Author: lisascubby

Hello! I am an avid reader who has reviewed books on Goodreads and NetGalley. You can find me on various social media, under Lisa Leone-Campbell. If you ever need to contact me, my email is campbell.lisa1986@gmail.com. Happy Reading!

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh

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The One Day You Were My Husband is another terrific psychological thriller from Rosie Walsh. With her adept handling of shocking twists, turns and surprises you will be kept on your toes while reading this amazing story.

Carrie is studying to be a surgical doctor and Johan is a diver. They met when he assisted an injured woman to the hospital Carrie was training at. It was instant attraction for both of them. But in her position, she was unable to date someone who was remotely close to a patient. But Johan made sure she did not forget him!

They end up going on a date and basically never leave each other. Johan sometimes has to go on work trips; Carrie gets anxious as sometimes he is unable to contact her but, in the end, they fall deeply in love. So much so that when they are on a vacation in Thailand, Johan proposes to Carrie even though it has been a few short months into their relationship and Carrie immediately says yes. They decide getting married on the beautiful beach in Thailand would be perfect. Even though no one would be able to come to the wedding.

But what was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives ends up being the end of their relationship. While enjoying the food and drink on the beach after the ceremony, a group of officers come down and arrest Johan and take him away. For what? Carrie has no idea! How could this happen. She is confused, then heartbroken after finding out she will never see him again.

Fast forward to a little over a decade later, with the help of therapy and her family Carrie has healed, married a wonderful man named Robin who she knows she is the apple of his eye. They have six-year-old twins, and she has been a stay-at-home mom this whole time.

Carrie though is beginning to miss her job. She wants to get back to doing surgeries. With her husband’s backing she decides to begin the process of going back to work. The first step is going to Stockholm to meet with a former mentor. As she is planning her visit, she comes across a picture of a man living in Stockholm, an architect. The picture is Johan.

Of course, this begins to stir up memories and emotions which she thought had been laid to rest. If he had been released, why had he not gotten in touch with her? Without telling Robin what she has seen she ends up going to Stockholm and to her surprise sees Johan in person where she leaves with more questions than answers.

What happens next will throw Carrie’s life into a turmoil of shocking lies, betrayals, secrets and awful mysteries. You will not only devour this story but enjoy ever last second of The One Day You Were My Husband.

Thank you #NetGalley #PamelaDormanBooks #RosieWalsh #TheOneDayYouWereMyHusband for the advanced copy.

The One Day You Were My Husband: A Novel: Walsh, Rosie: 9798217060450: Amazon.com: Books

The One Day You Were My Husband | Goodreads

A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity by Rachel Linden

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Rachel Linden’s latest book A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity is well…just delicious! The story is about a single mother who must come back home to help her ailing parents and keep their fudge shop afloat all the while trying to keep her head above water and not being able to fulfill her own dreams let alone find a companion. But as the women in her family know it’s only when on their birthday, just once they will be given a glimpse of what their future will hold. In her thirties she is still waiting for her vision. Be careful what you wish for!

Emmie had a wonderful life in Paris, just beginning to create a name for herself as a chocolatier until suddenly her world came crashing down. Six years ago, she found out she was pregnant, discovered her father was very ill and her mother could not take care of him and their chocolate store where they served a very special fudge created by her father.

Now, years later her father has passed away, and her mother is now having medical issues, so Emmie has become immersed in taking care of her son Gus who is still mourning the passing of his grandfather, and her mother’s limited ability to help at the store and making all the chocolate.

But her birthday is coming up, and she just hopes this year will be the year she will get her magical vision of her future. All the other women have gotten their visions and what they have seen has come true. But for Emmie the wait is becoming unbearable! She needs a bit of good news!

And this year, well let’s just say she gets the vision of a lifetime! She will be able to make her own chocolates, as well as fall in love with no other than a celebrity. This can’t be real… until said celebrity walks into the shop!

Things seem to be going well until the shop begins to fall apart, literally! She sees an old friend from high school who unfortunately she hurt back then and the building the shop is in now must be upgraded to code which means she needs even more money! With no way near the amount of cash and very little time Emmie feels like her vision was just a magical joke! But she refuses to sell the family business no matter what.

But although Emmie can’t see the light of day yet, she will learn many valuable lessons, and soon she will discover what she wants for her future may not be exactly what was planned for her. What should she do? Who knows better the vision or Emmie? She just wants to find a balance and more importantly some time and happiness!

