Half Sisters – ARC Book Review

Title:- Half Sisters

Author:- Virginia Franken

Date published:- will be June 21st 2022

Publisher :- Lake Union Publishing

No. of pages:- 269 pages

Genre:- Adult Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 3.5/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

A single lie becomes a defining moment in a family’s life in an unforgettable novel of psychological suspense.

After being gone for two decades, Maddy’s half sister, Emily, is back in town to settle their late father’s estate. Emily’s not the troubled girl Maddy remembers from their volatile childhood. Apparently, all is well. It can’t possibly matter anymore that Maddy married Emily’s first love, but the pictures Maddy finds on her husband’s phone tell a different story. Suspicions of an affair are hard to ignore.

Then again, Maddy hasn’t been herself lately. She’s increasingly confused. She’s losing items that are precious to her. She forgets where she’s going. The line between what’s real and unreal has become a blur. Even the damning photos have disappeared. Though her state of mind starts to become everyone’s cause for concern, Maddy refuses to believe she’s losing her grip on reality. But the one thing she can’t deny is the secret from the past that rewrote all their lives—a secret that’s ready to come out.

Maddy and Emma are half sisters–they share the same father but different mothers. They were separated and then reunited after their father’s death to settle down an estate. Maddy was in fact married to Emma’s high school sweetheart Josh. So when she discovers a picture of Emma and Josh together, she was suspecting if they were having an affair behind her back.

The book started out a little boring and slow. However, towards the middle of the book, it got interesting and then the ending was a mouth hanging openly good! The writing was great too and the characters were however not very likable in my opinion which lowered my rating of the book.

Overall, if you like a famiyl drama with a hint of mystery, then this book is one for you–worth three stars.

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

Virginia Franken was born and raised in the United Kingdom. After traveling the world as a professional dancer, she now lives in Los Angeles with her family. She works as a copy editor by day and gets most of her writing done when she should be sleeping.

The Angel of Vienna – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Angel of Vienna

Author:- Kate Hewitt

Date published:- will be published on 17th June 2022

No. of pages:- 389 pages

Genre-: Historical Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 4.5/5

Writing;- 4/5

Overall rating:- 5/5 stars

Nazi-occupied Vienna, 1940: A young nurse finds herself with the chance to save innocent children. An unmissable and heartbreaking story—based on devastating real events—about tragedy, hope and courage in the face of impossible odds.

“These children, who the Nazis don’t even see as human, these children are innocent. And, Hannah, if you have the chance to save even one of them, you know what you have to do. Even if it puts your own life at risk.”

As bombs fall over Europe, Hannah Stern is a twenty-seven-year-old nurse, who is just trying to survive. When she takes a position at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital, Am Steinhof, she thinks it will take her away from the danger.

Her estranged half-brother has arranged the job for her on the condition that she must take his son, Willi there too. He insists it’s a place where Willi will be safe. And Hannah soon forms a close bond with the sweet, fragile child in her care.

At first the hospital seems like a safe haven—a beautiful, airy, spacious place of healing and recovery. But the hospital is a place of secrets. And they are darker than Hannah could ever have imagined. Children, ones just like Willi, are disappearing—not to be healed as promised, but taken somewhere else. Somewhere terrible.

And when Willi’s own life comes under threat—in spite of her half-brother’s position of power in the Nazi military—Hannah must overcome her own fears and act. Then she discovers one of the other nurses is also trying to help patients escape, and Hannah becomes determined to help in any way she can.

But she is only one person up against the enemy. And to save even just one life from the grip of the Nazis, she must risk her own…

The most unmissable historical fiction of the year, guaranteed to leave readers in tears. Perfect for fans of My Name is Eva, All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

This is truly an emotional and heartbreaking story based on true events that happened during the Nazi rule.

The Nazis did not just persecute Jews–they persecuted Gypsies as well as disabled children and people. This story talks about how a brave woman sacrificed her own life to save disabled children from getting murdered.

Hannah became a nurse at a prestigious psychiatric hospital in Vienna, Austria, thanks to her half-brother’s connection. She agreed to become a nurse there on one condition–that she had to look after her nephew Willi who is disabled. At first, the hospital is just like a normal ordinary hospital. But soon, Hannah comes to realize that the hospital is not what it seems. Children starts going into a special treatment but never return back to their beds. This was a part of the plan to remove all the disabled children–a part of Nazi’s eradication plan.

