Tropical Girl Reads

Happily Never After – Book Review

Title:- Happily Never After

Author:- Lynn Painter

Date published:- March 12th 2024

No. of pages:- 313 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5 Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

Their name? The objectors.

Their job? To break off weddings as hired.

Their dilemma? They might just be in love with each other.

When Sophie Steinbeck finds out just before her nuptials that her fiancé has cheated yet again, she desperately wants to call it off. But because her future father-in-law is her dad’s cutthroat boss, she doesn’t want to be the one to do it. Her savior comes in the form of a professional objector, whose purpose is to show up at weddings and proclaim the words no couple (usually) wants to hear at their ceremony: “I object!”

During anti-wedding festivities that night, Sophie learns more about Max the Objector’s job. It makes perfect sense to her: he saves people from wasting their lives, from hurting each other. He’s a modern-day hero. And Sophie wants in.

The two love cynics start working together, going from wedding to wedding, and Sophie’s having more fun than she’s had in ages. She looks forward to every nerve-racking ceremony saving the lovesick souls of the betrothed masses. As Sophie and Max spend more time together, however, they realize that their physical chemistry is off the charts, leading them to dabble in a little hookup session or two—but it’s totally fine, because they definitely do not have feelings for each other. Love doesn’t exist, after all.

And then everything changes. A groom-to-be hires Sophie to object, but his fiancée is the woman who broke Max’s heart. As Max wrestles with whether he can be a party to his ex’s getting hurt, Sophie grapples with the sudden realization that she may have fallen hard for her partner in crime.

This is the first adult romance by Lynn Painter that I have read. Normally, Lynn Painter writes really good YA romance books (Nothing is better than movies, betting on you etc.)

Happily Never After follows the story of Max. The story starts with Max objecting Sophie’s wedding. Turns out Sophie’s best friend hired Max to object the wedding as Sophie found out that her fiance Stuart has been cheating behind her back. Max and Sophie clicked off instantly and soon they start working together, hired by either the groom or the bride (or sometimes both) to object at their weddings. And while working together, both couldn’t notice the chemistry between them and soon they both start falling in love.

I have to say, this book wasn’t really her best. Like usual, there were funny parts in the book that will actually make you laugh out loud but then I kind of thought this was slightly repetitive and slightly boring. The writing wasn’t that great either. Anyway, I thought it was an OK book, not that good but not that bad either. Worth three stars.

Five Found Dead – ARC Book Review

Title:- Five Found Dead

Author:- Sulari Gentill

Date published:- will be published on 19th August 2025

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5 Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

On a train, there are only so many places to hide…

Crime fiction author Joe Penvale has won the most brutal battle of his life. Now that he has finished his intense medical treatment, he and his twin sister, Meredith, are boarding the glorious Orient Express in Paris, hoping for some much-needed rest and rejuvenation. Meredith also hopes that the literary ghosts on the train will nudge Joe’s muse awake, and he’ll be inspired to write again. And he is; after their first evening spent getting to know some of their fellow travelers, Joe pulls out his laptop and opens a new document. Seems like this trip is just what the doctor ordered…

And then some. The next morning, Joe and Meredith are shocked to witness that the cabin next door has become a crime scene, bathed in blood but with no body in sight. The pair soon find themselves caught up in an Agatha Christie-esque murder investigation. Without any help from the authorities, and with the victim still not found, Joe and Meredith are asked to join a group of fellow passengers with law enforcement backgrounds to look into the mysterious disappearance of the man in Cabin16G. But when the steward guarding the crime scene is murdered, it marks the beginning of a killing spree which leaves five found dead—and one still missing. Now Joe and Meredith must fight once again to preserve their newfound future and to catch a cunning killer before they reach the end of the line.

USA Today bestselling author Sulari Gentill brings readers on a heart-pounding ride filled with intrigue, suspense, and literary charm in Five Found Dead, perfect for fans of twisty mysteries and books about books.

The crime fiction author Joe Penvale and his twin sister Meredith are travelling on Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul. Joe had been undergoing health conditions which prompted him to halt his writing and now since he recovered, he and his sister are looking forward to rejuvenate and enjoy their holidays. But then their holidays kind of turned into a sort of nightmare when someone gets murdered on the train. As the bodies are piling up, someone in the train is a murderer and Joe and Meredith must survive and find the murderer before they become his or her victim.