A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity is an uplifting, adorable, charming, should I actually say it?…sweet story about those who do for so many being able to finally find not only their own voice, but realizing you must be able to take care of yourself before you can attempt to take on those you love so much.

Thank you #NetGalley #Berkley #RachelLinden #ASprinkleofSweetSerendipity for the advance copy.

Amazon.com: A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity: 9780593816660: Linden, Rachel: Books

A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity | Goodreads

The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick

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The Time Hop Coffee Shop is an uplifting dare I say magical, imaginative story! For those of us who wonder or perhaps wish their lives could be different or they had made other decisions years ago, a character actually gets that chance. What if we could get go back? Would we take it? This wonderful novel will give you a glimpse at someone who gets the chance in this truly delightful novel!

Gerta Perks is an actress a bit past her prime. Her whole family including her teenage daughter are famous for their Maple Gold coffee commercials which actually chronicled their lives together. But for years there have been no family commercials and Gerta’s acting career has faltered. Her daughter who Gerta knows is a good actress will have nothing to do with the industry and that seems to be what the two of them fight about each day. And her husband, who still gets worked has moved out of their house so they can make the decision whether to stay married or not. In other words, her life is falling apart.

One day as Gerta once again has failed at her attempt to get her career started again, she finds a flyer on a sidewalk with a bunny logo. It’s directions to a coffee shop she has never heard of. She ends up going. As the owner explains she blends special brews for each client, you drink the coffee and make a wish.

Gerta decides to make the wish that life go back to being simple again when they were just a happy family living together and enjoying each other. Just like the time years ago when they were making Maple Gold commercials.

And just like that, she wakes up in a town called Mapleville where it is always sunny, everyone is friendly and everyone is happy. Oh, and everyone drinks a lot of coffee! As she begins to enjoy her time in Mapleville and to make friends, she hates the fact that she must go back to her reality.

Gerta wants to stay in Mapleville but realizes it’s not her life, but someone else’s. When she gets back to her real life, things seem to be getting worse. More fighting with her daughter and she feels her husband slipping further away.

Now she is given one more chance. Should she stay in Mapleville or stay and fight for the family she is barely hanging on to?

The Time Hop Coffee Shop is an exceptional read with so many lessons to be learned all the while rooting for a family who seems to be coming apart at the seams. There is also an incredible mystery element which I certainly did not see coming!

Park Row

The Time Hop Coffee Shop: A Novel – A Charming Magical Realism Story of Second Chances and New Beginnings: Patrick, Phaedra: 9780778310907: Amazon.com: Books

The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick | Goodreads

The Kindness of Strangers by Emma Garman

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The Kindness of Strangers is a very unique psychological thriller. The story, filled with dark secrets and perfectly imperfect characters takes the reader on an incredible journey as this group of boarders must somehow keep secrets and protect each other all while each of their lives seems to be falling apart. But when the skeletons in the closet begin to appear, no one is safe.

One night a man knocks on the door of Honor Wilson’s home which is also a boarding house. She pales when she sees Jimmy Sullivan standing there. Why? But she informs the other boarders he will be moving into the house.

The boarders, Robbie, a writer, separated from his wife, Saul, an older man who is a poet whose wife and daughter were killed, Mina, a seventeen-year-old who works very hard and wants to somehow become someone, and George, who comes from wealthy parents and is a female model among other things. They have lived side by side but hardly knew each other very well.

Until Jimmy Sullivan seems to insert himself into all their lives. And then they must act.

This story is juicy and filled with twists and turns and surprises no one could ever imagine. And when the police become involved that will be the glue the boarders will need to keep them together forever.

The Kindness of Strangers has heart-palpitating scenes, horrible revelations, but through it all a group of strangers become family in the only way they are able to protect each other and survive.

Thank you #NetGalley #S&S/SummitBooks #EmmaGarman #TheKindnessofStrangers for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: The Kindness of Strangers: A Novel: 9781668222546: Garman, Emma: Books

The Kindness of Strangers | Goodreads

Take Me with You by Steven Rowley

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Take Me with You is such a beautiful story about how sometimes spouses, siblings and family can get lost in all the minutia life throws at them and forget that once upon a time before life became difficult, it was the strength of leaning on those who we love which can somehow help solve any problems. But sometimes it just might take a problem out of this world to put life back into perspective.

