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Release date: June 26, 2018

Publisher: Crown

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

Set in the 1950s, Lady Be Good is Amber Brock’s mesmerizing return, sweeping readers into the world of the mischievous, status-obsessed daughter of a hotel magnate and the electric nightlife of three iconic cities: New York, Miami, and Havana.

Kitty Tessler is the winsome and clever only child of self-made hotel and nightclub tycoon Nicolas Tessler. Kitty may not have the same pedigree as the tennis club set she admires, but she still sees herself as every inch the socialite–spending her days perfecting her “look” and her nights charming all the blue-blooded boys who frequent her father’s clubs. It seems like the fun will never end until Kitty’s father issues a terrible ultimatum: she may no longer date the idle rich. Instead, Kitty must marry Andre, her father’s second-in-command, and take her place as the First Lady of his hotel empire. Kitty is forced to come up with a wily and elaborate plan to protect her own lofty ideas for the future, as well as to save her best friend, Henrietta Bancroft, from a doomed engagement: Kitty will steal Henrietta’s fiance, a fabulously wealthy but terribly unkind man from a powerful family–thereby delivering the one-two punch of securing her now-fragile place on the social ladder and keeping her friend from a miserable marriage.

Then Kitty meets Max, a member of a band visiting New York from her father’s Miami club, and her plans take a turn. Smitten, but still eager to convince her father of her commitment to Andre, Kitty and Hen follow Max, Andre, and the rest of the band back down to Miami–and later to Cuba. As Kitty spends more time with Max, she begins waking up to the beauty–and the injustice–of the world beyond her small, privileged corner of Manhattan. And when her well-intended yet manipulative efforts backfire, Kitty is forced to reconsider her choices and her future before she loses everyone she loves.

Review:

There is something so glamorous about New York City in the fifties, maybe it’s the throwback to a simpler time, but the descriptions of the clothing, style and good clean fun never ceases to delight me. Brock really brought this time period to life and transported me from NYC to Miami and then to Cuba, all exotic locales with plenty of intrigue and excitement.

I’m not one that needs to fall head over heels in love with a character in order to enjoy a story and while I know I didn’t adore Kitty, there was something about her determination and good intended manipulation that worked well for me even though she was a bit of a spoiled little daddy’s girl. While she may have started out as an entitled and immature woman who only cared about finding the perfect husband by the end she had grown and matured. I always appreciate seeing a character grow and this added depth to an otherwise surface level read.

Recommended for those looking for a fun, easy and light historical read with gorgeous descriptions of not only the places the characters inhabit but the people themselves, I seriously swooned over the thought of some of Kitty and her best friend Hen’s outfits!

Lady Be Good in three words: Glamorous, Glitzy and Sweet.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: August 7, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Beware of friends with secrets…

Imagine your closest friend utterly betraying you. Years later, when she seeks forgiveness, you invite her to your engagement party as a gesture of reconciliation. But seething hostilities rise to the surface, ruining everyone’s evening. After an awful night, your friend’s battered, lifeless body is found at the bottom of a rocky cliff.

Newly engaged Marissa Parlette is living this nightmare. She should be celebrating her upcoming wedding, but she can’t shake the image of her friend lying dead on the beach. Did she fall? Was she pushed? Or did she take a purposeful step into darkness? Desperate for answers, Marissa digs deep into the events of the party. But what she remembers happening after nightfall now carries sinister implications: the ugly sniping, the clandestine meetings, the drunken flirtations. The more she investigates, the more she questions everything she thought she knew about her friends, the man she once trusted, and even herself.

Bestselling author A. J. Banner keeps readers on a razor-sharp edge in this intricately plotted novel of psychological suspense…in which nothing is as it seems.

Review:

I’ve read and enjoyed all three of Banner’s books but I have to say, After Nightfall is my favorite to date. It’s the perfect summer mystery, it’s not too heavy and is on the shorter side making a quick read that you could devour poolside, yet it does have enough darkness and depth to give it some bite making it the ideal vacation read and yet another book I’m recommending you add to your summer TBR.

I mentioned before that it’s on the shorter side which means Banner wastes no time with filler and you get right to the heart of the story almost immediately. Stories of female friendship with a dark edge always intrigue me and the relationship between Marissa and Lauren seems at surface level ordinary enough. But it’s quickly apparent that there is a tense, awkwardness bubbling underneath the surface that had me hooked.

