Are you in Reese’s Book Club? Well, I am and sometimes I try to read the books her book club recommends. I have read some of the books and here are my reviews. Some of these books I have written a book review on them and so I will simply put the stars.
Yellowface – R.F. Kuang
My rating:-
2. Wrong Place Wrong Time – Gillian McAllister
My rating:-
3.
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4. Tokyo Ever After- Emiko Jean
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5. The Last Thing He Told Me – Laura Dave
My rating:-
6.Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
My rating:-
7. Daisy Jones and the Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating:-
7 The Last House Guest – Megan Miranda
My rating:-
8. The Giver of Stars – Jojo Moyes
My rating:-
9. The Henna Artist – Alka Joshi
My rating:-
10. The Guest List – Lucy Foley
My rating:-
11. You should see me in a crown – Leah Johnson
My rating:-
12. A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow – Laura Taylor Namey
My rating:-
13. The Sanatorium – Sarah Pearse
My rating:-
14. Fire Keeper’s Daughter – Angeline Boulley
My rating:-
I have read 14 books from Reese’s Book Club and currently, I am reading the followin
Have you read any of the books from Reese’s book club and what do you think?
When seventeen-year-old Bailey starts a new job at a hotel waterpark, she is less than thrilled to see an old acquaintance is one of her coworkers. Bailey met Charlie a year ago on the long flight to Omaha, where she moved after her parents’ divorce. Charlie’s cynicism didn’t mix well with Bailey’s carefully well-behaved temperament, and his endless commentary was the irritating cherry on top of an already emotionally fraught trip.
Now, Bailey and Charlie are still polar opposites, but instead of everything about him rubbing Bailey the wrong way, she starts to look forward to hanging out and gossiping about the waterpark guests and their coworkers—particularly two who keep flirting with each other. Bailey and Charlie make a bet on whether or not the cozy pair will actually get together. Charlie insists that members of the opposite sex can’t just be friends, and Bailey is determined to prove him wrong.
Bailey and Charlie keep close track of the romantic progress of others while Charlie works to deflect the growing feelings he’s developed for Bailey. Terrified to lose her if his crush becomes known, what doesn’t help his agenda is Bailey and Charlie “fake dating” in order to disrupt the annoying pleasantries between Bailey’s mom and her mom’s new boyfriend. Soon, what Charlie was hoping to avoid becomes a reality as Bailey starts to see him as not only a friend she can rely on in the midst of family drama—but someone who makes her hands shake and heart race. But Charlie has a secret—a secret that involves Bailey and another bet Charlie may have made. Can the two make a real go of things…or has Charlie’s secret doomed them before they could start?
This is the second Lynn Painter’s book and I enjoyed reading Better Than Movies book and so I decided to read all her books.
Bailey and Charlie meet each other for the first time at the airport. Bailey thinks Charlie is a jerk and Charlie thinks Bailey is a nerd. The two ended up sitting next to each other on the plane and Bailey hoped that she would never meet Charlie again. Flash forward, many years later, Bailey meets Charlie again, at the workplace and they are coworkers. The two recognize each other and soon become quick friends, making bets on their friends to see if they will end up dating. But as they get connected to each other, both Bailey and Charlie started having feelings towards each other.
This is a typical young adult classic romance movie. If you are really into that genre, then I would suggest to try out all the books. Although as many of you know, I don’t usually like romance much, I did enjoy reading this book. The chemistry between Bailey and Charlie is real and as a reader, I wanted them to be together. I also like Bailey’s relationship with her mother and how she tried to get on with her future stepfather, Scott. The story is told in Bailey’s and Charlie’s POV so we get to see that both the characters have feelings towards each other. Of course, the ending in nearly every romance books is predictable and this book is no exception. Worth 4 stars.
A legendary competition. A mesmerizing romance. An unbreakable bond between two sisters.
Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.
For some reason, I have more fantasy genre books more than thriller genre books. I heard so many raving reviews on the Caraval series through bookstagram and booktoks and thought maybe, I should try out this new fantasy series. And I have to say, I did enjoy reading the first book of the series.
