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Release date: April 24, 2018

Publisher: Little Brown

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

When a young widow’s reclusive life in a charming beach town is interrupted by a surprise visitor, she is forced to reckon with dark secrets about her family, her late husband, and the past she tried to leave behind.

Lauren Adelman and her high school sweetheart, Rory Kincaid, are a golden couple. They marry just out of college as Rory, a star hockey player, earns a spot in the NHL. Their future could not look brighter when Rory shocks everyone-Lauren most of all-by enlisting in the U.S. Army. When Rory dies in combat, Lauren is left devastated, alone, and under unbearable public scrutiny.

Seeking peace and solitude, Lauren retreats to her family’s old beach house on the Jersey Shore. But this summer she’s forced to share the house with her overbearing mother and competitive sister. Worse, a stranger making a documentary about Rory tracks her down and persuades her to give him just an hour of her time.

One hour with filmmaker Matt Brio turns into a summer of revelations, surprises, and upheaval. As the days grow shorter and her grief changes shape, Lauren begins to understand the past-and to welcome the future.

Review:

Every spring/summer there is a small group of authors that release new books that I buy solely based on their name on the cover alone. I don’t care what the blurb says or what the cover looks like, I just know I’ll be reading it and I’ll most likely love it and find myself recommending it as a must read. Think Elin Hilderbrand, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Emily Giffin. This may be my first Jamie Brenner read, but if her previous and future books are as fantastically well written and engaging as The Husband Hour was, (and I’ve heard they are!) then she’ll most certainly be on my little list.

While this book is truly Lauren’s story and I had the strongest connection with her it’s also a story about the other women in her immediate family, her mom Beth and her sister Stephanie and I love nothing more than a story about a family of strong women with complex lives. Lauren is a twenty nine year old widow, just typing that out makes me sad, and five years after Rory’s death she’s still grieving, hard. Brenner’s portrayal of a woman dealing with the aftermath of losing her spouse was incredibly moving and woefully raw. She made me feel all of the feelings and I was so rooting for just a little slice of happiness in Lauren’s life. The documentary about Rory’s life forces her to examine their marriage with a sharp lens and face some hard truths and there were some surprising revelations that I was totally not expecting but appreciated all the same.

Besides the emotional component this also explored some important issues that impact military personnel and their families. I don’t want to say too much, but Brenner examined these issues in a way that educated me and made me really think on a deeper level. This one has it all, highly recommended by me and I have a feeling it’ll be on several summer reading lists in the months to come.

The Husband Hour in three words: Moving, Insightful and Heartfelt.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: April 17, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

Emma and Bobby Ross enjoy a charmed life on the shores of Miami Beach. They are a model family with a successful business, an uncomplicated marriage, and two blessedly typical twin daughters, Zoe and Lily. They are established members of a tight-knit community.

Then, on the night of the girls’ fifteenth birthday party, they learn of Zoe’s heartbreaking mistake—a private and humiliating indiscretion that goes viral and thrusts her and her family into the center of a shocking public scandal.

As the family’s core is shattered by disgrace, judgment, and retribution, the fallout takes its toll. But for Emma, the shame runs deeper. Her daughter’s reckless behavior has stirred memories of her own secrets that could break a marriage, a family, and friendships forever.

Review:

The entire plot of Somebody’s Daughter focuses on the Ross family and how a risqué scandal involving the daughter, Zoe impacts their family. The effects are devastating and have serious repercussions, Zoe’s sister, Lily has to deal with gossip and rumors at school and online and her parents marriage begins to find itself on shaky ground as well as Zoe’s actions stir up old memories for Emma. The characterization is fantastic and felt so true to life, many times while I was reading this I felt like I was witnessing private family moments not meant for public consumption, that’s how accurate Weinstein’s portrayal was. I felt their emotions right alongside them, their pain, confusion, anger and disappointment among many others, this was a highly emotional read.

