Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: February 6, 2018

Publisher: Graydon House

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

They think nothing can tear their bond apart, until a long-buried secret threatens to destroy everything.

Every year they have met up for a vacation, but their time away is much more than just a bit of fun. Over time, it has become a lifesaver, as each of them struggles with life’s triumphs and tragedies.

Sophie, Emily, Amy and Melissa have been best friends since they were girls. They have seen each other through everything—from Sophie’s private fear that she doesn’t actually want to be a mother despite having two kids, to Amy’s perfect-on-the-outside marriage that starts to reveal troubling warning signs, to Melissa’s spiraling alcoholism, to questions that are suddenly bubbling up around the paternity of Emily’s son. But could a lie that spans just as long as their friendship be the thing that tears them apart?

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Story of Our Lives! If you want to follow the tour check out TLC Book Tours for the full schedule.

Review:

I’m sure many of us have read stories about a group of female friends before, but the way this was structured was unique and set it apart from other books based on friendship. Four friends, Sophie, Melissa, Amy and Emily meet up every year for a girls weekend and these trips mean the world to them. This is divided into sections by year and follows the ladies on their weekends away. At the beginning of each part there is a political or pop culture reference relevant to whatever year it is and I loved this mini revisit to the past that stirred up my own memories of memorable events.

The characterization is fantastic and with four main characters there is someone for everyone to like or relate to. I enjoyed all of them, they all had interesting and sometimes sad stories, but they were very realistic, full of ups and downs, highs and lows and very true to real life. Nothing seemed contrived or convenient, there were painful moments and also happy ones, it truly was the story of these women’s lives, the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Story of Our Lives in three words: Emotional, Heartfelt and Stirring.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for my review copy.

About the Author:

Helen Warner is head of daytime for Channel 4, where she is responsible for shows such as Come Dine With Me and Deal Or No Deal. Previously she worked for ITV where she launched the daytime talk show Loose Women and was editor of This Morning. She lives in East Anglia with her husband and their two children.

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Connect with Helen

Website | Goodreads

About Look for Her

Paperback:304 pages
Publisher:William Morrow Paperbacks (February 13, 2018)

Everyone loves a beautiful missing girl

“Look For Her ratchets up the tension while also offering moments of sheer grace.”-Riley Sager, bestselling author of Final Girls

“Beautifully written with an expertly twisty, surprising story, this is a must-read!Chevy Stevens, New York Times bestselling author of Never Let You Go

Lilling might seem like an idyllic English village, but it’s home to a dark history. In 1976, a teenage girl named Annalise Wood disappeared, and though her body was later discovered, the culprit was never found. Decades later, Annalise maintains a perverse kind of celebrity, and is still the focus of grief, speculation, and for one young woman, a disturbing, escalating jealousy.

When DNA linked to the Annalise murder unexpectedly surfaces, cold case detective Morris Keene and his former partner, Chloe Frohmann, hope to finally bring closure to this traumatized community. But the new evidence instead undoes the case’s only certainty: the buried body that had long ago been confidently identified as Annalise may be someone else entirely, and instead of answers, the investigators face only new puzzles.

Whose body was unearthed all those years ago, and what happened to the real Annalise? Is someone interfering with the investigation? And is there a link to a present-day drowning with eerie connections? With piercing insight and shocking twists, Emily Winslow explores the dark side of sensationalized crime in this haunting psychological thriller.

Search the book’s hashtag: #lookforher.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review:

One of my favorite types of premise in a mystery is a cold case, I love the idea that a criminal thinks they’ve managed to stay off the polices radar only for new evidence to be uncovered years later and put their freedom in jeopardy. The case of Annalise is the type that had instant fame that lasted years, even after her body was found AND especially since her killer was never caught. A pretty young teenager that vanished only to be found years later is legendary in Lilling and the links between past and present turned out to be chilling and intriguing.

