Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: April 1, 2017

Publisher: Lake Union 

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Blurb: 

In this tour de force, a father, shaken by tragedy, tries to avenge his daughter’s murder—and restore his family’s shattered life.

It was supposed to be a typical October evening for renowned portrait artist Will Light. Over dinner of lamb tagine, his wife, Sophie, would share news about chorus rehearsals for the upcoming holiday concert, and their teenage daughter, Lucy, would chatter about French club and field hockey. Only Lucy never came home. Her body was found, days later, in the woods.

The Eastern Seaboard town of Port Fortune used to be Will’s comfort. Now, there’s no safe harbor for him. Not even when Father Gervase asks Will to paint portraits of saints for the new cathedral. Using the townspeople as models, Will sees in each face only a mask of the darkness of evil. And he just might be painting his daughter’s killer.

As Will navigates his rage and heartbreak, Sophie tries to move on; Father Gervase becomes an unexpected ally; and Rain, Lucy’s best friend, shrouds herself in a near-silent fugue. Their paths collide in a series of inextricably linked, dark, dangerous moments that could lead to their undoing…or to their redemption.

Review: 

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this one but I assumed that it would be a standard mystery, especially as it focuses on the death of a teenaged girl named Lucy. We’ve all read plenty of books about a young woman being murdered, but this book was different than most, very special. It wasn’t a fast paced thriller, though you don’t find out who killed Lucy until the end, but rather a dark mystery that read like literary fiction. 

This is told from from three perspectives; Will, Lucy’s grieving father, Father Gervase and Rain, Lucy’s best friend. Will’s portions are told in the first person and Father Gervase and Rain’s are in the third, and while I think this would normally irritate me, here if added an intimate quality to Will’s sections. The bulk of the story is told starting seven months after Lucy’s death and he is deep in the throes of grief. He is enraged and can only focus on justice. He vows that once her killer is apprehended he will kill him, plain and simple. Before she died he was a mild mannered artist so to say this is a huge change of character for him is putting it lightly. His wife, Sophie has taken a different approach in coping with her grief and is determined to make a difference. She’s involved in spreading awareness about the senseless murders of children and has found a fairly healthy outlet for her pain and grief. They have lost each other in the process, and it’s really easy to understand how this could happen, it was utterly heartbreaking. 

There’s an elegance and a poetic quality to LeClaire’s writing style, it was hypnotic at times. Instead of focusing primarily on the mystery of who killed Lucy, it is a look into the way people handle grief. Will is so bitter and angry, Sophia channels her pain into something positive, Rain shuts down almost completely and begins to self harm, and Father Gervase deals with the ramifications on his congregation. This was an intensive look at a town reeling from a deep loss but it had such a luminous feel to it as well, it was really exquisite. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Ashley at Lake Union for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: February 23, 2017

Publisher: Harper Collins 

Genre: Psychological Thriller 

Blurb: 

A brilliantly twisty psychological thriller for fans of I Let You Go and Behind Closed Doors.

How far would you go to create the perfect life?

Gracie Dwyer has it all: the handsome husband, the adorable child, the beautiful home and the glittering career. The perfect life.

Her new friend Juliet doesn’t exactly fit in. She’s a down-on-her-luck single parent with no money and not much hope.

So just what is it that draws Gracie and Juliet together? And when the cracks start to appear in Gracie’s perfect life, can both of them survive?

Review: 

Her Perfect Life had many of the ingredients I look for in a good, solid psychological thriller but there was something missing for me, maybe some tension, or that feeling of confusion and disbelief was lacking, I’m not exactly sure. Sometimes I think it’s just really difficult for authors to capture that special something that makes a psychological thriller a real star. 

Let’s start with what worked for me. I liked the alternating point of views used, we hear from both Gracie and Juliet as they start an awkward friendship. There are also random diary entries from a young woman named Pauline and I enjoyed trying to figure out who she was and how she fit into the story. The big twist in the end was decent but not totally shocking and that’s always a disappointment. 

Several things bothered me about this one, but one of my biggest issues was that there were far too many loose ends left hanging and things that just didn’t fully make sense. There was something missing in the writing style as well, there was no easy flow, no sense of being addicted to the read that kept me flipping the pages at a fast pace. Speaking of pacing, things just felt disjointed, at times things moved very fast and at others it felt super slow moving, I would’ve liked the author to pick one or the other. 

