Ask Again, Yes

I can't express how much I loved this book! It was a book that drew me in from the very first page. There has been quite a bit of hype surrounding this book and it fully deserves it. The story itself is just fascinating and unique. I have never read this author before and I absolutely loved her writing style. It flows so effortlessly that you really don't want it to come to an end.

I love how the story started in 1973 with the two rookie police officers Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope meeting. We get a sneak peek at their personalities as they start their career off together with perhaps a different outlook at life. They end up moving right next door to each other in a quaint little suburb called Gillam, basically living the American dream. Except they are not exactly what I would call best buddies, not even friends, more like acquaintances despite working together as partners. The American dream quickly turns into everyone's worst nightmare. A tragic event rips these two families apart. I am going to refrain from saying what the "tragic event" was because it shocked me to the core and I want you to be able to experience that also. Sadly their children Peter and Kate who were thick as thieves were torn apart with no chance to even say goodbye.

As the years progress I loved being allowed into both Peter and Kate's lives. We are able to see how the tragedy impacted both of their lives. It shaped how they progressed in their lives and the challenges they had to face. These two innocent souls that had nothing to do with the tragic event yearned to know what happened to each other.

Wow this was such a moving and interesting story. The characters were so well developed and I found myself obsessed with how Peter and Kate were doing and how their life would progress. I was lucky enough to be able to read this as a group read with some fellow Traveling Sisters, if you get a chance pop over and check out their thoughts.

 This was a definite win for the group as we all seemed to enjoy this book a lot. My only drawback was I was hoping for a bit more closure at the end. I just personally thought it wrapped up a bit too perfect and easy. Whereas I feel in real life this may have been a bit more challenging to have this ending. With that said, I still loved it!

I think everyone should read this book if they have the chance. It is just that good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks so much to Scribner and Mary Beth Keane for this amazing ARC.

The Woman Next Door by Sue Watson

 

‘Have you ever had a secret that you couldn’t tell a soul, even the people you love? I have.’

Lucy has a kind and adoring husband, a job she loves as a teacher, and a house on Mulberry Avenue with floaty curtains and the softest bed linen. After her troubled childhood, she knows life will never be perfect, but it’s pretty close.

She’s also got Amber, right next door. They never run out of things to talk about. Even if Amber’s life – with her high-profile job and handsome, wealthy boyfriend – is more glamorous than Lucy’s.

But then Amber starts to hint that her life isn’t all it seems, and when she comes to Lucy, terrified, saying that she’s getting threatening messages, Lucy promises to protect her.

The closer Lucy gets to anyone, the harder it is to keep her past to herself. But Amber’s boyfriend has left her just when she needs him most, and she doesn’t have anyone else.

Lucy knows all too well that people aren’t always what they seem. Sometimes they have secrets. And they’d do anything to keep them. Lucy’s still sure: she can trust her friend... can’t she?

Gripping and unputdownable, The Woman Next Door tells a story about the dark side of friendship, and has a final twist that will shock every reader. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Friend Request, and Clare Mackintosh.

Get your copy here:

AMZ: https://geni.us/B07PKVJSFTSocial

Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y6arezzc

iBookstore: https://tinyurl.com/yxz6esep

Googleplay: https://tinyurl.com/y2oq54xc

 My thoughts

Sue Watson has done it again! 5 fantastic stars for this fantastic, twisty thriller. Since reading her last thriller I have been anxiously awaiting her next one and let me tell you, it is sooooo good! I jumped at the chance to be on this Books-On- Tour!

Come with me to Mulberry Ave where the most exciting thing to happen is book club and the neighborhood BBQ. That is until Amber, the one time celebrity who was climbing her way to the top and is now the local weather girl moves in to number 13.

I found it a bit amusing at first as Lucy seemed star struck with her new neighbor Amber. Lucy was a bit entertaining as she snooped around and spied on Amber, wanting to know her every move. My amusement turned to concern as she quickly seemed obsessed with her new neighbor. As a friendship is forged it appeared to be rather one sided. Amber was totally self absorbed and seemed to take complete advantage of poor Lucy, but was Lucy as innocent as she appears?

As Amber's celebrity status becomes known throughout the neighborhood, she suddenly obtains a stalker. I must admit I found myself questioning if this stalker was the real deal or did Amber just enjoy the attention. Would Amber fake a stalker? 

