Thank you partner BiblioLifestyle and Bookmarked for including me on the book tour for THE LIES I TELL by Julie Clark and for the gifted copy!
THE LIESThank you partner BiblioLifestyle and Bookmarked for including me on the book tour for THE LIES I TELL by Julie Clark and for the gifted copy!
THE LIES I TELL is a domestic thriller following two women. One is named Meg, Maggie, Melody, or maybe something else. She’s a con artist who is great at what she does, finding inroads into people’s lives and confidences to get what she wants out of them. Kat is a woman who’s life was once broken by one of Meg’s schemes and she’s been waiting for her to come back, determined to be the one to expose her. As the two circle each other and their lives become more intertwined, there are bigger questions to answer of what the con really is.
I really enjoyed the author’s 2020 release, THE LAST FLIGHT, so I went into this one with very high hopes. I am happy to report that this book did not disappoint! I loved getting into these women’s heads and having each of them change my expectations multiple times along the way. This really was the perfect summer thriller to suck me in and have me flipping pages. I binge read this in about 24 hours which is a rarity with a book I only have in print, but it was too hard to put down!
I think the author did a fantastic job of writing the dual narrative and balancing out the reveals between the different perspectives. There were times where I did anticipate a twist, but even then I was second guessing myself constantly. There were some surprises along the way as well!
This is a book I’d recommend for a thriller lover’s TBR for sure! THE LIES I TELL by Julie Clark is available now!!
I received a complimentary copy of SOMEBODY’S HOME by Kaira Rouda as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books tour. Thank you to Amazon Publishing and theI received a complimentary copy of SOMEBODY’S HOME by Kaira Rouda as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books tour. Thank you to Amazon Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read and review!
Rating: 3.5 / 5
SOMEBODY’S HOME is a multi-POV thriller following different storylines which all center on a single home. Julie is a newly single mom, having recently left her husband and bought a new home across town. Her teenage daughter Jess is less than thrilled, but Julie is excited for this new start.
Tom is the son of the house’s former occupants and he’s got until the end of the weekend to move out. Problem is, he’s got no plans to actually go. His family made a rather abrupt departure, moving to a new job for his pastor father with his step mother and their two sons in tow. He’s carrying a lot of bitterness about being left behind.
This author really knows how to write a character you will love to hate! This may not be the book for you if you need a character to love. If you like to see characters behaving badly, this book will deliver. While there were characters who did have ‘good guy’ status, even they are complicated and not without their faults. The entire community around them is full of hypocrisy and back stabbing. There is quite a lot that can blow up in this book and blow up it does!
I really enjoyed how the multi-POV format worked for this story. Each of the characters gives us very different perspectives on some things. It really shows how much beauty and value varies from person to person. The way in which one’s background throws off perspective is very interesting!
I am glad that I had the chance to read this one and I thought it all came to a satisfying ending. ...more
I received a complimentary copy of MY FINE FELLOW by Jennieke Cohen as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books tour. Thank you to Harper Teen and the autI received a complimentary copy of MY FINE FELLOW by Jennieke Cohen as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books tour. Thank you to Harper Teen and the author for the opportunity to read and review!
MY FINE FELLOW is a YA, gender swapped retelling of My Fair Lady. In the 1830s, Helena Higgins and Penelope Pickering are young Culinarian students working on their final projects to graduate as the best of the best when it comes to preparing fantastic food for the elite of society. Helena has been raised for greatness with every expectation of being top of her class. Penelope has long been looked down on for her Filipina heritage, but she’s determined to bring fantastic food from different influences to the forefront.
The young women meet Elijah, a young man with a definite talent for making tasty and unique food, but he’s without the means to move up from selling pasties on the street. Helena determines that he will be the perfect senior project. If she can turn him from a street hustler to a gentleman worthy of selling to high society in a store of his own, she will nail down the top spot in her graduating class.
I have always enjoyed My Fair Lady as a musical, but can definitely see why the author felt the story could do with a re-do to give it a more modern and diverse take, even as it stays set in the past. I really enjoyed seeing where changes were made and how the story was adapted! I found that the characters were really well done and there were definitely moments where I could see where the author pulled from the original material.
