Tag: book-reviews

This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman

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This is Not About Us is heartbreaking, uplifting, funny yet painful and sadly, extremely relatable. The story explores the aftermath of a family member’s death and how others cope with their sorrow, some learning and adjusting, others unable to move on or forgive. I bet no one reading this paragraph cannot somehow relate to this family’s situation. This story is powerful.

As the book opens, we discover that one of three sisters, Jeanne is in the hospital dying. We hear her thoughts on other members of the family as well as what she thinks of her two sisters, Syliva and Helen. She can’t let go because she worries. Finally, she lets go not knowing what the future holds for those left behind.

But immediately something goes terribly wrong. Slyvia and Helen have an argument. It was caused by an apple cake. As other members of the family try and get them to understand it’s not really about the cake, both stubborn, they refuse and stop speaking, leaving all those in both families shaken and of course having to take unwanted sides.

As life goes on within the families, we see vignettes through chapters of those caught in the middle as they live life. We hear their thoughts, see their tragedies, feel their divorces, insecurities, worries and troubles. But we also see the good. How they pick themselves up, finally, how they move on, and how worries actually become proud moments. They all seem to look back at Jeanne’s passing in different ways. Except of course for Sylvia and Helen, who just like Jeanne in her last moments, can’t let go. But all their lives move on in different ways, and both families even come together when there is joy. Of course, the death of Jeanne was not the only death of sorts they have all had to deal with throughout the next few years.

This is Not About Us is a poignant forceful relatable story told with humor, sadness but most importantly, with love. Which of course we all can understand.

Thank you #NetGalley #TheDialPress #AllegraGoodman #ThisisNotAboutUs for the advanced copy.

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

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Steve Cavanagh is back with his ever-evolving main character Eddie Flynn in a cat and mouse murder mystery with dirty cops, a corrupt prosecutor and a very unstable woman. With so many dark secrets just waiting to be found out, this is truly a can’t stop-won’t stop can’t put down book.

It all starts with Ruby Johnson who is a maid and nanny in a posh Manhattan area. Ruby and her parents were once residence themselves on this same street until they lost it all. Now, thanks to the neighbors who knew her story, she is hired to clean houses and take care of children and then goes home to a small apartment to take care of her ailing mother.

One night as she is walking home, Ruby witnesses a murder in one of these fancy houses. Someone is shot to death. She knows who died. Ruby decides to keep what she knows a secret. You see nobody ever really notices Ruby even when she is in a room with them. Except for the red man in the painting in one of the houses, she works at. He knows her and talks to her.

Meanwhile lawyer, ex-con artist Eddie Flynn tries a slam dunk case in which a few people are not very happy that he won. But he is asked to take the case of John Jackson, the man who allegedly shot and killed the woman in the upper Manhattan area. Unfortunately for Jackson someone called in a tip and the police found the gun in his closet with his fingerprints. Coincidentally he lives across the street from the woman who was killed with his wife and son.

As for Eddie, unfortunately, some people did not like the decision of the case he just tried, and they decide to put a hit on him. So now he is navigating not being killed and trying to get a client not put away for killing someone. Oh, and trying hard not to be seen!

But his ace team is behind him trying to discover who the hitman is and how to correct the situation. As for alleged murderer Jackson, well, all he can do is hope and pray this lawyer will figure out why he was targeted as the killer. Then the trial begins… With so many moving parts and criminals in the area coming out of the woodwork, everyone just hopes this will not be Eddie’s last case.

Witness 8 is masterful in the art of surprise, shock and an I did not see that coming ending. But it also has great, funny dialogue, heart and clever clues. Such a great read!

Thank you #NetGalley #AtriaBooks #SteveCavanagh #Witness8 for the advanced copy,

Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan

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When two famous writers from different artistic arenas come together you are excited to see what blossoms from both of their imaginary minds. Remain is an extraordinary supernatural love story, shocker and mystery all rolled into one exciting read.

Tate Donovan, an architect, has just been released from a psychiatric hospital. Deeply depressed by the passing of his beloved sister, and encouraged by his best friend Oscar, he had checked himself in. Now, finally set free and feeling better he is headed to Cape Cod to repay his friend. He is set to help build the summer house of his friend’s dreams.

