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Showing posts from July, 2021

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

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☆☆☆ ☆ ☆ .ePUB, 333 pages Expected Publication: August 3rd 2021 by Gallery Books About the Book: Little River, New York, 1994: April Sawicki is living in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a poker game. Failing out of school, picking up shifts at Margo’s diner, she’s left fending for herself in a town where she’s never quite felt at home. When she “borrows” her neighbor’s car to perform at an open mic night, she realizes her life could be much bigger than where she came from. After a fight with her dad, April packs her stuff and leaves for good, setting off on a journey to find a life that’s all hers. Driving without a chosen destination, she stops to rest in Ithaca. Her only plan is to survive, but as she looks for work, she finds a kindred sense of belonging at Cafe Decadence, the local coffee shop. Still, somehow, it doesn’t make sense to her that life could be this easy. The more she falls in love with her friends in Ithaca, the more she can’t shake the feeling that she’l

Love, Hope by Juliet Ann Conlin

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☆☆☆ ☆ .PDF, 236 pages Expected Publication: July 29th 2021 by Hodder & Stoughton About the Book: Ever since she first picked up a violin, Hope Sullivan dreamed of going to music college, joining an orchestra and travelling the world with her best friend Janey. But when her parents were killed in a car accident on the way to one of her recitals, she gave it all up to look after her younger sister, Autumn. Ten years later, Janey is living their dream on her own, Autumn is flourishing as a doctor and Hope's life is smaller and less musical than ever. Arnold Quince had the happiest of lives - until he lost his beloved wife Marion. Once the life and soul of the village, he withdrew into his grief and pushed all his friends away. Now, five years on, he is sick, lonely and just counting down the years until he can be with Marion again. When Hope and Arnold are pushed into writing to one another, neither has any idea how much their life is about to change. My Review: ❤  Hope is the th

The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding

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☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 265 pages Expected Publication: August 10th 2021 by Gallery Books About the Book: Thomas and Viv Adler are the envy of their neighbors: attractive, successful, with well-mannered children and a beautifully restored home. Until one morning, when they wake up to find their porch has been pelted with eggs. It’s a prank, Thomas insists; the work of a few out-of-control kids. But when a smoke bomb is tossed on their front lawn, and their car’s tires are punctured, the family begins to worry. Surveillance cameras show nothing but grainy images of shadowy figures in hoodies. And the police dismiss the attacks, insisting they’re just the work of bored teenagers. Unable to identify the perpetrators, the Adlers are helpless as the assaults escalate into violence, and worse. And each new violation brings with it a growing fear. Because everyone in the Adler family is keeping a secret—not just from the outside world, but from each other. And secrets can be very dangerous. My Review: W

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

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☆☆☆☆1/2 .ePUB, 259 pages Expected Publication: April 15th 2021 by Hodder & Stoughton About the Book: Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be . . . dangerous. When Rose discovers that she cannot fall pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple. Fern's mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets that she long thought were buried. My Review: Why can’t I just be normal? I whisper. You are. It’s everyone else who are weirdos. I loved this book and found myself totally engaged and fascinated. The characters were so well developed and credible, and the plot so perfectly constructed I had to finish it

What's Left Unsaid by Emily Bleeker

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☆☆☆☆ .PDF, 386 pages Expected Publication: July 27th 2021 by Lake Union Publishing About the Book: After a series of devastating losses, Chicago journalist Hannah Williamson has landed in Senatobia, Mississippi, to care for her bedridden grandmother and endure grunt work at a small newspaper. But in cleaning out its archives, Hannah discovers a compelling distraction from her life: a series of rejected articles from the 1930s that illuminate a long-hidden mystery. The articles, penned by a young woman named Evelyn, are haunting accounts of first love, trauma, and surviving a mysterious shooting that left Evelyn paralyzed at the age of fourteen. The articles stir up more questions than answers, and Hannah becomes consumed by what’s left unsaid. Encouraged by Guy Franklin, a local middle school teacher, Hannah’s investigation into Evelyn’s past becomes more personal with each new reveal. For Hannah, as both a journalist and a woman bearing her own emotional wounds, this is a chance to m

Cul-De-Sac by Joy Fielding

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☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 333 pages Expected Publication: August 10th 2021 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine About the Book: Someone on this quiet, unassuming cul-de-sac will be shot dead in the middle of a sultry July night. Will it be Maggie, the perfectionist wife, or Craig, the husband who can’t quite live up to her expectations? They’ve packed up their two children and fled their life in California, hoping for a fresh start in Florida, only to find the demons of the past hovering on their doorstep. Maybe it will be Nick, a highly respected oncologist, or his wife, Dani, a successful dentist, both with well-kept secrets of their own. Or Julia, an elderly widow, whose troubled grandson has recently moved in with her, introducing unsavory habits and even more unsavory acquaintances into her formerly quiet existence. Then there’s Olivia and her husband, Sean. Having lost his job at a prestigious advertising agency, Sean is depressed, resentful of his working wife, and drinking heavily.