Overall it was an ok read, nothing special and I think as soon as I finish writing this review I’ll forget most of the characters names. I’m not upset that I powered through and finished so I suppose I’m satisfied on some level, but I was definitely left wanting more. 

Overall rating: 2.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: June 8, 2016

Genre: Short Stories

Blurb: 

Five stories – Five Lives. 

Have you ever felt confused or at a loss for words in front of a spouse, colleague or parent, to the extent that you have felt inadequate or, worse, a failure? Do you ever wonder why someone close to you seems to endure humiliation without resistance? 

Manipulators are everywhere. At first these devious and calculating people can be hard to spot, because that is their way. They are often masters of disguise: witty, disarming, even charming in public – tricks to snare their prey – but then they revert to their true self of being controlling and angry in private. Their main aim: to dominate and use others to satisfy their needs, with a complete lack of compassion and empathy for their victim. 

In this collection of short novellas, you meet people like you and me, intent on living happy lives, yet each of them, in one way or another, is caught up and damaged by a manipulative individual. First you meet a manipulator himself, trying to make sense of his irreversible incarceration. Next, there is Tess, whose past is haunted by a wrong decision, then young, successful and well balanced Sophie, who is drawn into the life of a little boy and his troubled father. Next, there is teenage Holly, who is intent on making a better life for herself and finally Lisa, who has to face a parent’s biggest regret. All stories highlight to what extent abusive manipulation can distort lives and threaten our very feeling of self-worth. 

Review: 

Back in November I had Leuschel here for a Q & A, you can find that here, it gives a little insight into what inspired her to write Manipulated Lives and also her writing process. 

I’ve always been fascinated by psychology and the idea behind this collection of short stories was really intriguing to me. It consists of five short stories that all center around the theme of manipulation. This form of abuse is frightening as it is so easy for people to fall under the spell of someone who wants to use them and take advantage of their vulnerabilities. 

All of the stories were interesting in their own way and I enjoyed reading each one of them, but of the five stories two were standouts for me, The Runaway Girl and The Perfect Child. TRG focuses on Holly, a fifteen year old desperate for freedom. She’s a typical teenager, full of hopes and dreams and when she meets a new boy at her school, Luke, she is swept off of her feet. She can’t believe the cutest boy in school is actually interested in her. Unfortunately for her, Luke is a classic manipulator and quickly begins playing games with her. TPC is the story of Lisa, a woman who became a mother later in life to her son, Lucas. She’s the victim and he’s the abuser in this story and she spent most of her life making excuses for his abhorrent behavior. As a mother I can understand how it would be hard to admit your own child was this type of person, I think we’ve all met people who excuse their children’s behavior. 

This was a quick read and a fairly engrossing one, it’s heavy on the psychology behind manipulation and what drives people to behave this way. The saddest part for me was that people have no idea they’re being manipulated and abused until it’s far too late. 

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: March 28, 2017

Publisher: Atria Books

Genre: Women’s Fiction 

Blurb: 

I want to rewind the clock, take back the night when the world shattered. I want to erase everything that went wrong.

Amber Bryant and Tyler Hicks have been best friends since they were teenagers—trusting and depending on each other through some of the darkest periods of their young lives. And while Amber has always felt that their relationship is strictly platonic, Tyler has long harbored the secret desire that they might one day become more than friends.

Returning home for the summer after her college graduation, Amber begins spending more time with Tyler than she has in years. Despite the fact that Amber is engaged to her college sweetheart, a flirtation begins to grow between them. One night, fueled by alcohol and concerns about whether she’s getting married too young, Amber kisses Tyler.

What happens next will change them forever.

In alternating points of view, It Happens All the Time examines the complexity of sexual dynamics between men and women and offers an incisive exploration of gender roles, expectations, and the ever-timely issue of consent. 

Review: 

I have to start by wishing Amy the happiest of publication days today! This is such a poignant, timely, relevant read and one that is vitally important. This book is powerful, and it tackles uncomfortable and difficult subject matter, but one that society has ignored for far too long and I’m giving Amy a standing ovation today for being brave and strong enough to tackle the ugly truth behind rape.

