We Were Liars – Book Review

Title:- We Were Liars

Author:- E. Lockhart

Date published:- May 13th 2014

No. of pages:- 242 pages

Genre:- YA/Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.

And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

This is one of the hyped books and I was wondering why this book is so much hype. So I got the book and started reading this book.

Here are the things I liked about the book

  • The ending was where it hooked me up the entire story.
  • The twist at the end was quite unexpected.
  • I like the map and the family tree that was written at the front of the book, explaining about Sinclair family and the location of the island, which was very helpful when reading the book.
  • Do like the friendship between Johnny, Mirren, Gat and Cady particularly I do like the romantic relationship between Gat and Cindy
  • The story was realistic as it talked about racism and white privilege.

However, the story was slightly predictable, knew what was going to happen and the first part of the story was slightly boring.

Overall, this book worth four stars.

E. Lockhart is the author of Again Again, Genuine Fraud, We Were Liars and Family of Liars, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and several other books. Whistle: A New Gotham CIty Hero is a graphic novel.

Kerry Tucker Learns to Live – ARC Book Review

Title:- Kerry Tucker Learns To Live

Author:- Louise Voss

Date published:- will be published October 6th 2022

No. of pages:- 303 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Literary

Rating:

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

Sometimes you have to reach the end of the road before you can start over.

Kerry is perfectly happy with her life. She gets up at the same time every day to deliver post in the winding lanes and little villages around where she lives, stopping for a chat at some of the houses along the way. Once a month she has Sunday lunch with her sister Beth’s perfect family, to eat roast chicken while Beth tells her why she should want more out of life.

Beth thinks Kerry is kidding herself. She thinks Kerry needs to move out of the horrible little apartment converted from the garage in their parents’ garden, find a better job, and maybe even meet a man. And now their parents’ house is up for sale, Beth is going to make sure Kerry gets a life… whether Kerry likes it or not.

Kerry knows something Beth doesn’t, though. She knows the happiest of marriages can hide dark secrets, and that even the people you love most in the world can betray you. She’s known that since she was seventeen years old, when she learned her father’s secret.

It’s far safer not to get close to people…

Isn’t it?

I am actually having mixed feelings about the book.

Kerry is a forty something year old woman and is a post woman. She seemed to be living a happy life, having special once a month Sunday lunches with her sister Beth. Beth wants Kerry to move out of her apartment and try to live on her own. But Kerry has known a secret about her father since she was seventeen years old.

The writing was good but the story didn’t really get into me. As you read the story on, you believe that Kerry was a loner and depressed young woman.. The story shifts between 1993 and the present day and I like the fact that the story was set during the pandemic time, which makes it more special to the reader. Overall this story worth 2.5 stars.

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

A Doomful of Sugar – ARC Book Review

Title:- A Doomful of Sugar

Author:- Catherine Bruns

Date published:- will be published on October 25th 2022

Publisher:- Poisoned Pen Press

Genre:- Cozy Mystery

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

First in a new cozy mystery series!

There’s nothing sweet about murder…

Leila Khoury has always believed that everyone loved her father as much as they loved his artisanal maple syrup. But when he’s killed, and she returns to Sugar Ridge, Vermont to take over his business, she starts to realize how much of his life she’s left untapped.

With her brother under suspicion, her mother just barely holding it together, and police not producing any leads, Leila will have to investigate herself if she wants answers about her father’s sticky end. But the more she learns, the more she worries that there won’t be a sappy ending to the story.

A cozy mystery perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke, this edition includes 5 delicious maple recipes for mystery readers with a sweet tooth!

The first book of a cozy mystery series and I always try out the cozy mystery series. A Doomful of Sugar is one of those books, filled with all these recipes of the desserts made with maple syrup that you could try at home.