As a person who had done German history, this book was truly emotional and heartbreaking. I may have said this same thing in Holocaust books but killing innocent disabled children was somewhat disturbing and emotional to me. Worst case is that these murders and experiments happened in real life, which made it more heartbreaking. The author has done a good job of captivating the reader into the story and must have done tremendous research to this story. The heroine, Hannah Stern has become a favorable character and is portrayed as a courageous woman who would do anything to save those innocent children. All in all, this is a page turner and emotional rollercoaster ride, that will not allow you to put the book down.

If you are someone who is interested in WWII history, I recommend you to read this book. Guaranteed, this book will keep you up all night and will make you cry till the end. Worth fill five stars.

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

Kate Hewitt is the bestselling author of many novels of both historical and contemporary fiction. She particularly enjoys writing contemporary issue-driven women’s fiction, and her novels have been called ‘unputdownable’ and ‘the most emotional book I have ever read’ by readers.

An American ex-pat, she lives in a small market town in Wales with her husband and five young(ish) children, along with their two Golden Retrievers. Join her newsletter for monthly updates and giveaways at http://www.kate-hewitt.com, or be part of her Facebook groups Kate’s Reads, to discuss all manner of books, movies, music and cooking.

Riverbend Reunion – ARC Book Review

Title:- Riverbend Reunion

Author:- Carolyn Brown

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

No. of pages:- 299 pages

Genre:- Small Town Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Wrting:- 4/5

Overall Rating:- 4/5

Back home is the best place to start over in a heart-stirring Texas romance about friendship, second chances, and small-town scandals by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.

Riverbend, Texas, doesn’t look like the crossroads of anywhere. But for four high school besties reuniting after twenty years, it’s a place to unpack a lot of baggage.

Risa’s headed for divorce, Mary Nell’s been kicked to the curb by her leech of a boyfriend, and Haley was just blindsided by a shocking family secret. But restless army veteran Jessica Callaway, looking to plant roots, has an idea: corral her fellow former cheerleaders and renovate an abandoned church smack-dab in the middle of three dry counties into a bar. Throw in a grill and Wade Granger—a onetime nerd turned surprisingly crush-worthy investor—and their lives are on tap for a turnaround. Amen to that.

Except for one hitch: the white-clapboard dream is causing a ruckus. With a renewed bond, hard work, and the promise of romance, Jessica and her friends aren’t backing down. For Riverbend, this is going to be a homecoming—and a scandal—to remember.

This is the second book I have read of Carolyn Brown and is based in a small town called Riverbend in the heart of Texas.

Jessica is reuniting with her high school friends, Risa, Mary Nell, and Haley after twenty years. Jessica was an army veteran, Risa is heading for divorce, Haley is blinded by a shocking family secret and Mary Nell is thrown out by her boyfriend. When the friends decide to convert a church into a bar, many of the towns people were kind of against it. Jessica meets Wade and the two soon develop into a romantic relationship.

I thought the story was kind of quirky and cute. Though I felt like I was watching a Hallmark movie on TV, nevertheless, I do enjoy the book. The bond and friendship between the girls was really great, the southern accent was at times fascinating, making you feel like you are also the part of the southern community and I enjoyed the slow developing romance between Wade and Jessica.

If you like a good romance book based in a small town, then this book is one for you–worth four stars.

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

The Teacher of Warsaw – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Teacher of Warsaw

Author:- Mario Escobar

Date published:- will be published on June 7th 2022

No. of pages:- 356 pages

Genre:- Historical Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 4.5/5

Overall:- 5/5

September 1, 1939. Sixty-year-old Janusz Korczak and the students and teachers at his Dom Sierot Jewish orphanage are outside enjoying a beautiful day in Warsaw. Hours later, their lives are altered forever when the Nazis invade. Suddenly treated as an outcast in his own city, Janusz—a respected leader known for his heroism and teaching—is determined to do whatever it takes to protect the children from the horrors to come.

When over four hundred thousand Jewish people are rounded up and forced to live in the 1.3-square-mile walled compound of the Warsaw ghetto, Janusz and his friends take drastic measures to shield the children from disease and starvation. With dignity and courage, the teachers and students of Dom Sierot create their own tiny army of love and bravely prepare to march toward the future—whatever it may hold.

