Tropical Girl Reads

What We Never Say – ARC Book Review

Title:- What We Never Say

Author:- Paulette Stour

Date published:- will be published on 1st November

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

SOMETIMES SECRETS ARE TOO BIG TO IGNORE.

After a lifetime of lacking confidence at work and in life, Rebecca has finally found her voice. Her blog for women is gaining traction, even getting noticed by the world’s top fashion magazine. When they request an article, Rebecca is beyond thrilled. So why is her boyfriend Kyle so concerned?

Kyle has a blank spot in his past he won’t share—not even with Rebecca. But his secret is blown when a powerful woman from Kyle’s fashion past, becomes desperate to get his attention. It’s attention he never wanted and has been trying to forget for eleven years.

As Kyle takes steps to heal, Rebecca’s article becomes a global sensation. Events force Kyle’s past and present to converge, putting Rebecca’s future at serious risk.

Kyle and Rebecca must now act to reclaim their lives before it’s too late.

With this bold novel, Paulette Stout delivers a deeply personal story that proves the power we hold to reclaim our own lives. What We Never Say is yet another bingeable read from a rising Women’s Fiction author.

First of all, the book was a sensitive topic about men facing sexual abuse. And I actually liked the plot. Unfortunately, the story as a whole wasn’t great.

Kyle was facing abuse from his boss, Jane. Rebecca, who is his girlfriend is being confided about the sexual abuse that Kyle was facing from his boss. Rebecca then gets an opportunity to work with Jane to write a column and she finds that Kyle wasn’t the only victim.

The first part of the story was literally bland and flat to me that I nearly DNF the book. However, it was towards the middle of the book that I actually started to focus more attention as it deals with the sensitive issue. The ending was good which actually spiked my rating to a three star. Also, I am wondering if this was a series as this was listed as Book 1. Is something going to happen next? I am not sure.

Overall this worth three stars for me.

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

Paulette Stout is the fearless author of Women’s Fiction that tackles taboo topics too long ignored. Her debut, Love, Only Better, is an empowering women’s fiction read and bedroom rallying cry for women everywhere. Her follow-up, What We Never Say, is due out November 1, 2022, and dives into the topic of #MeToo from a male victim’s perspective.

Raised by a single dad in Manhattan, Paulette is the gold-star wordsmith and owner of her content marketing agency, Media Goddess Inc., where she crafts content for her list of global clients. Prior to MGI, Paulette led content and design teams at several tech companies, and one educational publisher where her elimination of the Oxford comma caused a near riot.

Paulette’s prior career as a media buyer/planner in New York earned her three industry awards, including a MediaWeek All-Star. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Cornell University and her MBA in Marketing from the Lubin School of Business, Pace University.

You can usually find Paulette rearranging words into pleasing patterns while wearing grammar t-shirts.

For free reads, prequel, and sample chapters, visit Paulette’s website at paulettestout.com/free-reads.

Follow Paulette on social media on Instagram: @paulettestoutauthor, Facebook: @paulettestoutauthor Twitter: @StoutContent and on her website at paulettestout.com. BookBub: @paulettestoutauthor.

And don’t forget to leave a review after you finish the book!

The Shadows of Rutherford House – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Shadows of Rutherford House

Author:- C E Rose

Date published:- will be published on 10th November 2022

No. of pages:- 349 pages

Genre-; Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Darkness lies at the heart of this family…

Christie is still coming to terms with the sudden and unexplained disappearance of her mother, over twenty years ago, leaving her unable to move on. Through her work as a psychiatric nurse, she becomes drawn to a troubled patient, Lillian, similarly haunted by the loss of her own mother.

As she tries to help Lillian leave the hospital and return to her stately childhood home, Christie finds herself fascinated by the mysterious Rutherford-Percy clan. Why is Lillian so terrified of Rutherford House? Why is she so reluctant to embrace her aristocratic legacy?

The more Christie learns about the family and their dark, ancestral past, the deeper the secrets seem to run – until she finds a clue that could help uncover what happened to her own mother. Desperate for answers, Christie puts her job, her family and even her very life on the line. But how much of the truth does she really want to know?

This was actually an interesting read.

