She Didn’t See It Coming – Book Review

Title:- She Didn’t See It Coming

Author:- Shari Lapena

Date published:- July 17th 2025

No. of pages:- 337 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

She didn’t see it coming . . . And neither will you.
—-

Bryden and Sam have it all – thriving careers, a smart apartment, supportive friends and a cherished daughter. The perfect life for the perfect couple.

Then Sam receives a call at his office. Bryden – working from home that day – has failed to collect their daughter from nursery.

Arriving home with their little girl, he finds his wife’s car in the underground garage. Upstairs in their apartment her laptop is open on the table, her phone nearby, her keys in their usual place in the hall.

Except Bryden is nowhere to be seen. It’s as if she just walked out.

How can she have disappeared from her own home? And did she even leave the building at all?

With every minute that passes – and as questions swirl around their community – Bryden and Sam’s past seems a little less perfect, their apartment building less safe, their friends and relatives no longer quite so reliable . . .

Shari Lapena’s books are always easy to read and follow and most of all, once you start reading you would never want to put the book down.

She Didn’t See It Coming follows the story of young couple, Bryden and Sam. Bryden works as an accountant at home while Sam works as a hedge fund manager. One day, Sam gets a call from day care that Bryden has failed to collect their daughter Clara. That was unusual because Bryden always picks her daughter up. Sam goes to the apartment and finds that Bryden’s wallet, car keys and her laptop are still in the apartment. Worried that something had happened to Bryden, Sam first calls Bryden’s sister Lauren and then eventually they call the police.

First of all, there are multiple characters in the story–we have Bryden’s sister Lauren, who seemed to have an obsession towards true crime, Paige, who secretly harbors feelings towards Sam, Derek and Alice, a couple and of course the detective in charge, Jeanie. Except for the detective, all the characters in the book are unpredictable and has at least one reason to get rid of Bryden. The whole story is packed with twists and turns and also unputdownable in my opinion. Overall, this book felt like a roller coaster ride packed with drama, packed with suspense which will make you unable to put the book down.

This might not be best Shari Lapena book but nonetheless, it was fast paced psychological thriller that you will never put the book down. Worth four stars.

A Wedding in Provence – ARC Book Review

Title:- A Wedding in Provence

Author:- Alison Roberts

Date published:- will be published on 12th February 2026

No. of pages:- 273 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Discover a BRAND NEW dreamy, escapist romance from Alison Roberts. Perfect for fans of Gillian Harvey, Kate Frost and Lucy Coleman In the golden light of Provence two fragile hearts are about to collide for a second time.

Sophie Taylor has spent years creating dream weddings under the Provençal sun, pouring love into every detail—except her own heart. After losing her fiancé in a tragic accident, she rebuilt her life from the ruins, turning heartbreak into beauty for others. She never expected him to walk back into it.

Luc Moreau, the man behind the lens and the one mistake she’s never forgiven. Returning under the guise of Le Phénix, the world-famous but reclusive photographer. – he’s the last person she wants to see—yet the only man who ever truly saw her.

Forced to work together at a fairytale château, Sophie and Luc find themselves revisiting the past they buried. And against the backdrop of the South of France, memories resurface, truths unravel, and the spark they once denied begins to reignite. But when Luc’s secret identity—and their shared history—are exposed, Sophie must Sophie must protect the life she’s built or fight for the love of her life.

A Wedding in Provence is a tender, uplifting story of second chances, healing old wounds, and finding the courage to follow your heart… even when it’s broken once before. Perfect for fans of Gillian Harvey and Kate Frost

Sophie is a wedding planner. While planning for an influencer’s wedding, her usual photographer gets a heartache and was unable to attend the wedding, another renowned photographer comes to his place. That person is none other than Luc Moreau and Sophie knew him–he was someone from her past and used to be her ex fiance’s best friend. And he was there when her fiance was killed in the accident. Now Luc and Sophie work together, trying to set their past aside. But soon, they started working together in the other weddings as well and Sophie and Luc soon falls in love.

This was well written, set in Provence, France. This was actually a third book of the Provence series but you can read this book as a standalone. The descriptions of the places around France makes you feel like you are actually in France. The story itself has all emotional and heart-breaking scenes as well. There was humor in the book as well.

