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Release date: August 7, 2018

Publisher: Atria

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

Twenty-five-old Lacey Whitman is blindsided when she’s diagnosed with the BCRA1 gene mutation: the “breast cancer” gene. Her high hereditary risk forces a decision: increased surveillance or the more radical step of a preventative double mastectomy. Lacey doesn’t want to lose her breasts. For one, she’s juggling two career paths; her work with the prestigious New York trend forecaster Hoffman House, and her role on the founding team of a sustainable fashion app with friend/mentor, Vivian Chang. Secondly, small-town Lacey’s not so in touch with her sexuality: she doesn’t want to sacrifice her breasts before she’s had the chance to give them their hey-day. To help her make her choice, she (and her friends) creates a “boob bucket list”: everything she wants do with and for her boobs before a possible surgery.

This kicks off a year of sensual exploration and sexual entertainment for the quick-witted Lacey Whitman. Ultimately, this is a story about Lacey’s relationship to her body and her future. Both are things she thought she could control through hard work and sacrifice. Both are things she will change by choosing to have a major surgery that could save her life, and will give her the future she really wants.

Featuring the pitch-perfect “compulsively delicious” (Redbook) prose of The Regulars, The Bucket List is perfect for fans of Amy Poeppel and Sophie Kinsella.

Review:

I honestly don’t think the blurb for this one accurately conveys exactly what type of story this one really is, I feel like it doesn’t totally prepare you for both how emotional it is and also how sexy it is. Bit of a weird combo, right? No doubt about that and while it sounds strange it works in an odd way.

It took me awhile to warm to this one, initially I found it a bit hard to switch between some tender and touching moments where Lacey deals with her feelings about a possible double mastectomy and then onto the next chapter where she’s off on one of her sexcapades as part of her boob bucket list. It was a big leap to say the least and the sex scenes aren’t the type left up to the readers imagination but instead are graphic and racy making the transition pretty bold.

As I kept reading this I did become more accustomed to the style and vibe of the book and I enjoyed it more as I found a groove. It was one of those reads that just kept getting better the further along I read, so for me it was worth it in the end. This was really witty and felt hip and modern, definitely a book a twenty something could relate to as Lacey herself is edgy and cool but there was enough depth and maturity that someone older (ahem cough ME) could still relate on some level. The overall message was fantastic, very female positive and kick ass without being cheesy. It’s definitely not your average chick lit book and I admire the author for making some bold choices and tackling an extremely scary and serious subject matter in a really interesting way.

The Bucket List in three words: Provocative, Empowering and Honest.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 8, 2018

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

It’s 1989 in the sleepy town of Longview, Texas, when ten-year-old Lucy disappears. Her parents, the police, and the community all brace for the worst, assuming her body will soon be found in Big Woods. Just like the other unsolved kidnappings.

But then Lucy’s fourteen-year-old sister, Leah, starts having dreams about Lucy—dreams that reveal startling clues as to what happened. Leah begins her own investigation, and soon she meets a reclusive widow who may hold the key to finding Lucy . . . if only she can find the courage to come forward.

Delving into the paranoia surrounding satanic cults in the 1980s, Big Woods is an emotionally wrought, propulsive thriller about the enormity of grief, the magical bond between sisters, and a small town’s dark secrets.

Review:

If you’re in the mood for a book that sucks you in from the very start then look no further, because Big Woods hooked me after just two pages. A little girl goes missing in the late eighties and being an eighties baby myself I’m always nostalgic for books set then, and throw in a side of satanic cult worshippers and a hint of magical realism and I’m all in!

This alternates between Leah and Sylvia, Lucy is Leah’s sister so her connection was obvious but with Sylvia I wasn’t quite sure how she would fit in, it definitely kept me guessing. I was very invested in these characters, Leah and her family were good, hardworking and sweet people and Sylvia was the same, it made for a nice change of pace to actually like the characters in a thriller compared to many books that are full of hateful and unsympathetic ones.

The pacing here was fantastic, the chapters are short and sweet, you get straight to the point and just keep going for another chapter and then another and before you know it you’re finished! I was so curious about what happened to Lucy, was it the work of a devil worshipping cult? A pedophile? Did she run away? I had many theories and I’m so pleased to say I never quite guessed before the reveal.

