Falling Behind Friday

Happy Friday everyone! I can't believe today is finally here! I actually don't have to work this weekend for once. I plan on catching up on some much needed reading. Falling behind Friday is a meme that started out as a bit of joke between myself and Brenda at Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee and it just stuck! We said we should post on reads we are behind on because.....as you know we all get behind. Please pop over to Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee and see what they have to say about Falling Behind Friday!  This is my current situation with my TBR pile..........wait for it.......yep that is me!

 
This week we had planned on starting Watching You by Lisa Jewell for a group read. OMG I am so excited about this! The problem is I just had too much going on in my personal life, and I committed to a couple (let's say 6) blog tours, which I am not used to doing and well......I got behind...Although I probably look like this...but yes I am fine.......really...

So Drew over at the Tattooed Book Geek  really brought up some interesting points this week about the pressures of book blogging. Which I want to say what pressure? This is fun! It is a hobby. Well, it is but I think most if not all of us feel a little pressure especially when we get behind. So I am off to catch up on my reading especially Watching You! This is how I think myself and my Traveling Sisters will feel after this weekend!

Can't wait to see what this book is about. My first Lisa Jewell book and I have been looking forward to it!

Too Close By Natalie Daniels

For fans of THE GIRLFRIEND and THE WIFE BETWEEN US, TOO CLOSE is a twisting tale of friendship and betrayal. How close is too close? Connie and Ness met in the park while their children played. As they talked, they realised they were neighbours. Perhaps it was only natural that they and their families would become entirely inseparable. But when Ness’s marriage ends in a bitter divorce, she is suddenly at Connie’s house all the time. Connie doesn’t have a moment to herself, no time alone with her husband, not a second to chat to her kids. It’s all too much. Something has to give. Connie has woken up in a psychiatric hospital. They say she committed a terrible crime but she says she can’t remember a thing. 

* Paperback: 320 pages
* Publisher: Corgi (7 Mar. 2019)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0552176125
* ISBN-13: 978-0552176125

Get your copy now!

Amazon U.S.

Amazon UK


My thoughts 

Just imagine this. You wake up in a psychiatric facility (and it is not a posh star rehab one, mind you). You have no idea why you are there. You look in the mirror and you are shocked at your appearance. You have bald spots where your hair has been torn from your head, scars all over your body and your frame is nothing more than skeletal. How did you get in this state? You can't figure out why your family doesn't visit you and the staff members stare at you with a type of fascination as if looking at a monster. You know you did something bad, but what exactly? You have been coined the Yummy Monster so it must be quite remarkable. 

Wow, this book is a page turner! Connie has no idea how she ended up in this psychiatric facility, or does she? Is she just leading everyone to believe that she does not recall what lead up to her being sent there against her own will? Does everyone have a breaking point? A point where they mentally are not able to take on any more and eventually they just break? Even driving them to unthinkable behaviors? You hear it everyday from people around the individuals that make the news for the horrible actions they have taken. Often people say they never saw it coming. Is that true or did they just miss the signs? This book will make you question all of that!

We are allowed to travel along with Connie's innermost thoughts as she reveals more and more what has landed her here. With the help of her psychologist Emma Robinson and her own daughter's diary, pieces of this puzzle are filled in. I literally could not wait to find out what Connie had done.

I sat on the edge of my seat waiting for the truth to be revealed as I had no idea what to think. This is one of those books that will stay in your head and you will find yourself thinking about it well after you have finished it. For a fantastic page turner that you won't want to put down until you devour the whole thing, you need to get your hands on Too Close!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Natalie Daniels is the pseudonym for screenwriter, author and actress Clara Salaman who you may recognise as DS Claire Stanton from The Bill. She lives in London and in Northern Spain Twitter @natdaniels2018

 

 

Can't Wait Wednesday

Happy Wednesday everyone! Yes it is only Wednesday. This Wednesday has me feeling like this........