Unforgettable, devastating, and inspired by a real-life hero of the Holocaust, The Teacher of Warsaw reminds the world that one single person can incite meaning, hope, and love.

This is a true story of Dr. Janusz Korzak who with his friend is running a Jewish orphanage. The story is set in the year 1949, when Nazis invade Warsaw Poland, with the break out of World War II. The story follows the brutal treatment against the Jews by both the Nazis and by Poles who seemed to be supporting the Nazi’s ideologies. Despite having a Jewish background, Dr. Korzak is a respected man among the people in Warsaw.

When I read the book Zookeeper’s Wife and also watched the movie, I came across the name Dr. Korzack who was respected by Dr. Jan, who along with his wife saved more than five hundred Jews. Mario Escobar has done so much tremendous research about his life in general as well as the timeline that happened–the Nazi’s takeover of Warsaw, the formation of Warsaw Ghetto, the moving of the children to the ghetto and the transportation to the concentration camp, Treblinka. Honestly, this book was really heartbreaking and emotional, particularly the ending. Dr. Korzack would do anything to save the innocent Jewish children even though he knew what will happen to all of them once they reach Treblinka concentration camp.

Though the story is based in true facts, some parts of the story as well as certain characters were fictionalized. Despite that, the author has done a tremendous good job of bringing the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are part of the worst moments in the history. The hunger, these children are facing, the worst conditions of ghetto, the brutal treaments of the Jews by the Nazis in general were too unbearable and emotional to read. The ending of the story is too heartbreaking to read, knowing that this is a true story and that you know what will happen to those innocent children once they reach the concentration camp.

Of all the Holocaust books that I have read, personally, this book was too emotional to read, as it involved children. Worth five stars.

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

Mario Escobar has a master’s degree in modern history and has written numerous books and articles that delve into the depths of church history, the struggle of sectarian groups, and the discovery and colonization of the Americas. Escobar, who makes his home in Madrid, Spain, is passionate about history and its mysteries.

Books with pink covers

So I am taking a break from reviewing the books and decide to do a post–books with pink covers.

Some of these books that I have listed are TBR and some I have read but I thought it might be fun to do a post like that

Books With Pink Front Covers

  1. It Ends With Us – Colleen Hoover

2. Red, White and Royal Blue – Casey McQuistion

3. You Had Me At Hola – Alexis Daria

4. One Last Stop – Casey McQuiston

5. Dating Dr. Dil – Nisha Sharma

6. The Ex Talk – Rachel Lynn Solomon

8. Lock Every Door – Riley Sager

9. The Spanish Love Deception – Elena Armas

10. Finlay Donovan is Killing It- Elle Cosimano

Anxious People – Book Review

Title:- Anxious People

Author:- Fredrik Backman

Date published:- August 20th 2020

No. of pages:- 400 pages

Genre:- Literary Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 4.5/5

Writing 4.5/5

Overall Rating:- 4.5/5 stars

It’s New Year’s Eve and House Tricks estate agents are hosting an open viewing in an up-market apartment when an incompetent bank robber rushes in and politely takes everyone hostage.

For Anna-Lena and Roger, busy buying-up apartments to fill the hole in their marriage, it’s something else to talk about.

For Julia and Ro, panicky parents-to-be, it’s yet another worry.

Lonely bank manager Zara only came here for the view.

While 87-year-old grandmother Estelle seems rather pleased by the company . . .

As the police gather outside, the anxious strangers huddled within try to make the best of a very sticky situation – but could it be that they have a whole lot more in common than meets the eye?

Anyone who has not read Fredrick Backman’s A Man Called Ove yet??? Read that book (and also Beartown and it’s sequel Us Against You) before reading this one!

The story involved nine strangers–Anna Lena, Roger, Zara, Julia, Ro, Estelle were doing apartment viewing when they were being held hostage by an incompetent bank robber. The policemen Jack and Jim, who are actually father and son tries to find out what really happened to the bank robber and the story follows after that.

In nearly all of Fredrick Backman’s books, there is some sort of life lessons being taught in the book itself.

We don’t have a plan, we just do our best to get through the day, because there’ll be another one coming along tomorrow.

Addicts are addicted to their drugs, and their families are addicted to hope.

His writing is very good and the translator also has done a good job of converting the text from Swedish to English. Although the book was very long, nonetheless, I actually enjoyed reading this book. There were some funny parts in the book, particularly the police interview with the hostages that I actually laughed out loud. Overall, I actually enjoyed this book–worth 4.5 stars!

Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and two novellas, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer and The Deal of a Lifetime, as well as one work of nonfiction, Things My Son Needs to Know About the World. His books are published in more than forty countries. His next novel, Anxious People, will be published in September 2020. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter @BackmanLand or on Instagram @Backmansk.

Sleeping Dolls (Detective Morgan Brookes Book 6) – ARC Book Review

Title:- Sleeping Dolls (Detective Morgan Brooke Book 6)

Author:- Helen Phifer

Date published:- will be published on June 13th 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 321 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 4.5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

The beam shines around the dark room, lighting up the woman in sky-blue pyjamas lying on the couch. But she doesn’t wake under the bright glow, she isn’t sleeping at all…

When a concerned neighbour reports a woman missing, Detective Morgan Brookes squeezes through the stiff front door to find the woman dead. At first, the case appears unsuspicious, but something about the scene unsettles Morgan. Every clock in the house has been stopped, every mirror covered, and the woman seems physically unharmed except for one missing lock of hair.

Shirley Kelly was loved by her friends and hated by her ex-husband and his new wife, but they have an iron-clad alibi, and Morgan is certain that the scene-staging holds a vital clue. She’s devastated to be proved right when another woman is killed, and her home arranged in the same way. The only difference is that the second victim has been stabbed, using a knife from Shirley’s own kitchen…

The team can’t find a connection between the two women, but Morgan is sure that there is a deadly pattern to the killer’s actions. She hunts through each woman’s past until she finds the link: years ago, they both worked for a woman called Evelyn Reynolds, before tragedy struck her young family. But what has made them targets now? Morgan knows this twisted case is far from over, can she find the final clue before the clock stops for the next name on the killer’s list?

An absolutely gripping, mile-a-minute read. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan and Rachel Abbott!

Detective Morgan Brookens is back with a sixth case with all our favorite characters!

A body of a nearly decomposed woman was found in a flat. The police believe that she died from natural causes. However after doing autopsy finds that the woman was in fact murdered–possibly hanged or slashed her neck. Now Morgan along with our other favorite character Ben must discover who the murderer was. Morgan also realizes that the mirrors in the room were covered and the clock stopped at six. But then, another girl was also found murdered, in almost the similar fashion, Morgan must find the deranged killer before he can attack another one.

I was literally hooked from the first chapter to the end! The book was fast paced with thrills and twists along the way and the author has done a good job of making the reader feel like they are at the edge of the seat. I was glued to the page, wanting to know who is the murderer. Oh there’s another new character who seemed to have got on a wrong foot with Ben. Besides all the case solving and all, I like the subtle book mentions of Stephen King’s books. Stephen King is known to write dark horror thrillers so in a way, the author was clever enough to use his books to tie up with the crimes! The ending was unexpected and it left me reeling. I started only yesterday and then just finished it today–it was really good!

If you like a fast paced thriller with a favorite detective series, this one is for you–worth five stars!

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

Helen Phifer is the #1 Bestselling crime and horror novelist of the Annie Graham, Lucy Harwin and Beth Adams series. Helen lives in a small town in Cumbria. Surrounded by miles of coastline and only a short drive from the beautiful Lake District. She has always loved writing and reading since the days she learnt how to in infant school. She loves reading books that make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and make her afraid to go to the toilet, alone in the middle of the night. She is eternally grateful to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Graham Masterton for scaring her senseless in her teenage years. Unable to find enough of the scary stories she loves to read, she decided to write her own.

Her debut novel The Ghost House was released October 2013 and introduced readers to police officer Annie Graham. It went on to be an Amazon #1 bestseller in Canada. It reached #1 on the Amazon Contemporary Horror Charts in both the UK and the US, pushing her idol Stephen King off his #1 spot many times. She was thrilled when the second book in the series The Secrets of the Shadows managed to push The Ghost House off its #1 spot even if it was a little surreal. This was followed by The Forgotten Cottage, The Lake House, The Girls in the Woods and The Face Behind the Mask.

The Good Sisters is a standalone old, fashioned horror story which Helen admits scared her so much when she was writing it that she couldn’t write once it got dark. Set in an abandoned convent it will definitely give you the chills.

March 2017 saw the publication of Dark House, a gripping psychological thriller which introduced readers to the dangerous world of Detective Inspector Lucy Harwin. This was followed by Dying Breath and Last Light.

