It's Always the Husband by Michele Campbell

  
As soon as I saw this title I knew I needed to get my hands on this. As a major thriller lover it does seem like it is always the husband, or quite often, so this title made me smile. Plus I loved Michele Campbell's last book that I read She was the Quiet One. So I had high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint!

Three girls that become thick as thieves during their college days and not because they are study buddies. These girls rule the campus of a prestigious college due to Kate's family connections that result in the rules not applying to them. Kate comes from "old money" and can get them out of any bind they get into, well almost anything...

 The first half of this book gave us a lot of background and development of the characters. I felt I knew Kate, Jenny and Aubrey whom were unlikely friends. The swore to stay loyal to each other no matter what happened. So this intriguing title alerted me to the fact that indeed at some point there would be a "husband" and quite likely someone would meet an unsavory fate, but who??? I racked my brain the first half trying to figure out who was going to end up marrying each other. A suspicious death occurs during their college years so I crossed that person off my list!

As they crossed over from college to adulthood the book really picked up the suspense. All the girls took directions that I did not expect and whoa the guys that ended up being the "husbands" really took my by surprise.

The twists keep coming and then we have a bombshell...I started putting past and present together and my mind was spinning with all the possible suspects. I must have changed my mind about five times of who could be behind all this. There are so many very unlikable characters but I love that! It makes it just the more interesting to me. This book kept me flipping the pages searching for answers until the very end!

Thank you so much to Michele Campbell, St. Martin's Press and Jordan Hanley for this copy to read and review. I loved it!

The Dare by Carol Wyer

Jane’s daughter is a good girl. But what is she hiding?

When thirteen-year-old Savannah Hopkins doesn’t come straight home from school as she always does, her mother Jane immediately raises the alarm. With her blonde ponytail and red school jumper, someone must have spotted Savannah.

Detective Natalie Ward is determined to help the distraught mother – her own daughter is the same age as Savannah. But before Natalie and her team can get started, their worst fears are confirmed when the teenager’s broken body is found in nearby shrubland.

Evidence points towards a local recluse, but just as Natalie closes the net around him, one of Savannah’s friends, Harriet, is reported missing. Harriet might look grown up and sophisticated but she is only fourteen…

As Natalie delves into the lives of both girls, she soon discovers a sinister video on both their phones, daring the girls to disappear from their families for 48 hours. She’s sure this is the key to the case, but before she can act, Harriet’s body is found discarded on a roadside. 

Natalie’s superiors don’t have to put any extra pressure on Natalie. Devastated, she and her team work without sleep, watching that video over and over. But just as she thinks they’re getting close, the person Natalie loves more than anything goes missing.

Natalie is no stranger to loss. She is terrified and the clock is ticking. Can she push through her fear to catch this depraved killer, before her loved one becomes the next victim?

This gripping rollercoaster of a read will have you up in the small hours turning the pages. Fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Caine and Robert Dugoni will love The Dare. 

The Dare by Carol Wyer (Book 3 Detective Natalie Ward crime thriller series)

AMZ: https://geni.us/B07N3WYYLDSocial

 My Thoughts

BOOM!!!! Carol Wyer does it again! I can't even express how much I love the Detective Natalie Ward series. I have been anxiously awaiting the third book in this series from the second I finished the last one. I swear this series just gets better with each book.

 You have all heard of the social media challenges that teenagers are taking part of. Have you heard of The Dare? Hang on to your hats people because this one will have you reeling. Teenage girls are going missing shortly after talking about the challenge. Some will never come back, soon to be found by Natalie and her team.

OMG! We get a glimpse into the killers mind as he stalks his next victim. As he waits for school to let out at 3:30 so he can watch the kids. This made my skin crawl. What the flip am I reading? Wait until you hear how they met their fate. I shuddered as I read the details of how the killer planned his kills. I can reveal no more as I want you to be as shocked as I was.

I am not a big fan of detective series but I simply can't get enough of this series. Carol Wyer can't write fast enough for me! The characters are so well developed in this series  that I feel like I know Natalie and her team personally. Hey Nat! Seriously though Natalie has a great story going on in her home life and Ms. Wyer left us with a bit of a cliff hanger. Dare I say we will see another book coming soon? I sure hope so!! #TeamNatalie! I highly suggest you get your hands on The Dare!

I loved this book and I hope you do too! Thanks so much to Carol Wyer and Bookouture for this ARC that was simply fantastic!

Carol Wyer is an award-winning author and stand up comedian who writes feel-good comedies and gripping thrillers.

Her book, GRUMPY OLD MENOPAUSE won The People's Book Prize Award for non-fiction 2015.

