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

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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.

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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.

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Release date: July 2, 2019

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

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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

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Release date: June 25, 2019

Publisher: Celedon

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Eighteen-year-old Stella Sandell stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost fifteen years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager from an upstanding local family. What reason could she have to know a shady businessman, let alone to kill him?

Stella’s father, a pastor, and mother, a criminal defense attorney, find their moral compasses tested as they defend their daughter, while struggling to understand why she is a suspect. Told in an unusual three-part structure, A Nearly Normal Family asks the questions: How well do you know your own children? How far would you go to protect them?

Review:

This is being marketed as an intense legal thriller and I don’t agree with that at all, in fact I don’t think it’s a thriller in any way. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, but knowing that instead of a super tense and fast paced thriller it’s actually a slow burning domestic drama will enable you to go into the read with the right expectations and hopefully, help you really enjoy this read because it is a good one!

This whole thing was unique, it’s broken up into three sections, it begins when you hear from the father of the family and stays with him until part two which is the daughter, and then part three is the mother. I enjoyed both the mother and daughters sections the most, the fathers wasn’t bad or anything, but it was the slowest of the three for me.

This was a very emotional sort of drama, which coupled with the crisp Scandi writing style gave it a wholly original feel. You’re witnessing a family unit at their very worst, everything in their life is crumbling and seeing each point of view separately instead of the ever popular alternating chapters was not only clever, but also a strong way to tell the story, and one that’s memorable for sure. Recommended when you’re in the mood for a story that you can sink your teeth into, and also if you are just in the mood for something different.

A Nearly Normal Family in three words: Unusual, Smart and Methodical

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: June 25, 2019

Publisher: Park Row

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

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Release date: June 25, 2019

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

Rouge is a sexy, glamorous journey into the rivalry of the pioneers of powder, mascara and rouge.

This fast-paced novel examines the lives, loves, and sacrifices of the visionaries who invented the modern cosmetics industry: Josiah Herzenstein, born in a Polish Jewish Shtlel, the entrepreneur who transforms herself into a global style icon and the richest woman in the world, Josephine Herz; Constance Gardiner, her rival, the ultimate society woman who invents the door-to-door business and its female workforce but whose deepest secret threatens everything; CeeCee Lopez, the bi-racial beauty and founder of the first African American woman’s hair relaxer business, who overcomes prejudice and heartbreak to become her community’s first female millionaire. The cast of characters is rounded out by Mickey Heron, a dashing, sexy ladies’ man whose cosmetics business is founded in a Hollywood brothel. All are bound in a struggle to be number one, doing anythingto get there…including murder.

Review:

This follows three pioneers in the beauty industry from the 1920’s all the way to the 1990’s and we get not one, but three strong, determined, and resourceful main characters to root for. Actually, I didn’t love all three, however I could admire and respect them all for their innovation and ability to break down barriers for women in the workplace, it was pretty inspiring especially as all three overcame some serious obstacles before reaching their ultimate goals and this was mainly set in the twenties and thirties when women being successful businesswoman was just not the norm.

Often I find historical fiction to move at a pretty slow pace but this one flew by, the pacing was incredibly fast, there was always something new and exciting happening in the characters lives, truly never a dull moment. The behind the scenes look at the beauty industry was fascinating, these woman were sharp and hungry and the cattiness between them was unreal. Highly entertaining as well, the lengths they would go to in order to maintain their success was crazy, think manipulation and crafty plotting and scheming. Throw in some glitz and high glamour and you have one hell of a dazzling read.

Recommended as a great addition to your summer reading list, it’s juicy and delicious with plenty of depth and intrigue to keep you turning the pages fast as you can!

Rouge in three words: Sophisticated, Dramatic and Devious.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher and FSB Associates for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: March 5, 2019

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Sixteen years ago, Mabel Peters was left to die by the monster who’d killed her mother and brother. He was never brought to justice.Mabel left everything behind, including her name, to find a new life in safety. Now she’s back and determined to find the man who ruined her life, even if it means risking everything. She can’t rest until it’s done. But when a series of suspicious events happen around her, it becomes clear that she is being hunted once more. And one of her students may just be the key to unlocking the mystery that has consumed her life.Determined to bring her family’s murderer to justice and protect those close to her, Mabel races against time to find her attacker . . . before he finds her. 

Review:

I know many of us have gotten sick and tired of weak, whiny and overall annoying female leads lately, especially in thrillers and I am so happy to tell you that Mabel was a strong woman who you can root for! 🙌 She’s seriously a badass who has trained in all types of different self defense and hand to hand combat, honestly it was just refreshing to actually admire a heroine instead of loathing her!

This is told in multiple points of view and the chapters are fairly short which is a technique that makes for a real page turner and I was sucked right in. One of the things that I liked most here was that the reader is aware of who the killer is, but the characters aren’t. It was fun and made for an interesting game of cat and mouse that kept me gripped the whole time.

This one went dark, which I love and the insight directly into the killers psyche was simultaneously fascinating and creepy! Recommended as a solid thriller that you can easily binge read in one sitting, the pacing was fast enough it’s not easy to put down and the writing style was easy and fast as well.

Still Out There in three words: Quick, Engrossing and Original

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.