Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: October 2, 2018

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Your ride is here…

When Paula picks up her last passenger of the night, all she sees is a few more dollars to put toward her husband’s medical bills. That’s before she recognizes the quiet stranger in her back seat as a world-famous musician and realizes the woman waiting at his destination is not his equally famous wife. So, Paula does what any down-on-her-luck woman would do.

She asks for money in exchange for silence.

But when a woman is murdered in the same building days later, Paula discovers she is the only witness to the secret affair—an affair that incriminates the musician. Now, Paula’s silence comes at a much more dangerous price.

Review:

I really liked the basis for this one, the whole idea of can a person be inherently good if they make a series of bad decisions? What if those choices are made for the greater good, does that give them a pass or maybe just some leeway? It’s interesting to say the least and besides these moral questions it’s also super tense and told using a structure that I love.

Both Paula and the detective investigating the murder narrate this with Paula supplying the bulk of the narrative. It jumps from after the night in question itself to before and then the actual night of but it was laid out very clearly and wasn’t confusing for me at all. I found it to be a true page turner, it was written very fluently and I was engaged and eager to find out how it would all end. It reads like a slow burn to begin with but then the tension steadily increases the further you get and then by the ending things get really good and the intensity is through the roof. I had my suspicions and while I was partly right the author did have some tricks up her sleeve. At times I was reminded of a good old fashioned whodunnit with a modern twist so if you like that style check this one out.

The Night In Question in three words: Taut, Pacey and Engrossing.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Booksparks for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: October 16, 2018

Publisher: Atria

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

Jessica Chamberlain, newly separated and living with her two sons in a small Iowa town, can’t believe that a tragedy in another state could have anything to do with her. But when her phone rings one quiet morning, her world is shattered. As she tries to pick up the pieces and make sense of what went wrong, Jess begins to realize that a tragic death is just the beginning. Soon she is caught in a web of lies and half-truths—and she’s horrified to learn that everything leads back to her seven-year-old adopted son, Gabriel.

Years ago, Gabe’s birth mother requested a closed adoption and Jessica was more than happy to comply. But when her house is broken into and she discovers a clue that suggests her estranged husband was in close contact with Gabe’s biological mother, she vows to uncover the truth at any cost. A harrowing story of tenacious love and heartbreaking betrayal, You Were Always Mine is about the wars we wage to keep the ones we love close, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Jodi Picoult. 

Review:

Baart is quickly becoming one of those authors that are an automatic read for me without even reading the blurb of her books. She somehow manages to infuse her books with a quiet and steady type of suspense that makes me take a deep breath and slow down and she also takes the reader on a highly emotional journey all the while exploring new topics and teaching me a thing or two. It’s a powerful experience, truly special and unique.

Baart delves into the darker side of adoption and her knowledge is apparent as she is an adoptive mother herself. She is such a gifted writer and she captures all the emotions and feelings surrounding motherhood so perfectly it almost breaks your heart. I found myself thinking, yaasss girl! SO many times while reading, she just gets it, she makes you feel both seen and heard. She also crafts incredibly well drawn and relatable characters and Jessica had me behind her one hundred percent the whole way through.

Her books do remind me a little of Liane Moriarty so if you’re a fan give Baart a try. There’s a raw vulnerability to her books that just speaks to me and while this is definitely a slow burning suspense there’s enough intrigue to satisfy mystery fans.

You Were Always Mine in three words: Compelling, Vulnerable and Multifaceted.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK

Release date: October 4, 2018

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

We went to school that Tuesday like normal.

Not all of us came home . . .

Huddled in a cloakroom with his classmates and teacher, six-year-old Zach can hear shots ringing through the corridors of his school. A gunman has entered the building and, in a matter of minutes, will have taken nineteen lives.

In the aftermath of the shooting, the close knit community and its families are devastated. Everyone deals with the tragedy differently. Zach’s father absents himself; his mother pursues a quest for justice — while Zach retreats into his super-secret hideout and loses himself in a world of books and drawing.