 Rape. Such an awful word, isn’t it? It conjures up pictures of masked assailants, strange perverts who get off on grabbing women from a dark alley or parking lot. I know this happens, and I’m not trying to trivialize it whatsoever, but did you know that seven out of ten rapes are committed by someone known to the victim? The danger isn’t necessarily lurking in the shadows, oftentimes it’s been invited into your home or it’s a loose acquaintance. Seven out of ten. 

Amber and Tyler have been best friends for years, they have a fantastic relationship and are as close as siblings. Amber is the only child of over protective but extremely loving parents, and Tyler’s parents are divorced. His mom, Liz is best friends with Amber’s mom, Helen and they’ve even taken family vacations together. Tyler has always been there for Amber, she trusts him implicitly, until one night when everything goes to hell in a hand basket. Tyler rapes her and the impact shatters both of them as well as their families. 

Hatvany tells the story from the perspective of both Amber and Tyler so you’re able to see what each of them are thinking and feeling which I found especially powerful. Amber struggles with self loathing, victim blaming, and constantly questions herself. When she said no was it too late? It’s never too late, and the concept of consent was handle so beautifully here. Does consent only need to be given once then it’s a free for all? No, most definitely not, if a woman (or a man) changes their mind at any point and says no or stop, things should end immediately. Hatvany expands on this and more in this thought provoking essay she wrote on The Conversations We’re Not Having With Our Sons. I highly recommend reading this, one of the things that stood out to me was that most parents have many discussions with their daughters about the importance of safety; don’t walk alone in the dark, don’t leave your drink unattended, etc. but are enough people having the so very important conversation with their sons about consent? How do young men know about this if it’s never talked about? That has to change, it really does. 

I could go on for days about this book and it’s impact on me, but I’ll wrap things up. This was messy, real, raw, unflinchingly honest and heartbreaking, but in the end there was hope and a sense of healing. It was also beautiful, thought provoking, and utterly crucial, this book needs to be read, by anyone and everyone. I smell a giveaway coming, this is one where I’ll be pushing it on everyone I know, unapologetically. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to BookSparks for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: March 28, 2017

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 

Genre: Suspense

Blurb: 

Violet and Finn were “meant to be,” said everyone, always. They ended up together by the hands of fate aligning things just so. Three years into their marriage, they have a wonderful little boy, and as the three of them embark on their first vacation as a family, Violet can’t help thinking that she can’t believe her luck. Life is good.

So no one is more surprised than she when Finn leaves her at the beach—just packs up the hotel room and disappears. And takes their son with him. Violet is suddenly in her own worst nightmare, and faced with the knowledge that the man she’s shared her life with, she never really knew at all.

Caitlin and Finn have been best friends since way back when, but when Finn shows up on Caitlin’s doorstep with the son he’s wanted for kidnapping, demands that she hide them from the authorities, and threatens to reveal a secret that could destroy her own family if she doesn’t, Caitlin faces an impossible choice.

Told through alternating viewpoints of Violet, Finn and Caitlin, Almost Missed You is a powerful story of a mother’s love, a husband’s betrayal, connections that maybe should have been missed, secrets that perhaps shouldn’t have been kept, and spaces between what’s meant to be and what might have been. 

Review: 

I love the idea of fate playing a huge role in someone’s life, remember the movie Serendipity? When I read the blurb for this that’s the first thing that popped into my head, but this isn’t as light and cutesy, it’s much darker and way more emotional. I’m also a huge fan of domestic suspense books like Behind Closed Doors, The Marriage Lie and Say Nothing, so when an author can take the concept of not really knowing who you’re married to and put a unique spin on it, I’m all in! 

This is told from three perspectives and also in flashbacks from Violet, Finn and Caitlin. Violet and Finn are married and the way they meet and end up together is fascinating. This is where the whole concept of kismet comes into play, but I don’t want to say more because half of the fun of reading this one was watching it unfold myself. Caitlin is Finn’s best friend from college and her and Violet also become close, especially after they’re pregnant at the same time. When Finn and their son, Bear vanish while on vacation, both women are utterly blindsided and struggle to fathom what drove Finn to such extreme measures. 

This was a highly addictive, page turning read. It starts off really strong and sucks you right into Violet and Finn’s marriage and their friendship with Caitlin. It’s pretty clear right away that Finn has some huge secrets, but it was twisty in many other surprising ways as well. In the middle of the book the pace slows down quite a bit and there is a lot of soul searching amongst all of the characters. Then in the last quarter of the book things really get cranked up again and the tension mounts as it all comes to a head. 