I was really impressed that this was Cobb’s debut, she has an assured style that I really liked and she crafted a really interesting story that was part mystery/thriller part family drama that worked so well together. I would definitely read another book from her and will be curious to see what she comes up with next.

Big Woods in three words: Quick, Engrossing and Deft.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: August 21, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

Set in modern day Oxford, Mississippi, on the Ole Miss campus, bestselling author Lisa Patton’s RUSH is a story about women—from both ends of the social ladder—discovering their voices, courage and empowerment.

When Lilith Whitmore, the well-heeled House Corp President of Alpha Delta Beta, one of the premiere sororities on campus, appoints recent empty-nester Wilda to the Rush Advisory Board, Wilda can hardly believe her luck. What’s more, Lilith suggests their daughters, both incoming freshman, room together. What Wilda doesn’t know is that it’s all part of Lilith’s plan to ensure her own daughter receives an Alpha Delt bid—no matter what.

Cali Watkins possesses all the qualities sororities are looking for in a potential new member. She’s kind and intelligent, makes friends easily, even plans to someday run for governor. But her resume lacks a vital ingredient. Pedigree. Without family money Cali’s chances of sorority membership are already thin, but she has an even bigger problem. If anyone discovers the dark family secrets she’s hiding, she’ll be dropped from Rush in an instant.

For twenty-five years, Miss Pearl—as her “babies” like to call her—has been housekeeper and a second mother to the Alpha Delt girls, even though it reminds her of a painful part of her past she’ll never forget. When an opportunity for promotion arises, it seems a natural fit. But Lilith Whitmore slams her Prada heel down fast, crushing Miss Pearl’s hopes of a better future. When Wilda and the girls find out, they devise a plan destined to change Alpha Delta Beta—and maybe the entire Greek system—forever.

Achingly poignant, yet laugh-out-loud funny, RUSH takes a sharp nuanced look at a centuries-old tradition while exploring the complex, intimate relationships between mothers and daughters and female friends. Brimming with heart and hope for a better tomorrow, RUSH is an uplifting novel universal to us all.

Review:

I was never in a sorority but Greek life has always fascinated me so when I read the description of Rush I was all in. It had the added bonus of being set in the South and I’m a sucker for southern fiction as well and this one was oozing good old fashioned southern charm with a side of, oh bless her heart sass. It was witty, fun and I felt like I got a secret look behind the scenes of sorority life.

There are three points of view here, Miss Pearl the longtime housekeeper at Alpha Delt, Wilda who’s daughter Ellie is rushing for the first time as a freshman and then Cali another hopeful freshman who becomes fast friends with Ellie. My favorite of the three was easily Miss Pearl though everyone was enjoyable and fun to hear from. Pearl just stole the show for me with her heart that’s bigger than Mississippi and her love and affection for all of the Alpha Delt girls, she was a true gem.

While this was a light and fun read it definitely still explored some important issues pertaining to race relations and old, outdated traditions that are really just a disguise for casual racism. The only people of color involved in the sorority are the staff with the exception of just one member and the antiquated rules are finally questioned and challenged. There was a quiet power to this book with some relevant themes that make you think and contemplate which I always appreciate, definitely some substance beside sweet southern charm.

Rush in three words: Charming, Topical and Fun.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: September 4, 2018

Publisher: Atria

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

There is a place in Minnesota with hundreds of miles of glacial lakes and untouched forests called the Boundary Waters. Ten years ago a man and his son trekked into this wilderness and never returned.

Search teams found their campsite ravaged by what looked like a bear. They were presumed dead until a decade later…the son appeared. Discovered while ransacking an outfitter store, he was violent and uncommunicative and sent to a psychiatric facility. Maya Stark, the assistant language therapist, is charged with making a connection with their high-profile patient. No matter how she tries, however, he refuses to answer questions about his father or the last ten years of his life

But Maya, who was abandoned by her own mother, has secrets, too. And as she’s drawn closer to this enigmatic boy who is no longer a boy, she’ll risk everything to reunite him with his father who has disappeared from the known world.