Ultimately though, it is Zach who will show the adults in his life the way forward — as, sometimes, only a child can.

Review:

Some of you may remember me raving about this book earlier this year and in honor of paperback publication day I’m resharing my review! It still remains one of the best books I’ve read all year.

The whole story is told through the eyes of Zach, a seven year old little guy and it begins on the day a gunman opens fire at his elementary school. I have three small kids, 9, 6 and 3 and my two oldest have participated in multiple lockdown drills. I remember when my oldest daughter came home from kindergarten talking about what to do if “a bad guy comes to my school mommy, we have to hide in the bathroom and stay super quiet.” That chilled me to my core but unfortunately that’s the world we live in. The world I’m raising my gorgeous kids in. It’s terrifying. I was a senior in high school back in 1999 when Columbine happened and I remember how scared and confused I was, how I couldn’t comprehend such a tragic event. All of that to say, I knew this would be a difficult book to read, I knew I would be emotional but I also knew it would be important and I’m extremely glad that I did read this because the author handled everything with grace and compassion.

Zach, what a special little boy he is, he has a piece of my heart. Seeing the entire story through a child’s eyes really brought a simplicity to things, kids are so pure and innocent. Children can often be pushed to the side when adults are dealing with grown up problems and that is what broke my heart the most. I wanted to scoop this little man up and take all of his worries away, that’s how realistic he seemed and his voice? Unbelievably accurate, I felt like I was listening to my daughter talk to me.

I could honestly discuss this book for hours, but I’ll finish up and say that I really feel like this is a vital read for everyone. It’s ripped from the current headlines, and it’s every single parents worst fear. Navin did an amazing job at handling the issues in a sensitive and realistic way, this is truly a special book.

Only Child in three words: Compelling, Moving and Timely.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: October 9, 2018

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

The highly acclaimed author of Watching Edie returns with a new novel of dark psychological suspense that explores how those closest to us have the most to hide…

When Clara’s boyfriend, Luke, disappears, everyone believes that he’s left her, but Clara thinks she knows the truth. Recent evidence suggests that Luke had a stalker, and Clara worries that he’s been kidnapped. Then Luke’s older sister, Emma, who vanished twenty years ago, suddenly reappears.

Emma wants to help Clara with her search for Luke, but she refuses to talk about what happened–even though it nearly destroyed her family when she vanished. And the deeper Clara digs into Luke’s mysterious disappearance, the more convinced she is that the two incidents are connected.

Review:

I’m just going to start this off by saying that if you’re a fan of the genre I’m calling this a must read. Go ahead and move it to the very top of your TBR because this has every single element needed in a psychological thriller to satisfy fans, it was consuming, addictive, sharply written and had more plot twists than a cheap garden hose. It was SO good you guys!!

This is told via alternate points of view and also two timelines. One is Clara whose boyfriend goes missing and the other is from someone unknown. The unknown narrator was my favorite, there was something totally captivating about her story, it’s one of those where you know bad stuff is about to go down and you’re on pins and needles waiting for it. Intense stuff and while I enjoyed those chapters the most the current storyline was engaging as well.

Obviously I knew that the two timelines would cross paths eventually but when they did and thus begins a relentless onslaught of reveals that left me stunned. They just kept coming, and they weren’t there just for the sake of there being twists, they were important to the plot and were so intricately handled. It’s just such a fantastic, entertaining read, comes highly recommended by me!

The Lies We Told in three words: Devious, Stunning and Captivating.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: October 2, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before—and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back.

Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby’s heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will require a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never knew existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline’s part.

And all for the love of her unborn child.

A rich, genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother’s quest to save her child, unite her family, and believe in the unbelievable. Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science to deliver a novel that you will never forget.