Leila Khoury returns to the countryside Vermont known as Sugar Ridge, when she heard the news about her father’s death. Her father had left his will–the farm now solely belongs to Leila. However, Leila is determined to find out who actually killed her own father–suspects the own coworkers handsome Noah and Jessica, her own brother Simon and a man named Wesley. And since law enforcement had not produced any leans, Leila along with her friend Hannah must find out who is behind her father’s murder.

This was actually a really good cozy mystery book which I actually enjoyed reading a lot. The descriptions and scenes of farming and extracting maple syrup were interesting to read. I do like how everyone except for her mother and her best friend Hannah seemed to be a suspect under Leila’s eye. The ending at who was responsible for her father’s death was surprising and unexpected. I do like the receipes at the back using the maple syrup which prompts me to try out some. Overall, if there’s a book 2, I cannot wait to read what Leila had in for her next adventure–worth 4.5 stars!

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

Catherine is the USA Today best selling author of the Cookies & Chance mysteries. She lives in Upstate New York with her very patient husband, three sons and several spoiled cats and dogs. She holds a dual B.A. in English and Performing Arts and is a former newspaper reporter and press release writer. Catherine also writes the Italian Chef mysteries, Aloha Lagoon (Carrie Jorgenson) and the Cindy York mysteries. Her book, For Sale by Killer, was a 2019 Daphne du Maurier winner in the category of Mainstream Mystery/Suspense.

Love In The Time Of Serial Killers- Book Review

Title:- Love in the Time of Serial Killers

Author:- Alicia Thompson

Date published:- August 16th 2022

No. of pages:-

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Turns out that reading nothing but true crime isn’t exactly conducive to modern dating—and one woman is going to have to learn how to give love a chance when she’s used to suspecting the worst.

PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She’s even analyzing the genre in her dissertation—if she can manage to finish writing it. It’s hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn’t had a relationship with for years.

It doesn’t help that she’s low-key convinced that her new neighbor, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he’s clearly up to something). It’s not long before Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier—a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armor to reach her vulnerable heart.

So I am reading this book for a book club and the title kind of appealed to me so I bought this book from Kindle. I am kind of having mixed feelings about this book.

Phoebe Walsh is a graduate student who is doing a thesis on true crime–something she is passionate about. After her father’s death, she moves to Florida to her father’s house. There she meets her next door neighbor Sam, who seemed to be having the serial killer look but who could pierce her heart.

Let’s start with the good things

  • The story was really funny–there were so many funny parts in the story that I actually burst out laughing at some parts.
  • I do like the ending of the story and I also liked the plot of the story as well.
  • I like how Phoebe starts developing a relationship with a cat whom she named as Lenore and eventually her next door neighbor Sam
  • I also like the writing and like how the author manages to get the reader hooked into the story.
  • Like the proposal scene as well

The only thing I didn’t like much is the main character Phoebe and I found the main character slightly annoying.

Overall this books worth four stars!

Alicia Thompson graduated from the New College of Florida in 2006 with a degree in psychology, and wrote her debut novel in between pulling all-nighters on her senior thesis. Her short stories, “Abby Greene for President” and “Stealing Mark Twain,” have appeared in Girls’ Life magazine. She is currently working on an MFA in fiction writing at the University of South Florida, where she still pulls the occasional all-nighter.

Missing Widow – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Missing Widow

Author:- L.G. Davis

Date published:- will be published on October 18th 2022

No. of pages:- 262 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

I thought we would be safe here. But I was wrong…

My son Clark and I live in a beautiful cabin outside a rural town, somewhere nobody will find us. I could not have found a more perfect place to start over, shielded by the trees and far away from prying eyes. But when I find a newspaper clipping on my porch, it drives fear into my bones. Widow wanted for murder screams the headline. And that’s my face in the picture, circled with red marker. I look out into the forest, but I can’t see anyone. How did they find me? And what do they want?

I don’t know where to run next, or how to make sure my son is safe. And deep down I know the only way I can finally be free is to find out what really happened that night a year ago, when my dear husband Brett died.