I always enjoy a good food related book as well, so really liked that change! It was interesting (and sometimes hunger inspiring) to hear about their forrays into food. The book tackles a lot of issues of feminism, racism, and antisemitism as well.
This was a really fun read and definitely one worth picking up! MY FINE FELLOW is available now!...more
I received a complimentary copy of THE LAST STAR STANDING by C.G. Twiles from the author as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books tour!
Rating: 4 / 5 THEI received a complimentary copy of THE LAST STAR STANDING by C.G. Twiles from the author as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books tour!
Rating: 4 / 5 THE LAST STAR STANDING follows a former American Star (think American Idol) winner, but after her big win things began to go all wrong. She has problems with her voice, and tragedies with both her professional and personal life to deal with. By the time things start to calm down her career is pretty much done. It is now 10 years later and Piper has married, she has a baby on the way, and she has relatively stable work if not super lucrative recording audiobooks.
With the 10th anniversary of her super popular season of American Star, she’s been tracked down for an interview which brings up her old feelings about the show. She is given the chance to audition to be a judge on the show reboot. This could be just what her family needs, stable and lucrative work right in New York where she lives. Problem is, not everyone is happy about her opportunity. Letters begin to arrive from an unknown source claiming that a powerful organization was behind her downfall. And now that things are on the rise, they can bring her back down if she doesn’t do what they want and what they want is murder.
This book quickly had me intrigued! Piper has been through so much from a meteoric rise to fame to a slow but steady fall out of the public eye. The world assumes her fame brought her fortune, but really she and her husband are just trying to make ends meet in order to bring a baby up in New York City. I didn’t always like the decisions Piper was making, but her stress over her past and her future combined with the manipulation of the person behind the letters made me feel for her even so. Some of the assumptions Piper made were ones that I had a feeling were wrong from the outside looking in, but I was incredibly hooked to see how she would handle her assumptions and how she would confront the truth.
This book kept me hooked to keep reading and see how things would turn out and it brought a few twists that I did not expect! This was my first book by C.G. Twiles but I would definitely want to read more.
I received a complimentary copy of SO WE MEET AGAIN by Suzanne Park from Avon Books as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books tour!
SO WE MEET AGAIN follI received a complimentary copy of SO WE MEET AGAIN by Suzanne Park from Avon Books as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books tour!
SO WE MEET AGAIN follows Jess Kim as she works to recover from the blow of her lay off from an investment banking job that she didn’t necessarily love but most definitely counted on. Now she’s back in her childhood bedroom in Nashville living with her parents while she tries to sort out her life. In helping her mother with some cooking for church, Jess’s path keeps crossing the pastor’s son, her old nemesis Daniel Choi who is also newly back in town.
Jess decides to rekindle her old YouTube channel, trying out some new ideas on her old platform to bring Korean cooking to a growing audience. Between her mother’s antics, her attraction for Daniel, and risking a lot in her growing business, Jess has her hands full.
I had so much fun reading SO WE MEET AGAIN! Books revolving around food are definitely right up my alley and this one does it so well! Do not read this book hungry or you will be placing some big Korean food takeout orders! I would definitely tune in to Jess’ cooking show! I really enjoyed the character of Jess’ mom as well. She is a strong, opinionated mother, but she is a great support to her daughter and a great motivator for Jess as well.
The relationship between Jess and Daniel was fun to watch develop as well and I thought the author did a fantastic job of throwing some good hurdles in their path to add some tension and some fun moments between the two! There were some good twists along the way as well. Jess’ career path had a few less problems than I might have expected, but she had some big trials in her work life to start off the book so she was due a bit of smoother sailing.
This was such a fun read and one I would recommend adding to your TBR! This was my first book by Suzanne Park, but I look forward to picking up more....more
I received a complimentary copy of FOR THE LOVE OF FRIENDS by Sara Goodman Confino as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books tour!
FOR THE LOVE OF FRIENDI received a complimentary copy of FOR THE LOVE OF FRIENDS by Sara Goodman Confino as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books tour!
FOR THE LOVE OF FRIENDS follows Lily Weiss, a young single woman living the ‘always a bridesmaid, never a bride’ life. Somehow she winds up agreeing to be a bridesmaid in five weddings, all of which will be occurring in the space of about six weeks. Two siblings, her best friend from work, her best friend from college, and her all time BFF have all picked the same time to get married. What could possibly be difficult about that?
