My Month in Review

Whew! I was a busy little reader this January. I just can't believe how many off the charts, fantastic books I have read this month. A couple were not planned, just completely spontaneous reads that turned out to be simply fantastic!

 

The Suspect was my first book of the year. I found this to be a slow burn that increased with intensity. By the half way point, I could not put it down. This scenario was completely relatable and probably happens every day.  I read this with my Traveling Sisters as a group read. This was a 4 star read me.

 

 I needed this fun feel good read! I couldn't resist because I love Carol Wyer's previous books. I have only read her thrillers though. This woman can write no matter what genre she chooses. Loved it. 5 stars from me!

I have wanted to read this for so long! I finally got around to it and wow it was fantastic! I could not put it down. My first book I have read by Rona Halsall and I am SOLD. Sign me up for more! 5 fantastic stars!!

 

What the hell did I just read??? WOW. This was a spontaneous buddy read with my Traveling Sister Brenda. This is one crazy read. I don't even know what to say, just get a copy NOW.  5 stars!!

I liked it, but it was a little too "out there" for my taste. It still kept me glued to the pages but I had to give this a 3 star. I read this with a group of Traveling Sisters!

I really enjoyed this one. It kept me guessing until the end. I had no idea who was lying, I changed my mind about 10 times. I literally flew through this in a day. 4 stars!

Fan girl alert! I love Sheryl Browne's books! This is her best yet. Twisted, dark and pure evil. This book is off the charts good. LOVED IT!!! 5 stars

 

OMG so flipping funny! I picked this up on a whim and it was awesome! New blogger and new mommy = hilarious! This debut author does not hold back. I literally almost peed my pants it was that funny. 4 stars

 

 I was so excited to get this book mail! I have wanted to read this for months. In true Jane Corry fashion she had some twists and turns I did not see coming. I read this with my Traveling Sisters. 4 stars

Ummm who the heck is in Kimbers house? Super creepy and kept me guessing. This was another group read with my Traveling Sisters. It was a slow burn that picked up towards the end. 4 stars from me!

The Second Wife by Sheryl Browne

  

Wow! This book completely caught me off guard. I expected a well written suspense filled book, because that is what I expect from Sheryl Browne. I got that and much more! This book was so dark, twisted and pure evil. Yes thriller lovers this has all the right ingredients!

Just after reading the description I knew I would love it. Two best friends, one dies and the other one immediately steps right into her life. What??? Seriously?? How scandalous is that? Husband, house, dog and all! I kept thinking what the hell is Rebecca doing? Honestly does she not realize something is not right? I felt anxious the entire time wondering just how far Rebecca would take things. I was freaking out wondering what really happened to Nicole. Do we know the truth? Is there more to her story?

I was so bewildered as to the dynamics of the relationship of Richard and his daughter Olivia. It is great that he is supportive of her but wow, talk about spoiled little daddy's girl. I found myself confused and angry with just how protective he was with her.

I loved this book, it is my favorite book so far by this author. She took dark and evil to a new level with this one! I have to point out that I love this cover! Such a beauty. Of course in true fashion she tied this cover into the story. I swear this and the cover for The Affair are two of the most attractive covers out there!

Thanks so much to Sheryl Browne, Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC! 

The Suspect by Fiona Barton

What a great way to ring in the New Year! My first book of the year The Suspect was a win! I read this as a group read with my fellow Traveling Sisters. As a whole everyone really enjoyed it. Please check out their review @Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee.

This was a slow burn for me that increased with intensity which each page. I found that a little before the halfway point I could not put it down. I think one thing that made it so interesting was that you can easily imagine this whole scenario actually happening.

Two young girls go missing in Thailand after they embark on an adventure of a lifetime. Wanting to experience the world before tying themselves down to college. Alex and Rosie set off for a experience they should remember for a lifetime. Except things were not exactly going as planned. The girls lose contact with their parents, will they ever be heard from again?

I tell you what, if I had a child traveling in another country while reading this book, I would be having a bit of a breakdown right about now. It was so realistic, it drew me right in. There were several twists that caught me off guard and had me frantically trying to contact my fellow Traveling Sisters for a "freak out" moment.