Not really, but it is tempting. Anyways, it is time for a little Can't Wait Wednesday!This is a meme hosted by Wishful Endings.  My Traveling Sisters and I share with you what upcoming group reads we really just can't wait for. Please pop over to Norma & Brenda at Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee and Christina over at Recipe and a Read and see what they have to say!


This week we are going to focus on The Lies We Told by Camilla Way. So I did not request this book as an ARC because, well I was trying to cut back on the old TBR pile.

 I know right?! What was I thinking? Then all the good reviews started coming in and Brenda scheduled a group read....this was me on Amazon on Monday ordering my copy of The Lies We Told, among other various books.....

I hear this one has a bunch of twists and turns in it. I am so glad I have a group of fantastic book friends to discuss this one with! Looking forward to this group read so much! Who has read this one?


Goodreads Summary

 

The highly acclaimed author of Watching Edie returns with a new novel of dark psychological suspense that explores how those closest to us have the most to hide...

When Clara's boyfriend, Luke, disappears, everyone believes that he's left her, but Clara thinks she knows the truth. Recent evidence suggests that Luke had a stalker, and Clara worries that he's been kidnapped. Then Luke's older sister, Emily, who vanished twenty years ago, suddenly reappears.

Emily wants to help Clara with her search for Luke, but she refuses to talk about what happened--even though it nearly destroyed her family when she vanished. And the deeper Clara digs into Luke's mysterious disappearance, the more convinced she is that the two incidents are connected.

Sneak Peek Sunday

Happy Sunday everyone! Oops! Just kidding...I missed my Sunday post! Usually myself and my Traveling Sisters share with you a book that we are excited about reading in our upcoming group reads organized by Brenda & Norma. This week, well life happened. We all had some type of commitment that prevented us from posting on Sunday.  Please pop over to Brenda and Norma over at Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee and Christina at Recipe and a Read and see what they have to say. You bloggers know.....it just happens...See my excuse below...

 

Okay...not true! I actually had a family crisis, have been sick and then the wonderful world of work got in the way. Better late then never! So the book I am really excited to read with my Traveling Sisters is Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. Can I tell you how excited I am at the mere thought of reading this book? I might look something like this.....

Really though...this is one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I have read and own all her other books and I have been waiting patiently to get my hands on a copy. I am really excited that we are going to be doing a group read together the early part of December! Meanwhile, this is probably how I appear to the neighbors as I stalk the amazon truck driver......I hope Nine Perfect Strangers gets here soon!

If you have not already read Moriarty's previous books, what are you waiting for?? Check out Nine Perfect Strangers below.........who has read this one? I would love to hear what you think!

Goodreads summary


 
 

Could ten days at a health resort really change you forever? In Liane Moriarty’s latest page-turner, nine perfect strangers are about to find out...

Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.

Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person that intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer – or should she run while she still can?

It’s not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking exactly the same question.

Combining all of the hallmarks that have made her writing a go-to for anyone looking for wickedly smart, page-turning fiction that will make you laugh and gasp, Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers once again shows why she is a master of her craft. 

Daisy In Chains by Sharon Bolton

No surprise here, Sharon Bolton has done it again! I declared myself a fan after reading The Craftsman a couple of months ago and could barely wait to get my hands on Daisy In Chains. She did not disappoint!

 I read this book as a group read with my Traveling Sisters. We checked in at the half way point and shared our "predictions" of what was actual happening in the book. Let's just say looking back, I was pretty clueless! Bolton had me hook, line and sinker all the way until the end.

What a fantastic and intriguing premise. Hamish Wolfe is a well respected surgeon who gets arrested and convicted of the murder of several girls. All the victims have one thing in common, they are plus size, larger frame girls. Hamish insists that he is innocent of said crimes. He also demands that he must have Maggie Rose represent him. Why Maggie? Maggie is known for getting killers out of jail with her fantastic detective skills. She is a lawyer, a real crime writer and she knows exactly how to find a loophole if there is one.

