It’s Not What You Think – ARC Book Review

Title:- It’s Not What You Think

Author:- Clare Mackintosh

Date published:- will be published on 26th March 2026

Genre:- Thriller/Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

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

Overall rating;- 5/5

He has a secret. She knows he’s lying…

YOU THINK YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE

Nadeeka is certain Jamie is having an affair. She knows the tell-tale signs.

She’s been here before.

YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHO YOU CAN TRUST

When Jamie claims to be at work late, she knows he’s lying. He’s with another woman, and she’s determined to catch him in the act.

YOU THINK YOU KNOW HOW THE STORY ENDS

But when Nadeeka arrives home to confront him, Jamie can’t explain himself. The house has become a crime scene…

Jamie is dead.

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

Nadeeka is convinced that Jamie is having an affair. Nadeeka drives back to her home to confront her partner Jamie, almost getting a speeding ticket on the way. But as she reaches her house, there was a police car and her house has officially become a crime scene–Jamie was murdered, dead. Nadeeka is devastated and upset although she is convinced that Jamie is having an affair. But as she starts digging further, she realizes that there’s more to Jamie’s death that she has ever experienced.

I have read Clare Mackintosh’s books, and all her books are fast paced psychological thrillers packed with twists and turns. This book is no exception. From the start of the book to the end, it was fast paced, with so many different twists and turns. You believe or maybe this happened but in the next minute, you are being misdirected and another twist follows after that. The story is told in multiple POVs–Nadeeka, Lauren, Jamie, Fraser. The book is unputdownable, and a page turner where you will feel like you are at the edge of the seat while reading the book. So far, I have to say, this might be one of the best books I have read written by Clare Mackintosh in my opinion (my favorite was I Let You Go). The whole book felt like you are watching an action thriller that you couldn’t turn it off and that you really want to know what is going to happen in the end–that’s exactly how it happened. It was engaging and was impossible to put the book down.

I actually liked the fact that the main character–Nadeeka Prassana is a Sri Lankan–I am a Sri Lankan so it kind of gave me an excitement to read a book where one of the main characters is a Sri Lankan-British. Both Nadeeka and Lauren are courageous and brave heroine that as a reader you could root for.

This book will be published in March and I highly recommend if you could pre-order a copy of this book now! Worth five stars.

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

Mrs. Sidhu’s Just Desserts – ARC Book Review

Title:- Mrs. Sidhu’s Just Desserts

Author:- Suk Pannu

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

No. of pages:- 387 pages

Genre:- Cozy Mystery/Thriller

Rating:-

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

Overall rating:- 4/5

In this twisting and richly sauced mystery, will the proof be in the pudding?‘Perfect for fans of Richard Osman’ Guardian

‘Slough’s answer to Miss Marple’ S.J. Bennett

‘A dollop of cosy crime goodness’ Vaseem Khan

It’s the most glamorous event of the yearWhen Mrs Sidhu is hired as the caterer for the opening of Berkshire’s swankiest new art gallery, she can’t believe her luck.

It’s the biggest pay cheque of her career, a glitzy evening, and a chance to take her cooking to the next level in front of the local crème de la crème.

But there’s trouble on the menuThen the gallery’s star painting is stolen. And worse than that, Mrs Sidhu’s best and sweetest waitress – with her whole life ahead of her – is found dead.

Mrs Sidhu wants answers. As she casts her eye over Berkshire’s art scene – the murderously competitive collectors, critics and creatives – she uncovers a dastardly knot of greed and deception, obsession and revenge.

Can she crack the strangest case of her career and unmask the murderer, so they can meet their just desserts?

An exceptional cosy crime mystery from Suk Pannu, creator of BBC Radio 4’s Mrs Sidhu Investigates

If you are fans of Richard Osman’s thrillers then maybe this book is for you.

Not very familiar with BBC Radio 4’s Mrs. Sidhu’s Investigates but this is the first book I have read from this author.

Mrs. Sidhu is hired as a caterer to provide desserts for a glamorous art event in Berkshire. While at the event, the most talked of painting was stolen and Mrs. Sidhu’s beloved waitress was murdered and her own boss was found drugged. Mrs. Sidhu is now determined to find the perpetrator behind this so she could solve the robbery and murder even though she is putting her own life and career at risk.

This book is perfect for cozy mystery lovers. I like the diversity of the book as well–the main character Mrs. Sidhu is of Indian origin. Not only that–the whole book was unputdownable. There were twists and turns and so many suspects that one of them could be responsible for what happened. There were some funny parts in the book that will make you laugh out loud. It was also fast paced and I was literally hooked into the story, unable to put the book down.

