Tropical Girl Reads

Thrillers Looking forward for next month

Hey guys! Today I thought I would do something different–it seems many great thrillers will be released in next month and so I thought I would share some of the thrillers that I am looking forward to read or I have already read and would recommend you all to read it.

Never Saw Me Coming – Vera Kurian

Why I am looking forward to this thriller?

The plot line sounds interesting to me. Normally, I have read psychological thrillers where the main protagonist could be either delusional, naïve with mental health issues. Here, the main protagonist is a psychopath and ends up becoming a victim. And the story sets on the grounds of campus so that makes it more intriguing to read. I have requested an ARC but so far I haven’t got one yet so I am looking forward for it.

This book will be published on September 7th 2021

Meet Chloe Sevre. She’s a freshman honor student, a leggings-wearing hot girl next door, who also happens to be a psychopath. Her hobbies include yogalates, frat parties, and plotting to kill Will Bachman, a childhood friend who grievously wronged her.

Chloe is one of seven students at her DC-based college who are part of an unusual clinical study for psychopaths—students like herself who lack empathy and can’t comprehend emotions like fear or guilt. The study, led by a renowned psychologist, requires them to wear smart watches that track their moods and movements.

When one of the students in the study is found murdered in the psychology building, a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, and Chloe goes from hunter to prey. As she races to identify the killer and put her own plan into action, she’ll be forced to decide if she can trust any of her fellow psychopaths—and everybody knows you should never trust a psychopath.

Never Saw Me Coming is a compulsive, voice-driven thriller by an exciting new voice in fiction, that will keep you pinned to the page and rooting for a would-be killer.

2. Rock, Paper and Scissors – Alice Fenney

Why I am looking forward to this thriller?

The plot sounds interesting, and so many good raving reviews from this book, so I am looking forward to read this book!

This book will be published on September 7th 2021

Think you know the person you married? Think again…

Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.
Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts – paper, cotton, pottery, tin – and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.

Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.

Rock Paper Scissors is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney

3. Nice Girls – Catherine Dang

Why I am looking forward to this thriller?

Again the synopsis kind of made me interested in this book. A girl who studied at Ivy League returns back to hometown after dropping out of the college and works in a grocery store when the town’s sweet heart disappeared. Sounds appealing to me.

Will be published on September 7th 2021

What did you do?

Growing up in Liberty Lake, Minnesota, Mary was chubby, awkward, and smart. Earning a scholarship to an Ivy League school was her ticket out; she was going to do great things and never look back. Three years later, “Ivy League Mary” is back—a thinner, cynical, and restless failure. Kicked out of Cornell at the beginning of senior year, she won’t tell anyone why. Working at the local grocery store, she sees familiar faces from high school and tries to make sense of the past and her life.

When beautiful, magnetic Olivia Willand, a rising social media star, goes missing, Mary—like the rest of Liberty Lake—becomes obsessed. Best friends in childhood, Mary and Olivia haven’t spoken in years. Everyone admired Olivia, but Mary knows better than anyone that behind the Instagram persona hid a willful, manipulative girl with sharp edges. As the world worries for perfect, lovely Olivia, Mary can’t help but hate her. She also believes that her disappearance is tied to another missing person—a nineteen-year-old girl named DeMaria Jackson whose disappearance has gone under the radar.

Who was the true Olivia Willand, and where did she go? What happened to DeMaria? As Mary delves deeper into the lives of the two missing girls, old wounds bleed fresh and painful secrets threaten to destroy everything.

Maybe no one is really a nice girl, after all.

4. My Sweet Girl – Amanda Jayatissa

I have already read and reviewed this book–I enjoyed this book which was actually fast paced with twists and turns and an unreliable character you would hate or love. Set between two different time lines between Sri Lanka and USA, I would recommend this book if you are into thrillers with unreliable narrator (if you are not then don’t read this book)

Will be published on September 14th 2021

Paloma thought her perfect life would begin once she was adopted and made it to America, but she’s about to find out that no matter how far you run, your past always catches up to you…

Ever since she was adopted from a Sri Lankan orphanage, Paloma has had the best of everything—schools, money, and parents so perfect that she fears she’ll never live up to them.