Caraval follows the story of two sisters, Scarlett and Donatella. They are living under their brutal father’s house and Scarlett is getting married to a count in a few days. Scarlett then gets an invitation from the master of the Caraval games, Legend, inviting her and her future husband to attend this year’s game as special guests. Scarlett instead goes to the Caraval with Julian a handsome sailor. However, this year, in the game, Donatella was kidnapped and the players must find Donatella and whoever finds Donatella will get their wish granted. Scarlett must solve the clues and reunite with her friends before the game can ruin her.
This book was actually well written in my opinion. The author’s writing style was great and as a result, using the descriptive words and sentences, the author managed to do a good job, making the reader feel like they are also part of the game with Scarlett and Julian. I couldn’t put the book down as I felt I was in the fantasy world while reading the book. The premise itself was unique and I actually did like the chemistry between Julian and Scarlett. I also liked how the story ended with a small cliffhanger– a letter to Donatella from a mysterious friend who wanted her to pay the debt. And by reading that last sentence, I cannot wait to read the second book of the Caraval series!
If you haven’t read Caraval yet, then go ahead and put this book in your TBR. You would have to read the first book first as the second book will follow the events immediately after the first book so you could keep track. Worth fie stars!
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I can also be found on Instagram, and I love connecting with readers. If you’re looking for more information about my books, the most up to date news can be found on Instagram, but I also try to update my website on a regular basis
Date published:- will be published on 19th March 2024
No. of pages:- 331 pages
Genre:- Literary/Women’s Fiction
Setting:- Colombia, New York
Rating:-
Plot:- 4/5
Writing:- 5/5
Overall rating:- 4.5/5
In this heartfelt story about how the places we run from hold the answers to our deepest challenges, the death of her grandmother brings a young woman home, where she must face the past in order to become the heir of not just the family restaurant, but her own destiny.
Violeta Sanoguera had always done what she was told. She left the man she loved in Colombia in pursuit of a better life for herself and because her mother and grandmother didn’t approve of him. Chasing dreams of education and art in New York City, and with a new love, twenty-eight-year-old Violeta establishes a new life for herself, on her terms. But when her grandmother suddenly dies, everything changes.
After years of being on her own in NYC, Violeta finds herself on a plane back to Colombia, accompanied at all times by the ghost of her grandmother who is sending her messages and signs, to find she is the heir of the failing family restaurant, the very one Abuela told her to run from in the first place. The journey leads her to rediscover her home, her grandmother, and even the flame of an old love.
Violeta has always been told what to do in her life. Which includes leaving behind her lover Rafa behind in Colombia so she could move to New York for college. Now many years later, Violeta is living in New York with her American boyfriend Liam and seemingly seem to have a happy life until she gets the news that her abuela is dead. Violeta returns back to Colombia and finds that she, her mother and Anton are left in charge to run abuela’s restaurant. And while in Colombia, she experiences heartbreaks, emotions and of course meeting her ex-boyfriend Rafa who is now a doctor.
This book is one of the realistic novels that I have read. The overall story has a whole was well written and I find myself touring in Colombia while reading the novel. Violeta seems to be a very realistic character as she struggles with dealing with abuela’s death, her emotions as well as her decisions to carry on abuela’s restaurant. The book in my opinion was quiet unputdownable and I was actually enjoying reading this book. All the characters in this book re likable and this is a book that something you would want to check out. If you have read Kennedy Ryan’s Before I Let You Go, then this book is one for you. Worth 4.5 stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
María Alejandra Barrios Vélez is a writer born in Barranquilla, Colombia. She has an MA in creative writing from the University of Manchester and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and scruffy dog, Gus.
She was the 2020 SmokeLong Flash Fiction Fellow, and her stories have been published in Shenandoah Literary, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, El Malpensante, Fractured Lit, SmokeLong Quarterly, The Offing, and more. Her work has been supported by organizations such as Vermont Studio Center, Caldera Arts, and the New Orleans Writers’ Residency.
The Waves Take You Home is María’s debut, inspired by the resilience and strength of the women in her family and the Caribbean city she spent most of her life in.
A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a community, and remains unsolved for nearly fifty years.
July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come.
In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective. Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren’t telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret.
For readers of The Vanishing Half and Woman of Light, this showstopping debut by a vibrant new voice in fiction is a riveting novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time.