As he settles into the bed and breakfast he will be staying at, he meets a beautiful woman named Wren, the owner of the property. As they get to know each other, they discover not only do they have much in common, but they like each other. Tate has never felt this way about any woman he has dated. He is pulled to her in a way he can’t describe. But Wren has a few secrets which Tate needs to figure out. He knows someone hurt her and wants to discover why. And how.

Thus begins a love story for the ages, a haunting mystery and an amazing thriller. It’s a story of insights which needed to be learned, secrets which needed to be exposed, heartbreak and moving on from one’s past.

Remain is a beautiful dark love story, an incredibly imaginative tale which merges genres you can’t imagine ever would be able to come together, but yet when all is said and done is astonishing!

Remain is going to be a motion picture directed of course, by M. Night Shyamalan!

Published by Random House

The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia

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Jessie Garcia, author of The Business Trip has once again written a spellbinding, can’t put down twisted thriller. A who-dun-it with many suspects, all with dark secrets themselves with a wife, husband and niece who try and discreetly solve a murder.

Faith Richards is “the” Detroit television meteorologist. She has a huge fan base, a Facebook page with many followers and her fans even buy jewelry which she wears on air depending on the weather forecast. Needless to say, known as the Fair Weather Friend to her fans she is adored. But unfortunately, not so much at the television station she where she works.

So, when Faith disappears while on her dinner break between broadcasts, everyone at the station is extremely concerned. Then sadly, her body is found the next morning. Who would do this to everybody’s favorite meteorologist? Well, unfortunately, it seems, a few people who work at the station and a few others Faith has deceived in the past. They include:

Tom a co-worker who knows too much about Faith, Linda a producer who doesn’t care for Faith, Matthew the weekend meteorologist who feels he should have been promoted to the weekday spot instead of hiring Faith, Steve, a stalker, Kelly a former college friend of Faith who knows some of Faith’s past dirty secrets.

But fear not! We have super fan Carol, her husband Jim and their niece Olivia who is an intern at the station and was the last person to see Faith alive. They too are on the case along with the police.

But the true question is which one killed Faith and why?

The Fair Weather Friend is a gripping story with surprising secrets, disturbed characters, and of course in Jessie Garcia style a very twisted ending! Watch out…you may never look at your favorite weather person the same!

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #JessicaGarcia #TheFairWeatherFriend for the advanced copy.

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The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed

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The Matchmaker is an incredibly creative thriller with of course a love story sprinkled into this startling story. It’s imaginative plot, with a strong woman at the helm will keep you invested as we begin to learn (as she does) some dark secrets which were hidden from her. But this matchmaker will meet her own match when she discovers someone for some reason wants her dead!

Nura Khan is a third-generation matchmaker just as her grandmother and mother had been. She runs the business with her sister but make no mistake Nura has been the one who made it successful. She runs a very tight ship and has no problem telling a potential client they are not a fit for her agency.

But when one of the matches ends up falling apart on the day of the wedding, Nura can’t believe it was the agency’s fault. She’s not only confused but embarrassed. At the same time her best friend Azur who is her pretend fiancé at these weddings finds a real girlfriend much to her dismay.

Then another couple they matched has an even worse situation on their wedding day and now the agency begins to fall apart. And Nura starts to receive threats. Someone was able to break into her house. Someone is clearly watching her. Who’s trying to take her down and why?

But unfortunately for Nura this is only the beginning of what might be the end of her career when she learns some devastating family secrets. Then this stalker decides it’s time to kill her. Who has it out for Nura? A former client? A journalist who seems to know where she is at all times?

The Matchmaker is an enjoyable journey into mystery and suspense with a bit of romance and a great deal of danger. The race to the end is heart-stopping! You’ll never guess who Nura’s deadly match turns out to be!

Thank you #NetGalley #Bantam #AishaSaeed #TheMatchmaker for the advanced copy.

