Review: Friends Like These by Sarah Alderson

Friends Like These by Sarah Alderson
Publisher: Mulholland Books 
Publication date: December 13th 2018.
My rating: 4 stars

We all know someone like Becca. She has the job everyone wants, a designer wardrobe, a hot-shot lawyer boyfriend, holidays to exotic locations. And she flaunts her perfect life all over social media. It drove her colleague Lizzie mad, but she couldn't stop looking. They were never really friends - and yet Lizzie knew everything about her. Or did she? When chance, and a terrible mistake, pulls Lizzie back into Becca's orbit years after they lost touch, she'll realise that you can't always believe what you see online... and that finding out the truth might be the worst thing you can do. There's no such thing as a perfect life. Only a perfect lie.

I’m not normally one to pick up psychological thrillers, but when it comes to Alderson’s books, I have no hesitation in picking them up, and I’m glad that I ended up giving this book a go, because it seriously messes with your head (in the best way!). Alderson works the unreliable narrator role work so well here, the book starts off with a chapter from an unknown perspective, we don’t really know what’s going on, but as the book progresses you’re led to believe the narrator’s voice. She’s been through a rough time and you really have no reason not to trust her, so when we’re given a chapter from an alternative perspective, I was like no that can’t be true and to be honest I didn’t want to believe this side of the story at all. To the point that I got to right the end of the story and still couldn’t believe what had taken place.  

I don’t want to say too much without giving a lot away, but I’ve always assumed that I’m a pretty good judge of character, but with Friends Like These I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was so swept away by this character’s story and later ordeal that she had to go through because of this other person, that I was totally left dumbfounded by the end of the book. Once again, I have to praise Alderson here with messing with my head, as I could never have imagined that things would have gone down, the way that they had. On top of this my feelings were left all over the place with me wanting to take back all the anger and hate that I had directed at one character throughout the story towards the person that had deserved it all along.  

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book by Alderson, but thank you once again for luring me in with this masterpiece. The only reason I wasn’t able to give this book the five stars it deserves it because of the sick, yet gut wrenching ending, which I’m not sure I’ll ever get over. 

Review: Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

Pieces of Her by Karen Slaughter
Publication date: August 21st 2018
Publisher: William Morrow
My rating:  4 Stars
Pages: 480
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD | Kobo

 

What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all . . . ?

Andrea knows everything about her mother, Laura. She knows she’s spent her whole life in the small beachside town of Belle Isle; she knows she’s never wanted anything more than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she’s never kept a secret in her life. Because we all know our mothers, don’t we?

But all that changes when a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura, she was someone completely different. For nearly thirty years she’s been hiding from her previous identity, lying low in the hope that no one would ever find her. But now she’s been exposed, and nothing will ever be the same again.

The police want answers and Laura’s innocence is on the line, but she won’t speak to anyone, including her own daughter. Andrea is on a desperate journey following the breadcrumb trail of her mother’s past. And if she can’t uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either one of them. . . .

My Thoughts:

Andrea, just turning thirty-one has been living a kind of pathetic, stagnant life, but things get very interesting on her birthday lunch! Out with her mother, Laura, they’re caught up in a dangerous situation and the predictable, reliable mother she thought she knew turns into a cool-as-a-cucumber woman handling the deadly situation like she’s a trained professional.  

The details of the situation are splashed all over the media, and with the public attention details of Andrea’s mother begin to surface.  Soon it becomes clear that they’re both in extreme danger.  Andrea’s forced on the run trying to reconcile the past of her mother she thought she knew with the reality that she’s now piecing together. 

Mystery, deception, and danger make Pieces of Her a riveting read!  The story flips back and forth from Laura’s past to Andrea’s present, slowly revealing why Andrea and Laura are in such danger now. I have to say my first impression of Andrea was not great, in fact I really wanted to shake her a time or two!  But she stepped up her game when the pressure cranked up!  Andrea still had a couple of bouts of stupidity here and there, but I can’t say I’d do any better in the situation with the lack of sleep.  I really liked Andrea by the end.