Jesse is a college professor and Norman an architect. Married, they met and fell in love over thirty years ago. Norman is a bit older than Jesse. Married and living in Joshua Tree they seem to have gotten into a rut. Both are bored, snippy and a bit sarcastic towards each other. And Jesse is now beginning to feel Norman’s age from all those years ago.

And then Norman leaves.

In the most peculiar way. One night Jesse wakes up to find Norman in the backyard staring up at a bright light. Jesse yells to Norman to not go. But Norman looks back at Jesse and goes into the light leaving Jesse alone.

Bewildered and knowing he can’t tell anyone what he saw as they would put him in a hospital, he must now handle all the responsibility in their lives as he waits and hopes for Norman’s return. In the meantime, Norman’s sister Lally a flight attendant comes around not only looking for Norman, but also to ask them for a favor. As Jesse tries to hide the fact that Norman is clearly nowhere to be found, he begins to become angrier at Norman for going to…well he doesn’t know.

Jesse begins to change while he waits for Norman’s (hopeful) return. He becomes friends with their neighbor who lives in a camper, gets close to the students in his class and in his own way begins to search for answers as to where and why Norman left. Oh, and he begins to dig up his backyard.

As time goes by and chaos ensues Jesse misses Norman but realizes life must go on. And so, it does until the inevitable happens. What is it that happens? Well, you must read this extraordinary story, Take Me with You to discover how sometimes the secrets to happiness and love and forgiving may be closer than a light year away.

Thank you #NetGalley #GPPutnam’sSons #StevenRowley #TakeMewithYou for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: Take Me with You: 9780593851494: Rowley, Steven: Books

Edit Review – Take Me With You | Goodreads

The Shippers by Katherine Center

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Katherine Center has gone overboard with her latest romance novel, The Shippers. Wildly funny, sensitive and adorably swoony this is a beach read like no other. You will want to devour this satisfying feel-good story.

It’s JoJo Burton’s wedding day. It is unfortunately not the wedding of her dreams as it was taken over by her fiancĂ©’s mother. Even the wedding dress she is wearing and seems to be allergic to was his mother’s. She suddenly sees her best friend from childhood Connor standing in the back. First, he had RSVP’d no to the wedding and second thank goodness he’s here!

Connor left JoJo four years ago without even saying goodbye to move to London and she has not heard from him since even though she tried to get in touch with him at the beginning. But, he’s here now and she needs advice. He happily gives her tips on how to stop a wedding.

Then he disappears… again.

Flashforward to her sister’s wedding weeks later on a cruise ship no less, where after discussing JoJo’s first kiss ever with a boy named Finn, at the age of six, her sister convinces her that’s why she can’t find her true love. Because she’s comparing everyone to her first kiss. So now, they have hatched a plan that while on the wedding cruise to work very hard to get JoJo and Finn together.

Then Connor shows up for this wedding cruise! He is adamant JoJo stay away from Finn. But she soon convinces him to come on board with the plan. He agrees but thinks this is a terrible idea and something is bound to go wrong. JoJo’s response…what could ever go wrong?

Needless to say, hilarity ensues as well as heartwarming discussions, life lessons, people hooking up left and right, and of course, misunderstandings.

The Shippers will keep you smiling so much that your face will hurt. It’s quite the tangled web, but so moving and lovely and cheerful! Take a chance and dive into this charming novel!

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #KatherineCenter #TheShippers for the advanced copy.

The Shippers: A Novel: Center, Katherine: 9781250408051: Amazon.com: Books

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment by Delilah S. Dawson

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It Will Only Hurt for a Moment is a can’t put down thriller with many twists and turns. Part psychological drama, part mysterious history the story will come together with an explosive ending no one will see coming. What starts out as a story about a woman trying to reclaim her life after she leaves her boyfriend, turns into some being fascinatingly eerie and ghostly.

Sarah Carpenter is on the run. She’s finally gotten the courage to leave her abusive boyfriend. With a mother who could care less about her and friends her boyfriend made sure she distanced herself from, Sarah has no one to help her. But she discovers an artist retreat called Tranquil Falls in Georgia. A pottery maker by trade until he met her boyfriend, she decides this would be the best place for her since he would never be able to find her. With no cell service, and deep in the woods, she will be able to not only hide for the next weeks but get her creative juices flowing again. Until she opens the door to her cottage and discovers a dead possum on the bed!

