Death and Croissants – ARC Book Review

Title:- Death and Croissants

Author:- Ian Moore

Date published:- will be published on 14th March 2023

Publisher:- Poisoned pen press

No. of pages:- 230 pages

Genre:- Cozy thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B&B in the fictional Val de Follet in the Loire Valley. Nothing ever happens to Richard, and really that’s the way he likes it.

One day, however, one of his older guests disappears, leaving behind a bloody handprint on the wallpaper. Another guest, the exotic Valérie, persuades a reluctant Richard to join her in investigating the disappearance.

Richard remains a dazed passenger in the case until things become really serious and someone murders Ava Gardner, one of his beloved hens … and you don’t mess with a fellow’s hens!

Unputdownable mystery set in rural France, by TV/radio regular and bestselling author Ian Moore – perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club, Julia Chapman, or M.C. Beaton.

This was a cozy thriller set in France with British man as a protagonist.

Honestly I found this book slightly boring. Not much twists or turns and I nearly DNF the book. But the ending was ok and I do like the setting of the book. Overall this book worth 2.5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion

Ian is an English stand up comedian who lives in rural France and spends most of his time travelling grumpily between the two while his family grows and his wife adopts every maladjusted animal in the area. This is the humourous story of him not coping very well with any of it…

The Snow Graves Agent Tori Hunter series Book 5 – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Snow Graves Agent Tori Hunter series Book 5

Author:- Roger Stelljes

Date published:- will be published on 10th March 2023

Publisher Bookouture

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

The young couple lies still on the snow-covered sidewalk, their gloved hands tightly linked as though they could save each other. But flashing blue lights illuminate the quiet street, and drops of blood scatter the pure white ground…

Agent Tori Hunter is heartbroken at the murders of Cam and Gracie, two college students dating for just a few months, shot dead outside his aunt’s home. With witnesses in this once-peaceful neighborhood saying they saw a black car speed away, Tori is desperately tracking it down when a nine-year-old girl is found sitting alone on a park bench, refusing to speak. No one in this small community knows who she is… is she somehow linked to the murders?

Visiting little Alisha as she huddles in her pink coat, Tori quickly realizes she is deaf. As her hands move in sign language, Tori makes out her message: We had to run from the lady in the black car. I want to go home.

Did Alisha witness Cam and Gracie’s killer? Tori is racing to follow her directions to a lonely cabin deep in the pine forest when she gets an anonymous call from a female voice that makes her blood run cold. “Hello, Tori. To keep Alisha safe you need to do exactly as I say…”

Is Tori speaking to the killer, or is putting her trust in this mysterious woman her one hope of catching the true perpetrator? As more phone calls come, it’s clear the voice knows all about a cold case from Tori’s past—and that Tori must confront this twisted mind, and her own darkest demons before more innocent lives are lost.

An absolutely unputdownable read that will have you gasping at the twists and turns. Perfect for fans of Robert Dugoni, Gregg Olsen and Melinda Leigh.

I always read Tori Hunters series and this is the fifth book of the series.

The story starts with the shooting deaths of two college students Cam and Grace. Agent Tori and Detective Braddock comes to investigate the scene and initially believe that Grace ex boyfriend Rob might be responsible but when they realize that a gang is involved the investigation soon turns deadly

The book feels like you are watching an action packed movie. It was a page turner and unputdownable with twists and turns. However I didn’t enjoy this book as I did with previous books probably because I am not into gangster themed books but then it will certainly keep the reader on edge. Overall, this was a good thriller that is worth 4 stars!

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

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the McRyan Mystery Series and the Tori Hunter – Manchester Bay Mystery Series. The crime series with over 2.5+ million downloads and 100,000+ reviews and ratings. Get the heart-stopping, action-packed thrillers that fans of John Sandford, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, James Patterson and Karin Slaughter will be hooked on by one of the best new authors in crime fiction.

Her Sweet Revenge – ARC Book Review

Title:- Her Sweet Revenge

Author:- Sarah Bonner

Date published:- will be published on 6th April 2023

Publisher:- Hodder & Stoughton

Genre:- Psychological thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

Secrets and lies ruin lives

Two women receive the same anonymous note.
For one it’s a threat.
For the other it’s an invitation for revenge.

Helena is beautiful, successful, and living in married bliss in Exeter. But she’s hiding a secret that could tear her perfect life apart. When the notes begin to arrive, she realises someone else must know. But what might her husband and his overbearing family do if they find out the truth?

