Last Night at Hollywood Canteen – ARC Book Review

Title:- Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen

Author:- Sarah James

Date published:- will be published on 7th November 2023

Publisher;- Soucebooks Landmark

No. of pages:- 400 pages

Genre:- Historical Fiction/Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Perhaps the best place in 1943 Hollywood to see the stars is the Hollywood Canteen, a club for servicemen staffed exclusively by those in show business. Murder mystery playwright Annie Laurence, new in town after a devastating breakup, definitely hopes to rub elbows with the right stars. Maybe then she can get her movie made.

But Hollywood proves to be more than tinsel and glamour. When despised film critic Fiona Farris is found dead in the Canteen kitchen, Annie realizes any one of the Canteen’s luminous volunteers could be guilty of the crime. To catch the killer, Annie falls in with Fiona’s friends, a bitter and cynical group―each as uniquely unhappy in their life and career as Annie is in hers―that call themselves the Ambassador’s Club.

Solving a murder in real life, it turns out, is a lot harder than writing one for the stage. And by involving herself in the secrets and lies of the Ambassador’s Club, Annie just might have put a target on her own back.

This has two of my favorite elements–a historical fiction with a taste of thriller.

Meet Annie, a screenwriter. After dealing with a breakup and closing of the theatre, Annie moves to Los Angeles to renew her career. The year was 1941 when the world was at war. She meets Fiona, who is a critic and who seem to criticize on each and every one of the movies and plays. At the Hollywood Canteen one night, Fiona was found murdered and someone was responsible for the murder. Annie along with few others, calling themselves as Ambassador’s Club set off to find the murderer as they know that LAPD are incompetent to find the culprit.

I actually enjoyed reading this thriller. This was a fast paced thriller, there were some twists and turns along the way and the story is mainly told from Annie’s POV. Reading this book gave me the feeling of being in the 1940’s and got a glimpse of what the life was like back in the early 1940’s. Of course, there’s weren’t any DNA testing or forensics at the time so the story was set realistic as possible. The author must have done some research on what the life was like in Hollywood during the 1940’s during the war period. Overall, this was to me an enjoyable read although there were some parts in the book where it kind of dragged a bit, which lowered my rating overall to a four star reading. Overall this book worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Souce Landmark for the ARC. The book is based on my honest opinion only.

Her Perfect Revenge – ARC Book Review

Title:- Her Perfect Revenge

Author:- Lesley Sanderson

Date published;- October 18th 2023

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 291 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

On the surface we were the perfect couple, but no one knows what we’ve been hiding…

Just six hours ago, Alex and I were married. It was a beautiful wedding by the sea, on the beach we’ve always loved. Our guests crowded outside our beach hut to raise a toast before our first midnight swim together as man and wife. And then, suddenly, he was gone, drowning in the water that meant so much to us.

But instead of being able to mourn in peace, to get to grips with my awful new reality, the police are here. It seems they don’t think Alex’s death was an accident. And I’m the main suspect.

I know I’m innocent, but I also know we both had secrets. And to my horror, it seems Alex’s were worth killing for. But who in our wedding party could have wanted him dead?

I thought I knew the man I married but I couldn’t have been more wrong. But then again, he didn’t know the real me either. I’ve been hiding from the truth for so long. And then I what if it wasn’t Alex’s past that was coming back to find him. What if it’s mine? How far will someone go to expose my darkest secret?

This was a good thriller book that will have uou guessing till the end.

Alex and Felicity got married but their wedding night became a horror when Alex goes swimming and gets drowned. Alex is a perfect swimmer which makes people surprised but when the autopsy was done, they find sleeping pills in his body and someone murdered Alex. And the main suspect is his new wife Felicity. Three years ago Alex’s ex fiancee Beth also drowned. Is there a connection between the two?

This was indeed a fast paced page turning thriller. The story is divided into present and past the past more focused on Beth. The story is predictable but nonetheless the author did a good job of keeping the reader pay attention to the book. The ending is also predictable which lowered the five star rating to a four star. The book faintly touches about domestic abuse as well. Overall, this is an entertaining fast paced thriller that will make you hook into the book. Worth four stars.

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

A Court of Roses and Thorns – Book Review

Title:- A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author:- Sarah J Mass

Date published:- May 5th 2015

No. of pages:- 419 pages

Genre:- Fantasy/Sci-Fi/YA

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.

So this is one of the highly anticipated books I have come across on Instagram and Tiktok although this book was published almost ten years ago. I finally got my hands on this book, wanting to see what the hype is all about.