Although there is an old 1900’s dilapidated hotel on grounds, that is the one place no one is allowed. So strict are the owners of the retreat if found breaking this rule you must immediately leave. Of course, this piques all the artist’s interest, especially the photographer who has enrolled.

She, of course is not the only resident at the retreat. There is a young boy who is a musician, a calligrapher, a maker of stained-glass artifacts, a sculptor and a metalsmith. What an incredibly diverse group. Sarah can’t wait for them to all get to know each other. But it seems they are all carrying some kind of baggage.

But it is only when Sarah discovers a century old casket with a dead woman inside deep in the woods that it seems all their worlds begin to change. Sarah begins to find nails from the coffin in strange places. And she thinks the dead woman could be associated with the hotel.

After the discovery, strange occurrences begin to happen. Sarah begins to have vivid dreams at night, and the main character is a woman who seems to be trapped in some sort of institute. The young musician is found sleepwalking in the hotel where he seems to be endlessly playing the piano. One by one the artists seem to become affected.

Sarah along with Ingrid the photographer decides to break the rules and visit the hotel. The hotel is not very tranquil at all but seems dark and evil. What is going on at this artist colony? What happened at the hotel? And who is this woman who keeps visiting Sarah while she sleeps.

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment is an intense haunting story which will have you reading well into the night, (if you dare), as somehow the past merges with the present and no one is safe from the wrath and/or anger which seems to have bubbled up to the surface.

Thank you #NetGalley #DelRay #DelilahS.Dawson #ItWillOnlyHurtforaMoment for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: It Will Only Hurt for a Moment: A Novel: 9780593156674: Dawson, Delilah S.: Books

Edit Review – It Will Only Hurt for a Moment | Goodreads

The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

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Put your tennis gear on and enter the poshest social club in the 1950’s, The Island Club. The story will not disappoint and the characters lovingly damaged. With a feel of “back in day” the story revolves around three women whose lives begin to fall apart in very different ways. One, in her marriage, one in her wealth status and the last an embarrassing secret she has kept for decades which is about to be exposed. And the gossip…oh my goodness!

The Island Club is the place to be and be seen on Balboa Island in California. It’s all about the status. Anyone who is anyone is a member. There is pool life, dinner life and even tennis life played mostly by men. But of course, everyone wants to know everyone’s business! People go there to play tennis, swim, eat and learn all the chatter!

So, when Milly Kinkaid began to feel her marriage slipping away, she decided the family needed to move away from Hollywood where her husband worked and where all the beautiful women there seduced them. She honestly thought Balboa Island would fix all their problems. But unfortunately, her husband Lloyd still was staying in Hollywood, and she was now in Balboa Island alone with their two young children. So, she decides on her own, something very unlike any woman of the time, to sign the family up as members of The Island Club. She also decides to take tennis lessons. Lloyd is not happy.

Sylvia Johnson and her husband Walter own the fancy, enviable Island Club. The Club does well and with their investments they have more money than they know what to do with. They are the envy of all the members as well as residence on Balboa Island. Until something happens which not only puts their lifestyle into jeopardy, but also their life savings. As their lives begin to fall apart Sylvia knows she must step up and figure out what in the world to do before they lose the Club.

Resident of Balboa Island, Adele Lambert just wants to be left alone. Her past a humiliation she has never recovered from she moved to Balboa to disappear. She rarely goes out, only to her small job, or to her garden and she will sometimes hit a tennis ball in her backyard at the dilapidated unoccupied house next to hers. Suddenly Adele finds herself in a new position but with that position comes the possibility of her past and present merging. And then her worst nightmare comes true.

Three women from different walks of life with very different problems begin to become friends. With that friendship a bond is formed. With that friendship each are given strength and courage they never in their wildest dreams thought they would ever have. They also work together to help each other and become a power to reckon with.

Enter The Island Club at your own risk and you will discover an amazing story, not only of a particular lifestyle, but deep dark secrets with many twists and turns and three women you will begin to root for as they try and make better lives for themselves and their families, they love dearly.