I’m sure I didn’t kill him… did I? But that night is a blur, and as I try to prove my innocence, the dark secrets I uncover force me to question everything I believed. The people I trusted most are not who I thought they were. And the person who is coming for me is very close to home…

An utterly heart-pounding and twisty psychological thriller that will keep you up all night. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, Behind Closed Doors and The Girl on the Train.

The Missing Widow–is about a woman named Meghan who after her husband, who was suffering from cancer was found dead and Meghan becomes the prime suspect. Meghan with her son Ashton then runs away from the small town and moves to another town, under a different name–Zoe and Clark. But almost a year later, Meghan’s past seem to haunt her again.
Did Meghan really kill her husband? Is she really guilty?

This is a nail-bitingly twisted psychological thriller that will put the reader on the edge. The author did a good job with that. The thriller itself is fast-paced filled with twists and turns that you wouldn’t completely expect. The fact that Meghan is possibly an unreliable character and probably may have killed the husband would cast a shadow of doubt on the main character. This is also more like a cat and mouse chase game. The ending of the story was what drew me into the book and I simply couldn’t put the book down. I do like the bit of cliffhanger at the end wondering what on earth is going to happen next.

Overall, if you like a domestic thriller that is quite unputdownable 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.

Most Hyped Books–Worth the hype or not? Part 1

If you are on Instagram or TikToks, there are some books that are mostly talked about or mostly hyped about. I have read some of these books and will let you know whether it’s worth the hype or not.

  1. Daisy Jones and The Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Is it worth the hype? YES. I actually enjoyed reading this book.

2. The Love Hypothesis- Ali Hazelwood

Is It worth the hype? No in my opinion. Too unrealistic and felt like I was watching some Hallmark movie.

3. It Ends With Us – Colleen Hoover

Is it worth the hype? Not much, although the message in the book is emotional and powerful and addresses about domestic abuse. The beginning of the story kind of ruined this good book with unnecessary part but in my opinion even though it was good, not worth much hype.

4. Ugly Love – Colleen Hoover

Is it worth the hype? This is kind of difficult for me. I did like the story so I have to say maybe

5. The Midnight Library – Matt Haig

Is it worth the hype? My personal opinion yes. This is in my opinion an unusual book that talks about death, afterlife and so forth.

6. Beach Reads- Emily Henry

Is it worth the hype? Sadly No. First few chapters we so boring I almost DNF the book. I heard Book Lovers is better than Beach Read and hopefully it is true.

7. The Silent Patient – Alex Michaelidas

Is it worth the hype? YES! The twist at the ending was what blew my mind off!

8. Reminders of Him – Colleen Hoover

Is it worth the hype? Yes–one of Colleen Hoover’s books that I actually enjoyed reading.

9. The Firekeeper’s Daughter – Angeline Boulley

Is it worth the hype? Yes. YA thriller is actually a good genre.

10. The Guest List – Lucy Foley

Is it worth the hype? Not really although I liked the plot

So if you like this post, then I will do part 2 of this topic!

Christmas in Paris – ARC Book Review

Title:- Christmas in Paris

Author:- Tilly Tennant

Date published:- will be published on October 21st 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 333 pages

Genre:- Holiday/Romance

Rating:;-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating;- 4/5

As the snow flutters down on the Eiffel Tower and fairy lights sparkle on the pavement cafés of Paris, meet the girl determined not to fall in love in the most romantic city in the world…

When Brooke arrives in Paris at Christmas, it feels like the perfect place to escape after being dumped by her long-term boyfriend. And while her head might be turned by the romance of couples strolling arm in arm along the riverbank, and the air scented with chocolat chaud, her heart remains firmly under lock and key – this trip is going to be about her.

