His Double Life – ARC Book Review

Title:- His Doublie Life

Author:- Nicole Trope

Date published:- will be published on 28th February 2024

No. of pages:- 310 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Setting:- Australia

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

Loving father. Loyal husband. Liar?

In our large family home on a peaceful, tree-lined street, I clear away the breakfast things whilst my husband ignores me, his eyes on his phone. Leo comes home from conferences with flowers for me and hugs for our twin ten-year-old boys, but each time I smell an unfamiliar perfume on his shirt. I know all about his affairs and it’s tearing my heart in two.

When one of the boys tumbles into the kitchen, full of laughter that he beat his brother in the race home from the park, I smile despite everything. When his brother isn’t right behind him, I start to worry… and then I get a text that makes my blood run cold. If you want your child to come home, your husband needs to tell the truth.

Is my husband hiding even darker secrets than his affairs? As I realise his double life has put my children in terrible danger, I make a I will not let my husband’s lies destroy my life. And I will do anything to get my son back…

A totally addictive page-turner about terrible secrets within a marriage, perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Sally Hepworth.

I have always read Nicole Trope’s books and most of her books are unputdownable and fast paced. And this book is no exception.

Leo seem to be a loyal and loving husband. But is he really? His wife, Diana knows that Leo is hiding secrets and maybe having an affair. While at a conference, Leo meets a woman named Serena but Serena’s main aim is to take revenge on Leo that happened few years ago. So what is the secret?

This book is well written and I was literally hooked till the end. The writing was really great and the author did a good job of getting the reader into the story. The story is fast paced, a page turner and of course quiet unputdownable as well. The story is told in the POVs of Diana, Leo and Serena who we later on know that her real name was actually Melanie. The ending was a bit expected but then I actually like the ending. The epilogue was really great as well.

If you are looking for a twisted thriller with family secrets, then this book is for you–worth five stars.

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

Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature. After the birth of her first child she stayed home full time to write and raise children, renovate houses and build a business with her husband.
The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story.
She is now published by Bookouture and is an Amazon top 100 bestseller in the USA, UK, AUS and CAN.
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children

The School Run – ARC Book Review

Title:- The School Run

Author:- Ali Lowe

Date published:- will be published on 29th February 2024

No. of pages:- 349 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Setting:- Australia

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

How far would you go to protect your children?

For parents living in the beautiful coastal town of Pacific Pines, all their hopes and dreams are pinned on the outcome of the annual Gala Day hosted by St Ignatius Boys’ School. To be accepted into the prestigious institution, their sons must battle it out, facing rigorous rounds of physical and mental tests. Their parents will stop at nothing to ensure their sons succeed.

But after one boy is struck down in a hit and run, the scandals, secrets and lies that entangle three mothers threaten to unravel their seemingly perfect lives . . .

How far will the women go to protect their reputations – and their families?

I love reading Ali Lowe’s books and this is the third book I have read from her. And this book is no exception.

The story talks about three mothers–Bec, Estella and Kaya. All these mothers are determined to put their sons into one of the prestigious schools in the country, St. Ignatius and would do anything to make sure that their son is accepted into that privileged school. The story is told in these three mother’s POV and you can see jealousy is playing through in the story. However, the real story begins when a boy gets into a hit and run accident and was left to die on the road, and that’s when things start getting interesting.

The story is fast paced and I have to say, it was quiet unputdownable and as a reader you are intrigued which of these boys will get into the school and which of these boys won’t get in and then what is going to happen after that. Not only that, the hit and run accident also made this story as I mentioned before more interesting and intriguing. The writing was really greater and I like how the author managed to make the reader feel like they are also a part of the story as well. Not to mention all the scandals and secrets and lies that are uncovered after the accident, which made the whole story more interesting. If you have read Big Little Lies, and maybe watched Gossip Girl, think of this story as a mix of Big Little Lies and Gossip Girl. Overall, this book worth 4 stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder for the ARC. Thank you Hodder for the invitation to review this book. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Ali’s debut novel The Trivia Night, about a group of primary school parents who decide to partner-swap at a charity fundraiser, was published in February 2022 and became a global bestseller.

