In The Middle of Hickory Lane – ARC Book Review

Title:- In the Middle of Hickory Lane

Author:- Heather Webber

Date published:- will be published on July 26th 2022

No. of pages:- 320 pages

Genre:- Fiction/Magic Realsm

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

From the USA Today bestselling author of Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe comes Heather Webber’s next charming novel, In the Middle of Hickory Lane!

Emme Wynn has wanted nothing more her whole life than to feel like part of a family. Having grown up on the run with her con artist mother, she’s been shuffled from town to town, drawn into bad situations, and has learned some unsavory habits that she’s tried hard to overcome. When her estranged grandmother tracks her down out of the blue and extends a job offer—helping to run her booth at an open-air marketplace in small-town Sweetgrass, Alabama—Emme is hopeful that she’ll finally be able to plant the roots she’s always dreamed of. But some habits are hard to break, and she risks her newfound happiness by keeping one big truth to herself.

Cora Bee Hazelton has her hands full with volunteering, gardening, her job as a color consultant and designer, and just about anything she can do to keep her mind off her painful past, a past that has resulted in her holding most everyone at arm’s length. The last thing she wants is to form close relationships only to have her heart broken yet again. But when she’s injured, she has no choice other than to let people into her life and soon realizes it’s going to be impossible to keep her heart safe—or her secrets hidden.

In the magical neighborhood garden in the middle of Hickory Lane, Emme and Cora Bee learn some hard truths about the past and themselves, the value of friends, family, and community, and most importantly, that true growth starts from within.

This is the fourth book I have read of Heather Webber and I have always enjoyed reading all her books. Her books are based on magic realism and belief coupled with fiction and the a bit of family drama.

In the Middle of Hickory Lane talks about a woman named Emme Wynn who comes to small town, Sweetgrass Alabama from Louisville hoping to stop moving around from town to town and settle down. She started living with her so called grandmother, Glory who had actually tracked her down. While Emme is living a life in the small town, she has a small secret that may affect the newfound relationship.

Cora Bee is another character who after going through a heartbreaking divorce returns back to the small town. She then gets into an accident and meets Jamie and his daughter Alice and their dog, Mabel. As she was injured, Cora, who is a private person reluctantly allows people in her life–including Emme and Jamie. She and Emme becomes best friends and Cora was reluctant to fall in love with Jamie because of her recent heartbreak.

The story is told from the perspectives of Emme and Cora so as a reader we know what each of the characters’ are going through. Before the start ot the chapter, snippets of the past 1963 or Glory’s gardening lessons are written, which was actually interesting to read. I do like the fact that besides the magic realism, there’s a small bit of thriller involved where some skeletal remains are found in the backyard of a house in the neighborhood and that a man named Levi, who was a fraudster and a possible murderer who left the town back in 1963. The author has done a good job of drawing the reader into the story and making the reader feel like they are part of the story. I did like the possible romances between Cora and Jamie and Emme and Chase. Of course the ending was predictable but it was actually enjoyable to read. I also do like the characters of Cora and Emme and how in fact they both suffer from insecurities and in the end they both overcame that while living in the town.

If you like a fiction with a magic realism as a background with a small thriller in it and some family drama, then this book is one for you. Can’t wait to read more books from this author! Worth five stars

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

Heather Webber (aka Heather Blake) is the author of more than twenty-five novels and has been twice nominated for an Agatha Award. She loves to read, drink too much coffee and tea, birdwatch, crochet, and bake. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is hard at work on her next book.www.heatherwebber.com | http://www.heatherblakebooks.com

Do I Really Know You? – ARC Book Review

Title:- Do I Really Know You?

Author:- Sheryl Browne

Date published:- will be published on July 19th 2022

No. of pages:- 370 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4.5/5

Writing:- 4.5/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

She’s your oldest friend and you tell each other everything. So you’d know if she’d done something terrible, wouldn’t you?

Maddie and Kiara have been best friends since they met on their first day at university. They have always shared everything with each other, everything except one big secret, which Kiara knows would tear them apart…

When the police knock on Maddie’s front door as she and husband Nick are getting ready for the morning school run, she’s not expecting to hear what they have to tell her.

Kiara is dead.

And when Kiara’s death is ruled as suicide, Maddie can’t believe it. She knew everything about her best friend, didn’t she?

Walking into the plush apartment Kiara only recently moved into, Maddie soon discovers that her best friend’s life wasn’t as happy as she thought. Is that blood on the kitchen floor? And why didn’t Kiara tell her about secret meetings with a man Maddie knows well?