This book totally wrecked me, it took some of my worst fears as a parent to girls and magnified them in a wholly realistic and believable manner. As much as this was an emotional read, I think it’s such a timely one and covers an important subject that impacts not only parents, but the youth of today. Social media is here to stay, every single day new apps are hitting the market that appeal to young men and women and as teenagers, they’re not capable of always making good choices which makes the fact that they literally have thousands of apps available at their fingertips so, so scary. Forget apps and just think about the phones themselves, everyone has one and that isn’t changing either, but do kids today really know the power technology has? How one mistake, one wrong decision, can seriously impact their life, possibly forever? One picture, one video can have huge implications. This book explores these questions and many more, I could go on and on, its times like this that I wish I had read this one with a book club!

Highly recommended for parents of both girls and boys, it was written in such a smooth way and ended up being a super quick read for me because I just had to know what would happen to each member of the Ross family, I was totally invested and cared for these people.

Somebody’s Daughter in three words: Timely, Touching and Fluid.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: April 10, 2018

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

The perfect couple. The perfect house. The perfect crime.

Londoners Jack and Syd found their dream home: lots of space, a great location, and a friendly owner who wanted a young couple to have it.

Everything is exactly what they hoped for when they move in–except Jack makes a disturbing discovery in the attic, and Syd begins to wonder about the girl next door. And they each keep the other in the dark.

A mistake.

Because someone has just been killed outside their back door, and now the police are watching them.

This is their chance to prove they’re innocent–or to get away with murder.

Whose story do you believe?

Review:

Yes, another book with neighbor in the title, but honestly I’m reeled in by the title alone, so if it’s the new replacement for Girl in thriller titles, so be it. Besides the whole neighbor thing drawing me in, that blurb hooked me too. It said just enough to get my attention and leave me wanting more. Unfortunately only half of this book actually worked for me so I’m honestly not even sure how to rate it, much less review it but here goes!

The first half of this I was totally absorbed, it flips between Sydney and Jack and is written via diary style entries where they’re almost speaking directly to each other. Original, right? They were bickering a little and jumping all over the place a bit, but overall the voices were so strong that I was willing to see where it was headed. Then part two started and things sorta fell apart for me here. I felt like it was messy and disjointed and didn’t really match up with the first part. I know that sounds super vague, but spoilers. I was all set for the plot to head in one direction and it took a left turn while I went right, it happens and I’m sure plenty of people will love this one. It’s addictive for sure and well written but was missing that certain “something” for me that I can’t totally pinpoint.

If you’re intrigued by the blurb I say give it a chance, it had several elements I need in a thriller, fast pacing, twists and questionable narrators so the bones of the story are certainly there. The execution and my feelings of misdirection and slight confusion are what kept me from loving this one.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: April 10, 2018

Publisher: MIRA

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

A delightfully quirky debut about family bonds and the chaos that ensues when nature and lack of nurture collide.

Emily Glass knows she’s neurotic. But she’s got it under control. Sort of. She dons compression socks when she flies (because, you know, deep vein thrombosis) and responds to people routinely overestimating her age with more Lifespin classes and less gluten. Thankfully, she also has David, the wonderful man she’ll soon call husband—assuming they can survive wedding week with her wildly dysfunctional family.

Emily’s therapist mother, Marla, who’s been diagnosing her children since they were in diapers, sees their homecoming as the perfect opportunity for long-overdue family therapy sessions. Less enthused are Emily and her two siblings: ardently feminist older sister Lauren, who doesn’t think the wedding party should have defined gender roles, and recently divorced brother Jason, whose overzealous return to singlehood is only tempered by his puzzling friendship with David’s Renaissance Faire—enthusiast brother.

As the week comes to a tumultuous head, Emily wants nothing more than to get married and get as far away from her crazy relatives as possible. But that’s easier said than done when Marla’s meddling breathes new life into old secrets. After all, the ties that bind family together may bend, but they aren’t so easily broken.

Laugh-out-loud funny and endearingly raw, Family and Other Catastrophes is as entertaining as your favorite sitcom and introduces Alexandra Borowitz as an outstanding new voice in humorous fiction.

