Tag: #bookreview

Review of Redemption Road by John Hart

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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

Review of To Have and to Hold by Lauren Layne

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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.

Review of Anything For Her by Jack Jordan

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Goodreads/Amazon
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release date: June 21, 2015

Publisher: JJP

Goodreads blurb: 

Sometimes the past comes back to haunt you. 
Louise Leighton’s life has fallen apart, all because of one fateful night. Her husband is an adulterer, her sister is his mistress, and soon, Louise will lose everything she owns. But she never imagined she would lose her daughter. 
Eighteen-year-old Brooke Leighton is missing. It’s up to Louise and the Metropolitan Police to find her. Has Brooke run away? Or has she been taken against her will? And can Louise aid the investigation without mentioning the night where all of her troubles began? 
If she mentions that night, she will incriminate her daughter for heinous crimes. But if she doesn’t, she may never find Brooke; and if she has been abducted, the person who took her may come for Louise, too. 
Sometimes the past comes back to kill you. 

Review: 

Some of you may remember my glowing review of Jordan’s second novel, My Girl. That book made me so excited to get my hands on his debut novel, Anything For Her and I couldn’t wait to read it. It’s similar in many ways as the chapters are short, intense and fast paced. The main characters are also both tormented women who are haunted and destroyed by their past. Anything For Her allows all the members of the Leighton family to share their viewpoints. There’s the mother, Louise, father Michael, daughter Brooke and son Dominic. A big difference here for me is that the characters in this book were all, with the exception of Dominic, completely awful and despicable people. I couldn’t relate to any of them whatsoever, yet I still cared enough to know what was going to happen to them. 

Right from the start, Louise flees to the Cotswalds, which provides the perfect creepy and eerie setting for the events that unfold. There’s one particular scene that takes place in a barn that gave me chills. 

It took until about halfway through the book to even begin to find out what happened on That Night. The suspense leading up to the reveal killed me in the best possible way. When the main climax and big reveal happened I was shocked, horrified and found myself gasping. 
Jordan has a way of following his characters during the absolute worst times in their lives and makes the reader question how they think they would handle themselves if the unthinkable happened to you and your family. Would you make the same choices as they did? How does one really know what they would do in a horrifying situation until you are staring it in its ugly face? 

Fair warning, this book has portions that are violently graphic, but I feel they are necessary to the storyline. Nothing gratuitous. I don’t wanna reveal too much, but this book takes the reader on a ride full of secrets, betrayal, cover ups, mysterious stalkers, and the stark desperation of a family trying to keep it all together.

My one slight complaint is that I wish there would’ve been more character development in both Michael and Louise’s sister Denise. I would’ve liked to know more about Louise and Denise’s relationship before the affair. What kind of woman sleeps with her brother in law? With Michael I would have liked to hear more about the events that led up to his demise. What exactly did he do and how was he caught? 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Netgalley and JJP for a ebook in exchange for an honest review. 

Review of Baby Doll by Hollie Overton

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

Publisher: Redhook

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Goodreads blurb:
Held captive for eight years, Lily has grown from a teenager to an adult in a small basement prison. Her daughter Sky has been a captive her whole life. But one day their captor leaves the deadbolt unlocked.


This is what happens next…


…to her twin sister, to her mother, to her daughter…and to her captor. 

Review:

Most missing persons mystery novels primarily deal with the main characters abduction and what happens next. This book puts a unique and clever twist on the general concept and begins with Lily and her daughter Sky’s escape. I’ve often wondered how characters in other similar novels coped in the aftermath of horrific abuse and this book shed some light on this. How does one move on after having their entire life cruelly taken away from them? 

Right from the start this book is fast paced and addicting. The chapters are on the shorter side and are told from many different perspectives; Lily who has been held prisoner in a basement for eight years, her twin sister Abby, their mother Eve and her kidnapper Rick. While I enjoyed seeing everyone’s viewpoint, I had a sick fascination with Rick’s narrative. He is unapologetically evil and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. 