This was my first Fiona Barton book and it was a winner for me! I found it to be a page turner and suspenseful right up until the end. I can see more of her books in my future for sure.

Thank you to Edelweiss, Fiona Barton and Berkley Books for this ARC.

From Mum with Love by Louise Emma Clarke

I usually am more of a thriller kind of girl. Lately though I have been trying to change it up and read some lighter, fun reads in between my thrillers. This book was exactly what I needed! Hilarious, adorable and witty really sum it up. I loved it.

This book really had something for everyone in it. You don't have to be a mom (or mum) to enjoy this. Quite frankly anyone would be highly entertained with the summaries of her day that Jessica wrote in her blog. I mean going to Tesco with baby poop on your forehead and not realizing it for hours? Yeah that is pretty funny. Jessica literally had me giggling at some of her antics. I say antics but come on you know it happens to everyone with kids.

The part I really enjoyed was that Jessica decided to become a new blogger. As a newer blogger myself I loved this part so much because I could easily relate. She went through the stages of asking herself if she should try blogging. It went something like this:

What me blog? Nooooo...I couldn't possibly do that. Or could I? Wait, maybe I can. Okay well I will write this out but I am sure nobody will read it. OMG I got likes! What? Holy crap someone shared this?!!!  You get the picture. I am sure most bloggers can relate.

This was a joy to read and I flew right through it. I defiantly wouldn't hesitate to read another book by this author. She made my day a little brighter with this adorable book!

Thank you so much to Louise Emma Clarke, Aria and Netgalley for this ARC. Publication day is February 5th!!

Sneak Peek Sunday

Happy Sunday peeps! It is time again for a little Sneak Peek Sunday. This is a meme created by my fellow Traveling Sisters Brenda and Norma over at Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee. On Sundays we give a sneak peek into a book that has not been published yet. This week it is The Hiding Place by C.J. Tudor. Please pop over to see what my fellow Traveling Sisters Brenda and Norma at
Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee and Christina at Recipe and a Read have to say about this one!

We read this as a group read a couple of weeks ago. I plan on publishing my full review on publication day which is February 5th!  I thought this was a very well written book. The details were amazing and made me feel as if I were right there in the story. I thought it was very creative and I actually felt like I was reading a Stephen King book. Which of course is a great compliment to the author as King is so well respected and loved. There were many creepy parts....and some might involve a great deal of bugs..........

 Just say you have been warned............

With that being said, I did enjoy the book but I did find myself struggling with parts of the book. Specifically there was some supernatural elements that had me scratching my head as I was a bit lost. I actually think it is a bit of "it's me not you" with this because I just struggle with supernatural and science fiction and those type of books. So if you are a fan of horror or specifically Stephen King, I am pretty sure you will enjoy this one!

Thanks to my fellow Traveling Sisters for reading this with me!!

Goodreads summary

The thrilling second novel from the author of The Chalk Man, about a teacher with a hidden agenda who returns to settle scores at a school he once attended, only to uncover a darker secret than he could have imagined.

Joe never wanted to come back to Arnhill. After the way things ended with his old gang--the betrayal, the suicide, the murder--and after what happened when his sister went missing, the last thing he wanted to do was return to his hometown. But Joe doesn't have a choice. Because judging by what was done to that poor Morton kid, what happened all those years ago to Joe's sister is happening again. And only Joe knows who is really at fault.

Lying his way into a teaching job at his former high school is the easy part. Facing off with former friends who are none too happy to have him back in town--while avoiding the enemies he's made in the years since--is tougher. But the hardest part of all will be returning to that abandoned mine where it all went wrong and his life changed forever, and finally confronting the shocking, horrifying truth about Arnhill, his sister, and himself. Because for Joe, the worst moment of his life wasn't the day his sister went missing.

It was the day she came back.

With the same virtuosic command of character and pacing she displayed in The Chalk Man, CJ Tudor has once again crafted an extraordinary novel that brilliantly blends harrowing psychological suspense, a devilishly puzzling mystery, and enough shocks and thrills to satisfy even the most seasoned reader. 