Overall, this was a great romance read and you can read this as a standalone novel. Worth four stars in my opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Homemaker – Book Review

Title:- Homemaker

Author:- Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare

Date published:- 1st May 2025

No. of pages:- 297 pages

Genre:- Mystery/Fiction/Cozy Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

When a former friend and devoted mother vanishes, a confident homemaker turned amateur sleuth follows an unexpected trail of scandals and secrets to find her.

Prairie Nightingale is both the midlife mother of two teenage girls and a canny entrepreneur who has turned homemaking into a salaried profession. She’s also fascinated with the gritty details of other people’s lives. So when seemingly perfect Lisa Radcliffe, a member of her former mom-friends circle, suddenly disappears, it’s in Prairie’s nature to find out why.

Given her innate talent for vital pattern recognition, Prairie is out to catch a few clues by taking a long, hard look at everyone in Lisa’s life—and uncovering their secrets. Including Lisa’s. Prairie’s dogged curiosity is especially irritating to FBI agent Foster Rosemare, the first interesting man Prairie has met since her divorce. His square jaw and sharp suits don’t hurt.

But even as the investigation begins to wreak havoc on Prairie’s carefully tended homelife, she’s resolved to use her multivalent homemaking skills to solve the mystery of a missing mom—and along the way discover the thrill of her new sleuthing ambitions.

Prairie Nightingale is recently divorced with two sassy teenagers, a mother-in-law who still lives with Prairie. She is both a midlife mother and an entrepreneur where she turned homemaking into a successful salaried business. When Lisa Radcliffe, Prairie’s former friend and a mother that all the mothers in the circle know disappeared, Prairie is curious. Lisa is a dedicated mother and runs a business called Kitty Blue. Meanwhile the FBI is seemed to be interested in Lisa Radcliffe case and Agent Foster tries to work with Prairie. And Prairie must find out what really happened to Lisa Radcliffe.

This was a very interesting read–kind of reminded me of Finlay Donovan series. There were funny parts in the book and it was a cozy mystery so it was interesting. The story is told in Prairie’s version. The struggle being a teenage mother seems real as we see Prairie dealing with her daughters’ drama daily. However, the who-dunnit part seems direct and the ending was expected as it was no surprise. The book however was written well as the authors manage to lure the reader into the story.

Overall this is worth four stars.

Ruthie Knox is the critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels. She writes both mystery and romance, usually with co-author Annie Mare. You can find Ruthie’s books under the pen names Ruthie Knox (mystery and het romance), Mae Marvel (queer romance), and Robin York (New Adult romance). Ruthie and Annie are married and live with two teenagers, two dogs, multiple fish, two glorious cats, four hermit crabs, and a bazillion plants in a very old house with a garden

The Wife Before – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Wife Before

Author:- Sheryl Browne

Date published:- will be published on 6th February 2026

No. of pages:- 372 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

She says your new boyfriend killed his ex. He says it’s all lies. Who do you believe?

When I first met Jack, he broke down in tears as he told me about the tragic death of his wife, Natalia, on a family holiday. As our relationship blossomed and we started planning a future together, I would lie awake worrying about filling Natalia’s perfect shoes. But everything changes when her mother turns up at my door…

‘Your boyfriend killed my daughter,’ she says.

Jack swears she’s lying, and I want to believe him but something isn’t right. Why doesn’t he have a single picture of her? And why do I feel afraid when I confront him about the night Natalia died? What if it wasn’t grief after all, but guilt?

As I stroke my baby bump, I wonder if I can really trust the man I love. If he killed Natalia, could I be next?

Fans of The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and The Girl on the Train will be absolutely hooked on this nail-biting psychological thriller. Prepare to be gripped!

Kara is widowed when her husband and her son died in a car accident. She meets Jack and the two fall in love and Kara gets pregnant. Jack’s daughter Evie moves into the house along with Evie’s grandmother, Lina who tells Kara that Jack killed her daughter–meaning he killed his ex-wife. Jack denies ever killing his own wife. Kara isn’t sure whether who to believe or trust–whether she should trust her own husband or Jack’s senile mother-in-law.

The story is fast paced packed with family drama. We have POVs of Kara, Evie, Jack and of course Jemma and Jack’s ex-wife Natalia. We have alternating narrators and throughout this book, except for Kara, we don’t really know who we should actually trust i.e. all of them except Kara are unreliable characters something which is suitable for this type of story. There are some twists and turns though the ending was quiet expected however. In fact, the whole story was quiet enjoyable to read with lots of drama and twists that will keep the reader hooked into the book.