She followed it up with The Running Club, set in the wealthy suburb of Esperance, where a group of friends sweat out their acrimony on the running track, until someone’s resentment ultimately turns deadly.

Ali’s next book, The School Run, is out in March 2024.

Follow Ali on Instagram @ali_lowe_author

How I’ll Kill You – Book Review

Title:- How I’ll Kill You

Author:- Ren DeStefano

Date published:- March 21st 2023

No. of pages:- 352 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Setting:- Arizona

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

Your next stay-up-all-night thriller, about identical triplets who have a nasty habit of killing their boyfriends, and what happens when the youngest commits their worst crime yet: falling in love with her mark.

Make him want you.
Make him love you.
Make him dead.

Sissy has an…interesting family. Always the careful one, always the cautious one, she has handled the cleanup while her serial killer sisters have carved a path of carnage across the U.S. Now, as they arrive in the Arizona heat, Sissy must step up and embrace the family pastime of making a man fall in love and then murdering him. Her first target? A young widower named Edison–and their mutual attraction is instant. While their relationship progresses, and most couples would be thinking about picking out china patterns and moving in together, Sissy’s family is reminding her to think about picking out burial sites and moving on.

But then something happens that Sissy never anticipated: She begins to feel protective of Edison, and then, before she can help it, she’s fallen in love. But the clock is ticking, and her sisters are growing restless. It becomes clear that the gravesite she chooses will hide a body no matter what happens; but if she betrays her family, will it be hers?

The plot and the background of this story fascinated me and so I have always wanted to read this book.

Three identical triplets are killing men around the country. When they reach Arizona, it is Sissy’s turn to kill someone. Normally, Sissy have to clean up the mess after her sisters kill someone so this will be the first time that she would have to kill someone. Sissy then meets a young widower named Edison and she decides that he will be her victim. However, soon, Sissy starts to fall in love with Edison and the number one rule among the sisters is to never fall in love.

The writing was really great and was slightly poetic. Though it is coined as a psychological thriller, I found this more romantic with a thriller background. Sissy also befriends her neighbor Dara and by reading through Sissy’s POV you would know that Sissy does not really share with her sisters’ ideologies. The ending was what made the whole story interesting and the twist at the end was slightly unexpected. This was this author’s debut book and I must say, as a debut book, she actually did a good job writing such a unique thriller. Overall I give this book a three star read.

Ren DeStefano lives in Connecticut, where she was born and raised. When she’s not writing thrillers, she’s listening to true crime podcasts and crocheting way too many blankets.

The Wife’s Mistake – Blog Tour Book Review

Title:- The Wife’s Mistake

Author:- Lorna Dounaeva

Date published:- 19th February 2024

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 364 pages

Setting:- London, England

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

The hand-delivered note trembles between my fingers and my blood runs cold at the words staring back – you don’t deserve this life. Everything I’ve always dreamed of is finally within reach. How long do I have until my past catches up with me?

From inside our new perfect house, I watch the pool water ripple under the raindrops. Despite how calm it is outside, my heart pounds as I think about that terrible message and what it means for my marriage.

I never expected that one day I’d be sipping coffee in our handcrafted marble kitchen but, despite our good fortune, my husband is more distant than ever. With Hayden absent once again, I’m left to ask: what exactly is my husband hiding and is the note related?

I spend all night tossing and turning, with my heart racing in my chest. Looking out into the darkness, I swear I see movement beyond the garden hedges. I try to shake my fears away; I must be imagining things. That’s what Hayden would say.

I can’t ignore the feeling in the pit of my stomach – what if the person outside isn’t looking for Hayden, and instead, they’re looking for me? I’m paralysed by fear. It’s only a matter of time until I’ll have to confront my past. Hayden may have secrets, but so do I – my husband has no idea what I did all those years ago.