The expenses and the stress of showers, dresses, travel and life soon begin to pile on and Lily needs an outlet. She decides a blog about the crazy wedding shenanigans will be a good way to vent her frustrations and maybe pick up a few bucks along the way. She figures the chances of anyone she actually knows stumbling onto her blog isn’t going to be a problem, but of course things are bound to go wrong!
I loved this book! It was absolutely full of people behaving badly, not the least of which was Lily. This definitely has some over the top bride moments (and thankfully the weddings I’ve been in have had brides much less demanding), but I could remember the stress and expense of a single wedding in a year, so could fully feel for Lily juggling five! I did cringe a bit at how thinly veiled her identity and those of her friends and family were. Still, it was so much fun to read about while waiting for disaster to strike!
I thought the author did a fantastic job at highlighting some fun and ridiculous moments in wedding planning while keeping the impact of Lily’s actions very realistic. I could feel for Lily and for the rest of the characters involved. This book is full of fun characters you’ll want to embrace and those you will love to hate!
FOR THE LOVE OF FRIENDS was a joy to read and it is available now! This is one to add to your TBR!
I received a complimentary copy of HE’LL BE WAITING by Liz Alterman as part of a Let’s Talk Books promotional tour!
Rating: 4 / 5 HE’LL BE WAITING beginI received a complimentary copy of HE’LL BE WAITING by Liz Alterman as part of a Let’s Talk Books promotional tour!
Rating: 4 / 5 HE’LL BE WAITING begins when Tess Porter wakes up in the hospital. She’s in pain and her mind is fuzzy and she has absolutely no clue how she wound up here. Last thing she remembered was planning an evening at home alone with her boyfriend who is back from college for winter break. How did that turn into this? Her parents won’t tell her and she isn’t allowed contact with her best friend or her boyfriend. She must rely on her own memories to slowly piece together what happened.
I think it is best to go into this one blind because it was so much fun slowly piecing together what had happened along with Tess. She knows something went seriously wrong and as details begin to come back about her relationships with others and how she wound up where she is, there is an overarching sinister tone that warns that something went wrong and she may or may not actually want to know what happened.
One thing this book did really well which I wasn’t expecting was deal with the aftermath. Even once Tess pieces it all together, there is more to the story. This book deals with trauma and the feelings that linger after all is revealed that take it beyond your basic thriller. Each of the relationships in Tess’ life are impacted and changed by what happened. This is a book for those who enjoy thrillers, but also want to see what happens past the big twist reveal!
HE’LL BE WAITING is a great read for thriller fans who like having a little more to the story – and it is available now!...more
I received a complimentary copy of I KNOW YOU by Erik Therme as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books promotional tour!
I KNOW YOU finds main character I received a complimentary copy of I KNOW YOU by Erik Therme as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books promotional tour!
I KNOW YOU finds main character Bree with a difficult family situation. Bree is the oldest sister with a brother Tyler and a sister Alissa that she feels responsible for. Her father drinks too much and gets violent as a result so isn’t a steady influence in their life as their mother goes through cycles of kicking him out and allowing him back in. Their mother is a bit uninvolved as well, spending most of her time working and relying on Bree to pick up the slack.
Alissa always idolized her big sister, but she’s now a teen and going through those rough years so when she isn’t home for a few days, no one is particularly surprised. What is a surprise is that Bree comes home one day to find Alissa’s bag on the front stoop but Alissa is still nowhere to be found. Then Bree gets a text message telling her Alissa has been taken and involving the cops will mean her death. Bree must meet their demands, but that involves a very big sacrifice.
I really enjoyed Bree as a character. She is in a tough situation, the most stable influence in her family but often barely keeping things together. She can’t let her little sister get hurt, but whoever took her wants something she also can’t sacrifice and the motives are far from clear. Too afraid to bring in the police, Bree must seek answers in difficult places.
While there were some twists that I did see coming and some that I’m not sure I entirely liked, this book did manage to bring some turns that I did not see coming which was a bonus. It definitely kept me engaged throughout wanting to know what was going on!
I KNOW YOU is a fun read for thriller fans and it is available now!