Carol moved to the ‘dark side’ in 2017 with as series of thrillers. LITTLE GIRL LOST became the #2 best-selling book on Amazon, #9 best-selling audiobook on Audible and a Top 150 USA Today best-seller.

The DI Robyn Carter and DI Natalie Ward series have sold over half a million copies, earning her acclaim as a crime writer.

Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ''Irritable Male Syndrome' and 'Ageing Disgracefully' and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines 'Woman's Weekly' featured in 'Take A Break', 'Choice', 'Yours' and 'Woman's Own' magazines and the Huffington Post.

To learn more about Carol, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk or follow Carol on Twitter: @carolewyer. 
Carol also blogs at www.carolwyer.com

Bridesmaids by Zara Stoneley

Meet Rachel, the beautiful bride with BIG plans for the perfect day! The venue is a castle and the 
dress is designer.  It’s just a shame her husband is a rat.

Maddie and Sally have only one thing in common – they both love the same man!
 
Beth is a newly single mum with a mystery baby daddy.  Surely the father isn’t someone the girls all
know?
 
And then there’s Jane, the glue holding them all together, but being dumped doesn’t make her the
happiest bridesmaid…especially with gorgeous flatmate Freddie complicating things.

Will the bride say, ‘I Do!’?  Or will her bridesmaids save the day…and find love along the way?    

The most hilarious, feel-good rom com of the year!

Purchase Links: Amazon  iBooks  Waterstones and other good retailers  

My Thoughts

What do you think would happen if you got a group of girls together from high school to be your bridesmaids? Girls that have not seen each other in years. That may technically be a bit of frenemies? You guessed it, you get an entertaining read that will have you literally laughing out loud!

Jane has been a bit down on her luck lately. She just got dumped the night of her hen party by her fiancee Andy via text! He just wasn't feeling it. She struggles to find a flat she can afford on  her own and finds that is going to be next to impossible. So she ends up moving in with the self proclaimed geek from high school Freddie. Except Freddie is no longer a geek. Unfortunately for Jane he is in love with some mystery girl. Her boss is literally a nightmare who thinks Jane is at her beck and call. Just when it couldn't get worse, her best friend Rachael springs it on her that she is getting married and wants Jane to be a bridesmaid! Add to the equation that Jane despises Rachael's soon to be husband!

Oh my gosh this had me gasping at the crazy antics these girls were capable of. The lies, deceit and secrets kept among themselves was shocking. It was like high school all over again! As the big day nears Jane is struggling to keep it together. These other bridesmaids put the D in drama! As Rachael's BFF Jane is expected to rein them all in and keep the peace.

Does the perfect wedding go off without a hitch? Did the girls manage to come together to make it a perfect day for Rachael? A delightful rom com that will have you smiling and laughing until the very end! Adorable, fun and zany! You are sure to love this one!

I am so excited that I got to come along on this blog tour! This is my first book by Zara Stoneley and you can sign me up as a fan. Her light, fun, quick and hilarious book brought a smile to my face. 

Thank  you so much to Rachel and Zara Stoneley for having me along on this fantastic blog tour! 

Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Date.

Born in a small village in the UK, she wanted to be a female James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew 
up. After many (many) years, and many different jobs, her dream of writing a bestseller came true. 

She writes about friendship, dreams, love, and happy ever afters, and hopes that her tales make you laugh
alot, cry a little, and occasionally say 'ahhh'.

Zara now lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy
(and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.

Zara’s bestselling novels include 'No One Cancels Christmas', 'The Wedding Date', 'The Holiday Swap',
'Summer with the Country Village Vet', 'Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage' and the popular Tippermere 
series - 'Stable Mates', 'Country Affairs' and 'Country Rivals'.

Where you can find her-

Website: http://www.zarastoneley.com
Twitter: @ZaraStoneley
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ZaraStoneley

Instagram: zarastoneley

The Missing Years by Lexie Elliott

 I have been waiting to read The Missing Years literally from the second I heard it was coming out. I loved The French Girl and I couldn't wait to read Lexie Elliot's next one. So imagine how excited I was to get my hands on this advanced copy!

This creepy mysterious story revolves around Ailsa Calder and her grand but perhaps haunted Scottish manor that she inherited. The manor which is referred to as The Manse has been left to Ailsa and her father Martin Calder. The problem is Martin has not been seen in 27 years!

As Ailsa returns to her once childhood home The Manse, she has to deal with the disturbing questions that have torn her apart for years. Did her father abandon her family 27 years ago or did something far more sinister happen to him?

Lock the doors and check them twice with this one! There is a slow burning creepy story line that builds with intensity as the story goes on. Mysterious things begin to happen that make you question if The Manse is in fact haunted as legend has it or does someone want Ailsa to go back where she came from? As she reconnects with people from her past I was not sure who to trust. Everyone seemed to have a motive to not want Ailsa back in town.