Worth 4 stars.

Many thanks to Netgallet and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Broken Country – Book Review

Title:- Broken Country

Author:- Clare Leslie Hall

Date published:- March 4th 2025

No. of pages:- 319 pages

Genre:- Historical Fiction/Mystery/Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5 Writing;- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

“The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.”

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.

When Beth was seventeen years old, she falls in love with Gabriel Wolfe who is the son of a wealthy family living in a mansion in the village. But when Gabriel moves to Oxford and that Beth realizes that Gabriel is seeing someone, she is heartbroken and returns back to the village. She marries a local farmer Frank, and together, they lead a happy family life. Or so she thought. In 1968, when Beth’s brother-in-law Jimmy accidentally shoots a dog, the dog is the owner of Gabriel and his son Leo. Old memories swept past Beth as the two begin an affair. Then comes the murder of a farmer and the trial.

The story is divided into five parts–Gabriel, Bobby, Jimmy, Frank and Grace–as all these people have affected Beth’s life in some way. Set in the late 1960’s in the English countryside, the vivid descriptions of the village and the farm in general makes you feel like you are living in Dorset in a farm. The story is beautifully written, capturing the reader into the story and making the reader feel like they are a part of the story. The story is mainly told in Beth’s POV and through her POV we could feel a wave of emotions, heartbreak as she is recounting her story. The intimate feelings between Gabriel and Beth, the intense chemistry between the two of them was well written in my opinion. The book is a Reese’s Book Club selection and there were many raving reviews on this book. And I actually enjoyed reading this book.

Overall, this book is worth five stars in my opinion.

Clare Leslie Hall is a novelist and journalist who lives in the wilds of Dorset, England, with her family. Under the name Clare Empson, she published two domestic noir thrillers, Him and Mine, that were published in the UK and Germany. She has always loved The Go Between by LP Hartley and Broken Country is a nod to it, featuring a forbidden love affair with catastrophic repercussions. Broken Country is her US debut.

The Convenience Store by the Sea – Book Review

Title:- The Convenience Store by the Sea

Author:- Sonoko Machida

Translated by :- Bruno Navasky

Date published:- First published August 7th 2020

Translated published:- January 30th 2025

Genre:- Japanese Fiction

No. of pages:- 304 pages

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall:- 4/5

Welcome to Tenderness!

A quaint seaside town in Kitakyushu, Mojiko is full of hidden delights. And one unexpected treasure is the 24/7 convenience store, Tenderness.

At first glance, it’s a store like any other.

Sure, it’s a bit odd that the handsome manager has his own fan club. And perhaps the customers are somewhat eccentric. But there’s a warmth about Tenderness that draws you in.

The bright lights are always on. The employees know you by name. And the shelves are stacked with delicious treats, from strong hot coffee to sweet parfaits, egg sandos to ramen, crispy fried chicken to refreshing soba.

After a while, you get the feeling that whatever you need might just be waiting for you here…

Celebrating the joy of connection and community, The Convenience Store by the Sea is the heartwarming international bestseller from award-winning Japanese novelist Sonoko Machida.

If you are fan of Japanese fiction and read Before Coffee Gets Cold, then this book is one for you.

The Convenience Store by the Sea talks about following your dreams, re-thinking about life’s decisions and making new friends and changing your life in perspective. We have a manager of the store who has his own fan club, the employees at the convenience store knows the customers by their own name, and how the community works together and get together to help each other in need. Overall, this small convenience store changed some of the customers’ life by letting them follow their own dreams.

Overall this book is worth 4 stars and looking forward to read the second book of the Convenience Store series.

None Left to Tell – Book Review

Title:- None Left to Tell

Author:- Noelle W. Ihli

Date published:- October 11th 2024

No. of pages:- 381 pages

Genre:- Historical Fiction/Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5 Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

Three women, connected by one of the most brutal mass slayings in US history.

Lucy is sick of turning the other cheek. Ten years ago, an anti-Mormon mob drove her family and friends from their homes in Illinois. But now, the tables have turned. Rumor has it, some of those same men are traveling through Utah on their way to California. And this time, Lucy won’t run.

Katrina knew the trek west would be difficult. But she had no idea she’d be walking straight into hell. The young mother of four is prepared to do whatever it takes to protect her family from the violence closing in, but the battle to survive will be more harrowing than anything she can imagine.

