Tropical Girl Reads

In this chilling story from USA Today bestselling author Margot Hunt, a mother and daughter try to start over in an idyllic town only to get caught up in cliques, mind games…and murder.

After the sudden death of her husband, Kate Turner is looking for a fresh start for herself and her teenage daughter, Alex. They relocate to the beachside town of Shoreham, Florida, where all is not as sunny as it seems.

Although Kate makes fast friends with a trio of fellow moms, their daughters take an instant dislike to Alex, who attempts to document their bullying in her video diary. Kate brushes off Alex’s concerns—until she receives a series of chilling warnings about the clique of moms from other parents and neighbors. As it becomes harder for her to ignore the malicious undercurrent she senses among her new friends, Kate grows increasingly unsure of who to believe—and who to trust.

As small-town gossip weaves a harrowing web of jealousy, deceit, and betrayal, Kate and Alex discover that whether you’re in or out, the status quo can turn on you deadly fast.

This was such an intense psychological thriller I have read!

Kate Turner and her daughter Alex move to a new town in Florida from Buffalo after an event caused them to move away. They wanted to start over in an idyllic town. Kate Turner become friends with a trio of women, Genevieve, Emma and Ingrid but their daughters instantly disliked Alex and soon Alex started recording about her bullying incidents. Then an event would change both the mother and the daughter life.

I like how fast paced this story was. The whole story itself was realistic–bullying, is the central theme of the story and how some of the mothers would think that bullying is OK. However it was a bit disturbing to read as it all tells a story of bullying and murder. The plot was interesting and intriguing and it was quick to read and I have to say this was quiet a page turner. This is the first time I am reading from this author and I will be looking forward to read more books written by her in future. Overall a four star rating!

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

Ten years ago: On a warm summer’s evening, four childhood friends gather at a slumber party… Before dawn breaks, the nightmare begins. One of them dies. One of them is a killer.

Liz was the bubbly girl-next-door. She could never have imagined how everything would fall apart.

Sami was the clever one, quieter than the others. She was meant to keep all their secrets…

Amy had the voice of an angel, destined for Hollywood. She would never make it there.

Mo was leader of the group, charismatic and protective. But she was not who she appeared to be…

They were childhood friends, on the cusp of the rest of their lives. They’d shared everything with each other. Or so they thought… Until one of them died.

Today: Liz tries not to think about the night that destroyed their lives. She focuses on her beloved husband and their sweet-eyed daughter. But when she receives a note, there’s no more running away: “I’m back. Did you miss me?”

A wave of dizziness crashes over her. Her best friend can’t be back. She’s dead. So who sent the note? What do they know? And, most terrifying of all, are they planning to make her pay for what happened…?

A totally gripping, heart-stopping thriller about twisted friendships, dark pasts, and secrets to die for… If you love The Night She Disappeared, Girl A and The Housemaid, you’ll love The Slumber Party.

This is the second book by Shannon Hollinger .

Liz, Sami, Mo and Amy were childhood friends but a tragedy strikes on the night of the prom, causing the friends to be stranded from each other. Now present day, Liz gets a message from someone claiming to be her friend–only problem was, that friend had died at that prom night nearly twenty years ago. Is the friend still alive or is someone playing a sick game?

I did enjoy reading this thriller and I really liked the dual timelines, as we get to know what happened the night of the prom. The first part wasn’t interesting but from the middle part to the end, it was interesting and fast paced. Though there were some twists and turns and the story was fast paced, in my mind, it was predictable as I kind of did predict what was going to happen next. Overall, this is a good thriller with some twists and turns and that will keep you hooked up. Worth four stars!

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

Trusted surgeon. Loving wife. Murderer?

Before my world came crashing down, I had it all. The successful career I dreamed of. The beautiful red-brick home where I could relax in front of the fire. The handsome, devoted husband whose blue eyes and charming smile always made me feel safe.

As I call time of death, my voice is steady. My colleagues stand hushed around me, their eyes on me, confused, concerned.

I have never lost a patient until today.

My hands tremble inside their gloves. I slide down the cold tiled walls, my heart racing in my chest.

I have never hated a patient until today.

But what choice did I have, once I recognized him?

And what will I do to protect myself, if someone learns the truth?

Dr. Anne is a dedicated surgeon. Never once her patients died on the operating table. But when one of her patients dies, Dr. Anne wasn’t confused and shocked as her colleagues. Once when Dr. Anne recognized who the patient was, she wanted to kill him. Meanwhile, Paula, a state attorney who is having an affair with Dr. Anne’s husband is determined to bring Dr. Anne down, pinning her to the death of that patient.