There were too many different characters POV although the present was told by Christie’s POV. I had a hard time following the time line and some parts became a little confusing but it is the middle of the story that got me hooked into the story. The story is mainly focused on ancestral secrets that seem to surface, I liked reading Christie’s and Duncan’s POV and also Milly the housekeeper. Overall, the whole story was very unpredictable and the plot keep changing which is making me guess what the ending was going to be like. Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book and worth four stars.

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

C.E. Rose is the pen name of novelist Caroline England.

Born in Sheffield, Caroline studied Law at the University of Manchester and stayed over the border. Caroline was a divorce and professional indemnity lawyer. She turned to writing when she deserted the law to bring up her three lovely daughters.

Follow her on Twitter: @CazEngland

Verity – Book Review

Title:- Verity

Author:- Colleen Hoover

Date published:- October 5th 2021

No. of pages:- 336 pages

Genre:- Thriller/Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

Out of all the CoHo books that I have read, Verity is the best books that I have read.

The story starts with Lowen Ashleigh who is on the brink of being thrown out of the apartment and is a struggling author. So Lowen gets a chance to co-author one of the famous author’s, Verity Crawford’s series as Verity had recently got into a car accident and is paralyzed. Lowen then moves to Crawford’s residence in upper state New York and discovers Verity’s manuscript which she starts to read, gradually coming across secrets.

This was really well written and I was literally hooked into the story. I like how Colleen Hoover has included chapters of Verity’s manuscript in the story as well and I felt like I was reading horror and thriller combined in one book. There were steamy sex scenes but aside from that, this was really a mindblowing thriller that kept me on the edge. I felt like I was watching a sort of horror movie while reading the book. I do like the ending–sort of an unexpected twist which I actually didn’t see it coming! I just couldn’t get the ending out of my head!

I do like the fact that friendship develops between Jeremy and Lowen which eventually lead to a romantic relationship even though Jeremy is already married to Verity. It was a bit disturbing to read about the part how Harper had died so the warning is basically there’s some child abuse in the book that might be a little disturbing to read.

This is the fourth Colleen Hoover book I have read and so far this is the best–worth five stars!

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches – Book Review

Title:- The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Author:- Sangu Mandanna

Date published:- August 23rd 2022

No. of pages:- 301 pages

Genre:- Fantasy

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family—and a new love—changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos “pretending” to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….

This is one of the best books I have read so far this year!

Mika Moon is one of those witches–she knew she had to hide her magic and keep the secret of her being a witch. She is also an orphan raised by Primrose and she posts online, posing as a witch showing magic.

But someone sends her a message, asking her to train three young witches on how to control the magic. They all live in a place called Nowhere House and soon, Mika gets acquainted with the three young witches as well as the owners-Ian, Ken, Lucie and of course handsome Jamie who seemed to get on the wrong foot with Mika at first.

If you have read House at the Cerulean Sea and enjoyed reading it, then you will most certainly love reading this book. Usually, in most books, I will have one or two characters that I dislike but in this book, I like ALL the characters! I also like the names given to the three young witches–Terracotta, Altamira, and Rosetta. Despite Jamie getting on the wrong foot with Mika, I love how slowly the romance developed between the two of them. I also really like the style of the author’s writing, which I actually enjoyed very much. There were some funny parts in the book, that will make you laugh out loud but other than that, I actually enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend this book. I did like the secret that was revealed at the end of the book. I can’t wait to read more books from this author–worth five stars!

Sangu Mandanna was four years old when an elephant chased her down a forest road and she decided to write her first story about it. Seventeen years and many, many manuscripts later, she signed her first book deal. Sangu now lives in Norwich, a city in the east of England, with her husband and kids.

The Silent Dead – ARC Book Review (Detective Jackie Cooke series Book 2)

Title:- The Silent Dead (Detective Jackie Cooke series Book 2)

Author:- Marnie Riches

No. of pages:- 289 pages

Date published:- will be published on 1st November 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4.5/5

Writing:- 4.5/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

She was lying as if asleep on the wooden kitchen floor, beneath the fridge covered with a child’s colourful crayon drawings. But her frozen expression showed she would never wake again…

When Detective Jackie Cooke is called out to the scene, she’s expecting a routine check. The bottle of pills on the kitchen table, next to the note with the single word SORRY written in a shaky hand, make it seem obvious what’s happened. But Jackie is shocked when she recognises her old schoolfriend Claire – and she is convinced Claire would never take her own life.