This gave the vibes of Agatha Christie’s Murder at the Orient Express. The story is eerily similar but there are so many characters that it was kind of hard to keep track of those characters. This is the third book I have read from this author–while I enjoyed reading The Woman in the Library, this book didn’t seem to have the same vibe I had with her previous books. The writing style was somewhat choppy and kind of not very easy to follow–I don’t know if it was just me. The pacing was somewhat slow in my opinion. Nonetheless I actually like the duo. However, the ending was unpredictable and twisty and was also quiet unexpected.

Overall I give this book three stars.

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

Once upon a time, Sulari Gentill was a corporate lawyer serving as a director on public boards, with only a vague disquiet that there was something else she was meant to do. That feeling did not go away until she began to write. And so Sulari became the author of the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries: thus far, ten historical crime novels chronicling the life and adventures of her 1930s Australian gentleman artist, the Hero Trilogy, based on the myths and epics of the ancient world, and the Ned Kelly Award winning Crossing the Lines (published in the US as After She Wrote Hime). In 2014 she collaborated with National Gallery of Victoria to write a short story which was produced in audio to feature in the Fashion Detective Exhibition, and thereafter published by the NGV. IN 2019 Sulari was part of a 4-member delegation of Australian crime writers sponsored by the Australia Council to tour the US as ambassadors of Australian Crime Writing.

Sulari lives with her husband, Michael, and their boys, Edmund and Atticus, on a small farm in Batlow where she grows French Black Truffles and refers to her writing as “work” so that no one will suggest she get a real job.

THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY, Sulari’s latest novel will be released on 7 June 2022.

The Friendship List – ARC Book Review – Blog Tour

Title:- The Friendship List

Author:- Beth Miller

Date published:- 18th August 2025

No. of pages:- 369 pages

Genre:- Literary Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5 Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

Wiping away her tears, Kay looks at her old photos, of friends who have come and gone through life’s big moments. But then there’s Rose, her one constant through everything. Now Rose is missing. Does the key to finding her lie in their past?

It should have been the happiest day of Kay’s life. Getting married with her best friend and maid of honour, Rose at her side. But then Rose messages Kay moments before the ceremony, I’m so sorry. I can’t do this. Please don’t look for me. Kay is heartbroken. What could have possibly driven Rose to leave?

Kay doesn’t know a life without Rose in it. They’ve stuck together through thick and thin; getting each other through tough break-ups, the rollercoaster of children and losing Kay’s beloved mum.

Searching through a lifetime of belongings, desperate for clues, Kay finds a box of old photos. As she looks at pictures of them dancing with their friends from years ago, she suddenly wonders whether the key to finding Rose lies in their past. Writing down a list of long-lost friendships, Kay feels certain one of them will know what happened to Rose.

But as Kay begins to uncover a lifetime of memories to help her find her friend, will she also find herself?

An incredibly heartwarming and emotional novel for everyone who knows about holding on to true friendship through life’s big moments. Fans of Laura Pearson, Sally Page and Evie Woods will fall in love with this feel-good and moving story that shows it’s never too late for a second chance.

If you liked reading Sally Page books, then this book will be one for you.

Kay at the age of mid fifties is getting married and her best friend Rose is her maid of honor. But at the very last minute, Rose sends a message to Kay telling her that she is unable to attend the wedding and that Kay should stop contacting Rose. Upset at her friend’s behavior, Kay tries to find out why Rose is avoiding her and she comes across a collage of old photographs which bring her back lot of memories.

This was an emotional read. The characters were quiet interesting and complex. The story is told in different timelines, dicing between past and present timelines. This was actually a great read to me, through checking the photos out, Kay is determined to find what caused the rift between her and Rose as well as finding out the true relationship between Kay and other people that had come in her life. This was fast paced, intriguing and an emotional read to me. Overall, the writing was well written and the author managed to keep us hooked into the story from the first chapter onwards.

Overall this is worth full five stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. For Bookouture for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Beth Miller is the author of four novels, including The Two Hearts of Eliza Bloom and the bestselling The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright. She has also written two non-fiction titles, including For the Love of The Archers. She has worked as a sexual health trainer, a journalist and a psychology lecturer and is now a book coach and creative writing teacher. Beth has a PhD in Psychology, and an advanced diploma in tea-drinking.

https://www.bethmiller.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/bethmillerauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/beth_miller_author/

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0FCXXK2THsocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland – ARC Book Review

Title:- Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express

Author:- Rebecca Raisin

Date published:- will be published on 13th August 2025

No. of pages:- 284 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5 Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

An utterly magical, escapist Christmas romance, perfect for fans of Eliza J. Scott, Sarah Morgan and Veronica Henry!