Sally has just been “gifted” to a man she barely knows—as his fourth wife. Trapped and lonely, she tries to make the best of her new life. But when her husband insists on joining a group of religious zealots’ plans for revenge, she’s forced to reconsider her loyalties. Even if it means putting her own life on the line.

Based on true events, None Left to Tell is the story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Though this is a work of fiction, the events and some of the characters in the book are real based on the real-life story of Mountain Meadows Massacre that happened in 1857. In fact, one of the main characters, Lucy Robison happened to be the great-great-great grandmother of the author.

I am not that familiar about Mormons in general and reading this book, despite being a work of fiction helped me learn some things about the US history and Mormons in general.

The Mormons have established themselves in Utah territory. Lucy Robison and her husband are Mormons. They had fled from New York and settled down in Utah to get away from the persecution they faced as Mormons. Then we have a Native Indian tribe the Paiutes who have allied with the Mormons to protect their territory from the gentiles–meaning the non-Mormons. And then we have this non-Mormons, the Huff and other families who are migrating to California for better life. And they had to pass through Utah territory for their journey to California.

The story starts when Lucy Robison’s son Procter dies from an apparently steer poisoning and so are the other Indians. Believing that the gentiles must have poisoned the steer, the Mormons come up with a plan to get rid of the gentiles who are passing through the Utah territory–and that begins the bloody Mountain Meadows Massacre where 120 people were slaughtered to death including women and children. Seventeen of those children survived but was forcibly taken in by Mormon families.

Noelle W Ihli had beautifully crafted this story making the readers feel interested about the story. The story is told in multiple POVs which include Lucy Robison who is thus the main character, Katrina Huff, who was on the journey to California, a Native Indian Sally and Katrina’s daughter Nancy who survived the massacre. The fact that this happened in real life also intrigued me. Not many people would have heard about this massacre, yet that 120 innocent people butchered were too emotional to read. Noelle somehow manages to captivate the audience with her brilliant style of writing. This to me felt more like a historical fiction than a thriller, and quiet emotional to read as well.

Overall I rate this book five stars.

The Doctor – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Doctor

Author:- Daniel Hurst

Date published:- will be published on 23rd January 2026

No. of pages:- 292 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

Is he the perfect man or the perfect liar?

From the moment I first see Doctor Drew Devlin, I want him to be mine. Drew is the perfect man – he’s charming, handsome and wealthy. And I need the security that comes from being with someone like him. I’m at my lowest point and I have nothing to lose; this is my chance to escape my troubled past. So I’m going to stop at nothing to ensure that Drew marries me…

Whatever it takes, I will become the doctor’s wife.

Except when I get closer to Drew, I realise the doctor isn’t who he says he is. He’s hiding a dangerous secret.

But so am I…

From the number one bestselling author of The Doctor’s Wife, this is a totally gripping and page-turning psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the final jaw-dropping twist. Perfect for fans of John Marrs, T.M Logan and Freida McFadden.

The Doctor is the fifth book of the Doctor’s Wife series. I haven’t read any of the previous books but then I am guessing The Doctor is the prequel to the Doctor’s Wife.

Drew Devlin is a wealthy doctor but while in college, he cheated on one of his exams. Someone, Jimmy knows about it and threated Drew by blackmailing him. Meanwhile, Fern is determined to find a doctor so she could live the life she wants. She meets Drew Devlin and is determined to become his wife…even if it involves killing people who are on the way to Drew’s heart.

The story is told in the POVs of Drew and Fern. I haven’t read the first four books so my first impression of Drew was calm and reasonable person, who doesn’t seem to approve of his colleague who is married illicit affairs. And he seemed to be obeying the law. Fern meanwhile is dealing with a breakup when a random woman tells Fern that she should marry a doctor so she could become wealthy. The story kind of started as if the lives of both Fern and Drew are different until it got connected with the murder of Drew’s fiancee Rose. Drew and Fern then meet each other, ended up marrying each other, where actually the real story begins.

The book was fast paced, well written and drawing the reader to the attention of what is happening with the book. Both have secrets that may destroy their lives in general. The whole story sounded like you are watching a really good thriller movie. Fern is dealing with insecurities in her life which really made her to pursue after the doctors so she could deal with a comfortable life. Not only that–the spouses controlling each other–Fern being obsessive about Drew is another interesting point in the book.