This book is totally disturbing on so many levels. Just what I expected from Bolton! That is why I like her writing. Women are drawn to the killer Hamish like bees to honey. They swoon over his good looks, even though he is a convicted killer. He is said to be charming, but is that how he got to his victims or is he really as innocent as he says? Is Maggie going to take his case? Is he going to charm her too? I found myself questioning everything all the way to the end.

Falling Behind Friday

Hi my peeps! Happy Friday!! On Fridays my Traveling Sisters and I share with you a book that we have, well let's say dropped the ball on. It doesn't mean we don't want to read it, but there is only so many hours in the day. This week we all have a different book that we are trying to fit in. Check out what Brenda and Norma over at Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee and Christina at Recipe and a Read have to say about their books. My book is An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena.

Ok dude, me too. I am not sure how this happened. I love Shari Lapena books! I have read both The Couple Next Door and The Stranger in the House. I loved them both. In my defense, I did download it from Edelweiss after the publication date.........so there is that.......

 

Yes me too Sonja, although I feel my walk of shame might be for a different reason than yours.....
Although, I feel this is the perfect time to read this book. Winter is upon us and the book is set in the dead of winter at a Inn. That gorgeous cover screams, read me in December! See below for the perfect view while reading this book!

Except I live in Florida.....Oh well I will just leave this up on my computer while I read it! Anyways, I can't wait to dig into this one. It has been on the back burner much too long. I would love to hear what you thought if you have read it. Check out the Goodreads summary below if you have not. It is sure to be a winner!


Goodreads Summary

A remote lodge in upstate New York is the perfect getaway. . . until the bodies start piling up.It's winter in the Catskills and the weather outside is frightful. But Mitchell's Inn is so delightful! The cozy lodge nestled deep in the woods is perfect for a relaxing--maybe even romantic--weekend away. The Inn boasts spacious old rooms with huge wood-burning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a book and someone you love. So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity--and all contact with the outside world--the guests settle in for the long haul. The power's down but they've got candles, blankets, and wood--a genuine rustic experience! Soon, though, a body turns up--surely an accident. When a second body appears, they start to panic. Then they find a third body. Within the snowed-in paradise, something--or someone--is picking off the guests one by one. They can't leave, and with no cell service, there's no prospect of getting the police in until the weather loosens its icy grip. The weekend getaway has turned deadly. For some couples, it's their first time away. For others, it will be their last. And there's nothing they can do about it but huddle down and hope they can survive the storm.

Unravleing Oliver by Liz Nugent

Wow! Where to begin?! I  loved this book! Holy flipping crap! ALL the stars for Oliver!  I went into this thinking of course I would like it, since it is Liz Nugent and she did blow me away with Lying in Wait. Dare I say I liked Unraveling Oliver even better than Lying in Wait?! I did!! I read this with a group of Traveling Sisters/Traveling Friends. So far everyone loved it. I mean, what is not to love?! I am so glad we read this together because I literally had to "freak out" a couple of times.

Okay, I am going to try to keep the fangirling under control here, because I just am loving Nugent's writing style. This book has a gritty, sarcastic undertone that is quite hilarious. Mind you, the situation is not funny but my god I laughed out loud so many times with the one liners. I work in the Emergency Room as a nurse and admittedly we tend to have a "dark humor." This  defiantly has a tinge of dark humor to it and maybe that is why I can't get enough of these wonderful witty lines.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a humorous book by no means. Oliver Ryan is a troubled and violent human being. There is no secret made of that as the book opens with him beating his wife into a coma. " I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her." Yep that is quite the opening line, is it not? If you read Lying in Wait you know how gripping her books are right from the start.

This book has the perfect title. You will understand once you start getting into the book. Each chapter is told from a different person's POV and each chapter reveals more to what is the foundation of Oliver's personality. What makes him tick and why he is the way he is. Make no mistake here, I am not defending his behavior, which was twisted and horrible to the core. I must say a small part of me did understand how he turned out the way he did.

