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Release date: March 5, 2019

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

Love brought them together. But only time can save them…

1931, Germany. Bookshop owner Max Beissinger meets Hanna Ginsberg, a budding concert violinist, and immediately he feels a powerful chemistry between them. It isn’t long before they fall in love and begin making plans for the future. As their love affair unfolds over the next five years, the climate drastically changes in Germany as Hitler comes to power. Their love is tested with the new landscape and the realities of war, not the least of which is that Hanna is Jewish and Max is not. But unbeknownst to Hanna is the fact that Max has a secret, which causes him to leave for months at a time—a secret that Max is convinced will help him save Hanna if Germany becomes too dangerous for her because of her religion. 

In 1946, Hanna Ginsberg awakens in a field outside of Berlin. Disoriented and afraid, she has no memory of the past ten years and no idea what has happened to Max. With no information as to Max’s whereabouts—or if he is even still alive—she decides to move to London to live with her sister while she gets her bearings. Even without an orchestra to play in, she throws herself completely into her music to keep alive her lifelong dream of becoming a concert violinist. But the music also serves as a balm to heal her deeply wounded heart and she eventually gets the opening she long hoped for. Even so, as the days, months, and years pass, taking her from London to Paris to Vienna to America, she continues to be haunted by her forgotten past, and the fate of the only man she has ever loved and cannot forget.

Told in alternating viewpoints—Max in the years leading up to WWII, and Hanna in the ten years after—In Another Time is a beautiful novel about love and survival, passion and music, across time and continents. 

Review:

Oh my heart this was a moving book! While it most definitely falls under the umbrella of historical fiction, this is also an epic love story that transcends time and distance and swept me away to a foreign land.

This alternates between Max and Hanna’s perspectives and spans across the years before and after WW2. I was equally drawn to both of their characters but I was head over heels for sweet, dear Max. He captured my heart almost instantly, he’s the type of character that will remain with me forever. I was also invested in Hanna, she’s just a bit more distant than Max, she’s so focused and passionate about her music career, her violin is her lifeline during a depressing time in history, that’s it hard to foster a deep connection with her. Both were amazingly well crafted and hearing from both of them throughout the years was truly a special treat.

Cantor writes in such a beautiful, evocative manner, even though her books always break my heart in some way, it’s in the best way possible. If you’re like me and you can’t get enough of WW2 fiction this is a must read, there’s a unique spin on the sub genre that I wholeheartedly enjoyed.

In Another Time in three words: Poetic, Moving and Emotional.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: March 5, 2019

Publisher: Wyatt McKenzie

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Rising star politician and lawyer, Jude Birch, is clearly keeping secrets about his past from his wife, Aby Boyle. And Aby worries that Jude’s relationship with his campaign manager, Laila Rogers, is more complicated that he has let on. Jude has been the bystander victim of a seemingly gang-related shooting, but as the secrets Jude and Laila have kept since law school begin to unravel – with the help of a zealous news reporter and the Capitol Police – Aby is forced to consider that Jude might not have been an unintended victim of the shooting after all.

Meanwhile, Aby’s own secrets are revealed, despite her best efforts to clamp a lid down on a past marked by abuse and lies, and even a false accusation that still haunts her. 

Unpredictable and unexpected, WHY WE LIE is a contemporary political thriller that examines the real life consequences of those who tell the truth about abuse and those who don’t, and asks the question: is the truth always worth the cost? 

Review:

I don’t read many books that fall under the umbrella of political thrillers, no real reason, just not something that usually piques my interest, but after having loved The Truth About Thea I knew I had to give this one a try. I was surprisingly captivated but the world of politics and totally sucked into the drama surrounding Aby and Jude’s lives.

This was a shorter read that packed a solid punch, it was pacey and moved along at a steady clip. After Jude is shot he literally can’t lie anymore, is that a blessing or a curse?! I’m not sure what I really think, but it definitely gives you something to ponder. Besides Jude’s secretive history Aby has her own skeletons in her closet and getting to the truth about them both individually and together was one hell of a wild ride.

The political angle ended up being so intriguing, many of the scenarios portrayed could’ve been ripped straight from the headlines, and while I was highly entertained, it was also scary to think stuff like this happens in DC all of the time! If you like books full of secrets, betrayals and a whole heap of lies check this one out.

Why We Lie in three words: Deceptive, Fast and Entertaining.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

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Release date: March 5, 2019

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

A legendary hotel on the Pacific becomes a haven where dreams, love, and a beguiling mystery come alive.

