Such A Clever Girl by Darby Kane

 

My thoughts

This was a confusing book. The problem being to many characters. I can usually keep up with them with no problem but not this time. They didn't connect like I hoped they would. They didn't even seem to like one another. They needed each other at times but didn't seem like friends. 

Talk about family drama. This story is filled with it. Murder, intrigue, affairs, hookups, suspicion on an epic level. The book has all of that. But to me it lacked emotion. I read it and never felt the usual emotions that I get from a good thriller. I figured out part of it and knew part of it. I mean get real I knew she was guilty. Not a big surprise to me. Though it was a good ending. It had that. A good ending is always useful and can make or break a book. It definitely helped.

I don't need to give a synopsis since there is one already but you will get to know these characters and how they were involved in the disappearance of a family. A whole family. All four of them. Then the father of the man who disappeared dies and it's a full on investigation of everything and everyone. Well almost. The reading of the will unveils a lot. A whole lot of secrets. 

I didn't like any of these characters. Not one. I didn't find any of them believable except maybe Aubrey and no one even liked her. She was one of those you don't like but like to hate. I didn't really hate her though. She was abused by an older man. An older married man. Good grief he should be horsewhipped. Or maybe he can run for president and win...

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for this arc.

3 stars 

About

Darby Kane, author of the #1 international bestseller Pretty Little Wife, returns with a gripping domestic thriller in which a family goes missing and a long-buried family mystery resurfaces.

Fifteen years ago, the Tanner family vanished without a trace, leaving behind a chilling half-eaten meals, a bloodstain by the door, and a smoldering fire consuming their business across town.

The once-vibrant home stands untouched, a haunting relic of the past. As rumors fade into local folklore, the mystery of their disappearance seems destined to remain unsolved—until Aubrey Tanner returns.

Now a hardened thirty-year-old, Aubrey arrives in town with secrets etched in her silence. Why did she come back? Was she a victim of the night that changed everything, or does she hold the truth of what happened to her family? The town is rife with theories, but three women share a dangerous they know more than they’ve ever confessed.

As the past resurfaces, old alliances fray. A teacher, a café owner, and a psychologist are drawn together by memories they’d rather forget. Each holds a piece of the puzzle—and a dark secret of their own. When a new disappearance sends shock waves through the town, blackmail begins, and the stakes climb higher.

In a race against time, these women must confront the truth or risk becoming the next victims of a past they cannot escape. With tension rising and danger lurking, one thing is someone is destined to kill again.

What Tomorrow Will Be by Julianne MaClean

 

My thoughts

This is a very touching story. A story of love and loss. Of new beginnings and possible endings. Of marriage with all it's ups and downs. Children. The hardships of being a single mother while married to the man you thought loved you above all else. A story of so much hope. 

When Sienna was nineteen years old she thought she had it all. The love of her life. A wonderful life. Parents who loved her. A best friend. Then she fell....

Sienna survived that fall in many ways. But in one way she lost everything. You get to follow her life after the fall. Meet her husband and children. See what her life was all about. How it turned out. All the ups and downs of Sienna's life. Then she falls again...

This book was very good. A very emotional one. This author obviously has strong religious feelings. It's obvious as you follow what happened to Sienna and Jacob. You'll meet Jacob's sister Becky who is also Sienna's best friend. And then there is Nate, Amanda, and Connor. Each of these characters play such a huge role in this book. All are very likable. I adored Jacob but fell hard for Nate until Nate let Sienna down. Then I got angry at him and I got angry at her too. She literally tells him to go. Go to the restaurant.  That place was part of the reason they got where they were. And she said go. 

Amanda was Sienna's oldest child. She was actually very smart. At times beyond her years smart. I thought she handled herself so well in the hospital. And in life. I'm not so sure many sixteen years olds are that reseilant these days. 

And don't forget the dogs. They play a fairly big part in this book. And each sounds adorable. Just as a pup should...

This book was well written and very heartbreaking while at the same time heartwarming. There was one scene that I found to be quite silly but that is me. I don't believe any surgeon would talk to children with the medical terms the one in this story did. It would just blow their young minds...

I listened to the audio and it was pretty good. Kept great pace and did keep my interest.

Thank you Lake Union Publishers and Brillance Audio for the ARC. 