Ask No Questions by Claire Allan

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☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 260 pages Expected publication: September 28th 2021 by Harper 360 - Avon About the Book: Not all secrets are meant to come out…Twenty-five years ago, on Halloween night, eight-year-old Kelly Doherty went missing while out trick or treating with friends. Her body was found three days later, floating face down, on the banks of the Creggan Reservoir by two of her young classmates. It was a crime that rocked Derry to the core. Journalist Ingrid Devlin is investigating – but someone doesn’t want her to know the truth. As she digs further, Ingrid starts to realise that the Doherty family are not as they seem. But will she expose what really happened that night before it’s too late? My Review: Having been a big fan of Claire Allan's Forget Me Not, I was really looking forward to her new book and I wasn’t disappointed. Whilst the story line is much grittier and more shocking than her previous novels, her writing style is every bit as engaging. How she describes the different ar

She Wouldn't Change a Thing by Sarah Adlakha

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☆☆☆☆1/2 .ePUB, 269 pages Expected Publication: August 10th 2021 by Macmillan-Tor/Forge Books About the Book: A second chance is the last thing she wants. When thirty-nine year old Maria Forssmann wakes up in her seventeen-year-old body, she doesn’t know how she got there. All she does know is she has to get back: to her home in Bienville, Mississippi, to her job as a successful psychiatrist and, most importantly, to her husband, daughters, and unborn son. But she also knows that, in only a few weeks, a devastating tragedy will strike her husband, a tragedy that will lead to their meeting each other. Can she change time and still keep what it’s given her? My Review: If I had to go back and do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. This book was breathtaking from beginning to end. It's time travel. No, it's not that. It's science fiction. No, not that either. It's literary genius. Yes, it is definitely that.  This plot is not new...What sets this book apart is the

Stolen by Tess Stimson

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☆☆☆ ☆ ☆ .ePUB 343 pages Expected Publication: August 5th 2021 by Avon Books UK About the Book: You thought she was safe. You were wrong…Alex knows her daughter would never wander off in a strange place. So when her three-year-old vanishes from an idyllic beach wedding, Alex immediately believes the worst. The hunt for Lottie quickly becomes a world-wide search, but it’s not long before suspicion falls on her mother. Why wasn’t she watching Lottie? Alex knows she’s not perfect, but she loves her child. And with all eyes on her, Alex fears they’ll never uncover the truth unless she takes matters into her own hands. Who took Lottie Martini? And will she ever come home? My Review: Oh my gosh, this book...the twisis...the turns...the blurb on NetGalley says "A twisting and emotional thriller that demands to be read in one sitting." Well I am happy to report that NetGalley was 100% correct. I devoured this 343 page book in one sitting, I couldn't stop reading it. I loved One i

Everything Has Changed by Kendra Smith

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☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 321 pages Expected Publication: August 5th 2021 by Aria & Aries About the Book: When sisters Victoria and Lulu are involved in a life-changing car accident, it has far-reaching consequences for them both. Victoria's new world baffles her: she has adorable 10-year-old twins, right? Wrong. Her babies have grown into sulky teenagers and Vicky can't remember the inbetween. Amnesia has stolen nearly six years and she's a stranger in her own life. A now-frosty relationship with her husband James has Vicky thinking that maybe the collision is a chance to start over with those she loves most. Meanwhile, Lulu appears to have escaped the crash unscathed, but it's clear the accident has been a catalyst for unearthing the demons from her past. The trouble is, they're dragging her deeper into the bottle. Seeking refuge in a relationship that doesn't quite fit, Lulu knows things can't continue as they are. My Review: Someone drove into me – and everything