A honeymoon for one on the most romantic train journey in the world… what could possibly go wrong?

When Aubrey’s fiancé dumps her – literally at the altar – just days before Christmas, her first thought is for the honeymoon. A luxury snow train, winding through Europe’s most beautiful Christmas markets, stopping in places like Paris and Stockholm, before ending in Lapland, to stay in igloos under the Northern Lights.

It was meant to be the most romantic ten days of her life. And now she has to go it alone. But arriving on the train – where, not wanting to be known as someone who was jilted, she might have accidentally implied her new husband died in a horrible accident – she finds she’s not the only singleton on board.

The group of single passengers quickly nickname themselves ‘The Unlucky in Love Travel Club’… But – as the train gathers pace – so do Aubrey’s feelings for absurdly handsome travel journalist, Jasper.

And she starts to wonder – as fireworks explode over the snow – whether her magical Christmas honeymoon-for-one might be just what she needs. And if she might not be as unlucky in love as she’d thought…

From the bestselling author of Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel and Summer in Santorini.

Aubrey is excited for her wedding and of the honeymoon that she and her future husband would go in. But at the last minute, Aubrye was dumped by her fiance. She was heartbroken but that didn’t stop her to go to her own honeymoon. The honeymoon was the luxury winter train from England, passing all European cities from Paris to Stockholm. As Aubrey boards the train, she realizes that she wasn’t the only singleton in the train–and together they form a club called Unlucky in Love Travel club. Now Aubrey have a fun time with them and couldn’t help but notice the handsome travel journalist Jasper as well.

I like reading all Rebecca Raisin’s story as it gives heartwarming vibes. This was also a funny book as there were some funny parts in the book that will make you laugh out loud. I enjoyed mainly about the sceneries as they travel through Europe–from Paris, Hamburg visiting Christmas markets, to Copenhagen to Stockholm. I also liked how the chemistry between Aubrey and Jasper developed and the friendship between Sabrina, Princess and Aubrey.

Overall this is a funny, heartwarming story and will give five stars.

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

Yeonnam-dong’s Smiley Laundromat – Book Review

Title:- Yeonnam-dong’s Smiley Laundromat

Author:- Kim Jiyun

Translator- Shanna Tan

Date published:- Originally published- 18th August 2023

Translated published:- August 29th 2024

No. of pages:- 320 pages

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Situated at the heart of a rapidly gentrifying district of Seoul, the Yeonnam-dong Smiley Laundromat is a place where the extraordinary stories of ordinary residents unfold.

It is already a haven of tranquility and reflection for locals, but when someone leaves a notebook behind, the laundromat becomes a place that brings people together. One by one, customers start jotting down candid diary entries, opening their hearts and inviting acts of kindness from neighbours who were once just faces in the crowd.

But there is more to the diary than first appears, and before long the laundromat’s regulars are teaming up to solve a mystery and help the notebook’s former owner find peace.

This is the second (or third???) Korean Fiction I have read. I don’t know why Asian fiction books have really nice covers compared to English fiction ones and the book cover kind of made me attract to the book. But then besides the nice book cover, I actually enjoyed the story.

The Smiley Laundromat is situated in Yeonnam-dong neighborhood, a suburb of Seoul. There is a diary (we only find who the owner of the diary later) in the laundromat and people who come to this laundromat write their feelings in the diary. We have Old Jung and his dong Jindol and Mira and her family. Then we have Yeoreum who seemingly is an unsuccessful scriptwrite and Hajoon who dreams to become a star. Then we have a college student who faces a break-up and finds a kitten that will change her life. Then we have another man who is guilty about his brother’s suicide who got caught in a scam and the diary in fact belonged to his brother. The story is basically about how the community get together and help each other in need when the times are hard.

This was a heartwarming tale, easy to read and also there were emotional, tear-jerking moments in the book too. The book made me feel like I was actually watching a K-drama (if anyone has seen K-drama then you would understand). I actually enjoyed reading this book and hopefully read more books from this author.

Overall this book is worth four stars.

