This Won’t End Well by Camille Pagan is so funny and witty. Camille is a clever author whose writing style flows well and she always writes engaging stories. I will read anything and everything she writes! My favorite book of hers is Life and Other Near-Death Experiences.
Here’s the scoop:
No new people: that’s Annie Mercer’s vow. It’s bad enough that her boss sabotaged her chemistry career and her best friend tried to cure her with crystals. But after her fiancé, Jon, asks for space while he’s gallivanting around Paris, Annie decides she needs space too—from everyone.
Yet when Harper moves in next door, Annie can’t help but train a watchful eye on the glamorous but fragile young woman. And if keeping Harper safe requires teaming up with Mo, a maddeningly optimistic amateur detective, who is she to mind her own business?
Soon Annie has let not one but two new people into her life. Then Jon reappears—and he wants her to join him in France. She’s pretty sure letting anyone get close won’t end well. So she must decide: Is another shot at happiness worth the risk?
If you are looking for a book that will whisk you away from real life and leave you feeling pretty positive and happy then this is the book for you. I love books like this in-between heavier reads!
Out on February 25
An author to keep your eye on! The Second Home by Christina Clancy is a beautifully written book told from multiple points of view. I predict this will be the book club pick for at least one major book club (Reese’s book club or maybe Read With Jenna?). This will be ideal summer reading as it comes out late spring/early summer. Its books like this which make me want to step up my writing game!
Synopsis:
After a disastrous summer spent at her family’s summer home on Cape Cod, seventeen-year-old Ann Gordon is left harboring a secret that changes her life forever, and creates a rift between her sister, Poppy, and their adopted brother, Michael.
Now, fifteen years later, her parents have died, and Ann and her sister Poppy are left to decide the fate of the old Wellfleet home that’s been in the Gordon family for generations. While they both love the house, they decide to sell it and move forward. But then Michael re-enters their lives with a legitimate claim to a third of the estate. He wants the house. But more than that, he wants to set the record straight about that long-ago summer.
Reunited after years apart, these very different siblings are forced to decide if they can continue to be a family–and in the process, they’ll discover that the house might be the glue that holds them together.
What a gifted storyteller Christina Clancy is! Im already looking forward to her future books.
June 2, 2020
Thrillers and suspense are my favorites! So when I saw the premise for The Secret Sister by KA Clarke and AJ Brittany, I knew I had to get this one! Can you imagine learning that you have a sister that you had no idea existed? Would you be happy or nervous or anxious? I think Id be in complete shock!
Synopsis:
Can you trust a sister who is a stranger? Ella Matthews has it all. A beautiful house, a charming husband and a precious baby daughter – her life has pretty much turned out exactly as she planned.
But when Ella’s mother tragically dies, her perfect life starts to crack. Her mother had been harbouring a life-long secret. Ella has a sister – an older sister – called Colleen.
Excited by the thought of no-longer being an only child, Ella can’t wait to find her. But Colleen has a whirlwind past of her own. Desperate to escape her troubles, she is ready to go to any length to start afresh.
As their paths collide, someone is keeping secrets… and when Colleen mysteriously disappears without notice, Ella can’t help but question if she should have started looking for her at all…
Such a fantastic premise for a story and this was a well written, fun ride of a thriller! Highly recommended!
Get it right now for only $2.99!
I like learning about history and have more of an interest in it now than when I was younger and in school, having to read and memorize people and dates! During a trip to Dover Castle last year, we visited the underground tunnels where Churchill secretly held meetings during World War II. Its amazing how history comes to life when you can see something up close like where Churchill worked and where the battle of Dunkirk was planned.
If you ever go to Dover, England, be sure to visit Dover Castle and the tunnels underneath! Europe has such a fascinating history and I hope to visit again and learn more.
But I digress!
Take a look at The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson which is coming out next month!
“Mine is a more intimate account that delves into how Churchill and his circle went about surviving on a daily basis: the dark moments and the light, the romantic entanglements and debacles, the sorrows and laughter, and the odd little episodes that reveal how life was really lived under Hitler’s tempest of steel.” –Erik Larson
On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally—and willing to fight to the end.
In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people “the art of being fearless.” It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it’s also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London. Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports—some released only recently—Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their youngest daughter, Mary, who chafes against her parents’ wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; Pamela’s illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill’s “Secret Circle,” to whom he turns in the hardest moments.
This is an incredible non-fiction book and offers so much detail that I encourage you to set aside plenty of time to really drink this in! History buffs will absolutely want to get their hands on this amazing book. Prediction- it will be a best-seller!