Apparently this is the fourth book in a series but since I didn’t even realize until after I had finished this, it clearly wasn’t an issue for me. There is definitely a tricky history between Chloe and Morris but there was enough information provided that I felt caught up. You hear from Chloe and Morris but also from Annalise Williams, a young woman with an odd fascination with Annalise Wood and Laurie a therapist who treats Annalise. Most of the story is told in a straightforward, linear timeline but there were a few chapters with transcripts from Annalise’s therapy sessions that I really enjoyed.

This was fast paced, it’s under 300 pages and I flew through it at a rapid pace. There’s a heavy emphasis on the psychology of the characters and I’m not sure if that’s just because there’s a therapist as one of the characters or if it’s the norm for Winslow, but either way I liked the depth that it added. Recommended for those who enjoy character driven mysteries with smart twists and strong writing.

Look For Her in three words: Intelligent, Insightful and Puzzling.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for my review copy.

Photo by Jonathan Player

About Emily Winslow

Emily Winslow is an American living in Cambridge, England. She is the author of the novels The Whole World, The Start Of Everything, and The Red House.

Find out more about Emily at her website, and connect with her on Facebook.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: February

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

They were all there the day your sister went missing.

Who is lying? Who is next?

THEN – In charge of her little sister at the beach, Claire allowed Eleanor to walk to the shop alone to buy an ice cream. Placing a coin into her hand, Claire told her to be quick, knowing how much she wanted the freedom.

Eleanor never came back.

NOW – The time has finally come to sell the family farm and Claire is organising a reunion of her dearest friends, the same friends who were present the day her sister went missing.

When another girl disappears, long-buried secrets begin to surface. One of the group hides the darkest secret of them all…

If you loved Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, this gripping psychological thriller packed full of twists and turns will be impossible to put down.

I’m thrilled to be one of the stops on the blog tour for The Reunion today!

Review:

Oohh what a tangled web Hayes weaves in The Reunion! This was one of those books full of simmering tension and you just know things will boil over at some point, but waiting for that to happen is part torture and part delicious anticipation and all around addictive.

There is quite a bit going on here, plenty of characters and all with some sort of mystery hanging in the shadows. It’s mainly focused on Claire, who’s sister Lenni vanished two decades ago while she was watching her. You also have friends and family who were connected in some way to Claire’s family back when Lenni went missing making it tricky to decide who to focus on. At various points I had my suspicions about every single character, I love that as it keeps me on my toes and the guessing and back and forth is always so fun.

When all is revealed I had one of those moments where I realized just how clever Hayes is and how beautifully she had laid things out. The breadcrumbs were all carefully left but I never fully followed them, it really was put together in such a sharp way. The jaw dropping twist mentioned on the cover? It’s true, I actually gasped. If you love psychological thrillers and haven’t read a Hayes book what are you waiting for?! Snap this one up ASAP!

The Reunion in three words: Intricate, Smart and Addictive.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

About the Author:

Samantha Hayes grew up in a creative family where her love of writing began as a child. Samantha has written eight thrillers in total, including the bestselling Until You’re Mine. The Independent said “fantastically written and very tense” while Good Housekeeping said “Her believable psychological thrillers are completely gripping.” Samantha’s books are published in 22 languages at the last count.

When not writing, Samantha loves to cook, go to the gym, see friends and drink nice wine. She is also studying for a degree in psychotherapy. She has three grown-up children and lives in Warwickshire.

www.samanthahayes.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaHayesAuthor/

https://twitter.com/samhayes

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: January 23, 2018

Publisher: Harlequin/MIRA

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

Kat Grant and Alice Campbell have a friendship forged in shared confidences and long lunches lubricated by expensive wine. Though they’re very different women—the artsy socialite and the struggling suburbanite—they’re each other’s rocks. But even rocks crumble under pressure. Like when Kat’s financier husband, Howard, plunges to his death from the second-floor balcony of their South Florida mansion.