I received a complimentary copy of JOVE BRAND IS NEAR DEATH by J.A. Crawford as part of a scheduled @LetsTalkBooksPromo tour! Thank you to @CamCat_BooI received a complimentary copy of JOVE BRAND IS NEAR DEATH by J.A. Crawford as part of a scheduled @LetsTalkBooksPromo tour! Thank you to @CamCat_Books and the author @josephoforb! JOVE BRAND IS NEAR DEATH follows Ken Allen, the man who once had the opportunity to portray one of the world’s best known spy movie characters, Jove Brand. His particular installment in the franchise, Near Death, was low budget and never even made it to an English release, but its cult classic status has given Ken some opportunities and a bit of fame. When he is asked to participate in a sketch to help promote the passing of the torch to the newest Jove Brand actor, Ken’s successor is brutally killed. With the death appearing to be ripped from the script of Near Death, Ken is the prime suspect. When it turns out that is not the only murder to happen around him, Ken must put his Jove Brand persona to use to track down the killer. This was a change of pace from a lot of my usual reads, but this one was so much fun! I loved the way the author played with the James Bond and spy movie tropes throughout the book. Ken reaches out to the man who produced all the fun gadgets and gizmos for the movies and gets to put some real life spy weapons to use. This book is full of action sequences and there are some brutal scenes and injuries along the way, but it is also full of fun tongue-in-cheek humor throughout. The author managed to surprise me with some of the twists and turns as well as secrets from Ken’s and the movie franchise’s past come into play. I would absolutely pick up more books from J.R. Crawford in the future! JOVE BRAND IS NEAR DEATH is available now!!...more
Thank you to BiblioLifestyle for including me on the book tour for OUR WOMAN IN MOSCOW by Beatriz Williams and thank you to William Morrow Books for tThank you to BiblioLifestyle for including me on the book tour for OUR WOMAN IN MOSCOW by Beatriz Williams and thank you to William Morrow Books for the gifted copy of the book!
Pub Date: 6/1/2021 OUR WOMAN IN MOSCOW is set in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1948, Iris Digby disappears from her home in London with her husband Sasha and their children. With Sasha having been an American diplomat, it is assumed they have defected to Moscow with countless American secrets. In 1952, Iris’ twin sister Ruth gets a postcard from her sister. They haven’t seen each other in years, but she can’t help but be drawn to the one person to whom she was once as close as she could be. When her sister asks for help, she is drawn into the world of counterintelligence, aided by agent Sumner Fox to try to bring her sister home.
I loved this book! It was so easy to get enmeshed in the story of these two women as we move between their alternating points of view and back and forth in time. I especially enjoyed Ruth and her sense of humor as she narrates her story! Ruth and Iris have not spoken in twelve years, well before Iris’ presumed defection. The reader is drawn in to follow along as Ruth and Iris each lay out their history, from a close friendship to a twin sister completely alienated.
I loved the way the author blended the intrigue and plut with the character development throughout the book. This is a book I would highly recommend to fans of historical fiction!
OUR WOMAN IN MOSCOW by Beatriz Williams is available now!!...more
I received a complimentary copy of THE TRUTH AND OTHER HIDDEN THINGS by Lea Geller with thinks to Amazon publishing and the author as part of a Let’s I received a complimentary copy of THE TRUTH AND OTHER HIDDEN THINGS by Lea Geller with thinks to Amazon publishing and the author as part of a Let’s Talk Books promotional tour!
THE TRUTH AND OTHER HIDDEN THINGS begins with main character Bells having a really bad day. In her early 40s, Bells is shocked to learn that her IUD has failed meaning she is about to have a baby. She also learns that her husband doesn’t get tenure at the university which means their family will be needing to make a move really soon to find new prospects.
Soon Bells and her family is moving to Pigkill in Dutchess county into a money pit of a university owned house and a neighborhood far from what she has dreamed of. Finding a writing job is proving difficult so when the uber competitive moms of Pigkill rub her the wrong way, Bells takes her revenge by penning a blog post as the County Dutchess, airing all the dirty secrets. What could possibly go wrong?
This was a really fun read overall, thought I will admit I had my moments of frustration with Bells. I could absolutely feel for her as her life is slowly unraveling around her. The house is smelly, the kids are in turmoil, her husband is settling in and Bells is feeling adrift. Her BFF back in Manhattan recommends she try to meet some moms, tries to fit in and find a support network… Bells decides to go in a totally different direction.