What Maddie learns next has her questioning who her best friend really was. And now she’s discovered Kiara’s web of lies, could her own life be in danger?

This was really an intense psychological thriller that will actually keep you up all night!

Maddie and Kiara had been best friends since the first day they met at the university and have always shared secrets with each other. But one day, while Maddie and her husband Nathan were getting ready, the police knock on the door to inform that Kiara had committed suicide. Maddie couldnt believe that Kiara would commit suicide and realize that Kiara may have been hiding something that Maddie was unaware of.

I actually enjoyed reading this book. I felt many of the characters, even Maddie was unreliable and that I liked how the author made Kiara’s sudden death a mystery. The story was fast paced and there were some twists and turns as well and I kind of expected that the ending will be but this did not ruin the rating I had in this book. This book also talks about the importance of friendships and relationships between your spouses and of course the trust issues that many couples have between each other. This is the fourth book I have read of Sheryl Browne and I am always looking forward to read more books from her.

If you are looking for a fast paced thriller and an unputdownable thriller, then this book will be the one for you. Worth 4.5 stars.

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

The Last Restaurant in Paris – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Last Restaurant in Paris

Author:- Lily Graham

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

No. of pages:- 333 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Historical Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall:- 5/5

Paris 1944. To save her people, she served the enemy.

In enemy-occupied Paris, as the locals go to bed starving and defeated by the war, music and laughter spills through the door of a little restaurant, crowded with German soldiers. The owner Marianne moves on weary feet between its packed tables, carrying plates of steaming, wholesome food for the enemy officers. Her smile is bright and sparkling, her welcome cordial. Nobody would guess the hatred she hides in her heart.

That night, the restaurant closes its doors for the final time. In the morning, the windows are scratched with the words ‘traitor and murderer’. And Marianne has disappeared without a trace…

Years later, Marianne’s granddaughter Sabine stands under the faded green awning, a heavy brass key in her hand, staring at the restaurant left to her by the grandmother she never met. Sabine has so many questions about herself. Perhaps here she can find answers, but she knows she isn’t welcome. Marianne was hated by the locals and when Sabine discovers they blamed her for the terrible tragedy that haunts the pretty restaurant, she is ready to abandon her dark legacy.

But when she finds a passport in a hidden compartment in the water-stained walls, with a picture of a woman who looks like her grandmother but has a different name, she knows there must be more to Marianne’s story. As she digs into the past, she starts to wonder: was her grandmother a heroine, not a traitor? What happened to her after the tragic night when she fled from her restaurant? And will the answer change her own life forever?

This is a truly emotional historical fiction with a tinge of thriller in it–about a woman who owned a restaurant in Paris in the early 1940’s and poisoned the customers, many are Nazi soldiers and was executed for her crimes.

The story starts in late 1980’s when Sabine gets a letter from a solicitor that she was set fo inherit a closed restaurant which was owned by her late grandmother. Sabine was surprised about the inheritance, as this grandmother’s name was Marianne and all she knew was her grandmother was not named Marianne. However, she finds that her mother must have possibly being adopted and in search for answers, she meets an elderly man named Gilbert who used to work at the restaurant as a young boy and who remembers Marianne dearly. Gilbert then recounts his time at the restaurant to Sabine and together they try to find answers to what really happened, the night Marianne poisoned those Nazi soldiers.

I do like the change in time lines and I like how the present day is set in the late 1980’s. I breifly read the author’s note who has said that this book is loosely based on the true story. It was really engaging and unputdownable but soon tear jerking and emotional moments come by the middle of the book when you find the real reason why Marianne did what she did. It was actually a heartbreaking scene and emotional to read and I was literally crying as I read those parts in the book. Nonetheless, the ending was great and the author has manage to captivate us readers taking us to the 1920’s Paris, France. Kudos to the author for doing so much research about the 1920’s to 1930’s Paris!

If you like an emotional and heart breaking historical thriller that will make you cry, The Last Restaurant in Paris is highly recommended. Worth the full five stars! This is the third book I have read form this author and I am looking forward to read more books by this author.

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

Lily Graham is the author of the bestselling, The Child of Auschwitz, The Paris Secret and The Island Villa, among others. Her books have been translated into numerous languages, including French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Turkish.

She grew up in South Africa, and was a journalist for a decade before giving it up to write fiction full time. Her first three novels were lighter, women’s fiction, but when she wrote The Island Villa, a story about a secret Jewish community living on the tiny island of Formentera during the Spanish Inquisition, she switched to historical fiction and hasn’t quite looked back since.