That’s as far as I’ll go in terms of the plot, but I was surprised by how many surprises there were in this one. It’s a straightforward enough story told solely from Marissa’s point of view, no detectives perspective muddling things up, just a regular woman on the hunt for answers about her frenemies death. Besides the fun twists along the way to keep me engaged it also had an well executed turn in the end, I absolutely loved how things worked out and was so satisfied.

After Nightfall in three words: Compulsive, Astonishing and Suspenseful.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: June 12, 2018

Publisher: Gallery

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

An Atlanta ex-cop comes to sleepy Lake Sackett, Georgia, seeking peace and quiet—but he hasn’t bargained on falling for Frankie, the cutest coroner he’s ever met.

Frankie McCready talks to dead people. Not like a ghost whisperer or anything—but it seems rude to embalm them and not at least say hello.

Fortunately, at the McCready Family Funeral Home & Bait Shop, Frankie’s eccentricities fit right in. Lake Sackett’s embalmer and county coroner, Frankie’s goth styling and passion for nerd culture mean she’s not your typical Southern girl, but the McCreadys are hardly your typical Southern family. Led by Great-Aunt Tootie, the gambling, boozing, dog-collecting matriarch of the family, everyone looks out for one another—which usually means getting up in everyone else’s business.

Maybe that’s why Frankie is so fascinated by new sheriff Eric Linden…a recent transplant from Atlanta, he sees a homicide in every hunting accident or boat crash, which seems a little paranoid for this sleepy tourist town. What’s he so worried about? And what kind of cop can get a job with the Atlanta PD but can’t stand to look at a dead body?

Frankie has other questions that need answering first—namely, who’s behind the recent break-in attempts at the funeral home, and how can she stop them? This one really does seem like a job for the sheriff—and as Frankie and Eric do their best Scooby-Doo impressions to catch their man, they get closer to spilling some secrets they thought were buried forever.

Review:

Last year Sweet Tea and Sympathy was one of my favorite reads, it had all of the elements I need in fun women’s fiction so I’ve been dying to read the second book in Harper’s Southern Eclectic series for months. The wait was well worth it, the second installment was just as witty and charming as the first and I really hope Harper continues to write about the kooky residents of Lake Sackett for a long time.

One of my favorite things about this series is the fun cast of characters and when I saw that this book would focus on Frankie I was delighted. She’s a quirky chick who doesn’t take crap from anyone and she’s also sarcastic, but charming when needed, a combination that always works well for me. Her budding relationship with Eric was not only adorable, it wasn’t formulaic or predictable. You also get to catch up with the characters from the first book and seeing what Margot was up to was just delightful.

This was a strong follow up to a hilarious series, the ultimate pick me up that I read at just the right time. You can’t read this without smiling, it’s got sassy southern charm by the bucketful and a little romance that will make you swoon, what more could a girl want?!

Ain’t She a Peach in three words: Humorous, Sassy, and Cheeky.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: June 5, 2018

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Weisberger returns with a novel starring one of her favorite characters from The Devil Wears Prada—Emily Charlton, first assistant to Miranda Priestly, now a highly successful image consultant who’s just landed the client of a lifetime.

Welcome to Greenwich, CT, where the lawns and the women are perfectly manicured, the Tito’s and sodas are extra strong, and everyone has something to say about the infamous new neighbor.

Let’s be clear: Emily Charlton, Miranda Priestly’s ex-assistant, does not do the suburbs. She’s working in Hollywood as an image consultant to the stars, but recently, Emily’s lost a few clients. She’s hopeless with social media. The new guard is nipping at her heels. She needs a big opportunity, and she needs it now.

Karolina Hartwell is as A-list as they come. She’s the former face of L’Oreal. A mega-supermodel recognized the world over. And now, the gorgeous wife of the newly elected senator from New York, Graham, who also has his eye on the presidency. It’s all very Kennedy-esque, right down to the public philandering and Karolina’s arrest for a DUI—with a Suburban full of other people’s children.

Miriam is the link between them. Until recently she was a partner at one of Manhattan’s most prestigious law firms. But when Miriam moves to Greenwich and takes time off to spend with her children, she never could have predicted that being stay-at-home mom in an uber-wealthy town could have more pitfalls than a stressful legal career.

Emily, Karolina, and Miriam make an unlikely trio, but they desperately need each other. Together, they’ll navigate the social landmines of life in America’s favorite suburb on steroids, revealing the truths—and the lies—that simmer just below the glittering surface. With her signature biting style, Lauren Weisberger offers a dazzling look into another sexy, over-the-top world, where nothing is as it appears.

