Husbands and Other Sharp Objects is the follow-up to Lift and Separate, the zany and endearing story of Marcy HaIf you are looking for a chuckle... 😊
Husbands and Other Sharp Objects is the follow-up to Lift and Separate, the zany and endearing story of Marcy Hammer when she finds out her husband is cheating on her. That said, Husbands and Other Sharp Objects can completely stand on its own.
Marcy Hammer has been married to Harvey for most of her adult life. They are now separated due to his cheating, and Marcy has a boyfriend, Jon. Harvey decides he wants her back at the same time Jon decides he wants to settle down with Marcy. And on top of it all, Marcy’s daughter announces her engagement, and Marcy has a wedding to plan with an impending divorce also on her calendar.
Instead of the wedding bringing out the best in others, it brings out their claws. Marcy has her hands full with that while also trying to move her divorce forward. Ultimately, Marcy will decide her own fate and how (and with whom) she will move forward.
Marilyn Simon Rothstein has a way of handling serious topics with heart and candor balanced with fun. The dialogue is witty and smart, and the writing is smooth. There’s something lovable and completely relatable about Marcy- she really could be anyone’s mom, and it’s admirable how she shares her trials with us, as she grows into a new stage in her life.
Overall, Husbands and Other Sharp Objects is a fun, funny, and entertaining read that leaves Marcy’s story on a high note. I’m so grateful we heard from her again.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
I loved this book. I loved the partnership between Cap and Vega. And what could top that experience? Finding out there’s a sequel in the works! YAY!
InI loved this book. I loved the partnership between Cap and Vega. And what could top that experience? Finding out there’s a sequel in the works! YAY!
In small town Pennsylvania, two young sisters disappear from a mall parking lot. Their mother is desperate to find them and hires a bounty hunter named Alice Vega.
The police refuse to work with Vega. With budget cuts and crime problems spreading them too thin, they aren’t available to consult with her. Needing some kind of assistance, she seeks out Max “Cap” Caplan, a former cop with a scandalized past.
With no leads and little information available, where will Vega and Cap begin, and will they ever find the girls?
Two Girls Down is a swift page-turner! It is engrossing, and Cap and Vega feel real and relatable. They have the perfect partner-type chemistry I love to experience between two sleuths. There’s also a mystery within the mystery here because Vega herself seems to be hiding an elusive past.
With a fast-paced, anxiety-inducing plot, I fell for this thriller with full investment. Please, please, please give us more books with Cap and Vega, Louisa Luna! I think you have a dynamic duo on your hands!
Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Ever since I fell for the fun and quirky romances by Christina Lauren, as an infrequent romance reader, I’ve been on the hunt for anything in the sameEver since I fell for the fun and quirky romances by Christina Lauren, as an infrequent romance reader, I’ve been on the hunt for anything in the same ballpark. Enter Sally Thorne! Yes! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Darcy found the man of her dreams at age 8...when she met Tom Valeska, her twin brother’s best friend. He’s been off limits to her ever since, and she compares every man she meets to Tom. Unsurprisingly, they just don’t measure up.
Darcy and her brother, Jamie, inherit a worn cottage from their grandmother. According to the will, they are to flip the house and sell it. Who’s the best flipper they know? Tom Valeska, of course.
As Tom and Darcy work side-by-side, that spark is absolutely there. Who will “win” Tom? Darcy or Jamie? (And will Tom really have to choose between them?)
The characters shine in 99 Percent Mine. Darcy is sassy and her sense of humor has bite to it. Her brother, Jamie, is larger than life, and Tom is as dreamy as Darcy thinks him to be.
Overall, I found 99 Percent Mine to be an engaging, fun, and steamy romance with quick wit and smooth storytelling. I’ll definitely be reading The Hating Game soon!
Thank you to the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Kit Carradine is a famous author of best-selling novels when he is approached by MI6 to complete a simple mi4 stars to this spy thriller! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Kit Carradine is a famous author of best-selling novels when he is approached by MI6 to complete a simple mission for his country as he attends a festival in Morocco.
Kit’s mission doesn’t end there, and he ends up trailing Lara Bartok, a member of the Resurrection, a violent group of revolutionists. Kit finds himself at a crossroads where he can either save Lara or turn her over to the intelligence community.
The Moroccan Girl is an engaging spy thriller. The Moroccan setting and visiting Casablanca and Marrakech added so much interest. Kit is a spy novelist turned spy thanks to helping his country, and what follows is an entertaining and engrossing adventure.