She lives now in the Suffolk coast with her husband and English bulldog, Fudge. Her latest book, The Flight of Swallows, set in Denmark and Sweden, will be out in January 2021.

The Light Always Breaks – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Light Always Breaks

Author:- Angela Jackson Brown

No. of pages:- 383 pages

Date published:- will be published on 5th July 2022

Genre:- Historical Fiction

Rating:

Plot:- 3/4

Writing:- 2/5

Overall:- 2.5/5

As 1947 opens, Eva Cardon is the twenty-four-year-old owner of Washington, D.C.’s, most famous Black-owned restaurant. When her path crosses with Courtland, a handsome white senator from Georgia, both find themselves drawn to one another—but the danger of a relationship between a Black woman and a white man from the South could destroy them and everything they’ve worked for.

Few women own upscale restaurants in civil rights era Washington, D.C. Fewer still are twenty-four, Black, and wildly successful. But Eva Cardon is unwilling to serve only the wealthiest movers and shakers, and she plans to open a diner that offers Southern comfort to the working class.

A war hero and one of Georgia’s native sons, Courtland Hardiman Kingsley IV is a junior senator with great ambitions for his time in D.C. But while his father is determined to see Courtland on a path to the White House, the young senator wants to use his office to make a difference in people’s lives, regardless of political consequences.

When equal-rights activism throws Eva and Courtland into each other’s paths, they can’t fight the attraction they feel, no matter how much it complicates their dreams. For Eva, falling in love with a white Southerner is all but unforgivable—and undesirable. Her mother and grandmother fell in love with white men, and their families paid the price. Courtland is already under pressure for his liberal ideals, and his family has a line of smiling debutantes waiting for him on every visit. If his father found out about Eva, he’s not sure he’d be welcome home again.

Surrounded by the disapproval of their families and the scorn of the public, Eva and Courtland must decide if the values they hold most dear—including love—are worth the loss of their dreams . . . and everything else.

This was in my opinion an OK books–not really good but not bad either.

The story is set in the beginning of 1947 with Eva Cordon opening an all successful Black restaurant in Washington DC. She meets a white man, Courtland who is a senator from Georgia. This is the period when the union between the colored and white people are forbidden. They both believe in equal rights and civil rights movement and eventually, they both start falling in love.

Although I liked the plot, the first few chapters were utter boring that I almost DNF the book. The story is told from the perspectives of Eva and Courtland so it was a bit interesting to know about their life in their own communities–Eva in the Black community and Courtland in the wealthy southern white community where he is expected to marry a white privileged woman from a wealthy family. The ending part is the part where I finally immersed into the story and although I was a bit sad of what really happened to Courtland, the ending wasn’t as bad as I thought it would become. Bad side of the book is too much dialogue which made me bored at some point, there were too much of repetition though the plot was a good one.

Overall, it was an OK historical novel–worth 2.5 stars

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

Angela Jackson-Brown is an award-winning writer, poet and playwright who teaches Creative Writing, English and African American Studies at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. She is also a member of the graduate faculty of the School of Creative and Professional Writing at Spalding University in Louisville, KY.

She is a graduate of Troy University, Auburn University and the Spalding low-residency MFA program in Creative Writing. She has published her short fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and poetry in journals like The Louisville Journal and the Appalachian Review.

The Party Guest – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Party Guest

Author:- Amandha Robson

Date published:- 16th June 2022

No. of pages:- 369 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Writing:- 4/5

Plot:- 4/5

Overall:- 4/5

A birthday to remember. But would they rather forget…?

Ralph is turning 45, and the only gift he wants is his ex-wife.
Gemma, his trophy girlfriend, won’t let anything ruin her plans for an engagement.
Sarah, the ex-wife, has agreed to attend Ralph’s party, with her new man in tow.
And Jack, her partner, will stop at nothing to keep Sarah out of her ex-husband’s clutches.

It’s a celebration like no other. The whole extended family in a villa on the beautiful Amalfi coast.
But by the end of the trip, two people will be dead.
At this birthday party to remember, will anybody unwrap the truth…?

Two weeks. Four guests. One party to die for.

This is the second book I have read of Amanda Robson and after reading My Darling, I got excited when I got the ARC from the publisher.

Ralph is celebrating this forty fifth birth and he invited his ex- wife Sarah whom he still have feelings towards to. But Sarah is already moving on and is in love with a man named Jack. Both Jack and Sarah attend Ralph’s birthday party. Ralph’s children, Patrick and Janice also attend the party along with Ralph’s girlfriend Gemma and Patrick’s girlfriend Anna. But there seemed to be tensions between the people at the party and soon one of the guests end up dead.

