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Release date: January 9, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch comes an honest, touching, and funny exploration of falling in and out of love, told from two perspectives—one rewinding history, one moving it forward—and each with bias and regret.

When their paths first cross, Ben Livingston is a fledgling scriptwriter on the brink of success; Tatum Connelly is a struggling actress tending bar in a New York City dive. They fall in love, they marry, they become parents, and they think only of the future. But as the years go by, Tatum’s stardom rises while Ben’s fades. In a marriage that bears the fallout of ambition and fame, Ben and Tatum are at a crossroads. Now all they can do is think back…

A life of passion, joy, tragedy, and loss—once shared—becomes one as shifting and unpredictable as a memory. As the pieces of their past come together, as they explore the ways love can bend and break, Ben and Tatum come to see how it all went wrong—and wonder what they can do now to make it all right.

Review:

The structure of this is ambitious and at first glance you may think it sounds confusing but I didn’t find it to be too hard to follow. It alternates with one chapter told from Ben beginning in 2016 and working it’s way backwards to 1999 when him and Tatum first meet then her chapters are told in chronological order. There are no big surprises since you know from the very start that where they are today is nowhere near that young, happy go lucky couple from their early days, but there was something bittersweet about reading one chapter full of resentment and bickering and then the next one is a sweet little anecdote from the past. It was unique and put a fresh spin on a love story and I admire the risk the author took, I can imagine it wasn’t easy to write.

I’ve read a couple of Scotch’s books now and I what I really like about her style is that she can show relationships that appear real, they’re flawed, imperfect and wholly relatable. Getting to see a marriage from both sides was interesting, sometimes their individual perception of an event was so completely different from each other it was crazy but I think that’s an honest observation and true for any relationship. I liked the way the format played into the plot in the end, it was a little AHA moment that I appreciated. If you’re looking for a relationship drama/love story with a clever spin give this a try.

Overall rating: 4/5

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

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Release date: January 9, 2018

Publisher: Doubleday

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

When two young sisters disappear from a strip mall parking lot in a small Pennsylvania town, their devastated mother hires an enigmatic bounty hunter, Alice Vega, to help find the girls. Immediately shut out by a local police department already stretched thin by budget cuts and the growing OxyContin and meth epidemic, Vega enlists the help of a disgraced former cop, Max Caplan. Cap is a man trying to put the scandal of his past behind him and move on, but Vega needs his help to find the girls, and she will not be denied.

With little to go on, Vega and Cap will go to extraordinary lengths to untangle a dangerous web of lies, false leads, and complex relationships to find the girls before time runs out, and they are gone forever.

Review:

Good God this was one hell of a roller coaster ride! From the strong opening sentence all the way until the end this one had me glued to the pages as I wondered what happened to Bailey and Kylie Brandt?! Missing children stories always get to me, no idea why I’m so drawn to them because it’s such a nightmare thing to imagine happening to my own kids, yet they never fail to gain my attention and Two Girls Down was one of the most riveting missing persons stories that I’ve read in awhile.

Vega and Cap are not your usual duo in terms of people investigating a case which provides a unique point of view. She’s a sort of bounty hunter and he’s an ex cop turned PI who is mainly is hired to catch cheating spouses. They’re an unlikely partnership especially as they have never met each other before the Brandt case, but they are a force to be reckoned with and I’m really hoping that they’ll be a sequel. Vega is such a badass, I love reading about someone reckless, you have no idea what they’ll do next and that keeps things so exciting. Cap isn’t quite as unpredictable as Vega, he has a daughter to worry about so he walks the straight and narrow a bit more than she does but he has a certain type of charm that appealed to me.

I’m avoiding the plot because it went in so many dark places I didn’t see coming, I binge read this and think that’s the best way to tackle this one. It’s fast paced with a ton of red herrings and misdirections and the final resolution surprised me so much, I had never even considered the possibility and that’s rare for me. While the resolution of the case satisfied me I was a little underwhelmed by the actual ending, after such a strong book I had hoped for a bit more, but overall a really fantastic read, I would definitely read another book from Luna.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: January 23, 2018

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Legal Thriller

Blurb:

What if the deadliest train wreck in the nation’s history was no accident?

When a passenger train derails in North Philadelphia with fatal results, idealistic criminal defense attorney Vaughn Coburn takes on the most personal case of his young career. The surviving engineer is his cousin Eddy, and when Eddy asks Vaughn to defend him, he can’t help but accept. Vaughn has a debt to repay, for he and his cousin share an old secret—one that changed both their lives forever.