Now at thirty years old and recently cut off from her parents’ funds, she decides to sublet the second bedroom of her overpriced San Francisco apartment to Arun, who recently moved from India. Paloma has to admit, it feels good helping someone find their way in America—that is until Arun discovers Paloma’s darkest secret, one that could jeopardize her own fragile place in this country.

Before Paloma can pay Arun off, she finds him face down in a pool of blood. She flees the apartment but by the time the police arrive, there’s no body—and no evidence that Arun ever even existed in the first place.

Paloma is terrified this is all somehow tangled up in the desperate actions she took to escape Sri Lanka so many years ago. Did Paloma’s secret die with Arun or is she now in greater danger than ever before?

Well, that’s all I have with the thrillers. I’ll make another list of romance novels that I’ll be looking forward for next month soon!

Which of these books would you want to read?

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Stranded – ARC Book Review

Stranded: A completely unputdownable psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist: Escape with the most twisty thriller of the year by [Sarah Goodwin]

Eight strangers. One island. A secret you’d kill to keep.

When eight people arrive on the beautiful but remote Buidseach Island, they are ready for the challenge of a lifetime: to live alone for one year.

Eighteen months later, a woman is found in an isolated fishing village. She’s desperate to explain what happened to her. How the group fractured and friends became enemies. How they did what they must to survive until the boat came to collect them; how things turned deadly when the boat didn’t come.

But first she must come to terms with the devastating secret that left them stranded, and her own role in the events that saw eight arrive and only three leave…

A gripping, twisty page-turner about secrets, lies and survival at all costs. Perfect for fans of The Castaways, The Sanitorium and One by One.

No. of pages:- 400 pages

Date published:- Will be Published on 16th September 2021

Publisher:- Avon

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating: – 4.5/5

If you were asked to live alone in an island with eight more people for one whole year, with no connection to the outside world, would you do it? This is what this story is about.

Maddy gets an opportunity to be a part of a show, where she along with seven other people–Zoe, Gill, Maxine, Duncan, Andrew, Frank and Shaun along with two camera men to spend one whole year in a remote island. But soon, while on the island, things take a sour turn with friends becoming enemies and one would do anything to survive in the remote island…even if it involves killing them…

The plot sounded interesting and intriguing and sounds so much like I am watching an episode of Lost! Maddy’s character actually grew into me–Maddy is socially awkward, introverted and into plants and botany with fair knowledge about the plants in the island and recently lost her parents who were very overprotective towards her. What was supposed to be a team work and developing friendships soon turned into sour and bitter enmity between the group, particularly towards Maddy who was soon casted out of the camp in the island. The descriptions and how the team members survive through eating plants, catching rabbits and eating fish all too well describe the life in an island so far from the outside world. There were twists and turns, with small portions dividing between the time spent on island and the interviewer doing a piece on how Maddy survived. Maddy certainly is an unreliable narrator with flaws so that makes this thriller more interesting and intriguing, I stayed up all night finishing the book, wondering what is going to happen next–quiet unputdownable and you would not be disappointed with the ending!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading thriller–an unputdownable twisty thriller and quiet an emotional one as well that will make you stay up all night!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon 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.

She’s Mine – ARC Book Review

She's Mine: A gripping psychological thriller with a truly jaw-dropping twist by [A. A. Chaudhuri]

Her missing daughter was just the start of the nightmare

Twenty years ago, Christine Donovan took a call she should have ignored while shopping. In those few seconds while her back was turned, her toddler, Heidi, was kidnapped. She’s never been seen again.

Despite having two other children with husband Greg, Christine remains guilt-stricken that her neglect caused her child to be stolen, while haunted by a secret that consumes her.

Just as she takes measures to finally heal, a note is posted through her door, with the words she has always longed to hear: Heidi isn’t dead.

Christine might finally get the answers she craves – but what she doesn’t know is that finding her daughter will uncover dark secrets close to home.

In seeking the truth, Christine might destroy everything that she loves … so how far is she willing to go to find Heidi?

With a truly jaw-dropping end twist, She’s Mine is a dark, scandalous, and gripping read from a major new talent in psychological thriller writing. For fans of Harriet Tyce, C.L. Taylor and Apple Tree Yard.