Thea is reeling from her best friend Helena’s death. But when she starts digging into the circumstances, she receives a threatening note warning her to stop. She knows her friend’s death wasn’t an accident. This was murder. And she is determined to get revenge. And everyone knows, it’s almost always the husband . . .

WOW!!! This was really good!!! Didn’t expect this at all!

In 2018, Helena is at odds with her mother in law and starts receiving blackmail notes. When she finds out who had blackmail her and before it’s too late, she was plunged to death.

In 2022, Helena’s friend Thea believes that Helena was murdered although the police ruled her death as accidental. Thea is determined to find who killed Helena and seek revenge…

This was fast paced thriller and towards the end it got more and more interesting! I was literally hooked into this thriller and I feel this book is better than Sarah Bonners previous book Her Perfect Twin. The chapters were all unreliable, the story itself was unpredictable and the author managed to keep the reader at the edge! Overall this was a twisted psychological thriller that will keep you up all night worth 5 stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder for the ARC. Review is based on my honest opinion

Mother Next Door- Blog Tour Book Review

Title;:- The Mother Next Door

Author:- Leah Mercer

Date published:- 27th February 2023

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Thriller

No. of pages:- 255 pages

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating: 5/5

I glance over at Lou’s house as I pull onto my drive, surprised that it is still in darkness. Lou and the kids should have been home from school long ago. I should be preparing a delicious meal for my children as they tell me about their day. But Lou’s car is nowhere to be seen…

The night is drawing in and Lou has still not returned. I try not to panic, but deep down I know something is wrong. Lou is the most dependable friend. Our children are at the same school. We always help each other out, and she cares for my two like only a mother can.

As a storm rages outside and local news reports tell everyone to stay indoors, a feeling of deep dread starts to swell. Then the call comes. The police have found Lou’s car, with my children’s schoolbags still inside along with Lou’s phone. But they are nowhere to be seen.

Clutching my husband’s hands, willing our children to be found safe and sound, I try to silence the voice inside my head. I’ve not been honest. I’m being punished for what happened all those years ago.

And then I get Lou’s message and I know that if I want to see my children again, I need to tell the truth to everyone I love.

What I don’t yet know is that Lou has been keeping her own dark secret. And once the storm passes, nothing will ever be the same again.

Thank you Bookouture for getting me involved in the blog tour!

Fiona, Jasmine, Alison and Tabitha were childhood friends and all went to school together. Now their children also go to the same school Lou is a woman who is in charge of looking after the children and the four women entrusts her with their children. But then one day, when it’s almost seven in the evening, their children haven’t returned home from school and they start fretting with worry.

The story is told in those four women’s POV–Fiona, Jasmine and Alison and Jasmine each with a different set of unique characteristics so as a reader you would know what each of the characters are dealing with the situation. The chapters were timed and there were snippets of the chapters to show what really happened to the children. The book was fast paced, with twists and turns, and the story line itself was interesting. The twist at the end was completely unexpected and overall, this book as a whole was unputdownable and unforgettable. This was the second book I have read from this author and I would strongly recommend this book to anyone.

So if you are into missing children trope with twists and turns, then this book is one for you–worth five stars!

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

Leah can’t remember a time when she didn’t love writing. From creating fake newspapers to writing letters to the editor, scribbling something was always on the agenda. Even the rejections she received after completing her first novel at age 13 didn’t dent her enthusiasm.

So it makes sense, then, that she pursued a career in anything but writing. Public relations, teaching, recruitment, editing medical journals — even a stint painting houses — until she finally succumbed once more to the lure of the blank page.

When she’s not being jumped on by her young son or burning supper while thinking of plot-lines, Leah can be found furiously tapping away on her laptop, trying not to check Twitter or Facebook.

Leah also writes romantic comedies under the name Talli Roland

Every Summer After – Book Review (Most Hyped Book Review 1)

Title:- Every Summer After

Author:- Carley Fortune

Date published:- May 10th 2022

No. of pages:- 307 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life a decade ago, that has felt too true. Instead of glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city, going out with friends, and keeping everyone a safe distance from her heart.

Until she receives the call that sends her racing back to Barry’s Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek—the man she never thought she’d have to live without.

For six summers, through hazy afternoons on the water and warm summer nights working in his family’s restaurant and curling up together with books—medical textbooks for him and work-in-progress horror short stories for her—Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart.

When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past.