I didn’t also realize that this was the second book of the series so I am actually looking forward to read more from Mrs. Sidhu’s series. Overall worth four stars.

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

The Cherry Crush Flower Shop – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Chery Crush Flower Shop

Author:- Harper Graham

Date published:- will be published on 10th February 2026

No. of pages:- 330 pages

Genre;- Romance

Rating:-

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

Overall rating:- 4/5

Their relationship is fake… The chemistry is not! 🔥

A small-town girl with a secret crush and flowers in her hair. A dark, rugged veteran with scars only she can see. With spring fever all around, could fake dating turn into happily ever after? Gilmore Girls + Friends to Lovers + Spice = ❤️‍🔥

🌼🌼🌼

Zoe Hart is right where she in her cozy Maple Falls flower shop with her cat Whiskers. But her oldest friend (and secret crush) Jackson is back in their small town too. And most of all, she longs to be in his strong arms. So when her hopelessly romantic mom bets on them being Couple of the Year at the Spring Festival, Zoe finds herself fake-dating the friend-zoned guy she’s always wanted…

When Jackson returns from military service, even working on his llama sanctuary can’t heal him. But Zoe is the only person who can truly make him smile. He’d do anything for her… even pretend to be dating for the Spring Festival. There’s nothing fake about his feelings as he crushes his lips to hers. But there’s no way she’d really want a broken man like him, would she?

All eyes are on them as the town prepares to vote for Couple of the Year. But when a hidden wildflower meadow becomes their escape, real passion blooms amid falling cherry blossom. Will the magic of spring turn their make-believe romance into true love forever?

The Cherry Crush Flower Shop is the third book of the Maple Falls series. I have read the first two books although I haven’t given the reviews on them so this is the first time I am reviewing this book.

This book actually bore some similarities of Laurie Gilmore’s Dream Harbor series. Set in a small town up in Maine, where everyone knows every body and their businesses, so if you have read Dream Harbor series, then try reading Maple Falls series as well. I also couldn’t help but notice that plot lines could be a bit similar to the books in the Dream Harbor series. I know there’s no original plot and there is always a copycat books that bore eerie resemblance to another story. So nonetheless, this did not deter me from reading the Maple Falls series.

Harper Graham’s writing is flawless and she really did a good job of hooking the reader into the story. The detailed descriptions of the surroundings, (as this story takes place during the spring time) takes you to the spring season in the small town. Also, despite the romance themed book, there is some serious topics that is discussed in the book. Zoe’s infertility and Jackson’s PTSD were too sensitive topics and I have to say, the author managed to handled these topics very well. Also the small adventure between Zoe and Jackson of finding an extinct flower in the woods was a major backdrop of the story, besides all the romance background. If you are into spicy romance, there are some spicy scenes in the book.

Overall, this is a great book and I am looking forward to read the next book of the Maple Falls series.

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

A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang – Book Review

Title:- A Midnight Pastry Shop called Hwawoldang

Author:- Lee Onhwa

Date published:- December 11th 2024

No. of pages:- 240 pages

Genre:- Magic Realism/Contemporary/Asian/Korean

Rating:-

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

Overall rating:- 4/5

For readers of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, The Dallergut Dream Department Store, and The Midnight Library, a sweetly magical and uplifting novel about a young woman who inherits an enchanted bakery that spirits visit on their last stop before the afterlife.

Twenty-seven-year-old Yeon-hwa has inherited a neighborhood bakery from her grandmother. Curiously, her grandmother’s will spells out two conditions: Yeon-hwa must keep the shop going for at least another month and only open it to customers from 10 PM until midnight. Yeon-hwa is hesitant at first; her grandmother was always distant, raising Yeon-hwa after her parents died in a car accident. But she agrees to the terms, hoping that running the bakery will help her to finally understand her grandmother after all these years.

Yeon-hwa soon learns that the Hwawoldang—the name means “flower moon temple” —is not an ordinary dessert shop. The customers who arrive late at night are spirits, there to attend to unfinished business before being reincarnated. The sweets they crave hold some deep significance in their earthly lives, and they expect Yeon-hwa to meet their requests, as her grandmother did.

With each customer who arrives, Yeon-hwa learns which special desserts live in their memories and will help them on their way. Aided by the shop’s resident black cat, Yeon-hwa learns how to find closure for her customers—and begins to unravel her own family’s secrets as well.

Yeon-Hwa inherits the pastry shop from her grandmother after her death. The shop has unique opening time–it opens at 10 pm and closes around midnight. Yeon-Hwa meets customers who had died and who comes to the store asking for a special sweet that reminds them of their loved ones. Yeon-Hwa then immediately transports to the time when these customers were alive and how they lived before their death.