Review:

I have to say that so far the summer books I’ve had the pleasure of reading have really been outstanding, I think there’s always a small group of amazing books released each summer but this year I feel like the stakes have been raised, and Weisberger took things to a whole new level with this one. If you’re a fan of The Devil Wears Prada (and seriously, who isn’t?!) you’ll gobble this one up. If you’re new to this series you’ll still love it, it’s not necessary to have read the previous books but they’re all fun so you should.

You have three points of view here; Emily, Karolina and Miriam. All three are polar opposites but fun and entertaining in their own right. Emily will always be my favorite, her biting, acerbic wit is legendary and her pop culture references are on point. This book is uber hip and up to the minute AND it’s funny as hell. It’s scandalous, emotional, hilarious and compulsive, I can’t think of the last time I had so much fun with a book.

Grab this one and head to a pool with a cocktail and be prepared to devour it in one sitting, theglitz will dazzle you and the drama will shock you and make you laugh, the ideal light read for summer is here!

When Life Gives You Luluemons in three words: Delicious, Scandalous and Witty.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: June 18, 2018

Publisher: Little Brown

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand, comes a novel about the many ways family can fill our lives with love…if they don’t kill us first.

It’s wedding season on Nantucket. The beautiful island is overrun with summer people–an annual source of aggravation for year-round residents. And that’s not the only tension brewing offshore. When one lavish wedding ends in disaster before it can even begin–with the bride-to-be discovered dead in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony–everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash digs into the best man, the maid of honor, the groom’s famous mystery novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, the chief discovers that every wedding is a minefield–and no couple is perfect. Featuring beloved characters from THE CASTAWAYS and A SUMMER AFFAIR, THE PERFECT COUPLE proves once again that Elin Hilderbrand is the queen of the summer beach read.

Review:

I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll repeat myself every single summer, but summer doesn’t officially start for me until I’ve read the latest Elin Hilderbrand novel. While I have several authors on my summer must read list every year, hers are the books I look forward to the most, she really is the queen of the beach read and The Perfect Couple is her best book yet!

While Hilderbrand’s books definitely aren’t always sunshine and cocktails, this was a bit of a departure from her previous books. There’s still that wonderful ensemble cast where you feel like you’re a fly on the wall, and there’s also the stunning backdrop of the now familiar beaches of Nantucket, but this had a slightly darker feel since there’s a murder mystery at its core. Think Liane Moriarty in terms of vibe but set it among the super elite and wealthy and that’s TPC.

This was yet another effortless read, super entertaining and a true page turner. Hilderbrand is such a great writer, she really brings Nantucket to life, you can smell the lobster rolls, feel the sand between your toes and imagine you’re surrounded by the glitzy characters who reside in Nantucket. These characters all had juicy secrets and problems and I was eager to find out what really happened to Merritt and along the way there were plenty of turns. A few characters from her previous novels are featured, catching up on their lives was awesome, especially Chief Ed as The Castaways was one of my favorite books. Recommended to everyone, I’m calling it the must read book of the summer purely based on it’s fun factor alone but it’s incredibly well written and plotted to perfection boot, the ultimate summer read.

The Perfect Couple in three words: Juicy, Secretive and Fun.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: June 5, 2018

Publisher: Atria

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

In this intricate and enthralling domestic drama the author of the “gossipy page-turner” (Glamour) The Perfect Neighbors goes deep into a marriage in crisis, peeling back layers of secrets to discover where the relationship veered off course—and whether it is worth saving.

Josie and Frank Moore are happy… at least Josie thinks they are. As parents of two young girls in the Chicago suburbs, their days can be both busy and monotonous, and sometimes Josie wonders how she became a harried fortysomething mother rather than the driven career woman she once was. But Frank is a phenomenal father, he’s handsome and charismatic, and he still looks at his wife like she’s the beautiful woman he married more than a decade ago. Josie isn’t just happy—she’s lucky.

Until one Saturday morning when Josie borrows her husband’s phone to make a quick call—and sees nine words that shatter her world.

Now Josie feels as if she is standing at the edge of a sharp precipice. As she looks back at pivotal moments in the relationship she believed would last forever, she is also plunging ahead, surprising everyone (especially herself) with how far she will go to uncover the extent of her husband’s devastating secret.