The Haunting on West Tenth Street is a supernatural thriller set on the streets of New York and features Homicide Detective Maria Miller.

Her brand new series featuring Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams is published July 16th 2019

An Island Summer – ARC Book Review

Title:- An Island Summer

Author:- Jenny Hale

Date published:- will be published on 9th June 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 283 pages

Genre:- Small Town Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:-4/5

A totally perfect and heartwarming small-town romance about new beginnings, old secrets and how home is truly where the heart is… Fans of Susan Mallery, Pamela Kelley, and Mary Alice Monroe will fall head over heels for this romantic page-turner.

Meghan Gray hasn’t returned to the golden sands of Hatteras Island since her beloved Pappy passed away ten years ago. But with her life in New York falling apart—and her dreams of becoming a successful chef going up smoke—she quits her waitress job and heads back home on a hot summer’s day, hoping she’ll find some answers there.

Packing up her belongings, and the manila envelope her grandfather left for her, she makes the nine-hour drive to the sun-drenched island. On her first night, she meets brooding Toby Meyers, whose sparkling blue eyes make her feel like coming home. Meghan is instantly drawn to the enigmatic entrepreneur, longing to know more.

Pappy’s fishing cottage is just how she remembers; a shingled bungalow on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, with two rocking chairs on the porch. As the waves crash, Meghan realizes that this house—and the special memories it holds—is all she has left. Could this be her fresh start?

When Meghan opens the faded envelope gifted by her grandpa, she finds an old photograph, along with a mysterious key. If she can find what it belongs to, she’ll unlock a family secret that has the power to change everything—one that has been hidden for decades. And it will either bring Meghan and Toby together, or break their hearts…

First of all, I like all front covers of Jenny Hale’s books–they are so pretty! Second of all, the story was heartwarming family drama tale.

Meghan Gray’s seems to crumble in New York and decides to move back to her grandfather, Peppy’s place in Hatteras Island for the summer. While in the island, she meets entrepreneur, Toby. While the two hit off, Toby’s grandfather, Ruper who is suffering from dementia, mistakenly thinks she is Hester Quinn. Along with her best friend Tess, she tries to solve a mystery her grandfather had left her–an old photograph with a mysterious key and soon she finds some family secrets.

Nearly all of Jenny Hale’s books are based on family ancestral stories with a little bit of family secrets that ties to the story. The writing was really great though there were some boring bits in the story. Unraveling the secret part, finding about Hester Quinn and the budding romance between Meghan and Toby was great.

Overall, if you like a light romance with a summer vibe in it, then this book is one for you–worth four stars

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

Jenny Hale is a USA Today, Amazon, and international bestselling author of romantic contemporary fiction. Her books have sold worldwide, have been translated into multiple languages, and adapted for television. Her novels Coming Home for Christmas and Movie Guide Epiphany Award winner Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses are Hallmark Channel original movies.

She was included in Oprah Magazine’s “19 Dreamy Summer Romances to Whisk You Away” and Southern Living’s “30 Christmas Novels to Start Reading Now.” Her stories are chock-full of feel-good romance and overflowing with warm settings, great friends, and family. Jenny is at work on her next novel, delighted to be bringing even more heartwarming stories to her readers.

When she isn’t writing, or heading up her romantic fiction imprint Harpeth Road, she can be found running around her hometown of Nashville with her husband, two boys, and their labradoodle, taking pictures—her favorite pastime.

Website: http://www.itsjennyhale.com; Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jhaleauthor; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennyhaleauthor; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jhaleauthor

Her Frozen Cry (Detective Amanda Steele Book 5) – ARC Book Review

Title:- Her Frozen Cry (Detective Amanda Steele Book 5)

Author:- Carolyn Arnold

No. of pages:- 309 pages

Date published:- will be published on 9th June 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre;- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4.5 /5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

The moon shines through the open window, bathing the woman in pale light. Blood-red wine from a shattered glass soaks into the cream blanket beside her, and her dull eyes stare vacantly at the framed photograph in her hand.

When beautiful wife and mother Alicia Gordon is found dead in a remote woodland cabin, Detective Amanda Steele is shocked to discover that she knows the husband. Amanda hasn’t spoken to Tony since she lost the love of her own life seven years ago, and seeing tragedy tearing her old friend’s family apart brings back so many painful memories.