Basically, all stories in the book dealt with the customers, their lives before their death and their loved ones to whom they dedicate those sweets too. Many comment that this book is similar to Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookstore, a Japanese fiction book which I still yet to read. To me, I felt this was a unique story and each of these customer’s lives before their death was interesting as well as heartbreaking, emotional as well. The fact that their loved one is deeply sad about the loss also makes it heartbreaking.

It was interesting and a good magic realism book. Overall, I rate this book as four stars.

House of Glass – Book Review

Title:- House of Glass

Author:- Sarah Pekkanen

Date published:- August 6th 2024

No. of pages:- 341 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

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

Overall rating:- 4/5

On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie.

A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny – in the midst of her parent’s bitter divorce – and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella’s mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there’s something eerie about the house itself: It’s a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.

As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny’s murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny’s boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella’s supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?

Stella is a lawyer, specialized in representing the children whose parents are going through the divorce and helping them with the custody battle. Stella’s mentor and father-like figure, Charles asks Stella to take on an unusual case–a nine-year-old girl named Rose Barclay had witnessed her nanny’s death and has been silent since then. Her parents are getting divorced and her nanny, Tina has been having an affair with Rose’s father Ian. Stella is a bit hesitant to take over the case as Rose reminded her of her own childhood and past–Stella was seven-years old when her mother overdosed to death. Stella reluctantly takes over the case. As Stella spends more time with the Barclays and Rose, she notices an unusual thing–there are no glass items in or around the house, even the windows are made of plastic. Rose also seem to be having a habit of picking up short objects and hiding them in her room. As Stella dwells deeper, is Rose a disturbed child and maybe responsible for her nanny’s death?

This book to me was a page turner. The entire story is told in Stella’s POV and while investigating and helping Rose, she revisits her own traumatic childhood. Reading this book reminds me of Lizzie Borden case–a child who killed her own parents and Rose is an extremely gifted child while at the same time a disturbed child. All the characters except for Stella are unrealistic characters. The final twist at the end was little bit unexpected.

Overall, this was an entertaining read, and worth four stars.

So Thrilled for You – Book Review

Title:- So Thrilled For You

Author:- Holly Bourne

Date published:- January 16th 2025

No. of pages:- 423 pages

Genre:- Fiction/Contemporary/Thriller

Rating:-

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

Overall rating:- 4/5

A terrible heatwave. A very tense baby shower. It will all end in tears…

Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi have been friends since university. Now in their thirties, life is pulling them in different directions – but when Charlotte organises the baby shower of hell for pregnant Nicki, the girls are reunited.

Under a sweltering hot summer day, tensions rise – and by the end of the evening, nothing will ever be the same. Someone started a fire at the house – and everyone’s a suspect… Is it Steffi, happily child-free but feeling judged by her friends? Is it Charlotte, desperate to conceive and jealous of those who have? Is it Lauren, who is finding motherhood far, far worse than she imagined? Or is it Nicki herself, who never wanted a baby shower anyway?

In the aftermath, the police put together the facts – but the truth will shock everyone. Even you.

BIG LITTLE LIES meets REALLY GOOD, ACTUALLY in the incredible new novel from Holly Bourne – it’s the book you’ll want to read three times, then give to every woman in your life.

This could be more a contemporary book than a thriller

It’s the heatwave and amidst the heatwave, Charlotte has organized a baby showe for one of her best friends, Nicki. Their other friends, Lauren and Steffi are also invited for the baby shower as well, which is held at Nicki’s parents’ countryside house. Charlotte, Nickie, Lauren and Steffi had been friends since the university. Lauren is already a mother– a struggling mother who yearns for her old life back. Nickie is pregnant but her past seems to be catching up with her at the baby shower. Charlotte is struggling to become a mother after many failed attempts of IVF. And Steffi is the only unmarried, childless person in the group, running a successful literary agent.

But then a fire destroys the baby shower and the friendship between them is questioned.

There were snippets of detective SImmons questioning the four friends about the fire. However overall, the story, told in the POVs of Lauren, Nicki, Charlotte and Steffi tells about the struggles and accomplishments in their own life. Motherhood is hard for Lauren who is struggling and probably having postpartum depression. Each of them are envious and jealous of one another and towards the end of the book is the whole drama and fight between the four friends before the fire. And of course not to put much spoilers, the fire was NOT an arson as the police initially believed.

Despite the fact that it’s not a thriller and no body is getting murdered, I did enjoy reading the book–I am more like Steffi as I am not married and childless so I can relate to Steffi more than to any of the other main characters. There are some funny parts, some emotional parts (particularly when reading Lauren’s POV).

