Jolene Vero has spent the last ten years consumed by guilt over her role in an accident that left her school friend Elizabeth Smith grievously in3.5⭐️
Jolene Vero has spent the last ten years consumed by guilt over her role in an accident that left her school friend Elizabeth Smith grievously injured. After spending years moving from place to place, career to career, unable to settle down, she moves to Berkley prepared for a fresh start. What she wasn’t prepared for, however, was meeting Elizabeth again. Elizabeth, still bearing the physical scars of her accident, tells her that she has no recollection of how the accident happened and proceeds to befriend Jolene. Jolene is initially uneasy but wants to believe Elizabeth. Is she being paranoid? Should she listen to the voices in her head? Is it her own guilt that’s making her suspect Elizabeth’s hand in the strange things happening to her, or does Elizabeth know more than she is letting on?
There is a lot about Like It Never Was by Faith Gardner that is praiseworthy. The narrative, presented from Jolene’s first-person POV in past and present timelines (“Now” and “Then”) flows well. The fast-paced suspenseful plot, the writing and the twists ( I could predict one of the reveals, but that did not detract from the overall experience) kept me invested until the very end. I don’t mind a bit of OTT/suspension of disbelief and even enjoy it in thrillers. However, what didn’t work for me were the character dynamics. I appreciate that the past timeline begins when the characters were teenagers (which justifies the YA vibes), but when twenty-nine-year-olds resort to behaving like immature teenagers, I find it a tad annoying. The pill-popping, intoxicated unreliable narrator is an overused trope that doesn’t always work for me, though I did appreciate the intensity and dry humor the author injects into the narrative.
However, despite the quibbles, I did find this to be an engaging read. Faith Gardner knows how to craft a twisty thriller and this novel is no exception. Don't overthink it and enjoy the ride!
Dont forget to download the bonus epilogue Blast from the Past! It's definitely worth reading!
I’ve been a fan of the author's work ever since the first book in the Jolvix series and always look forward to reading more from her!
Many thanks to the author and the publisher for the digital review copy via BookSirens. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
When newcomer Olivia West befriends her classmate, sixteen-year-old Eliza Hunter, they quickly become inseparable, and Olivia becomes a frequent 4.5⭐️
When newcomer Olivia West befriends her classmate, sixteen-year-old Eliza Hunter, they quickly become inseparable, and Olivia becomes a frequent guest in Eliza’s home. Olivia’s family situation is in stark contrast to the close-knit, well-to-do Hunters – Eliza’s parents Angela, a psychiatrist, and Carson a true crime writer, and her older brother seventeen-year-old Ezra – and enjoys spending time in their home. However, Eliza begins to distance herself after Olivia reveals her darker side, leaving Eliza feeling unsettled and suspicious of her intentions. But Olivia is quick to become romantically involved with Ezra, with whom she is pleasantly surprised to find she has much in common and is easy to manipulate. After a shocking series of events, Olivia finds herself living in Eliza’s home, but there is much more to this seemingly perfect family than meets the eye – secrets they would do anything to protect. Similarly, the Hunters have no idea of how far Olivia could go to get her own way and they are about to find out!
They are the Hunters by Faith Gardner is a riveting read! Well-paced, twisty and entertaining, with a cast of interesting ( that’s putting it mildly!) characters, this is the kind of story you would want to finish in one sitting!! The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Olivia and the members of the Hunter family. As we get to know more about their deepest and darkest secrets, it becomes increasingly difficult to like these characters or sympathize with them for their predicament, but you won’t be able to look away. I’m a fan of the author’s Jolvix series and this is my first time reading one of her standalone novels and it surely won’t be my last. Sharply written and smartly plotted, what a wild ride! Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the bonus chapter (available once you sign up for the author’s newsletter).
Many thanks to the author and the publisher for the digital review copy via Book Sirens. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on January 11, 2024.
Update (03/09/2023): Bonus Epilogue Chapter for What January Remembers titled "The Most Beautiful Time of the Year" is available now!
An intriguing adUpdate (03/09/2023): Bonus Epilogue Chapter for What January Remembers titled "The Most Beautiful Time of the Year" is available now!
An intriguing addition to the story! Many thanks to author Faith Gardner! Check out the author's newsletter (sign up on her website www.faithgardner.com) for details on all Bonus Epilogues out now!
