Girl With Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman is going to be a bestseller, especially with those with college-aged children. Perfect timing for this book with the college scandals that happened last year! This novel pulls you into the world of the elite competing via their children for a single spot heading into Standford. How far will the parents go to ensure their precious children get into an ivy league school?
College admissions season at Seattle’s Elliott Bay Academy is marked by glowing acceptances from top-tier institutions and students as impressive as their parents are ambitious. But when Stanford alerts the school it’s allotting only one spot to EBA for their incoming class, three mothers discover the competition is more cut-throat than they could have imagined.
Tech giant Alicia turns to her fortune and status to fight for her reluctant daughter’s place at the top. Kelly, a Stanford alum, leverages her PTA influence and insider knowledge to bulldoze the path for her high-strung daughter. And Maren makes three: single, broke, and ill-equipped to battle the elite school community aligning to bring her superstar daughter down.
That’s when, days before applications are due, one of the girls suffers a near-fatal accident, one that doesn’t appear to be an accident at all.
As the community spirals out of control, three women will have to decide what lines they’re willing to cross to secure their daughters’ futures…and keep buried the secrets that threaten to destroy far more than just college dreams.
The premise could have easily turned over the top but the authors keep it real and I can see how this would really play out in life especially with the wealthy and powerful.
Out on February 2.
I’m always up for a suspenseful book, aren’t you? Whisper Island by Carissa Ann Lynch is a real page-turner about art students, each with their own distinct talents, who head to an island in Alaska for a getaway but soon after they get there, things start to go wrong. Whisper Island is in the middle of nowhere which is always the ideal setting for twisty suspense!
A quick read, this earns a spot on this outstanding books coming in 2021!
For friends Riley, Sam, Mia and Scarlett, their trip to Whisper Island was meant to be a once in a lifetime adventure – just four young women, with everything to live for…
But as soon as they arrive, things go wrong. First there is the unexpected arrival of Sammy’s drug addict brother and his girlfriend Opal – why are they here?
And then the deaths begin. As the dream trip quickly turns into a nightmare, suspicion is high. Are they really alone on the island? Or is there a killer hiding in the shadows?
And as each of the girls reveals a dark secret of their own, perhaps the truth is the killer is closer than they think…just a whisper away…
One of my favorite tropes is the Agatha Christie-style of books like And Then There Were None, and this book is that style. If you’re a fan, you will want to read Whisper Island too.
Coming on February 5.
Did I Say You Could Go by Melanie Gideon was fantastic and I loved it from the opening pages.
Ruth is a rich single mom who immediately sinks her claws into another single mother, Gemma. Their friendship spans years and at times, Gemma pulls away from Ruth’s overbearing and bossy personality. Yet Ruth has always been there for Gemma and has helped her through countless tough times. So Gemma is reluctant to cast off Ruth’s friendship. Their daughters used to be best friends but as they’ve grown older, Marley and Bee have grown apart due to Bee’s popularity. Marley is subject to her mother’s (Ruth) moods and we sense something simmering below the surface.
This book held me captive from start to finish. I couldn’t wait to see who the real villain was here as Ruth tries to control everyone around her. Would Gemma discover Ruth wasn’t a good friend at all? Or is Gemma the one to blame for everything that happens inside the story?
When Ruth, a wealthy divorcee, offers to host the Hillside Academy kindergarten meet-and-greet, she hopes this will be a fresh start for her and her introverted daughter, Marley. Finally, they’ll be accepted into a tribe. Marley will make friends and Ruth will be welcomed by the mothers. Instead, the parents are turned off by Ruth’s ostentatious wealth and before kindergarten even begins, Ruth and Marley are outcasts.
The last guest to arrive at the meet-and-greet is Gemma, a widow and a single mother to her daughter, Bee. Ruth sets her sights on the mother-daughter duo, and soon the two families are inseparable. Ruth takes Gemma and Bee on Aspen vacations, offers VIP passes to Cirque de Soleil, and pays for dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants. For Gemma, who lives paycheck to paycheck, Ruth’s largesse is seductive, but as the years go by, she can’t shake the feeling that she’s accruing an increasingly unpayable debt. When Ruth’s affair with a married Hillside dad is exposed, and she’s publicly shunned, Gemma uses it to sever ties with Ruth.
Six years later, when Gemma finds herself embroiled in a scandal of her own—Ruth comes to her defense. Their renewed friendship rehabilitates their reputations, but once again, Gemma starts to feel trapped as Ruth grows more and more obsessed with their relationship.
I appreciated the little details and clever dialogue, at times this book made me laugh but its also a serious look at toxic people and friendships. Really well done, I was left wanting more from Melanie Gideon. Cant wait to read her next book!