Some of Laura’s life choices in the past were shocking, and I had mixed feelings about her, but Karin Slaughter has a way of making you empathize with her characters even when they’re life decisions are morally questionable or downright wrong.

I love Karin Slaughter’s addictive brand of story-telling!  She writes imperfect characters that you can relate to even when their lives are so far out of your normal perspective. I LOVE her Will Trent series to death, but her stand-alones, like The Good Daughter and now Pieces of Her are impressive!  I read all 480 pages within a 24-hour period because it was hard to put down!

 

Review & Giveaway: Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins

Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins
Publication date: August 7th 2018
Publisher: Berkley
My rating:  4 Stars
Pages: 480
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD | Kobo

New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins is beloved for her heartfelt novels filled with humor and wisdom. Now, in her newest novel, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT, she tackles an issue every woman deals with: body image and self-acceptance.

Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson tragically passes away, she leaves one final wish for her best friends: to conquer the fears they still carry as adults.

For each of them, that means something different. For Marley, it’s coming to terms with the survivor’s guilt she’s carried around since her twin sister’s death, which has left her blind to the real chance for romance in her life. For Georgia, it’s about learning to stop trying to live up to her mother’s and brother’s ridiculous standards, and learning to accept the love her ex-husband has tried to give her.

But as Marley and Georgia grow stronger, the real meaning of Emerson’s dying wish becomes truly clear: more than anything, she wanted her friends to love themselves.

A novel of compassion and insight, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT tells the story of two women who learn to embrace themselves just the way they are. 

My Thoughts:

Good Luck With That was an emotional story of three women, Emerson, Georgia and Marley, who’ve dealt with body image and weight issues all their lives. The death of Emerson shakes Georgia and Marley up and brings their issues into sharp focus. It forces them to take a hard look who they are, how they view themselves and how their perception of self has impacted their relationships.  Their story was emotional but interspersed with humor that balanced some of the hard realities featured. 

Most women, this woman included, have had to deal with self-image issues. Doesn’t matter your size, it seems like even if your somewhat average or even on the skinny side of average, there’s always some amount of weight you’d like to lose.  I remember over the years always thinking I needed to lose weight and I’ll look back at photos from that time now and think, “Wow, I was super skinny!”. Crazy, right?

Kristan Higgins captured the real feelings that women deal with on a daily basis when it comes to body image.  Good Luck With That was open and honest, a story that will suck you in.  And, yes, there’s a romance for both women which of course made me happy!  Marley and Georgia’s journeys were at times painful, but overall it was a feel-good story filled with love. 

Review & Giveaway: A Touch of Flame by Jo Goodman

A Touch of Flame (The Cowboys of Colorado #2) 
by Jo Goodman
Publication date: June 5th 2018
Publisher: Berkley
My rating:  4 Stars
Pages: 416
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD | Kobo

 

USA Today bestselling author Jo Goodman returns to the gunslinging outlands of A Touch of Frost with a sizzling new romance where the new town doctor learns there's nothing she likes better than a run-in with the law.

Dr. E. Ridley Woodhouse is like no physician Ben Madison has ever met—she's a woman. As the newly elected sheriff of Frost Falls, Colorado, Ben is tasked with welcoming Ridley to the community. But while Ben might be tempted by the new doc's charms, getting the town to accept a big-city, female doctor is no easy feat. To earn their trust she'll have to prove herself and Ben determines to help her...even if she's the most stubborn woman he's ever met.

When the husband of one of Ridley's patients threatens her, forbidding Ridley from treating his wife or children, all of Ben's protective instincts kick in. Ridley has come to rely on Ben's steady presence and the delicious tension that simmers just below the surface of their easy friendship—but as much as she trusts that his warnings to steer clear of Jeremiah Salt are sincere, she's never been one to back down from a challenge and she refuses to abandon her patient.