1958. Kate Morgan, tethered to her family’s failing San Francisco restaurant, is looking for an escape. She gets her chance by honoring a cryptic plea from her grandfather: find the beautiful stranger. The search takes her to Hotel del Coronado, the beachfront landmark on the Southern California coast where filming is underway on the movie Some Like It Hot.

For a movie lover like Kate, it’s a fantasy come true. So is the offer of a position at the glamorous hotel. And a new romance is making her heart beat just as fast. But as sure as she is that the Coronado is her future, Kate discovers it’s also where the ghosts of the past have come to stay. Sixty years ago a guest died tragically, and she still haunts the hotel’s halls.

As the lives of two women—generations apart—intertwine, Kate’s courageous journey could change more than she ever imagined. And with the Coronado wending its way through her soul, she must follow her dreams…wherever they may lead. 

Review:

DiMaio wrote one of my favorite HF last year, The Way of Beauty so I’ve been eagerly awaiting her latest since then. When I read the blurb for this and realized it was set in the late fifties while a movie was being filmed I was even more excited and I’m thrilled to say that I loved this one just as much as TWOB!

This is told via dual perspectives, Kate as she sets out on her own for the first time in her life and the other POV is so unique and unexpected that I don’t want to say anything about it, except it was really cool and unusual. Kate was such a darling character, I was endeared to her immediately and following her to the Hotel del Coronado was a blast. DiMaio worked in cameos from Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in an authentic and believable way, she truly brought this era to life and made it so effortlessly easy to envision the story.

Much like her last book this had a little something for everyone, a light romance, a stunning setting and even a light mystery that kept things exciting. Totally recommend for HF fans and even for those that like old Hollywood glitz and glam!

The Beautiful Strangers in three words: Glamorous, Dramatic and Classic.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: February 26, 2019

Publisher: Crown

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

What really happened the night Edie died? Ten years later, her best friend Lindsay will learn how unprepared she is for the truth.

In 2009, Edie had New York’s social world in her thrall. Mercurial and beguiling, she was the shining star of a group of recent graduates living in a Brooklyn loft and treating the city like their playground. When Edie’s body was found near a suicide note at the end of a long, drunken night, no one could believe it. Grief, shock, and resentment scattered the group and brought the era to an abrupt end.

A decade later, Lindsay has come a long way from the drug-addled world of Calhoun Lofts. She has devoted best friends, a cozy apartment, and a thriving career as a magazine’s head fact-checker. But when a chance reunion leads Lindsay to discover an unsettling video from that hazy night, she starts to wonder if Edie was actually murdered—and, worse, if she herself was involved. As she rifles through those months in 2009—combing through case files, old technology, and her fractured memories—Lindsay is forced to confront the demons of her own violent history to bring the truth to light. 

Review:

I absolutely love any sort of book that deals with old murders and unsolved cases and this one appealed to me even more so because it’s unknown whether Edie was even murdered or if she committed suicide like the cops assumed. There was a lot of unknown factors in the one across the board and while it only left me guessing for about half the time, it maintained my interest throughout.

The bulk of the narrative is shaped by Lindsay with a handful of chapters from her old friend group scattered about. Lindsay is a tough character to describe, on the one hand she’s not likable at all, but it’s not really in a fun way, like a love to hate character. Instead she was pretty immature and whiny for a thirty something grown ass woman. It even kind of felt like a YA novel at times due to her lack of maturity, she got on my nerves quite a bit. Edie herself was actually pretty terrible too, she wasn’t portrayed as a very kind person and it was kind of difficult to toss any sympathy her way.

While the characters were pretty awful I was drawn in by the authors writing style, though it was slightly verbose. Full disclosure, I’m not a fan of long chapters, especially in a mystery. I much prefer the fast paced, cliffhanger type chapters that propel me forward and urge me to keep reading just one more chapter. But Bartz’s style was captivating, almost poetic at times and she did bring me back to NYV circa 2009 with surprising ease. I would suggest this one to anyone that’s new to thrillers or someone looking for a lighter style mystery, it was lacking that punch and darkness that I crave when I’m wholly invested in a thriller.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: December 5, 2018

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

Someone took your daughter. And nobody believes you … 

Then: 
Three-year-old Ally was found alone in a parking lot. 
She was barefoot and dressed only in a yellow sundress. In the middle of winter. 
What kind of person would abandon their daughter? 

Now: 
Fifteen years later and Ally has a new family. 
But her real father has sent her a letter. 
And now Ally is missing. 