Review:

I was a huge fan of Mejia’s debut and have been impatiently waiting for her next book since late 2016, but man was the wait worth it! This was totally different from Everything You Want Me to Be, I love when authors switch things up and avoid getting caught in a formulaic cycle and Mejia surely does that here. It’s every bit as compelling as EYWMTB but in a totally different way that excited me.

This is mainly told from Maya’s point of view and she’s not your average mystery protagonist. She’s a speech pathologist who works at a psychiatric facility and I so enjoyed her unique viewpoint. One can only read so many thrillers with a detective as the lead and Maya was a breathe of fresh air. There are a few very imperative chapters from Josiah, the man who disappeared ten years ago that add an additional layer to an already multilayered story.

The atmosphere played such a huge role in this one and that’s the biggest difference (to me) from Mejia’s last book. The Boundary Waters were a character all of it’s own thanks to her incredibly vivid writing style, she brought this hauntingly beautiful and terrifying place to life effortlessly to the point where I felt like I was there alongside her characters. Besides a fantastic setting the characters themselves were complicated people with fascinating backstories, the type you find yourself rooting for even when you’re not entirely really sure if you should be. They’re flawed, intense and wonderfully interesting making for a captivating read.

Once again, Mejia had quite a few tricks up her sleeve and she definitely sucker punched me at least one time. I raced through this one as there were way more questions than answers and when all my questions were answered in the end, I was satisfied and extremely impressed by her talent and ability to construct a story. Hugely recommended by me, especially for fans of Force of Nature I had very similar feelings while reading this one and predict fans would enjoy this one as well.

Leave No Trace in three words: Atmospheric, Intense and Multifaceted.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: August 7, 2018

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson tragically passes away, she leaves one final wish for her best friends: to conquer the fears they still carry as adults.

For each of them, that means something different. For Marley, it’s coming to terms with the survivor’s guilt she’s carried around since her twin sister’s death, which has left her blind to the real chance for romance in her life. For Georgia, it’s about learning to stop trying to live up to her mother’s and brother’s ridiculous standards, and learning to accept the love her ex-husband has tried to give her.

But as Marley and Georgia grow stronger, the real meaning of Emerson’s dying wish becomes truly clear: more than anything, she wanted her friends to love themselves.

Review:

I swear every woman on the planet should read this book you guys. I don’t know of a single woman who hasn’t struggled with her weight or dealt with body image issues or struggled with low self esteem. Higgins captures all of the feelings and emotions that coexist alongside these complicated feelings women have about themselves perfectly and she does it with humor and grace as well.

This is told from all three friends perspectives, Marley and Georgia in present day and then Emerson in a series of heartbreaking journal entries that truly brought me to tears. These women are like so many others, their weight is always at the forefront of their thoughts and it has an effect on every single aspect of their lives, they were painfully relatable on so many levels that I wouldn’t hesitate to wholeheartedly recommend this one to any woman I know personally.

While this was a very emotional read it was also funny and poignant and unabashedly honest in the way women perceive themselves and other woman. While we can be our own harshest critics we can also be super quick to judge other women even as we struggle with our own body image issues which is so profoundly sad but also the God’s honest truth.

Marley and Georgia stole my heart completely and totally and made me yearn for friends just like the two of them. Their friendship was beautiful and inspiring and also raw and vulnerable, they’ve been friends through the bad and the good and know they each have a safe place to land in the others arms. While many of the issues covered here are heavy and sometimes dark this was a truly uplifting and hopeful read that will make you feel less alone in your insecurities and doubtful moments. Highly recommended read from one of my all time favorite authors, Higgins hit it out of the park with this one!

(Quick P. S. I’ve seen this book getting slammed for fat shaming and I just want to say that it doesn’t at all, I found it to be the opposite so if you’re hesitant because if that it’s not even true.)

Good Luck With That in three words: Vulnerable, Emotional and Relevant.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: January 8, 2019

Publisher: St. Martin’s

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.

When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave. But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking…and what she’s hiding. As Jess’s paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.

From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us comes an electrifying new novel about doubt, passion, and just how much you can trust someone.