I know what I need to do to protect my perfect new life, and those around me don’t know how far I’m willing to go…

A gripping page-turner filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense, fans of Sally Hepworth, Lisa Jewell and Liane Moriarty will be completely hooked by The Wife’s Mistake!

The Wife’s Mistake talks about a couple named Natalie and Hayden who ended up winning a lottery and how their past comes back to haunt them as they now lead a new life as millionaires.

This is the author’s debut. The premise was interesting, the story is mainly told from Natalie’s and Hayden’s POV mostly. The first 25% part of the story was slightly boring and was slow burn but after Natalie and Hayden wins the lottery then things start to get interested towards the middle. We discover that both Natalie and Hayden are hiding secrets from each other . Natalie’s child whom she had given up for adoption might have returned back to her life and someone was trying to blackmail Hayden after hearing the news that Hayden had won the lottery/ Both Natalie and Hayden are unreliable characters which did make the whole story sound interesting. The writing overall was great but however, not much twists and turns are present which you would normally expect in a psychological thriller. However, the ending at the story was great which actually made me give this book a higher rating.

If you are looking for an unputdownable thriller, then I suggest you check out this book–worth 4.5 stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. Many thanks for Bookouture for making me a part of the blog tour. The review is based on my honest opnion only.

Lorna Dounaeva is a politics graduate who worked for the British Home Office before turning to crime fiction. She writes dark domestic thrillers and is especially fond of female villains. She lives in the Orkney islands with her Ukrainian husband and his parents, three children, a crafty cat and a happy dog.

https://lornadounaeva.com

https://www.facebook.com/LornaDounaevaAuthor/?locale=en_GB

https://www.instagram.com/lorna_dounaeva

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Lorna Dounaeva here: https://bookouture.com/subscribe/lorna-dounaeva

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Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CQMHTJS5social

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Postcards from the Cove – Blog Tour – Review

Title:- Postcards from the Cove

Author:- Jennifer Bardsley

Date published:- February 15th 2024

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 384 pages

Setting:- Pacific–Washington State?

Genre:- Romance/Women’s Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

The little cottage sits atop the cove’s rugged cliffs, with its whitewashed walls and views of the deep blue sea. When Hannah discovers a jar of timeworn postcards hidden inside, will they lead to the fresh start she’s longing for?

Hannah Turner has always lived in the historic and beautiful seaside resort of Sand Dollar Cove. Now grieving the loss of her father, Hannah finds comfort in the places that remind her of him, including one of the resort’s oldest cottages. Heartbroken that it’s due to be knocked down—taking her memories with it—Hannah’s heart leaps when she finds the old postcards concealed within.

Reading “I still believe in our happily ever after” on one of the cards, Hannah feels a pang for the happy ending her father never had. She can’t bear someone else’s precious memories being destroyed, so she traces the postcards’ owner to New York and sends them off—inspired by her discovery to finally seize the day.

After watching Guy—the resort’s handsome new trainer—charming their older guests, Hannah’s new attitude pushes her to give dating a chance for once. Hannah can’t resist gazing into Guy’s blue eyes as she shows him the delights of the cove. But just as she’s about to let him into her heart, she is stunned to find one of the postcards in Guy’s bag. Is Guy somehow connected to them? Is this why he came to town in the first place?

Hannah is devastated that Guy is hiding something, but can she keep her heart open to love? And when the postcards reveal a surprising link between Hannah and Guy’s pasts, will the truth bind them together or tear them apart for good?

Let yourself be swept away to the beautiful coastal town of Sand Dollar Cove in this uplifting story of long-buried family secrets, the struggle to prove your worth, and learning to be vulnerable in love. Fans of Susanne O’Leary, Mary Alice Monroe and Kristin Harper will fall head over heels for this gripping novel.

This book is the first book of the Sand Dollar Cove series.