Howard was a jerk, a drunk, a bully and, police say, a murder victim. The questions begin piling up. Like why Kat has suddenly gone dark: no calls, no texts and no chance her wealthy family will let Alice see her. Why investigators are looking so hard in Alice’s direction. Who stands to get hurt next. And who is the cool liar—the masterful manipulator behind it all.

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Best Friends Forever! If you want to follow along with the tour check out TLC Book Tours for the full schedule.

Review:

If you’re looking for a super fun, engaging thriller that’s on the lighter side with no graphic descriptions and gruesome murders, Best Friends Forever is the book for you! It was a fast read that kept me totally interested and while I predicted a few things, there were enough surprises that I was left satisfied.

This is told solely from Alice’s point of view and it goes back and forth between the present day and three years prior when she first meets her BFF, Kat. The two have an unlikely friendship, Kat is wealthy and glamorous while Alice is an average stay at Mom and wife, but they both need a friend and bond over typical marriages woes. I liked Alice, I had the most in common with her and felt like she would be the type of woman I would befriend.

This had an easy, Chick Lit vibe with an edge, it’s still very much a thriller but Hunt’s writing style was just so effortless that reading it was a breeze. I said earlier that I had sussed out parts of the resolution but not every last detail and the stuff I didn’t see coming? Fantastic and really chilling, it definitely gave the book an edge for me. This would be the perfect book to take on vacation, ideal for a weekend read!

Best Friends Forever in three words: Entertaining, Fluid and Sly.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for my review copy.

About the Author:

Margot Hunt is the pseudonym of a bestselling writer of twelve previous novels. Her work has been praised by Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist and Kirkus Reviews. BEST FRIENDS FOREVER is her first psychological thriller.

Connect with Margot

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: January 16, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

Metal artist Katie Mack is living a lie. Nine years ago she ran away from her family in Raleigh, North Carolina, consumed by the irrational fear that she would harm Maisie, her newborn daughter. Over time she’s come to grips with the mental illness that nearly destroyed her, and now funnels her pain into her art. Despite longing for Maisie, Katie honors an agreement with the husband she left behind—to change her name and never return.

But when she and Maisie accidentally reunite, Katie can’t ignore the familiarity of her child’s compulsive behavior. Worse, Maisie worries obsessively about bad things happening to her pregnant stepmom. Katie has the power to help, but can she reconnect with the family she abandoned?

To protect Maisie, Katie must face the fears that drove her from home, accept the possibility of love, and risk exposing her heart-wrenching secret.

Review:

This is told from five different perspectives, you have Katie, Cal, Lilah, Jake and Maisie who’s life are all entangled in some way. I love books told by an ensemble cast, especially if they’re executed well and this one was flawless. The character development was incredibly strong and each and every one of them is vividly drawn, the type of characters that you forget are fictional. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised to glance up from the book and see Katie standing in my living room, they’re just that realistic.

I knew that OCD is something that the author lives with every single day as her her son and husband both have it, but even if I hadn’t known that I think it’s evident that this is a deeply personal topic for her and one that she is well informed of. She writes about living with OCD both as one who has it AND as a family member in an unflinchingly honest manner that gets you right in the heart. This was such an emotional read and such an eye opening one for me, at times it was hard to read but only because the author writes in such a fearless manner. Motherhood is hard enough for an average woman and reading about Katie’s struggles trying to navigate parenthood and OCD was both heartbreaking and beautiful.

This is one of those books I could discuss for hours, I totally recommend it as a book club pick. The discussion topics are endless and I really can’t imagine anyone not feeling something for these amazing characters.

The Promise Between Us in three words: Brave, Raw and Poignant.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

About the Author:

Bestselling author Barbara Claypole White creates hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness. Originally from England, she writes and gardens in the forests of North Carolina where she lives with her beloved OCD family. Her novels include The Unfinished Garden, The In-Between Hour, The Perfect Son, andEchoes of Family. The Promise Between Us, a story of redemption, sacrifice, and OCD, has a publication date of January 16th, 2018. She is also an OCD Advocate for the A2A Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes advocacy over adversity. To connect with Barbara, please visit www.barbaraclaypolewhite.com, or follow her on Facebook. She’s always on Facebook.

