Tropical Girl Reads

When Sparks Fly – ARC Book Review

When Sparks Fly: An absolutely addictive lesbian romance novel by [Kristen Zimmer]

The room is dark, except for the streetlights coming through the blinds. I can barely see her, but I feel her. She pushes me up against the wall and we kiss harder than we ever have before. I’ve been waiting so long for it to happen, and finally, it’s going to. Then the bedroom door flies open, and someone screams her name…

Britton Walsh has never had a home. After a lifetime in the care system, she doesn’t expect she’ll ever find one. But beginning her senior year with new foster parents in a new city, means starting over yet again. Tom and Cate Cahill seem okay. The hitch? Their daughter, Avery.

Beautiful, popular and cool, Avery is everything Britton is not. She’s all Britton could ever ask for in a sister, or even a friend––but having survived without either for so long, Britton knows the way her heart races whenever Avery enters the room can only mean one thing…

But Avery has a secret. Something that is eating away at her and stopping her letting anyone in, least of all Britton. Will Avery’s insistence on punishing herself for a mistake in her past make Britton’s last year of high school, and finding a place to call home, impossible? Can two such different people ever find common ground, friendship, or maybe even something more?

No. of pages:- 288 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Date published:- 28th April 2021

Genre:- LGBTQ Romance

Though I am not a fan of LGBTQ, I have decided to read more books based on LGBTQ to get a change from the usual genres I normally read.

Britton is in foster care system and was adopted by Cate and Tom Cahill. And the catch? Cate and Tom have a daughter named Avery. The two are polar opposites of each other–Avery is a popular cheerleader in the high school. Britton is interested in photography. But Avery has a secret and Britton is having feelings towards her…

To be honest, compared to the other LGBTQ books I have read, this book is to my surprise really good! The story is completely told from Britton’s perspectives but nonetheless the story felt realistic. The writing was really good and it was engaging as well. I do like the bond between Avery and Britton with Avery going through her sister’s death and their support for each other during their senior year in high school. Truly enjoyed reading about their romantic relationship.

Worth four stars!

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

Whilst working full-time as an Assistant Editor for an
educational publishing house, Kristen always dreamed of
being a fiction author. When she found out her company
was relocating to California, she was faced with a huge,
life-altering decision. Should she move to LA and pursue
a solid career —or to take a risk and go freelance—thus
enabling her to pursue her dreams of being a writer?

Kristen closed her eyes and rolled the dice. Two years
later she’s secured a literary agent and publisher—and The
Gravity Between Us is her first novel.

Her Last Holiday – ARC Book Review

Her Last Holiday: the most addictive crime thriller of 2021 from the bestselling author of Strangers and Sleep by [C.L. Taylor]

You come to Soul Shrink to be healed. You don’t expect to die.

Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared on a wellness retreat in Gozo that went terribly wrong.

Tom Wade, the now infamous man behind Soul Shrink Retreats, has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the deaths of two people. But he has never let on what happened to the third victim: Jenna.

Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat – the first since his release – and finds herself face to face with the man who might hold the key to her sister’s disappearance. The only question is, will she escape the retreat alive? Or does someone out there want Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden?

The master of suspense is back. Prepare yourself for the latest heart-in-mouth rollercoaster ride from the Sunday Times bestseller.

No. of pages:- 400 pages

Publisher:- Avon

Date published:- April 29th 2021

Genre:- Thriller

I have always wanted to read C.L. Taylor’s books and was so excited when I got the ARC of this book. However, despite the lively expectations I had about the author, the book sadly did not live up to my expectations.

Two years ago, Jenna went missing while being on a wellness retreat in Gozo. Jenna was not the only victim–two more victims were found dead on that retreat and Tom, who was in charge of the retreat was sent to prison. Two years later, Tom was released from the prison and Kate his wife restarts SoulShrink. Meanwhile, Jenna’s family wants answers and Jenna’s mother Geraldine enrolls Fran, an IT fifty something old teacher to the retreat.