Overall, The Moroccan Girl felt like an action adventure movie with a touch of romance and the tension never lets go. The ending is worth every bit of the wait. I had fun reading this and could envision it as a blockbuster movie!
Thank you to the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
This little nugget is my first book by C.J. Tudor, and I loved it! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Joe attended Arnhill school as a child along with his many friends. He This little nugget is my first book by C.J. Tudor, and I loved it! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Joe attended Arnhill school as a child along with his many friends. He does not have good memories of his time there and vowed not to return because he left under difficult circumstances…including a suicide and a murder; all on a bed of lies and deceit.
Now Joe HAS to return to Arnhill. Something bad has happened to another student, all eerily similar to what happened to Joe’s sister. He’s the only one who can get to the bottom of what is happening because he knows the truth.
Joe lies to get the job as a teacher, and he faces his old friends that no longer want anything to do with him and vice versa. The tragedies center around an abandoned mine. What happened to his sister, the secrets at Arnhill, and all that has changed Joe’s life are enclosed in the shadows of that mine, and Joe will have to confront them.
Oh my, what a thrilling page-turner this one is. I was hooked on The Hiding Place and had to know what happened to Joe’s sister. The shock value is high, the writing is fluid, and the pacing is on point. Why is Arnhill so deliciously creepy? Why do horrific things happen there?
Overall, The Hiding Place is an exquisite thriller with a touch of horror, and I’ll be waiting in line for Tudor’s next book AND reading The Chalk Man asap!
Thanks to Crown Publishing for the complimentary book. All opinions are my own.
Renee Linnell finds a spiritual adviser and becomes an ardent follower for over seven years. She finally realizes she’s been brainwashed and i4 stars!
Renee Linnell finds a spiritual adviser and becomes an ardent follower for over seven years. She finally realizes she’s been brainwashed and is in a cult…Renee is not someone you’d expect to fall for anyone’s lines. She’s well-educated and well-traveled, and she can hardly believe what’s happened herself.
In The Burn Zone, Renee explores the trials that affected her judgment, including the loss of her parents. She also shares what life was like for her after leaving the cult, which was not an easy time for her. She battles depression and is extremely isolated because she has cut off so many people of support.
When Renee turns it around, she becomes quite the inspiration. She learns that her experiences can make her stronger and more connected to others than she ever was before.
I cheered Renee on from the start. She finds purpose in her life right before the reader’s eyes, and what’s more relatable than that? I was captivated by the story and emotional at different points due to the author’s brutal honesty and vulnerability. Overall, I found The Burn Zone an impressive and memorable memoir, one that will stick with me.
Thanks to the publicity team at FSB Associates for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
In my early twenties, I read every book as it came out, and I can remember where and when I read themSophie Kinsella is like book comfort food for me.
In my early twenties, I read every book as it came out, and I can remember where and when I read them. They are fun and funny and always have lovable characters you come to know as friends.
In recent years, Kinsella has added an emotional edge to her stories crossing over more into domestic fiction than rom com, and I’ve enjoyed that adventure, too. So where did I Owe You One measure up?
Fixie is the main character, and her motto is “family first.” Her father owned a housewares store, but he has passed away and left the store to Fixie’s mom and her siblings. And Fixie is the one left holding the bag all the time, being the most responsible and making sure the business stays afloat.
Fixie is asked to watch a stranger’s laptop in a coffee shop, and she saves it from being destroyed… The owner of the computer is an investment manager, Sebastian, and he’s in her debt for saving his laptop, so he gives Fixie an IOU.
Ryan, Fixie’s childhood boyfriend, comes back into her life, but he’s jobless, so she puts that IOU to work, hoping that Seb will hire Ryan. But things unfold and snowball, and Fixie is at a crossroads.
Will she take on life on her own terms, finally?
I found Fixie a trademark Kinsella main character. Zany, cute, warm, endearing, and I loved her, flaws and all! The romance was fun, and I loved laughing while I read.
Overall, I would say I Owe You One landed more in rom com land than domestic fiction, and I am totally ok with that. I felt like I had my classic Kinsella back!
Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
This is a challenging review to write because The Psychology of Time Travel is a difficult book to describe! It’s Unexpectedly emotional! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This is a challenging review to write because The Psychology of Time Travel is a difficult book to describe! It’s so many things, wonderful things, and I’m going to do my best to capture it all.