The Tapes – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Tapes

Author:- Kerry Wilkinson

Date published:- will be published on 11th August 2025

No. of pages:- 317 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3.5/5

‘If you’re listening to this, I’ve been murdered.’

Eve is clearing her father’s house when she finds an old cassette player and a box of tapes. Though grieving, she smiles at the spark of nostalgia.

One tape is labelled ‘Eve’ – in her mother, Angela’s, scrawled handwriting. She disappeared for good more than ten years ago.

The tape whirrs. A voice crackles. ‘My name is Angela’. Tears fill Eve’s eyes at the familiar voice, at the thought this message is just for her. But the next words make her heart pound.

‘If they say I’m missing, I’m not. If you’re listening to this, I’ve been murdered.’

Desperate for answers, Eve has no one left to ask – only a box of tapes that could lead to the truth. But the more she listens, the more she realises she can never go to the police…

Because Eve’s mother had her own secrets. But what if her killer is still out there? And what if Eve is next?

Eve is clearing up her father’s house after his death with the intention of selling the house. While cleaning, she comes across an old cassette player and some cassettes. Curious, Eve starts listening to them and was surprised to find that her own mother was the one who had been recording those cassettes. Her mother had made the cassettes for her and her mother confess something to Eve–a secret–about who the serial killer known as Earring Killer is and that by the time she made this tape, she would probably be dead. Eve’s mother disappeared mysteriously and so Eve is determined to find out what exactly happened to her mother and from whom her mother was actually running away from.

This has a very interesting and promising premise–the plot was good. However, I felt it was a little slow paced and was slightly boring. Nonetheless the story went on and I liked all those little excerpts from the book describing about the victims and about the Earring Killer.

This could have been better but in my opinion it was an OK book. Worth 3.5 stars.

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

Kerry Wilkinson has sold more than two million books – and had No.1 crime bestsellers in the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Singapore. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States. His book, Ten Birthdays, won the RNA award for Young Adult Novel of the Year in 2018 and Close To You won the International Thriller Award for best ebook in 2020.

As well as his Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written a trilogy featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, the Whitecliff series, the Silver Blackthorn trilogy – a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults – plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.

Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry spent way too long living in the north of England, picking up words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’.

When he’s short of ideas, he rides his bike, hikes up something, or bakes cakes. When he’s not, he writes it all down.

Find out more at: http://kerrywilkinson.com or http://facebook.com/KerryWilkinsonBooks

Rewind – Book Review

Title:- Rewind

Author:- Catherine Ryan Howard

Date published:- September 5th 2019

No. of pages:- 359 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

PLAY

Andrew, the manager of Shanamore Holiday Cottages, watches his only guest via a hidden camera in her room. One night the unthinkable happens: a shadowy figure emerges on-screen, kills her, and destroys the camera. But who is the murderer? How did they know about the camera? And how will Andrew live with himself?

PAUSE

Natalie wishes she’d stayed at home as soon as she arrives in the wintry isolation of Shanamore. There’s something creepy about the manager. She wants to leave, but she can’t-not until she’s found what she’s looking for …

REWIND

Psycho meets Fatal Attraction in this explosive story about a murder caught on camera. You’ve already missed the start. To get the full picture you must rewind the tape and play it through to the end, no matter how shocking …

The story starts with the manager of Shanamore Cottage, Andrew watches a tape on the TV. The tape is hidden in the guest’s room–the bedroom. Andrew sees a figure clad in black approaching towards the bed where the guest was sleeping. But soon Andrew sees the figure in black stabbing the guest numerous times until the guest dies. Then before the incident, we see an Instagram influencer, Natalie O’Connor checking in at Shanamore Cottage as she believed that her husband Mike has recently stayed in Shanamore Cottage with someone. A week later, her husband Mike reported her missing and the amateur journalist, Aubrey takes in the story as she investigates what really happened to Natalie O’Connor.

This was a very intense and fast paced story. I simply couldn’t put the book down. The story REWIND part talks about Natalie before her ultimate death, FAST FORWARD which involves Aubrey investigating Natalie’s disappearance. PLAY of course the overall of what happened at Shanamore Cottage and STOP is the end. There were some twists and turns and although the characters are not very interesting, dull in my opinion. I do like the concept of the story though. Andrew, the manager of Shanamore Cottage gave Norman Bates vibe and this is more like the Psycho meets Fatal Attraction. The descriptions of the Irish countryside made me feel like I was also in the small town of Irish countryside as well. I thought the last chapter of the book was unnecessary.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad thriller but not really the best thriller. Worth overall four stars.