The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter

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☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 286 pages Expected Publication: August 3rd 2021 by Harper 360 - Avon About the Book: Beth and Tom Hardcastle are the envy of their neighbourhood – they have the perfect marriage, the perfect house, the perfect family. When the police knock on their door one evening, Beth panics. Tom should be back from work by now – what if he’s crashed his car? She fears the worst. But the worst is beyond imagining. As the interrogation begins, Beth will find herself questioning everything she believed about her husband. My Review: She Must Have Known This story is told from Multiple points of view and two different timelines. We have Tom and Beth in the now, we have Katie and Tom eight years before and we have an unknown narrator...sounds confusing right? It wasn't. Alice Hunter managed all this and still the writing flowed perfectly.  The further I read the more I liked this book. There were a few surprises and the dialogue felt genuine, even three year old Poppy...that was really r

The Dare by Lesley Kara

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☆☆☆ ☆ .ePUB, 260 pages Expected Publication: August 3rd 2021 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine About the Book: Lizzie and Alice are the best of friends, as close as can be. Until the day when they’re out playing by the train tracks and a childish spat triggers Lizzie’s epilepsy. When she comes to, she finds an unimaginable horror: Alice has been killed. Lizzie is devastated, and as she tries to cope with her grief, she is shocked to find herself alienated from Alice’s friends and relatives, who are convinced Lizzie somehow had a role in her friend’s death. I knew that whatever she wanted me to do, I’d do it. Like that first, dreadful dare. Years later, Lizzie has tried to move on. She’s engaged to a wonderful man and is starting a new life in London. But someone from her past isn’t willing to forgive and forget. And they’ll do anything to pry them from her. Even if Lizzie doesn’t know them herself. My Review: Part one of the book was a little slow for me. I did like that t

The Good Lie by A.R. Torre

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☆☆☆ .ePUB, 231 pages Expected Publication: July 20th 2021 by Thomas & Mercer About the Book: Psychiatrist Dr. Gwen Moore is an expert on killers. She’s spent a decade treating California’s most depraved predators and unlocking their motives—predators much like the notorious Bloody Heart serial killer, whose latest teenage victim escaped and then identified local high school teacher Randall Thompson as his captor. The case against Thompson as the Bloody Heart Killer is damning—and closed, as far as Gwen and the media are concerned. If not for one new development…Defense attorney Robert Kavin is a still-traumatized father whose own son fell prey to the BH Killer. Convinced of Thompson’s innocence, he steps in to represent him. Now Robert wants Gwen to interview the accused, create a psych profile of the killer and his victims, and help clear his client’s name. As Gwen and Robert grow closer and she dives deeper into the investigation, grave questions arise. So does Gwen’s suspicion

We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz

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☆☆☆ .ePUB, 297 pages Expected Publication: August 3rd 2021 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine About the Book: Emily is having the time of her life—she’s in the mountains of Chile with her best friend, Kristen, on their annual reunion trip, and the women are feeling closer than ever. But on the last night of the trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find blood and broken glass on the floor. Kristen says the cute backpacker she brought back to their room attacked her, and she had no choice but to kill him in self-defense. Even more shocking: The scene is horrifyingly similar to last year’s trip, when another backpacker wound up dead. Emily can’t believe it’s happened again—can lightning really strike twice? Back home in Wisconsin, Emily struggles to bury her trauma, diving headfirst into a new relationship and throwing herself into work. But when Kristen shows up for a surprise visit, Emily is forced to confront their violent past. The more Kristen tries to keep Emily close

Songbirds by Christy Lefteri

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☆☆☆ ☆ .ePUB, 273 pages Expected Publication: August 3rd 2021 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine About the Book: Living on the island of Cyprus, Nisha is far from her native Sri Lanka. Though she longs to return home, she knows that working as a nanny and maid for a wealthy widow is the only way to earn enough to support her daughter, left behind to be raised by relatives. Yiannis is a poacher, trapping the tiny protected songbirds that stop in Cyprus as they migrate each year from Africa to Europe and selling them on the illegal market. He dreams of finding a new way of life, and of marrying Nisha. But one night, Nisha makes dinner, an aromatic dahl curry, for the family who pays her: Petra and her daughter Aliki. Then, after she cleans the kitchen and tucks Aliki into bed, Nisha goes out on a mysterious errand, and vanishes. When the police refuse to pursue the case, Petra takes on the investigation herself, a path that leads her to Nisha’s friends—other workers in the nei

Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens

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☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 332 pages Expected Publication: August 3rd 2021 by St. Martin's Press About the Book: The Cold Creek Highway stretches close to five hundred miles through British Columbia’s rugged wilderness to the west coast. Isolated and vast, it has become a prime hunting ground for predators. For decades, young women traveling the road have gone missing. Motorists and hitchhikers, those passing through or living in one of the small towns scattered along the region, have fallen prey time and again. And no killer or abductor who has stalked the highway has ever been brought to justice. Hailey McBride calls Cold Creek home. Her father taught her to respect nature, how to live and survive off the land, and to never travel the highway alone. Now he’s gone, leaving her a teenage orphan in the care of her aunt whose police officer husband uses his badge as a means to bully and control Hailey. Overwhelmed by grief and forbidden to work, socialize, or date, Hailey vanishes into the mountai

Did I Say You Could Go by Melanie Gideon

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☆☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 290 pages Expected Publication: August 3rd 2021 by Simon & Schuster About the Book: When Ruth, a wealthy divorcé​e, 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 du 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 ac

How to Find Your Way in the Dark by Derek B. Miller

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☆☆☆ ☆ ☆ .ePUB, 331 pages Expected Publication: July 27th 2021 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt About the Book: Twelve-year old Sheldon Horowitz is still recovering from the tragic loss of his mother only a year ago when a suspicious traffic accident steals the life of his father near their home in rural Massachusetts. It is 1938, and Sheldon, who was in the truck, emerges from the crash an orphan hell-bent on revenge. He takes that fire with him to Hartford, where he embarks on a new life under the roof of his buttoned-up Uncle Nate. Sheldon, his teenage cousins Abe and Mirabelle, and his best friend, Lenny, will contend with tradition and orthodoxy, appeasement and patriotism, mafia hitmen and angry accordion players, all while World War II takes center stage alongside a hurricane in New England and comedians in the Catskills. With his eye always on vengeance for his father’s murder, Sheldon stakes out his place in a world he now understands is comprised largely of crimes: right and wron

Nowhere Girl by Magali Le Huche

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☆☆☆ ☆ .PDF, 128 pages Expected Publication: June 23rd 2021 by Europe Comics About the Book: This is the story of a girl growing up in the 1990s – a middle-schooler who finds herself lost in the gulf between childhood and adolescence, developing paralyzing fears of failure, school, other people, and her own changing body. Along the way, she becomes obsessed with the Beatles… which might be just what she needs to find her way back to being okay. Yeah yeah yeah! My Review: It is the '90s and poor Magali has just started middle school. She is not having an easy time of it then she discovers The Beatles and somehow those fab four, from the '60s, bring her some happiness.  What I thought was going to be a cute, funny graphic novel turned into a lesson on children having anxiety and panic attacks. I loved Magali and her quirkiness and felt for her when she wasn't well and cheered her on as she tried to get better. I loved how supportive her parents were and how this is sort of an

The Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine

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☆☆☆1/2 .ePUB, 326 pages Expected Publication: July 22nd 2021 by HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction About the Book: A woman with no memory…Addison should be happy; she’s about to marry a wonderful man. But something is wrong – she has no memory. Two years ago, she was found on the side of the road, unable to remember who she is. A husband without a wife…Julian has spent the past two years wondering why his loving wife disappeared. She never would have left her family willingly…would she? A reunion where nothing is as it seems…Julian finds Addison just in time to stop her marrying someone else. But something isn’t quite right. Who is Addison really? Why did she leave? And what dark secrets are hiding in this marriage? My Review: I am really torn with this review, it's time like this when I really wish I could click half stars. I devoured this book but it was REALLY over the top but kinda in a campy way. Liv Constantine is a real hit and miss for me but this one is right down the middle

All the Little Hopes by Leah Weiss

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☆☆☆☆ ☆ .ePUB, 299 pages Expected Publication: July 27th 2021 by Sourcebooks Landmark About the Book: Deep in the tobacco land of North Carolina, nothing's the same since the boys shipped off to war and worry took their place. Thirteen-year-old Lucy Brown is curious and clever, but she can't make sense of it all. Then Allie Bert Tucker comes to town, an outcast with a complicated past, and Lucy believes that together they can solve crimes. Just like her hero, Nancy Drew. That chance comes when a man goes missing, a woman stops speaking, and an eccentric gives the girls a mystery that takes them beyond the ordinary. Their quiet town, seasoned with honeybees and sweet tea, becomes home to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp—and more men go missing. The pair set out to answer the big question: do we ever really know who the enemy is? My Review: One night, I’m drowning, and the next morning, I’m saved. I just adored Leah Weiss' first book If the Creek Don't Rise and was so pleased