Strawser is an extremely talented writer and she wrote an engaging story that kept me engrossed for the vast majority of the book. This would be a really good pick for a book club, there is plenty to discuss about the choices the characters made and the secrets that were kept and if the reasoning behind said secrets was justified or not. My only slight complaint was that the ending was a bit too neat and tidy for me, but I always do appreciate a good epilogue and I definitely had that here. I can wholeheartedly say that I would pick up another one of the authors books anytime. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: March 21, 2017

Publisher: HQN

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Blurb: 

For the youngest Carson brother, finding—and fixing—trouble seems to be all in a day’s work 

Mace Carson is no hero. Back in college, he came upon a woman in trouble and intervened—but he was just one irate Wyoming cowboy with his boots planted firmly on the side of right. Now a successful vintner, Mace is shocked to be reunited with the woman he saved. But it turns out she’s in Wyoming on business…a corporate executive representing the company that wants to buy his winery. Only, he’s not selling. 

Kelly Wright has never forgotten that horrible night ten years ago when Mace came to her rescue, has never forgotten him. The surprising success of a winery in the middle of ranch country has brought her to Mustang Creek, and she’s secretly thrilled to discover Mace at the helm. Reluctant to mix business with pleasure, Kelly vows to keep things professional, until her attacker is released from prison and comes for vengeance…against both of them.

Review: 

So back when I was in middle/high school I used to read a lot of romance novels, the cheesier the better. I know, so clichéd, right? As I got older my tastes matured and mysteries and thrillers took over and I tend to mostly grab a romantic comedy if I’m looking for something on the lighter side. When the lovely Claire at Little Bird Publicity asked if I wanted to review Forever a Hero I was immediately nostalgic and figured that reading a straightforward romance novel may be fun for a change. 

This is definitely a good old fashioned romance complete with a cowboy. Admittedly I’m a sucker for a good looking man in a cowboy hat (has anyone else been watching the new season of DWTS? Bonner is swoon worthy) and though parts of this were pretty cheesy, Lael Miller is a talented writer even if the plot was pretty typical. 

This is the third book in a series, each one follows one of the Carson brothers who live in the picturesque town of Mustang Creek, Wyoming. Mace Carson runs a winery, which is another point in the authors favor for me because I’m an even bigger sucker for a great bottle of wine. Kelly is a successful business woman and the company she works for sends her to visit Mace’s winery because they want to purchase it. He saved her from an attacker ten years ago and I’m sure you can guess what I’m about to say next, but he’s out of prison and out for revenge. 

The plot itself was pretty predictable but the characters made up for it, plus everyone once and awhile it’s nice to know what to expect. The Carson family is large, rowdy and friendly and the town they live in is the same. Kelly and Mace had an easy banter and this was a quick and fun read for me. I doubt I’ll ever go back to reading straight up romance novels all the time anytime soon, but this was a nice change of pace and an enjoyable read. 

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to Claire at Little Bird Publicity for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West. Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.

Linda traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she sold Fletcher’s Woman in 1983 to Pocket Books. Since then, Linda has successfully published historicals, contemporaries, paranormals, mysteries and thrillers before coming home, in a literal sense, and concentrating on novels with a Western flavor. For her devotion to her craft, the Romance Writers of America awarded her their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Hallmark Movie Channel is developing a series based on Linda’s Big Sky Country novels. Her latest book, Forever a Hero, a March 21, 2017 HQN Books release, is the third in her Carsons of Mustang Creek series. Her first mainstream Civil War novel will be published in May 2018.

Dedicated to helping others, “The First Lady of the West” personally financed fifteen years of her Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women, which she awarded to women 25 years and older who were seeking to improve their lot in life through education. She anticipates that her next charitable endeavors will benefit four-legged critters.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: March 21, 2017

Publisher: Gallery Books

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb: 

From New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart comes the first novel in her all-new series, The Hudson Sisters, following a trio of reluctant sisters as they set out to fulfill their father’s dying wish. In the process, they find not only themselves, but the father they only thought they knew.