Initially, I do like the plot of the story. Writing was good, and in some parts, I was actually hooked to the story. It was a fast paced thriller. The story was told from the event happened two years ago in Jenna’s perspective and present in Fran and Kate’s perspectives. I like the development of romance between Jenna and Tom. The ending was dramatic and unexpected though the epilogue to me was a bit confusing to me at first. There were literally some parts, I was bored with. Nonetheless it was really a good thriller! Worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the ARC. This review is based on my honest opinion.

C.L. Taylor is an award winning Sunday Times bestselling author of eight gripping psychological thrillers including SLEEP, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick for autumn 2019. Her books are not a series and can be read in any order:

2014 – THE ACCIDENT / Before I Wake (U.S. title)
2015 – THE LIE
2016 – THE MISSING
2017 – THE ESCAPE
2018 – THE FEAR
2019 – SLEEP
2020 – STRANGERS
2021 – HER LAST HOLIDAY

She has also written standalone two Young Adult thrillers: THE TREATMENT and THE ISLAND.

C.L. Taylor’s books have sold in excess of a million copies, been number one on Amazon Kindle, Audible, Kobo, iBooks and Google Play and have been translated into 25 languages and optioned for TV.

SLEEP won the ‘best ebook’ award in the Amazon Publishing Readers’ Awards. THE ESCAPE won a Dead Good Books award. THE FEAR was shortlisted in the Hearst Big Book Awards in the ‘Pageturner’ category.

C.L. Taylor lives in Bristol in the UK with her partner and son.

Sign up to join the CL Taylor Book Club for access to news, exclusive newsletter-only competitions and the books that CL Taylor thinks will be the next big thing. You will also receive THE LODGER for free when you join:

The Silence of Bones – Book Review

Second book review of the day!

I have a mouth, but I mustn’t speak;
Ears, but I mustn’t hear;
Eyes, but I mustn’t see.

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman’s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

No. of pages:- 327 pages

Date published:- April 21st 2020

Genre:- Historical Fiction/Thriller

I am a huge fan of Korean dramas and this includes historical Korean dramas, my favorites being Dong Yi and Empress Ki. So when I saw the blurb of this book and that it is based during the Joseon period, I wanted to read this book so badly that I didn’t even think twice and bought this book on Amazon!

Dong Yi gifs – Han Hyo Joo – Han Hyo Joo 한효주

Empress Ki GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

This book is set during the 1800’s Joseon Korea and is told from the perspective of a Damo Seol, who is a servant and whose face was branded. She works in the police bureau and works alongside Inspector Han. Then a brutal murder of an aristocratic woman named Lady O with connections to the Catholicism changes Seol’s life.

As this is June Hur’s debut book, I do really like her style of writing. The vivid descriptions of the countryside and the mountains in Joseon period of Korea, the descriptions of capital and the palace all made me picture and felt like I was in this period with the character. Though initially, it started a little boring, soon by the middle of the book, the book piqued my interest and soon I got engrossed into the novel, wondering who is the actual killer. Though the story was a work of fiction, as mentioned by the author at the end of the book, the execution of Catholics and the police determined to catch and kill the Catholics was horrifying to read, as I realized these events did happen in real life. Overall, the ending was good and unexpected and I really liked the ending.

I didn’t honestly expect this book to be really good but it was good!! Worth five stars and looking forward to read more books from this author!

June Hur was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. She began writing her debut novel, The Silence of Bones, after obsessing over books about Joseon Korea. When she’s not writing, she works as an assistant for the public library or can be found journaling at a coffee shop. June currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.

The Last One Home – ARC Book Review

The Last One Home by [Victoria Helen Stone]

A razor-sharp novel of suspense about the lies families tell—and those we choose to believe—by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Jane Doe.

