Shelley's Book Nook

☆☆☆☆1/2 Kindle Edition, 288 pages Published October 29th 2019 by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) About the Book: Teresa's heart stops when she enters her daughter's bedroom to find that her sweet, trusting little girl is gone. Teresa can't bear to think who would take a terrified three-year-old from her mother in the middle of the night, but all the signs point to someone close to home. Hasn't Jessica's stepfather been acting a little odd? Or is it, as Teresa is beginning to fear, something to do with Angie, her daughter's babysitter who lives next door? Gentle, retired Angie-she must be lonely, with only her memories to keep her company in that big, old house. And she's always had a special connection with Jessica... But was trusting Angie with her precious daughter the biggest mistake of Teresa's life? This is a story that grabbed me from the prologue and didn't let go until the very end. What an intense read, so much was going thru my he...

☆☆ Kindle Edition, 480 pages Published October 29th 2019 by Kensington Books About the Book: As a child, Evie Lindsay was unnerved by her premonitions. As an adult, they have become a simple fact of life—sometimes disruptive but also inescapable, much like her quirky, loveable family. Evie’s mother, Poppy, and her aunts, Camellia and Iris, are well known on San Orcanita island for their free-spirited ways and elaborately decorated hats. Their floral shop and Evie’s bookstore draw streams of visitors all summer long. This season promises to be extra busy: Evie’s sister, Jules, is getting married on the island. As Jules plans her unconventional wedding, she arranges to do a DNA test with her mother, sister, and aunts, to see how much accepted lore about their heritage holds true. The results blow apart everything Evie has grown up believing about herself and her family. Spurred on by the revelations, Evie uncovers the real story of her past. But beyond her feelings of shock and bet...

☆☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 432 pages Published 29 Oct 2019 by St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin About the Book: Ailsa Rae is learning how to live. She's only a few months past the heart transplant that - just in time - saved her life. Life should be a joyful adventure. But her relationship with her mother is at breaking point. She knows she needs to find her father. She's missed so much that her friends have left her behind. She's felt so helpless for so long that she's let polls on her blog make her decisions for her. And now she barely knows where to start on her own. And then there's Lennox. Her best friend and one time lover. He was sick too. He didn't make it. And now she's supposed to face all of this without him. But her new heart is a bold heart. She just needs to learn to listen to it. I very much enjoyed and highly recommend this page-turner, especially for anyone looking for the perfect romantic read. The story is well-crafted, en...

☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 322 pages Published October 24th 2019 by Amazon Publishing UK About the Book: Suzi did a bad thing. She’s paying for it now, pregnant, scared, and living in an isolated cottage with her jealous husband, Nick. When Nora moves into the only house nearby, Suzi is delighted to have a friend. So much so that she’s almost tempted to tell Nora her terrible secret. But there’s more to Nora than meets the eye. It’s impossible—does she already know what Suzi did? Meanwhile, Elle spends her days in her perfect home, fixated on keeping up appearances. But when her husband betrays her, it unravels a secret going all the way back to her childhood. She’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to him, even if that means murder. After all, she’s done it before. Caught up in their own secrets and lies, these strangers will soon realise they have more in common than they could ever have imagined. When a shocking event brings them together, their lives will never be the same again. I...

☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 400 pages Published October 22nd 2019 by Gallery Books and Simon & Schuster Canada About the Book: Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak. During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good. Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her,...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 208 pages Published October 22nd 2019 by Lake Union Publishing About the Book: Elise Watters seems to have it all—a blissful marriage, a gorgeous Victorian home surrounded by lush gardens, and a dream job running her late mother’s herbal boutique. But on the eve of her first wedding anniversary, Elise makes a shocking discovery that turns her life upside down and casts doubt on everything she thought she knew—about her marriage, her friends, and even herself. As she treads into dangerous territory, Elise is forced to wonder: Is her whole future at stake? Or is paranoia getting the best of her? If she is to believe what she sees, Elise has every reason to fear for her life. This was such a captivating thriller, I had a difficult time putting it down and was surprised at how much could be packed into less than 200 pages. The twists, turns and character flaws and strengths kept me hooked. Ms. Banner does a wonderful job juggling a mixture of personalities, developing t...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 272 pages Published October 22nd 2019 by Lake Union Publishing About the Book: When she finds out her husband cheated, Hannah Bent thinks her marriage is over. Isn’t that what happens after an affair? But she’s seen friends divorce, and it’s not pretty. Plus, she and Joel have kids and an otherwise-happy life, and she still loves him, although begrudgingly. Furious and feeling stuck, she suggests having her own affair to even the score. Joel, desperate for forgiveness, agrees. But does she really want to go through with it? And how exactly does a married mother of two get back in the dating pool? Many awkward dates follow until she finds a deep and unexpected connection where she was least looking for it. Just as she thinks she’s made a decision, her journey to happiness is waylaid by storms of doubt. But the important thing is that she’s finally figuring out what she truly wants for herself, and she understands that whatever choice she makes must be hers and hers alo...