4 stars 

About

Some loves never die. But only one will shape her future…

At nineteen, Sienna MacKay believed she had it all—a promising career ahead of her and a young love destined to last forever. But a tragic accident shatters that idyllic existence, leaving her with a heartbreaking loss.

Years later, Sienna has rebuilt her life. She’s a successful designer, a devoted mother, and a woman who has dared to love again—with Nate, a passionate, rising-star chef. But as Nate drifts further into ambition, cracks surface in their once-bright marriage. A stormy confrontation ends in disaster, and Sienna becomes caught between two worlds—her near-perfect past and her more complicated present—where she must ask What is the price of true love…and is she willing to pay?

Set on the majestic, rugged coastline of Nova Scotia, What Tomorrow Will Be is a magical, emotional novel about first love, second chances, and finding the courage to stay…or the will to go.

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben & Reese Witherspoon

 

My thoughts

I absolutely loved this book. I listened to the audio and the cast did such a great job. Reese Witherspoon was the voice of Maggie. Maggie was the main character.

The authors really brought to life how humanity should work. The hearts of doctors working in countries where so many are hurt. During wartime and after. Three friends , Maggie, her husband Marc and friend Trace. One betrayed the other two in a horrible way.

This book took me from my living room to New York. To Russia then Dubai. To France. It kept me on edge through a lot of it. Hoping for something through other parts. And finally back to the US where it all started.

A lot of good characters and enough bad ones to keep me wanting to see justice.

I think my favorite character had to be Porkchop. Yep that was what he was called. Porkchop was Marc’s dad and Maggie’s father in law. He was quite the person.

I liked how they used AI in this story to help Maggie. I liked almost everything about this book. It was my first Harlan Coben book. It won’t be my last.

About

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan ... until it wasn’t.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is ... Gone Before Goodbye

Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

 

My thoughts

WOW!! This book knocked my socks off. I didn't read the synopsis but thought it had to be good. It's T. Kingfisher... I was right of course. 

This review is very hard to write . What can you say about a story that has you cringing about bugs. About an artist who paints these bugs. A man who studies them so intently.... This book will give you so many feelings, including laughter. Yes laughter. It's a horror, thriller, mysterious story that will have you gasping. But it does contain laughter. 

Does it contain a monster. Yes. But not where you think. Does it have a hero. Yes. A couple actually. This book was a fun and very quick read. It has everything you need for a good thriller, horror, story. 

When Sonia Wilson arrives in response to a job she accepted, she has no idea what lays in store for her. Dr Halder studies bugs. He knows everything about bugs. Or he thinks he does anyway. He's the most unpleasant person Sonia as met. His housekeeper/cook are friendly and make her feel welcome. Sonia is to draw and paint the bugs that Dr Halder is writing a book about. She's an illustrator and he expects the pictures to be perfection. He is not a nice man. He doesn't smile. He doesn't seem to like anyone. He just is...

When things take a turn for to the dark side Sonia finds herself a great odds. Does she continue with this job or run. Sonia stayed. 

This was a book about bugs, painting, cruelty, possibly murder. A story about things you truly only read about in books. This author wrote this in such a way that once you start you won't be able to stop. You'll keep turning the pages until the very end. 

It's different from any I've read but still right along with how you would except this author to write. A story that could end all stories. It's good. It's so good. Evil though. Good and evil? Possibly.

The narrator did a wonderful job with this. She brought the cringes to life. The gasps. The howls. The feelings of bugs crawling on your skin. She did a fantastic job. Mary Robinette Kowal, narrator.

Thank you Tor Publishing Group and Macmillan Audio for the ARCs. 

Five stars 

About

Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher

“I saw the devil in these woods.”

Sonia Wilson is a talented scientific illustrator—but she is only able to follow her dream because of her father’s reputation as a renowned scientist. Such is the lot in life for a woman in science in 1899. And after his death, she is left without work, prospects, or hope.

So when the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use.

Once there though, she encounters dark happenings in the Carolina woods, and even darker questions come to light, like what happened to her predecessor? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?”

With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a twisted road. His ground-breaking discoveries come with a cost—one that Halder is paying with human flesh.

If Sonia can’t find a way to stop the monstrosity, she may be next under the knife.

Save Her Family (Nikki Hunt #11) by Stacy Green

 

My thoughts

This is the eleventh book in the Nikki Hunt series. Each one is tense and emotional. 