Four female scientists build the first time machine in 1967. When the machine is about to make its world-wide debut, one of the scientists is removed from the team because of significant emotional difficulties…This was done to protect the debut…
Over fifty years later, the world is a different. Time travel is commonplace and a huge moneymaker. Ruby knows her grandmother was one of the inventors of time travel, and she receives a newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman. Could it be her grandmother and why? And thanks to time travel, can Ruby save her?
The Psychology of Time Travel requires your full concentration as a reader. It’s complex and sometimes complicated. There are many characters, issues, and genres to figure out.
But at its core, The Psychology of Time Travel is a beautiful story. One that resonates and is powerful all thanks to the time travel elements.
Mascarenhas has plotted this multi-layered work with precision. You can feel her love and reverence for the subject matter with every page. While not my typical read, I’m grateful I spent the time with this one. Overall, I found it engaging, entertaining, and unexpectedly emotional.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
4 dark and chilling stars to The Liar’s Room! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Several years ago, Susanna was in danger, and she had to leave her old life behind to keep h4 dark and chilling stars to The Liar’s Room! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Several years ago, Susanna was in danger, and she had to leave her old life behind to keep her daughter, Emily, safe. She becomes a therapist and starts over.
A new client, Adam, comes to his first session with Susanna and begins asking questions that instantly make her uneasy. He says he is a danger to others, and he needs her help. Then, he begins to act aggressive and irrational, and I could feel Susanna’s heartrate rise. She is trapped in a room with this guy.
Adam may know her secret? But who is Adam? And is he a danger to Susanna and her daughter? You see, Adam has already met Emily…And he almost immediately appears unstable when he shows Susanna a picture of Emily…
One of the most intriguing things about this book is that it takes place during one therapy session. Susanna is a pretender with secrets to hide, and it appears that Adam is, too. Woo, my, what a story there is to tell. I was on the edge of my seat with this one.
It took me the whole book to figure out the truth, and I LOVE that. This is a perfectly drawn thriller. It has the page-turning suspense, emotional tension, and head shaking shock value (read: very dark) we all crave! I LOVED IT.
Thanks to Berkley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Here I go, jumping into a series late in the game.
Oh, friends, it did not matter. Rachel Getty and Esa Khattack have such good detective chemistry, I Here I go, jumping into a series late in the game.
Oh, friends, it did not matter. Rachel Getty and Esa Khattack have such good detective chemistry, I bought into the storyline instantly.
There’s been a mass shooting of twelve people at a Quebec mosque. Immediately things go awry when the police release Etienne Roy, a priest who had a weapon on him, and then arrest Amadou Duchon, a Muslim man who had been present helping those hurt during the shooting.
At first glance, it seems like the shooting could only be a hate crime, but Esa and Rachel’s gut instincts tell them it’s not that simple.
The community grapples with fear and unrest in the shooting’s wake, along with outright racism and hate, and with that as a backdrop, the pair try to solve what happened. There is also concern that the situation could escalate due to the chaos, and solving this case would hopefully lead to understanding.
A Deep Divide was so more than just a mystery. It presented social issues in a considered and thoughtful way. Khan’s writing is direct, and the pacing is strong. Overall, this book was timely, thought-provoking, entertained me from beginning to end, and addressed important cultural and racial dynamics. I definitely plan to spend more time with this series in the future as I can fit them in.
Thanks to Minotaur Books for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Jonas Anderson is starting over. Again. He’s made some wrong turns and thinks Sweden is the ticket for a new life. It’s hard to find drugs there, and Jonas Anderson is starting over. Again. He’s made some wrong turns and thinks Sweden is the ticket for a new life. It’s hard to find drugs there, and drugs are one of his vices.
Malmo, Sweden has its own challenges as a city and for Jonas. The first is the large number of refugees and how to help them. Jonas volunteers to teach Swedish to the young immigrants.
Jonas really connects to the students and is going down the right path. His only obstacle is himself.
Surprisingly, Such Good Work is filled with witty humor balanced with real questions about how to help others along with helping self in a modern world. The messages here are quite strong and impactful.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Donna Everhart, author and North Carolina native, is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Her stories are fiAbsolutely loved this one! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Donna Everhart, author and North Carolina native, is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Her stories are filled with unforgettably endearing characters and a sharp honesty about the times in which these characters are living.
The book is set in 1950s North Carolina, which, by the way, my dad grew up in NC during this time, though not on a cotton farm, and not in Jones County, where the only way of life was farming.
The Forgiving Kind is the story of twelve-year-old Martha “Sonny” Creech and her family, and what happens when her beloved father who runs the farm passes away. My heart stopped for this family, and I wondered about situations like this in those days. How would they make do, how would they live? Family could possibly help, but all this family has is eccentric Aunt Ruth.