Just One Look by Lindsay Cameron

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☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 298 pages Expected Publication: July 27th 2021 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine About the Book: Cassie Woodson is adrift. After suffering an epic tumble down the corporate ladder, Cassie finds the only way she can pay her bills is to take a thankless temp job reviewing correspondence for a large-scale fraud suit. The daily drudgery amplifies all that her life is lacking—love, friends, stability—and leaves her with too much time on her hands, which she spends fixating on the mistakes that brought her to this point. While sorting through a relentless deluge of emails, something catches her eye: the tender (and totally private) exchanges between a partner at the firm, Forest Watts, and his enchanting wife, Annabelle. Cassie knows she shouldn’t read them. But it’s just one look. And once that door opens, she finds she can’t look away. Every day, twenty floors below Forest’s corner office, Cassie dissects their emails from her dingy workstation. A few clicks of her

No Names to Be Given by Julia Brewer Daily

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☆☆☆1/2 .ePUB, 300 pages Expected Publication: August 3rd 2021 by Admission Press About the Book: 1965. Sandy runs away from home to escape her mother’s abusive boyfriend. Becca falls in love with the wrong man. And Faith suffers a devastating attack. With no support and no other options, these three young, unwed women meet at a maternity home hospital in New Orleans where they are expected to relinquish their babies and return home as if nothing transpired. But such a life-altering event can never be forgotten, and no secret remains buried forever. Twenty-five years later, the women are reunited by a blackmailer, who threatens to expose their secrets and destroy the lives they’ve built. That shattering revelation would shake their very foundations—and reverberate all the way to the White House. Told from the three women’s perspectives in alternating chapters, this mesmerizing story is based on actual experiences of women in the 1960s who found themselves pregnant but unmarried, pressu

The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish

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☆☆☆ ☆1/2 .ePUB, 307 pages Expected Publication: July 20th 2021 by Atria Books About the Book: It all happens so quickly. One day you’re living the dream, commuting to work by ferry with your charismatic neighbor Kit in the seat beside you. The next, Kit hasn’t turned up for the boat and his wife, Melia, has reported him missing. When you get off at your stop, the police are waiting. Another passenger saw you and Kit arguing on the boat home the night before and the police say that you had a reason to want him dead. You protest. You and Kit are friends—ask Melia, she’ll vouch for you. And who exactly is this other passenger pointing the finger? What do they know about your lives? No, whatever danger followed you home last night, you are innocent, totally innocent. Aren’t you? My Review: I am a big fan of Louise Candlish and this read is my favourite so far. The characters are well drawn and the plot moves quickly, I was able to read this in a day...I was left guessing through the whole

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives by Kristin Miller

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☆☆☆1/2 .ePUB, 235 pages Expected Publication: July 20th 2021 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books About the Book: Mystery writer Brooke Davies is the new wife on the block. Her tech-billionaire husband, Jack, twenty-two years her senior, whisked her to the Bay Area via private jet and purchased a modest mansion on the same day. He demands perfection, and before now, Brooke has had no problem playing the role of a doting housewife. But as she befriends other wives on the street and spends considerable time away from Jack, he worries if he doesn’t control Brooke’s every move, she will reveal the truth behind their “perfect” marriage. Erin King, famed news anchor and chair of the community board, is no stranger to maintaining an image—though being married to a plastic surgeon helps. But the skyrocketing success of her career has worn her love life thin, and her professional ambitions have pushed Mason away. Quitting her job is a Hail Mary attempt at keeping him interested,

The Seven Day Switch by Kelly Harms

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☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 298 pages Expected Publication: July 1st 2021 by Lake Union Publishing About the Book: Celeste Mason is the Pinterest stay-at-home supermom of other mothers’ nightmares. Despite her all-organic, SunButter-loving, free-range kids, her immaculate home, and her volunteering awards, she still has time to relax with a nice glass of pinot at the end of the day. The only thing that ruins it all is her workaholic, career-obsessed neighbor, who makes no secret of what she thinks of Celeste’s life choices every chance she gets. Wendy Charles is a celebrated productivity consultant, columnist, and speaker. On a minute-by-minute schedule, she makes the working-mom hustle look easy. She even spends at least one waking hour a day with her kids. She’s not apologizing for a thing. Especially to Celeste, who plays her superior parenting against Wendy whenever she can. Who do Celeste and Wendy think they are? They’re about to find out thanks to one freaky week. After a neighborhood potluck