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Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: January 23, 2018

Publisher: MIRA

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

The grass is always greener on your sister’s side of the fence…

Divorce left Harper Szymanski with a name no one can spell, a house she can’t afford and a teenage daughter who’s pulling away. With her fledgling virtual-assistant business, she’s scrambling to maintain her overbearing mother’s ridiculous Susie Homemaker standards and still pay the bills, thanks to clients like Lucas, the annoying playboy cop who claims he hangs around for Harper’s fresh-baked cookies.

Spending half her life in school hasn’t prepared Dr. Stacey Bloom for her most daunting challenge—motherhood. She didn’t inherit the nurturing gene like Harper and is in deep denial that a baby is coming. Worse, her mother will be horrified to learn that Stacey’s husband plans to be a stay-at-home dad…assuming Stacey can first find the courage to tell Mom she’s already six months pregnant.

Separately they may be a mess, but together Harper and Stacey can survive anything—their indomitable mother, overwhelming maternity stores and ex’s weddings. Sisters Like Us is a delightful look at sisters, mothers and daughters in today’s fast-paced world, told with Susan Mallery’s trademark warmth and humor.

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Sisters Like Us! Check out TLC Book Tours for the full schedule.

Review:

Being the rebel that I am I jumped into this series at book four. It looks like each book focuses on a new set of characters with cameos from past favorites which made it extremely easy to follow. Sisters Like Us is about, well, sisters Harper and Stacey as well as their mother Bunny and Harper’s daughter Becca. I never get tired of reading about sister and mother/daughter relationships and Mallery brought these women to life in a realistic and appealing way.

I really enjoyed the majority of the characters with the exception of Bunny, I couldn’t stand her. Harper was my favorite probably because our lives are the most similar. Stacey was quirky, a bit of an oddball but her mannerisms and outlook on life were endearing and made for great reading. Mallery’s books always provide me with a much needed escape and every time I glanced at the cover I thought about how pretty it was. There was a little romance that added some spice but it’s main focus was on the dynamics of the family and Mallery writes with an effortless ease that keeps you turning pages. A lovely story with gentle life lessons and tons of heart, recommended for fans of Kristan Higgins and Kristy Woodsen Harvey.

Sisters Like Us in three words: Lighthearted, humorous and sweet.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for my review copy.

About the Author:

Susan Mallery is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of books about the relationships that define women’s lives—romance, friendship, family. With compassion and humor, Susan keenly observes how people think and feel, in stories that take readers on an emotional journey. Sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, and always uplifting, Susan’s books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list, thanks to her ever growing legions of fans.

Critics, too, have heaped praise on “the new queen of romantic fiction.” (Walmart) Booklist says, “Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling,” and RT Book Reviews puts her “in a class by herself!”

Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month, January of 1992. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool’s Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.

Susan lives in Seattle with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a tattletale toy poodle. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Animals play a big role in her books, as well, as she believes they’re an integral component to a happy life.

Connect with Susan

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Sunday Silence

Publisher:William Morrow Paperbacks (January 9, 2018)

It started with Monday. But it doesn’t end with Sunday.

Read Sunday Silence, the new novel in the series that LOUISE PENNY calls “fabulous, unsettling, and riveting” and brace yourself for the breathtaking series finale in summer 2018.

Lover of London, gifted psychologist, frequent police consultant Frieda Klein is many things. And now she’s a person of interest in a murder case. A body has been discovered in the most unlikely and horrifying of places: beneath the floorboards of Frieda’s house.

The corpse is only months old, but the chief suspect appears to have died more than seven years ago. Except as Frieda knows all too well, he’s alive and well and living in secret. And it seems he’s inspired a copycat…

As the days pass and the body count rises, Frieda finds herself caught in a fatal tug-of-war between two killers: one who won’t let her go, and another who can’t let her live.