As blame for the wreck zeros in on Eddy, Vaughn realizes there’s more to this case than meets the eye. Seeking the truth behind the crash, he finds himself the target of malicious attorneys, corrupt railroad men, and a mob boss whose son perished in the accident and wants nothing less than cold-blooded revenge. With the help of his ex-con private investigator and an old flame who works for the competition, Vaughn struggles to defeat powerful forces—and to escape his own past built on secrets and lies.

Review:

Last summer I read (and loved) Myers debut, A Criminal Defense and realized how much I’ve missed reading a good legal thriller. When the author contacted me about reviewing this one it was a no brainer, I loved that while the law most definitely plays a huge role in his writing it’s not over complicated and confusing. Things are told in a fast paced manner with legal terminology laid out in simple terms while the plot itself is complicated with many puzzle pieces and various angles making it impossible to work out on your own. I’m thrilled that this book was executed in the same impeccable manner and I now I have a go to author to satisfy my legal thriller craving.

I actually didn’t realize this was going to be a follow up to ACD but as soon as I started I recognized the characters. While it’s not necessary to read both, this works fine on it’s own, I highly recommend both of them and with reoccurring characters it’s always best to have as much background as possible. The idea behind this both terrifies me and intrigues me, the notion that someone could engineer a horrific train crash for their own gain is just about as awful as it gets. It’s pretty clear from the blurb alone that this isn’t what it seems but the path to the truth was riveting and shocking.

I fear saying much more regarding the plot because it’s so strong that it’s best uncovered on your own and I would hate to ruin even a small part of that brand of enjoyment. Besides a clever plot the writing style is sharp and the last part of the story that is actually in the courtroom is just amazing. The tension is palpable, I had no idea what would happen next and then the very ending was unexpected and so satisfying.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

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Release date: January 9, 2018

Publisher: G. P. Putnam and Sons

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

If you were told the date of your death, how would it shape your present?

It’s 1969 in New York City’s Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children—four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness—sneak out to hear their fortunes.

Their prophecies inform their next five decades. Golden-boy Simon escapes to the West Coast, searching for love in ’80s San Francisco; dreamy Klara becomes a Las Vegas magician, obsessed with blurring reality and fantasy; eldest son Daniel seeks security as an army doctor post-9/11, hoping to control fate; and bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immortality.

Review:

I love the questions that the premise alone of The Immortalists raises, if you could find out the date you will die would you? If you would, how would that shape your life? Would you live in fear knowing the clock is ticking to a specific end date? Or would you live each day to the fullest and be fearless and daring? So much to ponder here and I predict this will be a popular pick for many book clubs in the months to come.

This read like a family saga that spans decades but it was presented in a new and unusual way. Each of the Gold siblings tell their story with each one taking up about a quarter of the book. It begins in the late sixties and ends in 2006 and while I found all of their sections compelling, I enjoyed Simon’s the most. His is mainly set in the early eighties in San Francisco and his gentle spirit and journey to finding what truly makes him happy really touched me.

This was a thought provoking read that will make you question your own mortality and manages to teach some important life lessons without being cheesy. Benjamin has a lovely way with words, I can see this being classified as literary fiction without that pretentiousness that sometimes accompanies that genre.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

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

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Release date: January 2, 2018

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

What did she see?

It’s been ten long months since Anna Fox last left her home. Ten months during which she has haunted the rooms of her old New York house like a ghost, lost in her memories, too terrified to step outside.

Anna’s lifeline to the real world is her window, where she sits day after day, watching her neighbours. When the Russells move in, Anna is instantly drawn to them. A picture-perfect family of three, they are an echo of the life that was once hers.

But one evening, a frenzied scream rips across the silence, and Anna witnesses something no one was supposed to see. Now she must do everything she can to uncover the truth about what really happened. But even if she does, will anyone believe her? And can she even trust herself?

Review:

When a book is optioned to be a movie before it’s release you just know it’s going to be good and I’m so pleased to say that this is worth all of the hype and I can absolutely understand why I’ve been seeing it everywhere. There is something very cinematic about the way this is written, it really is begging to be a movie and I’ll be anxiously awaiting it’s eventual release.