But sticking to your guns can earn you trouble in the rough terrain of the Wild West, and danger threatens Ridley from unexpected places, forcing Ben to confront his deepest fear in order to save the woman he loves.

My Thoughts:

The fact that E. Ridley Woodhouse, the young doctor that’s come to replace old Dr. Dunlop, is a woman stirs up some gossip, and the town is a little slow accepting a female can be a proper doctor.  Fortunately, Dr. Dunlop enlisted the town’s sheriff, Ben Madison to help Ridley in the transition. He’s well respected, and knows everyone in town, even if he’s completely frustrating at times.  Like relentlessly trying to find out what exactly the “E.” in E. Ridley Woodhouse stands for, lol. And no, it’s not Eureka!

Ben didn’t know Dr. E. Ridley Woodhouse was a woman, and he has no issues with that.  His mother raised him to respect an intelligent woman, but boy, Ridley gets under his skin from the minute she steps off the train! In the best possible way, of course.   The romance was playfully antagonistic.  The teasing between them cute and funny, enough to put a smile on my face.

There’s some prejudice over having a woman doctor especially in view of the time in history, but Ridley proves herself capable and compassionate.  However, treating Lily Salt leads to some trouble with Lily’s husband, Jeremiah Salt.  I hated that awful man!  Ridley proved herself tough and resourceful, but still, the sheer physical size difference and the fact that he was a mean bully just looking for an opportunity to get his pound of flesh set me on edge.  Thankfully, Ridley has quite a few allies when it comes to this difficult and dangerous situation, Ben being the most important.

I thoroughly enjoyed the previous book, A Touch of Frost, and so I was eager to pick up the new installment.  Getting a glimpse of what life what like in the late 1800’s is interesting.  A life without most modern conveniences like indoor plumbing (chamber pots, eeek!) and where the only source of water is a pump in the kitchen sounds a little daunting!  

A Touch of Flame is basically a stand-alone story, some of the events in the last book are recounted because Ben is first introduced there, and his history is important to his character now.  But it’s not necessary to read the previous book to enjoy A Touch of Flame.  I was pleased to “see” Phoebe and Remington (the couple from the previous book) again, and their cute little son, Colt here. The romance between Ben and Ridley is the heart of the story, but it a little danger and suspense makes this a story you don’t want to put down.

Connect with Jo Goodman:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

The lovely people of Berkley have generously provided a Paperback Copy of Touch of Flame by Jo Goodman to give away to one reader.  The giveaway is open to US Residents only.  Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win.

Mini Review & Giveaway: Ocean Light by Nalini Singh

Ocean Light (Psy-Changeling Trinity #2) by Nalini Singh
Publication date: June 12th 2018
Publisher: Berkley
My rating:  4 Stars
Pages: 416
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD | Kobo

 

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh dives beneath the surface of her Psy-Changeling world into a story of passionate devotion and selfless love...

Security specialist Bowen Knight has come back from the dead. But there's a ticking time bomb in his head: a chip implanted to block telepathic interference that could fail at any moment--taking his brain along with it. With no time to waste, he should be back on land helping the Human Alliance. Instead, he's at the bottom of the ocean, consumed with an enigmatic changeling...

Kaia Luna may have traded in science for being a chef, but she won't hide the facts of Bo's condition from him or herself. She's suffered too much loss in her life to fall prey to the dangerous charm of a human who is a dead man walking. And she carries a devastating secret Bo could never imagine...

But when Kaia is taken by those who mean her deadly harm, all bets are off. Bo will do anything to get her back--even if it means striking a devil's bargain and giving up his mind to the enemy...