The Stranger’s Wife by Anna Lou Weatherley is a gripping story that captured my attention from the very first page. It’s easy to get into this book because it starts with a bang. I’m halfway through it right now and loving it. I think I know what’s going to happen but I’m probably wrong and that’s the direction a suspense book should take you!
This is a story about two very different women.
One is wealthy and having an affair with a man who gives her the kind of love that her cold, detached husband does not.One is living hand to mouth, suffering at the hands of a violent partner who would rather see her dead than leave him.
You may think you know these women already and how their lives will unfold.Beth will live happily ever after with her little girl and her soulmate. Cath will go back to her abusive husband. And these two women will never cross paths.
But you will be wrong.
On the 3.15pm train from London to Bristol, Beth and Cath are about to meet and discover they share one shocking thing in common.
It’s a beautiful day outside right now but I want to be in the house reading this book!
99 cents on Kindle, get it right now!
SO GOOD. Every single thriller and suspense fan will want to read this, and you need to! The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale was just as wonderful as I hoped. I heard about this author on Instagram and was so happy and grateful and excited to read this book. I was not disappointed!
With suspenseful chapters that leave you breathless, you will read this in one sitting. I love a kind of cat-and-mouse type story like this.
Synopsis:
Any woman who’s ever been involved with a bad, bad man and been dumped will understand what it feels like to be broken, broken-hearted and bent on revenge. Taylor Bishop is hurt, angry and wants to destroy Angus Hollingsworth in the way he destroyed her: Insidiously. Irreparably. Like a puzzle, he’d slowly dissembled … stolen a couple of pieces from, and then discarded, knowing that nobody would ever be able to put it back together ever again. So Taylor consulted The Art of War and made a plan. Then she took the next step – one that would change her life forever.
Then things get really out of control – and The Sunday Girl becomes impossible to put down.
I like how Taylor took her inspiration from Sun Tzu’s classic book “The Art Of War” and used it to get revenge on Angus. But Angus is a dangerous man and things look like they are going to backfire on Taylor… I don’t want to ruin anything but trust me, you will want to get your hands on this book ASAP.
I loved this one! Get it here!
If you have been to Alaska, you know it’s a ruggedly beautiful place. And if you haven’t been, you can read Epic Solitude by Katherine Keith and imagine yourself in the wild beauty of our 49th state.
What caught my attention was the idea that Katherine heads to Alaska, not an easy place to reside, and decides to pursue dog sledding. These are not things that the average person does in their lifetime so I love the glimpse we can into Katherine’s life. I am such a huge fan of memoirs and this one is very well done.
All her life, Katherine Keith has hungered for remote, wild places that fill her soul with freedom and peace. Her travels take her across America, but it is in the vast and rugged landscape of Alaska that she finds her true home. Alaska is known as a place where people disappear–at least a couple thousand go missing each year. But the same vast and rugged landscape that contributed to so many people being lost is precisely what has gotten her found.
She and her husband build a log cabin miles away from the nearest road and create a life of love. An idyllic existence, but with isolation and brutal living conditions can also come heartbreak. Chopping wood and hauling water are not just parts of a Zen proverb but a requirement for survival. Keith experiences tragic loss and must push on, with her infant daughter, alone in the Alaskan backcountry.
Long-distance dog sledding opens a door to a new existence. Racing across the state of Alaska offers the best of all worlds by combining raw wilderness with solitude and athleticism. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the “Last Great Race on Earth,” remains a true test of character and offers the opportunity to intimately explore the frontier that she has come to love.
With every thousand miles of winter trail traversed in total solitude, she confronts challenges that awaken internal demons, summoning all the inner grief and rage that lies dormant. In the tradition of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and John Krakauer’s Into the Wild, Epic Solitude is the powerful and touching story of how one woman found her way–both despite and because of–the difficulties of living and racing in the remote wilderness.
Ahhhh, love it! A strong amazing woman and an incredible story!
Eeeek! Want a super creepy read? Then you must get your hands on The Family Next Door by Fiona Cummins.
For Sale: Lovely family home, ready for your updates. Friendly neighborhood setting close to park; secluded.
If not for the bodies discovered in the woods behind their new home, Garrick and Olivia Lockwood couldn’t have afforded to buy number 25 The Avenue. It’s the fresh start they and their two children badly need. Soon, these terrible crimes will be solved, they tell themselves, and once Garrick has remodeled, he’s confident they’ll sell the house for a profit.
But the darkest secrets can reside on quiet, ordinary streets like this–behind the doors of
well-kept houses and neighbors’ friendly faces. Secrets that can destroy a family, or savagely end a life, and will surface just when they’re least expected . . .