The relationship between Lily and Abby was heartbreaking and honest. They share a completely unbreakable bond that not even something purely evil can break. The power of sisterhood and especially twins is revealed beautifully throughout this novel. It deals with how far one would go to protect loved ones?

There is so much I could say about why I loved this book but secrets would be revealed. There is a constant barrage of unexpected twists and turns that never lets up. The characters lives are intertwined and twisted together in unfathomable ways. This book is fresh, unique and full of suspense.

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

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Review of The Sister by Louise Jensen

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

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Goodreads blurb:

Grace hasn’t been the same since the death of her best friend Charlie. She is haunted by Charlie’s words, the last time she saw her, and in a bid for answers, opens an old memory box of Charlie’s. It soon becomes clear there was a lot she didn’t know about her best friend. 


When Grace starts a campaign to find Charlie’s father, Anna, a girl claiming to be Charlie’s sister steps forward. For Grace, finding Anna is like finding a new family, and soon Anna has made herself very comfortable in Grace and boyfriend Dan’s home. 


But something isn’t right. Things disappear, Dan’s acting strangely and Grace is sure that someone is following her. Is it all in Grace’s mind? Or as she gets closer to discovering the truth about both Charlie and Anna, is Grace in terrible danger? 


There was nothing she could have done to save Charlie …or was there? 

Review:

This book is not one that instantaneously grabs you and doesn’t let go. No, instead it slowly pulls you in until it has you right where it wants you. And then, BAM! Twists and turns galore. While it’s not a book where you are flying through the pages at warp speed, you are still slowly and methodically pulled in to this fascinatingly concocted novel. Told from two different times; Then and Now, you know that Charlie is dead but you have no idea how she died. Was she murdered? Did she simply vanish? And why is Grace so overwhelmed with guilt? 

Grace thinks she may be going crazy. Or is she? She feels like someone is constantly watching her and she swears she keeps seeing a red car behind her. In her grief stricken state after the devastating loss of her best friend Charlie, Grace isn’t actually sure about anything. She is extremely innocent thinking and naïve, yet I still found myself caring about her. There is a vulnerability and tenderness surrounding Grace that tugged at my heart strings. She has very childlike qualities, especially  in the scenes with her absolutely precious grandparents. Her boyfriend Dan, while so annoying to me, was very protective of Grace and I can see why. She has that air about her, as if she’s always a bit of a damsel in distress, moments away from needing to be saved.

Lexie is Charlie’s train wreck of a mother. My god how I loathed this woman throughout many parts of this book. She’s a cruel drunk, but although there were relatively few times I felt sympathy towards her, I admit I did. Her life hasn’t been easy. Then there is Anna, Charlie’s long lost sister. From the minute she was introduced she gave me a single white female vibe. I mentioned Dan earlier, and I really wanted to like him. I can’t. I don’t wanna say much more about these characters as it would spoil the plot twists, however if you’re anything like me you won’t trust any of them for a second.

The suspense in this book is a slow build up and I was playing guessing games the entire time that Grace’s life was torn apart and ruined. I made many incorrect guess along the way but that thrills me! Quite proud of myself for having things all figured out, then whoops totally wrong. Onto the next theory. 

If you like an intense psychological thriller, give this book a try. A few times over the past couple of days while reading this I had to look over my own shoulder to make sure I was not being watched. Always a good sign of a suspenseful thriller if I feel this way! 

Overall rating: 4/5

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


Review of My Girl by Jack Jordan

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Goodreads/Amazon
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release date: July 4, 2016

Publisher: JJP

Goodreads blurb: 

Paige Dawson: the mother of a murdered child and wife to a dead man. 
She has nothing left to live for… until she finds her husband’s handgun hidden in their house. 
Why did Ryan need a gun? What did he know about their daughter’s death? 
Desperate for the truth, Paige begins to unearth her husband’s secrets. 
But she has no idea who she is up against, or that her life isn’t hers to gamble – she belongs to me. 