Alicia was alone when she died, but she was so young, and Amanda can’t help feeling suspicious. Then she discovers that Alicia’s sleep medication had been tampered with, slowly poisoning her over several days. Amanda wants to trust that the sorrow on Tony’s face is real, but the more she digs into his marriage, the more it seems that he had opportunity, and motive…

Interviewing one of Alicia’s old colleagues, Amanda is shaken to her core when the woman suddenly collapses in her arms, dying in seconds from a lethal dose of the same poison that killed Alicia. But what could link this woman to Tony?

With her partner blaming Amanda for not arresting Tony immediately, she needs to prove that he isn’t the killer, or accept that the second woman’s death could be on her hands. She’s running out of time and leads when she discovers threatening messages sent to both victims. It’s the final clue to unmasking the most twisted killer Amanda has ever come up against, and to stop them she’ll have to risk everything

Detective Amanda Steele is back with another case!

Unlike her previous cases where she had to deal with a deranged serial killer, this was different. A devoted mother and businesswoman, Alicia Gordon was found dead in her cabin. While it looked like a suicide, later on it was found out that she was actually the wife of Tony, Amanda’s high school friend and classmate and who had been very close to each other. With evidences mounting against Tony, Amanda is having mixed feelings whether her friend is guilty or not.

This was a fast paced thriller, packed with twists and turns along the way. The writing was really great, the plot was great too and 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 do like how Amanda and her partner Trent are working together as well. This felt like a roller coaster ride and the ending was so unexpected–I did not expect that ending.

This book will keep you up all night and will guarateed that it will keep you at the edge of the seat–worth five stars!

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

The Thirteenth Girl – ARC Book Review

Title:- The 13th Girl

Author:- Sarah Goodwin

No. of pages:- 332 pages

Date published:- will be published on June 23rd 2022

Publisher:- Avon

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5 stars

Writing;-:- 4/5 stars

Overall:- 3.5 / 5 stars

A little girl in a white nightdress stands out in the snow, watching the large brick house burn before her eyes…

My name is Lucy Townsend.

I was born on Friday the thirteenth, and I was the thirteenth girl living in the big house. Unlucky for some.

But I was the fortunate one. I escaped. The only one who made it out alive.

And now, twenty years after that fateful night, the secrets of the past and what happened in that house are pulling me back.

I might not be so lucky this time…

A totally gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller with twists and turns you just won’t see coming. Perfect for fans of Girl A and The Family Upstairs.

This is the second book written by Sarah Goodwin.

The story starts with Lucy Townsend who finds herself pregnant. She wasn’t ready to become a mother after when her own mother had been terrible towards her but her husband, Marshal seems to be happy. Lucy seems to be leading a happy life with Marshal. But then, her tormented childhood past soon came to light–her mother was involved in some sort of cult that involved kidnapping and killing little girls. As both Marshall and his father are MPs and needed to save their faces, Lucy was sent to a cottage. Then one day, she goes off to the house where she stayed and her past buried many years ago.

I have to say, the story did start out really good. After reading Stranded by this very same author, I actually had high expectations with this book. Unfortunately this book did not really live up to my high expectations. I am not saying this was bad–it was good. The writing was good and the first part was engaging. But then soon, when the middle of the story took hold what with describing about the cult, it got…let’s just say unbelieavable. Not boring but unrealistic and unbelievable in my opinion. Nonetheless I did enjoy the story although I have to say, unlike her first book, this was not as good as stranded.

Overall, if you like cult based thriller, you can try out the Thirteenth girl. Worth 3.5 stars.

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

Sarah Goodwin is a novelist who grew up in rural Hertfordshire. She was raised on ‘The Good Life’ ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and ‘Little House on the Prairie’ by her parents, who turned a blind eye to her dabbling in herbal medicine, feminism, eco-warrior ideals and witchcraft. They were understandably unsurprised when she developed the lifetime ambition of building a hut in the woods and living there like a soothsayer.

Her second preferred career, was author.

At Bath Spa University Sarah studied for a BA in Creative Writing and self-published many novels across various genres, including YA magical realism, contemporary women’s fiction, romance and horror.

Sarah graduated in 2014 with an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University. After writing several historical novels, she decided to return to her roots and write instead about the wild, the darkness and survival, which led to her coming up with the idea for ‘Stranded’ which would become her first professionally published novel.