Review:

Phew, what a crazy, intense read this one was! You know those one sitting, edge of your seat type of reads that only come along occasionally? Keep Her Close is that kind of read, it was wild.

The less you know about this one, the better, there are so many insane twists and turns all the way through that I can’t say much more than what the blurb reveals or I would be verging into spoiler territory. It’s incredibly fast paced, exciting and played off all of my worst fears as parent. I will say that there were a couple of instances where I had to suspend a little disbelief, but I honestly didn’t care because I was so entertained. This had the type of ending that shocks and awes, totally explosive and unexpected. I kept thinking this would make for a great action movie too, it had that same great adrenaline rush and nonstop action. Overall just a really fun, entertaining read!

Keep Her Close in three words: Tense, Explosive and Addictive.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher and the author for my review copy.

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Release date: February 19, 2019

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

The Butler family has had their share of trials—as sisters Althea, Viola, and Lillian can attest—but nothing prepared them for the literal trial that will upend their lives.

Althea, the eldest sister and substitute matriarch, is a force to be reckoned with and her younger sisters have alternately appreciated and chafed at her strong will. They are as stunned as the rest of the small community when she and her husband Proctor are arrested, and in a heartbeat the family goes from one of the most respected in town to utter disgrace. The worst part is, not even her sisters are sure exactly what happened.

As Althea awaits her fate, Lillian and Viola must come together in the house they grew up in to care for their sister’s teenage daughters. What unfolds is a stunning portrait of the heart and core of an American family in a story that is as page-turning as it is important. 

Review:

Ugh I hate writing super negative reviews but I just really didn’t like this one you guys. I’m not going to spend a bunch of time bashing this just because it didn’t work for me, seriously I just scrolled the goodreads reviews for this and a lot of my friends like this, so clearly I’m in the minority on this one.

Let me point out that my reasons for not enjoying this one have absolutely nothing to do with the authors writing, in fact she’s a great writer. What didn’t work for me was the story itself and my lack of a connection with any of the characters. This follows one family after one sister gets sent to prison and the two other sisters are left to pick up the pieces of her life, mainly in the care of her teenaged twin daughters. The problem for me was that I just didn’t care about these people, I wasn’t invested in their lives at all so then I was just bored. I pushed through and really probably should’ve just gave up, because it was a pretty miserable experience for me in the end. I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did, it just ended. Overall, I’m just not the right reader for this one unfortunately.

Overall rating: 2/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: February 19, 2019

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

A man is dead, shot three times in his home office. But his computer has been shot twelve times, and when the cops arrive, his pregnant wife is holding the gun.

D. D. Warren arrives on the scene and recognizes the woman—Evie Carter—from a case many years back. Evie’s father was killed in a shooting that was ruled an accident. But for D.D., two coincidental murders is too many.

Flora Dane sees the murder of Conrad Carter on the TV news and immediately knows his face. She remembers a night when she was still a victim—a hostage—and her captor knew this man. Overcome with guilt that she never tracked him down, Flora is now determined to learn the truth of Conrad’s murder.

But D.D. and Flora are about to discover that in this case the truth is a devilishly elusive thing. As layer by layer they peel away the half-truths and outright lies, they wonder: How many secrets can one family have? 

Review:

For me February isn’t about Valentine’s Day, it means a new LG book which is way better than any chocolates or flowers anyway. When that LG book also happens to be a new D. D. Warren book AND features one of my new favorite additions, Flora Dane, then I’m excited beyond belief. Gardner is one of those writers that truly gets better with each book, her style gets more honed, her plot lines get more intricate and her subject matter gets darker and more bold, she’s truly one of the best crime writers around.

If you’ve been following this series then you already know that D. D. and Flora don’t agree 99 percent of the time and their contentious relationship is part of what makes reading about them so much fun for me. They have so much in common, yet at the same time they really don’t, and watching them square off is always entertaining, especially in the midst of some pretty disturbing crime scenes. You also see a little more of D. D.’s inner sweet side again, which is an aspect of her character that I’ve grown to love. She’s still a hard assed, take no prisoners woman most of the time, but motherhood has softened her a bit and made her relatable.

Besides D. D. and Flora you have a third perspective here, Evie who is found holding a literal smoking gun over her husband’s dead body. There’s always more than meets the eye in a LG book and this was no exception, this isn’t an open and shut case by any means and the race to the finish line was fast, exciting and oh so satisfying. Also, for Evie only being introduced in this book, she was shockingly well drawn, LG never skimps on character development and it always makes me even more invested in her books.