Review:

I have a confession to make. This was my first DC book. (Hangs head in shame) Why is that an embarrassing confession you ask? Well, because this book was so honest to god amazing that I cannot believe I haven’t read one of her books before. I am still blown away and absolutely reeling after finishing this one, I don’t even know how to review it because I can’t do this beautiful book justice.

I don’t even want to tell you any more than what the blurb does because I went into this completely blind and I’m so glad I did. Actually, I’m sure I read the blurb months ago, but I’m glad I forgot because this was the best kind of surprise and one that swept me away and had me absorbed fully and completely. Chamberlain’s writing is magical and evocative, this is about a mother’s love and just how far one would go to help their child. It’s about family, selflessness, love, loss, heartbreak and just messy, beautiful, wonderful life. It’s gorgeous you guys, I don’t even know how else to explain it.

The characterization was outstanding, I fell head over heels in love with just about every single one of them but mostly with the main narrators, Carly and Hunter. They got under my skin and into my heart and I swear I’ll never forget them and their amazing stories. This one crosses every genre, you’ll be scared and filled with dread, you’ll laugh, you’ll be sad and if you’re like me, you’ll even cry. I can’t say enough good things, read the book. Favorite read of the whole year for me and generally I have a really hard time even picking twenty favorites so that says it all.

The Dream Daughter in three words: Breathtaking, Exquisite and Poignant.

Overall rating: 5/5 (ALL THE STARS)

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: October 1, 2018

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Family is not what it seems in this raw, edgy thriller that New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline says “you won’t be able to put down.”

When a mutilated body is found hanging in a seedy motel in Philadelphia, forensics specialist Liam Dwyer assumes the crime scene will be business as usual. Instead, the victim turns out to be a woman he’d had an affair with before breaking it off to save his marriage. But there’s a bigger problem: Liam has no memory of where he was or what he did on the night of the murder.

Panicked, Liam turns to his brother, Sean, a homicide detective. Sean has his back, but incriminating evidence keeps piling up. From fingerprints to DNA, everything points to Liam, who must race against time and his department to uncover the truth – even if that truth is his own guilt. Yet as he digs deeper, dark secrets come to light, and Liam begins to suspect the killer might actually be Sean …

When the smoke clears in this harrowing family drama, who will be left standing?

Review:

I love when books cross genre lines a bit, while this was firmly a thriller it was also part domestic suspense and also had the feel of a CSI episode. It was also extremely exciting and super fast paced making for an entertaining read that gripped me the entire time.

Memory loss is not exactly a new premise when it comes to thrillers but what made this one stand out for me was that every theory I would come up with was almost immediately debunked as soon as I thought of it. This was a clever tool, it kept me thinking, well if that wasn’t the answer then WTF is?! The chapters were fairly short and you guys know that’s my downfall, it always keeps me engaged and reading way past my bedtime.

At first thought I wouldn’t call this twisty but in the last quarter there were several surprises that truly shocked me. It’s one of those that may be tense throughout but the last half really picks up and the suspense is at an all time high. Definitely a new fan of the authors and will be looking forward to what he comes up with next.

What Have You Done in three words: Twisty, Gripping and Suspenseful.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: September 8, 2018

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

A city on fire, a killer on the loose, and she’s next…

Amsterdam wakes to an explosion that rips the historic heart out of the city. Weary Inspector Paul van den Bergen of the Dutch police is tasked with finding the terrorist mastermind behind what appears to have been a suicide-bombing of a university library. Hitting nothing but dead ends and finding two young men murdered in gruesome circumstances, he turns to British exchange student and aspiring criminologist, Georgina McKenzie for help. She’s young, sharp and sassy; her insight is unique.

As the case catches fire, George is certain that a murderous psychopath walks among Amsterdam’s student population and the city’s red-light-district. Have Van den Bergen’s superiors been jumping to all the wrong conclusions? Can she track down the killer before his next victim is blown sky high?