What She Knew by Miranda Rijks

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☆☆☆1/2 .ePUB, 248 pages Expected Publication: July 18th 2021 by Inkubator Books About the Book: Nine years ago, Stephanie’s best friend vanished. Now she’s back to haunt her. Life has been good to Stephanie. Married to college professor, Oliver, with two adorable children, she lives in a lovely house, surrounded by beautiful things. It hasn’t always been like this. Nine years ago, Stephanie’s flatmate Alison vanished, presumed murdered. It was a horrible time, and Stephanie tries hard not to think about it. But when a TV researcher working on a true crime series wants to interview her about the case, Stephanie is forced to confront the past and recognise that she has a deep need to answer one burning question – what happened to Alison? It soon becomes clear that someone doesn’t want her digging for the truth and is willing to do anything to conceal a shocking web of lies. As her perfect life unravels, Stephanie realises that by opening a door into the past she has woken a sleeping mon

The Lost and Found Necklace by Louisa Leaman

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☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 249 pages Expected publication: July 13th 2021 by Sourcebooks Landmark About the Book: Jess has always loved taking chances, but after a terrible accident, she's ready for a quieter life. No more unsuitable boyfriends or unsafe adventures. More time with Tim, her dependable boyfriend who seldom surprises her. More time with family, like her ailing grandmother, Nancy, who wants Jess to bring home the lost vintage necklace that has been in their family for generations. The delicate moonstone pendant features a fluttering butterfly, and some say it has a history of leading its wearer to her soul mate. Jess isn't sure about that, but the necklace belongs to the Taylor women, and she's determined to bring it home. All Jess has to do is bid on it at a local auction. But when a rival bidder outplays her and sweeps the necklace off the table, Jess finds herself face-to-face with a charming stranger who has his own reasons for wanting the necklace. He might be willing t

The Children's Secret by Nina Monroe

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☆☆☆ ☆ ☆ .ePUB, 264 pages Expected Publication: September 7th 2021 by Crooked Lane Books About the Book: Nothing ever happens in a sleepy town like Middlebrook. Until the residents are shaken to their core, when one hot Saturday afternoon, at a back-to-school party, nine children sneak into a barn...and only eight come out unharmed. The press immediately starts asking questions. What type of parents let their children play unsupervised in a house with guns? What kind of child pulls the trigger on their friend? And most importantly: of the nine children who were present in that barn, which one actually pulled the trigger, and why are the others staying silent? My Review: This book is heartbreaking in a lot of ways, the characters in this book are so real that even after finishing the book they stay with you. I really admire how the author wrote from the children's point of view and their dialog, it felt authentic. I also like how the detective and the police investigation was second

A House Full of Windsor by Kristin Contino

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☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 274 pages Expected Publication: July 13th 2021 by Get Red PR - Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing About the Book: Sarah Percy's career depends on New Yorkers taking her household advice as gospel. "Sarah Says" used to be the most popular segment on the city's top morning show, but ratings are down and it looks like Sarah might not have a tip for everything, after all... especially when her mother gets involved. Debbie Windsor, Sarah's mother, is a shopaholic and compulsive hoarder, a secret Sarah has worked tirelessly to hide her entire life. Debbie was always fascinated by royalty, but when her real-life love story started to parallel Princess Diana's, she turned to collecting royal souvenirs to fill the void. Leaving her husband's native England and relocating the family to her hometown in Pennsylvania doesn't help the situation, and two decades later the house is a royal mess. Debbie's safety is on the line, but she brushes off any attempts

Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

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☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 284 pages Expected Publication: July 13th 2021 by Simon & Schuster About the Book: Hollow’s Edge used to be a quiet place. A private and idyllic neighborhood where neighbors dropped in on neighbors, celebrated graduation and holiday parties together, and looked out for one another. But then came the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. A year and a half later, Hollow’s Edge is simmering. The residents are trapped, unable to sell their homes, confronted daily by the empty Truett house, and suffocated by their trial testimonies that implicated one of their own. Ruby Fletcher. And now, Ruby’s back. With her conviction overturned, Ruby waltzes right back to Hollow’s Edge, and into the home she once shared with Harper Nash. Harper, five years older, has always treated Ruby like a wayward younger sister. But now she’s terrified. What possible good could come of Ruby returning to the scene of the crime? And how can she possibly turn her away, when she knows Ruby has nowhere to