Review:

Let me start off by saying I’m not one to gush. Fair warning, this will be a very gushy review. 

I started this book last night with no intention of finishing it in one sitting. I was simply trying to unwind for the night and read just a few chapters. Well, joke is on me because I completely devoured this book in less than two hours!

Paige is such a tragedy. She’s like a train wreck that you can’t possibly tear your eyes away from. She is so damaged and broken that it’s heartbreaking. She is at the very end of her rope and is clinging onto what’s left of her sanity for dear life.  And who could possibly blame her? She’s been dealt some devastating and unimaginable blows that would break even the strongest of people.

I really want to talk about this book in depth, but alas I would spoil it for everyone. Let’s just say that it is shocking, twisted and addicting. One of the twists blew my mind. I actually had to pause from reading and let what just happened sink in. I even said, no effing way! out loud. This book has a secure spot on my must read least for this year. 

Keep in mind, this novel is not for the faint of heart. It’s very dark and terrifying in so many ways, but Jordan is one hell of a storyteller and his writing is compelling and totally drew me in. 

Overall rating: 5/5

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

Review of Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger

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Goodreads/Amazon
Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Release date: June 7, 2016

Publisher: Touchstone

Goodreads blurb: 

Twenty-year-old Finley Montgomery is rarely alone. Visited by people whom others can’t see and haunted by prophetic dreams, she has never been able to control or understand the things that happen to her. When Finley’s abilities start to become too strong for her to handle – and even the roar of her motorcycle or another dazzling tattoo can’t drown out the voices – she turns to the only person she knows who can help her: her grandmother Eloise Montgomery, a renowned psychic living in The Hollows, New York.
Merri Gleason is a woman at the end of her tether after a ten-month-long search for her missing daughter, Abbey. With almost every hope exhausted, she resorts to hiring Jones Cooper, a detective who sometimes works with psychic Eloise Montgomery. Merri’s not a believer, but she’s just desperate enough to go down that road, praying that she’s not too late. Time, she knows, is running out.
As a harsh white winter moves into The Hollows, Finley and Eloise are drawn into the investigation, which proves to have much more at stake than even the fate of a missing girl. As Finley digs deeper into the town and its endless layers, she is forced to examine the past, even as she tries to look into the future. Only one thing is clear: The Hollows gets what it wants, no matter what. 

Review:

Mysteries and thrillers are my hands down favorite types of book to read. Nothing excites me more than discovering a new to me author and I seriously cannot believe it took me this long to get my hands on one of Lisa Unger’s books! Her writing style is right up my alley and I’m quite sure she’ll be right up there next to some of my other favorite mystery/thriller novelists.

This book is absolutely gripping and had me completely drawn in and consumed from the first few pages. I was immediately connected to Finley and Merri right from their first appearances. They are both haunted individuals, but for completely different reasons. Finley is tormented by her “gift” of prophetic dreams. She’s struggling to navigate this unknown path in her life that she never asked for.Merri is living every parents worst nightmare; her daughter Abbey,has been missing for months. As a parent to young children myself, there were several moments throughout the book where my heart was fluttering as I could feel Merri’s panic and anxiety through the pages. 

The setting that Unger creates in the Hollows is stunning. You can feel the chill of the woods and at times I would swear that I could almost hear the whispers of the woods. She paints a picture of a terrifying forest that demands things of its residents. The addition of paranormal phenomena only seeks to add to the intense and chilling atmosphere. While paranormal/psychic encounters play a large role in the book, Unger brings it to a basic human level that is completely relatable even if you are a skeptic. 

As usual, I don’t want to give too much away as the twists in this novel are shocking and fantastic. It was a wild ride that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. If you like a good psychological thriller with intrigue and suspense, then this one is for you. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5

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

Review of My Sister’s Secret by Tracy Buchanan

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Goodreads/Amazon/Author Website
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Mystery, Drama

Release date: June 30, 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Description:

Willow remembers her childhood as idyllic, full of love and happiness. But was it really as perfect as she remembers it?

