Before I write my review, my apologies to the author for the signifiant delay. This book has been out in the world for a while now. Hopefully a late rBefore I write my review, my apologies to the author for the signifiant delay. This book has been out in the world for a while now. Hopefully a late review is better than none!
Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen is a roller coaster ride! Main character Mary bumps into Willa at the park. Their kids play well together, and they start going out for drinks to blow off steam. Mary thinks she and Willa are real friends, until Willa suddenly ghosts her.
Fast forward a few months-Mary is in a small upstate New York town setting up a new life for herself and her son, away from her terrible husband George, when she runs into Willa. Except she says her name is Annie.
At this point things get twisted. I couldn't figure out if Mary was an unreliable narrator, Willa was a psychopath, or someone had a twin...Maybe all of the above? Just when you think there's a lot going on already, terrible George ends up dead. The second half of the book is Mary fighting to prove her innocence so she can get back to her child with the help of the only person she sort of knows in town, the Willa lookalike, Annie.
I found this book a quick read, and one which didn't require too much focus. Some days that's not a bad thing.
I rate this book 4 stars and will be sharing my review on Goodreads and Storygraph.
Thanks to the author, Netgalley, and Penguin Group Putnam for providing this book for my review. ...more
Jae-Young is on the run and short on both cash and a plan. She meets a young mother with a baby on the train, one thing leads to another, and Jae=YounJae-Young is on the run and short on both cash and a plan. She meets a young mother with a baby on the train, one thing leads to another, and Jae=Young finds herself delivering the baby to his grandparents, She is hoping for some reward for her trouble, but the assumption that she is the baby's mother and her split second decision to go with it lands her in the middle of a wealthy and dysfunctional family. The story is tense as Jae-Young struggles to maintain her lies and the secret that put her on this path in the first place.
One thing I really enjoyed about this book was reading about the culture, the family lifestyle, and the expectations placed on Jae-Young. I also liked how this book made me reflect on the situation, wondering what I might do if I were in Jae-Young's shoes. However, I did think that Jae-Young made some very poor decisions in the story. I realize that is necessary to create tension and keep things moving, but there were moments when I wanted to reach into the pages and shake her.
Overall I rate this book 4 stars.
Thanks to the author, Netgalley, and Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for my review. ...more
Other People's Houses is the third book in a the DC Morgan series. However, each of these books stands alone. I have been a fan of Clare Mackintosh buOther People's Houses is the third book in a the DC Morgan series. However, each of these books stands alone. I have been a fan of Clare Mackintosh but somehow missed the first two books in this series and jumped right in with this one. It was really fantastic, a great combination of funny and suspenseful. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I went back and read the first two books as soon as I finished this one. Then I told my nonfiction reading husband about the series and he flew through all three books in the series. (He is also a Netgalley reviewer). I could describe the plot and characters, but really the fact that my husband read this entire series in about a week and a half speaks volumes. I rate this book 5 stars and hope more books will be written about DC Morgan in the future!
Thanks to the author, Netgalley, and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book for my review. ...more
May Cobb comes out strong in her newest novel. All the books by this author I've read are about the rich behaving badly, and All the Little Houses is May Cobb comes out strong in her newest novel. All the books by this author I've read are about the rich behaving badly, and All the Little Houses is no different. This story is set in Longview, Texas and focuses on the relationship between spoiled Nellie Anderson and her mother Charleigh and how their lives are disrupted when a new family moved into their town. Nellie has always been treated like small town royalty, and is consumed with jealously when attention is directed from her to the new girl. This whole story is wild and salacious, like a raunchier version the daytime soaps my great grandmother used to watch in the 80s.
However, and for me this is a huge negative, this is not a standalone novel. I did not get any hint of that in the description. As I was reading on my Kindle I was watching my percentage read and around 80% realized there were a lot of loose ends left. I was trying to figure out how the author could bring it all together, and unfortunately it didn't happen. This book ended on a huge cliffhanger. I do not read books in a series until they have all been published, so I would have passed on this ARC if I was aware that this was not a standalone novel.
Overall I rate this book 4 stars..
Thanks to the author, Netgalley, and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an advance copy of this novel for review. ...more
Christine Russo, a writer for Bespoke weddings, has seized the chance of a lifetime. She's been invited to a Scottish castle by the mega rich founder Christine Russo, a writer for Bespoke weddings, has seized the chance of a lifetime. She's been invited to a Scottish castle by the mega rich founder of the Glo beauty empire to cover a family wedding. Although on the surface the family is wealthy and successful, there are many secrets. After Gloria Beaufort's unexpected death, the family goes into crisis mode and begins making questionable decisions. Christine dives deep into an investigation into Gloria's death. If she can solve the mystery, it might just be the ticket to her future.
A Killer Wedding is a sort of locked room mystery with a large cast of characters ranging from matriarch Gloria to her other family members, wedding guests, and the bride. I loved the moody setting and the lore of Ballymore and the way the secrets of the castle were used to propel the story forward. Overall I found this book easy to read and suspenseful with many twists and turns.
I rate this book 4 stars and will recommend it.
Thanks to the author, Joan O'Leary, Netgalley, and the William Morrow for making this advanced copy available for my review. ...more
This book was crazy in the way that all good thrillers are. Claire Campbell has never fully recovered from the death of her sister Natalie. Although tThis book was crazy in the way that all good thrillers are. Claire Campbell has never fully recovered from the death of her sister Natalie. Although the case was closed long ago, Claire has never felt resolution and still has questions about the events that led up to her sisters death. She decides to visit a farm where Claire worked, and when an impromptu job offer is made Claire decides to stay, thinking it will let her feel closer to her sister. The discovery of a diary hidden under the floorboards of her lodgings throws Claire into the center of a decades old missing persons case.
There were a lot of moving parts to this story, but the author, Stacy Willingham, pulled it all together. I was kept guessing until the very end. I love a story where just when you think you are beginning to understand what is happening, you realize you don't!
I rate this book 4 stars.
I was provided this book by Netgalley in exchange for my review. ...more
What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown was a fascinating read. Jane grows up off the grid with her father Saul. They are very close and she develops mWhat Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown was a fascinating read. Jane grows up off the grid with her father Saul. They are very close and she develops many unique skills. She doesn't attend school, but is instead taught by her father. She rarely leaves their homestead, only occasionally going into town with Saul. Her father has always taught her that technology is dangerous, but one day he brings home a computer and for the first time Jane goes on the internet. This opens a window into her world. As her father becomes more isolated, focused on writing down his philosophies, Jane is able to learn about culture and connect with others through the web.
As the story progresses things spiral out of control and Jane ends up thrust into the world, alone, for the first time. The second half of the story follows Jane as she navigates her new life. It feels like a high stakes coming of age story.
I rate this book 5 stars. I couldn't put it down, and when I finished it I couldn't wait to discuss it.
I was provided this book by Netgalley for review. ...more
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