This comes out on August 3.
I want to read books where the premise isn’t something I’ve seen hundreds of times before. Six Weeks to Live by Catherine McKenzie is a book with a plot I don’t think I’ve read. I love it- a woman learns she only has a short time to live and at the same time, discovers someone has been poisoning her. She only has a short time to prove someone has been making her sick but who could it be? All signs point to her ex-husband.
This has some surprises and twists, and I enjoyed the story from beginning to end.
Jennifer Barnes never expected the shocking news she received at a routine doctor’s appointment: she has a terminal brain tumor—and only six weeks left to live.
While stunned by the diagnosis, the forty-eight-year-old mother decides to spend what little time she has left with her family—her adult triplets and twin grandsons—close by her side. But when she realizes she was possibly poisoned a year earlier, she’s determined to discover who might have tried to get rid of her before she’s gone for good.
Separated from her husband and with a contentious divorce in progress, Jennifer focuses her suspicions on her soon-to-be ex. Meanwhile, her daughters are each processing the news differently. Calm medical student Emily is there for whatever Jennifer needs. Moody scientist Aline, who keeps her mother at arm’s length, nonetheless agrees to help with the investigation. Even imprudent Miranda, who has recently had to move back home, is being unusually solicitous.
But with her daughters doubting her campaign against their father, Jennifer can’t help but wonder if the poisoning is all in her head—or if there’s someone else who wanted her dead.
I could see this book being brought to life as a Lifetime movie, it has lots of female character and a few of them could be the culprit. Or maybe its the ex-husband? Or the boyfriend?
I already know this is going to be a very popular novel when it hits the shelves in May!
Wow, what a wild ride! Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison brings you to the gorgeous island of Isle Isola, off the coast of Italy. This historical place is the setting of the wedding between the heir to the Compton family fortune and artist Claire. When Claire arrives at the island, she is soon spooked by bizarre happenings. Secrets surrounding the remains of a skeleton, her wedding dress suddenly ruined, deaths, a weird basement, a creepy labyrinth and a house full of assistants who may be harboring their own secrets.
At the wedding of the year, a killer needs no invitation Jutting from sparkling turquoise waters off the Italian coast, Isle Isola is an idyllic setting for a wedding. In the majestic cliff-top villa owned by the wealthy Compton family, up-and-coming artist Claire Hunter will marry handsome, charming Jack Compton, surrounded by close family, intimate friends…and a host of dark secrets. From the moment Claire sets foot on the island, something seems amiss. Skeletal remains have just been found. There are other, newer disturbances, too. Menacing texts. A ruined wedding dress. And one troubling shadow hanging over Claire’s otherwise blissful relationship—the strange mystery surrounding Jack’s first wife. Then a raging storm descends, the power goes out—and the real terror begins…
This comes out on March 9, you can enter to win a copy at GoodReads.com!
I was wondering if anyone would write an updated version of this story and like magic, Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost by Lindsay Marcott appeared!
Another fun, dark suspense that keeps you guessing. This was an enjoyable and quick read for me. I never read Jane Eyre but now I am intrigued to see the similarities.
Jane has lost everything: job, mother, relationship, even her home. A friend calls to offer an unusual deal—a cottage above the crashing surf of Big Sur on the estate of his employer, Evan Rochester. In return, Jane will tutor his teenage daughter. She accepts.
But nothing is quite as it seems at the Rochester estate. Though he’s been accused of murdering his glamorous and troubled wife, Evan Rochester insists she drowned herself. Jane is skeptical, but she still finds herself falling for the brilliant and secretive entrepreneur and growing close to his daughter.
And yet her deepening feelings for Evan can’t disguise dark suspicions aroused when a ghostly presence repeatedly appears in the night’s mist and fog. Jane embarks on an intense search for answers and uncovers evidence that soon puts Evan’s innocence into question. She’s determined to discover what really happened that fateful night, but what will the truth cost her?
Well done! I’m sure this will be a tremendous hit when it comes out in July!
I loved The Lion’s Den so I was very excited and had hopes for The Siren by Katherine St. John. I liked this book, which was light and suspenseful. An engaging read, the pages flew as I got more into the story and loved the setting the cast. Its fun to get a glimpse of movie-making within the pages of this story.
Check it out:
In the midst of a sizzling hot summer, some of Hollywood’s most notorious faces are assembled on the idyllic Caribbean island of St. Genesius to film The Siren, starring dangerously handsome megastar Cole Power playing opposite his ex-wife, Stella Rivers. The surefire blockbuster promises to entice audiences with its sultry storyline and intimately connected cast.