No. of pages:- 294 pages

Date published:- will be published August 18th 2021

Publisher:- Hera

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 4/5 stars

What an unexpected thriller!!

Christine Donovan has been living with guilt–because of her neglect and a secret love affair, she lost her own daughter Heidi. Now many years later, her marriage to her husband is strained, her two children she had with her husband Greg seemed to be hating her…and she got a confirmation that Heidi was very much alive.

Initially, the story started out a bit slow and multiple characters have given their perspectives–we read from the points of views of Christine, Miranda and Greg and a woman named Heidi. who happened to be Christine’s daughter. so to be honest it was a bit confusing at first. However, the unexpected twist and turn that was revealed in the ending was so good! I did not expect that type of ending! The writing was good, and the author did a good job of drawing the reader! The characters however are not likable in my opinion, particularly Christine’s character but nevertheless it was actually a good thriller!

This book worth four stars! Many thanks to Netgalley and Hera for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

A. A. Chaudhuri is a former City lawyer. After gaining a degree in History at University College London, she later trained as a solicitor and worked for several major London law firms before leaving law to pursue her passion for writing. She is the author of The Scribe and The Abduction, books 1 and 2 of her Kramer & Carver legal thriller series featuring the feisty Maddy Kramer, also published in audio. Her first psychological thriller with Hera Books, She’s Mine, will be published in 18th August 2021. Represented by Annette Crossland of A for Authors Literary Agency, she lives in Surrey with her family, and loves films, all things Italian and a good margarita!

#1 Amazon Australia Amateur Sleuth Mysteries (Aug ’19); #1 Amazon Canada Women Sleuth Mysteries; (Aug ’19) top 10 Amazon UK Legal crime thrillers (Aug ’19); #1 Amazon Australia Legal Thrillers (November ’19)

Whisper Cottage – ARC Book Review

Whisper Cottage: A completely addictive psychological thriller with a shocking twist by [Anne Wyn Clark]

How well do you know the woman next door?

When Stina and Jack move to an old rural cottage, they’re hoping for a fresh start. Their new home is run-down compared to their neighbour’s, but generous Mrs Barley quickly becomes a friend.

Until Stina sees a mysterious figure in the widow’s garden, and her happy new life begins to unravel. And when she hears strange noises in the night, she is forced to question if Mrs Barley is what she seems.

Why do the other villagers whisper about her? Why is she so eager to help the couple? And what is she hiding in her picture-perfect home?

No. of pages:- 368 pages

Date published:- will be published on September 2nd 2021

Publisher:- Avon

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 2.5/5 stars

Here comes my most unpopular review…

Stina and Jack moved to a quiet village hut to start their lives fresh. They meet a new neighbor, Mrs. Bradley who seemed to be friendly with the couple. Until Stina sees a mysterious man coupled with the noises coming from the Bradley’s house.

OK, the synopsis initially found it appealing but however as I read, the plot was boring, the story in general as a whole was boring to me that I almost DNF.. It was slow and I just only skimmed through the book. I didn’t really like the main character, Stina much. The only thing I liked about this book was the vivid descriptions of the village that makes the reader feel like they are in the village and the writing was ok.

Overall, this book worth 2.5 stars. Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Anne Wyn Clark lives in the UK, in the Midlands, with her husband, son and a feisty chinchilla. She has three (now grown-up) children and five grandchildren. She is particularly partial to Italian food, decent red wine (or any coloured wine come to that…) and cake – and has been known to over-indulge in each on occasions. She is passionate about animals and their welfare. Whilst she has enjoyed writing for many years, a love of all things gothic inspired her to try her hand at producing something dark and twisty, culminating in the haunting Whisper Cottage.

One Year Gone – ARC Book Review

One Year Gone: A Novel by [Avery Bishop]

A mother will risk everything to find her missing daughter in this twisty thriller from the author of Girl Gone Mad.

“Sometimes teenagers run away…Give her a few days. She’ll be back.”

That’s what the police tell Jessica Moore when her seventeen-year-old daughter, Wyn, vanishes. All signs point to this being true. But days become weeks. Weeks become months. And Jessica begins to fear the terrible truth—that she may never see her daughter again.