When celebrated and respected agent Fritz Hudson passes away, he leaves a trail of Hollywood glory in his wake—and two separate families who never knew the other existed. Allie and Des Hudson are products of Fritz’s first marriage to Honora, a beautiful but troubled starlet whose life ended in a tragic overdose. Meanwhile, Fritz was falling in love on the Delaware Bay with New Age hippie Susa Pratt—they had a daughter together, Cara, and while Fritz loved Susa with everything he had, he never quite managed to tell her or Cara about his West Coast family.

Now Fritz is gone, and the three sisters are brought together under strange circumstances: there’s a large inheritance to be had that could save Allie from her ever-deepening debt following a disastrous divorce, allow Des to open a rescue shelter for abused and wounded animals, and give Cara a fresh start after her husband left her for her best friend—but only if the sisters upend their lives and work together to restore an old, decrepit theater that was Fritz’s obsession growing up in his small hometown in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Guided by Fritz’s closest friend and longtime attorney, Pete Wheeler, the sisters come together—whether they like it or not—to turn their father’s dream into a reality, and might just come away with far more than they bargained for.

Review: 

The inspiration behind this novel fascinated me, so I thought I would share the preface of the book before my thoughts. 

Everyone is familiar with the adage “write what you know”; it’s a saying that has dictated much of my decades-long career in publishing. But this time, it was what I (or rather, my mother) didn’t know that formed the basis for this first book in my new Hudson Sisters series.

 

When my mother was in her mid-forties, she received a letter from a woman named Alice, the wife of her recently deceased cousin Bill. Alice thanked my mother for the sympathy card she’d sent her, and finished her note by saying, “You do know that Bill was your half brother, right?”

 

Ah, no. She did not.

 

…Of course, I was fascinated. My grandfather died when I was four or five years old, and I have very little memory of him other than his deep, hearty laugh. I’ve been thinking for years that this foundation of a love child and secret siblings would make a great story; but not knowing all the facts, I was free to fill in the blanks—and so I did. Years passed before I felt I had the right story in my head. This is that story. I hope you enjoy my version of what could happen under such circumstances.

 

—Mariah Stewart

Crazy, right?! When Last Chance Matinee begins, we’re introduced to three very different women; sisters Allie and Des and Cara. Allie and Des have no idea Cara exists and Cara wasn’t aware that her father had another family either. When their father, Fritz dies, the women are all present at the reading of his will. Pretty compelling way to start a book, and when they’re told the only way to receive their inheritance is to move to Hidden Falls and renovate an old family theater, to say they’re shocked, angry, and blindsided is a huge understatement. 

Cara is recovering from a divorce, her husband Drew cheated with one of her bridesmaids and is now engaged and expecting his first child. Ouch. Her mother, Susa is also gone having passed a few years ago. Susa and Cara live in New Jersey and his other family lived in California. Cara has no idea if her mother was aware her father was already married to another woman and she’ll probably never know. Allie and Des have a strained relationship and rarely speak to each other. Their mother, Honora is also deceased so the opportunity to move back to their fathers hometown may be the only chance for the women to unlock old family mysteries. 

This is the first in a new series and it sounds like each book will mainly focus on one sister, but the other two will still play a heavy role in the plot. This one is Cara’s story and she was an endearing character. She’s a free spirit and very loving, once the initial shock of her fathers betrayal wears off, she’s excited to get to know the sisters she never knew existed. She bonds with Des fairly easily, and she was another character that I quickly warmed to. Allie is a bit trickier, she’s also divorced and pretty bitter, and she has secrets of her own. Though she was pretty cold and standoffish, I was still completely interested in who she was. Aunt Barney was Fritz’s estranged sister and she was probably my favorite character of the bunch. She’s the town matriarch and seems like a really good person, and she has a pretty sparkling personality to boot. Nikki is Allie’s teenaged daughter and she breathed so much life into the story, she’s a vibrant and excitable kid. 