What a twisted, single white female vibe this had! As things spiral out of control I was not sure who to believe. Without spoiling anything for you I will just recap what to expect...ONE HELL OF AN ENDING!!!! This is a story of secrets and obsession that will have you questioning everyone's motives. Be careful who you let into your life, you never know how it will end.

Thank you so much to Bookouture, Kim Nash and Sue Watson for having me along on this Books-On-Tour. I loved reading this fantastic book!

Sue Watson was a TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked. 

A USA Today bestselling author, Sue has written fourteen novels, many involving cake and ice cream which have been translated into several languages and involved a great deal of 'research.' Sue's now exploring the darker side of life with her second thriller 'All Her Secrets,' a dark, twisted tale questioning just how well we know our friends. This new genre doesn't involve baked goods or frozen treats and Sue's hoping the change in direction will be reflected on the weighing scales.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire where much of her day is spent procrastinating, eating and watching 'My 600lb Life,' on the sofa.

more info visit Sue's website; http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/

Sue would love to meet you on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/suewatsonbooks

Follow Sue on Twitter @suewatsonwriter

The Women by SE Lynes

The night she moves in with Peter, she’s so happy, so exhilarated, so in love. Later, she will remember a much smaller feeling, a tiny one percent in her gut. And she will remember pushing that feeling aside…

Samantha Frayn doesn’t know why Peter Bridges picks her – a nobody with bitten fingernails and a troubled childhood behind her – but she falls quickly. He’s older, charming, likes fine wine and French films, and his beautiful home has real art on its walls. 

Peter transforms Samantha’s life in an instant. He sees the better version of herself – the one she’s always wanted to be. It’s only normal that there’s a little friction, when she moves in, over domestic matters like where things are kept, or the proper times to eat, sleep and shower. She’s lucky to be with someone who can help her find a new job, move on from childish friends, and speak with greater sophistication.

But as Samantha notices, more and more, Peter’s temper, she starts to wonder if there might be consequences to breaking the rules of the world he has so quickly built around her.

And then she receives an anonymous note that makes her ask: is she the first woman to feel trapped by Peter? Is she being paranoid, manipulated, or could she be in danger?

You can tell the truth about your life, but someone needs to be listening. Someone needs to trust you. And someone needs to save you from the man you thought you loved.

Grab your copy here:

AMZ: https://geni.us/B07NY2WR6XSocial

Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y6aw5w5f

iBookstore: https://tinyurl.com/y5vxtkz2

Googleplay: https://tinyurl.com/yyk75vnz

My Thoughts

Holy flipping Psychological thriller!! This author delivers...every...single...time!! I am so excited to be on this Books on Tour!

Picture this..you take a trip to Rome and visit the Mouth of Truth with your darling husband of 3 years. Legend has it that if you put your hand in the mouth of the mask and you get to keep your hand, well then you are a truthful person. If it snaps shut on your hand, well liar, liar pants on fire! Your dear husband will not put his hand in the mouth, in fact he absolutely refuses!

I found the premise for this book to be extremely realistic. Here we have the aging professor that the girls are swooning over due to his power and prestige. His being "off limits" due to his position makes him even more irresistible to young girls. He fills his  need to be feel young by dating a much younger girl. We stand by and are forced to watch in horror as the uneven levels of power seep into the relationship and eat away at the core.

As Peter got closer to Samantha and his true self started to emerge, I felt myself  despising him. I wanted to scream " Samantha just step away from the professor!" Of course she did not listen to me and a fabulous story of power, control and revenge played out in the pages. As you can imagine, a person like Peter probably has a lengthy history, as this twisted behavior did not simply emerge overnight. As the skeletons from his closet tumble out, prepare to be shocked, I know I was! This book is sooo good!

After reading The Proposal last year, I am now a hardcore SE Lynes fan. She can spin a wicked psychological thriller with the best of them. If she wrote a appliance instruction manual, I would stand in line to read it. She is able to incorporate her dark humor into her stories and wow what an entertaining read they always end up being.

Thank you so much to Kim and Noelle from Bookouture and SE Lynes for having me along on this Books on Tour!

Amazon best selling author of 'intelligent and haunting' psychological thrillers VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE PACT and THE PROPOSAL. THE WOMEN out for pre-order NOW. 

