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Release date: March 6, 2018

Publisher: Putnam

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere.

Tamsen Donner must be a witch. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the pioneers to the brink of madness. They cannot escape the feeling that someone–or something–is stalking them. Whether it was a curse from the beautiful Tamsen, the choice to follow a disastrous experimental route West, or just plain bad luck–the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are at the brink of one of the deadliest and most disastrous western adventures in American history.

While the ill-fated group struggles to survive in the treacherous mountain conditions–searing heat that turns the sand into bubbling stew; snows that freeze the oxen where they stand–evil begins to grow around them, and within them. As members of the party begin to disappear, they must ask themselves “What if there is something waiting in the mountains? Something disturbing and diseased…and very hungry?”

Review:

I wasn’t familiar with the Donner Party but I liked the idea of a historical reimagining that blended fact and fiction with a supernatural twist and when I read a bit about the real life Donner Party I was both horrified and fascinated. That basically sums up my emotional state while read The Hunger I was creeped out one minute and totally engaged the next, I really enjoyed this one.

This is divided into sections by month and follows the Donner Party as they embark on a treacherous journey battling the elements and also the unknown. You hear from various people including Tamsen, George Donner’s wife who terrifies the others as they think her remedies and tonics must be witchcraft, Stanton a man with a dark past and a mysterious aura and Elitha a young woman who hears voices, but is she crazy or are they real? It was so interesting to see the same events through several eyes and get various interpretations of what the group was experiencing, things are intensely trying and seeing how they dealt with the trials and tribulations was endlessly interesting.

This was hauntingly atmospheric, you see the Donner Party deal with extreme heat and the bitter cold and throughout it all there is a stark desperation that is palpable. Their fear, panic and the bleak, unrelenting climate coupled with a supernatural aspect made for a chilling read.

The Hunger in three words: Creepy, Atmospheric and Brutal.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Emily at Glasstown Entertainment for my review copy.

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Release date: March 1, 2018

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Emma’s darkest secrets are buried in the past. But the truth can’t stay hidden for long.

Emma is a loving wife, a devoted mother…and an involuntary killer. For years she’s been hiding the dead body of the teacher who seduced her as a teen.

It’s a secret that might have stayed buried if only her life had been less perfect. A promotion for Emma’s husband, Alex, means they can finally move to a bigger home with their young son. But with a buyer lined up for their old house, Emma can’t leave without destroying every last trace of her final revenge…

Returning to the shallow grave in the garden, she finds it empty. The body is gone.

Panicked, Emma confesses to her husband. But this is only the beginning. Soon, Alex will discover things about her he’ll wish he’d learned sooner. And others he’ll long to forget.

Review:

Do you like books that keep you up late at night because there is just NO way you can put it down until you find out the truth? What about books that are relentlessly paced with short chapters that end on mini cliffhangers leaving you reading chapter after chapter until you realize you’re finished? Or what about books that are full of thrills and excitement but also have a domestic suspense vibe chock full of secrets and lies? If you answered yes to these questions then please allow me to introduce you to the work of the fabulous Caroline Mitchell! Over the past two years she’s become one of my favorite authors, I can always count on her for an original storyline and some serious heart pounding moments and Silent Victim may be her best book yet.

This is told from several viewpoints and flips between 2017, 2013 and 2002 but everything is laid out clearly, there is no confusion but just loads of intrigue. The premise of this hooked me instantly, Emma killed her teacher years ago, but she didn’t mean to and she’s been living in fear ever since. When she digs up his grave and finds it empty things start to go downhill, fast. That’s as far as I’ll be discussing the plot because this went in SO many unexpected directions that I don’t want to reveal much. The tension is insane and the guessing game was endless, I was doubtful and distrusting of everyone at some point and the ending left me gasping for breath. Another hit from one of my auto buy authors, if you haven’t read her books yet they’re all highly recommended by me.

Silent Victim in three words: Nerve wracking, exciting and Menacing.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: February 27, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

At fifty-three, Maggie Harris has a good marriage and two mostly happy children. Perpetually anxious, she’s also accumulated a list of semi-reasonable fears: falling air conditioners, the IRS, identity theft, skydiving, and airbag recalls. But never once did Maggie worry that her husband of nearly thirty years would leave her.

On the day Adam walks out the door, everything that makes Maggie secure goes with him. Only then does she realize that while she’s been busy caring for everyone else, she’s become invisible to the world—and to herself.

Maggie cautiously begins to rebuild her life with a trip to Rome, a new career, and even a rebound romance. But when a fresh crisis strikes and an uncertain future looms, she must decide: How much will she risk to remain the woman she’s just become?

Review:

I don’t know if there’s a mother on the planet that hasn’t felt like they lost a piece of themselves at some point since having their children. It’s SO incredibly easy to throw your heart and soul into being a mom, it’s a gigantic responsibility and one most don’t take lightly. Along the way it’s far too easy to put yourself last in order to keep your family functioning happily and you don’t even notice until you’ve been doing it for years, decades even. That is the crux of Maggie’s problem, she has lost herself and it takes her husband leaving her for her to even realize it.

I could completely relate to Maggie even though she’s a bit older than me, she’s a normal, everyday wife and mom who doesn’t even really know what makes her happy. She knows what drives her kids and her husband, but herself? The last time she followed her dreams was when she married her husband decades ago. Pagan created such a realistic character in Maggie, she was warm and kind and also insecure and unsure of her place in the world and lacking confidence in a major way. Who can’t relate to that?! She also had a dark sense of humor at times that I loved! The way the whole book unfolded was so true to real life, you know those books where a woman gets divorced then moves someplace new, falls in love and gets a second chance at happiness super quickly? This isn’t that book and I so appreciated that, it’s an extremely well written and accurate portrayal of what a woman would do after her life is shattered.

Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties in three words: Honest, Relatable and Hopeful.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: February 6, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

Alaska, 1974.

Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.

For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown

At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.

Review:

Normally I fly through books at a rapid pace, devouring them in a day, (two at the most) but it took me over two weeks to read this one. It’s not what you think though. I didn’t struggle to stay engrossed, I wasn’t uninterested in the story but rather I wanted savor each page, each word of this gorgeously written book. I’ve been slowly coming out of a reading slump and this book was the one constant that I could pick up and totally lose myself in. I was almost dreading turning the final page because I wasn’t ready for it to end.

This book already has close to 100,000 reviews on Goodreads so I’m sure that you’ve seen at least one before, so I’ll keep this brief. If you loved The Nightingale read this, I liked it even more and that’s one of my most loved books. If you like atmospheric stories where the setting is a character of it’s own, read this book. If you like stunning imagery, deeply developed characters and reads that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, read the book. It will probably make you cry though so fair warning. Seriously, don’t miss this one it’s phenomenal.

The Great Alone in three words: Captivating, Thought provoking and Evocative.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: February 20, 2018

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

They were six university students from Oxford–friends and sometimes more than friends–spending an idyllic week together in a French farmhouse. It was supposed to be the perfect summer getaway–until they met Severine, the girl next door.

For Kate Channing, Severine was an unwelcome presence, her inscrutable beauty undermining the close-knit group’s loyalties amid the already simmering tensions. And after a huge altercation on the last night of the holiday, Kate knew nothing would ever be the same. There are some things you can’t forgive, and there are some people you can’t forget, like Severine, who was never seen again.

Now, a decade later, the case is reopened when Severine’s body is found in the well behind the farmhouse. Questioned along with her friends, Kate stands to lose everything she’s worked so hard to achieve as suspicion mounts around her. Desperate to resolve her own shifting memories and fearful she will be forever bound to the woman whose presence still haunts her, Kate finds herself buried under layers of deception with no one to set her free.

Review:

How well can you trust your own memory after ten years? That’s the question at the heart of this book and when I think back to a decade earlier I can’t remember all that much. I was pregnant with my first kiddo so I definitely have vivid memories of that time, but the rest of everyday life type stuff? Forget it. Kate can’t forget the week she spent in France with her five closest university friends, there was drama, turmoil and a neighbor went missing. But now her body has been discovered and the investigation has been reopened forcing Kate to recall painful memories that she would rather be left in the past. How well can she trust herself, they were drinking and again, it’s been ten years! I loved the unreliability this provided as everyone’s perception of that week didn’t quite fit together making it tricky to piece together the truth.

This is a slower paced novel, you should definitely be in the mood for a lighter mystery that doesn’t rely on crazy plot twists when you pick this up and I do recommend picking it up! Despite the leisurely pace I was hooked almost instantly, there were fantastic moments of doubt and plenty of evasion from the core group of friends that kept me entertained. What sets this apart is the deep characterization coupled with a strong writing style that gave me shades of Ruth Ware. I’ll definitely be eagerly awaiting her next book!

The French Girl in three words: Perceptive, Enigmatic and Dubious.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: February 6, 2018

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

From the acclaimed author of Secrets of a Charmed Life and A Bridge Across the Ocean comes a new novel set in Philadelphia during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, which tells the story of a family reborn through loss and love.

In 1918, Philadelphia was a city teeming with promise. Even as its young men went off to fight in the Great War, there were opportunities for a fresh start on its cobblestone streets. Into this bustling town, came Pauline Bright and her husband, filled with hope that they could now give their three daughters–Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa–a chance at a better life.

But just months after they arrive, the Spanish Flu reaches the shores of America. As the pandemic claims more than twelve thousand victims in their adopted city, they find their lives left with a world that looks nothing like the one they knew. But even as they lose loved ones, they take in a baby orphaned by the disease who becomes their single source of hope. Amidst the tragedy and challenges, they learn what they cannot live without–and what they are willing to do about it.

As Bright as Heaven is the compelling story of a mother and her daughters who find themselves in a harsh world, not of their making, which will either crush their resolve to survive or purify it.

Review:

The Spanish Flu is not something I know very much about and admittedly it’s not something that I’ve ever had a great interest in but Meissner writes such gorgeous prose that I was utterly fascinated by it while reading this. I honestly think she could write about anything and I would be at least mildly engaged but I was completely captivated by the Bright family and their tragic tale.

This is told via the perspectives of all of the women in the Bright family, even the youngest and I loved the birds-eye point of view this provided. You got to see how the war and the Spanish flu had an impact on adults and children and also to witness firsthand the devastation it caused just in one family, can you imagine how many countless families had similar true stories like this?! Amazing. I loved each and every member of this resilient and inspiring family, but Maggie will always have a special place in my heart.

Meissner’s attention to detail is impeccable, you can see that she did her research in order to keep as historically accurate as possible with a few minor details changed that made sense to the plot. If you’re a HF fan this is a must read, it’s fascinating and the writing is just beautiful.

As Bright as Heaven in three words: Heart-wrenching, Emotional and Unforgettable.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher and the Great Thoughts Ninja review team for my copy.