The best psychological thrillers keep you guessing and there is much back and forth here. Anna is a woman on the brink, she’s unraveling at the seams but she isn’t your standard, is she reliable or isn’t she narrator. I was fascinated by the insight into Anna’s mind and loved not knowing exactly what she would do next, that sense of unease is a must for me in a psychological thriller. Not only is she incredibly well drawn the entire book is multifaceted and well accomplished, you can tell that Finn knows exactly what he’s doing and every element of the plot has a purpose, a reasoning behind it and I was blown away several times while reading this.

This starts off slower but the pacing gradually increases throughout the book all the way up until a breathless, tense ending. There was something menacing about the style of this book, an unnerving feeling that made me anxious but also totally engaged. It’s on the longer side, especially in my experience of a thriller, but at no point did it feel drawn out or just too much. You know how sometimes it seems like authors are trying to hard, whether it’s with crazy, unbelievable plot twists or overdone writing that drags on? There was not a hint of that here and the fact that this is a debut is all the more impressive, I’ll be following Finn’s career closely.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: January 9, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb:

Annabelle and Bayard Van Duyvil live a charmed life: he’s the scion of an old Knickerbocker family, she grew up in a Tudor manor in England, they had a whirlwind romance in London, they have three year old twins on whom they dote, and he’s recreated her family home on the banks of the Hudson and renamed it Illyria. Yes, there are rumors that she’s having an affair with the architect, but rumors are rumors and people will gossip. But then Bayard is found dead with a knife in his chest on the night of their Twelfth Night Ball, Annabelle goes missing, presumed drowned, and the papers go mad. Bay’s sister, Janie, forms an unlikely alliance with a reporter to uncover the truth, convinced that Bay would never have killed his wife, that it must be a third party, but the more she learns about her brother and his wife, the more everything she thought she knew about them starts to unravel. Who were her brother and his wife, really? And why did her brother die with the name George on his lips?

Review:

The cover for The English Wife is absolutely stunning, I just had to get that out of the way because I’ve looked at it a gazillion times! This was the perfect book to be my first review of the new year as I’m hoping to add more historical fiction to my TBR and I had heard wonderful things about Willig’s books so this was an easy pick for me. This was a beautifully rendered tale of love, betrayal and sacrifice all shrouded in a dark gothic mystery that swept me away to the gilded age.

This is told via dual timelines, but there isn’t a huge gap between them, one is in 1899 and the other begins just a few years before and details the events that lead to the murder of Bayard. Janie is his sister and she narrates the parts after his death and I really connected to her. She was an outsider in her own family, always just on the fringes of society despite being part of a prominent family and her insecurities made her easy to relate to.

This was so well written, Willig is a gifted writer who uses rich details to conjure up images that really came to life. There was drama and scandal aplenty, especially for the era, there were some taboo topics and surprising turns that I didn’t predict. I do want to add that it moved at a slow pace at times but I believe your patience will be rewarded if you keep reading, part of the charm is the attention to detail but it can be slightly verbose.

Overall rating: 4/5

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

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Release date: January 7, 2018

Publisher: Shelter Harbor Press

Genre: Fiction

Blurb:

“The Slave is a compact self-help book with exceptional accessibility and a profundity that encourages repeat reads.” – Foreword Reviews

A profound and paradigm-challenging book that guides readers through a transformative journey to personal freedom.

Trapped in a vegetative state, following a terrible accident that has paralyzed his whole body, the narrator is unable to communicate with those around him. Cut off from family and friends so begins an inner conversation with his spiritual guide, a conversation which takes him on a journey of self-realization, bringing him eventually to a new state of consciousness, and an understanding of his deepest self.

Written with an engaging simplicity, this is a truly profound book which can change your life. In fact to use the authors own words, it is designed to shake, shudder and wake us up. It is a book that has nothing to do with success, social recognition, with the accumulation of goods; but everything to do with joy, love and peace.

Review:

This book is way out of my comfort zone and not at all like anything I would normally read, but when I was approached about receiving a copy I was intrigued. It’s s short read, but it packs an almighty punch and definitely forces you to think on a deep level.

The concept is fairly simple as is the writing style, where this shines is in it’s message. An unnamed man, The Slave, is in a coma where he can’t move but he can hear, see and knows exactly what is going on around him. This could be considered a self help type of read but I think it’s much more than that. The Slave meets his spirit guide during his coma and much of it follows the guide helping him realize what is actually important in life, what truly matters. The overall message is uplifting and powerful, I can definitely see how it would speak to many people and could even encourage them to change the way they view the world. I agreed with most of the ideas and found this to be a very insightful read.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Larissa at Clair McKinney PR for my review copy.