Enter Mr. Fowler. Sonny gets an evil read off of him from the start. He is a bigot in every sense of the word, and Sonny’s mother makes the only choice she feels she has and marries Mr. Fowler to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. But Mr. Fowler’s malevolence bleeds into every aspect of their lives.
Sonny comes of age in this story, but The Forgiving Kind is about so much more. In North Carolina in the 1950s, it was difficult to be a woman, and it was even more challenging to be “different.” In this lovingly and sensitively told story, you’ll meet Daniel, Sonny’s best friend, who is a victim of Fowler at every turn. Sonny’s loyalty to Daniel deftly illustrates the most beautiful aspects of childhood friendship.
Donna Everhart has outdone herself with her most recent effort. The Forgiving Kind is important and emotional, and I was left feeling that even though we think we’ve come a long way since the 1950s, we still have a long way to go.
Thanks to Kensington Books for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
What Doesn’t Kill Her begins with this shocking scenario:
One secret, one nightmare, one lie. You guesShocking with quite the cliffhanger! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
What Doesn’t Kill Her begins with this shocking scenario:
One secret, one nightmare, one lie. You guess which is which.
1. I have the scar of a gunshot on my forehead.
2. I have willfully misrepresented my identity to the US military.
3. I’m the new mother of a seven-year-old girl.
What Doesn’t Kill Her is Kellen’s story. She’s lost a year of her memory as a result of a gunshot wound to her brain. Kellen is resilient, though, and even as she is alone and on the run in the wilderness, she finds herself, uncovers the truth she’s missing, and finds that, at her inner core, she’s unbreakable.
This is the second installment in a series and worked well as a standalone, but I think I would have gained even more insight into Kellen from the first book. The structure of this novel was one of my favorites- short, well-paced chapters that kept me flying through the pages.
Overall, there’s a wonderfully intense blend of thrilling suspense with a touch of romance in What Doesn’t Kill Her, and it ends with a HUGE, massive, giant cliffhanger that has me eager for the next book pronto!
Thanks to Harlequin Books for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
The first thing that strikes me about When You Read This is that it’s fresh and different! And I love thatSo much more than a rom com! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The first thing that strikes me about When You Read This is that it’s fresh and different! And I love that! It is an epistolary novel for the digital age comprised of emails, texts, and blog posts. Also included were drawings from Iris, the main character.
When You Read this is a romantic comedy centered around Iris Massey who is dying from cancer. Notice the juxtaposition in that? She’s dying, but this book is full of humor, insight, and an endearing sweetness.
Iris works for a public relations hound, Smith Simonyi, when she is given the heartbreaking diagnosis. Not only is her cancer terminal, she has little time left. She secretly writes a blog, which she shares with Smith after she passes away, in hopes that he’ll find a way to publish it.
While you would think Iris’ story would be tragic, and it certainly pulled on my heartstrings and made me tear up on several occasions, there is a lightness. I mean lightness, as in airy and refreshing, not as in too easy or trivial. The writing is sincere, and the messages are important in how we handle approaching death for ourselves, and how we come to terms with the death of our loved ones. It’s a topic I connected to on a personal level.
In other words, When You Read This was much more than what I expected it would be. The pages are filled with fun, humor, and heart. I’m hoping Mary Adkins will gift us with another book (or three!) that leaves me feeling this same warmth.
I buddy read When You Read This with my friend, Mere, and it’s the perfect type of buddy read with topics to discuss and a sentimentality you will want to share with a friend.
Thanks to Harper Books for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
The Conspiracy is first in a new romantic suspense series from Kat Martin.
Harper Winston’s brother, Michael, is missing. He has been sailing the CariThe Conspiracy is first in a new romantic suspense series from Kat Martin.
Harper Winston’s brother, Michael, is missing. He has been sailing the Caribbean and no longer responds to texts. Harper sends the Coast Guard on a search to no avail.
Chase Garrett was once Michael’s best friend, but they had a major falling out. Harper is desperate to find her brother, and Chase is her last resort. Chase owns Maximum Security, and he knows things about Harper’s father she doesn’t know.
Harper’s father is involved in some bad stuff, heavily criminal stuff, and what likely put Michael in danger. Chase would rather not get involved, but he still cares about his missing friend.
Chase’s mission to help save Michael pulls him closer to Harper, as one might expect. Harper and Michael are strong characters. Chase is the protective type, while Harper is a devoted and loyal sister.