Lauren Abrams wants nothing to do with her damaged mother, whose spurious testimony sent Lauren’s father to prison for murder years ago. After a serial killer’s confession to the crime restored justice, Lauren chose to live with her father and grandmother. Now an adult, Lauren has come home to the Sacramento family estate for good, her mother’s lies be damned…

It’s been decades since Donna made her cheating boyfriend pay, but she hasn’t forgotten the past. She knows her estranged daughter has made a terrible mistake by returning to the estate. There’s more to the story of the welcoming old homestead—and her childhood—than Lauren knows.

As Lauren settles in, she is haunted by the questions of what really happened with her father, what her mother might be hiding, and what secrets the family ranch holds. It’s getting so dark, Lauren may not be able to see the truth to save her life

No. of pages:- 301 pages

Publisher:- Lake Union

Date published:- will be published on 30th March 2021

Genre:- Domestic Thriller

Lauren Abrams inherits a house from her grandmother and has an estranged relationship with her own mother, who apparently lied and sent her father to the prison over the death of a girl. Now the person who actually did commit the crime is safe behind the bars and her father is a free man, happily married. Lauren gets messages from the killer himself who is in the prison. Meanwhile, she uncovers a secret in the house…

I haven’t read her previous books Jane Doe yet, which is actually in my want to read book list so I was excited to try this book out first. The story is told from the perspectives of Lauren, which is present day and Donna, Lauren’s mother, back in the 1980’s when she was pregnant with Lauren, each recounting about their encounter with that particular house. To me, it wasn’t fast paced but more like a sleepy thriller, not much twists and turns as I expect to from a thriller. The writing was however OK and good. It was however a short thriller but nonetheless I thought this was kind of an OK thriller–not like a dying thriller with twists and turns. Kind of predictable as well.

Overall, I give this book three stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union for this ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion.

Victoria Helen Stone is the nom de plume for USA Today bestselling author Victoria Dahl. After publishing more than twenty-five novels, she is now taking a turn toward the darker side of genre fiction. Born and educated in the Midwest, she finished her first manuscript just after college. In 2016, the American Library Association awarded her the prestigious Reading List Award for outstanding genre fiction. Having escaped the plains of her youth, she now resides with her family in a small town high in the Rocky Mountains, where she enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, and not skiing (too dangerous).

Books currently reading and coming soon on the blog!

I have been slumped lately and so I am actually reading tons of ARC books and other books. So I decided to share with you some of the books I am currently reading! ( I have no included ARC books I am reading)

The Silence of Bones – June Hur

Amazon.com: The Silence of Bones (9781250229557): Hur, June: Books

So far this book is going good…

2. The Doll House – Phoebe Morgan

3. I see You – Clare MacIntosh

4. The Wife Between Us – Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Wife Between Us: Amazon.co.uk: Hendricks, Greer, Pekkanen, Sarah: 9781509842810: Books

5. Sunshine and Second Chances – Kim Nash

Sunshine and Second Chances: A heart-warming, feel-good summer read about friendship, love and second chances. by Kim Nash

So stay tuned for these book reviews soon!

A Cider Apple Summer – ARC Book Review

Feel the sun on your face on a Somerset terrace overlooking golden fields and wild meadowland, and watch as romance beckons and long-hidden secrets are revealed…

When twenty-seven-year-old Posy arrives at picture-perfect Oleander House in the Somerset village of Astercombe, she is enchanted. Adopted when she was just a baby, Posy is excited to re-connect with her birth family and help out on the family cider farm with its old stone walls and bees buzzing in the hedgerows.

There’s just one tiny problem – her new next-door neighbour, haughty, handsome vineyard-owner Lachlan. Lachlan has taken an instant dislike to Posy, and after a furious argument when she ventures on his land, she’s pretty certain there’s not a heart of gold beneath his frosty exterior.

Yet as she falls in love with the flower-filled hedgerows and apple-green fields of her new life, she discovers more about her grumpy neighbour. Even though he acts like the world is out to get him, she can’t ignore the sad expression in his dark eyes.