S E Lynes is a writer, tutor and mentor. Formerly a BBC producer, she has lived in France, Spain, Scotland, Italy, and now lives in Greater London with her husband, three kids and her dog, Lola. 

After the birth of her third child, she completed an MA in creative writing from Kingston University. Her critically acclaimed debut, VALENTINA, was published by Blackbird Digital Books in July 2016. Her second novel, MOTHER was published by Bookouture in 2017, followed by THE PACT and THE PROPOSAL in 2018. In August 2018, VALENTINA was published in a new edition by Bookouture. 

Susie Lynes has also published two children's books in Italy: Il Leopardo Lampo and La Coccodrilla Ingamba, both available at Amazon.it


Find her on:
Facebook S E Lynes Author
Twitter @SELynesAuthor

This is Me by Shari Low

This is... Denise.

Married to Ray, her first and only love, Denise has never for one moment regretted putting the husband she idolised on a pedestal above everyone and everything else. But, after forty years of marriage, he is gone, leaving Denise to discover that their perfect marriage was fatally flawed. Now she faces a future alone, but first she must face the betrayals of the past.

This is... Claire.

The estranged daughter of Denise, the woman who put her husband before her children, Claire took the opposite path and devoted her life to raising her family, sacrificing her marriage along the way. With her teenage sons about to flee the nest, she realises she may have left it too late to find her own happy ever after.

This is the story of two women, both alone, both cautionary tales of one of motherhood's biggest decisions.

Who is more important, your partner or your children? And what happens if you make the wrong choice?

Buy links:

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

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2BV5VjD

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

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2IDfCJj

My Thoughts

Well hello you fabulous emotional roller coaster! This book stirred up a wide range of emotions for me and I am sure it will for many others. The reason being is that it is so realistic, quite frankly it could be called This is Life, because it sure is true to life!

The focus is on two women, Claire and her mother Denise and their dysfunctional relationship. Choices have been made in the past that have torn them apart. Denise has chosen to put her relationship to her husband Ray first and has chosen to cast her children aside to please him. After growing up in this toxic environment, Claire decides she will never be like her parents. Claire's focus is on her children and nobody will come in between that, not even her own husband.

I was completely shocked at Denise and her husband Ray and how they treated their children. It made me angry and sad. Yet I guarantee we all know a Denise and Ray. Denise was so blinded by love that she became obsessed with Ray and he could do no wrong. When Ray dies suddenly, her world is tipped upside down. I must admit I had trouble feeling sorry for her. She fell victim to the manipulation of Ray and  wanting to be a good wife to her wonderful husband. Was he that wonderful? You be the judge.  As she struggles to function after his death her world continues to crash down around her and she is all alone. Denise has burnt all her bridges- no friends, no family, complete isolation as Ray would like it.

Claire on the other hand was a more likable character and I could relate to her more. I am sure we all know a Claire too in our lives. She was just trying to be a good mom and was fueled by her own experiences. She did allow her relationship with her husband Sam to suffer and she did pay a price for it. As we all know there is a fine balance with relationships and it is often tipped unevenly on the scale.

I flew through this book as I was fascinated with the family dynamics and I wanted to know how this  would unfold. This is my first book by Shari Low and I loved her writing style.  She made me feel like I knew the characters and truly got my emotions going. I feel that an author that can pull  you in so strongly that you get  angry, sad and truly having empathy for her characters has done an amazing job.

A huge shout out to Victoria Joss, Aria and Shari Low for having me along on this fabulous blog tour!

Shari Low is the No1 best-selling author of over 20 novels, including One Day In December, A Life Without You, The Story Of Our Life, With Or Without You and her latest release, Another Day In Winter. And because she likes to over-share toe-curling moments and hapless disasters, she is also the shameless mother behind a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. Once upon a time she met a guy, got engaged after a week, and twenty-something years later she lives near Glasgow with her husband, a labradoodle, and two teenagers who think she's fairly embarrassing except when they need a lift. For all the latest news, visit her on Facebook, twitter, or at www.sharilow.com

Follow Shari

Website: www.sharilow.com

Twitter: @ShariLow

Facebook: @sharilowbooks

Follow Aria

Website: www.ariafiction.com

Twitter: @aria_fiction

Facebook: @ariafiction

Instagram: @ariafiction