☆☆☆☆1/2 ebook, 911 pages Published October 17th 2019 by Bookouture About the Book: I pinch the screen to zoom until I’m staring at the face of a ghost. A man with very short hair, staring directly at the camera with piercing brown eyes. He is as he was when I last saw him: wrinkles around the corners of the eyes and a knowing smirk. That’s the expression I see when I can’t sleep. My body tenses. It can’t be him. It’s not my ex-husband. It’s not David. I know that better than anyone because he didn’t walk out on me. He didn’t disappear two years ago and he’s not a missing person. I know that for a fact because I’m the one who killed him. This was quite the interesting story and I couldn't put it down so read in one sitting. The narrative shifts back and forth in time...The Now...The Why. The characters were all quite complex and no doubt you will have your favourites while others will try your sympathy. Since the revelations come slowly, you'll need some patience to get ...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 537 pages Published October 17th 2019 by Quercus Books About the Book: NOW: Living in her home in the countryside HELENA is a career woman without a job and a mother without a baby. She blames ASHLEY for destroying her life. But is what happened really Ashley's fault? THEN: When Helena hires Ashley to work with her, she's startled but impressed by her fierce ambition. They form a dream team and Helena is proud -maybe this is the protégé she's always wanted to have? But soon Helena realises that nothing will stand in the way of Ashley's drive to get to the top. And when Helena discovers she is pregnant, she quickly realises how vulnerable her position is, with devastating consequences. Appreciate what you have, before it turns into what you had . The Rival is a thriller without murder. It doesn't need one. That doesn't mean it is without victims. There are crimes a'plenty. The characters are fully fleshed out and, to most of us, reco...

☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 121 pages Published October 15th 2019 by Lake Union Publishing and Amazon Publishing UK About the Book: In this heartwarming follow-up to the bestselling novel Postcards From a Stranger, will Cara’s family past ruin her Christmas present, or will she let love in? After discovering her mother’s secret life, Cara doesn’t have much faith in marriage. So when the love of her life, Simeon, proposes, she struggles to say ‘I do.’ She adores him, but why risk the perfect relationship by signing on a dotted line that could ruin everything? If her parents’ marriage taught her anything, it was that a gold ring doesn’t equal happiness, and she has no desire to follow in their dysfunctional footsteps. But maybe there’s a bigger picture after all. When a tragic accident brings yet more truths to the surface, Cara is forced to question everything she believes—and fears—about long-term love. And the answers aren’t obvious. Could Cara rewrite her family’s history and create h...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 499 pages Published October 15th 2019 by Lake Union Publishing About the Book: A therapist must face her own worst fear—one of her patients is a serial killer. Dani Rycroft suspects someone close to her has a dark secret. In the confidential setting of therapy, her patients share their anxieties and fears. Now, with a string of murders in town putting her on edge, Dani’s own worries come close to eclipsing her patients’. In each case, the pattern is the same: parents killed while their children sleep blissfully unaware in their beds. Her best friend, Detective Tami Sloan, is the only person she has confided in. Dani believes that there’s still a secret one patient has yet to share. But which one? Behind a familiar face is a stranger who’ll do anything to hide their worst compulsions. The anxiety brings Dani to her own therapist’s office, seeking counsel and comfort. But what is she willing to risk, and how much closer must she get, to stop them? This is how I’ll alwa...

