Book Review – The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

Synopsis
Imagine that your husband has two other wives.

You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, you can see your husband only one day a week. But you love him so much you don’t care. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself.

But one day, while you’re doing laundry, you find a scrap of paper in his pocket—an appointment reminder for a woman named Hannah, and you just know it’s another of the wives.

You thought you were fine with your arrangement, but you can’t help yourself: you track her down, and, under false pretenses, you strike up a friendship. Hannah has no idea who you really are. Then, Hannah starts showing up to your coffee dates with telltale bruises, and you realize she’s being abused by her husband. Who, of course, is also your husband. But you’ve never known him to be violent, ever.

Who exactly is your husband, and how far would you go to find the truth? Would you risk your own life?

And who is his mysterious third wife?

 

My Review
5 out of 5 stars

This book was absolutely amazing. I read it in less than a day because I just couldn’t put it down. I had to keep reading to find out how everything would turn out.

When I finished the last page, I sat and thought about the book for hours afterward. My mind was sufficiently blown. I was not expecting things to turn out the way they did at all.

There were so many twists and turns during this book that my head was spinning when I finally finished it.

This book kept me on my toes and on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Just when I thought I knew who was telling the truth and who we could trust, I would change my mind.

This book is fast paced, mysterious, and full of suspense. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year!

Book Review – The Woman in the Park by Teresa Sorkin and Tullan Holmqvist

Synopsis
When Manhattanite Sarah Rock meets a mysterious and handsome stranger in the park, she is drawn to him. Sarah wants to get away from her daily routine, her cheating husband and his crazy mistress, her frequent sessions with her heartless therapist, and her moody children.

But nothing is as it seems. Her life begins to unravel when a woman from the park goes missing and Sarah becomes the prime suspect in the woman’s disappearance. Her lover is nowhere to be found, her husband is suspicious of her, and her therapist is talking to the police.

With no one to trust, Sarah must face her inner demons and uncover the truth to prove her innocence.
A thriller that questions what is real-with its shocking twists, secrets, and lies―The Woman in the Park will leave readers breathless.

 

My Review
4 out of 5 stars

Wow, I’m surprised to see that this is a debut novel. This story packed a pretty big punch and was a quick, twisty, suspenseful read!

The first part of this story sets everything in motion and the second half is when things really start to get moving and come together. I was flipping pages like crazy because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. At one point during the story, I felt like Sarah, where I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. There were several twists and I was left feeling like I didn’t know who, if anyone, I could trust!

I’m looking forward to reading future books from these authors.

*I received a copy of this book from Suzy Approved Book Tours and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review – Haunted House Murder by Leslie Meier

**This is a collection of three novellas. I will put the synopsis and my review for each individual story in this collection below.**

 

HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER by LESLIE MEIER
Newcomers to Tinker’s Cove, Ty and Heather Moon have moved into a dilapidated house reputed to be a haven for ghosts. Now strange noises and flickering lights erupt from the house at all hours and neighborly relations are on edge. And when a local boy goes missing near the house, it’s up to Lucy Stone to unravel the mystery of the eccentric couple and their increasingly frightful behavior.

My Review
3 out of 5 stars

This was my first story by this author, so this little novella was a good way for me to get a feel for her writing style.

I enjoyed this story for the most part. There were instances were some of the characters grated on my nerves a little and acted over-the-top in some situations, but overall, this was a good story. While my feelings about Ty and Heather Moon were correct, the specific reason for why they acted the way they did was a surprise to me and added a nice twist to the story.

I am looking forward to reading other books by this author soon.

 

DEATH BY HAUNTED HOUSE by LEE HOLLIS
For the past two years, the house next door to Hayley Powell has sat abandoned after the owner died under mysterious circumstances. The Salinger family has recently taken possession of the property, but the realtor behind the deal has vanished—after a very public and angry argument with Damien Salinger. If Bar Harbor’s newest neighbors are murderers, Hayley will haunt them until they confess.

My Review
3 out of 5 stars

Even though this was a novella, this story packed a big punch and gave you the feeling of reading a whole book. I liked that there were two mysteries in this story. I was really curious about what the deal was with Hayley’s new neighbors. They came off really creepy for sure so I was turning pages to see if they were really as bad as they seemed. Then there was the mystery behind what happened to Wendy Jo. I was surprised to find out who was behind that.

The only down side to this story for me was the characters. A couple of the characters in this story were even more over the top than the characters in the previous story. Other than that, this was a pretty good story.