Told over the course of six years and one weekend, Every Summer After is a big, sweeping nostalgic look at love and the people and choices that mark us forever.

Six summers to fall in love. One moment to fall apart. A weekend to get it right.

If you are an Instagrammer or on Tik-Tok, Every Summer After by Carley Fortune is one of the most hyped books last year. So I decided to read all the hyped books to see why there is so much hype on those types of books.

Summary – The story starts with Persephone who is working in Toronto as an editor for a magazine. She receives a call from Charlie who tells her that his mother, Sue had died and asked her to attend the funeral. Persephone was debating whether to go or not as she would meet Sam, and going to Barry’s Bay would bring her tons of memories both good and bad. Nonetheless she decides to go to the funeral and meets Sam. The story is told dividing between past that happened twelve years ago to the funeral weeken.

Review – this is a different type of romance book I read. Surprisingly, I couldn’t put this book down. I immensely enjoyed reading the book. The story is told mainly from Percy’s point of view. The descriptions of the lake and the cottage gave a vivid descriptions in my head. I do like Percy’s growing relationship with Sam Florek, how she became a part of his family and he in her family, their growing romantic feelings with each other, Sam’s wish to become a doctor and leave the small town. This was actually one of the most realistic books I have read and I felt this was more like a Jodi Picoult type of book in my opinion. There were some touching moments in the book but above all, this was really great and can’t wait to read more books from this author.

Verdict–I definitely agree about the hype–this book deserves so much of hype in my opinion!

Stay tune for more of my “most hyped” book reviews!

Carley Fortune is the New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling author of EVERY SUMMER AFTER. Her second book, MEET ME AT THE LAKE, comes out May 2, 2023. It’s a breathtaking love story about two strangers who come together when they need each other most. Once, in their early twenties, and again a decade later.

Carley is an award-winning journalist and worked as an editor at some of Canada’s top publications, including The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Toronto Life, and The Grid. She was most recently the Executive Editor of Refinery29 Canada.

Carley spent her young life in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, and in Barry’s Bay, a tiny lakeside town in rural Ontario and the setting for EVERY SUMMER AFTER.

EVERY SUMMER AFTER was an instant international bestseller and Carley’s debut novel.

Carley lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons. Follow her on Instagram

The Purgatory Poisoning – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Purgatory Poisoning

Author:- Rebecca Rogers

Date published:- will be published on March 2nd 2023

Publisher:- HarperCollins UK

No. of pages:- 400 pages

Genre:- Mystery

Rating:

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

How do you solve your own murder when you’re already dead?

Purgatory (noun):
1. Where the dead are sent to atone.
2. A place of suffering or torment.
3. A youth hostel where the occupants play Scrabble and the mattresses are paper thin.

When Dave wakes up in his own personal purgatory (St Ives Youth Hostel circa 1992), he’s shocked to discover he’s dead. And worse – he was murdered.

Heaven doesn’t know who did it so with the help of two rogue angels, Dave must uncover the truth.

As divine forces from both sides start to play the game, can Dave get out of this alive? Or at the very least, with his soul intact?

This was a mystery filled with laughter, funny stuff, witchy stuff and I actually enjoyed reading this so much!

Dave finds himself in a bunk bed that he used to share with his brother back in 1992. When he asks around, he realizes that he was in some sort of a purgatory–and that he is already dead! Worst of all, he finds out that he was murdered. Dave is clueless as to what really happened on the day he was murdered and so with the help of the two rogue angels, Dave is set to find the truth and clues as to what really happened…and atone for the past mistakes that he would have committed when he was alive.

Honestly, this was a very different type of thriller that I have read. I actually enjoyed reading the book a lot. There were some funny parts in the book that would make you laugh out loud and above all, I felt the story was really intriguing. It wasn’t boring and it was engaging as well and I was drawn into the story. This book also reminded me slightly of the TV show called The Good Place a little bit.

Overall, this was a funny, enjoyable novel and worth 4.5 stars!

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

Girl, Forgotten – Book Review

Title:- Girl, Forgotten

Author:- Karin Slaughter

Date published:- June 23rd 2022

No. of pages:- 400 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

A small town hides a big secret…

Who killed Emily Vaughn?

Prom Night. Longbill Beach, 1982. Emily Vaughn dresses carefully for what’s supposed to be the highlight of any high school career. But Emily has a secret. And by the end of the night, because of that secret, she will be dead.