As Ailsa struggles to figure out if her father is still alive and what is going on at The Manse, she uncovers details of the past she may not want to hear. A quite interesting character named Fiona McCue is introduced that has a very interesting history that ties in with The Manse. She has a condition called dyschronometria which as a nurse I have never heard of. I had to take to google to determine if this was in fact a true condition, which it is! Bravo to Ms. Elliott on her creative plot line that managed to carry a creepy undertone the entire story! It kept me guessing all the way to the end!

I read this as a group read with a group of Traveling Sisters so we all could chat about this much anticipated second novel by Lexie Elliott!

Thank you so much Berkley Publishing, Goodreads and Lexie Elliott for this ARC!!

The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

  
Witchcraft, a wicked creepy town history, things that go bump in the night. Yes please! I loved this book! I didn't know what to expect when I agreed to read this book as a group read with some fellow Traveling Sisters. Whew, let me tell you it was fantastic. I was creeped out right down to my toes. I am not a fan of horror and I have never read a witchcraft, or witch themed book, oh gasp...... yes I know. I could not get enough of this book though.

Helen and Nate decided to pursue their dream of building their own little dream house in Vermont in the middle of literally nowhere. Little by little the history of their dream lot started to reveal itself and it was not pretty. Even though it was extremely sad and disturbing I must admit I was drawn in immediately. It was fascinating to hear about the town and it's past. Quite frankly it just kept getting more interesting as the book went on.

Things began to happen that could not be explained away. As Helen starting witnessing things that were obviously supernatural in nature, she seemed even more in love with her dream property. Me, I would have packed my bags and gotten the hell out of there and back to Connecticut immediately!

I guess why I was so in love with this book is that it has such fine details and was so atmospheric. I literally felt chills down my spine and uneasy as I was reading much of the book. Horror it is not, but it is one great creepy read. The story line was so interesting, I could not get enough of the town's history.

I have heard so many good things about this author and this book far exceeded my expectations! I just added The Winter People to my list of MUST be read soon! Thank you so much to Doubleday Books, Jennifer McMahon and Netgalley for this fantastic, creepy ARC! #justiceforhattie

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

Wow! I loved this book! I had already given this a big 5 stars in my mind before sitting down to write this review, then I stumbled across an article written by the author that made me love this book even more. It actually took the book to the next level for me. Once I read that the author had based much of this material on personal experience, my heart hurt. My heart hurt for every parent that has to go through this. I will include the article at the end of my review if you are interested.

If you had a child that had a special need, whatever the degree wouldn't you as a parent do whatever it took to help them function to their fullest capacity? I sure would and I would bet that almost everyone else out there would also. That is why it is so easy to empathize with the families of Miracle Creek that have taken to an experimental treatment with HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy). Each child in the treatment program has a different physical or mental disability with varying degrees that they are affected by them. The ultimate goal for each family is to improve the quality of life for their loved ones.

When tragedy strikes and the HBOT explodes this book really takes off into a suspense filled page turner. All the characters were so well developed by this point that I felt I knew each one. One by one facts were revealed that made them a suspect in my mind. Was the explosion an accident or murder? Did a parent do the unthinkable? Or was it one of the various protesters that had flocked to Miracle Creek to demand the program be shut down?

I could not flip through these pages fast enough. This story just kept building up momentum as I got deeper and deeper into it. An absolute fantastic debut novel with such a thought provoking premise. I am a nurse and I have heard of these treatments but had not put much thought into it. Upon reading up on it I am absolutely intrigued and blown away with the information out there. The author's personal experience is nothing short of amazing. I highly suggest getting your hands on this book.

Link to vogue article from January 2018 where the author Angie Kim talks about her personal experience. Fascinating article, I wished I had read this before I read the book! It ties in so well.

https://www.vogue.com/article/angie-kim-hbot-treatment

The Mother In Law by Sally Hepworth

 Wow, I loved it! Please add me to the huge list of fans for Sally Hepworth. I have heard so much about this author and yet this is my first book I have read by her. Needless to say I am quickly adding the rest to my TBR pile!

The age old mother- in- law vs  daughter- in- law dilemma. Except this time the mother in law Diana ends up dead! Certainly even though Lucy and Diana have had their differences in the past, it surely would not have come to this?! As we search for the answer to this question we are privy to both Lucy and Diana's point of view. Which allowed us to see how each really felt about the other as we got a look into each of their thoughts.