In this book you find out who murdered not only Nikki's neighbor but also a few other people in the town. What was the motive. What did each have in common. Someone who refused to be undone. Someone who thought they were above the law and would never be caught. A person who had to have things their way no matter what!!

Nikki Hunt's daughter Lacey witnesses a murder. She sees when the woman is shot and killed. But she does not see who did it. She has no idea why someone would do this. She only wants to help the small girl that is left, along with her infant sister. Lacey is terrified but determined. She takes the child inside and locks the door. Then she hears the footsteps on the porch.

This book takes you on a wild ride. Through a few murders. A fire that caused the death of two and through Nikki's determination to solve the case. 

I did figure out who the killer was. It was just obvious to me. It didn't take away from the story though. It just kept me reading to see if I was right. To find out why. To see if this person would try to harm Nikki's child. Of course Nikki solves this one as she did every other one. 

This was a good read that kept me turning the pages. Kept me guessing until it just finally hit me who was who and why they did this heinous crime. What drives a person to kill. What makes a person a cold stone murder???

Thank you Bookouture for this ARC.

4.75 stars 

About

The girl’s heart races as she edges towards the bright yellow farmhouse where children’s toys lie carelessly in the overgrown grass. The air is too still. On the front porch, a woman takes her last breath and crumples to the ground…

Special Agent Nikki Hunt feels her chest tighten as she looks down at the body sprawled beside the lilac bushes. This morning, her ten-year-old daughter Lacey witnessed the murder of local mother Elle Harper. Out riding her bike, Lacey saw the killer escape from the house and rushed inside to protect Elle’s daughters Maisy and Maya.

Nikki promises Lacey she’ll do whatever it takes to help the poor innocent girls who now sit in her house clutching their teddies. But before she has a chance to return them to the safety of their stepfather Tim, he’s reported missing. Local gossip suggests that fights between Elle and Tim had been spilling out of the farmhouse, and Nikki soon wonders if Maisy and Maya were ever safe in their own home.

But just as Nikki zones in on her suspect, she realizes she’s too late. A body is pulled from the river, and Nikki’s heart shatters as Tim is pronounced dead. Nikki’s gut tells her that someone is targeting the whole family. But with this killer stalking her in the shadows, what sacrifices will she have to make to save them, and keep her promise to her daughter?

A mind-blowingly brilliant thriller from USA Today bestseller Stacy Green. Fans of Lisa Regan, Mary Burton and Kendra Elliot will be up all night flipping the pages until the final, unputdownable twist.

It's Not Her by Mary Kubica

 

My thoughts

I've read a couple of Mary Kubica's books and enjoyed them very much. This one is on a whole other level of thrills. It actually had me feeling tense and scared in places. I was thinking everyone was guilty at some point. I never, ever, never, thought of what was revealed. That was brilliant. It was masterful. The best kind of twist. Actually both twists were great but the first one left me speechless...

My favorite line and the saddest line in this story: But who's to say what a grieving parent sees when they want so badly to believe??? That line would haunt anyone.

Two families on vacation at a cabin resort. Four adults who are related and four children between them.... Cousins will be cousins and siblings will be siblings. At times you truly want to strangle them, but at a time when only horror has happened you want to be there. To do what you can. But how. If you are so afraid then how. 

Courtney and Elliott have a ten year old daughter Cass. They are the best parents they can possibly be. Courtney's brother, Nolan and sister in law, Emily, have three children. A daughter, Mae, who is Cass's age. The two are very close. They are trouble from the word go but only as most all ten year olds can be. They love teasing Reese, Mae's seventeen year old sister. Mae also has a brother, Wyatt, who is fourteen. He's that brother who loves to blackmail you if he gets anything on you. He does this to Reese repeatedly. 

The two couples are very close. They get together almost nightly while in the cabins to play games, eat, drink. Just be free to be free. Nolan and Emily are having big problems. Seems they are not getting along well at all. 

Then the unthinkable happens. Nolan and Emily are brutally murdered and their daughter Reese is missing. Their son Wyatt slept through it all. Thus the story begins...

This book is great. It has all the feels and all the tension you want from a thriller. It has plenty of twists and turns. Lots of people to blame. A whole lot of guesses. And that ending. That unexpected, dramatic, earth shattering, ending. Ok maybe not earth shattering but it's till fantastic.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row Books, HTP the Hive and Harlequin Audio for the arcs. 