The Last Session by Julia Bartz

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The Last Session is quite a compelling psychological thriller with an incredible mystery which will have you compulsively reading! Not knowing who the good guys are and not trusting anyone, the story scans the past and present and then intertwines them leading to a jaw-dropping ending.

Thea is a social worker in a psychiatric unit. Her choice of career, twofold as she herself grew up with insecurity, bullying and intimacy issues.

But when a young woman shows up in a catatonic state Thea believes she may know but can’t place her Thea’s life as she knows it will change forever.

Through investigation Thea realizes the woman is an actress from a movie from years ago which had a cult-like following, including by herself. Thea wants to talk to her about her life and try and figure out how she got to the unit, but unfortunately the minute the woman wakes up her parents come to discharge her and whisk her away.

But Thea believes the woman left her clues before she left…was it to help her out of a bad situation? As she follows the pieces of the puzzle, she comes across a podcast which then changes her perspective on everything. She now feels the woman could be in danger and needs her help.

Thea decides to go to a retreat in New Mexico which is being run by a very strange couple. The retreat is for people who have intimacy issues. She can’t understand what the woman’s connection could possibly be to this couple or this sanctuary?

Forced to pretend, she soon discovers there is more going on than trying to help those with personal problems. It seems there are missing people, including the woman from the movie, and many dark secrets amongst the staff.

What will soon be discovered is the couple running the retreat are not who they say they are and Thea will become the next victim of their obsession. She realizes they will do anything to keep her there. She knows too much. And time is running out. And she’s learned she can’t trust anyone. Will she make it out alive?

The Last Session is a juicy exciting story in which you will not be able to tell who is helping or who wants Thea dead. Nor will you understand the incredible reason why until the last session!

Thank you #NetGalley #Atria/EmilyBestlerBooks #JuliaBartz #TheLastSession for the advance copy. 






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The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gimore
	


	

							

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Yes, I know…I am reading last year’s favorite cozy a little late, but…I finally got around to the first in the series and I must say this is a cozy, charming, funny, mystery with some pizzazz!





When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, it could not have come at a better time! After living in Boston for several years working in a corporate office well, let’s just say she needs a break!





Although Jeanie has no idea how to run a cafe, she feels she can get us to speed pretty easy.  That was her first mistake.  Her second was opening the back door of the cafe when she heard noises where she discovered a man with muscles and many pumpkins in his hands standing there.  This is farmer Logan who supplies the cafe with items from his farm.





Needless to say they get off on the wrong foot.  But both seem to be interested in the other but too shy to even think it to themselves.





But Jeanie has other problems…someone is trying to sabotage her cafe. But why? This town, Dream Harbor is close knit with very quirky residence, but no one seems dangerous. What she has discovered is most of them are way too kind. It’s a place where everyone knows everyone’s business and is not afraid to butt in! It’s also a place where it seems dreams are meant to come true…usually.





The Pumpkin Spice Cafe is adorable. It’s an easy quick read in which you will continually have a smile on your face. It’s a heck of a feel-good story in a town you wish you could live in and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next!





Published by Harper Collins










		


			
		
	






	
	

		
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
	


	

							

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The List of Suspicious Things is an unforgettable, tragic story with a serial killer, two twelve-year-old girls and a small town frantic to figure out who the murderer is and why. But the story is so much more. It encapsulates how people who are different are treated, grief, mental illness and determination. And of course, the shocking discovery of just who the killer is. But by the end of the story and the damage to the mystery has caused to some of the innocent is palpable.





Twelve-year-old Miv and her best (and only) friend Sharon have decided to try and investigate who is killing women in their town.  Miv needs to find out as her father has just told her they may be moving to another town.  With Miv’s mother who does nothing but stay in her room, not speaking to anyone and then getting shuttled off for months at a time to somewhere, Miv has no idea where to, she cannot and will not accept the move.





So, she and Sharon devise a plan to look at the local men and write down reasons they feel they may be the killer.  Unfortunately, they have many on their list. As they begin to investigate Miv is much more determined to find the killer.  Sharon just wants to be with Miv and be her listener.





As they gather information, what they discover is there is much more going on in this small town than just having a serial killer amongst them.  They will learn people who are innocent of everything can be found guilty just by the color of their skin.  They will also learn some married couples have deep dark secrets which they desperately try to hide.  And they will also learn that evil is not that far away from them.