This entire series comes highly recommended by me, and it’s tough to stand firmly behind a series as long as this one. Most times there’s at least a few duds, but each of these books is downright amazing. If you’re already a fan then you’ll be happy, and if you’re new then at the very least I would highly suggest going back three books and beginning with the ones that introduce Flora. Total must reads for crime fiction fans!

Never Tell in three words: Rapid, Intricate and Unputdownable.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: February 5, 2019

Publisher: Putnam

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Nina Gregory has always been a good daughter, a good girlfriend. Raised by her father, owner of New York City’s glamorous Gregory Hotels, after her mother’s death, Nina was taught that family, reputation, and legacy are what matter most. And her boyfriend Tim, thoughtful, kind, and honest, not to mention her best friend since childhood, feels the same. But after Nina’s father passes away, she learns he may not have practiced what he preached. 

As her world falls apart, Nina begins to question everything she thought she knew and to see the men in her life–her father, her boyfriend, and unexpectedly, her handsome and attentive boss, Rafael–in a new light. Soon Nina finds herself caught between the world she knows and loves, and a passion that could upend everything.

More than Words is a heartbreaking and romantic novel about grief, loss, love, and self-discovery, and how we choose which life we are meant to live. 

Review:

I’ve been holding off on posting my review until today simply because I can’t think of a more fitting book to discuss on Valentine’s Day than this one! It was a great love story, but it also had plenty of depth and was about so much more than two people falling in love, it explored several other relatable topics and issues as well.

I love a book that follows a character at a defining point in their lives, it’s so interesting to me to see what choices they make and what actions take place after some sort of event shakes up their life. Nina losing her father is her defining moment, she begins to question everything she’s been sure of her entire life and she really starts to come into her own. I really enjoyed watching her grow, mature and just start to feel comfortable in her own skin, on her own terms.

Love triangles are nothing new, but this one is done well. So many times I’m clearly rooting hard for one person to “get the girl” in these types of stories, but here I genuinely liked both men in Nina’s life which made me feel for her (and them) as she struggled to chose one of them. There was quite a bit of drama here as Nina navigates life after her fathers death, which was also fun as it broke up the romancey parts.

This was my first Santopolo book and I was impressed by her writing, it’s lyrical and fluid with a bit a magic to it as well, really perfect for a romance. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about The Light We Lost and am really excited to read that one too after this gem.

More Than Words in three words: Touching, Sweet and Lyrical.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: February 12, 2019

Publisher: Harper

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

From her first day as Personal Assistant to the celebrated Mina Appleton, Christine Butcher understands what is expected of her. Absolute loyalty. Absolute discretion. For twenty years, Christine has been a most devoted servant, a silent witness to everything in Mina’s life. So quiet, you would hardly know she is there.

Day after day, year after year, Christine has been there, invisible—watching, listening, absorbing all the secrets floating around her. Keeping them safe.

Christine is trusted. But those years of loyalty and discretion come with a high price. And eventually Christina will pay.

Yet, it would be a mistake to underestimate such a steadfast woman. Because as everyone is about to discover, there’s a dangerous line between obedience and obsession. 

Review:

I’m completely torn about my feelings on this one, on one hand it was a quick, addictive read that I flew through quickly. But on the other hand, it was just so damn weird that I’m not even sure I can explain it to you, but I’ll try!

This is told entirely from the POV of the secretary, Christine and focuses solely on her relationship with her boss, Mina. There is very little dialogue, it’s more of one long stream of Christine’s inner monologue with occasional conversations. It was just an odd setup, but I didn’t hate it and I kept reading so the author did something right. Parts of it also felt a bit tedious too, there was a lot of mundane recalls of memories as Christine tells the story of how she began working for Mina eighteen years ago, but somehow I knew that this would all lead up to something big.

In the end, as much as I knew something was going to happen, otherwise why all of history, right? But I had zero idea as to what that would be. Let me tell you, it wasn’t anything I would’ve ever come up with on my own. It was a little off the rails and out there, extreme to the max. I still don’t know if it worked for me or not?! It’s memorable for sure though. I know this is an extremely wishy washy and probably entirely unhelpful review, but this was just a peculiar read for me. I can’t say I loved or hated it, so I can’t fully recommend it either.

Overall rating: 3/5 (I debated doing a 2.5, but I did cruise through it and she is a good writer so…)

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.