Overall, this was greatly–it could be read as a standalone, even if you haven’t read the first four books of the series yet. This book actually made me want to read the entire series so as to see what is going to happen to Fern next (the small cliffhanger)

The book is worth 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Engagement Party – Book Review

Title:- The Engagement Party

Author:- Darby Kane

Date published:- December 5th 2023

No. of pages:- 355 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5 Writing:- 2/5

Overall rating:- 2.5/5

And Then There Were None meets I Know What You Did Last Summer in #1 international bestseller Darby Kane’s latest gripping and twisty thriller set on a private island in Maine where secrets piled upon secrets and lies upon lies are all revealed in one fateful weekend.

Emily Hunt went missing from her affluent liberal arts school on graduation weekend. Her body was found floating in a river, and a quiet loner who most people on campus really didn’t know committed suicide. A tenuous link—one text—bound the two dead students together and was enough for law enforcement to close the case. But they got it wrong and now someone is determined to set it right.

Twelve years later, college friends gather to celebrate an engagement over a long overdue getaway on a swanky private island in Maine—with only one way in and one way out. Sierra Prescott, invited as a guest and unconnected to past events, is the only person who soon senses not all is what it seems.

The tension in the air is ignited when they find a dead man in the trunk of a car with a note: time to tell the truth. And things only get worse. As a torrential storm strands them together, the group’s buried stories begin to surface and secrets are bartered. To survive this deadly party, they’ll need to stop a killer before they become prey.

The Engagement Party follows the story of college friends who got involved with the murder of one of their friends, Emily. Now twelve years later, one of their friends is getting married and was invited for the party at a remote island. But when they reach the island, it seems that someone wants to dig the past and whoever wants to dig the past wants the friends to tell the truth about what happened the night Emily was murdered.

Darby Kanes Pretty Little Wife was great which prompted me to get all her latest books. However, the Engagement Party was a disappointment. The story lacked pacing, all the characters except for one of the main characters Sierra was quiet unlikable and annoying. The story is told in multiple POVs–Sierra, Ruthie, Alex with excerpts from the book that someone is writing about Emily’s murder. There were not many twists and turns, the story wasn’t executed well in my opinion. It’s a lockdown mystery but it could have been better if it was written well.

Sierra and Ruthie are the only ones who were not involved in the murder yet they both somehow become a part of the story. The story kind of dragged on and I almost lost interest in some part of the story.

As a result, this book is only worth 2.5 stars in my opinion.

The Italian Village in the Hills – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Italian Village in the Hills

Author:- Victoria Springfield

Date published:- will be published on 19th January 2026

No. of pages:- 298 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Stella has spent decades trying to forget the heartbreak that made her flee the Italian village of her childhood. But when her new fiancé surprises her with a trip back to Liguria for her upcoming birthday, she is forced to confront the past, her first love and a tragic family rift.

Amy is mourning her beloved grandpa and curious to know more about the old coin necklace and mysterious postcard that he left her. Following his trail to the Italian Riviera, a chance meeting leads Amy to Stella’s village in the hills and to secrets that have lain buried since the war.

Against a backdrop of cobbled medieval streets, sunlit piazzas and rustic olive groves, both Stella and Amy make surprising discoveries about their families – and themselves.

By facing up to the past and opening their hearts, can Stella and Amy find happiness in the Italian village in the hills?

Escape to Italy with this warm, romantic and emotional tale of family, love and second chances.

This book talks all about second chances set in the beautiful scenic village backdrop in Italy.

Stella returns back to her village where she left many years ago. When she was younger, she was in love with a boy and her father who didn’t approve of her relationship died of heart attack. Now by chance, Stella realizes her uncle still runs the shop. Her uncle suddenly has an accident, causing her to take over the shop which eventually makes Stella breaks of her engagement with Joe. While running the shop, she meets her first love, Gino. Gino also couldn’t help and the two decide to give their relationship another chance. Meanwhile, Amy comes to the village as her grandfather, who used to fight in WWII has come to this village and she found it through the postcard that he had received. Amy also had a necklace that used to belong to her grandfather. The whole story talks about second chances, romance and of course discovering love.

This was an interesting and emotional read. The descriptions of the village brought the reader to Italy and it feels like you are in Italy. I love the coziness that I felt in this book as well. I also like the historical element that is added to this book, which made the whole book interesting to read as well, with a romantic twist. Overall, this was a cozy romance book that will bring you to the Italian village.

Overall this book is rated 4 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.