Brooke might be able to resist the charms of one persuasive Frenchman who takes her to some of Paris’s most romantic spots, but when a chance encounter leads her to green-eyed Armand with his dark wavy hair and warm smile, she is annoyed to feel her heart skip a beat…

Still, what’s the harm of a holiday romance with no strings attached? Brooke is sure she can play it cool. But when Armand opens his heart to her in a candlelit restaurant and kisses her at the top of the Eiffel Tower, she throws caution to the wind. Armand isn’t her ex – and doesn’t she deserve a second chance at love?

But when Armand begins to blow hot and cold, she wonders if she has been taken for a fool. Why does he never answer his phone? Who is the mysterious tall blonde French woman who always seems to be watching Brooke? And when Armand leaves Paris without warning as Christmas Eve approaches, should Brooke try and find out more about the stranger she has found herself falling for?

What is it like to spend Christmas in Paris and at the same fall in love with a handsome Frenchman? Then you should read Christmas in Paris by Tilly Tennant.

Brooke was heartbroken when her ex-boyfriend, Johnny breaks up with her and then a year later, marries the woman that he had cheated on with Brooke. Brooke’s friend Felicity comes up with an idea to take up in Christmas selling in the heart of Paris, Brooke joins her friend. While in Paris, she meets Armand, a handsome Frenchman. And they start falling in love with each other with hurdles getting in their way.

I have read many of Tilly Tennant’s books and this book is one of my favorite book of hers. Though you do feel like watching a classic Hallmark Christmas movie while reading this, I actually enjoyed reading the book, particularly I enjoyed reading about the chemistry between Brooke and Armand. And while reading this book, I felt like I was in Paris with Brooke, spending Christmas and then finding romance in the romantic city. Overall, despite the predictable ending, I enjoyed reading this book!

If you are looking for a holiday romance set in Paris, I highly recommend this book. Worth four stars!

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

The Wife Next Door – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Wife Next Door

Author:- Rona Halsall

Date published:- will be published on 12th October 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 290 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

Two houses. Two front doors. One family. And we’re going to make it work. Nothing can possibly go wrong…

Today we move into our new houses, right next door to each other. My ex-husband and me. He’s with someone else. So am I.

We’re still the best of friends. We’re making sure we’re not like every other separating couple. We know we will make it work. We’ve even knocked down the fences between the houses, so the children can all run between both homes.

But it seems not everyone likes this big, blended stepfamily. I try to ignore the scary note in the ‘new home’ card, and the red pen scrawled through my divorce paperwork. But I can’t pretend it’s all okay when I’m accused of hurting the person I love more than anyone in the world: my little boy.

Now I can’t help but think someone doesn’t like what’s happening under our two roofs. Or perhaps someone doesn’t like there being a wife next door…

What they don’t know is that they’re messing with the wrong person…

This was such a gripping psychological thriller that I have read that put me at the edge of my seat!

Jess and Rob are divorced but are seeing different partners–Rob is seeing Carol, a single mother to a boy named Mo and Jess is seeing a man named Ben who has a teenage daughter named Ruby. They decided to move to next to each other–their houses right next to each other. Everything seems to go smoothly until Jess finds a threatening note. Soon, things start to escalate and someone clearly is not happy with the arrangement.

From start to finish, it was really engrossing. I like how the climax starts building towards the middle of the book, when Jess’s son Toby shows signs of bruises, prompting the social services to take Toby away. Jess seems to suspect everyone and her relationship with Carol turns sour. I do like the bit of family drama that is in the story coupled with the twisted thriller in the book. The story itself was quite unputdownable and fast paced. The ending was unexpected and I do like the sort of cliff-hanger in the end, wondering if there might be a part two or not and what is going to happen next! Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this fast-paced thriller and would recommend if you like a thriller with bit of a family drama in in it. Worth 4.5 stars!

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

Rona is the author of Best Selling psychological thrillers published by Bookouture. She loves a puzzle to solve, so now she writes them… her challenge is to find domestic storylines with twists that keep her readers guessing right to the end.

She has been a bit of a nomad during her adult life, moving around the north of England. Then settled in Snowdonia, North Wales where she brought up her family while working as a business mentor. She now lives on the Isle of Man with her husband and two dogs.