Review:

If you think your family is slightly insane and highly dysfunctional then you probably haven’t met the Glass family. They are all SO messed up, reading this was like watching a train wreck, but I could not get enough of this bizarre family with dynamics and kooky behavior that simultaneously made me snort with laughter and shake my head in disgust.

Emily heads home the week before her wedding and this book is divided into sections, one for each day leading up to her wedding. Right from the start, you know you’re in for a good time, Emily may as well be the definition of neurotic and the rest of her family is just as unique and quirky. Her sister, Lauren was obnoxious, she takes the term social justice warrior to a whole new level, she’s contrary just for the sake of it and the stuff that came out of her mouth was horrifyingly hilarious. My other favorite character, (I use favorite loosely here, these people are no one I would actually want to meet, but they were amazingly entertaining) was Nathan, David’s brother. He was just such a weirdo, he spoke like some bizarre throwback to medieval times and had the social graces of a bull. I’m giggling again just thinking about his flirting.

This was laugh out loud funny with some heartfelt, endearing moments thrown in for good measure. Fun is the best way to describe my experience reading this little gem and the characters totally made the book for me, they’re insane and quirky and just what I needed to read over Easter weekend as I spent time with my own extended family! 😜

Family and Other Catastrophes in three words: Hilarious, Risqué and Eccentric.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

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Release date: April 3, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Can you hide a secret with the whole world watching?

When an explosion rips apart a Chicago building, the lives of three women are forever altered.

A year later, Cecily is in mourning. She was supposed to be in the building that day. Instead, she stood on the street and witnessed it going down, with her husband and best friend inside. Kate, now living thousands of miles away, fled the disaster and is hoping that her past won’t catch up with her. And Franny, a young woman in search of her birth mother, watched the horror unfold on the morning news, knowing that the woman she was so desperate to reconnect with was in the building.

Now, despite the marks left by the tragedy, they all seem safe. But as its anniversary dominates the media, the memories of that terrifying morning become dangerous triggers. All these women are guarding important secrets. Just how far will they go to keep them?

Review:

Catherine McKenzie always comes up with unique and interesting premises that hook me in instantaneously and The Good Liar may be my favorite one to date. Three women, all connected by one terrible tragedy, and I had no idea who was being truthful or if any of them even were actually being truthful, the title of this one is SO fitting!

This is told from Cecily, Kate and Franny’s point of view. Cecily and Kate’s chapters are pretty standard as far as the structure but Franny’s story unfolds via an interview transcript which brought a fresh edginess to the plot, it almost moved things along at an even faster pace, and this was already a page turner. As I said before, none of them were altogether trustworthy or very likable, but McKenzie’s characterization is top notch making this a solid and engaging read.

This was a read that snuck up on me a little bit, as much as I was enjoying it, I did guess one of the plot points before it was revealed so I was slightly anxious that it would be easy for me to puzzle the rest out. WRONG! That tiny little piece I fit together was honestly not even the tip of the iceberg, this was more twisted than a pretzel which kept the plot moving forward at a rapid pace. The epilogue was amazing, you guys know an ending can make or break a book for me and this one just made the book that much better for me!

The Good Liar in three words: Unexpected, Tight, and Riveting.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: April 1, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

Paige Moresco found her true love in eighth grade—and lost him two years ago. Since his death, she’s been sleepwalking through life, barely holding on for the sake of her teenage son. Her house is a wreck, the grass is overrun with weeds, and she’s at risk of losing her job. As Paige stares at her neglected lawn, she knows she’s hit rock bottom. So she does something entirely unexpected: she begins to dig.

As the hole gets bigger, Paige decides to turn her entire yard into a vegetable garden. The neighbors in her tidy gated community are more than a little alarmed. Paige knows nothing about gardening, and she’s boldly flouting neighborhood-association bylaws. But with the help of new friends, a charming local cop, and the transformative power of the soil, Paige starts to see potential in the chaos of her life. Something big is beginning to take root—both in her garden and in herself.