I am going to leave it at that and let you read this for yourself. Hands down in my top 5 of the year for books. Lying in Wait also. Now......let me get my hands on Skin Deep!! Not out in the US yet so I may have to put in a UK order! I can not wait!

The Orchid Girls by Lesley Sanderson

What is your life was built on lies? You had to worry every day about your secrets being revealed. Is it possible to escape your past and never look back? Or will your past come back to haunt you no matter how hard you try to hide it?

I loved this debut novel by Lesley Sanderson! She knocked it out of the park. She managed to create a suspense filled read that had me captivated the entire time. Three 14 year old girls hanging out together. What could go wrong? Plenty can go wrong....

The blurb for this book sums it up perfectly. Three girls deemed The Orchid Girls by the media. One is dead, one is a liar and one is in love.  Were the remaining Orchid Girls the last to see the dead girl? Even if they were, does it necessarily  mean they know anything about it?

Fueled by jealously, lust and lies this is one suspense filled read. I flew through the chapters at the edge of my seat wondering when we would learn who really was lying. Someone must know what happened that day. The question is did the Orchid Girls really know the answer?

 The majority of the story we got to see it through Molly and Grace's eyes in chapters from the present day highlighting their point of view. Each girl took a totally different path in life. It was intriguing to see how each chose to deal with their troubled past. We also got a glimpse into all three of the girls past from diary entries filled with their thoughts and feelings. Were these three girls really as close as the media and public thought? Were they capable of killing someone? I was not really sure who to root for, I struggled to decipher the truth from the lies. So many secrets, all revealed in good time.

What a fantastic debut! I am excited to see what this author has in store for us next!

The Orchid Girls is out now. Get your copy! What are you waiting for?!

About the Author 
 

Lesley spends her days writing in coffee shops in Kings Cross where she lives and also works as a librarian in a multicultural school. She loves the atmosphere and eclectic mix of people in the area. She has lived and worked in Paris and speaks four languages.

She attended the Curtis Brown Creative novel writing course in 2015/6, and in 2017 was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish fiction prize.

Lesley discovered Patricia Highsmith as a teenager and has since been hooked on psychological thrillers. She is particularly interested in the psychology of female relationships.

Lesley is represented by Hayley Steed at the Madeleine Milburn agency.

The Orchid Girls is her first psychological thriller

Can't Wait Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!! Of course that means it is time for another Can't Wait Wednesday. This is a meme hosted by Wishful Endings which is based on Waiting on Wednesday hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. On Wednesdays I share with you what myself and my Traveling Sisters are excited about reading together next. This week it is Watching You by Lisa Jewell. Please pop on over to see what Norma & Brenda at Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee and Christina at Recipe and a Read have to say!

 Well okay Karen, I will tell you anyway. I have to admit I have never read a Lisa Jewell book. I know, it is crazy right? I have no idea why. I just have not gotten around to it. Even though I do have a copy of  I Found You in my bookcase. You know, a book I actually bought and still have not read. 

I know Sheldon, you are so right! So I instantly tried to land myself a copy upon hearing The Traveling Sisters were planning to read it together later this month. I am so excited to say I will be able to read along as I was approved for a advanced copy of Watching You! I am ready to get this Sister read started!

It is getting amazing reviews so far. I can't wait to see what all the buzz is about. Check out Goodreads and see if you are not tempted too! This looks like my kind of book. Has anyone read this one yet?


Goodreads Summary

 Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighbourhoods in Bristol, England; home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics. It’s not the sort of place where people are brutally murdered in their own kitchens. But it is the sort of place where everyone has a secret. And everyone is watching you.

As the headmaster credited with turning around the local school, Tom Fitzwilliam is beloved by one and all—including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with this thoroughly charming yet unavailable man. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenaged son Freddie—a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5—excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father.

One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. For one thing, he has taken a particular liking to her best friend and fellow classmate, and Jenna’s mother—whose mental health has admittedly been deteriorating in recent years—is convinced that Mr. Fitzwilliam is stalking her.