Then, one year later, when all hope seems lost, Jessica gets a flurry of text messages from Wyn that freeze her blood: mom. please help. i think he’s going to kill me. But Wyn’s terrified plea comes with a warning not to call the police. Her kidnapper wears a badge.

As Jessica’s fears are raised again, so are the stakes. Delving into the months leading up to Wyn’s disappearance, Jessica stumbles upon information that could put her own life in danger. With each revelation, the nightmare deepens. Now she must decide just how far she’ll go to bring her daughter home.

No. of pages:- 366 pages

Date published:- 10th August 2021

Publisher:- Lake Union

Genre:- Women’s Fiction

Rating:- 3.5/5

I thought this book literally made me cry. It’s not a thriller, but it’s about a mother who is searching for her daughter who went missing almost a year ago, on the day of the pep rally in school. After a year, Jessica gets a series of messages from her daughter, asking her to help her, worried that her abductor was going to kill her. Then Jessica enlist the help of her husband and the FBI agent to track down her daughter’s whereabouts.

OK, the story divides between the day of the prep rally leading to Bronwyn’s disappearance and the present day and is told from the perspectives of Jessica, the mother and Bronwyn, the daughter. The story was a bit slow at first but then gradually, I got hooked into the story by the middle of the story. I didn’t like the characters much–particularly the main character but in general, none of the characters appealed to me. What got me interested in this book was when Bronwyn sends the message to her mother, asking her to help her and from then, I really wanted to find out what really happened to Bronwyn. The ending to me was bit sad and emotional, wondering how mean and selfish people can really be, particularly in the small town. Overall, it was an OK book, to me, not too bad, but I wouldnt’ particularly call this book thrilling.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Woman on the Beach – ARC Book Review

The Woman on the Beach: A totally gripping family drama with a heartbreaking twist by [Julia Roberts]

was so sure I saw Sophie on the beach that day. But it couldn’t be her. Sophie’s dead…

Ever since we swore to be best friends at school, Sophie was there for me. When she married my brother, she became family. We shared everything.

At least I thought we did.

After she died, I was devastated. Everyone else has moved on, but I can’t. She was so quiet, those last few months. I’m sure there is something I don’t know…

Now I’m standing on the beach we visited when we were younger, and there’s a woman with long blond hair a few metres away, playing with a dog in the sunshine. She turns, and I see Sophie.

Heart racing, I run after her, but before I can reach her she’s vanished, leaving only footprints in the sand.

It can’t be Sophie… Can it? And do I want to know, if the answer will destroy everything?

No. of pages:- 255 pages

Date published:- will be published on 19th August 2021

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Women’s Fiction

Rating :- 4.5/5

How would you feel when you see a woman on the beach in Mexico, who looked exactly like your best friend who died years ago? Shocked and wondering if your best friend was alive or not. That’s how Liv felt and that’s where the story starts.

Liv and Sophie have been best friends since school and they were so close that Sophie ended up marrying Liv’s brother Tom and Liv was the bridesmaid. But the train crash in Spain supposedly killed Sophie with a funeral being arranged. But in truth, it was Grace, their friend who died in the crash and Sophie is in Mexico starting a new life.

The synopsis of the book fascinated me and I decided to try out the book though I was a bit skeptical of how this book will end up. But to my surprise, I actually enjoyed, devoring the book! The plot sounds interesting and emotional and is told from the perspectives of Liv and Sophie. Through this book, I could see the close friendship bond between Liv and Sophie and the author’s writing actually captured my attention. What was Sophie escaping from? Domestic abuse? But as you continue reading the book, you would find a heartbreaking and emotional twist that you did not expect in the end! But luckily, the ending was a happy one with everyone living happily and moving on with their lives. This is actually the first book I have read from this author and kudos for the author’s style of writing!

Overall, an emotional and heartbreaking book, quiet unputdownable that you would finish this in one go–worth five stars!

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

Julia Roberts self-published her first novel in 2015, Life’s a Beach and Then, the first part of the Liberty Sands Trilogy, followed by books two and three in the trilogy and the stand-alone, Alice in Theatreland, before signing a three book deal with Bookouture, under the name J G Roberts, for a detective/crime/thriller series centred around DCI Rachel Hart.