The chapters were told through the character’s perspectives–Ralph, Sarah, Jack, Janice, Patrick, Gemma and Anna and they were all short so it was a bit quick to read. It was also fast paced and unputdownable. There were however too much sex telling in this book but then it was a page turner and I think the author has done a good job drawing the reader into the story. The ending was however unexpected and I actually did not see that twist coming. Overall, if you like a thriller based in Italy with a summer vacation setting then this book is one for you–worth four stars in my opinion!

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

After graduating, Amanda Robson worked in medical research at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and at the Poisons Unit at Guy’s Hospital where she became a co-author of a book on cyanide poisoning – a subject which has set her in good stead for writing her dark and twisting novel about love affairs gone wrong. Amanda attended the Faber novel writing course and writes full-time. Obsession is her debut novel. http://www.amandarobson.co.uk

My Lovely Wife – Book Review

Title:- My Lovelt Wife

Author:- Samantha Downing

Date published:- March 26th 2019

No. of pages:- 377 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall:- 5/5

HOW WELL DO YOU REALLY KNOW THE PERSON YOU LOVE MOST?

Their life was just like yours. Nice house, great kids, the perfect life.

But they have a very dark secret.

You might think you’ve read stories like this before.

You’re wrong.

This is the second book I have read of Samantha Downing, the first book For Your Own Good. However, My Lovely Wife is her debut book and this had been in my TBR list for a very long time.

I actually enjoyed reading this book and could see why this book became so popular!

The story is told from the perspective of a man that the reader has no clue what his name. All we know is he calls himself Tobias and that he is deaf but in reality, he is not deaf. He is a tennis coach at a prestigious tennis club. He is married to Millicent and they have two children Rory and Jenna. Millicent is an estate agent. He and Millicent hunt girls and Millicent kills them. He is not really involved in the murders.

This is one of those unusual thrillers I have ever read. This was fast paced with the twists that you wouldnt expect as you read and this felt more like a cat and mouse game between the husband, wife and the police. I do like the writing and how the author has managed to turn this novel into an unputdownable novel that will make you stay up all night, reading and trying to see what will be the ending like. That’s what I did. The ending…wow it completely blew my mind away. I just like the fact that the husband’s name (the real name) remains a mystery. Besides all the thrill, the book also talks about how the publicity and media can affect people’s lives including the family’s life and this was seen in the case of Jenna who through reading the news started changing drastically which involved bringing knife to school. This book in my opinion is way better than For Your Own Good but nonetheless I enjoyed reading Samantha Downing’s books!

If you like Dexter type, murderous couple stories, then this book is one for you–worth five stars!

Samantha Downing is the author of the bestselling My Lovely Wife, nominated for the Edgar, ITW, Macavity awards in the US, the CWA award in the UK, and the winner of the Prix des Lectrices award in France.

Her latest novel, For Your Own Good, was released on July 20, 2021. It has been optioned by Robert Downey Jr. and Greg Berlanti for HBO Max.

Just Like Home – ARC Book Review

Title:- Just Like Home

Author:- Sarah Gailey

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

No. of pages:- 352 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller/Horror

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall:- 4/5

‘Come home.’ Vera’s mother called and Vera obeyed. In spite of their long estrangement, in spite of the memories – she’s come back to the home of a serial killer. Back to face the love she had for her father and the bodies he buried there, beneath the house he’d built for his family.

Coming home is hard enough for Vera, and to make things worse, she and her mother aren’t alone. A parasitic artist has moved into the guest house out back and is slowly stripping Vera’s childhood for spare parts. He insists that he isn’t the one leaving notes around the house in her father’s handwriting . . . but who else could it possibly be?

There are secrets yet undiscovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House. Vera must face them and find out for herself just how deep the rot goes.

This was actually a creepy thriller/horror book that I actually enjoyed reading so much!

