We Are Only Ghosts by Jeffrey L. Richards

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Ghosts can come in so many images. A memory, a poltergeist, thoughts which haunt you, and horrors remembered in the real and spiritual world. We Are Only Ghosts will torment you with its sad, gruesome memories of a life in which the main character’s soul was ripped out of him and he was left empty. A burden which will take his whole life to try and be able to find a sense of peace in himself, and as well as others and to finally release the ghosts which will never go away.

Charles Ward works in a bakery cafe in New York. Cafe Marie is his sanctuary. All those who know him think he is a quiet, honest good man who is American. But, underneath this facade is a tortured man who had been imprisoned as a child in a Nazi concentration camp who witnessed abuse and death and was emotionally and physically mistreated. With much luck, and the kindness of some, he was able to flee the homeland he loved and make his way to the place he now lives but can and will never call home.

His name, common. His papers legal. Charles Ward lives quietly with the same daily routine. Yes, he fears being caught, but he has been here for a while so those thoughts have lessened. Until one day, a man from his past, his torturer comes into his workplace. Berthold Werden was Ward’s punisher who he hated with a passion. Seeing him in his sanctuary haunts him. What is he doing in New York let alone in the Cafe? Does he know who he really is?

He begins to follow this man to see what kind of a life he has. Unfortunately, it seems he has made a good life for himself and his family. Ward can’t tolerate this as Werden ruined his and his family’s life, without feeling anything for those he abused. Now this ghost has become real, and Ward cannot help but begin to remember what his life had been as a child growing up with people hating him for no reason.

Ward goes back in time to his life with Werden and the abuse and death he witnessed. Those ghosts who haunted his dreams are now standing in front of him and he can’t retaliate for fear of being exposed.

Suddenly his life takes a terrible turn, and he finds himself and his life in jeopardy. He should have learned the lesson that demons never change and if possible, will find you and try and ruin you. Now it’s up to him to decide what to do. What choice can this simple man who has tried so hard to fit into a country which he doesn’t love but must stay for fear of repercussions.

We Are Only Ghosts is powerful. A sad, horrific story but an absolutely necessary read to remind all of us that happened all those years ago could happen again if we don’t allow the ghosts to continue telling their stories.

Thank you #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #BetweenTheChapters #AJohnScognamilioBook #JeffreyL.Richards #WeAreOnlyGhosts for the advanced copy.

Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea

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Those Empty Eyes is an incredible layered puzzled mystery which Charlie Donlea is known for. The continued shock as well as clues which begin to come together are both riveting and exciting. And, when the time is right and the whole story comes together, well the ending is of course, explosive!

Alex Armstrong a fifteen-year-old was the only survivor of the murder of her entire family. Her father, mother and little brother were shot to death by an intruder who came into their beloved home. In shock and found holding the murder weapon when the police arrived, she was the immediately handcuffed and brought outside to go to the station to be arrested. One of the media reporters at the scene dubbed her “empty eyes” because her expression showed nothing.

With the help of a defense attorney, Garrett Lancaster and his wife Diana who was the first police officer at the scene, they were not only able to get her found not guilty but were also able to get her a hefty settlement from the police force for wrongful arrest and a sloppy investigation.

Fast forward through Alex’s life as she attempts to go to school somewhere those “eyes” will not be known, but the case had become a cult true crime case, and she was the one and only suspect. Garrett and Diana became her guardians. Afraid to touch the settlement money, and knowing she did not kill her family, she tries to figure out exactly what happened, to no avail.

It’s now been ten years since the murders and Alex has completely changed her appearance, even wearing contact lenses. She is an investigator in Garrett’s law firm. An ace investigator. But, every night, she still goes home to her sparse apartment and takes out her murder board which she keeps behind a curtain, always trying to look with fresh eyes at the disaster of her life.

Suddenly, she finds herself involved in a case which will change her life forever. A student at the nearby University has gone missing after she was going to drop a tape on her radio blog which was going to implicate some students in a scandal.

What she never could imagine is that this would somehow bring her closest to finding out what happened to her family. But now she realizes she knows too much and is being hunted as she was supposed to be the final victim from the night of the murder.