I’m a sucker for family secrets and though there are still definitely some secrets waiting to be unearthed, Stewart revealed enough about the Hudson family to capture my attention. The town of Hidden Falls is a character unto itself and had so much magic and old school charm. There was a real sense of a simpler way of life, a throwback to the good old days. The Sugarhouse is the family theater the women have to restore and the descriptive writing was so rich and vivid, it sounds amazingly gorgeous. This is the perfect, solid start to a new series, Stewart really lays the groundwork for so many possible storylines, there is a ton to be explore. I can’t wait for the second book, it will be told from Des perspective and I’m eager to see what the Hudson family will get up to next. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Gallery Books for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Mariah Stewart is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of numerous novels as well as several novellas and short stories. She lives with her husband and two rambunctious rescue dogs amid the rolling hills of Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she savors county life and tends her gardens while she works on her next novel. Visit her at mariahstewart.com and follow her on Facebook.com/AuthorMariahStewart and on Instagram @mariah_stewart_books.

Goodreads|Amazon UK
Release date: March 23, 2017

Publisher: Doubleday

Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb: 

Sparkling cocktails, poisonous secrets …

1939, Europe on the brink of war. Lily Shepherd leaves England on an ocean liner for Australia, escaping her life of drudgery for new horizons. She is instantly seduced by the world onboard: cocktails, black-tie balls and beautiful sunsets. Suddenly, Lily finds herself mingling with people who would otherwise never give her the time of day.

But soon she realizes her glamorous new friends are not what they seem. The rich and hedonistic Max and Eliza Campbell, mysterious and flirtatious Edward, and fascist George are all running away from tragedy and scandal even greater than her own. 

By the time the ship docks, two passengers are dead, war has been declared, and life will never be the same again. 

Review:

Since the new year I’ve been branching out and reading genres that I normally haven’t paid attention to in the past, and historical fiction is one that I mostly ignored. I’m ashamed of that now as I’m beginning to realize I was truly missing out and it’s safe to say that I’m now a certified fan of the genre! There is something mesmerizing about being transported not only to a different place, but also a different era. A Dangerous Crossing swept me away to 1939 with a young English woman named Lily as she embarks on a long journey to Australia to begin a new chapter in her life.

Rhys was inspired to write this when she discovered an old diary written by a woman who had a similar journey to her main character, Lily. Though this is a fictional account, it’s loosely based on real events which is all the more captivating to me. It opens with one of those intriguing prologues where you know there has been a murder, then you are whisked back a few weeks prior where you learn about the events that lead to such tragedy.

Lily is heading to Australia to work as the government is allowing young women to travel at a discounted rate in order to  obtain jobs once there. She quickly meets a rather broad, lively bunch of people, many of whom she would not ever cross paths with in her everyday life. There is Helena and her brother Edward, Eliza and her husband Max, and George a man traveling alone. Eliza and Max are especially eccentric and glamorous and the allure of hanging around with such sophisticated people intoxicates Lily. But everyone seems to be running from something in their past, and the entire group is shrouded in mystery.

Rhys used beautiful and highly detailed narrative descriptions as they made their way across the ocean, I really felt like I was there at times. The scenery depicted was breathtaking and awe inspiring, it was truly brought to life by the author. The times where the passengers were stuck at sea for days on end were equally as expressive and I could feel their boredom, isolation and sense of being trapped. The plot moved along steadily and by the time I came to the end, I was rather sad it was over. The ending was shocking and unexpected leaving me wholly satisfied, what a fantastic reading experience.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Alison Barrow for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: March 28, 2017

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing 

Genre: Psychological Thriller 

Blurb: 

THE PERFECT HUSBAND. THE PERFECT STEPSON. THE PERFECT LIE?

When Rachel marries dark, handsome David, everything seems to fall into place. Swept from single life in London to the beautiful Carnhallow House in Cornwall, she gains wealth, love, and an affectionate stepson, Jamie.

But then Jamie’s behavior changes, and Rachel’s perfect life begins to unravel. He makes disturbing predictions, claiming to be haunted by the specter of his late mother – David’s previous wife. Is this Jamie’s way of punishing Rachel, or is he far more traumatized than she thought?

As Rachel starts digging into the past, she begins to grow suspicious of her husband. Why is he so reluctant to discuss Jamie’s outbursts? And what exactly happened to cause his ex-wife’s untimely death, less than two years ago? As summer slips away and December looms, Rachel begins to fear there might be truth in Jamie’s words:

“You will be dead by Christmas.”