The narrators, Jennifer Jill Araya; Brittany Pressley; Gary Tiedemann, did a great job with this story. Kept it moving at a great pace and portrayed the characters perfectly. 

I received a physical copy from Harlequin also. 

FIVE big stars 

About

Two families vacationing at a secluded lake resort are at the center of a chilling crime and mysterious disappearance in this twisty, unputdownable thriller

A stunning discovery…
Courtney Gray's tranquil family vacation is shattered when she hears a blood-curdling scream from the lakeside cottage next door. There she finds the lifeless bodies of her brother and sister-in-law. Her teenage niece Reese is nowhere to be found, while her nephew Wyatt lies asleep upstairs, unharmed.

A shocking investigation…
As the police descend on the quiet resort town, disturbing secrets about Courtney’s family start to emerge. When she learns that the town has secrets of its own, it makes her wonder if Reese is another victim in a brutal crime or if she’s the killer.

A truth no one could have imagined …
As Courtney begins to unravel the terrible mystery, she realizes that everyone around her has something to hide. And the closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to see…

Red City (The New Alchemists, #1) by Marie Lu

 

My thoughts

Narrated by André Santana; Eunice Wong; Natalie Naudus; Sid Sagar  How wonderful they did bringing this story to life. Magnificent....

My first book by Marie Lu and I loved it. Adored it. Ravaged it. This book is so well written and so engrossing. I am mad at myself for starting it a few months ago and then laying it aside. I know there was a reason but for the life of me I can't remember now. This book was excellent. Just what I needed. Now if I could only get the sequel....

This is a modern day, fantasy, other worldly but set mainly in the US. It's not your typical modern day though. It is so much more. A friendship to somewhat enemies. A forever love. A story that will reck havoc on your heart but also keep you hopeful and turning the pages. 

It's kind of like a town with big gangs. Each trying to outsmart or outkill the other. You kill one of ours and we come after one of yours. 

Two key players are coaxed into these groups. Sam, a female whose mother came to find a better life. What she went through to provide for her only daughter. How she is involved in the Alchemists groups. What happens to her. Then to her daughter Sam. Sam who only wanted to be seen. Be loved. Be accepted. To provide the best she can for her mother.

Ari was taken from his family and his homeland. Put in the school to learn how to be the best of the best in Alchemy. How to use his inner self to do whatever it takes to survive. He is doing it for his family. He misses them so much. He and Sam become the best of friends. 

Sam/Samantha and Ari are friends. They are separated by the city elites. Each has to do what their superiors thrust upon them. Eventually they have to face each other. Will they fight. Will one kill the other. Or will their friendship prevail. Will their love?

There are a few characters in this story. A few I didn't like at all. But they are very relevant to the story. How they treat these two young people. What they make them do. And that ending. WOW.. Though it does end with a cliffhanger so be warned. 

I can't wait for the sequel....

I was given an ALC via NetGalley, MacmillanAudio. I also bought the book from BOTM. This is one good story. 

Five stars 

About

The Godfather meets The Magicians in the sweeping adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu. Perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab, Red City is a dark and deadly contemporary fantasy of magical warfare, star-crossed ambition, and the pursuit of perfection at any cost, set in a glittering alternate Los Angeles.

Alchemy is the hidden art of transformation. An exclusive power wielded by crime syndicates that market it to the world’s elites in the form of sand, a drug that enhances those who take it into a more perfect version of themselves: more beautiful, more charismatic, simply more.

Among the gleaming skyscrapers and rolling foothills of Angel City, alchemy is controlled by two rival syndicates. For years, Grand Central and Lumines have been balanced on a razor’s edge between polite negotiation and outright violence. But when two childhood friends step into that delicate equation, the city―and the paths of their lives―will be irrevocably transformed.

The daughter of a poor single mother, Sam would do anything to claw her way into the ranks of Grand Central in search of a better life. Plucked away from his family as a boy to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicates' brightest rising stars. Once, they might have loved each other. But as the two alchemists face off across opposite sides of an ever-escalating conflict, ambition becomes power, loyalty becomes lies, and no transformation may be perfect enough for them both to survive the coming war.

Where He Left Me by Nicole Baart

 

My thoughts

This was such a good book. It took off and I couldn't put it down. This story had many feels, love, mystery, thriller, childhood trauma. It was one that kept me reading to find out what happened to Felix. To find out who Henry and Finn are. How do they all fit. Or do they. What will happen to Sadie after being left in a house in the mountains far from anyone during a snowstorm. Who survives. Who doesn't. 