Determined to dig deeper, Jackie soon discovers evidence that proves her right: a roll of notes has been thrust down the victim’s throat. And when she finds another woman killed in the same way, she realises someone may be targeting lonely single mothers. As Jackie talks to Claire’s distraught children, one of them too young to understand his mummy is never coming home, she vows to find answers.

Both victims were in touch with someone calling himself Nice Guy – could he be the killer? Pursuing every clue, Jackie is sure she’s found a match in dead-eyed Tyler, part of a dark world of men intent on silencing women for daring to reject them. But just as she makes the arrest, another single mother is found dead – a woman who never dated at all.

Forced to re-evaluate every lead she has, with her boss pressuring her to make a case against the obvious suspect, Jackie knows she is running out of time before another innocent woman is murdered. And, as a single mother herself, she cannot help but wonder if she is in the killer’s sights. Can she uncover his true motivation and put an end to his deadly game… or will he find her first?

Jackie Cooke is back with another case with her partner Dave.

In this book, a woman was found brutally murdered with notes stashed into her mouth. Jackie recognizes the woman as one of her classmates Claire although at the time of the murder, she had changed her name to Rachel. But as she investigate further, she finds that Claire had been on dating sites and had been in contact with someone named “Nice Guy”. Soon she finds out that there are three women, who also met the same fate as Claire. Is there are a serial killer on loose?

I love reading serial killer thrillers so I actually enjoyed reading this book. This was a fast paced thriller that will keep you on the edge, wanting to find out, who would be the murderer, if all the other murders are also connected to Claire’s murder. Jackie felt a connection to Claire as they are both single mothers, so it was interesting to read about that point of view. This was also a page turner with the twists and turns, many of them quite unexpected. and the reveal of the killer in the end was mind blowing! Overall, I enjoyed reading this twisty thriller and highly recommend to anyone. Can’t wait for the next book in the series–worth five stars!

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

Marnie Riches grew up on a rough estate in Manchester. She learned her way out of the ghetto, all the way to Cambridge University, where she gained a Masters degree in German & Dutch. She has been a punk, a trainee rock star, a pretend artist, a property developer and professional fundraiser. Previously a children’s author, now, she writes gritty, fast-paced crime fiction.Marnie Riches is the author of the award-winning, best-selling George McKenzie series, starting with “The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die”, published in the UK by Avon/HarperCollins and special editions by The Word Factor-e in the US. She is also the author of best-selling, critically acclaimed Manchester gangland thrillers, “Born Bad” and “The Cover-Up” as featured in CBS documentary, “Written in Blood”.In her spare time, Marnie likes to spin, travel, drink and eat all the things (especially if combined with travel) paint portraits, sniff expensive leather shoes and renovate old houses. She also adores flowers.

The Midwife – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Midwife

Author:- Vicotria Jenkins

Date published:- will be published on 14th November 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3.5/5

Welcome to Pinewood Hospital. I’m here to take care of you…

The bright yellow walls of the maternity ward are plastered with posters of perfect families. Surrounded by happy looking couples, I’m painfully aware I’m about to give birth all alone. As I stroke my bump, I can’t stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. But when my midwife Jackie introduces herself and holds my trembling hand, I know she’s here to help. I instantly relax around her, even though I can’t shake the feeling we’ve met before…

As I sit in my small, rented bedsit that evening, my phone rings and I’m shocked to hear Jackie’s voice. I don’t recall giving her my number, but I have been forgetful of late. When she invites me to an antenatal group, I’m quick to make up an excuse, but she won’t take no for an answer.

Jackie promised me there would be a big group, so why is there only one other nervous looking mother here? I catch Jackie studying my face when the woman asks me questions about my baby. Does Jackie know the secret I’ve been keeping?

As my due date approaches, I find myself turning to Jackie more and more. I even let her talk me into her delivering my baby at home. She says she’s delivered hundreds of babies this way, and she’ll give me the birth I deserve.