Review:

I really have no business reading books that aren’t even out until next year (I may be drowning in ARCs) but when a copy of An Anonymous Girl arrived in my mailbox I dropped everything else and started reading it immediately. Last fall when I read The Wife Between Us I was totally blown away and I haven’t really stopped raving about it ever since. As excited as I was about this book I had that apprehension that I tend to get before reading a highly anticipated book. I kept wondering if Hendricks and Pekkanen could possibly top TWBU and if so, how? You guys, they can and they did!

This one should come with a warning label: Do not start this unless you have enough time and commitment to read in one breathless sitting. That’s really the only way to read it, once you start and then have to stop (because life) you’ll be irritated and desperate to get back to it, so fair warning.

I really don’t even want to get into the plot details at all, the blurb gives you the perfect amount of information and is intriguing enough on it’s own, but I will tell you why I loved this one just as much as Wife. For starters, it had that same addictive writing style that urges you to keep reading just a few more pages, that feeling you get when a really awesome book just grips you. You know how sometimes you’re so absorbed by a book that when something from the outside world interrupts you it takes you a few seconds to snap back to reality? This is that kind of book. Another thing that made this one fantastic is that instead of being a series of shocking twists and turns like Wife was it doesn’t solely depend on crazy revelations but instead is compromised of several smaller twists that still surprise you but almost catch you even more off guard because there’s a subtlety to them. It’s like a sneak attack, but in a very good way, an unexpected bonus that slaps you upside the head and makes you think, what in the hell is really going on here?

My final thoughts? Pre order this bad boy and prepare to be consumed, you won’t regret it and Hendricks and Pekkanen prove they are a force to be reckoned with.

An Anonymous Girl in three words: Obsessive, Riveting and Cunning.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: June 19, 2018

Publisher: Little Brown

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Doting wife, devoted husband, cherished child. Merry, Sam, and Conor are the perfect family in the perfect place. Merry adores the domestic life: baking, gardening, caring for her infant son. Sam, formerly an academic, is pursuing a new career as a filmmaker. Sometimes they can hardly believe how lucky they are. What perfect new lives they’ve built.

When Merry’s childhood friend Frank visits their Swedish paradise, she immediately becomes part of the family. She bonds with Conor. And with Sam. She befriends the neighbors, and even finds herself embracing the domesticity she’s always seemed to scorn.

All their lives, Frank and Merry have been more like sisters than best friends. And that’s why Frank soon sees the things others might miss. Treacherous things, which are almost impossible to believe when looking at this perfect family. But Frank, of all people, knows that the truth is rarely what you want the world to see.

Review:

This was such a strange read for me, I’m not even sure I can articulate my thoughts about it but I’ll do my best. For one thing, I flew through it so that tells me that it’s gripping, but on the other hand I was disturbed more than a few times due to the subject matter. But I didn’t stop reading even when things went down hill towards the end. Confusing to say the least!

This alternates Between Merry, Sam and Frank as Frank visits her BFF to check out her new life in Sweden with her husband and new son. The toxic and odd relationship between Frank and Merry was super interesting and I got the same vibe as when I read Give Me Your Hand so if you liked that book, you may like this as well. The writing style took a little time to get used to as well, Sacks doesn’t use quotation marks which was jarring at first but I adjusted quickly and wasn’t bothered soon enough.

The setting of Sweden was depicted really beautifully, I could easily picture the various scenes the author described and felt it had a really strong sense of place. There are many positive aspects of this one but as I don’t want to discuss the plot whatsoever, it’s difficult to get into what didn’t specifically work for me. If you’re intrigued by the blurb then I encourage you to pick this one up and try for yourself. It’s definitely unique and one that makes you say, what the hell?! Several times.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: July 31, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

When twin sisters Rose and Bel Enright enroll in The Odell School, a prestigious New Hampshire boarding school, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. But the sisters could not be more different. The school brings out a rivalry between them that few ever knew existed. And the school itself has a dark underbelly: of privileged kids running unchecked and uninhibited; of rituals and traditions that are more sinister than they seem; of wealth and entitlement that can only lead to disaster.

For Sarah Donovan, wife of an ambitious teacher who is determined to rise through the ranks, Odell also seems like the best thing that could happen to their small family. But how well does she really know her husband? What lengths will he go to to achieve his goals? And when one dark night ends in murder, who is guilty, who knows the truth, and who has been in on it all along? SHE WAS THE QUIET ONE. Because murderers are almost never who you expect.