Vera reluctantly returns back to her childhood home, known as The Crowder Hall built by her father. But the house itself holds a dark secret–the place where her father who is a notorious serial killer had killed and kept the bodies in the very same house as Vera is reminded of that secret. Meanwhile, her mother Daphne, with whom Vera has a strained relationship has invited a stranger named James Duvall as Daphne and Vera are facing financial difficulties…

I actually enjoyed reading this book. It was slow-paced but despite that, I was completely hooked into the story. Reading this book made me feel like I was watching a horror movie that will put me at the edge of the seat so the author has done a good job with that. There is a Stephen King vibe in this book as well as there are moments of horror stories coupled with the thriller in the book that would leave the reader feel intrigued. There wasn’t much gory scenes in the book but there are some parts in the book that completely grossed me out and was too disturbing to read at times. The ending was fantastic and unexpected and I actually did not expect that sort of ending at all! Besides from all the horrors and twisted thriller, this book also talk about strained relationship particularly between Vera and her mother, strained friendship between Vera and her friend Brandon and how Vera is still haunted by the house. The descriptions of the house certainly gives the reader a creepy vibe which will make the reader feel like they are reading a horror story.

If you are a fan of Stephen King, then this book will be the one for you–I give four stars!

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

Hugo award winner Sarah Gailey is an internationally published writer of fiction and nonfiction. Their nonfiction has been published by Mashable and the Boston Globe, and they are a regular contributor for Tor.com and Barnes & Noble. Their most recent fiction credits include Fireside Fiction, Tor.com, and The Atlantic. Their debut novella, River of Teeth, was published in 2017 via Tor.com and was a 2018 Hugo and Nebula award finalist. Their adult novel debut, Magic For Liars, was published by Tor Books in June 2019. Their Young Adult novel debut, When We Were Magic, will be published by Simon Pulse in Spring 2020. You can find links to their work at http://www.sarahgailey.com; find them on social media @gaileyfrey.

Bootcamp for Broken Hearts – ARC Book Review

Title:- Bootcamp for Broken Hearts

Author:- Joanna Bolouri

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

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 298 pages

Genre:- Holiday/Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall:- 5/5

A stunning Scottish castle, a tall dark stranger, and a vow to stay single happily ever after… what could go wrong?

Nora Brown is totally happy single. The men in her life have all been selfish, cheating liars and being alone is far easier than risking a broken heart again – for her and for her daughter. She’s only going to Romance Reboot – a posh ‘singles’ bootcamp’ at a castle in the Scottish Highlands – to keep her sister quiet.

But surrounded by tumbling waterfalls and sweet birdsong, Nora can’t deny she’s starting to relax. Even better, she finds another guest with no intention of finding love. Will Thomson has dark tousled hair, a sly grin, and a shocking sense of humour. Everybody else hears their laughter and thinks they’re falling for one another, but Nora knows she’s safe – he’s just here on a research trip.

Determined to ignore the spark between them, Nora agrees to be Will’s cover, fending off other suitors with private sniggers over wine and quite convincing public displays of affection. Just when she starts to question if she might be missing something important, she starts to suspect Will might be hiding something from her.

Will is just another cheater-in-the-making like all the others, isn’t he? Nora will go home to her daughter happy and single, just like she always intended. Even if she could find out the truth about him, she isn’t interested… is she?

The front cover is really pretty and cute but…so is the story line as well!

Nora is happily single as she had very bad experiences with the men in her life. So when her sister signed her up for a Bootcamp for posh singles, paid by one of her sister’s loyal clients, Nora agrees even though she was initially skeptical about it. But Nora starts enjoying the bootcamp as it seemed to be good for Nora with scenic water falls and bird songs although there are so much activities inside the bootcamp like meditating and social activities. Then while at the bootcamp, she meets a man named Will. The two then eventually become romantic but will Nora find her happily ever after?

To be honest, at first I was a bit skeptical about this book. But as soon as I started reading the book, to my own surprise, I actually started enjoying reading this book! Nora Brown is a very likable character and you cab relate to her in so many ways. There were many other characters in the book with a blend of cultures ranging from Nepal to the States. This book slightly reminded me of Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty as it also involves a certain “healing” and meditation” although the difference is, this was way better than Nine Perfect Strangers and there were so many funny parts in the book that actually made me laugh out loud! Though the ending was predictable, nevertheless, I actually enjoyed reading this book.

Overall, if you like a perfect summer read, I recommend this book. Worth five stars!

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

Joanna Bolouri worked in sales before she began writing professionally at the age of thirty. Winning a BBC comedy script competition allowed her to work and write with stand-up comedians, comedy scriptwriters and actors from across the UK. She’s had articles and reviews published in The Scotsman, The Skinny, The Scottish Sun, Huffington Post and HecklerSpray.

She lives in Glasgow with her daughter.