Their lives will be changed forever as the danger intensifies, but Miv will try to help those who can’t help themselves, and try and put a murderer, yet unknown in jail.





The List of Suspicious Things is a thriller but also explores many different types of characters and their deep flaws as well as loss, grief and humanity. In the end, this story has so many lessons which the reader needs to see and understand in order to discover who and why the characters do what they do. The ending, bittersweet…





Thank you #NetGalley #SourcebooksLandmark #JennieGodfrey #TheListofSuspicousThings for the advanced copy.





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Where Secrets Stay by CherAnn Wright
	


	

							

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Where Secrets Stay, which is based on real events, is an unexpected, chilling, incredible psychological thriller in which we have a missing young girl, a very dysfunctional family, murders, hidden items and dark secrets. As the mysteries unfold, the reader will hardly be able to fathom the intricate weavings of an incredible plot.





When Kevan comes back home to bury her grandmother, the memories of her abusive childhood and fear return. If it wasn’t for her grandmother, she would not be the woman she has become and would still be living rotting in this small town. Her grandmother was Kevan’s only lifeline to normalcy.





As she and her friend Beth try to sort out her grandmother’s items, there is an old key which for some reason jolts some sort of memory. What the key’s meaning holds is not only something which may perhaps open a door but open a pandora’s box of clues with dark hidden memories.





Nathan has come back home as well.  He is here to help his mother’s best friend take care of her place.  But this visit is bittersweet for him.  His young sister went missing years ago.  She went out for a walk and just vanished without a trace.  Coming back has made Nathan decide that he will once again try and discover what happened to his little sister all those years ago.





Incredibly, Kevan and Nathan’s worlds will come crashing down around them and then mysteriously collide when they separately find a dilapidated house in the woods with secrets which will change both their lives forever.





Filled with mystery, murder and suspense, Where Secrets Stay will grab you from the very first page, and keep you guessing as the past suddenly meets the present and all the answers come to light.





Thank you #NetGalley #SleuthingSlothPress #CherAnnWright #WhereSecretsStay for the advanced copy.










		


			
		
	






	
	

		
The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber
	


	

							

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Get cozy, sip a cup of something and begin to read The Forget-Me-Not Library the latest book by the magical, wonderful Heather Webber. The story, uplifting and comforting, tells the tale of a town, if you are honored to be drawn there, who will know exactly what you are looking for, even if you don’t have a clue. Along the way, you will meet very special people who will become your friends and whom you will cherish forever.





Julie Nightingale is a school nurse from Alabama who has decided to take a road trip to try and figure out her life. Lost in so many ways especially about her grandfather who recently was tragically killed and whom she feels responsible for being unable to help him is searching…for what? she has no clue. So, when her car breaks down suddenly in a small town called Forget Me Not, she just wants to get her car fixed and move on. But the town has other ideas.





Julie meets Tallulah Byrd Mayfield and her children.  Tallulah works at the Forget Me Not Library.  Recently divorced, she and her two very young children now live with her grandfather.  She is trying her best to keep everything together, work a full-time job, and take care of her family. 





As Julie waits for the part for her car to come in, she and Tallulah begin to get close as Julie watches her children, takes them to the library and even begins to volunteer. Julie also begins to learn all about the mysterious Forget Me Not town. She starts to meet some of the very eccentric townspeople and well, starts to actually feel as if she is healing. How can that be?





But that’s the magic of The Forget Me Not town and yes, there is a lure that their Library and who resides there is “special” as well.





Is it truly possible that a town can heal heartbreak? And fear? And panic?





Well, in the end, it’s truly the people who open their arms and embrace those who need love and care to try and make them whole again, but there truly is something which draws the lost to the town in order to have them find exactly what they are looking for, and even more. For some, they will never leave while others will get what they need and move on.





The Forget-Me-Not Library is an enjoyable, wonderful feel-good read with so much heart and soul and love and mystery.





Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #HeatherWebber #TheForget-Me-NotLibary for the advanced copy.