Meanwhile, twenty years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam…

Secrets Between Us by Valerie Keogh

Tia and Ellie have had a challenging life. They lost their mother during childbirth and their father died when they were 15 years old. You would think they would be close because they are all that each other had, but think again. After the death of their father, Tia was sent to a special needs school and Ellie to a boarding school. Ellie moved on and went to college, got married, while Tia stayed at her special needs school, for 15 years. Ellie did not visit her, for 15 years!!What?!

One would think that Tia would be hurt that her sister did not visit her, not even once. That does not appear to be the case, in fact she appears oblivious to this fact. I mean Ellie did write to her every single week. She divulged her innermost feelings about her life. She included strict instructions for Tia to burn the letters, she knew that Tia always did as she was instructed. With little notice the school was shut down and Tia had no place to call home.....unless she were to move in with Ellie and her husband. Then things got a little crazy to put it mildly.

WOW, just flipping wow. This book takes family dysfunction to a whole different level. I literally could not believe what I was reading at times, it was so shocking. I kept thinking, no we are not going to go there and yep we sure went there! This is an absolute enthralling read that I could not put down. I could not wait to get to the end to see how this panned out. It was like a bad train wreck that I could not look away from, even if it was just horrible, twisted and oh so wrong. This book is sinister to the core! I must say I loved it!

Falling Behind Friday

Hi my peeps! Happy Friday!! This means it is time again for the walk of shame in our meme Falling Behind Friday. My Traveling Sisters and I started calling it this as a joke because we just can't get caught up and well it stuck. I am sure you can all relate. Please pop over to see what Norma & Brenda at Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee and Christina at Recipe and a Read have to say about this! For now I am going to hide in my box of shame.....

 

So let's establish that falling behind is NOT because I don't want to read it. In fact, I really want to read this book. It sounds absolutely fantastic and my kind of psychological thriller...The Winters by Lisa Gabriele.

Okay Rachael just simmer down. I know it is hard to believe that I have not read this book that I have been dying to read. In my defense I did just get a copy a couple of days before it's publication date...So I was chatting with my Traveling Sister Brenda from Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee and she admitted that she too was behind on this one. She then suggested we read it as a Traveling Sisters read with a group of us. See my answer below.....

Have you read The Winters yet? It looks like one fantastic read! Check out the Goodreads summary...

 

Goodreads Summary
 “From the brilliant first line to the shattering conclusion, The Winters will draw you in and leave you breathless. . . . A must read.” —Liv Constantine, author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

Inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, a spellbindingly suspenseful novel set in the moneyed world of the Hamptons, about secrets that refuse to remain buried and consequences that can’t be escaped

After a whirlwind romance, a young woman returns to the opulent, secluded Long Island mansion of her new fiancé Max Winter—a wealthy politician and recent widower—and a life of luxury she’s never known. But all is not as it appears at the Asherley estate. The house is steeped in the memory of Max’s beautiful first wife Rebekah, who haunts the young woman’s imagination and feeds her uncertainties, while his very alive teenage daughter Dani makes her life a living hell. She soon realizes there is no clear place for her in this twisted little family: Max and Dani circle each other like cats, a dynamic that both repels and fascinates her, and he harbors political ambitions with which he will allow no woman—alive or dead—to interfere.

As the soon-to-be second Mrs. Winter grows more in love with Max, and more afraid of Dani, she is drawn deeper into the family’s dark secrets—the kind of secrets that could kill her, too. The Winters is a riveting story about what happens when a family’s ghosts resurface and threaten to upend everything

One Day in December by Josie Silver

 
This very well might be my biggest surprise read of the year. This little hidden gem was nowhere on my radar to read until my Traveling Sisters suggested it. Norma and Brenda from Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee had gotten their hands on some copies from the publisher for a group read. I said sure why not, it looks cute even though it is not my normal reading genre. WOW! I can't even express how much I loved this book. It is such a feel good book, you just genuinely feel good after reading it. This book had me from page one. Okay so you get the idea that I loved it.