A Perfect Stranger – ARC Book Review

Title:- A Perfect Stranger

Author:- Shalini Boland

Date published:- will be published on July 11th 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 293 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall:- 4/5

Two marriages. Three little lies. Someone’s going to die…

I hold my breath as my handsome husband walks through the door. I’ve planned the perfect surprise birthday party for him. Our friends are gathered and the champagne is flowing. But when I catch the look in his deep brown eyes, I realise I’ve got this horribly wrong.

Then I see her. Danielle Baines. She’s the sort of ultra-polished woman who demands to be the centre of attention, with her salon-styled hair and diamonds glittering on her ring finger. I’ve never liked her. And I know the feeling is mutual. So why is she here?

All evening my stomach is churning. I’m desperate to smooth things over with Aiden as I can’t face another argument. And yet I can’t help but notice how careful he is to avoid Danielle…

Now it’s the end of the party and the man I love is confessing a secret that shocks me to the core. But it’s not what I was afraid of. It’s much worse. He says we’re in danger. He tells me we have to leave with our son. Turn our backs on the life we’ve built here and start again.

I thought I knew everything about my husband. But suddenly he feels like a stranger.
Should I trust him? And if I don’t, how can I protect my family?

Shalini Boland has become one of my favorite thriller authors and so I get excited when I get the ARC of her latest books. A Perfect Stranger is her latest psychological thriller.

The story talks about two couples–Marcus and Dani and Emily and Aiden. Marcus owns a successful car dealership business and both he and Dani had been trying to have a child. Aiden and Emily already have a son, Josh and Emily is expecting another baby. But when Aiden tells Emily that he was in debt and that their family should leave the comfort of their houses and move somewhere else under different name, Emily wonders how well she knew her husband. Dani meanwhile finds a terrible secret about her husband and wonders how well she knows her husband.

The story started a little too slow but then soon, it gained its momentum and became fast paced and page turner with twists and turns along the way. The story is told from Dani’s and Emily’s perspectives, mostly from Emily’s perspective. The author has managed to capture us readers into the story so making the reader feel like a part of the story. The story also describe the relationship with the spouses and mainly, talks about how much you know your partner and how trustworthy your partner can be. The ending was unpredictable, which actually made me give a higher rating and the twist at the end was actually completely unpredictable–did not predict that type of ending at all.

Overall, I actually enjoyed this fast paced thriller and managed to finish this book within two days. Worth four stars in my opinion.

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

The Fine Print (Dreamland Billionaires Part 1) – Book Review

Title:- The Fine Print (Dreamland Billionaire Series Part 1)

Author:- Lauren Asher

Date published:- December 17th 2021

No. of pages:- 413 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 4.5/5

Rowan
I’m in the business of creating fairy tales.
Theme parks. Production companies. Five-star hotels.
Everything could be all mine if I renovated Dreamland.
My initial idea of hiring Zahra was good in theory, but then I kissed her.
Things spiraled out of control once I texted her using an alias.
By the time I realized where I went wrong, it was too late.
People like me don’t get happy endings.
Not when we’re destined to ruin them.

Zahra
After submitting a drunk proposal criticizing Dreamland’s most expensive ride, I should have been fired.
Instead, Rowan Kane offered me a dream job.
The catch? I had to work for the most difficult boss I’d ever met.
Rowan was rude and completely off-limits, but my heart didn’t care.
At least not until I discovered his secret.
It was time to teach the billionaire that money couldn’t fix everything.
Especially not us.

The Fine Print is the first book in a series of spicy standalone novels featuring three billionaire brothers.

This book seems to be very popular on Instagram posts and curiously, I got this book.

After the grandfather of Rowan, who is actually the founder of Dreamland leaves Rowan and his brothers, Declan and Cal a will. Rowan has to find ways to improve the Dreamland or he might have to resign from his post. While at the Dreamland, he meets Zahra who dreamed of becoming a creator. The story then follows how Rowan and Zahra fall in love with each other.

The story is told mainly from Rowan’s and Zahra’s pespectives. Both of them are dealing with their own insecurities particularly, both of them are suffering from the trust issues they have had with their previous partners. Rowan seemed to eventually fall in love with Zahra, for her personality. Despite this being an exotic romance novel, which sometimes, I don’t really like reading spicy romance novels, I actually enjoyed reading this book. This book was quite unputdownable and the author has done a good job of drawing the reader into the story. Dreamland gave me an impression of Disneyland–I felt that Dreamland is the fictionalized version of Disneyland. I do like both the characters and the chemistry between Zahra and Rowan is…hot.

Overall, the ending is predictable but eventually, has a happy ending. Worth four stars! Can’t wait to read the second and third book of the series.