Review:

I was a huge fan of The Wife Between Us which Pekkanen co authored with Greer Hendricks but I had never read her solo stuff before. This is very different from TWBU, it’s more of a psychological drama than a thriller, so I just wanted to make sure that you guys were aware of that, because if you’re looking for something similar it’s really not. BUT this was good, just in a totally different way, think less tension, no twists, straight up women’s fiction with an emphasis on Josie’s emotional journey.

I liked the way this was structured, it may even have been my favorite aspect, it was set mostly in the present as Josie deals with the effects of her husband’s betrayal but there are a handful of chapters that go back to important times in Josie and Frank’s relationship. I loved the insight this gave the reader into their history, it added depth and dimension to their characters. Josie was a really relatable character, she’s one of those every woman type of people, you either feel like she could be you or you know someone like her. Her actions, choices and thoughts read as very genuine and raw, I think her behavior was an accurate portrayal of how someone in her situation would act.

My only slight complaint is that it was fairly predictable but not in annoying way, I just knew pretty much exactly what would happen well before it actually did, but as this isn’t a thriller, it wasn’t a huge issue. Recommended for those looking for a well written, insightful read that leans to the lighter side.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: May 29, 2018

Publisher: Scout Press

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, and The Lying Game comes Ruth Ware’s highly anticipated fourth novel.

On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person—but also that the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money.

Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the center of it.

Full of spellbinding menace and told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, this is an unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.

Review:

Ware’s debut, In A Dark, Dark Wood was one of my favorite reads of 2015 and then The Woman in Cabin 10 was another solid read for me, although I wasn’t as obsessed with it as IADDW. When The Lying Game was released last summer I grabbed a copy but I still haven’t read it. I saw SO many mixed reviews that I just skipped it for now, but all of that to say, as soon as I read the blurb of this one I was excited! It sounded like it would have some of the same elements that I enjoyed in IADDW and it definitely did, and while Ware’s debut remains my favorite of her books, this is definitely a close second.

Ware has an amazing talent for writing in an atmospheric way that really pulls the reader into the worlds she creates. When Hal enters the world of the Westaway family there was such a dark intensity, such a strong feeling of menace and danger lurking in the family home, it was creepy and strangely intoxicating. Hal is a tarot card reader and this added a mystical tone as well that when combined with the setting created that perfect storm of scary and fascinating.

Ware is really such a talented writer, her skill is even more apparent when I realized that some parts of this dragged a little for me but I was still entirely hooked. That doesn’t happen often, if things begin to drag I’m usually forcing myself to read, and the wait was most certainly worth it this time, when all was revealed I was shocked and totally satisfied! I also really enjoyed Hal as a character which makes it even better, I’ve had issues with Ware’s previous protagonists and this time I was behind Hal one hundred percent.

The Death of Mrs Westaway in three words: Ominous, Unsettling and Creepy.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: May 15, 2018

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Mallory Holcolm is an unfulfilled waitress and aspiring artist living in a Queens boardinghouse when she learns something astonishing about her past: she has an identical twin sister named Charly she never knew existed.

Charly is a Princeton graduate, a respected gallery owner, and an heiress married to her handsome college sweetheart, Ben. Charly got everything she ever wanted. Everything Mallory wanted, too. And now it might be easier than Mallory ever imagined. Because Ben has reasons of his own for wanting to help her.

It begins with his startling proposal. All Mallory has to do is say yes.

But as their devious plan falls into place, piece by piece, Mallory learns more about her sister and herself than she ever meant to—a discovery that comes with an unexpected twist. A chilling deception is about to become a dangerous double cross. And it’s going to change the rules of Ben and Mallory’s game to the very end.

Review:

What a wild ride this one was, pure fun and definitely not the type of read to take too seriously. You see, it’s outrageous and a little out there but this was entertainment at it’s finest and because it was such a crazy ride you truly never really knew what would happen next and those types of reads are always the best for me.

This is told from two viewpoints, twin sisters Mallory and Charly and is very fast paced and engaging. Mallory is the twin who grew up with a single mother who struggled to make ends meet and Charly was at the complete opposite end of the spectrum and led a privileged life. Trying to figure out who the Good Twin actually was wound up being more challenging than I had anticipated, gotta love playing the guessing game. The whole long lost sibling premise is nothing new, but what made it different and interesting was that Green has a style that is extremely compulsive. This was reminiscent of watching a juicy soap opera, plenty of backstabbing and betrayals and storylines that are like watching a train wreck, I couldn’t look away!