 

HALLOWED OUT by BARBARA ROSS
With its history of hauntings and ghost sightings, Busman’s Harbor is the perfect setting for Halloween festivities. But when a reenactment of a Prohibition-era gangster’s murder ends with a literal bang and a dead actor from New Jersey, Julia Snowden must identify a killer before she ends up sleeping with the fishes.

My Review
5 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this story. I loved the idea of a haunted house tour. That is something that I would be interested in going on myself! There was plenty of suspense and mystery in this story to keep me invested and wanting to know what would happen next.

The killer completely took me by surprise. It wasn’t who I was expecting it to be, so I love that the author stumped me.

I’m definitely interested in learning more about Julia and Busman’s Harbor so I will be going back and reading the books in the author’s Maine Clambake series for sure!

 

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Overall, I give this novella collection a 4 out of 5 star rating!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review – Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien

Synopsis
Lana Lee’s stake in her family’s Chinese restaurant is higher than ever now that she’s been made manager. So when she enters Ho-Lee into Cleveland’s Best Noodle Contest, Lana makes it her business to win—at all costs. But when a local food critic receives a threatening note in a fortune cookie and is later found dead, face-down in a bowl of lo mein, all bets are off. . .

Now, along with her sweet-and-sour boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana decides to take matters into her own hands and dig into the lives of everyone involved in the contest. But when she receives an ill-fated fortune, Lana realizes that in order to save the reputation of her restaurant, she needs to save herself first. .

 

My Review
5 out of 5 stars

The Noodle Shop series has quickly become my top favorite cozy mystery series ever. Lana is such a fun and relatable character. The setting is unique and even some of the secondary characters are starting to grow on me.

I was happy to see things progress with Lana and Adam in this book. I’m not usually a fan of romance in a cozy mystery, but the author is really able to make it work in this series and not have it take away from the mystery. I really appreciate that as a reader.

The mystery was very well done in this book. There were plenty of suspects to choose from and I was not able to guess the killer. I love when an author is able to stump me like that! That just goes to show how well the mystery was written in this book.

 

Book Review – Murder at the PTA by Lee Hollis

Synopsis
Someone is trying to turn Portland High into a school for scandal with a gossipy website called Dirty Laundry. The latest target of ruinous rumors is newly elected PTA president Sandra Wallage. After a heated meeting with outraged parents, Sandra runs into fellow school mom and private investigator Maya Kendrick, who’s discovered the person behind the website. But when the women storm into the venomous gossip columnist’s office they find a lifeless body—along with a confession.

Although the police rule the death a suicide, Maya suspects an injured party hung the Dirty Laundry creator out to dry. Maya already has a PI partner—but she’s pregnant, and sonograms and stakeouts tend to conflict. So when Sandra volunteers for a crash course in sleuthing, Maya accepts the help. But as these unlikely partners study the clues, a killer plans to teach them a lesson . . .

 

My Review
5 out of 5 stars

This is the first book in the Maya and Sandra mystery series and wow, what a great start to a new series.

I really liked both Maya and Sandra. They were both great characters. I love that this turned into a two woman team, with Sandra teaming up with Maya to try to figure out what happened and investigate the murder.

I was invested in this story from the start. The mystery was very well done. There were lots of twists and turns, but no complaints here! I love a good, twisty mystery where you don’t know who to trust or what’s going on. I wasn’t able to figure out who the killer was and was shocked at the reveal.

I’m looking forward to reading future books from this series!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review – Death by Jack-o’-Lantern by Alexis Morgan

Synopsis
Overcommitted committee member Abby McCree gets in a patch of trouble trying to solve the murder of a pumpkin farmer …

The small town of Snowberry Creek, Washington, is gearing up for the Halloween Festival, and naturally Abby is on the planning committee. As part of her duties, she’s picking up a pumpkin order from ornery farmer Ronald Minter. But what she finds instead is the farmer in the middle of his corn maze with a knife in his back.

The police suspect a homeless veteran named Kevin Montgomery, who was seen arguing with Minter when the farmer accused him of trespassing and stealing pumpkins. Abby’s tenant Tripp Blackston, a veteran himself who’s been helping Kevin, is sure he’s innocent. Together, Abby and Tripp follow the twists and turns of the case to corner the corn maze killer—before someone else meets a dead end …

 

My Review
4 out of 5 stars

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. This is the second book in the Abby McCree series, but I didn’t feel confused or like I was missing anything by not reading the first one yet.

It took me a while to warm up to Tripp’s character, but I really enjoyed Abby’s character. She is pretty funny and I found myself laughing out loud several times.

The pacing was steady throughout the book so the story held my interest and made me want to keep reading to find out what would happen next. The mystery was done very well. I was stumped about the killer so the reveal was a total surprise.