The story begins with Hannah Turner who discovers a jar of timeworn postcards. Hannah Turner loves Sand Dollar Cove and while working at the resort, she meets a newcomer from New York named Guy. Hannah is instantly drawn to his good looks and his blue colored eyes. However, Hannah soon finds that Guy has been holding secrets of his own. Meanwhile Hannah, who keeps fond memories of the cottage is sad to have the cottage torn down and she discovers a set of postcards that had memories about the cottage.

To me, this was well written and the author does a good job of making the reader feel like they are connected to the character. You are instantly drawn to the main character, Hannah and as a reader, Hannah is a likable character and not only that, she is also hardworking and loyal as well. I like the whole descriptions of Sand Dollar Cove that actually makes the reader feel like they are at the scene. There were emotional and heartbreaking parts in the book as well. As this is a series and as I enjoyed the first book, I cannot wait to reader the next book of the series. This book worth 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC and involving me in the part of the blog tour. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Jennifer Bardsley believes in friendship, true love, and the everlasting power of books. A graduate of Stanford University, she lives in Edmonds, Washington, with her husband and two children. Jennifer’s column, ‘I Brake for Moms’, has appeared in the Everett Herald every week since 2012. When Jennifer is not writing books or experimenting with her latest kitchen appliance, you can find her walking from her house to the beach every chance she gets. 

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Black Sheep – Book Review

Title:- Black Sheep

Author:- Rachel Harrison

Date published:- September 19th 2023

No. of pages:- 289 pages

Genre:- Horror

Setting:- New Jersey

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

A cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family’s dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.

Nobody has a “normal” family, but Vesper Wright’s is truly…something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back—mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn’t return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep.

Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin Rosie. It’s to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn’t be the first time Vesper’s been given special treatment. Is the invite a sweet gesture? An olive branch? A trap? Doesn’t matter. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen.

When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a terrifying secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our place in the world.

This book was nominated for Goodreads’ one of the best horror genre novels and so I was curious to read the book.

While the book was interesting, I feel this book does not deserve to be in horror genre. However, it is one of the creepiest and weirdest books that I have ever read.

Twenty something year old Vesper Wright never looked back home when she left her home town when she eighteen years old. Vesper gets fired from her job as a waitress at a restaurant and when she returns back to her apartment, she finds a wedding invitation–between her cousin Rosemary and her ex-boyfriend Brody. Vesper decided to return back to the town she vowed to never return back to but soon the secrets about her family starts to unfold.

If I tell you the reason why this book is creepiest books I have read, then I might have to give you spoilers. Let’s just say, the book touches about satanic cult and people involved in the satanic cult. The writing was great in my opinion and the descriptions of farmlands, houses and creepy items found in Vesper’s childhood home is imaginative and I can actually vividly picture them in my head. Vesper is a likable character even though she came from a dysfunctional family. She is also cynical which actually makes the readers fall in love with Vesper. The strained relationship between Vesper and her mother is described well, the reader wondering why the mother-daughter having a strained relationship.

The book briefly mentions the horror movie The Omen (1976) and all I could tell you is this book is slightly similar to the movie The Omen if you have watched the movie.

Overall, I actually enjoyed this book. This book is best read during the spooky Halloween season and overall, I would give this book four star rating!

Rachel Harrison is the author of The Return, nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. Her short fiction has appeared in Guernica and Electric Lit. She lives in New York with her husband and their cat/overlord.

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

None of This is True – Book Review

Title:- None of this is True

Author:- Lisa Jewell

Date published;- August 8th 2023

No. of pages:- 380 pages

Setting:- Britain

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?

I have always been a fan of Lisa Jewell books and I always make a point to read all her books. So I am glad when I got my hands on her latest novel, None of this is true. I am having mixed feelings about the book in general.