My Thoughts:

The last thing Bowen Knight, the head of the Human Alliance, remembers is being shot and falling into the water.  Now awake he realizes he’s not dead but has been saved by the Black Sea clan and is deep below in their habitat in the sea.  His life has been saved, but the chip that shields his mind from Psy attacks is degrading quickly. He only has a few weeks/months left to live if nothing is done.  However, the Black Sea clan doctor has been working on an experimental compound to neutralize the threat.  The chances it’ll work are very slim, but even if he doesn’t make it the data obtained could benefit the rest of the humans with the same problem, and Bowen realizes he must take the risk. Bowen doesn’t think in all this he’d find a woman who’d so completely capture his heart, but Kaia is unique.  She’s everything warm and protective, but she has a mischievous playful side that speaks to the serious Bowen in a way that’s too tempting to resist. 

Ocean Light had so much grabbing my attention!  An intense, but possibly doomed romance, internal threats and betrayals, and a race fix the ticking time bomb in Bowen’s head.  Nalini’s Singh’s writing is captivating and beautiful, playful and sensual, thrilling and exciting!  Ocean Light is the second in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series, but it’s not necessary to read the previous book to enjoy the story.  Loving this series!

Connect with Nalini Singh:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

I'm giving away a Hardcover Copy of Ocean Light by Nalini Singh generously provided by the wonderful people at Berkley. The giveaway is open to US residents only.  Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win.  Good luck!

Blog Tour: Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Hi everyone today I'm pleased to be taking in part in the Save the Date by Morgan Matson blog tour hosted by Fantastic Flying Book Club. Before I share my review with you here's a bit about the book. 

Save the Date by Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 
Publication Date: June 5th 2018. 
My rating: 4 stars. 

Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend before the house issold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster—all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect. The only problem? The weekend is shaping uptobean absolute disaster. There’s the unexpected dog with a penchant for howling, house alarm that won’t stop going off, and a papergirl with a grudge. There are the relatives who aren’t speaking, the (awful) girl her favorite brother brought home unannounced, and a missing tuxedo. Not to mention the neighbor who seems to be bent on sabotage and a storm that is bent on drenching everything. The justice of the peace is missing. The band will only play covers. The guests are all crazy. And the wedding planner’s nephewis unexpectedly, distractingly...cute. Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she’ll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | The Book Depository | ibooks | Indiebound

I really do love books which put a family and its dynamics at the forefront, I have to admit I didn’t realise that this would be the case with going into Save the Date, I knew it was a Morgan Matson book and that I had to read it. But it was a lovely surprise, as Matson really made this family for me, yes, the Grant’s like any other family, didn’t come without the ups and downs, but I loved how despite the size of the family (8 if you include the son in law to be Rodney), I came to adore each member in their own way. With the Grant’s it could be hard to get your voice in edgeways, with everyone being such big individual’s, but Matson was able to give each family member their own personality and voice that made them stand out from the rest, but also took the time out for you to get to know each character too which I greatly appreciated. 

With so many quirky personalities, it was hard for me to choose a favourite character, as I said before I adored them all, but Charlie was a great MC, she was the only Grant sibling still living at home, and so was still figuring things out. I liked how through Charlie, we were able to experience this big anticipation of her family all being reunited together, it had been a long time coming. I liked how we were told there were some unresolved family issues but weren’t give insights into what exactly had gone down to bring this about, the way Matson decided to reveal this over the course of the story I appreciated, as it had me constantly guessing about what could have gone down to cause this rift in the first place. 

Save the Date in my opinion had everything going for it, amongst the family antics, there were the unresolved mysteries, heated gardening competitions and of course so much upheaval at Charlie’s sister’s wedding, that I had my doubts that she would even get married. But the Grant’s came through once again and went to show they could withstand almost anything. The Grant family thoroughly reminded me of the Baker family in Cheaper by the Dozen, they always had something going on, nonetheless, the Grant’s made this book a truly epic one!