So much tension on these pages and the threat of a murderer on a suburban street gave me chills as I read this. Its a bit of horror so if you enjoy books that border on evil and sinister and dark, this is the one for you. As its stated in the story:“Nobody comes to The Avenue without death seeping through the gaps in their walls.”
An author to keep your eye on! Don’t Look Down by Hilary Davidson is a great book and I love the tight suspense and tension that is present on every page!
Jo Greaver is a model of success. Young and ambitious, she’s built a thriving beauty business from nothing. But she has secrets she’ll do anything to keep buried. When her blackmailer offers to meet, Jo expects to pay him off—but gets a bullet instead. Bleeding and in shock, Jo flees with no one to turn to.
When NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling and her partner, Rafael Mendoza, find Andray Baxter murdered in his own home—shot through the heart—everything points to Jo as the killer. Her blood is at the scene, and so are disturbing photos of her taken as a young teen. But Sheryn has doubts. Was the kindhearted Andray really a criminal? Why did he repeatedly report finding spyware in his apartment? Was there something shady about Jo’s sister dying a year earlier?
Something’s not right, and it’s up to Sheryn to piece together the sinister puzzle, no matter the cost.
I look forward to more from Hilary Davidson. Get it here, published on February 11!
Don’t Turn Around by Jessica Barry was a good book with a premise I enjoyed. Two strangers on the road, one is running from something and the other is driving her to place no one knows including the reader, at least not right away. The idea that these two women are on the open road at night and there’s a threat hanging over both of them, was a great idea to cast suspicion and make the reader engaged immediately!
I read the book quickly, nervous for the characters and wondering what kind of trouble they were going to get into.
The riveting follow up to Jessica Barry’s debut Freefall—a controversial, of-the-moment thriller about two women fighting for their right to live. Midnight. Cait Monaghan and Rebecca McRae are on a desolate road that slices through the New Mexican desert. They’ve never met before tonight. Both have secrets to protect. Both of their lives are in danger.
When a truck pulls up fast behind them, they assume it’s punk teenagers or run-of-the-mill road rage, but it soon becomes clear that whoever is driving the truck is hunting them for sport—and they are out to draw blood.
As the miles unspool and the dangers mount, the pasts they’ve worked so hard to keep buried have come back to haunt them. Someone wants one of them dead. But which one? And given the lives the two women have been leading, that someone could be almost anyone.
If Cait and Rebecca are going to survive, they’ll have to learn to trust one another—and themselves. But trust is a costly business, and they’ve both paid the price before. . . .
I have Freefall, the author’s first book, on my ipad, ready to read- did you read it? I’m sure she’s going to gain a ton of new fans with this new book!
This will be published on June 2, 2020, pre-order here.
The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel was a quick read! Full of suspense, it kept me interested from beginning to end. I love how the character of Eve refuses to give up trying to find out what happened to her daughter Junie.
A million thoughts kept going through my head as I read this, wondering who hurt her daughter and why? Was someone really out to get Eve?
Set in the poorest part of the Missouri Ozarks, in a small town with big secrets, The Familiar Dark opens with a murder. Eve Taggert, desperate with grief over losing her daughter, takes it upon herself to find out the truth about what happened. Eve is no stranger to the dark side of life, having been raised by a hard-edged mother whose lessons Eve tried not to pass on to her own daughter. But Eve may need her mother’s cruel brand of strength if she’s going to face the reality about her daughter’s death and about her own true nature. Her quest for justice takes her from the seedy underbelly of town to the quiet woods and, most frighteningly, back to her mother’s trailer for a final lesson.
The Familiar Dark is a story about the bonds of family–women doing the best they can for their daughters in dire circumstances–as well as a story about how even the darkest and most terrifying of places can provide the comfort of home.
The atmosphere of the story gave it a haunting backdrop, the idea of two missing girls in this poor town is so tragic. I was nearly biting my nails, worried that Eve was going to confront horror on her own and she did- and it was as surprising and awful as I anticipated.
This will be out on March 31, 2020
AWESOME BOOK! You will definitely want to get your hands on The Girl From Widow Hills by Megan Miranda as soon as it comes out. I enjoyed this from the very first page and think you will love it too.
Take a look:
Arden Maynor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. Strangers and friends, neighbors and rescue workers, set up search parties and held vigils, praying for her safe return. Against all odds, she was found, alive, clinging to a storm drain. The girl from Widow Hills was a living miracle. Arden’s mother wrote a book. Fame followed. Fans and fan letters, creeps, and stalkers. And every year, the anniversary. It all became too much. As soon as she was old enough, Arden changed her name and disappeared from the public eye.