Alix and Josie are two strangers when they meet at the restaurant to celebrate their forty-fifth birthday. They were both born on the same day and at the same hospital and so they call themselves as birthday twins. Josie then finds out that Alix is actually a famous podcaster and so she meets Alix again and asks her to do a podcast about her life. Josie married Walter when Josie was eighteen and Walter was forty two years old. As Alix further investigates about Josie’s family, Josie meanwhile stalks Alix…

Initially, I was actually hooked into the book and I was like…Lisa Jewell did it again! Josie’s character is such a very creepy character and the way she is stalking and stealing Alix’s stuff while doing the podcast was very creepy and disturbing. Josie’s family itself is creepy. I also like the Netflix parts that ends each chapter thus making the story more interesting and compelling. However, the ending actually lowered my rating for this book. I don’t want to put too much details which will spoil the book, but let’s just say, I am not very satisfied with the ending.

However, I have to say, I actually enjoyed reading this thriller and rate four stars.

LISA JEWELL was born in London in 1968.

Her first novel, Ralph’s Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and The Night She Disappeared.

Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over twenty-five languages. She lives in north London with her husband, two teenage daughters and the best dog in the world.

Lisa’s Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/LisaJewelloff…

The Guest – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Guest

Author:- B.A. Paris

Date published:- will be published on 20th February 2024

Publisher:- Hodder and Stoughton

No. of pages:- 320 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Setting:- Britain, France

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

New York Times bestselling author B. A. Paris captivated psychological thriller readers everywhere with Behind Closed Doors. Now she invites you into another heart-pounding home full of secrets, in The Guest.

Some secrets never leave.

Iris and Gabriel seem to have it all: a beautiful home in the British countryside, a daughter happily working in Greece, and good friends Laure and Pierre from Paris, who they often vacation with. But when a young man has a tragic accident in a nearby quarry, Gabriel is the one to find him and hear his final words, leaving Gabriel with a guilty burden.

As Iris tries to help ease her husband’s trauma, they acquire an unexpected house guest. Laure has seemingly moved in after her husband’s revelation that he has had a child with another woman. Iris and Gabriel insist Laure stay as long as she needs. But Laure keeps wearing Iris’s clothes, following her every move, and asking her about the recent death of the young man.

Their only respite from the increasingly tense atmosphere in their own home comes from a couple new to town and expecting their first child. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past.

With fractured relationships and secrets piling up around them, can Iris and Gabriel’s marriage survive?

This is the fourth book I have read from B.A. Paris and I was so excited when I got the ARC of her latest book, The Guest!

Iris and Gabriel are living in the countryside in Britain when their friend Laure unexpectedly comes and stays with them. Laure tells Iris that Pierre her husband has cheated on her and that he is fathering a child, a daughter. Laure stays with Iris and Gabriel till she resolves her issue with Pierre. Meanwhile, Gabriel is dealing with his own demons when a young boy named Charlie Ingram dies in front of Gabriel and he was wondering if he should talk with Charlie’s mother or not about the day Charlie died. And Joseph, a gardener comes to work at Iris and Gabriel’s garden. Gabriel tried to contact Pierre but Pierre wasn’t answering the phone and receives the news that Pierre was found murdered in his workplace.

This was a fast paced thriller. There were some twists and turns and the story is mainly told in Iris and Gabriel’ POVs. Initially, I wasn’t sure if there was a connection between Charlie Ingram and Laure although the connection and everything was explained later on in the book. There were some repetitions in the book which made me give a lower rating for the book. The epilogue and the twist at the end was the unexpected of all in the whole book. The book is mainly about the family drama and dynamics. I actually couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know what was going to happen in the end. Overall, this is a good thriller and so this book worth four stars.

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

B.A. Paris is the New York Times and Sunday Times Number 1 bestselling author of seven novels including the word-of-mouth hit, Behind Closed Doors and her upcoming thriller, The Guest.

Over 7 million editions of her work have been sold worldwide and her books have been translated into 41 languages. Her novels have been optioned for major screen adaptations with a film of The Breakdown, titled Blackwater Lane, in post production.