Those Empty Eyes will have you hooked from the first page. Don’t even try to figure out the ending, just read the story! Just go along for the ride of your life! This psychological thriller will make you crash and burn!

The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales

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Sophie Gonzales has upped her writing game in The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist, with an adorable story which will satisfy a multitude of literary genres, including young adult, LGBT, romance, fantasy/science-fiction and of course, her wicked sense of humor.

Ivy Winslow is looking forward to the upcoming week. Her parents will be away, and she will have the house all to herself. Of course, as a young girl in high school, she is being guarded by her former best friend Mack’s parents who live across the street. But for the most part she eagerly looks forward to eating junk food and watching her favorite show with her only friend, Henry.

Sure, she misses her best friend Mack, who she spent almost every day with basically her whole life, but because of stupidness, jealousy and stubbornness on both girl’s part, they have stopped speaking. Yes, perhaps if Ivy was truly honest, she did have a bit of a crush on Mack, but she is sure it certainly was not reciprocated.

So, when Ivy goes to sleep that first night, she never would have imagined awaking to find a guy in her bedroom staring at her who says his name is Weston, but he looks identical to the main character of her favorite show, H-Mad. He seems to think they are in love and will live happily ever after. He has plans for the two of them. She has no idea what this is about and how this could have possibly happened. But Weston begins causing problems from the get-go.

With no one else to turn to, she finally tells Henry and gulp, yes Mack. She needs help trying to figure out how to get rid of Weston! At least by the time her parents get home! But Weston does not want to leave and will do anything in his power and yes, he does have powers to prevent Ivy and her friends from getting rid of him.

In reality what actually starts to occur is the three anti-friends decide to work together to get rid of Weston, and as they begin to get close to each other, open up to each other and discover you can leave your past issues behind forgive what has happened and what has been said, start anew with new friendships and even find confidence and yes, love. Poor Weston!

Thank you #NetGalley #WednesdayBooks #SophieGonzales #ThePerfectGuyDoesn’tExist for the advanced copy.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering

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Bye, Baby is a thriller with secrets galore! You may even find yourself even rooting for the alleged villain and anxious that they will get caught. How many times does that ever happen? You see, everyone who does something terrible is not always someone terrible… even if they kidnap their best friend’s baby!

Billie and Cassie spent every day together since childhood. They know everything there is to know about each other as well as those buried secrets that are never talked about. Deep dark secrets. Billie grew up with a mother and stepfather, not the happiest of childhoods, and had little money. She hated her stepfather. Cassie grew up with a well-off grandmother and based all her decisions on who or what could move her up the social ladder. Now, Bille helps run an elite travel agency and Cassie has married a handsome wealthy man, has a newborn baby and a job as an influencer on social media and an upcoming clothes company which keeps her very busy.

So busy, that for the first time in their lives, Billie and Cassie are not as close as they used to be. At least that’s how Billie feels. Cassie seems to have moved on from their friendship with a brand-new set of upper-class friends, all married with children and enjoys the new lifestyle she has created. The relationship has shifted. Billie feels it, Cassie ignores it. Billie tries to fight for their friendship, but in the end is hurt by Cassie’s lack of attention.

Cassie feels that Billie, who has not been in a relationship in a very long time, should start to look for someone and settle down and start her own family, something Billie is not sure she ever wants to do. But why can’t they just continue to be best friends?

As Billie feels this horrible sense of the loss, she finds out Cassie is having a birthday bash in which she wasn’t even invited to. And then something in Billie snaps and she finds herself doing something totally out of character. She takes Cassie’s baby.

As the story opens, we find Billie looking down at a baby and Cassie screaming her name from somewhere. And this is where the ride of your life will begin. The good, the bad and the horrible.

Told in past and present chapters we slowly learn about Billie and Cassie. We also discover their dark secrets. Ones that could easily destroy both of them. But this means nothing compared to how Billie has just ruined her life.

How did Billie get to this point? Why has Cassie abandoned her? What on earth does she do now that she has committed this terrible crime?

Bye, Baby is an intense story about friendship, jealousy, loss and forgiveness, but more importantly, choices we make in life. Sometimes you must say bye to the past, in order to have a future.