Suddenly, Willow finds herself unraveling  secrets in her late parents, Charity and Dan’s past. There are long buried secrets that no one can help her bring to light besides Hope, the aunt that took her in after her parents deaths. When she receives a mysterious invitation to an event from

Who can Willow actually trust now? It seems as if everyone around her has been lying for years. How can she possibly move on with her life without finding out the truth? 

Review:

This one hooked me right from the start. Willow is searching for answers about her parents lives and is desperate to find out anything she can about the people they were. They died tragically when she was seven, so her memories are limited. Hope and Willow’s relationship is strained for reasons Willow isn’t even quite sure of. She knows her aunt loves her, but anytime she asks about Charity she is stonewalled. Because she can’t find the answers she is searching for at home, she sets off on a journey to the truth.

Willow’s voyage leads her to travel the world retracing her mothers steps. All she knows is that her mother had a deep fascination with sunken forests, so she sets off to see them for herself. Willow is a diver and the scenes where she is exploring these underwater forests are absolutely breathtaking. My favorite aspect of the novel is that Buchanan creates gorgeous imagery that really pulls the reader in. She made me want to visit these haunting forests myself, which is not anything I’ve ever dreamed of doing. Her descriptions of the seas and lakes are stunning and conjure up images of true beauty. 

The novel was told from both Willow’s point of view in the present and Charity’s perspective from years ago. Beginning in the 70’s right before her sister Faith’s tragic death all the way up to Charity’s own unfortunate demise, Buchanan takes the reader on a journey that is intriguing and emotional. Along the way you meet a cast of characters that are fascinating and leave the reader wondering what exactly they are hiding. Along with Willow, Faith, Charity, and Hope, there is Niall, a boy the three sisters grew up with on Busby-by-the Sea, Dan, Willow’s father, Ajay who is Willow’s diving buddy, and Lana who was Dan’s first wife. These characters add drama and suspense to an already suspenseful story. 

I don’t want to say too much more as I think this is the type of book that could be totally spoiled very easily. Suffice it to say, I throughly enjoyed every minute of this book. The ending was perfect and neatly tied up any loose ends and answered all the lingering questions I had. I was only sad to see it was over.

Overall rating: 4.5/5 (only because I’m quite stingy with my 5 star reviews!)

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Review of The Story of Our Life by Shari Low

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Goodreads/Amazon/Author website
Genre: Contemporary/Romance, Women’s fiction 

Release date: July 1, 2016

Publisher: Aria

Description:

Colm and Shauna have been married for fifteen years. Their love is forever, and it is real. Life is a fairytale.
Until it isn’t.
Life recently changed, due to a devastating blow. Can Colm and Shauna cling to each other during tragic times? Or will they lose everything they’ve worked so hard to build?

What would you do if your husband, the love of your life, cheated on you? 

Review:

Who doesn’t love a good, old fashioned love story? I know I do, but The Story of Our Life is not your typical love story. Boy does not meet girl, get married, have 2.5 kids and they live happily ever after. No, this is real and raw, yet it is still a touching love story.

The pace of this book is perfect. It skips back, touching on important moments in Colm and Shauna’s lives fifteen years ago, all the way to the present. Shauna is the main narrator but a few times the story is told from Colm’s perspective. This works fantastically as it keeps the reader engaged and ready to find out more. You know if one of them begins telling a story about a night in 2009 that it is an important part of their story and you need to pay attention. It is not confusing at all, as every chapter tells you what year it is and a brief title description tells the reader what is coming up.