Before becoming an author, B.A. Paris worked as a bank trader and teacher in France. Today, she writes from her cottage in Hampshire, England, where she lives with her husband with visits from her five grown-up daughters. She has a newsletter and is on social media @baparisauthor

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Book Review

Title:- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Author:- Taylor Jenkins Reid

Date published:- June 13th 2017

No. of pages:- 389 pages

Genre:- Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction

Setting:- New York, Los Angeles,

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

This book has been in my TBR list for a long time and I finally decided to read this book. This is the fourth book I have read by the same author, Taylor Jenkins Reid and let’s say, Reid has become one of my favorite authors and I always made sure to read all her books.

And this book is no execption.

Evelyn Hugo is a yesteryear star, a sex symbol in the Hollywood industry during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and she was known to have married seven times. Now on present day, Monique is a struggling journalist who is working for Vivant, a leading magazine in New York. When Hugo specifically asks for Monique to interview her, Monique was shocked and surprised. Hugo then tells her own life story to Monique–starting from the fact when she left New York to pursue a career as an actress Hollywood and talks about deceit, betrayal and love…

This book was actually well written. The book touched about domestic abuse, the time when homosexuality was considered shameful and of course being a sex icon in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I like how Evelyn Hugo and Monique slowly build a closeness between the two, how Hugo met her husbands, her reasons for failure of her marriages and of course her only true love. The book is also realistic in someways and you feel like you are drawn into the glamor of Hollywood and competition. Reid always knows how to captivate the readers and feel like they are part of the story.

I also like the fact that some of her stories are connected to her other stories–Hugo’s second husband is Mick Riva, who is one of the main characters in Malibu Rising.

Overall is it worth the hype? I believe it is! Worth 4 stars!

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as four other novels. She lives in Los Angeles. You can follow her on Instagram @tjenkinsreid.

The Patient’s Secret – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Patient’s Secret

Author:- S.A. Falk

Date published:- will be published on 5th February 2024

Publisher:- Storm Publishing

No. of pages:- 323 pages

Setting:- Wyoming

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Sharon Stevenson is a forensic psychiatrist. Her job is to decide whether a patient is of sound enough mind to stand trial, not whether they did or didn’t commit a crime.

But Sharon is also a mother grieving the disappearance of her seventeen-year-old daughter, Maddie, who has never been found.

And what if the man sitting before her, who has been charged with the murders of several women, also claimed the life of her sweet girl?

It’s time to find out the truth.

An unputdownable psychological thriller about a dangerous cat-and-mouse game between a mother desperate for the truth and the killer she believes has the answers. A gripping read for fans of The Silent Patient, Mike Omer and Freida McFadden.

Being a debut thriller, I feel, this book was actually a great thriller that will keep you on the edge till the end.

Dr. Sharon Stevenson is a forensic psychiatrist. Her main job is to interview the prisoner and determine if he or she is of sound mind to stand in the trial. So when she was assigned to the infamous Blue River Strangler case in Wyoming, she meets Kevin Blackford, who is the convicted killer. While being with Kevin, Sharon realized that Kevin might be suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder and to prove her theory right, she enlists the help of another psychiatrist and ended up working with Arlo, the defense lawyer, as the prosecution is determined to put Blackford behind the bars.

This book is really fast paced and page turning. The first part of the book was what really made me get invested into the book–I simply couldn’t put the book down and I was wondering–is Kevin pretending to be suffering from DID or he genuinely suffers from DID? The writing was clear and spot on and I like how the writer has highlighted her relationship with her own daughter Maddie in the book. The ending was not really great but regardless, this book was really great. It also talks about justice, mental illness and tragedy and I was saddened that how sometimes, this could be realistic in real life as well–the prosecutor was determined to put Blackford behind the bars so she can get the promotion and didn’t really care if he does suffer from mental illness or not. I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to read more books from this author. The book worth 4 stars.

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