This book has won so many awards including
–Nominee of Barnes and Nobel Book of the Year Award
–Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction
The story starts with 1962 when a Native Indian family goes to Maine where they pick berries for the living. While there, the family’s youngest daughter, Ruthie goes missing. The last person to see Ruthie was Joe and the story talks about how the family dealt with the disappearance of Ruthie. Meanwhile in a wealthy suburb of Boston, Norma who grew up in a white household wondered why she looked very different from her parents.
This story is told in Joe’s and Norma’s POV. Each character is dealing with the trauma. Joe still felt guilty and think that he was responsible for Ruthie’s disappearance and at the same time witnessed one of his brothers brutally murdered. Norma meanwhile has a strained relationship with her mother as she believed that she was responsible for giving her mother a series of headaches. The story itself was realistic and raw with feelings and emotions very well written. You can also get a glimpse of what racism was like for Native Indians back then when the police did not take Ruthie’s disappearance seriously.
I actually liked the title of the book and I thought the author’s writing was great despite the fact that the book was her debut. I enjoyed reading, learning about different Native American cultures. The story mainly deals mostly with emotions, heartbreaks, loss of infant and child. Reading Joe’s chapters were a bit cringeworthy as he gets addicted to alcohol and beats up his wife. Norma’s emotions and her dealing after learning the truth about her heritage was all to real and well written. The book mainly talks about complexities of family dynamics and I have to say, the story as a whole was well written. The first few chapters were slightly boring but then as it went on, I actually started to enjoy the book. Joe and Norma/Ruthie are characters that are so realistic and characters that you actually can relate to.
Overall, if you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend to get this book and put the book in as TBR. Worth four stars.
Amanda Peters is a writer of Mi’kmaw and settler ancestry. Her work has appeared in the Antigonish Review, Grain Magazine, The Alaska Quarterly Review, the Dalhousie Review, and filling station magazine. She is the winner of the 2021 Indigenous Voices Award (IVA) for unpublished prose and a participant in the 2021 Writers Trust Rising Stars program. Amanda has a certificate in creative writing from the University of Toronto and she is a graduate of the Master of Fine Arts program at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe New Mexico. Amanda is an Associate Professor in the Department of English and Theatre at Acadia University. She lives and writes in the Annapolis valley Nova Scotia with her fur babies Holly and Pook.
Date published:- will be published on 19th March 2024
Publisher:= Bookouture
No. of pages:- 320 pages
Genre:- Psychological Thriller
Rating:-
Plot:- 5/5
Writing:- 4/5
Overall rating:- 4.5/5
From where I stand in the shadows of Cassie and Jon’s garden, it’s easy to spot little Teddy in an upstairs window, playing alone in his room. So many parents don’t appreciate what they’ve got. It can take a threat to their child’s safety to make them realise how blessed they are. I wonder if it will come to that…
I was so excited – so relieved – to be moving to Cherry Tree Lane. I needed somewhere new, where I could start fresh with my husband Jon and toddler Teddy. Somewhere far away from the fear that came before. I felt so lucky to meet Amy on our first trip to the local playground. Immediately welcoming, warm and kind, she quickly became the friend I’d always wanted.
How wrong I was.
Because today, I turned up at Teddy’s nursery to find him gone. He’d been picked up an hour ago by Amy. She’s disappeared, taking my precious son with her. And it’s terrifyingly clear I never knew her at all.
Now the threats have begun. I let her in to my life, but she already knew everything about me, about my family. The one thing she doesn’t know – and the only leverage I have to get Teddy back – is what really forced us from our last home. But revealing that means destroying the perfect life I have now…
I have no choice. I’ll just have to live with the consequences. If I can survive the fallout…
Cassie and Jon’s son Teddy gets Jon’s former childhood as a form of inheritance and so the whole family moves into the house. Cassie believes that moving in is paving her way to start a new life and getting back to her job, although her husband Jon wanted her to be the typical wife. After they moved in a woman named Amy comes into their life. Amy works as a dog sitter for Cassie but Amy has her own agenda as she secretly enters into Cassie’s home as she has a score that she wanted to settle.