Review:

Based solely on the blurb I figured that Digging In would be a fairly heavy read, following Paige as she works through her grief after losing her husband. While grief is definitely at the core of this novel, it wasn’t depressing or bleak, instead it was full of humor, wit and heart which was just such a breath of fresh air.

Sadly, Nyhan lost her own husband so she has firsthand experience in the way a widow may feel and behave, and while she acknowledges that her situation wasn’t exactly like Paige’s, the authenticity is heavily apparent, Paige was incredibly well drawn. This isn’t a story about a bereaved woman who does everything perfectly and makes no mistakes. It’s a realistic portrayal of a woman living the unthinkable who is just doing her best. She’s trying, and at the end of the day, who can’t relate to someone who is simply trying to do their best?

This was an effortless read, I flew through it and loved every single page. Yes, there were sad moments especially watching Paige’s son, Trey deal with the loss of his father two years on, his struggle broke me. But ultimately this was full of life, vitality and humor, the messy side of life, the things that aren’t pretty, but it was honest and really beautifully done.

Digging In in three words: Wise, Witty and Affecting.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: April 3, 2018

Publisher: Graydon House

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar—and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out—she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby—maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable.

As weeks unfold, Lexie finds herself caring for her fragile newborn niece while her carefully ordered life is collapsing around her. She’s in danger of losing her job, and her fiancé only has so much patience for Annie’s drama. In court-ordered rehab, Annie attempts to halt her downward spiral by confronting long-buried secrets from the sisters’ childhood, ghosts that Lexie doesn’t want to face. But will the journey heal Annie, or lead her down a darker path?

Both candid and compassionate, Before I Let You Go explores a hotly divisive topic and asks how far the ties of family love can be stretched before they finally break.

Review:

The drug crisis in the US is overwhelmingly horrific, I have way too many friends and family members who have struggled with addiction and it is such an ugly and awful disease. This book is uncomfortable. This book is heartbreaking. This book is also incredibly important and beautifully poignant. It sheds light on a dark corner of society, that of the pregnant drug addict. The current protocols and procedures in place regarding how to legally handle situations where a mother gives birth to an admitted baby are shocking and utterly unhelpful, definitely eye opening for me. Rimmer is such a gifted writer, there is no one better to write about such a topic.

This is told from two viewpoints, sisters Lexie and Annie. Lexie is a successful doctor who is engaged to an amazing man, seriously everyone deserves a man like Sam. Lexie’s chapters are told in the present day starting immediately after Annie calls to tell her she’s eight months pregnant and scared because she’s still been using heroin and she thinks something is really wrong. Annie’s chapters are told via journal entries that explain her road to drug abuse and events in her childhood that led her down a dark road. My heart broke for both of these women, both of their stories were painfully raw and so very honest. They are gorgeously drawn and complex characters, I can’t say enough about how invested I was in their lives.

This reminded me of a Jodi Piccoult book, it has the same emotionally charged plot coupled with extremely strong writing, this book is phenomenal. You will need tissues, it’s a total tear jerker so be warned. I’m calling it a must read and it’s going right into my top books of the year list.

Before I Let You Go in three words: Heart-wrenching, Emotional and Powerful.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: April 1, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Suspense

Blurb:

In this novel from a New York Times bestselling author, the search for truth is defined by secrets and lies.

Elle is a survivor. She’s managed to piece together a solid life from a childhood of broken memories and fairy tales her mom told her to explain away bad dreams. But weekly visits to her mother still fill Elle with a paralyzing fear she can’t explain. It’s just another of so many unanswered questions she grew up with in a family estranged by silence and secrets.

Elle’s world turns upside down when she receives a deathbed request from her grandfather, a man she was told had died years ago. Racked by grief, regrets, and a haunted conscience, he has a tale of his own to tell Elle: about her mother, an imaginary friend, and two strangers who came to the house one night and never left.