She is an outdoorsy person and loves stomping up a mountain, walking the coastal paths and exploring the wonderful glens and beaches on the Island while she’s plotting her next book. She has three children and two step-children who are all grown up and leading varied and interesting lives, which provides plenty of ideas for new stories.

To find out more about Rona and her novels, visit her website: https://ronahalsall.com/

Breaking – ARC Book Review

Title:- Breaking

Author:- Amanda Cassidy

Date published:- will be published on 6th October 2022

Publisher:- Canelo

No. of pages:- 307 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

It’s every mother’s worst fear

On a sun-hazed afternoon in the Florida Keys, a child goes missing from the beach. Dr Mirren Fitzpatrick appeals to the world to help find her eight-year-old daughter. The family are on holiday from Ireland, far from home and desperate to return there as they arrived – together.

Yet the police are immediately suspicious of Mirren. She was drinking at a bar – alone – shortly before reporting that her youngest child had disappeared. As rumours abound about Mirren’s past a trial-by-media ensues, and she is turned from a figure of pity to the villain of the piece.

And then a small body is found dumped in the ocean. Is Mirren a heartbroken mother, or the architect of her daughter’s fate?

While on holiday in Florida Keys, a child goes missing. Dr. Mirren Fitzpatrick appeals to the world to find her eight-year-old daughter Alannah but the police soon suspect that she might be responsible for her own daughter’s disappearance as she had been drinking at the bar at the time of Alannah’s disappearance.. Then the body of a small girl was found by the beach…

The story started out slow and normally, I am interested in police procedural stories but this was very different. The police parts were boring. Mirren turned out to be cold and calculating and thus, nearly all the characters in the story to me in my opinion felt boring which actually made me not interest in this book. However, what drew me into the story was the plot and the writing which actually made me read this book more without having to DNF the book. The writing was great. This is her debut book and even though I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I would have liked, I am looking forward to read more books from this author.

Overall, this book worth 3 stars.

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

Shadow Sister – ARC Book Review

Title:- Shadow Sister

Author:- Lindsay Marcott

Date published:- will be published on October 18th 2022

No. of pages:- 396 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/4

Writing;- 4/5

Overall rating:- 3.5/5

From the bestselling author of Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost comes the chilling story of a young woman who returns to her haunted childhood home to unravel the deadly mysteries of her family’s past.

Ava grew up in a haunted mansion, envied by all her friends. But when her mother died mysteriously there, the thrills of Blackworth Mansion became nightmares. Ava never accepted that her mother perished from natural causes, but no one would believe her.

Seventeen years later, Ava returns home to unravel the truth of her mother’s death—and her own demons quickly follow. Her estranged and vindictive father may be stalking her. Her secretive new sister-in-law lands on her doorstep with troubles of her own. And then there’s the strange girl who may or may not be haunting the grounds. Even Ava’s romance with her first crush is shadowed by her suspicions.

When Ava makes a terrifying discovery on the property, she must decide just how far into the past she’s willing to go. Some secrets can be deadly—especially the ones Ava’s kept hidden in the dark.

If you like a horror mixed with thriller, then this book will be a perfect choice.

Ava grew up in Blackworth Mansion, which is believed to be haunted. But when her mother died mysteriously, Ava believed that her mother was murdered although no one believed her. Seventeen-years later, Ava returned back to her childhood home. Her vindictive father might be stalking her and her brother married Sarah, a mysterious woman with a past.

It was an OK thriller in my opinion. The first part was slightly boring and the story was told in multiple POVs–Ava, Sarah and a woman named Didi who worked in Blackworth mansion in 2003, the year Ava’s mother died. It was quiet a slow burn in my opinion with a hint of haunted stories about the mansion. The ending was interesting however and the twist at the ending was quiet unexpected.

Overall, if you like a thriller with a horror element in it, this book is one for you. Worth 3.5 stars.

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