Some of what Bells uncovers to write about it juicy gossip and amusing to read, but she does cross quite a few lines along the way. Even as she is warned that there will be problems for herself and her family if she continues down this road, she just can’t help herself. You know the crash is coming, but you just can’t look away!
THE TRUTH AND OTHER HIDDEN THINGS just released on Tuesday! This was a fun read and it made for some great buddy read conversations so it is well worth adding to your TBRs!
I received a complimentary copy of SAVING GRACE by Debbie Babitt from the publisher Scarlet Suspense as part of a Let’s Talk Books promotional tour!
RaI received a complimentary copy of SAVING GRACE by Debbie Babitt from the publisher Scarlet Suspense as part of a Let’s Talk Books promotional tour!
Rating: 3.5 / 5
SAVING GRACE is set in the small town of Repentance in rural Alabama. As the name implies, it is a place heavily indoctrinated in Biblical teaching and the reality of good vs. evil, God vs. Devil. Main character Mary Grace firmly believes that she has evil within, though the reader doesn’t initially know why. She was orphaned at 11 years old and sent to live with relatives who took her in, but didn’t provide the most loving of homes. At school she was bullied and she didn’t seem to fit in anywhere. When a new girl comes to town, Mary Grace finally has a friend until that friend disappears without a trace and another schoolmate goes missing as well.
In the present day Mary Grace is grown up and the sheriff of Repentance. The town is thrown into turmoil when a Black drifter returns to town (a man many believe to have killed the missing girls, though there was no evidence to support it). Assumptions run wild when another young girl disappears.
This is a book that took me a while to settle into. The first half I would say is a very slow burn. There are hints about what happened to Mary Grace and her friend all those years ago that kept me intrigued, but we’re meeting a lot of characters and have a lot of questions between the two timelines of the book. The author really does a fantastic job of throwing in mini cliffhangers at the end of the sections that keep you wanting more!
The action really gets moving in the second half of the book and the author managed some twists that I definitely did not see coming. I feel like I read the second half of the book in half the time it took me to read the first half! The story did tie in a lot of the details the author developed in the first half such that it became much more clear why a lot of the beginning build up was needed.
This was a fun read and it made for some fun buddy read discussions as well! Thank you to the publisher and to Let’s Talk Books for the opportunity to read and review!...more
I received a complimentary ebook of THE CAPTIVATING FLAME OF MADNESS by Jeff Parsons as part of a book tour from Blackthorn Book Tours! Thank you to BI received a complimentary ebook of THE CAPTIVATING FLAME OF MADNESS by Jeff Parsons as part of a book tour from Blackthorn Book Tours! Thank you to Blackthorn Book Tours and Jeff Parsons for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review!
THE CAPTIVATING FLAME OF MADNESS is a short story collection which promises to examine what happens when one turn of events changes life forever “like a moth to the flame”. The stories are varied, but center on dark themes. A German submarine in 1944 is attacked by supernatural forces exacting revenge for the sub’s occupant’s actions during the war. In 2023, a new party is in power and no crime is permitted, but is the world nearly as perfect as it is made out to be? A hacker attempts to hack those who have what he wants, but is what he wants really worth getting?
I was impressed with the variety of stories, from historical to futuristic, from the drought in California suddenly hit with rain to a plane in mid-flight which encounters the unexpected. The cast of characters includes monsters, ghosts, aliens, gods, pirates and more!
As with any story collection, some stories resonated with me more than others, but overall I really enjoyed reading this collection over the last few weeks. I always enjoy keeping short stories on hand to pick up between longer reads and this is a collection I would recommend for just such a purpose!
I am not a reader that is easily scared by a book, so I wouldn’t say that this collection frightened me. That said, the author did a great job of building up the spooky atmosphere in many of these stories even in the relatively small number of pages allotted to a short story. For me, this makes this a a perfect read for a chilly, fall evening!
If you are looking for a good mix of creepy stories perfect for the fall season, this is a collection to add to your TBR. THE CAPTIVATING FLAME OF MADNESS by Jeff Parsons is out now!!...more
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