Rachel to the Rescue by Elinor Lipman

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  ☆☆☆☆ .ePUB, 241 pages Expected publication: July 13th 2021 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - Mariner Books About the Book: Rachel Klein is sacked from her job at the White House after she sends an email criticizing Donald Trump. As she is escorted off the premises she is hit by a speeding car, driven by what the press will discreetly call "a personal friend of the President." Does that explain the flowers, the get-well wishes at a press briefing, the hush money offered by a lawyer at her hospital bedside? Rachel’s recovery is soothed by comically doting parents, matchmaking room-mates, a new job as aide to a journalist whose books aim to defame the President, and unexpected love at the local wine store. But secrets leak, and Rachel’s new-found happiness has to make room for more than a little chaos. Will she bring down the President? Or will he manage to do that all by himself? Rachel to the Rescue is a mischievous political satire, with a delightful cast of characters, from o

The Stalker by Sarah Alderson

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  ☆☆☆☆ ☆ .ePUB, 229 pages Expected publication: July 8th 2021 by Avon Books UK About the Book: It was meant to be the perfect escape… Newly-weds Liam and Laura are spending their honeymoon in paradise: just the two of them on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. But they soon discover that all is not as it seems, and the island has a tragic past. And they can’t shake the feeling of being watched…When one morning, they wake to find a message scratched into the window, their worst fears are confirmed. They aren’t alone on the island. And this stranger wants them dead . …but it became the perfect nightmare. My Review: Finally! I book that lives up to it's blurb. This book had me sucked in and the twist surprised me. I love the way this story unfolded...bit by bit. It was very eerie and atmospheric. The setting was isolated and the weather descriptions help bump up the creep factor. I loved Ms. Alderson's descriptive writing. I felt like I was on that island with Liam and Lau

The Stalker by Sarah Alderson

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  ☆☆☆ ☆ ☆ .ePUB, 221 pages Expected publication: October 5th 2021 by Harper 360 - Avon About the Book: It was meant to be the perfect escape… Newly-weds Liam and Laura are spending their honeymoon in paradise: just the two of them on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. But they soon discover that all is not as it seems, and the island has a tragic past. And they can’t shake the feeling of being watched…When one morning, they wake to find a message scratched into the window, their worst fears are confirmed. They aren’t alone on the island. And this stranger wants them dead . …but it became the perfect nightmare. My Review: Finally! I book that lives up to it's blurb. This book had me sucked in and the twist surprised me. I love the way this story unfolded...bit by bit. It was very eerie and atmospheric. The setting was isolated and the weather descriptions help bump up the creep factor. I loved Ms. Alderson's descriptive writing. I felt like I was on that island with Liam

She's Mine by A.A. Chaudhuri

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☆☆1/2 .ePUB, 327 pages Expected Publication: August 18th 2021 by Hera Books About the Book: Her missing daughter was just the start of the nightmare...Twenty years ago, Christine Donovan took a call she should have ignored while shopping. In those few seconds while her back was turned, her toddler, Heidi, was kidnapped. She’s never been seen again. Despite having two other children with husband Greg, Christine remains guilt-stricken that her neglect caused her child to be stolen, while haunted by a secret that consumes her. Just as she takes measures to finally heal, a note is posted through her door, with the words she has always longed to hear: Heidi isn’t dead. Christine might finally get the answers she craves - but what she doesn’t know is that finding her daughter will uncover dark secrets close to home. In seeking the truth, Christine might destroy everything that she loves … so how far is she willing to go to find Heidi? My Review: There was a lot going on in this book, from m

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

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☆☆ ☆ ☆1/2 .ePUB, 544 pages Expected Publication: July 20th 2021 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine - Del Rey About the Book: Long ago, Nathan lived in a house in the country with his abusive father—and has never told his family what happened there. Long ago, Maddie was a little girl making dolls in her bedroom when she saw something she shouldn’t have—and is trying to remember that lost trauma by making haunting sculptures. Long ago, something sinister, something hungry, walked in the tunnels and the mountains and the coal mines of their hometown in rural Pennsylvania. Now, Nate and Maddie Graves are married, and they have moved back to their hometown with their son, Oliver. And now what happened long ago is happening again . . . and it is happening to Oliver. He meets a strange boy who becomes his best friend, a boy with secrets of his own and a taste for dark magic. This dark magic puts them at the heart of a battle of good versus evil and a fight for the soul of the fami