To my surprise, I actually liked this book and I couldn’t wait to read more books from this series.

This is the first book of the ACOTAR series. The story starts with Feyre who hunts a wolf and a deer to support her poverty ridden family. But soon a terrifying creature comes and demands retribution–either Feyre gets killed or move with the creature to another land. Feyre agrees to the latter and founds herself in an immortal land–and the creature turns into a beautiful Feary who once ruled her land. Then comes the love stories, a curse to be broken and working together to bring down the woman who is resposnible for the curse.

I actually found this book interesting and found myself in the magical world of Feyre. I do find Feyre annoyed at times with her rash decision but soon her character got into me towards the end. Tamlin and Lucien the faeries are also likable characters and I particularly liked Lucien. There were other characters too like Rhysland (handsome, blue eyes…dreamy). There were some spicier scenes in the books particularly between Tamlin and Feyre and overall, the writing was great as well and I found myself enjoying this book. Now, I cannot wait to read the next book in the series to see what is going to happen next! Worth four stars!

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold more than twelve million copies and are published in thirty-seven languages. A New York native, Sarah lives in Philadelphia with her husband, son, and dog. To find out more, visit sarahjmaas.com or follow @therealsjmaas on Instagram.

The Retreat – Blog Tour – Book Review

Title:- The Retreat

Author:- Karen King

Date published:- October 13th 2023

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 296 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

The sunlight dances on the turquoise pool as I wait for our first guests. But my blood turns to ice when I recognise one of them as an old friend and a flood of guilt and fear comes rushing back. Is she here to ruin my life for a second time?

‘It’s been so long’, Saskia says as she hugs me. I plaster the smile back on my face, my hands shaking as I usher our guests into the traditional Spanish farmhouse we’ve spent years renovating to perfection. Saskia and I had been so close, until she betrayed me.

Now I’ve started a new life here in Spain. I met José and fell in love with his deep brown eyes, and together we opened our own retreat nestled high in the mountains. But José has no idea about the real me – I know he wouldn’t be able to look me in the eye if he ever found out that I have blood on my hands.

Then I discover our beautiful water fountain stained a deep red. My heart pounds with fear because it feels like a warning. And all my worst nightmares are confirmed when I find a note in my bedroom, revealing my terrible secret.

I was with Saskia all day, so I know it can’t be her. Which means that someone else at the retreat knows the truth about me – and they’re here for revenge.

But this perfect new life means everything to me. And I’ll do anything to protect it…

A totally unputdownable psychological thriller packed with jaw-dropping twists. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Mark Edwards and K.L. Slater.

The story starts with Eva and Jose running a retreat together in a scenic place in Spain. Their guests include Saskia, Eva’s friend, Brenda and Nathan, Adrienne and Sean and Carlos, Jose’s cousin. The mansion where the retreat is used to belong to Jose’s grandparents. What was supposed to be a peaceful vacation soon turns into a nightmare when one of the guests has an agenda to ruin the retreat and seek revenge on either Eva or Jose.

The story is told from the POVs of Eva and Jose and we know as a reader that the two characters have something dark to hide. Eva believed that one of the guests is the daughter of a man who she accidentally killed years ago and that the daughter knows who Eva was and was about to seek revenge. Jose’s ex-girlfriend is Adrienne who is not very happy about the breakup. There is a hint of mystery involved and it was actually a fast paced and twisty thriller. Despite being a thriller book, the writer was taken to the sceneic and beautiful landscapes of Spain so the reader was made to feel like they are in Spain. The who dunnit sense vibe is felt in the book and it was actually quiet unputdownable. The ending was quiet unexpected although the greatest twist was revealed towards the very end. Overall, this was a great thriller book packed with twists and unexpected turns and overall woth four and a half stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Many thanks to Bookouture for making me a part of this blog tour.

Karen King was born in Birmingham and has always enjoyed reading and writing. She’s been published for over thirty years, in a variety of genres for both children and adults. She loves writing about the complexities of relationships. Her first three books for Bookouture were romances where relationships came right, she has now turned to the darker side of relationships, writing two psychological thrillers about relationships that go badly wrong. Karen now lives in Spain where she loves to spend her non-writing time exploring the quaint local towns with her husband, Dave, when she isn’t sunbathing or swimming in the pool, that is.