This was actually a fast-paced thriller. The story is told in multiple POVs–Cassie, Amy and Becca who is the next-door neighbor of Cassie. In the beginning, we don’t know what Amy’s vendetta against Cassie and Jon is as she secretly enters into their house and also stalks them. But it was during the middle of the book and towards the end that we get to find the real reason why Amy is hell bent in taking revenge from Cassie and Jon. The story outline was great, although I have to say, the whole story line as a whole was slightly predictable. Except for Cassie, the characters are unreliable which make them perfect in thrillers. Nonetheless, the writing was great, and this book is actually a page turner and unputdownable. If you are looking for a thriller that you wouldn’t want to put down, then this book is highly recommended–worth 4.5 stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Maria Frankland has a dubious internet search history and a very worried mother-in-law. However, neither of these things can stop her writing gripping psychological thrillers in which you’ll never find a happy-ever-after.
Her novels are mostly set in Yorkshire where you’ll hear the accent through all her characters. These are people you could live next door to, or closer still… don’t say you haven’t been warned.
Maria’s novels are fast-paced, down to earth and realistic. You never know what’s around the corner…
Date published:- will be published on March 19th 2024
No. of pages:- 400 pages
Genre:- Thriller
Setting:- Lawrence Kansas
Rating:-
Plot:- 4/5
Writing:- 4/5
Overall rating:- 4/5
There’s nothing easier to dismiss than a conspiracy theory―until it turns out to be true.
When Theodosia Benton abandons her career path as an attorney and shows up on her brother’s doorstep with two suitcases and an unfinished novel, she expects to face a few challenges. Will her brother support her ambition or send her back to finish her degree? What will her parents say when they learn of her decision? Does she even have what it takes to be a successful writer? What Theo never expects is to be drawn into a hidden literary world in which identity is something that can be lost and remade for the sake of an audience. When her mentor, a highly successful author, is brutally murdered, Theo wants the killer to be found and justice to be served. Then the police begin looking at her brother, Gus, as their prime suspect, and Theo does the unthinkable in order to protect him.
But the writer has left a trail, a thread out of the labyrinth in the form of a story. Gus finds that thread and follows it, and in his attempt to save his sister he inadvertently threatens the foundations of the labyrinth itself. To protect the carefully constructed narrative, Theo Benton, and everyone looking for her, will have to die.
USA Today bestselling author Sulari Gentill takes readers on a rollercoaster ride in The Mystery Writer , a literary thriller that turns the world of books and authors upside down and where a writer’s voice is a thing to be controlled and weaponized, to the peril of everyone who loves a good story.
I enjoyed reading Sulari Gentill’s The Women in the Library and so I am excited to read The Mystery Writer, written by the same author.
The Mystery Writer follows Theodosia Benton moves to live with her attorney brother Gus in Lawrence , Kansas deciding to quit law school after an incident. Theo wants to finish writing her novel and instead of Gus asking her to return back to law school to complete the degree, Gus encourages her to finish her novel. Theo meets a mysterious man named Dan Murdoch who is actually a successful author. He starts mentoring her to write the novel and introduces her to a literary agent. However, Theo then comes across Dan’s body when she was visiting his house and finds that he was brutally murdered. Theo is determined to find the killer but it seems that more and more people seem to die around her.
The writing was great but I felt this book wasn’t as great as the Woman in the Library. However, the book was fast paced, I also liked the brother sister relationship between Gus and Theo. I also like the slow romance blossoming between Mac who is Gus’s friend and Theo as well. There weren’t much twists and turns but the story was engaging as a whole and I also thought that the ending wasn’t bad. Nonetheless, I did enjoy reading this book and cannot wait to read more books from this author. Worth 4 stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Once upon a time, Sulari Gentill was a corporate lawyer serving as a director on public boards, with only a vague disquiet that there was something else she was meant to do. That feeling did not go away until she began to write. And so Sulari became the author of the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries: thus far, ten historical crime novels chronicling the life and adventures of her 1930s Australian gentleman artist, the Hero Trilogy, based on the myths and epics of the ancient world, and the Ned Kelly Award winning Crossing the Lines (published in the US as After She Wrote Hime). In 2014 she collaborated with National Gallery of Victoria to write a short story which was produced in audio to feature in the Fashion Detective Exhibition, and thereafter published by the NGV. IN 2019 Sulari was part of a 4-member delegation of Australian crime writers sponsored by the Australia Council to tour the US as ambassadors of Australian Crime Writing.