Overall, I found the storyline tense and dramatic, the pacing was strong, along with a backdrop of crime and a touch romantic elements.
Thanks to Harlequin for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Natalie and Will are now married lawyers, but their first date was spent discussing whether 4 tense, gripping, morally questioning stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Natalie and Will are now married lawyers, but their first date was spent discussing whether they could get away with murder. Years later, their son is put in harms way, and they find themselves questioning once again if they could get away with murder.
Nat is a criminal defense attorney and knows first hand how broken the justice system can be, and she refuses to wait for it to do its job. She takes getting justice into her own hands.
…and now that Nat is making big moves, Will has to be a loyal husband and throw his hat into the ring, too. Even though he joins in, Will is conflicted and not sure he knows who Nat is anymore.
The police come knocking, and it’s unclear if Will and Nat’s tightly wound up secret, or their marriage, will fall apart first.
For Better and Worse is a tense and gripping thriller. I found Nat cold and calculating, while Will was less so but roped in due to the bonds of marriage and his loyalty to Nat. She becomes a vigilante, but she can’t do it completely on her own. She needs Will.
Margot Hunt does a wonderful job getting into the heads of these parents who will stop at nothing to protect and avenge their child. The topics addressed in this book are heavy and dark at times, but Hunt has a way of keeping it from feeling overwhelmingly serious, while also feeling authentic.
Overall, For Better and Worse is an engaging, well-plotted, and thoughtful thriller, and I’m already looking forward to my next book from Margot Hunt!
Thanks to Harlequin MIRA for the review copy. All opinions are my own.
Wow, what a doozy, and so much stinkin’ fun! Buckle up for this one, friends!
Joshua is 18 years old when he accidentThis was so much fun! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Wow, what a doozy, and so much stinkin’ fun! Buckle up for this one, friends!
Joshua is 18 years old when he accidentally kills a man…He leaves the scene and never calls the police. He tells his secret to is his first and best confidante, his mother, Karen.
Josh is on the cusp of going on to college. Karen is proud of his achievements, only to see them crushed by this horrific mistake. She feels forced to protect her son, and thus begins the chain of deceit that the pair will never break… or will they?
The tiniest of clues is left at the scene. What will Karen and Joshua do to bury the truth? The lie becomes bigger and bigger until it becomes massive, and I was left hanging for most of the book wondering when it would all crash wide open.
I’ve used this term recently for another book, and I think it applies to One Fatal Mistake, too: trainwreck. This book was absolutely a trainwreck where you can’t turn your eyes away, and even as things got more dramatic and over-the-top, I never lost my investment. I had to know if Karen and Josh would get away with it. And I never forgot the victim.
Overall, I found this an unexpected thriller with perfectly paced flow (how I like my thrillers!), filled with mayhem, and a highly entertaining read overall. Well-done, Tom Hunt!
Thanks to Berkley for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
In the 1700s, porcelain is at the center of London in every way. It is traded like money and is possibly more valuThis antique lover loved this book!
In the 1700s, porcelain is at the center of London in every way. It is traded like money and is possibly more valuable.
Genevieve Planche is an English born descendent of Huguenots, and she longs to be a painter. Venice is where she anticipates accomplishing her dream.
Sir Gabriel Courtney and Genevieve cross paths, and he offers her the chance to go to Venice…if she works for him on a special task: finding out the secret behind the color blue.
With this assignment, Genevieve finds out the secrets of porcelain, as well as the “craft” of industrial espionage.
This antique lover fell for the storyline all the way. Learning the process of porcelain-making was riveting, especially when learning how important blue was to the craft. Genevieve is a beautifully drawn character, and the exploration of greed on the hunt for success was carefully rendered. In addition, Bilyeau’s writing was lovingly descriptive, and I was transported to fascinating Derby Porcelain Works.
Thank you to the author for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
I was invited by the publisher to read On Being 40(ish), and I’m grateful for the opportunity.
Fifteen women contributed to these essays on the topic I was invited by the publisher to read On Being 40(ish), and I’m grateful for the opportunity.
Fifteen women contributed to these essays on the topic of turning forty. The big 4-0 has always been viewed as a turning point, a milestone, in the same way turning eighteen or twenty-one is; however, there are, arguably, more differences for women at this milestone, according to this thoughtful book.
The essays are equal parts honest and emotional and always personal.
Regardless of their age, I feel like many women find something to relate to and reflect upon here. On Being 40ish is an inspiring, raw, and hopeful collection, and like a great chat with your best girlfriend all in one.
I received a complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader
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