Little Girl Missing, was published in June 2019, followed by What He Did and Why She Died. She has now re-signed with Bookouture as Julia Roberts for two emotional heartbreakers; the first one, My Mother’s Secret, is publishing in January 2021 and is available now on pre-order.

Born in Nottingham, Julia travelled the world working as a professional dancer, singer and TV presenter, experience she was able to call on when developing the character of travel blogger, Holly, for her Liberty Sands trilogy.

Following roles as a hostess on the The Price is Right and a member of the Beadle’s About hit squad, she auditioned as a presenter for QVC, and launched the American shopping channel in the UK where she still works full-time.

She has two grown-up children who are in part responsible for her becoming a novelist. On Mother’s Day 2013, they gave her a notebook with words ‘Hold On People… I’m Having An Idea’, on the cover. On the first morning of a much-needed holiday in Mauritius, following a year of treatment for Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia, Julia had just that – the idea for her first novel.

Aria’s Travelling Book Shop – Book Review

Aria’s Travelling Book Shop: An utterly uplifting, laugh out loud romantic comedy for 2021! by [Rebecca Raisin]

This summer will change everything!

Aria Summers knows what she wants.

A life on the road with best friend Rosie and her beloved camper-van-cum-book-shop, and definitely, definitely, no romance.

But when Aria finds herself falling – after one too many glasses of wine, from a karaoke stage – into the arms of Jonathan, a part of her comes back to life for the first time in years.

Since her beloved husband died Aria has sworn off love, unless it’s the kind you can find in the pages of a book. One love of her life is quite enough.

And so Aria tries to forget Jonathan and sets off for a summer to remember in France. But could this trip change Aria’s life forever…?

A heartwarming, uplifting and hilarious novel of friendship, love and adventure! Perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson and Holly Martin.

No. of pages:- 257 pages

Date published:- April 8th 2021

Publisher:- HQ Digital

Genre:- Romance

Rating:- 3.5/5

Last year, I have read and rated Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop which I actually enjoyed it very much. So I was excited to try this book out, which is almost the continuation of Rosie’s Travelling Shop, this time, the main focus on Aria, Rosie’s bookworm friend. To be honest, I was more excited to read about Aria as she is kind of related to me in one thing– we both love reading books and consider books as a safe haven!

So, Aria’s husband TJ died few years ago and Aria didn’t believe in having a romantic relationship, until she meets Jonathan, an author, after she accidentally kissed him at a karaoke place. Rosie and Aria then embark on the traveling expedition, this time in France, where they explore the romantic country and its scenic countryside and Aria meets Jonathan again. And she receives her late husband’s diary from his mother and she starts reading his diary.

I did enjoy this book but not much. I think it’s a cute romantic story but the descriptions used to describe the French places made me imagine myself in France. However, I do like the character of Aria–she knows she has to move on but deep inside her heart, she still loves TJ. This story is a bit similar to Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop–friendships are formed, discovering the new places and I did like Aria’s friendship with Rosie. I also liked how Aria slowly began to accept Jonathan into her life, trying to move on when reading TJ’s diary. I liked reading extracts from TJ’s diary, knowing how much he cared about Aria’s happiness.

Overall, I would say this is a cute romantic book–worth three and a half stars!

Rebecca Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She’s been published in various short story anthologies and in in fiction magazines, and is now focusing on writing romance.

Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships, and most importantly believe in true love.

Come say hello to Rebecca on her Facebook page : https://facebook.com/RebeccaRaisinAuthor

Lost Angels – ARC Book Review

Lost Angels: A nail-biting crime thriller packed with suspense (Nikki Hunt Book 3) by [Stacy Green]

On her hands and knees, Nikki moved to the other side of the body. She couldn’t stop her fingers from trembling as she brushed the dark hair off the victim’s face. She couldn’t look away. “I know her…”

When Special Agent Nikki Hunt is called to the Boundary Waters near Stillwater, Minnesota, it’s not just the cold that shocks her to her core: the body of a young woman has been found frozen beside a remote lake. Nikki is devastated to see the victim is her childhood friend Annmarie, and she recognizes the velvet ribbon tied in her hair as the hallmark of a serial killer who she has been hunting for years.