Nearly forty years later, Andrea Oliver, newly qualified as a US Marshal, receives her first assignment: to go to Longbill Beach to protect a judge receiving death threats. But Andrea’s real focus isn’t the judge – it’s Emily Vaughn. Ever since she first heard Emily’s name a year ago, she’s been haunted by her brutal death. Nobody was ever convicted – her friends closed ranks, her family shut themselves off in their grief, the town moved on – so the killer is still out there. But now Andrea has a chance to find out what really happened…

This is the sequel to Pieces of Her although this can be read as a standalone. In this book, This book follows Andrea Oliver who is now a US Marshal. She goes to this small town, for her first assignment, where her biological father used to live. She was asked to investigate the case of threatening letters that were sent to Judge Vaughn and twenty years ago, the judge’s daughter, Emily was brutally murdered on the night of the prom. Now armed with the case, Andrea is determined to find out the person who is responsible.

Most of Karin Slaughter’s books are dark and intense and this book was no exception. Though unlike some of her books, which are at times disturbing, this wasn’t too disturbing. The story divides back and forth between past and present, the past told in Emily’s POV. Although it wasn’t as great as her other books, nonetheless, I actually enjoyed reading this book. Worth four stars

Karin Slaughter is the author of more than twenty instant NEW YORK TIMES bestselling novels, including the Edgar–nominated COP TOWN and standalone novels THE GOOD DAUGHTER, PRETTY GIRLS, and GIRL, FORGOTTEN. She is published in 120 countries with more than 40 million copies sold across the globe. PIECES OF HER is a #1 Netflix original series starring Toni Collette. The Will Trent Series will air January 3rd, 2023 on ABC and streaming on Hulu. THE GOOD DAUGHTER and FALSE WITNESS are in development for film/tv. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta.

Hook Line Sinker Bellinger Sisters series Book 2 – Book Review

Title:- Hook, Line and Sinker

Author:- Tessa Bailey

Date published:- March 1st 2022

No. of pages:- 353 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he’s a guaranteed good time–in bed and out–and that’s exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She’s immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.

Now, Hannah’s in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. She knows he’s a notorious ladies’ man, but they’re definitely just friends. In fact, she’s nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport’s resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker’s eye… yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can’t deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost.

Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she’s walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and… and… man overboard! He’s fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he’s all in, she’ll choose him instead?

In the follow-up to It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey delivers another deliciously fun rom-com about a former player who accidentally falls for his best friend while trying to help her land a different man…

So I enjoyed reading It Happened Last Summer (you can check out my review on the blog) and I couldn’t wait to see what is going to happen to Piper’s sister Hannah. So this story is a love story between Hannah and Fox Thorton, the King Crab fisherman known as a playboy.

Hannah is working for a film crew and she suggests the crew to shift their shooting scenes to Westport. Hannah then becomes roommates with Fox temporarily as Piper couldn’t afford Hannah the accommodation the fact that Brandon’s parents are visiting town. Hannah and Fox are just friends…and ever since he met Hannah, he hasn’t dated a single girl for nearly a year…and soon their friendship might turn something romantic…

This was enjoyable to read, learned lot of names of songs that I am not very familiar with but this book was a bit emotional too. We see Fox’s most vulnerable side, we also see Hannah’s side as well. Compared to the first book, there wasn’t much “spicy” scenes except the end. The epilogue was so touching that I nearly cried at the epilogue!

This is not a standalone novel so you might have to read It Happened Last Summer before starting on this one.

Overall worth four stars!

New York Times Bestselling author Tessa Bailey can solve all problems except for her own, so she focuses those efforts on stubborn, fictional blue collar men and loyal, lovable heroines. She lives on Long Island avoiding the sun and social interactions, then wonders why no one has called. Dubbed the “Michelangelo of dirty talk,” by Entertainment Weekly, Tessa writes with spice, spirit, swoon and a guaranteed happily ever after. Catch her on TikTok at @authortessabailey or check out tessabailey.com for a complete list of books.

The Night She Vanished – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Night She Vanished

Author:- Wendy Dranfield

Date published:- will be published on 14th March 2023

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 389 pages

Genre:-Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

My parents seem to be the perfect couple. But no one knows what I know…

Everyone in the small Midwestern town of Henderson looks up to my perfect parents. With dependable jobs as a midwife and the town sheriff, they help this close-knit community feel safe. But the locals didn’t grow up in my parents’ house. They don’t know what I know. And they wouldn’t believe me if I told them…

After my best friend vanished when we were just fifteen, I left town and never looked back. I couldn’t prove it, but I think my parents killed her.