What I loved the most about this novel is that Colm and Shauna are completely relatable, especially if you have been or are married. Yes, these two love each other deeply, but they are human and they make mistakes just like the rest of us. They are stubborn, selfish, funny, but most importantly they are real. They deal with heartbreaks, grief, divorce, drama amongst a tight knit group of friends, infidelity, betrayal, illness. Everything that we all face through the course of our lives.
The secondary characters in this book are fantastic as well. They too are raw and honest and Low forces the reader to care about what is going on in their lives as well. There are Shauna’s uncaring and cold parents, their beloved daughter Beth, Colm’s twin boys from his previous marriage to Jess, their best friends Dan and Lulu, Rosie, who has been Shauna’s closest friend most of her life, Vincent, Shauna’s business partner, and my absolute favorite, Annie, Shauna’s grandmother. This colorful cast of supporting characters adds warmth and humor throughout the book.
Without spoiling anything, I only wish I could change the ending. I desperately wanted Colm and Shauna to get their much deserved happy ending. But that is just selfish on my part, as Low clearly wanted to tell a true, modern love story where life is not even close to perfect, but yet is truly beautiful.
Overall rating: 4.5/5

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

Review of Since She Went Away by David Bell

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Goodreads Amazon Author website
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release date: June 21,2016

Publisher: Berkley/NAL

Description 

Jenna Barton’s best friend, Celia has been missing for three months now. The two women were supposed to meet at a park but Celia never showed up. The only thing found is one of Celia’s diamond earrings. The media have dubbed Celia as the Diamond Mom and started a media firestorm that pushes Jenna to the brink.

Jenna is the single mom to her son, fifteen year old Jared. He recently started dating a girl named Tabitha who seems to have secrets in her past.

When Tabitha disappears too, Jenna finds herself digging for answers as to what happened to both women. Will what she finds expose lies that may harm her and her son forever?

Review

The basic premise of this novel had me hooked as soon as I read a short blurb on Netgalley. I love nothing more than a good missing persons mystery. As I started reading, I was drawn to the pace of the book. The chapters were short, but not too abrupt. It skips back and forth between Jenna and Jared, which works well. You see Jenna struggle to parent her son during a difficult time for their family, during a time in his life that is already trying as Jared is only fifteen. Jared’s dad left when he was five so it has always been just the two of them. Their relationship is interesting. Many times while reading I grew frustrated by Jenna’s parenting choices and found myself judging her. But the more I thought about it, I realized that Bell was showing her making choices that many real parents would make. Jared has a tendency to run off after being told by Jenna to stay put. Instead of panicking and trying to find him, Jenna trusts him and knows he will make the best decisions he is able to. This would be very hard to do as a parent, but it is one of the many ways Bell makes their relationship seem genuine. Jenna does still try a bit too hard to be Jared’s friend rather than his mom, but it is clear this is because she is learning as she goes along, much like any parent.

Jenna finds herself desperate to do anything to find out what happened to Celia. She spends quite a lot of time surfing message boards that discuss Celia’s case. She develops a strange correspondence with a user named Domino55.

There are quite a few secondary characters that play a role in this book. Sally becomes Jenna’s closest friend after Celia dissapears and I enjoyed their scenes. Reena is a national news anchor who has a tenuous relationship with Jenna. The whole angle of the media’s involvement in Celia’s case was intriguing, probably because we have all seen how vicious the media can be in real life. Ian is Celia’s husband and him and Jenna had a brief connection in high school. His aloofness and cold behavior had me wondering about his intentions throughout. Ursula is Celia and Ian’s teenage daughter who goes to school with Jared. She is a typical high school mean girl who I loved to hate.

Tabitha is Jared’s new girlfriend who just moved to town. Her father is super strict and she doesn’t talk about her mother, but it is clear that something in her past haunts her. The relationship between the teens adds something that could draw in typical YA readers.
Without giving too much away, when there was a resolution, I had already kind of figured it out. Not completely, but still. I do read a ton of mystery/thriller novels though and I tend to play whodunnit even when I try not too.

My only complaint about this book is the ending was jarring and very abrupt. Wham, bam and it was done! I would have liked to see an epilogue, even if it was a brief one.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley/NAL for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.