Sulari lives with her husband, Michael, and their boys, Edmund and Atticus, on a small farm in Batlow where she grows French Black Truffles and refers to her writing as “work” so that no one will suggest she get a real job.
THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY, Sulari’s latest novel will be released on 7 June 2022
Her diamond engagement ring glitters as she tells me he’s the one. But I’m sure there’s hesitation in her voice and the way she winces when her fiancé pulls her close makes my stomach drop. Could he be as dangerous as I fear?
I thought handsome, charming Blake would be the perfect fit for my quiet and sweet-natured friend Melanie. Widowed far too young, she deserved a second chance at love. So, when he proposed so soon after I set them up on a date, I convinced myself that the timing was just right.
But I should have stopped it. I tried to ignore Blake’s controlling behaviour. It started small; telling her not to have a glass of champagne to celebrate their engagement, putting cameras up around her house for “safety”. But Mel seemed so happy and in love, I couldn’t bring myself to share my creeping doubts
.If only I had.Because now I’m not only worried about what Blake is doing to Mel behind closed doors. Since he warned me to back off their relationship, I’m certain I’m being followed. Then I look into Blake’s past. I’m sure he’s working with someone else. Someone close to me…I need to get us both out of here. What have I done?
A completely gripping psychological thriller which will have you reading late into the night until you reach the final shocking twist. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, The Wife Between Us and The Perfect Marriage.
This is the second book I have read of Carey Baldwin and I have to say, with this latest thriller, she did not disappoint me.
Rosalyn and Ashton are happily married. Ashton’s best friend Blake is single. Rosalyn’s sister-in-law Melanie is newly widowed and so when Blake proposes Melanie to marry him, Rosalyn then suspects that Ashton’s friend isn’t really what he seems and she wonders if Blake married Melanie for the money or something sinister.
This was actually a fast paced thriller. There’s a background story about investigating the case of a missing woman named Zoe but you will eventually find the connection between the two towards the end. The writing was really great dividing between now and then, so the reader can have an idea of what is going to happen next. The biggest twist at the end was totally unexpected which increased my rating from a 4 to 4.5 stars. The writing was also great as the author managed to grip the reader’s attention into the story. I also like the setting of the whole story–set in Arizona.
Overall, this is a fast paced page turner and is guaranteed to keep you up all night reading the book–worth 4.5 stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Creating stories and then sharing them with you so that you can shine your own light on them, reading through a lens shaped by your own perceptions, is such a joy. I hope you enjoy the books!
Carey Baldwin is a USA Today bestselling author of psychological suspense. Also a dedicated physician, she holds two doctoral degrees, one in medicine and one in psychology. Her experience in the fields of medicine and psychology often informs her writing. She loves reading and writing stories that keep you off balance and on the edge of your seat. Carey lives in the southwestern United States with her amazing family. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and chasing wildflowers.
Titus Crowne is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County. A former FBI agent and security expert, Titus came home to take care of his father and look out for his troubled younger brother. He ran for Sheriff to make a difference, especially in the Black community, which has so often been treated unfairly by the police.
But a year to the day after his election, a school shooting rocks the town. A beloved teacher is killed by a former student, and as Titus attempts to deescalate and get the boy to surrender, his deputies fire a fatal shot.
In the investigation, it becomes clear that the student they shot had been abused by the dead teacher, as well as by unidentified perpetrators. The trail leads to buried bodies—and secrets. While Titus tries to track down a killer hiding in plain sight, while balancing daily duties like protecting Confederate pride marchers, he must face what it means to be a Black man wearing a police uniform in the American South.
If you are into disturbed serial killer thrillers, then this book is one for you.
Sheriff Titus Crowne is a former FBI agent who is now a Sheriff at the Charon County and is the first African-American to be one so. Within a year after he was elected, a tragedy strikes when a young man kills a beloved teacher in the high school premises. The small town is shocked by the incident and Titus wanted to know what led this young man to kill the particular man. When investigating, Titus finds evidences that several young Black and brown girls and boys have been brutally murdered and Titus must find the third killer with the Lone Wolf mask before too late.