This book kept me wanting to know the answers. Had me turning the pages to find out just one more thing until I found out everything. How sad it must have been to grow up like Henry and Finn did. How their abusive father treated them and their mother. Though you don't have to see or read much of that. It's from Henry telling Sadie about his dad. About things that happened. Henry was filled with anger. Though I think a lot of it was pure fear. He had a love for his brother Finn that could not be outdone. He was adamant about taking care of Finn. Finn was sick and Sadie was trying to help. Henry was just a child but he was also strong and a bit intimidating. With good reason.

Sadie came across as weak at times but proved how much love she had and how strong she could be. When push came to shove she did what she had to do to survive. 

My mind went in a whole other direction reading this book. I really thought it was going to be a book in a book. A dream of sorts. 

I really did enjoy this book so much. It isn't for everyone but to me everyone should enjoy parts at least. It's very good. Well written. Likable characters. A very unlikable villain who I felt sorry for in ways. Abuse can shape a person. A life living with addicts can shape a person. Not all can live that life and end up doing good. Some are beyond repair and lash out. 

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Publishers for this ARC. 

4.5 stars. 

About

“In every world, I’d find you.”

Sadie Sheridan’s new husband Felix, a professor of planetary sciences, has vowed to never leave her. But when Felix doesn’t return from a work trip, Sadie is stranded at Hemlock House, the remote mountain homestead where her husband grew up. Doubt creeps into Sadie’s heart. Then panic. Where is he?

Scared and alone in a place that feels haunted, Sadie struggles to make sense of what her missing husband left behind. But when she catches strangers lurking around the property, Hemlock House instantly becomes both a sanctuary and a prison. Navigating threats from outside and in, Sadie is forced to confront shocking secrets that leave her questioning whether she really knows Felix at all. As a powerful storm bears down, she must is she fighting only for her own survival now—or for the man who promised her the stars?

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

 

My thoughts

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. While it had me totally confused throughout it was still good. The last few chapters really came through. I finally understood pretty much what was going on. I was lost during a lot of this book. It had footnotes that really confused me for a bit but am glad they were there now. I will read this one again so I can really enjoy it. I had a hard time with it this time. But it was still pretty good. The author did a good job with character development and descriptions of the areas. 

The story starts out in 2013. Sebastian is writing a book. His story of a Revolution. A hunt for a monster. The story of The Red Winter. Sebastian is very old. Like hundreds of years old. He meets and falls in love with Antoine in 1766. 

Sebastian has a dwelling in his head, Sarmodel. You will hear a lot from Sarmodel. His thoughts are very important. He and Sebastian only communicate through thoughts. No one else can hear them. 

Sebastian meets Jacques, who is Antoine's son, in 1785. Jacques has tracked Sebastian down to beg for his help. There is a monster who is killing not only animals but humans. Jacques has read his father's letters from Sebastian and knows that he might can help. 

Sebastian and Jacques set off to find this monster and along the way Sebastian tells Jacques the story of The Red Winter. Of him and Antoine. Of all that happened. 

During this story it jumps back to 1437 and y0u meet a woman. Livie. Also the Archangel Michael. Michael you heat from in both 1437 and later. Later when the fight with the monster comes. When so many people are killed. They people revolt against the bishop and Antoine. They are tired of being hungry. Of being taken advantage of. Of being treated poorly. It's a big battle and a lot of loss. 

The author did a great job of character development. The descriptions of the areas were great. While I was a bit aggravated with the footnotes at first they did grow on me as I learned a lot from them. I was listening to the audio and would get a bit lost at times... 

Overall the ending was great. I think it may have been set up for a possible sequel. Maybe. We will see. 

The two narrators did excellent. Rory Barnett and Imogen Church. If not for them I may not have been able to finish this one. I'm truly glad I did though. It's long. It has a few things going on. Not a lot of characters to keep up with so that was good. Three timelines. The ending was in 2013 also, so many I should say four timelines. 

Thank you to TOR Publishing Group and Macmillan Audio for the ARCs. 

4 stars. 

About

A devastating love story. A bewitching twist on history. A blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power, and redemption.

In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears most: the terrible Beast of Gévaudan has returned, and the French countryside runs red in its wake.

