t want to return to New York without her. He hires Darcy as his sober companion—a position he doesn’t actually need filled and for which Darcy is completely unqualified—hoping she can help him figure out how to move forward. But once they get to the city, all Teagan can think of is how to confess the truth while keeping her in his life.

Darcy Albano thought she was going to work as a wilderness guide when she was hired on the camp staff, but ended up a handywoman instead—only the latest screwing-over she’s endured since her ex stole her car and her parents ruined her credit score. But Teagan van Zijl is the silver lining she didn’t expect to appear—clearly going through something but willing to commit to Darcy’s unique brand of wilderness education as the cure for what ails him. They form an unlikely bond based on the unexpected support they provide each other. Darcy never imagined staying in the city, but with Teagan’s unshakeable belief in her abilities, anything seems possible.

Review:

Suspending some disbelief is something I’m used to doing when I read a thriller but I don’t tend to have to do this as much in a romance but it is absolutely necessary here. From the beginning when Teagan gets attacked by a bear things verge on outlandish and only proceeds from there. Everything about this one just felt off for me, I never bought into Teagan and Darcy’s relationship which makes things difficult when it’s a romance, I want to be invested and it just never happened for me. There is a lot of mental health rep here and while lots of it is portrayed well there were some big yikes moments for me too. I can’t even really explain it, I was just uncomfortable. Unfortunately this was just a miss for me.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 30, 2023

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Graydon House

Synopsis:

Grace Holloway keeps to herself. Since narrowly escaping death at the hands of the man who kidnapped her, she’s thrown herself into the small inn she runs in Rock Harbor, Maine. It’s quiet, quaint and, in the off-season, completely isolated—the perfect place for Grace to keep her own secrets.

But Grace isn’t the only one with something to hide, and Rock Harbor isn’t just a sleepy vacation town. Someone is taking young women—girls who look an awful lot like Grace did when she was kidnapped so many years ago.

When a surge of disappearances brings the investigation to her door, Grace finds herself unwillingly at the center of it all and doing everything she can to keep her distance. Because Grace knows something…something that could change everything. And when the truth comes to light, getting justice for the vanished might be more than Grace can handle alone…

Review:

I’m definitely a fan of the authors style of suspense, there’s something quiet and haunting about her style and this was no exception. You get three viewpoints here and I was equally intrigued by all of them. Grace is a survivor of kidnapping and she managed to escape a tragic and horrific death, Aden returns to his hometown when his father goes missing and Kira is desperately searching for her missing daughter. The way these three storylines merged and came together was clever and satisfying, I didn’t have things totally figured out and that’s always the sign of a strong thriller for me.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.