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #CarolaLovering #Bye,Baby for the advanced copy.

Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood

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Finding Sophie is an incredibly complex look at a relationship during a time of crisis. But it is a psychological thriller which will continually keep you guessing as to what on earth could happen next. As you fall in love with the couple, Harry and Zara, as they optimistically search for their daughter Sophie who has disappeared, you see the breakdown of their marriage and the difference in how they each deal with their grief.

Harry and Zara King’s 15-year-old daughter has gone missing. Their only child, Sophie is the light of their lives. But, as they notice her temperament changing, they chalk it up to teenage rebellion. But an incident prior to her disappearance haunts them both in different ways.

They can barely look at each other as they both separately try and discover what could have happened to their Sophie. They discover they really didn’t know their daughter at all. Some clues emerge, not good ones and there is suspicion that the man who lives in a house on the street, 210, who will not let the police in, nor will he talk to Harry and Zara makes the couple distrustful of him.

Their grief is palpable, but their guilt unbearable. They try not to blame each other. But, they also want to fight this fight separately rather than together.

Fast forward to some chapters in which a trial is occurring. We have no idea who the defendant is or what the crime could be. Our clues are sparse until we discover the truth.

What would you do if your child went missing? Is love enough? Would you do anything in your power to find the child? Not matter what that meant? Or would you keep all those feelings in, blaming the other, but never giving up the idea that she just has to be alive, even when all the clues go another way. Can a marriage be strong enough to endure the heartbreak of a missing child?

In Finding Sophie there will be sadness, but there will also be something deeper than love. Passion. To not only find out what happened to their child, but to make sure she will somehow always know they loved her enough to never stop looking.

Thank you #NetGalley #Bantam #Imram Mahmood #Finding Sophie for the advanced copy.

The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapeke-Dale

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The Fortune Seller is a well-crafted story about greed, jealousy and social pecking order in today’s society. It throws together a group of women who live together at Yale, some incredibly rich, while others, barely making ends meet. You definitely can tell these women’s differences not only in the way they dress, but the way they act, to each other. Not only does the story show the struggles of those attempting to move up in the world, but it also lets the reader envision the life of the wealthy and the comparison of what they both consider problems in their lives. But, more importantly it shows what some people, both the rich and the poor will do in order to climb the social and financial ladder, and what happens when they begin to fall off.

Rose Macalister has just gotten back to Yale after being away on a year abroad program. She is all smiles because although she has no money, she has been able to save during the past year. But as she enters the apartment she shares with her best friend Cressida Tate, daughter of the uber-wealthy Grayson Tate, and her other roommates, she realizes a year can change everything. She discovers there is a new person in their group, her name is Annelise Tattinger who is on the Equestrian team and seems to ooze money and Rose is now sharing a room with her. She feels replaced.

Her best friend Cressida, also on the team, seems armored with her new roommate. Rose is very upset with this because she really wants to get a job working in finance at her father’s company after graduation. Rose’s sole goal is to be able to make money so she can help her parents and she herself and, never have to worry about money again.

But as Annelise and Rose’s relationship begins to grow, she begins to see a different side of this roommate. First off, she knows how to read Tarot cards which Rose soon becomes obsessed with and she teaches Rose the ins and outs of being a good reader…ask the real questions, the ones in your heart and you will get the real answers.

But Cressida sees Annelise as competition. First because she’s a better rider, but also because she seems to have taken Rose away from her. As the women begin to bicker among themselves, and then an accident occurs and an issue with money and those two problems will change their lives forever.

Fast forward to after graduation and Rose is working in the office of Grayson Tate. Not as a financial wizard, but as his assistant. The money is good, but the work not so much. When you are so low on the totem pole you are barely acknowledged. Then Rose discovers something shocking. Unfortunately, those who have all the power can try to ruin the lives of those who have nothing.

And that is when Rose not only decides to change her life but acknowledge that her past was not who she really wanted to be. If she could have only foreseen her future. Would she have changed it? Would she have done things differently? More importantly is it too late to make on this road she has been following for so long.