Desperate for justice, Nikki throws herself into the case. But she is shaken by what she finds at Annmarie’s home: a dead-bolt on her front door and a map in the spare room, with the locations of murdered women circled in thick, red marker. Did Annmarie know she was next? Then Nikki finds out that the killer has left a clue in Annmarie’s bedroom: a photo of Nikki’s mother that no one has ever seen. Has the murderer at large been in Nikki’s life since she was a child?

Nikki soon realizes that the key to unlocking this case is in her own family, but digging up the past could put her own daughter in danger. She has spent her whole life protecting the ones she loves, but to find this killer Nikki might have to risk everything…

No. of pages:- 236 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Date published:- will be published on Augsut 27th 2021

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Clip Art Customer Review Star Stock - Black Transparent Background 5 Stars , Free Transparent Clipart - ClipartKey

FBI Agent Nikki Hunt is back!

In Books 1 and 2, Agent Hunt was hunting for an infamous serial killer called Frost and the third book is solely focused on Frost when Agent Hunt’s former classmate and friend Annmarie was murdered in Frost’s signature style.. Now determined to catch this serial killer, Nikki Hunt along with her FBI team must work together to carach this guy for good. In the mean time, she finds a deep secret about her mother…

Like the previous book, this book is one heck of a roller coaster ride! From the first page to the end, the book is packed with twists and turns, fast paced that I was literally hooked into the book! I felt like I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds when I was reading the book that I couldn’t literally wait to find out who this Frost is and what Nikki’s mother’s secret was! As always, Nikki Hunt is a great character though there were some tits and bits of emotional scenes in the book with the death of loved ones. Overall, I have got nothing but good things to say about this book! Unputdownable and will keep you up all night reading this book!

This book worth five stars! Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Stacy Green is a USA Today best-selling author of more than a dozen mysteries and thrillers. Her books include the award-winning Lucy Kendall series, the Cage Foster series, and the USA Today best-selling Nikki Hunt series. Stacy has bachelor’s degrees in Journalism/Mass Communication and Sociology from Drake University. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America.

Stacy lives in Iowa with her husband, daughter, and fur babies. Find her on stacygreenauthor.com or http://www.facebook.com/stacygreenauthor.

With the Fire on High – Book Review

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

From the New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award-winning title The Poet X comes a dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright.

Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela.

The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.

Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.

Plus don’t miss Elizabeth Acevedo’s Clap When You Land!

No. of pages:- 395 pages

Date published:- May 7th 2019

Publisher:- Quill Tree Books

Genre:- Latin American Fiction

Raintg:- 4/5

This book had been in my TBR list for a long time and finally got a chance to read this gem!

I actually adore the book cover design! It’s artsy, colorful and perfectly suited to the story. Emoni became pregnant during her freshman year in high school and while juggling with her motherhood, looking after Emma “Babygirl” with the help of her grandmother, Buela, and school work, Emoni’s dream is to become a chef one day and attend a culinary school. But she realizes that her dream is futile with her struggling the responsibilities of being a mother. Then her school has a special culinary program in which she joins during her senior year and along with applying for colleges and taking SATs, she is also experimenting with her own cooking.

I actually enjoyed reading this book. The chapters are short and sweet which made it easier and faster to read. The story is mainly told from Emoni’s point of view and as a character, I actually liked Emoni. I am not very familiar with the Latin American culture and as Emoni is half Puerto Rican and half Black, I learned some bits about the Puerto Rican culture and traditions in general. I actually adored her mother daughter relationship with Emma and the growing romantic relationship with Malachi, a new student who attends to their high school. From the beginning of the chapter to the end of the book, I was engrossed into the book and thoroughly enjoyed reading it! The writing was really good and I have to say, the author did a good job capturing the reader into the story. I must say, this book is adorable filled with rich flavors and cannot wait to read more books from this author.

Also, I like the fact that there are recipes which I am thinking of trying it at home.

Overall, this was a cute and adorable story about a teenage girl struggling with motherhood and trying to achieve her goal of becoming a chef. Worth four stars!