Review for What January Remebers:
4.5⭐
It’s Christmas and we’re back in the world of luxury solar-powered cars, flying feather dusters (I could really use one!) and lifelike companion bots designed and manufactured by Jolvix.
It’s been two years since all of the Jagger siblings came home to Santa Barbara for Christmas. The last time they were together with their widowed father Jeremy and his new companion bot January ended in an act of violence toward January committed by Jesse, the third sibling. The siblings’ mother committed suicide years ago and Jeremy’s acquisition of January came as a surprise for all the siblings. But while Josiah, Julianna and Jada keep their opinions to themselves, Jesse in a fit of rage, attacks January causing severe damage.
Fast forward two years and the family is together again with January (who has been repaired completely with a wiped memory, or so we are made to believe). It’s going to be an interesting (to put it mildly!) Christmas at the Jagger family home, “The Pink Castle”. January’s equation with each of the Jagger siblings is different but there is a subtle but noticeable adverse reaction in her when Jesse is around. What does January remember?
Before their Christmas get-together each of the siblings received a cryptic message in the mail stating “YOUR MOTHER WAS MURDERED” – a fact that they initially hide from one another. The narrative is shared from the perspectives of the siblings and January with flashbacks to the siblings’ childhood from where we get to know more about their complicated relationships with their mother and January’s observations about the members of the family and her interactions with the different members.
Was there more to their mother’s death than what they know? If so was it one of the family members who was responsible? Who sent that cryptic message? Was it January?
With elements of domestic suspense, family drama and sci-fi, What January Remembers is a worthy addition to Faith Gardner’s fabulous The Jolvix Episodes series – the third one in the same year! Keep them coming, please! It’s hard to top Amen Maxine but What January Remembers comes really close! I loved that the author gives distinct voices to all the characters in this story (including January and her fellow bot friend Six/June owned by their neighbor). The dysfunctional family dynamics, the mystery behind their mother’s death and the suspense around what January truly knows/remembers and how, make for an atmospheric, gripping read that reels you in and keeps you absorbed till the very last page!
I received a complimentary copy from the author and publisher via BookSirens. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. What January Remembers is due to be released on November 1, 2022.
Please note each of the books in this series can be read as a standalone novel. My reviews for the other books in the series:
It has been over six months since Sophie Portman lost her husband Jack. Jack a, a geologist by profession, had been selected for a project near the ArIt has been over six months since Sophie Portman lost her husband Jack. Jack a, a geologist by profession, had been selected for a project near the Arctic Circle, and from what we gather from her conversation with her psychiatrist Dr. Thacker disappeared during the expedition. Sophie, a teacher by profession, is yet to resume her work and spends most of her time at home. In addition to her difficulty in coping with the loss of her husband, she also has a feeling that she is being watched and assumes that someone is following her and tracking her every move, even when she is at home. In her initial sessions with Dr. Thacker, she finds it hard to talk about her marriage and her husband but gradually she opens up, giving us insight into her personal life. As the narrative progresses we also meet another of the psychiatrist's patients and his office staff. From what we can make out, Dr, Thacker seems to have some issues of his own, or does he? Is Sophie correct in assuming she is being stalked or she is losing her mind? Does Dr. Thacker truly have Sophie’s best interests at heart or does he have a personal agenda? What happened to Jack?
Other People's Lives by J.E. Rowney is a well-written psychological thriller in which only towards the end do we realize how the author cleverly manipulates our perceptions and interpretations of the characters and their interactions. Having said that, had this not been a relatively short novel (for which I am thankful! ) I do not think I would have finished reading it. Till about 60% of the novel, there’s nothing much to grab your attention and keep you engaged. To be honest, I felt a bit bored with the repetitive nature of the conversations in the psychiatrist’s office and found it difficult to sympathize with Sophie. The final 40% is fast-paced and suspenseful. It did feel a bit contrived though, and I felt that the author rushed the ending. The final revelation somewhat makes up for the long-drawn build-up and does make you rethink your understanding of the first half of the novel. The final twist is interesting and not entirely unpredictable if you follow the narrative carefully, though the author manages to throw in a few surprises.
Overall, this is a well-structured and interesting read and while I did not dislike it, I was not bowled over by it. However, mine is a minority opinion . Therefore I request that you go through other reviews before you decide on reading this book.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing an advance review copy of the novel via Booksirens. I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
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