Laurie did not have much going her way. She had a career that was at a standstill, no significant relationship except her roommate Sarah and yearned for her relationship with her sister that had passed away. Then she saw him...the guy from the window of the bus she was on. She named him bus boy and looked for him for the next year. She pined and yearned for bus boy. She believed he was her soul mate after she locked eyes with him. I wanted with all my heart for her to find her dear bus boy. Then she does....but does it pan out how Laurie hopes? Does he even remember her?


I don't read books that are not thrillers/suspense. Repeat I don't read them........until now! I can't wait to get my hands on another Josie Silver book. This author has an amazing writing style. I flew through this book and it wasn't because it was some mindless chick lit book, because it was not. The characters were well developed and I could completely relate with Laurie. She could be my BFF for sure. I can't recommend this book enough and I swear if you are hard core thriller/suspense readers and write this off because it is "not your type of book" you are missing out. Check out that gorgeous cover!


I can't thank Brenda and Norma with the Traveling Sisters and Crown Publishing Group enough for this for this copy. I LOVED it!

Can't Wait Wednesday

Ok people you know what time it is! Yes once again it is Wednesday. This week has just flown by! Can't Wait Wednesday is a meme hosted by Wishful Endings. Every week myself and my Traveling Sisters share with you the upcoming reads that we are really excited about doing together. Please pop over to see what Brenda and Norma at Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee and Christina at Recipe and a Read have to say! I know they are just as excited as I am about this one.

So I was working out at the gym when I got a message from my Traveling Sister Brenda. She was alerting me to the fact that The Suspect by Fiona Barton was available on Edelweiss. I had no choice but to leave the gym immediately! See below...that is me running home from the gym to download my copy... Out of my way people, I got to get on Edelweiss!

 

This is going to be my first book by Fiona Barton....do you think I would miss out on getting a copy of The Suspect?

You are right Heather Dubrow! I got mine too!! Whew! Now we can all read this as a Traveling Sister group read! I am so excited....as if you couldn't tell. Check out the Goodreads description and see if you feel the same. Has anyone read this one yet?

 

Goodreads Summary

 The New York Times bestselling author of The Widow returns with a brand new novel of twisting psychological suspense about every parent's worst nightmare...

When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight: desperate, bereft, and frantic with worry. What were the girls up to before they disappeared?

Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth--and this time is no exception. But she can't help but think of her own son, whom she hasn't seen in two years, since he left home to go travelling.

As the case of the missing girls unfolds, they will all find that even this far away, danger can lie closer to home than you might think...

The Perfect Family by Shalini Boland

 

 About the book

‘Mummy, she’s gone…’

Gemma Ballantine is getting ready for work one morning when her eldest child comes running down the stairs, saying the words every mother dreads.

The front door is open. And her six-year-old daughter has disappeared. Frantic with fear, Gemma starts a nail-biting search for her little girl.

After what feels like forever, her mother-in-law Diane finds Katie wandering lost a few streets away. Relieved to have her youngest child back in her arms, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, Gemma thinks the nightmare is over.

But then her perfect family starts to fall apart.

And she realises it’s only just beginning…

From the top ten bestselling author of The Secret Mother and The Child Next Door, this completely addictive psychological thriller of secrets, lies and betrayal will make you gasp out loud at the heart-stopping final twist. If you loved Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Sister this book is for you.

Get your copy here!

The Perfect Family by Shalini Boland

Amazon: http://geni.us/B07GCTKK7QSocial

Apple Books: http://ow.ly/MvBc30muRRQ

Kobo: http://ow.ly/h57T30muROH

Googleplay: http://ow.ly/mnAV30muRVC

My Review

 I am so excited to be on this blog blitz for Shalini Boland's latest book! She is a must read author for me. I can always count on her for a fantastic read that I can't put down. Thanks so much to Bookouture and Kim Nash for having me on this tour! 