Three very different women arrive on set, each with her own motive. Stella, an infamously unstable actress, is struggling to reclaim the career she lost in the wake of multiple, very public breakdowns. Taylor, a fledgling producer, is anxious to work on a film she hopes will turn her career around after her last job ended in scandal. And Felicity, Stella’s mysterious new assistant, harbors designs of her own that threaten to upend everyone’s plans.
With a hurricane brewing offshore, each woman finds herself trapped on the island, united against a common enemy. But as deceptions come to light, misplaced trust may prove more perilous than the storm itself.
This book is like a frothy soap opera told from the perspectives of three characters, and I couldn’t put it down. It’s suspense and twisty but so much fun!
Coming out on May 4.
I will read anything Liv Constantine writes, I’m a big fan. My favorite was The Last Mrs. Parrish and if you haven’t read it, grab it today!
The Stranger in the Mirror was a captivating novel and kept me engaged and wondering what was going to happen next. I loved the premise of a missing woman, amnesia, potentially evil men, a little girl, and more. How terrifying to wake up one day and be confused as to your true identity. You can’t trust anyone, even those who claim to know you. Yikes.
Check it out:
Addison’s about to get married, but she’s not looking forward to the big day. It’s not her fiancé; he’s a wonderful man. It’s because Addison doesn’t know who she really is. A few years ago, a kind driver found her bleeding next to a New Jersey highway and rescued her. While her physical wounds healed, Addison’s memory never returned. She doesn’t know her real name. Or how she ended up injured on the side of a road. Or why she can’t shake the notion that she may have done something very, very bad . . .
In a posh home in the Boston suburbs, Julian tries to figure out what happened to his loving, caring wife, Cassandra, who disappeared without a trace two years ago. She would never have left him and their seven-year-old daughter Valentina of her own free will—or would she?
Beware of twists and turns and you might think you know what’s happening but … you don’t! Coming out on July 6.
I really enjoy books by Adele Parks and this was another winner. What happens if you win the lottery? Awesome right? But what if you had gone in with some friends to split the money and things changed at the last minute, then you win and your friends start looking for their cut of the winnings… things might start to get messy. And complicated. And nasty.
Such is the plot for Just My Luck. I expected this to be funny and light, but it’s not! Its darker and more nerve-wracking than I anticipated.
Check it out:
For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends. Over drinks, dinner parties and summer barbecues, the three couples have discussed the important stuff—kids, marriages, careers—and they’ve laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything.
But then the unthinkable happens. There’s a rift in the group. Someone is caught in a lie. And soon after, six numbers come up that change everything forever.
Lexi and Jake have a ticket worth millions. And their friends are determined to claim a share.
Money can ruin friendships, which is proven in this book. And never trust your friends when high sums of money is involved.
The book comes out in April!
One of my most highly anticipated books for 2021 was You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes. I read YOU years ago and was impressed with how the author turned the character of Joe into a person we cared about despite his devious and twisted ways. I mean, the guy is a serial killer, yet we feel like we understood him to a certain extent. We didn’t want to see him get caught. Damaged and sensitive, Joe was an anti-hero but was so intriguing that we couldn’t stop reading, or watching if you saw the Netflix series.
So I was literally about to jump out of my skin when I got an advance copy of You Love Me.
Here’s the premise:
Joe is done with the cities. He’s done with the muck and the posers, done with Love. Now, he’s saying hello to nature, to simple pleasures on a cozy island in the Pacific Northwest. For the first time in a long time, he can just breathe.
He gets a job at the local library—he does know a thing or two about books—and that’s where he meets her: Mary Kay DiMarco. Librarian. Joe won’t meddle, he will not obsess. He’ll win her the old-fashioned way . . . by providing a shoulder to cry on, a helping hand. Over time, they’ll both heal their wounds and begin their happily ever after in this sleepy town.
The trouble is . . . Mary Kay already has a life. She’s a mother. She’s a friend. She’s . . . busy.
True love can only triumph if both people are willing to make room for the real thing. Joe cleared his decks. He’s ready. And hopefully, with his encouragement and undying support, Mary Kay will do the right thing and make room for him.
I liked parts of this book, though I thought it took a long time for the story to develop. There are a lot of Joe’s internal musings and I wanted more action. But I am alone in this because all the other reviewers are giving this book four and five stars!
If you enjoyed the other Joe books, you will probably like this one. If you hated the other books, I don’t know if you will want to read this. Whatever your thoughts on Joe, there will be more to the Netflix series and another Joe book from Caroline Kepnes!
This one will be published in April.