What The Fortune Seller shows us is that even though the rich get richer, they too sometimes cannot afford what life throws at them, and for those who are just your ordinary average person trying to make ends meet, their lives can sometimes be so very rich. It doesn’t take cards to predict your future, just the life you lead.

Thank you #NetGalley # St.Martin’sPress #TheFortuneSeller #RachelKapeke-Dale for the advanced copy.

Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate

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Twenty-Seven Minutes is an absolutely compelling story about a car accident which occurred a decade ago and the horrific trauma which the survivors have lived with through their lives and how because of the tragedy the directions of their lives were changed forever. As the full story of the incident which took place on a bridge is relayed, it comes out that there were twenty-seven minutes which were unaccounted for. The book slowly goes back and relays what happened that fateful night and how those who survived remember the accident.

So, what happened during those twenty-seven minutes?

A decade has passed since a high school student, Phoebe Dean died in a car accident which occurred on a dangerous bridge in the small town of West Milner. Phoebe was perfection. Beautiful, smart and excited about leaving this small town with her brother Grant and moving to the big city and becoming someone.

Although those who were in the car on the bridge that rainy night, have foggy memories of just what happened, the one thing they have in common is that the accident and death destroyed their own lives, and they were changed that night.

Especially Grant, who was in the truck with his sister. He was a football star going places. Now, years later he can barely keep a job and drinks too much. Then there is Becca who was also in the truck and can’t remember much, but Grant has told her what happened, and they have had a pact never to tell. Becca has had a massive crush on Grant all these years, and Grant to this day always keeps Becca at arm’s length because she had issues before the accident and now is even worse.

At the time of the accident, the Sherrif always felt something was off about what went wrong on the bridge and felt there were extra minutes, twenty-seven to be exact which were unaccounted for. But they stuck to their story, and nothing could be proven.

And then there is June who was also in high school with the group and although was not at the bridge that evening, is now alone. Her mother has just died and her brother Wiley, who had been a troublemaker at the time, ran away years ago and her mother was devastated, and the town basically disowned them when he left and when her mother passed no one even came to the cemetery.

Now, with the memorial days away, and a vote to tear down the bridge coming up, Grant and Becca are beside themselves. You see, they know what happened on the bridge…or so they think. Someone knows…

Twenty-Seven Minutes will have you on the edge of your seat, engrossed in the story trying to figure out just what happened that night. And when all is revealed, just know it will shock and surprise you to your core!

Thank you #NetGalley #PoisenedPenPress #AshelyTate #Twenty-SevenMinutes for the advanced copy.

Everyone Is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf

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Everyone Is Watching is a masterclass in excitement, thrill and psychological drama. The story has so many moving parts and is quite compelling. It will keep you on your toes and also keep you shocked and surprised.

What would you do for ten million dollars?

This is the premise of the plot. A reality show, One Lucky Winner is offering one of five contestants ten million dollars if they can complete the arduous, physical challenges as well as the puzzles and emotional stress in order to win. The catch…they were offered the spots on the show. They will be broadcast live so the fans will be able to see the good, the bad and the horror.

The creator of the show Cat and her assistant Fern have worked tirelessly to put this show together. Set in a castle, (Cat’s ex-husband’s), as they await the arrival of the participants, there is already trouble in paradise! Something truly unexpected occurs.

The guests begin to arrive and rather than using their names they use pseudonyms which is how the audience will view them. They are:

The Best Friend, The Confidant, The Senator, The Boyfriend and The Executive.

Their phones are taken away and they are told they are not allowed to leave the premises, or they forfeit their chances of winning. They must also sign a waiver that the show is not responsible if they are hurt or die. DIE?

Thus begins the excruciating challenges. Some of the participants will try to not rock the boat, others will do everything in their power to torture the others. Suddenly the contestants begin to discover that perhaps their being chosen was not just random. They seem to have something in common. But what? How are they all connected?

As they begin to play the game and find clues, they start to realize their deepest, darkest secrets are about to be exposed. That my friends is what the game is all about! What is happening? Their mistakes are being exposed one clue at a time with millions watching them! They will be ruined.