Sebastian knows the Beast. A monster-slayer with centuries of experience, he joined the hunt for the creature twenty years ago and watched it slaughter its way through a long and bloody winter. Even with the help of his indwelling demon, Sarmodel – who takes payment in living hearts – it nearly cost him his life to bring the monster down.

Now, two decades later, Sebastian has been recalled to the hunt by Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne, an estranged lover who shares a dark history with the Beast and a terrible secret with Sebastian. Drawn by both the chance to finish the Beast for good and the promise of a reconciliation with Antoine, Sebastian cannot refuse.

But Gévaudan is not as he remembers it, and Sebastian’s unfinished business is everywhere he looks. Years of misery have driven the people to desperation, and France teeters on the edge of revolution. Sebastian’s arcane activities – not to mention his demonic counterpart – have also attracted the inquisitorial eye of the French clergy. And the Beast is poised to close his jaws around them all and plunge the continent into war.

Debut author Cameron Sullivan tears the heart out of history with this darkly entertaining retelling of the hunt for the Beast of Gévaudan. Lifting the veil on the hidden world behind our own, it reimagines the story of Europe, from Imperial Rome to Saint Jehanne d’Arc, the madness of Gilles de Rais and the first flickers of the French Revolution.

Behind These Four Walls by Yasmin Angoe

 

My thoughts

This is my first book by this author. 

While I did think this was a slow burn story and it drove me crazy in places, it was an ok read. I didn't like a lot of the characters and could not connect with them. I really didn't like the main character Isla. She could have been a very strong woman but in so many places she came across as weak. At first she is ok but then she does a lot of stupid things that someone in her line of work just would not do. 

This really was a slow burn story. The beginning will pull you in but then about a third of the way it loses something. But when you hit the seventy percent point it seems to take off again. 

A story of two friends. Best friends. One is an orphan who left the home she was in. Isla and Eden became the best of friends. Eden was caring for her mother who was dying and Isla was there helping. Eden loves her mother very much and has hostility for her father. Isla has no idea what is in store when they leave to. Eden says she has some loose ends to tie up after her mom dies. She needs to take care of something. When she hops in the van and leaves it's the last time Isla sees her friend.

Isla wants to know what happened to her friend. It's ten years later and she makes it her mission to find her or find out what happened. It's all tied to the mega rich family. The Corrigans. Victor Corrigan is being presented an award. He is not that excited about it but does let Isla follow and write a paper on him and how he came to be who he is. The things she uncovers are suppose to be kept buried though. She also finds out things about her best friend, Eden. So many secrets her friend has kept from her. 

Each Corrigan family member seems to have big secrets. Especially Victor's wife. I really disliked her. She was a bad woman. She was also Victor's second wife. 

There are four Corrigan children, until there is not. Until there is only three. The Corrigan's are multi billionaires. More money than sense it seems. I liked Victor but he could be brash at times. Though I guess he had to be. But he was human. He had heart. 

The last thirty percent of this book had me captivated. I didn't want to put it down. It saved the whole story for me. I'm glad I finished it even though I didn't like the whole story a lot. It dragged in places that could have been so much better. Not that I'm an author but I do know a good story when I read one. This one was ok. Not great. Just ok.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.

3 stars 

About

From the author of Not What She Seems, Yasmin Angoe’s thriller explores revenge, morality, corruption, and wealth as a woman sets out to uncover the truth behind her friend’s disappearance and expose the powerful family behind it.

Isla Thorne had a rough start in life. Orphaned young, she spent her formative years in a group home where she met her best friend, Eden Galloway. At sixteen, they decide to run away to LA…but Eden never makes it.

It’s been ten years since Eden vanished. And Isla’s determined to find her.

She begins at the last place Eden visited: the Corrigan mansion in Virginia. Eden claimed to have unfinished business there. Posing as an aspiring journalist, Isla insinuates herself into the wealthy family’s home and begins searching for the truth.

The more she digs, the more Isla discovers Eden isn’t who she thought she was. Was she even a victim, or did Eden plan this all along? Desperate for answers and to keep her identity hidden, Isla finds an ally in one of the Corrigan sons. But as she wades deeper into this power-hungry family’s secrets and lies, she finds herself in the crosshairs of a bloodline that’s more lethal than loyal.