☆☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 304 pages Published October 15th 2019 by Random House Publishing Group About the Book: Olive, Again will pick up where Olive Kitteridge left off, following the next decade of Olive's life - through a second marriage, an evolving relationship with her son, and encounters with a cast of memorable characters in the seaside town of Crosby, Maine. Olive struggles to understand not only herself and her own life but the lives of those around her in the town of Crosby, Maine. Whether with a teenager coming to terms with the loss of her father, a young woman about to give birth during a hilariously inopportune moment, a nurse who confesses a secret high school crush, or a lawyer who struggles with an inheritance she does not want to accept, the unforgettable Olive will continue to startle us, to move us, and to inspire moments of transcendent grace Elizabeth Strout has done it again. There are very few books I reward with a five star review as I feel a rating th...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 320 pages Published October 10th 2019 by Amazon Publishing UK About the Book: Every Wednesday, like clockwork, the terror returns. It seems like an ordinary Wednesday, until the phone rings. A mysterious caller with a chilling threat. Journalist Alice Henderson hangs up, ready to dismiss it as a hoax against the newspaper. But the next Wednesday, the stalker makes another move—and it becomes clear that this is all about Alice. Someone wants her to suffer, but for what? Her articles have made her a popular local champion—could it be her past rather than her work that’s put her life in danger? Alice is determined not to give in to fear, but with the police investigation at a dead end, her boyfriend insists on hiring private investigator Matthew Hill. With every passing Wednesday the warnings escalate, until it’s not only Alice but also her family in the stalker’s sights. As her tormentor closes in, can Alice uncover what she’s being punished for before the terrifying thr...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 456 pages Published October 8th 2019 by Troubador Publishing Ltd. About the Book: It is 1966 and 12 year old Mary Foster's narrow, prescribed world is abruptly disturbed by a sudden move from suburban London to a neglected Victorian house on the south coast of England. A new friendship provides Mary with some consolation in an unfamiliar world of seagull squawks and endless horizons. And two lodgers who swiftly move into the house. An unexpected discovery of deceit and deception, however, profoundly affects her life and Mary is left to carry on, bitter, resentful, but silent on the matter. 40 years later, Mary wants to know more. Another age, another era, another century; such secrecy seems irrelevant and cowardly and Mary is anxious for the truth. Her parents are ageing and the time left to discover more about the past is limited. However, her resolve to uncover certain stark realities is tested and she begins to question whether such clarity of understanding is r...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 239 pages Published October 10th 2019 by Serpent's Tail / Profile Books About the Book: How well do you know your girlfriend? How well do you know your lover? How well do you know yourself? Daniel and Victoria are together. They're trying for a baby. Ruby is in prison, convicted of assault on an abusive partner. But when Daniel joins a pen pal program for prisoners, he and Ruby make contact. At first the messages are polite, neutral - but soon they find themselves revealing more and more about themselves. Their deepest fears, their darkest desires. And then, one day, Ruby comes to find Daniel. And now he must decide who to choose - and who to trust. Was it true? Was it even possible? Could a person fall in love with another person simply through letters? I like the way this book is written in letters, but you really can't tell as it reads like a novel too. I liked the main character, Daniel, his life is not perfect but he's doing the best he can wi...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 384 pages Published October 8th 2019 by Harlequin Teen and Inkyard Press About the Book: From the moment she first learned to read, literary genius Darcy Wells has spent most of her time living in the worlds of her books. There, she can avoid the crushing reality of her mother's hoarding and pretend her life is simply ordinary. But when a new property manager becomes more active in the upkeep of their apartment complex, the only home Darcy has ever known outside of her books suddenly hangs in the balance. While Darcy is struggling to survive beneath the weight of her mother's compulsive shopping, Asher Fleet, a former teen pilot with an unexpectedly shattered future, walks into the bookstore where she works and straight into her heart. For the first time in her life, Darcy can't seem to find the right words. Fairy tales are one thing, but real love makes her want to hide inside her carefully constructed ink-and-paper bomb shelter. Still, after spending her ...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 305 pages Published October 8th 2019 by Amberjack Publishing About the Book: An affair. Wife, mistress, the man in the middle. Laugh it off only to lie awake worrying later. Is this really happening? When it implodes, what then? The assistant didn’t mean to fall in love and become “the other woman.” The wife was just venturing her first steps into life beyond the roles of mother and partner when her suspicions about another woman took root. When the well-respected man sinks deeper into mental illness, each person’s next move isn’t a question of blame alone, but of the ethics of love—of unapologetic decisions and confronting the aftermath. I love books I can lose myself in for hours, books that touch my emotions, books that continue to stir my thoughts after I've lain them down. This is that type of book. My heart still aches as I write this not just for the characters in the book but for the broader issue of mental health and addiction awareness. The institutio...

☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 280 pages Published October 8th 2019 by Crooked Lane Books About the Book: Stevie never meant for things to go this far. When she and Dee--defiant, bold, indestructible Dee--started all this, there was a purpose to their acts of vengeance: to put the bullies of Woepine High School back in their place. And three months ago, Stevie believed they deserved it. Once her best friend turned on her, the rest of the school followed. Stevie was alone and unprotected with a target on her back. Online, it was worse. It was Dee's idea to get them all back with a few clever pranks, signing each act Love, Heather--an homage to her favorite 80's revenge flick. Despite herself, Stevie can't help getting caught up in the payback, reveling in every minute of suffering. And for a while, it works: it seems the meek have inherited the school. But when anonymous students begin joining in, punishing perceived slights with increasingly violent ferocity, the line between vil...

☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 334 pages Published October 2nd 2019 by Bookouture About the Book: Emma held the photo for a long moment before her eyes focused on the girl’s face. She dropped it and let out a muted cry.The girl in the photograph was Tessa. Twenty-five years after losing her friend Tessa in a tragic accident, Emma’s life is happy and settled. She rarely thinks about the day that Tessa fell to her death, or the secret that she made Emma swear to keep just hours before. But when her marriage implodes, Emma and her daughter find themselves unexpectedly moving into the headmaster’s former cottage on the grounds of her old school – Denham House. And it’s here she finds the photograph: an explicit image of Tessa, looking directly at the camera. Between catching up with old friends Marlee and Clementine, who are home for a reunion, and the demands of single parenthood, Emma has plenty to distract her… but she can’t shake the image of the photograph. Or the thought that it’s proof o...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 200 pages Published October 1st 2019 by Grove Atlantic and Mysterious Press About the Book: As a child, Abby had the same recurring nightmare night after night, in which she wandered through a field ridden with human skulls and bones. Now an adult, Abby thinks she's outgrown her demons, until, the evening before her wedding, the terrible dream returns and forces her to confront the dark secrets from her past she has kept from her new husband, Willem. The following day--less than 24 hours after exchanging vows--Abby steps out into traffic. As his wife lies in her hospital bed, sleeping in fits and starts, Willem tries to determine whether this was an absentminded accident or a premeditated plunge, and he quickly discovers a mysterious set of clues about what his wife might be hiding. Why, for example is there a rash-like red mark circling her wrist? What does she dream about that causes her to wake from the sound of her own screams? Slowly, Abby begins to open up to...

☆☆☆☆1/2 ebook, 427 pages Published October 1st 2019 by AmazonCrossing About the Book: From the outside, Frank and Grace seem to have the perfect family. He's a loving husband, she's a devoted wife, and together they have two happy children. But appearances can be deceiving. A strange series of misfortunes has left them reeling: an unexplained break-in, a catastrophic handgun accident, and a bizarre poisoning that's left Grace feeling especially unnerved. Packing up their RV for a move across the country, they're ready for a fresh start, expecting to leave all their problems safely behind. Then one night on the road to their new home, the figure of a young woman emerges from the darkness, causing them to swerve off the road. The injured stranger says her name is Mara. Miles from help, Frank does what any decent man would do. He invites Mara to stay. But Mara is hiding a secret. And she is not the only one. Was it all just another inexplicable accident? Or has Frank ...

☆☆1/2 ebook, 304 pages Published October 1st 2019 by Sourcebooks Landmark About the Book: Her only daughter has just gone away to college, and Maggie O'Farrell knows she's turning into one of those helicopter parents she used to mock. Worrying constantly, texting more than she should, even occasionally dropping by the campus "just to say hi." But Maggie can't shake the feeling that something terrible is about to happen to Emma. And then, just as Maggie starts to relax, her daughter disappears. The clues are disturbing. An empty dorm room where Emma was supposedly living. A mysterious boy described as Future Husband in her phone. Dormmates who seem more sinister than friendly. As Maggie combs over the campus looking for signs of her daughter, she learns more about Emma's life than she ever thought possible. The blurb had me thinking this book was everything I could ask for in a guilty pleasure read. Unfortunately, the writing is less than stellar, the ch...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 210 pages Published September 28th 2019 by Sapere Books About the Book: Eleven-year-old Danny Stone is brutally snatched from the street on his way home from school. He finds himself imprisoned in a semi-derelict building, alone, cold, hungry and terrified of what might happen to him. But in an unexpected turn of events he meets someone who will impact on the rest of his life. An unlikely friendship develops in the most difficult of situations, and a powerful, far reaching, bond is forged. Danny’s parents, Martha and Richard, are thrust into an unimaginable nightmare. With their only child missing and a ransom demanded, will they be able to meet the kidnappers’ terms, or will their son be lost to them forever? And in this most distressing of situations, can their marriage survive the inevitable pressure they are under, or will secrets surface to test the strength of their union and their feelings for each other? This book was quite different. It had all what the blur...