As the game continues, the contestants begin to turn on each other. Panic sets in. The challenges, dangerous. Is this really worth the money? Who has it out for them?

Everyone Is Watching is scandalous, yet deviously enjoyable. The reader can’t get enough of the twists and unexpected turns with an awe dropping ending to what seems is a game filled with lies and past secrets which come back to haunt and perhaps destroy those who decided to play the game.

Heather Gudenkauf is the critically acclaimed author of several novels, including the New York Times bestsellers The Weight of Silence and The Overnight Guest. She lives in Iowa with her husband and children.

The Best Friend. The Confidant. The Senator. The Boyfriend. The Executive.

Five contestants have been chosen to compete for ten million dollars on the game show One Lucky Winner. The catch? None of them knows what (or who) to expect, and it will be live streamed all over the world. Completely secluded in an estate in Northern California, with strict instructions not to leave the property and zero contact with the outside world, the competitors start to feel a little too isolated.

When long-kept secrets begin to rise to the surface, the contestants realize this is no longer just a reality show—someone is out for blood. And the game can’t end until the world knows who the contestants really are…

Thank you #NetGalley #ParkRow #HeatherGudenkauf #EveryoneIsWatching for the advanced copy.

The Kamogawa Food Detective by Hisashi Kashiwai

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The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a uniquely beautiful enjoyable book whose stories combine tantalizing food dishes with the search of said dish by people’s long-lost memories. All this done by a father-daughter food detective team. It’s completely satisfying with remarkable food dishes as well as the mysteries surrounding them. For those able to find the detectives, they hope their search for the missing taste will also help them find the peace they are searching for in their life.

Although they own a restaurant, the father-daughter duo also has an advertisement in a food magazine which allows those who find the ad, to find the detective agency within the restaurant. The clients come in and relay a memory of a certain dish they were fed, try to give as much information about who, what and where they were when they ate it, and then leave the rest to the detectives. Along with the detectives, is an adorable cat named Drowsy, who seems to have terrific intuition as to the emotions of the people trying to find their memory.

Without giving too much away from this delightful story, there are four people who come to visit the detective agency. The food dish stories are:

Nabeyaki Udon which is about a man seeking resolution in order to move on with his life.

Beef Stew about lost love, but was it really lost?

Mackerel Sushi about forgetting where you came from and the importance of the past in order to live in the present.

Napolitan Spaghetti is about food memories which we see and feel one way, not realizing what the truth was from the past which follows us forever.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a book of hugs. One for the stories and one for the readers.

Thank you #NetGalley #G.P.Putnam’sSons #HisashiKachiwai #TheKamogawaFoodDetectives for the advanced copy.

Come & Get It by Kiley Reid

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Come & Get It is a story about a group of students, some RA’s and a professor at the University of Arkansas and how they all become entwined in a complicated relationship/friendship and how their pasts both create their present and will affect their futures due to incidents which occur at the University over a short period of time. The plot is imaginatively, yet, possible and probable when you stop to think about the narrative.

It begins with a visiting professor, Agatha Paul who is there to write a book about weddings. She gets permission to ask some of the female student’s questions. The questions turn into more than she expected from these southern girls. She then gets permission from the Senior RA, Millie Cousins, who is 24 and older than most students at the college to use her room which is located next to the suite in which the girls are located to listen to them. She agrees.

But Millie has her own problems with this suite of girls. They come to her with caddy questions about each other and then they decide to pull a prank on her and another RA. They decide to reciprocate back, perhaps not the best idea. And that starts a war of the roses type situation.

Meanwhile, Professor Paul is getting incredible stories from these girls and bringing them to a magazine and starts to get paid for them. The girls start to really not get along and we have some mental health issues complicating the girls’ relationships. All seems to be going well until the whole thing backfires on everyone! Millie had no idea what else Agatha had been writing about. And she is stunned.

With bits and pieces which come out about the past lives and issues of all these women, it’s no wonder things went wrong so fast!

Come & Get It is an interesting look at college life as seen through the eyes of a group of women who want so much but have everything to lose. Will the outcome change them for the better? We will see.

Thank you #NetGalley #G.P.PutnamSons #KileyReid #Come&GetIt for the advanced copy.