This was a fast-paced medical thriller, switching between Anne and Paula. You might wonder why Paula is hell bent in destroying Anne for just a mere affair with her husband–for jealousy or for something else in her agenda? Honestly, Paula is one of those characters that I literally couldn’t stand at all (you know you have those moments when you hate a particular character so much and I felt like that way with Paula). This was unputdownable, there were a bit of twists and turns, the ending was also unexpected. I have read Leslie’s books before, the Detective Kay Sharp series and so I enjoyed reading this standalone novel written by her. I really hope that she would write more standalone in future as well!

Overall, this is a page turner which worth 4 stars!

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

The rules of the running club are the same as they have always been: keep your breath steady, keep your mind sharp, record your laps! Only now there’s a new one: don’t get killed.

The wealthy community of Esperance is picture-perfect. Big houses, stunning views, beautiful people. A brand new running track for the local club to jog around in the evenings. From the outside, it looks like paradise.

But the women of the town know the truth: you can hide anything – from wrinkles to secrets from your past – if you have enough money.

You could even hide a murder.

THE RUNNING CLUB is the gripping, twisty page-turner from the author of THE TRIVIA NIGHT, full of secrets, lies and reveals you won’t see coming.

I enjoyed Ali Lowe’s previous book The Trivia Night that I was mighty excited when I got the ARC forthe second book The Running Club.

Rich neighborhood, rich couples, a running track for the neighborhood, privileged area…but each of the couples are holding a deep secret. Then one of the women gets murdered in the neighborhood.

The story consisted of Carole, Lottie, Shelby and Fiona and are told from their POVs. The story divides back an forth between past and present and also describe the fabulous wealthy lives these women seem to be enjoying. There were nail-biting moments, quiet a page turner and the fact that the characters seem to be having a narcissistic trend in their character made the story even more better. There were twists and turns in the story but the ending was so completely unexpected that I did not expect that type of ending! Overall, this is a page-turner that will keep you up all night–worth 4.5 stars!

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

The perfect holiday or the perfect nightmare…

I sit sipping champagne in the warm water, bubbles frothing around me as I admire the breath-taking view of gorgeous blue skies and mountains. I can’t believe I’m here, at this stunning holiday home. It’s to die for…

My best friend and her husband have invited me and my family to their lakeside property for the weekend, to experience their luxury lifestyle. I’m not envious of their wealth, although I know my husband Ryan is. All I want is to escape from our recent troubles and get my marriage back on track.

Then I overhear Ryan having a whispered conversation late one evening, and he says something that sends a shiver down my spine. In this beautiful paradise my whole world is turned upside down.

Just when I think things can’t get any worse, I discover a second secret. The truth is even more shocking than I imagine, and now I have no idea who to trust.

This was meant to be the perfect holiday, but someone isn’t going to survive it…

Two couples with their children go on a holiday home for a vacation–Nicola and Ryan with their daughter Emily and Kim and Lewis with their son Cole. However, while on holiday Nicola learns a deep secret about Ryan and Kim–a secret that might ruin them or…someone might end up getting dead.

Initially, the first part of the book was slightly boring but when Nicola learned about Ryan’s relationship with Kim and when Nicola confronted Kim about it, things got a bit interesting. There were not many twists or turns, the story was a little bit of a slow burn but overall, it wasn’t very bad either. This was a good thriller that will keep you hooked till the end and the interesting part starts from the middle of the book. There wasn’t much suspense and since the characters are less, the story itself is quite predictable.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and this worth three stars in my opinion!

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

Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!

HOLY COW WHAT DID I JUST READ?!?!?!?! This is an unbelievably a five star rating!

Millie gets a job as a housemaid at the Winchester household. Everything seemed to be perfect until Millie realizes how demanding Nina can be and how Andrew, her husband looked broken and Millie felt that the marriage might be tearing apart. But one day Millie tries on Nina’s dress…and then things start to change then.

I simply couldn’t put the book down! This book is trending in Instagram and Tik tok no naturally, I decided to try out this book…and boy, this was so good! It took me less than forty-eight hours to finish this book and still, my mind is reeling from the end! This was such a fast paced thriller, filled with twists and turns, told in Millie’s POV and Nina’s POV, offering a perspective on both sides of the story. The ending…OMG!! That’s what I thought after I read the ending…and I like the small cliff-hanger in the end…which means we are going to see Millie in book 2 of the Housemaid series! Overall, I highly recommend this book–if you are looking for a fast paced, unputdownable twisted thriller that will keep you up all night, then The Housemaid will keep you at the edge of the seat–worth a complete five stars!