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Assistant to the Villain – Book Review

Title:- Assistant to the Villain

Author:- Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Date published:- August 29th 2023

No. of pages:- 352 pages

Genre:- Fantasy/Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Maehrer’s laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain…and their unexpected romance.

ASSISTANT WANTED:Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem, terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage’s employment status isn’t just important, it’s vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

This was one of the books that is popularized and hyped on Tiktoks. But this wasn’t as great as I thought it was going to be but this wasn’t really a bad book either.

Evie is from a poor family and after a fallout with a blacksmith causing her to lose her job, she goes around the town looking for a job when she comes across the Villain–the notorious murderer feared by many in the kingdom and the most wanted man in the kingdom. When Evie unknowingly saves the Villain from the King’s men, the Villain offers her a job–to work as his assistant in the Massacre Manor. While working at the manor, Evie finds that someone had been acting as a spy right in the manor and a small romance is brewing between the Villain and Evie.

The story was great. I really like the author’s writing–it was really engaging and she did a good job of drawing the reader into the story making the reader feel like a part of the story. The story is told from Evie’s and The Villain’s POV. I do how the friendship and bond is formed between Evie and the Villain. Though the book was labeled as funny, I unfortunately didn’t find any funny parts in the book but that’s fine. It wasn’t boring but then it wasn’t really great either. Nonetheless, I cannot wait to read the next book of the series as the ending of the book ended with a cliffhanger.

Overall, I rate this book 3.5 stars.

Prom Queen – ARC Book Review

Title:- Prom Queen

Author:- Laura Wolfe

Date published:- 9th October 2023

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 353 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overal rating:- 5/5

Bailey stood on the stage, her crown glittering under the high school lights as she blew kisses to those glaring beneath her. Despite the celebrations, something didn’t feel right. She wasn’t supposed to be prom queen, and someone would make her pay for it…

Twenty years ago, my best friend, Bailey , was found dead by the train tracks, half of our friendship locket missing from her pale neck. She never took that off. Officially, it was ruled a tragic accident – but I knew better. She’d been crowned prom queen only hours earlier, and someone’s jealousy had finally gotten to them.

Now I have been forced to return to my childhood home, to the small lakeside town, and the group of friends I grew up with. Back to the scene of the crime that ruined my life, and stole my best friend away from me forever. I need a fresh slate, but I am seeing Bailey everywhere. A quick flash of her locket on a woman in a café surely can’t be a coincidence?

As I walk along the street, I avoid the suspicious stares of my former classmates. Everyone here thinks I had something to do with Bailey’s death. Sure, we did things we shouldn’t have as teenagers, but who didn’t? But when I start to hear noises in my house and receive threatening notes, I realize someone here never wanted me to come back, and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep me away…

Someone in this small town murdered my best friend the night she was crowned prom queen, and now they’re after me. We all have our secrets, but who would kill for them?

In 2003, Bailey Maddox apparently committed suicide by jumping out of the bridge. The police ruled her death as suicide but some of the towns people believed that she was murdered. At the time of the murder, Bailey was made the prom queen. Now present day, Bailey’s former friend Brooke returns back to the small town. A woman named Hannah is doing a podcast on about Bailey’s death and Brooke found Hannah wearing Bailey’s necklace–the necklace that Brooke had given to Bailey twenty years ago. And Hannah wanted to do an interview with Brooke–what are the secrets Brooke is having about Bailey’s death? Was Bailey murdered or…committed suicide like the police think?

This was a nail biting thriller–and it was quiet unputdownable. It was also a page turner and there were twists and turns along the way. The story divides between the past and present–the past oulining the friendship between Bailey and Brooke and their friendship downfall and present with Brooke working with Hannah on the podcast. I like the fact that everyone, including the main character Brooke is a suspect of Bailey’s murder so we never know who the murderer is until towards the end of the chapter. The ending was unexpected and I do like the little cliffhanger towards the end, making the reader guess about what is going to happen next.

Think about the movie ” Prom Night” when reading this book–a kind of horror/thriller/slasher movier. This book completely worth five stars in my opinion.