Now, years later, my little sister has vanished. I have no choice but to go home and play happy families again. Because I have to find out what my parents have done to her. I have to try to save her.

But when bones are discovered on a local farm, and all the evidence leads back to our front door, I realize I was wrong about absolutely everything. And that coming back was the deadliest thing I could do…

Wendy Dranfield has become one of my favorite psychological thriller authors and this standalone novel, The Night She vanished has become one of my favorite thriller books!

Nicole’s sister Aimee goes missing. Nicole believes that her own father is responsible for the disappearance, just like he might be responsible for the disappearance of Nicole’s friend Lori’s disappearance nearly ten years ago. Soon skeletel remains have been found in a local farm and Nicole wonders if her own father is responsible or if someone else is responsible for the murder.

This was truly engaging and I simply couldn’t put this book down! The story itself is completely unexpected, with unexpected twists and turns along the way. The ending left me so baffled that I am still reeling from the ending! The characters in the story was well developed and probably unreliable as we don’t know which of these characters could be responsible for the murders. This was also fast paced which is actually a plus sign in thriller books. So if you like to read thrillers that will give you a roller coaster ride, that is unputdownable and a page turner, I highly recommend this book to you–worth five stars!

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

Wendy is the bestselling author of the Detective Madison Harper crime series.

She is a former coroner’s assistant turned crime writer who writes a mixture of standalone thrillers, crime series and short stories. Some of her books have been shortlisted for various writing competitions and awards, including the Mslexia novel competition and the International Thriller Writer Awards.

You can find more information on her website: wendydranfield.co.uk

The Dying Place – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Dying Place

Author:- Charly Cox

Date published:- will be published on 9th March 2023

Publisher:- Hera

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

When the trunk slammed closed, sealing her fate, a deep cold slithered into the center of Kennedy’s bones. All she could do was pray that her attacker would leave enough of her for her family to identify…

Kennedy Farmer, an experienced athlete, never returns after leaving for her usual running route through the dusty, mountains trails of New Mexico.

While the search for Kennedy begins, Detective Alyssa Wyatt and her squad face a terrifying new case when the body of a young woman, Rheagan Pembroke, is discovered in the desert terrain surrounding Albuquerque.

Her wounds horrify even the hardened squad of the Albuquerque P.D. – and the case takes an even darker turn when they discover a polaroid stuffed into the victim’s mouth, showing the body of Gunner Galveston, a murder victim from fourteen years ago. Alyssa was a detective on the case, but the culprit was never caught.

As the team are taunted with gruesome packages and blood-curdling phone calls, it becomes evident that a serial killer – whose blood lust is quickly increasing – has been operating in plain sight.

To catch a killer, Alyssa and the squad need to understand the savage desires driving them … before Kennedy becomes another life taken at the hands of a psychopath.

Meet Alyssa Wyatt: detective, mom … and a serial killer’s worst nightmare. This incredibly addictive detective series will thrill fans of Karin Slaughter, Chris Carter and Kendra Elliot.

Wow!!! Detective Alyssa Wyatt and her partner Tony are back with another thrilling but disturbing case!

Kennedy Farmer is an athlete and while she was running, Kennedy goes missing. She was kidnapped and was kept in a room where she was being tortured brutally by an unknown person. Meanwhile Detective Alyssa Wyatt and her partner look for Kennedy when they find a body of a teenage girl who was tortured to death. Both of them knew that they were running out of time before Kennedy would end up being like the other victims.

If you are a fan of Karin Slaughter then I suggest you read Charly Cox’s novels. Her novels are fast paced, packed with actions and twists and turns you wouldn’t expect. There are some disturbing details but nonetheless, this was a book where the reader was kept on the edge. The author managed to scare the wits out of the reader and kudos for making the readers engrossed into the story. The ending of the novel was completely unexpected and overall, I so enjoyed this book that I cannot wait to read more of her books!

Overall this book worth five full stars!

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

Born in the South, raised in the Midwest, Charly now resides in the Southwest in the Land of Enchantment where she enjoys eating copious amounts of green chile and other spicy foods. When she’s not reading, writing, or plotting sinister evils with her antagonists, she enjoys doing jigsaw and crossword puzzles, hanging out with her husband and her spoiled Siberian Husky, visiting her son in Arizona, and traveling, preferably to places surrounded by sun, sand, and warm uncrowded beaches.