This story is one of the realistic thrillers that I have ever read. The racial discrimination, the division between the whites and Blacks in the small town. Not to mention how Titus faces racism during his line of work as well. The story touches on the verses from the Bible outlining about sins. The story at times were to disturbing too read that there were moments when I really have to put the book down and read something lighter, like romance books. But there was a flow to the story and I was really invested into the book.
This book is really not for faint hearted as there are really disturbing materials in the book. However, if you are looking into a good serial killer thriller book, then this book is one for you. This is the first book I have read of S.A Cosby and as I enjoyed this book, I cannot wait to read more books from this author–worth 4.5 stars!
Date published:- will be published on 1st March 2024
Publisher :- Bookouture
No. of pages:- 359 page
Genre:- Psychological Thriller
Setting:- Pittsburgh, USA
Rating:-
Plot:- 4/5
Writing:- 5/5
Overall rating:- 4.5/5
When my best friend’s teenage daughter comes to see me, I know something is wrong. With tear-filled eyes, she says she’s pregnant and begs me not to tell her mother. I know I’m betraying my best friend but as I look at Chloe’s terrified expression, I don’t know how I will find the strength to say no…
No matter what life throws at me, I have always been able to depend on my best friend Rachel. In nineteen years of friendship, we’ve never argued or fallen out. So, I’m wracked by guilt over my decision to keep her daughter Chloe’s pregnancy a secret. I don’t want to break Chloe’s trust but, if I don’t say anything, it could destroy my relationship with Rachel.
I hoped Chloe would find the confidence to tell her mom, but days have passed, and the guilt is eating me alive. As much as I want to support Chloe, I don’t know how much longer l can lie to my best friend. I spend every day completely gripped by a panic that sends my heart racing.
The pressure only worsens when I discover that Chloe has one more thing that she’s been hiding. Something that could destroy the perfect life I’ve worked so hard to build—the family I love so much and the career I’m so passionate about.
And then I realize that Chloe isn’t the only one with secrets. Rachel has been lying to us all…
The three of us are more entwined than ever but when the truth comes out, what will be left of our friendship and our families?
An absolutely heartbreaking story about friendship, jealousy and the damage we cause by hiding the truth. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Jojo Moyes and Kate Hewitt.
This is the second book I have read from this author and boy, I am beginning to think that this book is better than her debut book!
Rachel and Monica are close college friends and had been friends for nearly a lifetime. Rachel’s daughter, Chloe is a freshman at the university but Chloe seems to be more closer to Monica than her own mother Rachel, with whom she seemed to be having a strained relationship. When Chloe becomes pregnant, the first person that Chloe tells is Monica. Chloe pleads Monica to not tell her mother Rachel and Monica is torn between the need to her friend as well as keeping Chloe’s secret. But soon, Monica discovers secrets about Chloe as well as about Rachel.
Even though the plot was slightly predictable, this was actually fast paced and a page turner. The POVs are shifted between Rachel and Monica and Chloe and so as a reader you get to know each of these characters, but at the same time, you discover that these characters are unreliable as well, which actually makes the whole psychological thriller interesting. The ending is where it got me–in my opinion, I didn’t really expect that kind of ending and the twist towards the end. The writing overall was great and the reader felt like they are also a part of the story. Nevertheless, this book is more a women’s fiction than a thriller as it talks about the life of three courageous women who safeguard and harbors their own secrets–worth 4.5 stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. Thank you Bookouture for making me a part of the blog tour. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Jen Craven is the author of emotional and suspenseful women’s fiction, stories where one decision changes everything. A former college instructor, she loves dark campus novels, which led to her contemporary debut, Best Years of Your Life, published in August 2022. Her writing style blends poignancy with drama to create what-would-you-do narratives of the human experience. Aside from fiction, Jen has personal essay bylines in national outlets, including The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, Scary Mommy and many more. She writes from northwestern Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and three children. When not working on her books, she can be found thrift shopping, taking long walks, and beating her kids in backgammon.
Tropical Girl Reads 