As Elle’s past unfolds, so does the truth—if she can believe it. She must face the reasons for her inexplicable dread. As dark as they are, Elle must listen…before her grandfather’s death buries the family’s secrets forever.

Review:

Are secrets in books ever not interesting?! If a blurb even alludes to secrets from the past I’m adding it to Mount TBR and from the very first chapter I had a feeling that I would like The Forgotten Ones. Spoiler alert, I was right! This was a super addictive, engaging read from an author who really knows how to draw the reader in, pulling you in closer and closer until you aren’t putting the book down until the truth is revealed.

This is told from dual perspectives, Elle and David. Elle’s chapters are in the present day and David’s are a mix between the fifties and today. Poor Elle, she just wants answers and everyone in her life is SO evasive, it frustrated the hell out of me, I can’t imagine being her! When she finds out her grandfather that she thought was already dead years ago is actually on his deathbed now, she figures she may finally get some answers about her mother’s past. It’s not that easy, even though he wants to speak with her his relationship with the truth is tenuous at best. Or is it? So many questions, no answers and who is reliable? This one most definitely kept me on my toes and had me making guesses only to change my mind within pages, I just love when a book makes me do that!

This is an emotional read and Holmes managed to drag a variety of feelings out of me, I ranged from being angry and frustrated to heartbroken and sad. Anytime an author can make me feel something I’m ecstatic and she surely did that a few times over. Mental health issues play a huge role in the storyline and she handled it with grace and care all written in a beautifully fluid manner. I do think the ending may be polarizing but I loved it and found it to be a breath of fresh air. If you’ve read it and want to chat about this ending please let me know, I’m dying to know what everyone else thinks!

The Forgotten Ones in three words: Evocative, Engaging and Haunting.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: March 27, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre:

Blurb:

When a group of neighborhood women gathers, wine in hand, around a fire pit where their backyards meet one Saturday night, most of them are just ecstatic to have discovered that their baby monitors reach that far. It’s a rare kid-free night, and they’re giddy with it. They drink too much, and the conversation turns personal.

By Monday morning, one of them is gone.

Everyone knows something about everyone else in the quirky small Ohio town of Yellow Springs, but no one can make sense of the disappearance. Kristin was a sociable twin mom, college administrator, and doctor’s wife who didn’t seem all that bothered by her impending divorce—and the investigation turns up more questions than answers, with her husband, Paul, at the center. For her closest neighbor, Clara, the incident triggers memories she thought she’d put behind her—and when she’s unable to extract herself from the widening circle of scrutiny, her own suspicions quickly grow. But the neighborhood’s newest addition, Izzy, is determined not to jump to any conclusions—especially since she’s dealing with a crisis of her own.

As the police investigation goes from a media circus to a cold case, the neighbors are forced to reexamine what’s going on behind their own closed doors—and to ask how well anyone really knows anyone else.

Review:

I don’t know if it’s a new trend in publishing or just a coincidence but recently I’ve read quite a few books about neighbors and the secrets they all have. Either way, I’m digging it and can’t see myself getting sick of books like these anytime soon. Domestic drama always fascinates me and Not That I Could Tell had plenty of juicy gossip and intrigue about not only Kristin’s disappearance, but the rest of the neighborhood as well.

Strawser proves with her second novel that she’s an incredibly gifted writer, I was a fan of her style in her debut and I think her writing has only gotten stronger this time around. Her characterization is where she really shines, she has a fantastic ability to craft people that are wholly believable, the type of people you may live next door to yourself. You hear from several different people here, Izzy and Clara mostly and I really found Clara to be relatable and my favorite of all the characters. The suburban setting was dead on, she did a great job of creating a strong sense of place and though I may not actually want to visit Yellow Springs, I feel like I can picture it vividly.

I wasn’t in love with the ending of the authors last book but she redeemed herself big time this go around, I loved it!! Endings can make it or break it for me and this one was amazing. Another excellent book club type of read and one I would classify as a light suspense with a domestic slant.

Not That I Could Tell in three words: Engrossing, Thoughtful and Deft.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.