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #NicolaHarrison #TheIslandClub for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: The Island Club: A Novel: 9781250277404: Harrison, Nicola: Books

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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You will absolutely fall in love with Ms. Mebel, a sixty something woman in the prime of her life, even though she doesn’t know it yet in this empowering, imaginative and very funny story.

You see, Ms. Mebel is married but has been sheltered most of her life. Her husband, very rich…not her it seems but him… has pampered her with anything and everything her little heart has desired. Designer clothes, shoes, fancy restaurants and let’s not forget the jewelry! But Mebel expects it because that is how it is in their culture which is Chinese Indonesian. The husband takes care of the family. Until…

Said husband decides to fall in love with their very young chef who cooks for them and asks her for a divorce. Excuse me? Mebel is the only trophy wife in this forty-year marriage. But he has made up his mind.

Angry, embarrassed and lost, Mabel against her sons wishes, who feels she should just divorce his father, decides to fix the situation. She will win back Henk, her husband by going to a prominent culinary school in England. So what if she can’t cook. She will learn, he will fall madly in love again with her and dump trophy wife number two!

Mabel applies and gets into the school. She along with her beautiful jewelry, clothes and shoes schlep to the school. It’s….not what she thought it would be. It’s in a small village near Oxford not at Oxford which seems to be the first mistake. But she is determined.

The oldest student in the bunch, Mabel begins her experience by trying to pull her privilege card. Unfortunately, that does not seem to work with the other students, or the teacher.

As Mabel begins to understand how her young classmates seem to be determined to succeed, she herself with their help starts to appreciate them as well as herself. The better she does the more confidence she seems to exude. She becomes the other students’ advisor on life and problems, something she was never asked to do her whole life.

Mebel will begin to learn and understand how people can seem one way and be another. She becomes good at cooking and communicating (for the most part) with others. And she begins to grow in so many other ways. For herself, but for others as well. She now is determined to succeed not for anyone else but Mebel. Well, maybe for her family also whom she begins to understand in a way she never had.

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block is such a humorous special story, in which there are so many lessons to be learned. You can change not matter what your age. You can absolutely do whatever you set your mind to. And it’s never too late to learn about love and humanity. A trophy wife? Well, I don’t think so!

Thank you #NetGalley #Berkley #JesseQ.Sutanto #Ms.MebelGoesBacktotheChoppingBlock for the advanced copy.

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block: Sutanto, Jesse Q.: 9780593953051: Amazon.com: Books

Edit Review – Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block | Goodreads

This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone by Catherine Mack

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This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone is the third in Mack’s vacation mystery series. Mack is also known for her thrillers under the name Catherine Mckenzie. This story is once again a very funny murder mystery where we follow our beloved heroine (but for some reason always wanting to be killed) author Eleanor Dash as she takes us along for the ride as she tries to get in a vacation with boyfriend Oliver and her sister/assistant Harper while at a book conference in the Bahamas.

But a death quickly occurs even before Eleanor opens the door to her room as she discovers a dead body in said room! As Eleanor tells the story to the reader with her exceptional wit, humor and footnotes, we will soon discover the death was not a suicide as first thought, but a murder. Shocking I know!

Eleanor who has a book coming out soon had been invited to the book conference to give a few lectures and figured she could use a little bit of a rest…I guess not because as the authors, agents and others assemble she discovers the cast of characters are similar to those in her previous books…I mean life. Crazy Cathy is there as well as her nemesis Connor Smith and even our favorite Italian detective makes an appearance. But unfortunately, a few people Eleanor has ticked off through the years.

As the clues begin to show themselves, we soon discover that someone is trying to kill Eleanor. Again. But for what reason now? As Eleanor and Oliver delve deeper into the suspects and their relationship, they soon discover they are all keeping secrets and they are not particularly good ones.

Will she figure out who is trying to kill her or will this be her last book conference ever! Also, guess how many murders are in this book!

This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone is not only hilarious, with terrific sarcastic characters but Mack actually incorporates great information into the story on how to actually write a mystery thriller. Which as I have mentioned was what Eleanor was actually there to do. The story and clues are exceptional, and the ending is very Agatha Christie surprising!

Thank you #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #CatherineMack #ThisWeekendDoesn’tEndWellforAnyone for the advanced copy.

This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone: A Novel (The Vacation Mysteries, 3): Mack, Catherine: 9781250326164: Amazon.com: Books

Lisa Leone-campbell’s review of This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone: A Novel | Goodreads