My baby and I are in safe hands… Aren’t we?

I usually enjoy reading Victoria Jenkins’ novels but this wasn’t her best thriller book.

The story is about two women–Lauren who is pregnant and Jackie the midwife. Lauren has a secret and soon, someone knows about the secret that Lauren gets threatening letters. Jackie is also determined to know Lauren more.

This book wasn’t as great as her other novels. This started slow-burn and it was also slightly boring in my opinion. What made the story interesting was towards the end, when Lauren’s secret was revealed. There weren’t too much twists or any unexpected turns that you would normally expect in a good psychological thriller and for me, the whole story kind of felt bland to me. The characters were in ,my opinion was boring as well. The plot was good but I really felt the execution of the whole story wasn’t great.

Overall, this was an OK thriller that is worth three stars.

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

Victoria Jenkins is a Welsh author who has made a name for herself writing the highly popular Detective King and Lane series of novels. The first novel in the series was “The Girls In The Water” that Jenkins first published in 2017, to much critical acclaim and popularity among crime fiction fans.
The series of novels features Detective Constable Chloe Lane and Detective Inspector Alex King, who are the lead investigative characters that solve some mysterious murders in their hometown.

Jenkins lives with her husband and daughter in South Wales, where her series of crime novels featuring Detectives King and Lane is based.

The Tamarind Tree – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Tamarind Tree

Author:- Sundara Ramaswamy

Date published:- will be published on 15th November 2022

Genre:- Historical Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

This story captures the complexities experienced by a society in transition. The integral connection between the tamarind tree (protagonist of the book), which serves as a symbol, with the life of the people of a small town is imaginatively evoked by an extremely innovative narrative strategy.

ஒரு புளியமரத்தின் கதை – இது ஒரு நவீன செவ்வியல் புனைவு. இந்திய இலக்கியத்தில் ஒரு மைல் கல் எனக் கருதப்படும் இந்த புத்தகம் பல உலக மொழிகளில் மொழிப்பெயர்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஒப்பீட்டலிக்கிய விமர்சகர் கே. எம். ஜார்ஜ் இந்நாவலை நோபல் பரிசு பெறத் தகுதியானது என்று குறிப்பிடுகிறார்.

This is actually a tough book to write a book review on. This was originally written in Tamil and was translated into English, the Englished translation will be published on November 15th.

The story centers around a tamarind tree and how because of human greed and politics would soon destroy the nature around the tamarind tree and how the tree had all the rich history. The translator did a good job with the translation and me, coming from Sri Lanka did enjoy reading this book as I am familiar with some Tamil words. Overall, it was a good and enjoyable read–worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Kiss Me Catalina – ARC Book Review

Title:- Kiss Me Catalina

Author:- Priscilla Oliveras

Date published:- will be published on 1st November 2022

No. of pages:- 280 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

Dreams come true for an untamable rising star and a mariachi idol in a rousing romance about passion, fame, and family by USA Today bestselling author Priscilla Oliveras.

Ambitious San Antonio singer Catalina “Cat” Capuleta gets the chance of a lifetime when she joins superstar heartthrob and fellow mariachi Patricio Galán on his seven-week concert tour. Demanding and arrogant, Patricio challenges Cat on every level, as an artist and as a woman. But headstrong Cat is determined to be his match. No matter how seductive Patricio’s baritone voice, Cat’s eyes are only on the prize: success and making her familia proud.

No woman gets under Patricio’s skin like Cat. Her talent mesmerizes. Her passion is thrilling. And her drive, stemming from an old unhealed family wound, exposes a vulnerability he secretly recognizes in himself.

When the duo hits the road, the sparks don’t just fly—they detonate. Stage by stage, as each reckons with the past—and with each other’s quick-fire personalities—they bring crowds to their feet, and Cat’s long-held dreams come true. Will their road romance go up in flames? Or could making music together kindle the most rapturous love song of their lives?

Catalina Capuleta is an ambitious singer from San Antonia who gets a lifetime chance when she joins the heartthrob Patricio Galan. Patricio is demanding and a challenging person to work with but Catalina is determined not be swayed by his arrogance. But as they get to know together, Patricio realizes that there are some similarities in her personality with him and soon they start developing a romance between them.