And when Posy discovers the heartbreaking secret that is tearing Lachlan apart, she understands why he has shut the door on the world and vows to help him, as well as the vineyard, which has fallen on hard times. Yet just as Lachlan lets Posy in, a terrible night threatens to destroy everything she has begun to care about and puts someone she loves at risk. Will her dream life in the country come at an awful price?

No. of pages:- 405 pages

Date published:- will be published on April 16th 2021

Genre:- Romance

Publisher:- Bookouture

First of all, I love all Tilly Tennant’s book covers–they are so pretty and have a way of attracting the reader to the book! And I have always been a huge fan of her books so I was super excited when I got a chance to review this ARC.

Posy finds out about her birth mother and then sets off to the countryside in Somerset to meet her biological uncles–Giles and his wife Sandra and Asa who want to get to know her. They all own apple orchards and make cider from them. While in the countryside, she accidentally meets Lachlan who was swimming naked in the lake in his own vineyard when she accidentally walks into it. The two initially didn’t get along together and hated each other and slowly, Posy and Asa becomes closer and she and Lachlan too gets closer…

First of all, I like the descriptions of the countryside that makes me imagine myself being in the country side in the apple orchard. Posy the main character to me is a likable character and I do like how she was friendly and warm and soon get along with her uncle, Asa. Many of the characters, including Lachlan to me are likable so that’s a good sign to me. The descriptions of vineyard and the countryside makes you feel like you are actually enjoying the countryside with the characters. However, even though the story was good, there were some parts that was a bit boring and I thought the side romance with Jackson and Posy was a bit unnecessary.

Overall, unlike her previous book, this book was an OK book though I enjoyed reading about the countryside and the plot. Worth three stars!

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop girl, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing, graduating in 2009 with first class honours. She wrote her first novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and has not stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor, and considers herself very lucky that this enables her to read many wonderful books before the rest of the world gets them.

Tilly is represented by the wonderful, gorgeous Peta Nightingale at LAW.

My Darling – Book Review

My Darling: From the #1 bestselling author of Obsession comes a sinister new domestic thriller by [Amanda Robson]

A new couple moves in next door.
And nothing will ever be the same again…

I watched you move in and thought we might be friends.

I saw you watching from the window – and knew I’d have to keep you away from my husband.

I started to trust you. Confide in you.

I started to mistrust you. Suspect you.

I was confused when I blacked out after an evening at your place. Was I really that drunk?

I came up with a plan. A plan to make you both pay . . .

No. of pages:- 380 pages

Date published:- August 24th 2020

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Publisher:- Avon

This book was an interesting thriller book to me. A couple moves to a house next to your house. Jade is suspicious of her husband Tomas and thinks he is having an affair with Emma, who is a dentist. Meanwhile, Emma is in a relationship with Alastair, a forensic pathologist. Emma lives across from Jade’s house and then their lives start to change.

The chapters were short which made it easier for me to read and so I was able to finish this book fast, thus good for quick read. There were twists and turns in the book. Jade seems to be a complicated character but later on in the book we find Emma more complicated. The story is told from the perspectives of Jade, Emma and Alastair and so you could get to know what each of the character thinks, coupled with a past taunting event that made Emma vulnerable. Overall, this was a good fast paced thriller with the drama happening between these two couples.

Worth four stars!

CCSD Schools Earn High Marks for School Climate - Polaris Evening Program

After graduating, Amanda Robson worked in medical research at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and at the Poisons Unit at Guy’s Hospital where she became a co-author of a book on cyanide poisoning – a subject which has set her in good stead for writing her dark and twisting novel about love affairs gone wrong. Amanda attended the Faber novel writing course and writes full-time. Obsession is her debut novel. http://www.amandarobson.co.uk

Pretty Little Wife – Book Review

Pretty Little Wife: A Novel by [Darby Kane]

#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Named a recommended read by Huffington Post, PopSugar, Refinery29, Goodreads, The Skimm, Book Page, Style Caster, and a New York Post Best Book of the Week

Debut author Darby Kane thrills with this twisty domestic suspense novel that asks one central question: shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead?
Lila Ridgefield lives in an idyllic college town, but not everything is what it seems. Lila isn’t what she seems.
A student vanished months ago. Now, Lila’s husband, Aaron, is also missing. At first these cases are treated as horrible coincidences until it’s discovered the student is really the third of three unexplained disappearances over the last few years. The police are desperate to find the connection, if there even is one. Little do they know they might be stumbling over only part of the truth….