The hunt is on, but little does George realise that she is now the prey…

Review:

I’ve been hearing great things about this series from some of my blogger friends across the pond and when I heard that it was being released in the US I figured it was the perfect opportunity to start another series that I’ve been meaning to get to forever. I’m really glad that I did, I found it to be something different and exciting written by a very talented author.

George was an unusual protagonist and she offered up a unique viewpoint. She’s a student and budding criminologist and I loved the fresh insight this provided. This was really fast paced and exciting, it read like an action thriller with plenty of heart pounding moments.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the setting, Riches really brought Amsterdam to life, it was highly atmospheric. If you like entertaining thrillers with strong female leads give this one a try, it was really unique.

The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die in three words: Exhilarating, Dark and Smart.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: September 25, 2018

Publisher: HQN

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

He’s giving her children a season of wonder…

Dani Capelli seized a chance to start over in a small town with her daughters. Now, facing her first Christmas in Haven Point, she wonders if leaving New York was a mistake. Dani loves working alongside veterinarian Dr. Morales, but her two children aren’t adjusting to small-town life. And then there’s Dr. Morales’s son, Ruben—Dani’s next-door neighbor. Gorgeous, muscled and dependable, the deputy sheriff is everything she secretly craves and can’t bear to risk loving…and losing.

Ruben never pictured himself falling for a big-city woman like Dani. But beneath her prickly facade, she’s caring and softhearted and she needs all the love and protection he can give. When Dani’s teenage daughter starts acting out, Ruben draws on family traditions to show the girls just how magical a Haven Point Christmas can be. But can he convince Dani that she’s found a home for the holidays—and forever—in his arms?

Review:

So now that it’s officially fall I’m assuming everyone is ok with me talking about holiday novels all the time, right? Great! (Haha) just wanted to get that out of the way. I have become a huge fan of Thayne’s magical series set in Haven Point and nothing is better than a new book that’s set during Christmas to me. All of her books have a sense of enchantment but this one had a little extra magic that made me feel like a giddy little kid on Christmas Eve.

This book follows Dani and Ruben who have intense chemistry that they’re both trying to ignore, what is it about those storylines that always make me so happy?! They were adorable and then Dani also has two daughters who rounded out the main cast. Little Mia totally stole my heart immediately and while it took me a little longer to warm to her sister Silver, she won me over in the end. As always, this is full of wonderful characters that you learn to know and love and you get to check in with a handful of characters from the previous books as well.

As much as reading in general is my escape from reality when I really want to be swept away I know I can always turn to a Thayne novel. There is something so uncomplicated and easy about her books, I always end up in a happy slightly giddy mood when I’m finished, I think she always restores my faith in humanity a little with each book and for escapism she is one of the best. I’ll follow this series as long as she keeps writing about it, firm fan here!

Season of Wonder in three words: Magical, Sweet and Heartfelt.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Little Bird Publicity and the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: May 28, 2019

Publisher: St. Martin’s

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

Twelve hours earlier, she was…

Hopeful.

Excited.

Safe.

Now she’s gone.

Review:

When I got the rare opportunity to do a super early read of Walker’s latest I was ecstatic! This one isn’t even out until next summer, no cover yet even and the blurb is still very short so I’m going to keep this brief so as pique your interest but not to spoil anything.

Really the only thing you can tell from the brief blurb is that a woman is missing, that’s Laura and then you also hear from her sister Rosie. This is not your run of the mill missing persons story, Walker puts her own unique spin on things and she wrong footed me more times than I can count. I had a new theory practically every single chapter and in the end none of mine were right. The pacing was awesome, it started out strong and steady, hooking me instantly and then the closer you get to the end the faster it gets. It all ends in a whirlwind of surprising revelations and it’s only then do you realize the depth of Walker’s plotting and keen ability to weave a dark tale. I loved this one and urge you to preorder it, must read!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

The Night Before in three words: Compulsive, Fast and Clever.