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

Laura Wolfe is an Amazon Charts bestselling author of dark and twisty psychological thriller and suspense novels. Her new and upcoming releases with Bookouture include PROM QUEEN, THE IN-LAWS, WE LIVE NEXT DOOR, HER BEST FRIEND’S LIE, SHE LIES ALONE, and TWO WIDOWS. The books in her YA mystery series and her adult suspense novel, TOP PRODUCER, have been shortlisted for multiple indie book awards. Laura is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she can be found hanging out with her highly energetic kids, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She enjoys living in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

www.LauraWolfeBooks.com
www.Facebook.com/LauraWolfeBooks
Instagram: @LWolfe.Writes
BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/laura-wolfe 

Know My Name – Book Review

Title:- Know My Name

Author:- Chanel Miller

Date published:- September 24th 2019

No. of pages:- 384 pages

Genre:- Memoir/Non Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

She was known to the world as Emily Doe when she stunned millions with a letter. Brock Turner had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford’s campus. Her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral–viewed by eleven million people within four days, it was translated globally and read on the floor of Congress; it inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. Thousands wrote to say that she had given them the courage to share their own experiences of assault for the first time.

Now she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. It was the perfect case, in many ways–there were eyewitnesses, Turner ran away, physical evidence was immediately secured. But her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial reveal the oppression victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.

Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.

Many would have heard of the Stanford Rape case–Emily Doe being raped by a “promising” Standford swimmer at a fraternity party. How the judge ended up giving a lighter sentence to this so called swimmer and how Emily Doe’s victim impact statement soon read by millions of people around the world, causing to change the laws in California, recall the judge and the many secret victims who faced the similar experience as Emily Doe come out in the open and retell their experiences and story. This Emily Doe is known by a name–Chanel Miller and she tells about her harrowing experience about the case.

This was really beautifully written–I have to say, her writing is almost poetic, mesmerizing, the use of descriptive words makes the reader also feels like they are also in the same environment as Chanel. There were so many emotional and heartbreaking moments and the fact that this all happened in real life and how Chanel dealt with her feelings and emotions is…words cannot describe. This book must be read by everyone and if you haven’t read already, you should go ahead and get the book. I am not really a fan of non fiction but this book actually heavily impacted me as it talks about how to deal with the emotional trauma, the stress and pressure you have to go through and the whole pain and humiliation that the victims had to go through both in real and social media.

Worth five stars.

Too Late – Book Review

Title:- Too Late

Author:- Colleen Hoover

Date published:- first published on April 1st 2016

No. of pages:- 383 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

A psychological suspense novel of obsession and dangerous love. The definitive edition of Too Late from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Verity .

Sloan will go through hell and back for those she loves. And she does so, every single day. Caught up with the alluring Asa Jackson, a notorious drug trafficker, Sloan has finally found a lifeline to cling to, even if it’s meant compromising her morals. She was in dire straits trying to pay for her brother’s care until she met Asa. But as Sloan became emotionally and economically reliant on him, he in turn developed a disturbing obsession with her—one that becomes increasingly dangerous every day.

When undercover DEA agent Carter enters the picture, Sloan’s surprised to feel an immediate attraction between them, despite knowing that if Asa finds out, he will kill him. And Asa has always been a step ahead of everyone in his life, including Sloan. No one has ever gotten in his way.

No one except Carter.

Together, Sloan and Carter must find a way out before it’s too late…

This might be my sixth or seventh Colleen Hoover book I have read and there’s so much hype on this book though this was published in 2016 first.

You can refer the plot of the story through the synopsis above so I will straight away go ahead with the review.

This was way different from the Colleen Hoover books that I have read–really dark and intense. Trigger warning:- there is rape, domestic abuse, substance abuse for ones who are sensitive to those things.

I think I liked the book but then I didn’t really like the book–it’s like mixed feelings. This was way different, from what I have mentioned earlier in Colleen Hoover books. However, like most of Colleen Hoover books, the main characters in this case Carter and Sloan start falling in love with each other about an hour after they met in the Spanish class. Asa in this book was a perfect villain and I think he is one of those realistic characters (probably only realistic character in this book). Carter is like the typical CoHo boy main character. I rooted for Sloan as she was suffering from abuse from Asa and she was feeling helpless because she needed to help her brother.

What I liked about the book is how dark this book is. The writing was great and there’s too much anger, emotions and heartbreaking moments in the book. And despite some cons about the book, this book is actually unputdownable and you actually will find yourself turning the pages, wondering what is going to happen next–this book is a page turner. The ending was predictable (as most of the time with Colleen Hoover books) but I did like this book.

Overall, is this one of Colleen Hoover’s best books? Not really. But it’s a good dark thriller. Worth 3 stars in my opinion.