I’ll admit, I did have a few things figured out ahead of time but in the end, Green delivered, I totally did not see the ending coming and was really surprised and pleased by the direction it took. Perfect for fans of lighter style suspense who want a quick read that is sure to entertain.

The Good Twin in three words: Dramatic, Fun and Mischievous.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: May 18, 2018

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

How far would you go to protect your darkest secrets?

When teenager Sadie Winter jumps from the roof of her school, her death is ruled as suicide – a final devastating act from a troubled girl. But then the broken body of a young boy is discovered at the same school and it’s clear to Detective Kim Stone that these deaths are not tragic accidents.

As Kim and her team begin to unravel a dark web of secrets, one of the teachers could hold the key to the truth. Yet just as she is about to break her silence, she is found dead.

With more children’s lives at risk, Kim has to consider the unthinkable – whether a fellow pupil could be responsible for the murders. Investigating the psychology of children that kill brings the detective into contact with her former adversary, Dr Alex Thorne – the sociopath who has made it her life’s work to destroy Kim.

Desperate to catch the killer, Kim finds a link between the recent murders and an initiation prank that happened at the school decades earlier. But saving these innocent lives comes at a cost – and one of Kim’s own might pay the ultimate price.

Review:

Oh boy, I don’t even know if I can discuss the details of this one because I’m still an emotional wreck (yes, a crime novel has me shattered, I’ll get to that later) so I’m going to try something I’ve only ever done once before, and that is with my review of The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter. I’m going to tell you why Angie Marsons is at the very top of her game and all the reasons why this series should be on your immediate TBR.

She always comes up with fresh, unique premises that pull you in instantly and don’t let you go.

This time around Kim and team are working a case in an elite private school and they’re dealing with the type of people that are not used to having their perfect little lives disrupted, even for a murder. The possibility of a child killer simultaneously sends chills up my spine and makes me want to learn more, the psychology behind this type of thing is endlessly fascinating. She also always rips stories straight from the headlines, here she dives into hazing and brutal initiations, a dark and dangerous side to an otherwise glitzy, privileged world.

Her characterization is phenomenal.

Is there a more badass fictional detective around than Kim Stone?! I can’t think of one, and I also can’t think of another character that I feel like I know quite as well as I do her. Marsons has more than peeled back the layers of Kim by this point, this is book eight after all, but as much as I feel like I know her, there are always new revelations that only serve to make me like her even more than I already did. The epilogue of this had some disclosures that gave even more insight into the woman she is and she is incredible. It’s not just Kim who is so well drawn, the rest of her team is just as fully formed, if I take a break from reading one of these books I always think that I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bryant come walking past me in my hallway. These people are larger than life and wonderfully authentic.

Her plotting is fastidious and seriously impressive.

I think any avid reader of crime fiction is tired of gimmicky twists that feel like they’re thrown in just for the sake of saying there’s a heart stopping twist. While Marsons is no stranger to said heart stopping twist, they are purposeful and extremely well thought out, nothing is added for shock value, they add real value to an already fantastic plot. Don’t get me wrong, she has the ability to make me gasp in surprise (and I was definitely biting my nails in the end) but her books are not dependent on a crazy turn, they stand strongly on their own merit.

Her writing and pacing is top notch.

Crime thrillers for the most part should be fast paced, right? Yeah slow burns can be fun, but excitement is key and no one does short, snappy chapters better than Marsons. She’s the queen of the one more chapter read because most are just a few pages and it is SO easy to get sucked in and talk yourself into just a few more pages. She also cleverly ends many chapters on mini cliffhangers so HOW can you just stop reading?! You just can’t.

She evokes emotions in the reader that are not commonly associated with crime fiction.

Karin Slaughter is one of the only other authors who has made me cry while reading a thriller, until now. I am not a weepy sort of person, books don’t effect me that way in general but this one? This one absolutely broke me. I honestly am fearful of saying anymore, but this prompted a strong emotional reaction that I won’t forget.

I’ll stop here because I’m verging on spoiler territory, but I hope I’ve encouraged you to give this series a try. If you’re one of the millions of people who are already a fan of it, then just let me assure you that you are SO in for a treat, this is Marsons best book yet and when you finish I would love to discuss THAT ENDING!!!

Dying Truth in three words: Exciting, Brilliant and Riveting.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.