Review:

I have to point out how much I love Campbell’s titles, It’s Always the Husband is so clever and this one is pretty smart as well! In an over saturated market things like a strong title always stand out from the crowd and after reading both of her books I can now say that there’s much more to her books than an eye catching title. They’re of the slow building, character driven variety but they sure pack a punch in the end.

This is told from various viewpoints, you have sisters Bel and Rose as well as Sarah, who is married to a young, handsome and charismatic teacher. The blend of two teenaged viewpoints and one adult gave this a YA vibe in a really good way. Campbell nailed the voices of both teenaged girls just trying to get through high school and a young wife and mom trying to keep multiple plates spinning while being scrutinized by an entire campus.

Once again this isn’t a fast paced, twisty, edge of your seat thriller but the ending was ultimately satisfying and it still managed to read like a fun page turning mystery with a heavy emphasis on character development and the bond between sisters. Twin sisters are always interesting and when you’re never sure how they really feel about each other it’s just double the fun 😜

She Was the Quiet One in three words: Simmering, Enthralling and Intelligent.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: August 7, 2018

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

In her latest captivating novel, nationally bestselling author Fiona Davis takes readers into the glamorous lost art school within Grand Central Terminal, where two very different women, fifty years apart, strive to make their mark on a world set against them.

For the nearly nine million people who live in New York City, Grand Central Terminal is a crown jewel, a masterpiece of design. But for Clara Darden and Virginia Clay, it represents something quite different.

For Clara, the terminal is the stepping stone to her future, which she is certain will shine as the brightly as the constellations on the main concourse ceiling. It is 1928, and twenty-five-year-old Clara is teaching at the lauded Grand Central School of Art. A talented illustrator, she has dreams of creating cover art for Vogue, but not even the prestige of the school can override the public’s disdain for a “woman artist.” Brash, fiery, confident, and single-minded–even while juggling the affections of two men, a wealthy would-be poet and a brilliant experimental painter–Clara is determined to achieve every creative success. But she and her bohemian friends have no idea that they’ll soon be blindsided by the looming Great Depression, an insatiable monster with the power to destroy the entire art scene. And even poverty and hunger will do little to prepare Clara for the greater tragedy yet to come.

Nearly fifty years later, in 1974, the terminal has declined almost as sharply as Virginia Clay’s life. Full of grime and danger, from the smoke-blackened ceiling to the pickpockets and drug dealers who roam the floor, Grand Central is at the center of a fierce lawsuit: Is the once-grand building a landmark to be preserved, or a cancer to be demolished? For Virginia, it is simply her last resort. Recently divorced, she has just accepted a job in the information booth in order to support herself and her college-age daughter, Ruby. But when Virginia stumbles upon an abandoned art school within the terminal and discovers a striking watercolor hidden under the dust, her eyes are opened to the elegance beneath the decay. She embarks on a quest to find the artist of the unsigned masterpiece–an impassioned chase that draws Virginia not only into the battle to save Grand Central but deep into the mystery of Clara Darden, the famed 1920s illustrator who disappeared from history in 1931.

Review:

Fiona Davis was one of the first HF authors I read and enjoyed, I loved both The Dollhouse and The Address and have been super excited about The Masterpiece. Davis has honed a keen ability to write dazzling stories about NYC, she really brings the city to life and truly sweeps you away to a different time and place.

This is told via a dual narrative flipping from the 1920s where Clara is a young artist trying to break in to a world where men rule and then Virginia in the 1970s as she also faces obstacles in a male dominated society. I adored both of these strong, female characters, even being fifty years apart they faced many of the same issues and had similar struggles and were both so brave and determined. Though their narratives both seemed connected in a loose manner I never guessed just how cleverly Davis would weave their tales together.

The rich and vibrant history of Grand Central Terminal was absolutely fascinating to me, I had no idea that at one time it was almost torn down! Besides the interesting bits of history you have some romance and even a mystery, a little bit of everything for everyone. HF will love this one and if you’re new to the genre Davis is a great author to start with, she’s fabulous!

The Masterpiece in the words: Dazzling, Captivating and Impassioned.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.