About the author: ฀Morgan Matson was born in New York City and grew up there and in Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, but halfway through a theater degree, she started working in the children’s department of Vroman’s Bookstore and fell in love with YA literature. Following college graduation (and the proud bearer of an incredibly useful theater/English degree) she received her M.F.A. in Writing for Children from The New school and worked as an editor for YA novels. She received a second M.F.A. (for reasons that made sense at the time) in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California. Her novels have been translated into dozens of languages, and published all over the world. Morgan’s first novel, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, was inspired by her love of road trips, snacks, and the quest for the perfect playlist. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a Publisher’s Weekly Flying Start book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Book Prize. Her second novel, Second Chance Summer, was inspired by her experiences spending summers in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. It was the winner of the California Book Award (YA category) and was named to the ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults List, selected for the Oklahoma Sequoya List, and selected as a School Library Journal Best Book. Her third novel, Since You’ve Been Gone, was published in 2014, and was a Publisher’s Weekly and international bestseller. It was named to the YALSA Teens Top Ten list, and the Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award List. Morgan’s fourth novel, The Unexpected Everything, was published May 3rd, 2016. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Murphy.

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Review: Don't Call Me Cupcake by Tara Sheets

Don't Call Me Cupcake (The Holloway Girls #1) by Tara Sheets
Publication date: May 1st 2018
Publisher: Zebra Shout
My rating:  4 Stars
Pages: 304
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD | Kobo

 

There’s a very special kind of sweetness to life on Pine Cove Island . . .
 
Most families have a favorite recipe or two, handed down through generations. The Holloway women are a little different. Emma Holloway, like her grandmother before her, bakes wishes into her delicious cupcakes, granting the recipient comfort, sweet dreams, or any number of good things. It’s a strange gift, but it brings only happiness. Until gorgeous, smooth-talking newcomer Hunter Kane strolls into her shop, Fairy Cakes—and Emma makes the mistake of selling him not one, but three Sweet Success cupcakes.

Hunter, it turns out, is opening a fancy new restaurant and bakery right on the waterfront—Emma’s competition. To make matters worse, the town committee has decided to split the upcoming summer festival contract between the two, forcing Emma to work with her nemesis. But she can’t afford to split her profits. The solution: create a recipe that will make Hunter leave town permanently.

The Holloway charms are powerful. But there are other kinds of magic in the world—like red-hot first kisses, secret glances, and the feeling that comes with falling truly, madly, inconveniently in love . . .

My Thoughts:

Emma’s family has baked magic infused cupcakes for the small, picturesque town of Pine Cove for generations.  Cupcakes to fix what ails, bring contentment, success, or just lift someone’s spirits.   Emma is hopping mad when she finds out Hunter Kane, a big city entrepreneur has come to Pine Cove Island to build a competitive business just down the street from her cupcake/sweet shop, and she unknowingly gave him three of her “success” cupcakes.  Emma can’t afford to lose any money with her old house in need of urgent repairs, and her ex taking off with her savings.  Emma wants Hunter gone! He’s a big city guy who doesn’t appreciate the small-town charms of Pine Cove. But their mutual intense and irresistible attraction has Emma reevaluating her plan of baking a magical “be-gone” cupcake to get rid of him.

Hunter plans on getting his business going, revamping the Pine Cove shops and restaurants and then moving onto his next investment.  The feisty, pretty town cupcake baker, Emma, makes him stop and take a closer look, and re-think his plans. The more time he spends with Emma, the more she bewitches him with her beauty and big heart. 

Don’t Call Me Cupcake was a sweet, magical romance that made me giggle and swoon.  Hunter and Emma knock heads a bit when they first meet, but sparks flew every time they were together! So playful, and fun!  I loved the whole magical aspect to the story, from Emma’s special cupcake recipes, to her sentient house that nudged and protected when the need arose.  Pine Cove sounded like a quaint, beautiful seaside town, making the story even more charming, and a place I wish I could visit!  

I’m eagerly anticipating the next in the series,  Don’t Touch My Petunia (love that name, lol!) centering on Emma’s cousin, Juliette, with her own magical gifts.  There was a sneak peek at the end that had me wanting to read more!