Catherine Ryan Howard is an internationally bestselling crime writer from Cork, Ireland. Her debut novel, DISTRESS SIGNALS, was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey/New Blood Dagger. THE LIAR’S GIRL (2018) was shortlisted for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. REWIND (2019) was shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the Year and is currently being developed for screen by Clerkenwell Films (Misfits, Lovesick, The End of the F***ing World.) THE NOTHING MAN was a no. 1 Irish Times bestseller and a no. 1 Kindle bestseller (UK) and was shortlisted for Irish Crime Novel of the Year. Her latest novel, 56 DAYS, was published in August 2021. It is a thriller set in lockdown that Catherine wrote while she was in lockdown.

Prior to writing full-time, Catherine worked as a campsite courier in France and a front desk agent in Walt Disney World, Florida. She still wants to be an astronaut when she grows up

Forget Me Not — ARC Book Review

Title:- Forget Me Not

Author:- Stacy Willingham

Date published:- will be published on 28th August 2025

No. of pages:- 336 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thrille

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

A pulse-pounding new Southern thriller from the author of the runaway bestseller A Flicker in the Dark.

Twenty-two years ago, Claire Campbell’s older sister, Natalie, disappeared shortly after her eighteenth birthday. Days later, her blood was found in a car, a man was arrested, and the case was swiftly closed. In the decades since, Claire has attempted to forget her traumatic past by moving to the city and climbing the ranks as an investigative journalist… until an unexpected call from her father forces her to come back home and face it all anew.

With the entire summer now looming ahead—a summer spent with nothing to do in her childhood home, with her estranged mother—Claire decides on a whim to accept a seasonal job at Galloway Farm, a muscadine vineyard in coastal South Carolina less than an hour away from where she grew up. At first glance, Galloway is an idyllic escape for Claire. A scenic retreat full of slow-paced nostalgia, as well as a place where her sister seemed truly happy in that last summer before she vanished, it feels like the perfect plan to pass the time. However, as soon as Claire starts to settle in, she stumbles across an old diary written by one of the vineyard’s owners, and what at first seems like a story of young rebellion and love turns into something much more sinister as it begins to describe details of various unsolved crimes. As the days stretch on, Claire finds herself becoming more and more secluded as she starts to obsess over the diary’s contents… as well as the lingering feeling that her own sister’s disappearance may be somehow tied to it all.

Galloway was supposed to be a place to help her move forward, but instead, Claire quickly finds herself immersed in her own dark and dangerous past.

Almost twenty years ago, Claire Campbell’s older sister Natalie goes missing. However, there was a suspect in Natalie’s case named Jeffrey who was charged with Natalie’s disappearance and was sentenced to prison. Claire is now a journalist working in New York but returns back to her home town in South Carolina, where she is originally from. While going through Natalie’s stuff, Claire discovers a not developed film roll among Natalie’s belongings. Going through pictures in Natalie’s belongings lead her to visit Galloway Farm where Natalie supposedly worked. While in the farm, Claire meets Liam and also meets Mitchell the owner of the farm and his wife Marcia who looked as if she didn’t belong in the farm. Claire then while working comes across a diary written by Marcia dated somewhere in 1983. As Claire reads the diary, she finds out that Marcia was listed as a missing woman by her parents. Soon she come across another missing woman connected to the farm.

I enjoyed reading Stacy Willingham’s debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark and so I was super excited when I got my hands on her latest novel. This was a good thriller, and it was well written. Although the pacing of the story started a little slow in my opinion, the story started to get more twists and turns as well as interesting and intriguing. Reading this book gives you faint glimpses of life in the South of the USA particularly in a small town. Claire is ridden with guilt that she couldn’t stop Natalie from disappearing and her determination to find what really happened to Natalie was courageous. I also liked how unpredictable the whole book was and the tense and complex atmosphere in the plot made the story more interesting to read. I didn’t expect the ending however–it was completely unpredictable and unexpected twist at the end.

Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book. This was the fourth book I have read from this author and I am looking forward to read more from the author! Overall it is worth 4 stars.

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

Stacy Willingham is the New York Times, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of psychological suspense. Her books include A Flicker in the Dark, All the Dangerous Things, Only If You’re Lucky and Forget Me Not.