Gemma Ballantine appears to have a picture perfect life.  She is a successful business owner, married to her wonderful handsome husband Robert.  Together they have two little girls, Eva and Katie. What more could you ask for? Except Gemma seems to be burning the candle at both ends and can't seem to keep up the pace any longer. 

Slowly things begin to fall apart making her question her ability to meet the needs of her family. Her 6 year old Katie is found wandering the streets, Gemma often misses school events, has no clean uniforms for the children, just to name a few of her struggles. Living in a posh suburban area where she is getting quite a bit of criticism for being a working mom, she begins to question if she is a bad mother. 

Then along comes Sadie Lewis, a highly recommended nanny. Her mother in law Diane even offers to pay her salary to help Gemma out. Unsure at first, Gemma is pleasantly surprised at how well Sadie fits in with her perfect little family. Except it is almost too perfect. Is the nanny trying to win over her kids, friends, mother in law and lastly her husband? Is Sadie trying to steal her life? It sure appears that way to Gemma. Or is Gemma just paranoid after hearing her friends say don't hire a pretty nanny you will be sorry? After finding Sadie's hair in her bed (yes, you heard me right)  I  also began to wonder. 

This is the perfect psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. I could feel the tension building as I was waiting for the truth to unfold. I felt myself wanting to scream, get rid of this nanny! What are you waiting for? I loved The Silent Sister so I had high expectations of Shalini Boland's latest and let me tell you she exceeded them! She knows how to write a twisted story that will leave your mouth hanging open. Oh that ending, you just wait for that ending! 

5 stars all the way!!! She had me hooked from the very first page!

About the author:

Shalini Boland is a USA Today bestselling author of psychological thrillers 'THE GIRL FROM THE SEA' (No 1, US Audible charts), 'THE BEST FRIEND' (No 2, US Audible charts), 'THE MILLIONAIRE'S WIFE' (No 9, UK Kindle charts), 'THE SECRET MOTHER' (No 2, US Kindle charts), THE CHILD NEXT DOOR (No 11, UK Kindle charts).

Shalini lives in Dorset, England with her husband, two children and their cheeky terrier cross. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing psychological thrillers (in between school runs and hanging out endless baskets of laundry).

Be the first to hear about her new releases here: http://eepurl.com/b4vb45

She is also the author of two bestselling Young Adult series as well as an atmospheric WWII novel with a time-travel twist.

 http://www.facebook.com/ShaliniBolandAuthor
http://www.shaliniboland.co.uk
https://twitter.com/ShaliniBoland

Sneak Peek Sunday

Happy Sunday my peeps!!! That means it is time again for Sneak Peek Sunday. This is where I give you a little Sneak Peek into what myself and my Traveling Sisters are looking forward to reading together. Go ahead and peek in and see what Brenda and Norma at Two Sisters Lost in A Coulee and Christina at Recipe and a Read think about our latest upcoming read together!  I know they are just as excited at I am to get their hands on My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren. Me  when I found out I got approved via NetGalley.......

Look I have said it before and I will say it again, this is not my normal jam. Meaning 99.9% of the time I pick suspense/thrillers to read and obviously this is not what this book is going to be. Every so often a book comes along that makes you want to shake things up a bit and go a little crazy. I kept hearing the buzz about it and then when I found out my Traveling Sisters were going to read it well.............time to get a little crazy and jump in too!

Believe or not, this is going to be my first Christina Lauren book! I am so excited to be reading this with my Traveling Sisters...I just have a feeling that this is going to be my review at the end of the book! See below...........

 Goodreads Summary

 

By the New York Times bestselling author who “hilariously depicts modern dating” (Us Weekly), My Favorite Half-Night Stand is a laugh-out-loud romp through online dating and its many, many fails.

Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship...but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.

Perfect for fans of Roxanne and She’s the Man, Christina Lauren’s latest romantic comedy is full of mistaken identities, hijinks, and a classic love story with a modern twist. Funny and fresh, you’ll want to swipe right on My Favorite Half-Night Stand.