The Perfect Liar by Thomas Christopher Greene

Now this folks is a psychological thriller. The Perfect Liar is quite frankly the perfect title because I didn't  know who was lying and what they were lying about. I had it figured out about four different times and then well, I was wrong. I was in the dark all the way until the end. Which is my kind of book!

Susannah and Max seemed to have it all.  The perfect family, marriage, careers. Or was it all a facade? It is amazing how someone can create a persona for the public and yet they are entirely a different person in their private life. Secrets, murder and weird twisted stuff fill the pages of this page turner.

 I flew through this in less than 24 hours, it was hard to put down. This was one wicked couple. You won't know who to trust, they each have their own kind of crazy going on.

 For a quick, twisted suspense filled read, I recommend you pick up a copy. Happy pub day to The Perfect Liar which is out today!


Many thanks to Thomas Christopher Greene, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my ARC!

What happens in France by Carol Wyer

 What a fun, feel good book this is! Okay I usually don't read much other than thriller/suspense books, hence the name of my blog. I love Carol Wyer's books and I have only read her writing "my type of books." I saw this and couldn't resist it! First of all, it is Carol Wyer and also it just sounded like it would be fun! I mean who doesn't love a stinking cute pug in a beret!!! Love this cover!!!

Bryony Masters is searching for her sister that she has not seen in 30 years. Her sister fled their home at the tender age of 16 and Bryony feels responsible. Bryony's father recently had a stroke and this has prompted her to find her sister before it is too late. Except she has no idea what has happened to Hannah, is she even still alive? She launches a plan to get on a game show that has 4 million viewers, to hopefully reach Hannah or someone that knows what happened to her.

Along the way she befriends a wonderful, witty, fun guy that seems to be her soulmate. They are like two peas in a pod and I wanted them to be together so badly. Sadly we found out quite early on that Bryony was "not his type." As a mutual friend told her that he just broke up with his boyfriend Maxwell. Sigh.....I was so heartbroken as I thought they would be adorable together.......

I highly advise reading Carol's acknowledgments, it is a wealth of information and shows you how much thought was put into the research of this book. Even though this was a fun, feel good read, it has some very personal and serious things behind the inspiration of this book. Thank you Ms. Wyer for another fantastic book!

Thanks so much to Carol Wyer, Canelo publishing and Netgalley for this ARC!

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Believe the hype! This book is a must read! I am not sure how I had not heard about this book until a couple of days ago. How is that possible with all the buzz surrounding it? The reviews are off the charts and well deserved I must say. I did a buddy read with Brenda at Two Sisters Lost In a Coulee. This was a total unplanned buddy read and we flew through this together. Please check out what Brenda had to say @ twosisterslostinacoulee. We both loved it!

So I was minding my own business and surfing around on Twitter and I saw Sue's review of Verity  @ sue31didit. That was all it took I was sold. I had to have this book now. I dropped everything, downloaded it and started reading. Yes her review is that good, check it out. Wow the first chapter is so graphic, shocking and intense! I immediately texted Brenda at Two Sisters Lost In a Coulee and said please do a buddy read with me. Mind you it was about 11:30 pm. Well she dropped everything and here we are. WOW!!! What a way to kick off the new reading year!

First I wondered what the heck is a Verity when I saw the title. Then I figured out Verity was going to be one of our main characters and she is something else. If you did not know, the definition of her name is "the quality or state of being truthful or honest." Hmm well that certainly is interesting. The whole book I was shocked, repulsed and quite frankly scared of her. She is an intimidating woman.

I really feel I can't say much more than this because I don't want to give anything away. Just know, seriously drop what you are doing and read this book!! If anything I dare you to read the first chapter and then try to put this book down. It is so intense and unique it is going to drag you right in and you are going to want more!

Love You Gone by Rona Halsall

I loved this book from the very first page! I have had my eye on this book for quite some time. I initially passed  up requesting the ARC because I wanted to try to get control of my TBR pile. Well I quickly realized my mistake as the fantastic raving reviews started rolling in. So I had no choice but to grab myself a copy and hot damn it is everything I thought it would be and more!