Her Lonely Bone – ARC Book Review

Title:- Her Lonely Bones (Madison Harper series Book 6)

Author:- Wendy Dranfield

Date published:- will be published on 5th October 2023

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

The house is deathly silent as the summer sun starts to creep in through the dusty windows. The children should be waking up, the parents should be cooking breakfast. But they all lay still, their heads on their pillows, lifeless eyes staring at nothing, their bodies waiting to be discovered…

When a couple and their young twin boys are discovered brutally murdered in their beds, everyone suspects this is a home invasion gone tragically wrong. But as Detective Madison Harper walks into the run-down house that is eerily empty, she isn’t so sure.

Talking to the neighbors, Madison soon discovers that the family only recently moved to the small town of Lost Creek, Colorado. No one has met them, and no one knows their names. With nothing to identify them in the house, or even to show that the house belonged to them, Madison is suddenly faced with not only having to find a cold-blooded killer, but needing to identify the victims too.

Then, Madison’s heart stops in her chest when she discovers a small yellow t-shirt in the back of the family’s vehicle that says Daddy’s Girl. The couple must have had a daughter as well as the twin boys, but where is she? Madison suspects she’s been abducted, and vows to find the missing little girl before it’s too late.

But as Madison makes a breakthrough in identifying the family, she discovers they had a secret that changes the whole course of the investigation. Madison knows with every second that passes the chances of finding the girl alive get smaller, but she’s prepared to risk everything to find her, even her own life…

Madison Harper returns with another grueling case and adventure with Nate Monroe!

In a house, a couple along with two children are brutally murdered and their faces are beyond recognition. Madison is assigned to this case and it seemed that the family had moved into this house twenty four hours before they were being murdered. And while investigating the case, they find that another child is missing and Madison must find the murderer and the child before it is too late. Nate meanwhile gets a phone called from an inmate named Dennis who tells him that he wasn’t responsible for Grace’s disappearance. Grace is a child who disappeared fifteen years ago and Dennis was accused of her murder and sent to prison.

This was quite an unputdownable thriller! I haven’t read a book that is as gripping and fast paced as this one and I feel this is one of the best books of all the Madison Harper series. I stayed up all night reading this book and I simply couldn’t put the book down! There were twists and turns and also the fact that who the actual suspect was wasn’t revealed until later in the book! And the ending was actually unexpected ending! I just liked Madison and Nate’s chemistry with each other. I cannot wait to read more books of this series.

If you haven’t read this book yet, check it out but started with Book 1 as some background past of Madison and Nate are shared in the later books so you will be able to catch up. Overall a solid five star rating!

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

The Kamogawa Food Detectives – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Kamogawa Food Detectives

Author:- Hisashi Kashiwai

Date published:- will be published on 5th Octobe 2023

Publisher:- Pan Macmillan

No. of pages:- 157 pages

Genre:- Japanese fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

The Kamogawa Food Detectives, translated from Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood, is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese sleuthing series for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner treats its customers to wonderfully extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason to stop by . . .

The father-daughter duo have started advertising their services as ‘food detectives’. Through ingenious investigations, they are capable of recreating a dish from their customers’ pasts – dishes that may well hold the keys to forgotten memories and future happiness.

From the widower looking for a specific noodle dish that his wife used to cook, to a first love’s beef stew, the restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to the past – and a way to a more contented future.

A bestseller in Japan, The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a celebration of good company and the power of a delicious meal.

If you have read Before the Coffee gets Cold, then you would most certainly enjoy reading this one–except this one is based on Japanese food!

Koishi and Nagare Kamogawa runs a restaurant that treats their guest with extravagant meals. But that’s not the reason why many people visit this restaurant. People have heard of this restaurant that apparently relives back the memories of the meal that they had eaten with their loved ones or made by their loved ones and the father-daughter help them to recreate those memories.

I actually enjoyed reading this book and this book made me feel like I was in Japan having Japanese meal. Reading about the actually food with its vivid descriptions of the food in detail also made me feel hungry as a result and made me wish that I can have that particular meal right now! I do like the relationship between Koishi and Nagare and I do like how each of the chapters are named with the name of the Japanese food that they will be using. Nagare recreates the dish thus making the guests feel and relive their memories of eating that particular dish thus feel a connection between the guest and the meal (a widower eating a dish that his late wife use to prepare, grand daughter recalls a dish that she and her grandfather would eat together). Oh, not to mention, I really like the mention of their cat!

Over all, this is a charming tale of short stories, quick to read and a book that talks about the food aligning with the retelling of memories that talks about loss, emotions, love and relationships. This is the first book of the stories and I actually enjoyed this one–worth four stars!

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