Overall, this is actually a great book and is worth four stars.

Nightwatching – Book Review

Title:- Night Watching

Author:- Tracy Sierra

Date published:- February 1st 2024

No. of pages:- 368 pages

Genre:- Suspense/Thriller

Rating:-

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

Overall rating:- 3/5

The Fallon Spring Reads Book Club Pick

A mother is forced to the breaking point when her life and the lives of her children are threatened by an intruder

Home alone with her young children during a blizzard, a mother tucks her son back into bed in the middle of the night. She hears a noise—old houses are always making some kind of noise. But this sound is disturbingly familiar: it’s the tread of footsteps, unusually heavy and slow, coming up the stairs.

She sees the figure of a man appear down the hallway, shrouded in the shadows. Terrified, she quietly wakes her children and hustles them into the oldest part of the house, a tiny, secret room concealed behind a wall. There they hide as the man searches for them, trying to tempt the children out with promises and scare the mother into surrender.

In the suffocating darkness, the mother struggles to remain calm, to plan. Should she search for a weapon or attempt escape? But then she catches another glimpse of him. That face. That voice. And at once she knows her situation is even more dire than she’d feared, because she knows exactly who he is—and what he wants.

Back in 2024, there was a huge raving for this book and so I decided to get this book. It took me sometime for me to finally sit down and read the book and let’s just say, it took me a while to finish this book.

The premise for the book was good. It has an interesting plot. During the blizzard, a mother realizes that there’s an intruder inside the house and she is armed with a task to protect her two children from this intruder whom she calls as “the Corner”. The whole story talks about how she managed to evade the intruder from finding her children and getting help, to save her and her children from the unknown intruder.

As I said, the premise was great. But the way the story was executed wasn’t that great however.

There were too many unnecessary backgrounds to the story–about the main character’s mother’s death, which I feel is irrelevant to the story, about her relationship with her father-in-law (who is an a-hole by the way), about her relationship with her family…these story background does not really connect to the whole premise of the story. And also the fact that there were no names for the characters also was a bit bizarre–for all we know, even the main character does not even have a name, which I am not really a fan of.

Because of that, the beginning part of the book was boring–the part where the story got interesting was actually towards the end. I am not going to put too much into the review but let’s summarize the fact that no one actually believed the main character’s claim that there was an intruder in the house.

Overall, this could have been a better book, if those irrelevant parts in the story were removed and if the author could have given names of all the characters. To many, this was a great read. But to me, it was simply OK.

However, I have to say, this author really writes well and I am looking forward to read more books from this author.

Worth 3 stars.

His First Girlfriend – ARC Book Review

Title:- His First Girlfriend

Author:- Nora Valters

Date published:- 3rd February 2026

No. of pages:- 270 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

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

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

Your son’s new girlfriend.

Your new worst enemy…?

My heart thuds as the front door swings open, and my precious son Seth walks in with his new girlfriend Lily on his arm. I’m so nervous. But she’s everything I hoped she’d be. Before long, she’s part of the family and staying every evening. We relax together and have long conversations. It’s a dream – Lily is like the daughter I never had.

But as our family dynamic shifts, the precious bond with my husband and son begins to change. I’m convinced they’re avoiding me and talking to me differently… Am I being paranoid, or is Lily turning my loved ones against me?

Then I receive a warning. It hints at a past I’ve tried so hard to erase. My carefully controlled world starts to unravel.

Is the secret I’ve tried so hard to bury about to destroy my perfect family?

And can I trust Lily? Or is my life and my son’s life in danger?

An utterly addictive psychological thriller that will have you gasping out loud. If you love None Of This Is True, John Marrs, T.M Logan and Freida McFadden you’ll be gripped by His First Girlfriend.

Jen and Todd has a son Seth who is off to the university. They seemed to be leading a happy family life until Seth starts dating a girl from the university–Lily. Lily is a computer science major. Jen’s computer gets hacked and Lily immediately helps Jen to restore her computer back. Soon, Jen starts to suspect that Lily has done something to her computer, including framing one of her colleagues from work and that Lily isn’t who she is. But Todd and Seth both believe that Jen is crazy.

This was a fast paced page turning thriller. There were twists and turns and the whole story can be read in one go. You have Jen, that as a reader you kind of sympathizes since no one actually believes her including her own family. Then of course we have a murder that happened nearly twenty years ago which may have some sort of connection with the overall story. The ending was actually great–the ending was completely unexpected and it felt as if the ending was WTH moment.

Overall, this book is highly recommended due to its twists and turns and worth five stars.

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

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.