With the small town in an uproar, everyone is worried about the whereabouts of their beloved high school teacher. Everyone except Lila, his wife. She’s definitely confused about her missing husband but only because she was the last person to see his body, and now it’s gone.

No. of pages:- 407 pages

Publisher:- William Morrow

Date published:- December 29th 2020

Genre:- Psychological Thriller/Domestic Suspense

First of all….WHAT DID I JUST READ?!?!?! Second of all….Holy Smokes!!! A twisted psychological thriller that will keep you up all night and your mind reeling!!

What would you do when you see some videos of your husband molesting teenage school girls? Well, Lila Ridgefield decided to get rid of her husband, Aaron who is a coach at the high school as well as beloved Math teacher. But then her plans backfires a little as both Aaron and his car goes missing. Soon the police officers, Ginny and Pete question her, suspecting if she had anything to do with Aaron’s missing…

Meanwhile college aged girls goes missing, the latest was a girl named Karen Blue who was last seen few months ago. Are the two cases related?

The plot gets interesting as soon as you start reading the first chapter. Did Lila really kill her husband? Or is someone else also involved? There were unexpected twists and turns that makes you gasp out loud And as you go further and further, you are so engrossed into the book that you actually couldn’t wait what is going to happen next!!! The writer indeed did a good job drawing the reader into the story! The ending was shocking and unexpected that I literally had to take a breather to calm myself down. This was fast paced as well with twists and turns you didn’t even expect. The characters to me are all unreliable, particularly, Lila, Jared that even made the story more disturbing and intriguing at the same time.

This was really a twisted domestic suspense novel that will keep you up all night. I simply couldn’t put this book down and I was so engrossed into the story that I didn’t even realized until I came to the end that I finished the book! I am actually looking forward to read more books from this author and I could definitely see this book made into a movie.

This book totally worth five stars!

Darby Kane is the pseudonym of a former trial attorney and award-winning romantic suspense author. Her thriller debut, Pretty Little Wife, was a #1 international bestseller and a recommended read in The New York Post, The Skimm, Huffington Post, Refinery29, Book Club Girl, Style Caster, and Popsugar. A native of Pennsylvania, Darby now lives in California and runs from the cold. Her next domestic thriller, The Replacement Wife, will be released in December 2021. Visit darbykane.com for more information.

Small Town Secrets – ARC Book Review

Small Town Secrets: A heartwarming and uplifting women’s fiction novel (Fortune Springs) by [Alys Murray]

“Young women needed for the Fortune Springs Town Improvement Initiative. One year’s room and board provided.”

I should have known it was too good to be true when I first saw the ad. It turns out that Fortune Springs, Colorado isn’t just a one-horse town, it’s a two-woman one, and this is their attempt to keep the community alive. I want to say the scheme is ridiculous, totally outdated, but I’m carrying everything I own in my canvas backpack and the greyhound I stepped off this morning is long gone. If this is my chance at a fresh start, I’d better grab it with both hands.

I know I should feel guilty about pretending to be a lonely heart willing to help repopulate this rural logging town, but all I feel is relief at having escaped the apartment in Savannah. And after all, what’s one more secret to add to the pile? I only hope I’ve hidden my tracks well enough, and that the kind Fortune Springs locals who’ve opened their doors to me will never find out what made me run away in the first place…

An emotional, gripping story full of family drama. Fans of Carolyn Brown, Robyn Carr and Debbie Macomber will be hooked.

No of pages:- 254 pages

Date published:- will be published on March 24th 2021

Genre:- Women’s Fiction

“Young women needed for the Fortune Springs Town Improvement Initiative. One year’s room and board provided.”