The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman

 

My thoughts

This is a book you don't want to miss. If you like historical, it's a must read. Based on the author's mother, aunt, and grandmother's time during the war. During WW2. This is such a good book. Very emotional but so beautifully written. It's obvious it was written with much love. Right from the author's heart and soul. 

This book is written from two timelines. Zoe Rosenzweig is a struggling writer who wants to know what happened to her family. Her recently deceased grandfather left some things that let her know it was time to get to know her lost relatives. Or what is left of them. Zoe is working as a writer and talks her boss into sending her to Australia where she will meet the elusive Henri Martin. Henri and his late wife were bakers. Very famous bakers. The story that Zoe hears tells her so much about not only Henri's life but her grandfather's also. 

You'll hear the story of Chana Rosenzweig and her family. How they lived before all was lost to them. How they endured life after the war. After being in a camp. After the loss of her dear father. How she met and fell in love. What became of them. How they interconnect with Henry and his family. 

This is one of the best books I have read about WW2. It's very emotional. It's filled with so much that happened. And the Author's Notes, I heard at the end of the audio as it's not in my ARC of the book, is not to be missed. So much info there. 

I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you Penguin Group Viking Penguin/Pam Doorman Books for this arc. 

5 stars 

About

An historical novel inspired by the experiences of the author’s own family after the Holocaust, a sweeping saga about survival, loss, love, and the reverberating effects of war

In 2018, Zoe Rosenzweig is reeling after the loss of her beloved grandfather, a Holocaust survivor. She becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to her family during the war.

Vienna, 1946: Chana Rosenzweig has endured the horrors of war to find herself, her mother, and her younger brother finally free in Vienna. But freedom doesn’t look like they’d imagined it would, as they struggle to make a living and stay safe.

Despite the danger, Chana sneaks out most nights to return to the hotel kitchen where she works as a dishwasher, using the quiet nighttime hours to bake her late father’s recipes. Soon, Chana finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle, torn between the black-market dealer who has offered marriage and protection, and the apprentice baker who shares her passions. How will Chana balance her love of baking against her family’s need for security?

The Lost Baker of Vienna affirms the unbreakable bonds of family, shining a light on the courageous spirit of WWII refugees as they battle to survive the overwhelming hardships of a world torn apart.

Make It Out Alive by Allison Brennan

 

My thoughts

I always enjoy a book by this author. Though I have not read all the previous books in this series this one did perfect. You don't have to read them all in order. 

An action packed story of intrigue and murder. This story keeps you guessing as you go through all that is happening. It's a very intense and edge of your seat thriller. I never guessed this one. Though you are told up front who it is. A justification for murder by his partner. Never at fault. Always a victim seeking revenge.

When two FBI agents go missing you can bet everyone sits up and pays attention. No matter what they must be found. They posed as a married couple yet are truly in love with each other. The killer took them not knowing who they really were. They were put where it was next to impossible to escape. At every turn they were in danger of being killed. Talk about an escape room. A whole escape factory is way more intriguing. 

This book had me cringing and gasping so much. It would make a great scary movie. I could almost picture that. With all the things that were happening to them. Then the woman and her child. Oh my that part scared me. Had me holding my breath. What a mother will truly do for her child...

This is a great book. It has all the feels you need for a great thriller. It will keep you turning the pages until the very ending. I didn't want to put it down. 

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade and Harlequin Audio for this ARC.

4.75 stars... 

About

Allison Brennan returns to her bestselling series with an edge-of-your-seat thriller that thrusts Quinn and Costa into the crosshairs of a sadistic serial killer.

Three newlywed couples have disappeared from an exclusive resort in Florida, only to turn up dead soon after. With the location and the similarities between the female victims as their only leads, it’s up to the FBI Mobile Response Team to catch a serial killer before anyone else ends up dead. And they have the perfect bait—Detective Kara Quinn, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the targeted women.

Undercover as newlyweds pretending to enjoy their honeymoon, Kara and FBI Agent Matt Costa set a flawless trap. When their plan works and they arrest the predator, Matt sends the rest of the team home so he and Kara can have the weekend for some much-needed R&R. But on Monday morning, the couple doesn’t show up to work, and the MRT learns they never checked out of their hotel.

As their team tries to find them, Matt and Kara learn the truth—the killer wasn’t acting alone. He had a partner who succeeded where he failed. Kidnapped and forced into a twisted escape room, they need to find a way out, because if they don’t escape, they’ll die.