Now a young woman living hundreds of miles away, Arden goes by Olivia. She’s managed to stay off the radar for the last few years. But with the twentieth anniversary of her rescue approaching, the media will inevitably renew its interest in Arden. Where is she now? Soon Olivia feels like she’s being watched and begins sleepwalking again, like she did long ago, even waking outside her home. Until late one night she jolts awake in her yard. At her feet is the corpse of a man she knows—from her previous life, as Arden Maynor.
And now, the girl from Widow Hills is about to become the center of the story, once again, in this propulsive page-turner from suspense master Megan Miranda.
I like the backstory of Arden getting swept away during a horrible storm and then missing for days. Naturally, she’d have some issues and memory problems, some gaps in her mind that she can’t quite fill. Would you want to pursue missing memories? Why is she sleepwalking? And whose dead body did she just trip over?
So many questions and the answers to them are in the book. I liked the author’s writing style, the plot, the characters, how Megan built up the mystery and intrigue. I think its a brilliantly written suspense and I loved it.
Great book! Buy it here on June 23
The Dilemma by B.A. Paris cements my love for this author. To take such a dilemma and turn it into a book that I couldn’t read fast enough proves that this author is gifted. The tension is tight, there is suspense in every chapter and I was riveted by the plot.
Check out the premise:
It’s Livia’s fortieth birthday and tonight she’s having a party, a party she’s been planning for a long time. The only person missing will be her daughter, Marnie.
But Livia has a secret, a secret she’s been keeping from Adam, her husband until the party is over. Because how can she tell him that although she loves Marnie, she’s glad their daughter won’t be there to celebrate with her?
Adam is determined everything will be just right for Livia and the party is going to be perfect… until he learns something that will leave him facing an unbearable decision.
I liked how both husband and wife have secrets from each other, secrets that just cannot be exposed on Livia’s special day. But what Adam is keeping from her is so enormous, will she ever understand WHY he didn’t tell her right away? It begs the question, what would YOU, the reader, do?
I want to tell you more about this book but don’t want to ruin it. As I was reading, I really really wanted a particular outcome but I didn’t get what I hoped. It was disappointing but it needed to be done!
I can’t wait to read If She Were Dead by JP Smith which is topping my TO READ LIST right now. I’ve heard great things about the author’s novel, The Drowning and I hope to read that book at some point too.
Domestic thrillers can be such a fun genre, there is so much to be explored within the dynamics of families.
Take a look at the plot:
As bestselling novelist Amelie Ferrar knows, an affair with a married person is like a work of fiction: a kind of spy story with its rules and customs, negotiations and compromises, and many private rituals. But like any spy story, there will inevitably be a betrayal: something will slip, someone else will find out, someone may even die.
As Amelie falls deeper into her obsession with the man she loves–and his wife–the line between the fiction she writes and the reality she lives begins to blur…and the twisted ending to this story is one that not even she could have seen coming.
The cover design caught my eye right away and then I read the synopsis which captured my attention right away! I am very intrigued by the premise, of obsession and marriage and affairs and secrets. This book has it all!
Here’s another wonderful memoir to add to your TO READ list. Are you on Goodreads? I love that website which makes it so easy to keep track of books you’ve read and want to read.
The Lady’s Handbook For Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey takes us on a curious medical journey. I think many readers will be able to relate to this book. I often read about bizarre illnesses and issues which are difficult to diagnose and leave you on your own trying to figure out what on earth is wrong. And yes, I speak from experience though not as scary as Sarah’s.
Check it out:
In her harrowing, defiant, and unforgettable memoir, Sarah Ramey recounts the decade-long saga of how a seemingly minor illness in her senior year of college turned into a prolonged and elusive condition that destroyed her health but that doctors couldn’t diagnose or treat. Worse, as they failed to cure her, they hinted that her devastating symptoms were psychological.
The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness is a memoir with a mission, to help the millions of (mostly) women who suffer from unnamed or misunderstood conditions: autoimmune illnesses like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic Lyme disease, chronic pain, and many more. Ramey’s pursuit of a diagnosis and cure for her own mysterious illness becomes a page-turning medical mystery that reveals a new understanding of today’s chronic illnesses as ecological in nature, driven by modern changes to the basic foundations of health, from the quality of our sleep, diet, and social connection to the state of our microbiomes. Her book will open eyes, change lives, and ultimately change medicine.
Chronic illnesses, mysterious symptoms, and puzzled doctors are more common than you’d think and Sarah writes well about her own frustrating experience. Highly recommended if you enjoy reading memoirs especially involving health and medicine. (I love it!)