Review: 

I wanted to love this one, I really did. The Ice Twins has been recommended to me by so many people so when I saw the same author had a new book on Netgalley I jumped at the chance. Let me back up a little, this has been a crappy reading week for me, I gave up on two books before I started this one. I started a third but was having technical difficulties, which sucks because I was liking the book. (Those issues have since been resolved!) Anyway, my point is that I picked this up hoping that it would break my streak and leave me excited, but alas I really wish I had just given up on this one when I wasn’t into it by the halfway point, I didn’t really like anything about this one unfortunately. 

It starts out really slow, like painfully slow you guys. The chapters are told in a countdown to Christmas because Rachel’s new stepson, Jamie had a premonition that she’ll be dead by then. You learn that David and Rachel had a whirlwind romance and married quickly and they’re all adjusting to their new family. They live in a creepy old house in Cornwall and the atmosphere was ok, I can see where the author was going with it, but it didn’t quite do it for me.  There was tons of history behind the mines and it was mind numbingly boring. I almost gave up, but I peeked at a few reviews that said it gets better, so I persevered. I should’ve called it quits at this point. 

By seventy five percent I was still not engaged, it was clear all three family members were hiding things, David about the night that his first wife, Nina died, and Rachel about her past. Jamie was either the creepiest little psychic around or a big fat liar, but as I never connected with any of them so I just didn’t care either way.

When the big twist was finally revealed I was actually pissed off. It was so improbable that it goes way beyond suspending disbelief. It made no sense to me whatsoever and by the final few pages I was skimming just to finish. I never do that, if I’m committed to a book, I’m usually all in but I was so beyond annoyed at this point that I just couldn’t take it. Now that I’ve looked at the reviews on Goodreads I see they’re all over the map, some of my friends loved this and others felt more like me, so don’t let my feelings dissuade you if this is on your radar, it could go either way.

Overall rating: 2/5

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: March 16, 2017

Publisher: Red Door Books

Genre: Chick Lit 

Blurb: 

‘Hi, I’m Angela. My husband ran off with the caterer we hired for our daughter’s graduation party – pleased to meet you.’

Meet Angie Shepherd who, after 24 years and 11 months of marriage, finds herself divorced and driven by friends and family to move on. From hangover to makeover, Angie steps firmly away from the sensible knitwear, and launches into every adventure on offer – from baking classes and book groups, to speed dating, and even ‘The Granny-Okes’, a 1980s tribute act and YouTube sensation.

But Angie needs more than a bar of galaxy and a night in with Murder She Wrote… what she dreams of is entrepreneurial success. Channelling her inner Richard Branson, the light bulb moment happens: it’s time to take the plunge and invest her divorce settlement into The Mercury Travel Club, an exciting new business venture. But as the Travel Club gets going, things never go according to plan, and in this digital age a little chaos brings the fame she’s been looking for.

Set in present-day Manchester, this classic mid-life journey features the 1980s soundtrack from Angie’s youth, and sees her travel the world whilst coping with life after the Ex. Angie’s journey is the catalyst her friends need to examine their own lives; as they start to find their true callings, will Angie find hers? Witty, entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny, this feel-good debut novel shows it’s never too late for a second chance. 

Review: 

I have been on a real kick with feel good, chick lit books and this one was another gem of a book to add to my list! Maybe March is just a really good month for new romantic comedy releases?! I’m not sure, but I really enjoyed this hilarious story of Angie Shepherd and the adventures she takes over the course of a year. 

When the story begins Angie has been dumped by her husband, Alan right before their twenty fifth wedding anniversary. He left her for their younger caterer, Amanda. Sounds pretty cliche and typical of the genre, right? Well this is anything but typical and boring, there were plenty of unique qualities to make this one a standout. The biggest refreshing change for me was the fact that Angie is more mature than the average chick lit heroine as she’s fifty three.  Something else that appealed to me was it had short chapters, which I don’t often find in this genre, I typically only see that in fast paced mystery/thrillers. On top of that, the chapters were actually titled, and cleverly I might add. That’s a rarity as of late and it added some charm. 

This follows Angie during the course of a year as she starts a new chapter in her life and she has plenty of adventures along the way. She does karaoke, speed dating, a cruise and starts the Mercury Travel Club through the travel agency where she works.  There are also some great secondary characters, my favorite was her best friend Patty. They have a love for eighties music and it really doesn’t get anymore feel good than that, does it? This was an outrageously funny debut all about getting a second chance at a new life. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Red Door Books and the author for my review copy.