Imagine arranging to meet your husband and two children at an agreed upon holiday getaway. You are so bogged down with work so they agree to meet you there as they get a head start on the fun. You arrive to the cabin and they are not there. They have every light on and clearly have been there the past couple of days but where are they? The car is in the drive and a note states they went for a hike. You wait and wait and they never come back.

Mel experienced that heart breaking scenario and the search is on for her husband Luke and the children. I could feel her devastation or was it something else? Was she really so desperate to find them or is she scared her secrets were about to be revealed?

Talk about skeletons in your closet! This family has some secrets they are holding close. I could not put this down. Literally if I was forced to put it down, I found my thoughts returning to Mel and her family.

This was my first book by Rona Halsall and I absolutely loved her writing style. It  flowed with such ease. I never felt a slow or dragged out period in this book. It is not a slow burn at all. I loved her choice of short chapters and I flew right through it. I can not wait to read her other novel Keep You Safe! Definitely add me to her fan list!

Doesn't Bookouture have the most stunning covers?! What a beauty this one is!

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Quite possibly one of the most unique story lines for a psychological thriller! I thought they had all been used at least once and then some. Not this one, this is like none other that I have read. It had me pondering how the heck did the authors come up with this? Brilliant, unique and twisted could all be used to describe this book. I read this as a group read with my fellow Traveling Sisters and it was quite the hit.

Jessica is a struggling make up artist that decides to sign up for a psychological study at the local university. The study is run by Dr. Shields a respected instructor at the university, what could go wrong? Let's just say things got really weird........

Wow! this book took unethical to a different level. The nurse in me kept screaming OMG what are you doing Dr. Shields?! Why is Jessica going along with this? This book begs to question the age old question of ethics, human nature and what people will do. How far are people willing to go when being pushed? If you are looking for a twisted, crazy book that you can't put down, this is it!

Thank you so much to Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC! 

Sneak Peek Sunday

Happy Sunday everyone! It is time for a little Sneak Peek Sunday. This is a meme that was created by Brenda and Norma  over at Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee. Myself, Christina, Brenda and Norma get together on Sundays and share what books we are excited about that have not been published yet. This week we are going to feature The Suspect by Fiona Barton.

 Please pop on over to Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee and Recipe and a Read and see what my Traveling Sisters have to say about this one. Our full reviews will be posted on publication date. Right now we will give you our sneak peek of what we thought since we just finished our group read of this one. I had heard so many great things about it. Well..........see below...this is what I thought....

Yes!! It was a winner in my book! The Suspect increased with intensity for me with each flip of the page. I think the one thing that really made this book so appealing was that it was so realistic. This really could happen.

It did last! It was a suspense filled packed nail bitter all the way to the end for me! I am so glad that I read this with my fellow Traveling Sisters because more than one time I had to have a slight "freak out" while reading this.

Yes Janice I did quite a bit of that. Thank goodness the volume is not on for this GIF! Anyways, I highly recommend The Suspect and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Full review to come on publication date January 22nd!

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 Diary by Vikki Patis

Secrets, secrets and more secrets! This book is packed full of surprises. Vikki Patis does a fantastic job of capturing teenager drama that goes terribly wrong.

Is it possible to run away from your past or is it going to resurface to haunt you no matter how long it has been? Lauren is soon to find out the answer to that as she returns to her small home town. This is a fantastic debut psychological thriller that addresses some  serious issues. We are allowed into the past and the present with alternating chapters helping us fill in the gaps of what had happened all those years ago.

Even though this is a slow burn for me, it kept me interested the entire time. I found it to be a very realistic portrayal of issues that teenagers face each day. The mean girl drama, suicide, trying to fit in, gossip and secrets spread that can destroy lives. Underage drinking, parties and much more. As adults these girls are trying to come to terms with their past and things they have done. Can someone really change?

This book hooked me from the start and kept me intrigued the entire way. So excited she has a new book coming out March 8th! Count me in for that one!