That’s how the story starts with Virginia Bessel moving into Fortune Springs to start a new life. She befriends Calla and her granddaughter, Willa and lives with them in the Bride House. Then she meets a handsome firefighter, Owen–initially, they first didn’t get along and soon sparks start flying between them…

I had enjoyed reading Alys Murray’s books and so I was excited to read this one. Like all her book, this story was engaging and also actually easy to read and quick to read as well. The characters to me are all likable, particularly I like little Willa and how Virginia quickly becomes friends with Willa. This was actually more like a Hallmark movie with Virginia leaving behind bad memories and wanting to start a new life in Fortune Springs, Colorado and then meeting a handsome man and falling in love with him.

Overall, to me, this wasn’t a bad book–it was good. The story was nothing new but nonetheless, I enjoyed reading this book and read in one go. Worth four stars in my opinion!

Alys Murray writes novels for the romantic in all of us. Born and raised in New Orleans, she received her BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and her Master’s in Film Studies from King’s College London. She loves black and white movies, baseball games that go into extra innings, and reminding people like Michael Bay has two films in The Criterion Collection.

The Redwood Asylum – ARC Book Review

The Redwood Asylum: A Paranormal Horror by [L.A. Detwiler]

From the USA Today Bestseller L.A. Detwiler comes a new eerie horror filled with secrets, ghosts, and murder.

The dead do talk … if you’re brave enough to hear their sinister secrets.

In a thick forest sits a forgotten stone building, The Redwood Asylum. Once inside, the criminally insane, the darkly disturbed, and the eternally confused residents learn one thing very quickly: they are at the mercy of ruthless evil in many forms.

At twenty-six, Jessica Rosen starts a new job at Redwood in the hopes of forgetting an insidious past. She quickly realizes, however, that Redwood harbors malevolent secrets and beings in every chilly corner. On her second day adjusting to her job, the unstable man in 5B quickly latches onto Jessica in an unsettling way. When his rantings and warnings start to make sense, though, Jessica will be taken on a ride of secrets, murder, and dangerous beings. As she begins to uncover the horrifying truths behind the man’s past , the terrors of Redwood Asylum will follow her home and make her question her own sanity.

Can Jessica solve the secrets of the man in 5B in time to save herself, or will the terrors trap her in Redwood’s evil clutches forever?

No. of pages:- 222 pages

Published:- 12th March 2021

Genre:- Horror

I love watching horror movies and so I was thrilled when I got a chance to read a horror book!

Jessica gets a new job as a nurse in an asylum called Redwood Asylum for criminally insane. On the second day of her work, she comes across a man in 5B who has been locked for years and who latches on Jessica in an unsettling way. And soon, Jessica is haunted by some children and she is determined to find secrets at the asylum…

To my utter surprise, this story was actually good! The writing was great and it was actually as if I was watching a horror movies. We know that the main character Jessica is somewhat an unreliable, dysfunctional character with something to hide to work in a place like Redwood Asylum. I was so engrossed into the book that I didn’t even realize until I came to the end that I have finished the book! It was really good! It was engaging, and at times, there were some horror in the book as expected. The ending was somewhat unexpected, as you are rooting to the main character, wondering what will happen to the main character soon.

I really enjoyed this book–an unputdownable horror book worth five stars!

L.A. Detwiler is the USA TODAY Bestselling thriller author of The Widow Next Door and several other chilling page-turners. She is also a high school English teacher from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.

During her final year at Mount Aloysius College, she started writing her first fiction novel, which was published in 2015. She has also written articles that have appeared in several women’s publications and websites. L.A. Detwiler lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad. They have five cats and a mastiff named Henry.

Do you want a free copy of ‘I’d Kill for You’ by L.A? Head here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/bx3spg4ri7

Connect with L.A. Detwiler on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ladetwiler
Visit L.A. Detwiler’s website: http://www.ladetwiler.com