☆☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 354 pages Published September 27th 2019 by Bookouture About the Book: It hit me, the reality of it, in a way it hadn’t before like a sledgehammer straight to the chest. Laura was gone. She was never coming back. I’d never see her again; she’d never hum in the kitchen, she’d never pull Ruby onto her lap and tickle her tummy as she buried her face in the sweet curve of our daughter’s shoulder. Nathan West loved his wife Laura with all his heart. But now she’s gone, taken from him in a seemingly random act of violence. Laura was the glue that held their family together. And for Nathan, life without her feels almost meaningless. As he tries to find hope in the darkness, his three young daughters express their grief in different and challenging ways – with one set on a path of self-destruction that could devastate their family all over again. Desperate to understand his own heartbreak better, he reaches out to others who had known Laura. Including her new friend M...

☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 338 pages Published September 26th 2019 by Bookouture About the Book: She lays her baby in his cot – the sound of his quiet breath filling the nursery as she leaves the room. Soon Claire will be fast asleep herself. She won’t hear the back door opening or the footsteps on the stairs. When Claire Lucas is woken by her husband asking where their baby son is, she is dazed and confused. When she follows Darren into their child’s bedroom, she hears nothing but silence. No baby cries, no cute gurgles. The only thing left in Finlay’s cot is his beloved teddy bear. Finlay has gone. Detective Jessie Blake rushes to the family’s modern home in the rugged Scottish Highlands. She notices that Darren avoids eye contact, and Claire seems disconnected – unable to account for the last few hours of her afternoon. Jessie knows there’s no normal response to losing a child, but something doesn’t feel right. Friends rally round the young family, as a search of the narrow lanes and...

☆☆☆☆ ebook, 276 pages Published September 25th 2019 by Bookouture About the Book: Ten years ago Samuel Murray went missing from the small village of Buckthorpe and was never found again. A quiet boy who loved walking in the woods and tending the animals on his parents’ farm. Family, friends and neighbours all say they didn’t see him on the dark, rainy night he disappeared. But surely someone in the close-knit community must know something? Rosie Sharpe cried for weeks after. But her little sister Heather knows that Rosie’s tears hide the truth. Because the night their friend Samuel was last seen, Heather saw her older sister climbing back into the window of their childhood bedroom. Her jacket torn, her eyes wild and her body trembling with fear. Heather has never told anyone what she saw, but secrets can’t stay buried forever. When Rosie and Heather are forced to return to the home they grew up in, to spend the last days with their dying mother, they must confront what really happ...

☆☆☆1/2 Kindle Edition, 448 pages Published September 24th 2019 by Inkshares About the Book: For many children, the summer of 1988 was filled with sunshine and laughter. But for ten-year-old Kris Barlow, it was her chance to say goodbye to her dying mother. Three decades later, loss returns—her husband killed in a car accident. And so, Kris goes home to the place where she first knew pain—to that summer house overlooking the crystal waters of Lost Lake. It’s there that Kris and her eight-year-old daughter will make a stand against grief. But a shadow has fallen over the quiet lake town of Pacington, Kansas. Beneath its surface, an evil has grown—and inside that home where Kris Barlow last saw her mother, an old friend awaits her return. The entire premise of the novel is extremely intriguing, who doesn't love a ghost story in October!? The main characters are appealing but some of the secondary characters are a little one-dimensional. The horror elements are brilliantly execu...

☆☆☆☆ Kindle Edition, 413 pages Published September 19th 2019 by Lucy Watson Books About the Book: Things Emelia Anderson would rather do than share a house with Benjamin Crawford: 1) Get strapped to a chair in a restaurant full of loud-chewers. 2) Parachute into the Australian Outback armed with only a blowdart. 3) Live her best life as an ice road trucker in the Alaskan Tundra. Benjamin Crawford thinks Emelia conned his dying grandmother into leaving her half of an estate worth millions, so let's just say he's not her biggest fan either. Not even close. Now they have to live together for the next thirty days while renovating the family home. Or the estate will transfer to the one person Ben hates more than Emelia, and she'll have to move back to the one place she wants to forget more than Ben. Did I mention Ben look likes man-candy and smells like testosterone? Not that Emelia notices. She spends a lot of time not noticing things about Ben. I have been trying to...