This book started out with a bang and did not let up. I literally flew through this book in less than 24 hours because I could not put it down! I loved the writers style which kept me gripped to the pages until the very end. I know that many will think Diana is unlikable, but dare I say I loved her. Yes I did! I loved reading her point of view. She was very witty at times and made me laugh. I felt she was a very strong woman with a strong personality. This quite often rubs people the wrong way, but it made me like her even more.

I read this book as a group read with the Traveling Sisters. It was a fantastic book to read as a group because we could bounce all our theories off each other. Needless to say this one kept me guessing until the very end. I never saw that ending coming! That is the best kind of book in my opinion. Loved my first book by Sally Hepworth, I have a lot of catching up to do!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for this ARC and Sally Hepworth for writing this fantastic book!

The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves

What did I like about this book? Everything........I loved every single thing about this book! This book is about a love story. Not your typical love story but a deep unconditional love that only comes around once in a lifetime. The type of love that happens when you are aware of the faults, the little quirks that a person has but you just don't care. In fact, you love them even more so for them.

As we got to know Annika and Jonathan it became clear that they were not your normal college sweethearts. As their relationship grew, I did not realize how invested I was becoming until they split apart, for ten whole years! As they moved on in their life, I wondered if they still had a place in their lives for each other. Is it possible to rekindle that deep love that they had or did it never really go away?

 I loved both Annika and Jonathan, they were both truly good people with gentle souls. In a world that can be cruel, these two give you hope that there is still good in the world. When Annika expressed her love of all creatures and literally jumped out of the car to rescue one, I wanted to high five her and hug her. She is my kind of girl!


I don't often have the emotional reaction I did after finishing this book. It had such a profound effect on me that I just sat there to process it. I found myself thinking, okay so the book is over, now what? It tugged at my heartstrings in a way that not many books are able to. How have I not read this author's other books, I am not quite sure. I can tell you I won't make that mistake again. I can't recommend this book enough

Huge thanks to St. Martin's Press for this ARC. Thank you also to Tracey Garvis Graves for writing this fantastic book that I loved!

 Tracey Garvis Graves is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into thirty-one languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, Cherish, Heart-Shaped Hack, White-Hot Hack, and The Girl He Used to Know. She is hard at work on her next book.

Connect with the author:

Twitter      @tgarvisgraves

Facebook  @tgarvisgraves
 
Website:      https://traceygarvisgraves.com/https://traceygarvisgraves.com/

 

Your Perfect Life by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

 
Your Perfect Life gets 5 perfect stars from me! I loved, loved, loved it!! Admittedly when I originally read the premise I thought hasn't this idea been done a million times before? Then I thought well it is Liz and Lisa so I am sure it will still be good. Well don't let that worry you, these authors put such a different spin on this you will love it!

Rachael and Casey have been BFF's most of their life (hmmm sounds like someone we know)! Casey Lee has a successful career as a host of Gossip TV. She rubs shoulders with the rich and famous and her career is her life.

Meanwhile her BFF Rachel chose early on to give up her aspirations of the same career, choosing to marry her high school sweetheart and have a family.

All is fine until their high school reunion, where each girl bitterly begins to think maybe they chose the wrong path. Boom they are inserted into each other bodies after toasting with a shot.

When I have watched body switch themed shows or books I found them a bit zany, crazy and hard to believe (of course). Somehow I totally bought in to the fact that these two switched bodies. I think because the characters were so well developed, that believe it or not I would forget that they had switched. I got so involved in their stories that I wondered how each would tackle what was thrown at them next.

This was such a fun book that I flew through the pages. I loved all the real life references to current celebrities and situations. Every character was extremely likable and I loved seeing their interactions with each other.

 Highly recommend if you want an entertaining feel good story that will make you laugh and smile! I have read a couple Liz and Lisa books and this is my favorite so far. I can't wait to get my hands on their new one!

Thank you so much to Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke for a copy of this fantastic book! As you can see I absolutely loved it!

Cover Reveal........I Know You're There by Sarah Simpson

  

I KNOW YOU'RE THERE is undoubtedly the most eagerly anticipated psychological thriller of 2019.

Another unnerving and sublimely twisty tale from the queen of domestic suspense Sarah Simpson - coming in June 2019.

Pre-order links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2TnF7yy

iBooks: https://apple.co/2FkFnJH

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2CuEwpa

GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2OhCvBf

 

 

 

About the author

Sarah Simpson has a first-class honours degree in Psychology and has experienced working at a Brain Rehabilitation Hospital. She has spent time as a family consultant for Warwickshire and Oxfordshire solicitors and gained knowledge of the Family Court System. She now lives in Cornwall with her husband, three children and animals.

 Follow Sarah:

Facebook: @sarahsimpsoncornwall

Twitter: @sarahrsimpson

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