At first the first few chapters were slightly boring to me but what I really like about this book is the characters. I really like the main characters, particularly Catalina as she is a strong willed determined woman who would achieve her own goals, an encouragement to all the women out there. I also do like Patricio as well, despite his arrogant personality. The story was predictable particularly the ending was not a surprise but nonetheless, this book was OK book in my opinion. There were Spanish words used in the book, that I didn’t understand but I suppose the author wanted to make the conversation sound more natural. Overall, in my opinion, this was an OK romance book–something you would enjoy. If you do like soap opera romance, then this book might be the one for you. Worth three stars.

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

PRISCILLA OLIVERAS is a USA Today bestselling author and 2018 RWA® RITA® double finalist who writes contemporary romance with a Latinx flavor. Proud of her Puerto Rican-Mexican heritage, she strives to bring authenticity to her novels by sharing her Latinx culture with readers. She and her work have earned praise from the Washington Post, New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Redbook, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, among others. Priscilla earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and currently serves as adjunct faculty in the program and teaches the online class “Romance Writing” for ed2go. While she’s a romance genre junkie, Priscilla also considers herself a sports fan, beach lover, and Zumba aficionado, who often practices the art of napping in her backyard hammock.

To follow along on her fun-filled and hectic life, visit her on the web at https://prisoliveras.com/books/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prisoliveras, or on Twitter and Instagram via @prisoliveras.

The Woman Outside the Walls – Blog Tour

Title:- The Woman Outside the Walls

Author:- Suzanne Goldring

Date published:- 18th October 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 370

Buy on Amazon

Genre:- Historical Fiction

Rating:-

This book was set in two different timelines–one in 2016 and the other during WWII.

In 1942, Anna was pregnant–she was only seventeen. The father of her unborn child is already dead and Anna decides to give the baby up for adoption, to a well to do family but she didn’t realize how it would affect her once the baby boy was snatched away from her. Heartbroken with grief, Anna starts working at a camp in the east. Present day in London, Anna is a ninety year old woman. Her neighbor, Lauren finds her at the bus stop and brings her back to the house. Lauren’s son is learning German and Laurel believes Anna as a kind loving old woman. But when they find out about Anna’s secret, will it destroy their relationship with this kind elderly woman?

Writing about war, particularly about WWII is very challenging and the author must have done tremendous research on the subject. The story itself was emotional and heartbreaking at times and there were some tear jerking moments in the story. This was also quite an unputdownable book and really touching particularly when reading about Anna and we see her as one courageous and brave woman who had to overcome many obstacles in life. Overall, this was an emotional and heartbreaking story and I highly recommend this book. Worth five stars!

I always knew it would come out one day. They are finding everyone who has stayed hidden. They would have come to me in the end.

Hamburg, 1942 Seventeen-year-old Anna knows she can never tell her proud parents the truth about where she is going. She must hide the fact that she is pregnant, that the father of her unborn child is dead and that she is on her way to a special maternity home, where her baby will be given to a perfect family. She tells herself that this is the best solution. She doesn’t expect to feel the rush of love for her beautiful baby boy in the white blanket, or the devastation when he is snatched from her, never to be seen again.

Desperate to forget her grief, she sees an advert for a secretary in a prison, far away in the east. Days later, she leaves Hamburg, travelling eastwards by train, feeling as if a whole new life is about to begin. It is the biggest mistake she will ever make.

London, 2016 Ninety-year-old Anna sits on the edge of her bed, hands trembling, eyes brimming with tears, as she looks at the picture of the soldier in the newspaper. Her friends and neighbours know her as a kindly old lady who bakes cakes and always has time to listen to their troubles. They don’t know about the hated green uniform she burned, the memories of the prisoners she tried to help and the bombed and blackened city she once called home. But now the time for a reckoning has come, will revealing the truth free Anna or destroy her?

Following an eventful career as a public relations consultant, specialising in business and travel, Suzanne Goldring turned to writing the kind of novels she likes to read, about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. Whether she is working in her thatched cottage in Hampshire or her seaside home in North Cornwall, Suzanne finds inspiration in the secrets hidden by everyday life.