Crackling with suspense, packed with emotion, Sunday Silence is a psychological thriller perfect for fans of Elizabeth George and Paula Hawkins.

Review:

I jumped into this series with this book, yes it’s the seventh book, but I have heard so many amazing things about it and I just know I’ll never have the time to start at the beginning so I figured this was the perfect opportunity to see what all the hype is about.

I can totally see why this is such a popular series, there is something unique and unconventional about Sunday Silence. I think it’s a combination of a few key ingredients, the main character is a psychologist and police consultant giving a fresh point of view and the pacing was unlike many other novels. Oftentimes thrillers/police procedurals are set over the course of just a few days, maybe a few weeks but this is spread out over a few months which made it seem so much more realistic to me. Just because the timeline was more stretched out doesn’t mean that the suspense is lacking, in fact it was very intense and the sense of danger was heavy throughout.

This was a calculating read, both in terms of the storyline and the killer. This was deftly plotted, the authors are skilled at creating an elaborate labyrinth that I never managed to work out on my own. The cast of characters is eccentric and interesting and I can see how long time readers of the series would have an emotional attachment to them. If you’re already a fan, I think you’re in for a treat! If you’re a newbie like me I would recommend giving this a shot!

Sunday Silence in three words: Cunning, Extraordinary and Shrewd.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for my review copy.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Nicci French

Nicci French is the pseudonym of English wife-and-husband team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. Their acclaimed novels of psychological suspense have sold more than 8 million copies around the world.

Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: January 9, 2018

Publisher: Crown

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

The must-read thriller of 2018, this riveting and relentlessly compelling psychological suspense debut weaves a mystery about a childhood game gone dangerously awry that will keep readers guessing right up to the shocking ending

In 1986, Eddie and his friends are just kids on the verge of adolescence. They spend their days biking around their sleepy little English village and looking for any taste of excitement they can get. The chalk men are their secret code; little chalk stick figures they leave for one another as messages only they can understand. But then a mysterious chalk man leads them right to a dismembered body, and nothing is ever the same.

In 2016, Eddie is fully grown, and thinks he’s put his past behind him. But then he gets a letter in the mail, containing a single chalk stick figure. When it turns out that his friends got the same message, they think it could be a prank . . . until one of them turns up dead.

That’s when Eddie realizes that saving himself means finally figuring out what really happened all those years ago.

Expertly alternating between flashbacks and the present day, The Chalk Man is the very best kind of suspense novel, one where every character is wonderfully fleshed out and compelling, where every mystery has a satisfying payoff, and where the twists will shock even the savviest reader.

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Chalk Man! To follow along with the tour check out TLC Book Tours for the full schedule.

Review:

If you’re at all involved in the book world, especially on social media, I’m sure you haven’t missed the buzz surrounding The Chalk Man. It’s been on my radar for months and after reading it, I can definitely say that I believe the hype and am in awe of Tudor, how is this a debut?! This had that perfect blend of rich characterization, a riveting storyline and enough creepiness to make my blood run cold.

When dual timelines are well done there is something magical that happens for me, a read becomes captivating and Tudor hit that sweet spot for me. Most of the chapters ended on some sort of cliffhanger, then there was an immediate timeline switch which added an unbelievable amount of suspense, it had me on the edge of my seat.

This was so deftly plotted that there was no way I could predict what would happen next and that ending?! MIND BLOWN. I can see why it’s dividing readers but it worked SO well for me, it couldn’t have been more freaky and menacing. Part coming of age, part old school mystery I cannot recommend this one more!

The Chalk Man in three words: Complex, Sinister and Exceptional.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

About the Author:

C. J. TUDOR lives in Nottingham, England, with her partner and three-year-old daughter. Over the years she has worked as a copywriter, television presenter, voice-over, and dog walker. She is now thrilled to be able to write full-time, and doesn’t miss chasing wet dogs through muddy fields all that much. The Chalk Man is her first novel.

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Connect with C. J.

Facebook | Twitter