I’m looking forward to going back and reading the first book in this series.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Monthly Wrap Up – July 2019

I hope you all had a wonderful July with lots of amazing books.

I’m trying to enjoy the rest of my summer break as much as I can. Classes start back in two weeks and honestly I’m not ready to go back. My heart just isn’t in it anymore. I have two semesters left which is kind of sad. But I’m just not in it anymore.

I don’t know if you noticed or not, but I didn’t post a wrap up for April or May and my wrap up for June was just posted today, the last day in July. I’ve been in a general life slump I think. I haven’t been feeling well and have been dealing with a lot of health issues.

Fingers crossed for a good start to the month in August. I’m ready to be out of this slump. ❤

Books I Read

• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Mass – 5 stars
• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – 5 stars
• A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas – 5 stars
• Tumble by Adriana Locke – 3 stars

Book Haul

Physical Books
Wonton Terror by Vivien Chien*
Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas
The 18th Abduction by James Patterson
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Color Me Murder by Krista Davis
Curses, Boiled Again by Shari Randall
Death by Jack-o-Lantern by Alexis Morgan*
Murder at the PTA by Lee Hollis*
An Ale of Two Cities by Sarah Fox*
Christmas Cocoa Murder by Carlene O’Conner*
A Murderous Tangle by Sally Goldenbaum*
Strangers She Knows by Christina Dodd*
Cobblered to Death by Rosemarie Ross*
Marry Christmas Murder by Stephanie Blackmoore*
Haunted House Murder by Leslie Meier*
The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

*Huge thank you to the publishers for sending me a free copy of these books.

Monthly Funny

 

Monthly Wrap Up – June 2019

I’m sorry my wrap up for June is so late. I was in a horrible blogging and reading slump and I just didn’t feel like putting the work in.

Books I Read

• Marrow by Tarryn Fisher – 5 stars
• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi – 5 stars
• The Rumor by Lesley Kara – 3.5 stars
• Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson – 3 stars

Book Haul

Physical Books
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
A Nearly Normal Family by M.T Edvardsson
A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell
The First Mistake by Sandie Jones
The Rumor by Lesley Kara
Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter
Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson
Only Ever You by Rebecca Drake
Death on Tap by Ellie Alexander
Catch as Cat Can by Clare Donally
Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey
I’ll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie
The Summer of Sunshine and Margot by Susan Mallery

Monthly Funny

 

Book Review – A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas

Synopsis
Hope warms the coldest night.

Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve.

Yet even the festive atmosphere can’t keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated–scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

 

My Review
5 out of 5 stars

I recently finished reading this series and was going to hold off on reading this book for a while since I wasn’t ready for it to be over, but I couldn’t hold off any longer and dove right in. This seems to be an unpopular opinion, but I loved this book!

Sure, not much happened. But it’s a novella. I got some more time with my favorite characters, so that’s fine by me. This novella is paving the way for the future spin off books and I absolutely cannot wait to read those.

I’m keeping this short and simple to avoid major spoilers for the series and what’s to come. Just know that I’ll be among the first in line to buy the books in the spin off series!

Book Review – Only Ever You by Rebecca Drake

Synopsis
Jill Lassiter’s three-year-old daughter disappears from a playground only to return after 40 frantic minutes, but her mother’s relief is short-lived–there’s a tiny puncture mark on Sophia’s arm. When doctors can find no trace of drugs in her system, Jill accepts she’ll never know what happened, but at least her child is safe.

Except Sophia isn’t. Someone is watching the Lassiter home in an affluent Pennsylvania suburb, infiltrating the family’s personal and professional lives. While Jill struggles to balance building her photography business with parenting high-spirited Sophia, and David is distracted by pressure to make partner at his law firm, both of them are holding on in a marriage that’s already been rocked by loss.

Three months after the incident at the park, Sophia disappears again, but this time Jill and David become the focus of police and media scrutiny and suspicion. Facing every parent’s worst nightmare a second time, Jill discovers that someone doesn’t just want Sophia for her own, she wants to
destroy the entire family.

 

My Review
4 out of 5 stars

This book gave me some serious anxiety! My heart always breaks for parents that have a child go missing. As a parent myself, even though my children are older, it is one of my worst fears. I felt so bad for Jill and her husband when Sophia went missing a second time. Just once would have been devastating enough. This book had my attention from the beginning and all of the twists and turns kept me interested in the story. Once I thought I had things figured out, something would happen and it would change. I love being on the edge of my seat like that, flipping pages as fast as I can to see what will happen next. This was my first book by this author but I will definitely be checking out her other ones. *I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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