Her debut, A Flicker in the Dark, has sold over one million copies in North America alone. It was the winner of Strand Magazine’s Best Debut Award and a finalist for the Book of the Month’s Book of the Year award, Goodreads Choice Best Debut award, Goodreads Choice Best Mystery & Thriller award, and ITW’s Best First Novel award. Her work has been translated in more than thirty languages.

She earned her B.A. in magazine journalism from the University of Georgia and M.F.A. in writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, daughter, and dog

Perfect Fit – Book Review

Title:- Perfect Fit

Author:- Clare Gilmore

Date published:- October 29th 2024

No. of pages:- 352 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating;- 3.5/5

A hilarious and heartfelt rom-com about having it all, slowing down to see the big picture, and finding out that the person you least expect could be your perfect fit.

Josephine Davis has spent her entire twenties building Revenant: a fashion brand headquartered in downtown Austin. When her biggest investor orders Josie to hire a consultant, the last person she expects to be working with is Will Grant – the twin brother of Josie’s ex best friend.

Sure, Will and Josie may have shared one mistake of a kiss during senior spring break nine years ago, but they’ve never been friends. She remembers him as moody; he always thought of her as shallow. Romance isn’t on the table for either of them until they blink, and realize there’s a reason they can’t stay away from each other.

But there’s Will’s sister to consider – whom Josie hasn’t spoken with since their falling out – not to mention, Will and Josie live seventeen hundred miles apart. And it’s not like she has time for a boyfriend anyway when she’s an overworked CEO. As Josie’s burnout looms while she falls deeper and harder for Will, she contends with the fact that eventually, she’ll have to make a choice: stay alone to be productive, or slow down to be in love.

Josephine is running a successful clothes company and when her biggest investor asks her to hire a consultant–in this case Will Grant who happened to be her ex- best friends twin brother and the one she had kissed accidentally many years ago. Even though they accidentally kissed each other, Josephine thinks Will is a jerk while Will thinks she is shallow. Also ever since the kissing incident, Josephine hasn’t been in touch with her best friend Zoe who is working in New York. Now they are forced to work together–Jo is an overworked CEO and also preparing for Camille’s wedding and Will is helping her to achieve her clothing line success.

This was a cute romance story. I enjoyed reading the author’s debut The Love Interest and so decided to check out her second book. The characters in this book are all likable, the chemistry between Josephine and Will is intense. I also like Camille’s and Josephine’s friendship with each other. I also like the banter between the characters and there were some funny parts in the book.

Overall, I actually enjoyed this book and is worth 3.5 stars.

With a Vengeance – Book Review

Title:- With a Vengeance

Author:- Riley Sager

Date published:- June 10th 2025

No. of pages:- 383 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5 Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

One train. No stops. A deadly game of survival and revenge.

In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution.

Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of fourteen hours. Her goal? Confront the people who’ve wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them into the hands of authorities waiting at the end of the line. Justice will at last be served.

But Anna’s plan is quickly derailed by the murder of one of the passengers. As the train barrels through the night, it becomes clear that someone else on board is enacting their own form of revenge—and that they won’t stop until everyone else is dead.

With time running out before the train reaches its destination, Anna is forced to hunt the killer in their midst while protecting the people she hates the most. In order to destroy her enemies, she must first save them—even though it means putting her own life at risk.

Well this is Riley Sager’s latest book. It was a little better than his last book but then if you have read Agatha Christies Murder on the Orient Express, this seems to be the weaker version of that.

In 1942, Anna Mathesons’ family got destroyed by six people. She lost her brother, her father and her mother. Now ten years later, Anna vowed to take revenge on those six people. She books the Phoenix Philadelphia train that will take them all the way to Chicago. The six people along with Anna and Seamus were the only passengers. Anna’s goal is to hand them over to FBI in Chicago for the crimes they have committed. But on the way, the passengers start dying one by one. Anna realizes that someone else might be in the train and is trying to derail her plan before it is too late.

Good things about the book is, at least this was fast paced, intriguing and interesting. This was also a page turner as well. However, I felt the entire story was sort of predictable and the characters all felt bland and uninteresting. This book could have been better but then as I mentioned, I didn’t DNF the book as I liked the pacing.

Overall this is worth 3 stars. I hope Riley Sager will write a better thriller next time.