SYNOPSIS

Camilla & Luke are new parents to their baby girl, Polly. It is Cam’s first day back at work after her maternity leave. At work, there’s breaking news of a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and inform Cam that Luke is the gunman. Niall is the hostage negotiator.

Cam can’t believe it. Is there more to the story?

MY THOUGHTS

This is the third book of McAllister’s that I’ve read. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors.

Compelling, gripping, & impossible to put down.

Masterful pacing, progression, & plotting. Exquisite execution.

Loved the characters. They’re developed so well. Cam’s escapism into literature really resonated with me.

I love how the book touched on our instincts & trusting our gut.

Satisfying ending.

The POVs shift between Cam & Niall. I enjoyed seeing how their lives were impacted, and I liked getting to know them both.

Time jumps from the time of the hostage situation to times in the future.

The book is a thriller/suspense, but also looks at relationships, family, and love.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ahh, the Queen has done it again. LOVED this one. Add to your TBR immediately.

Thanks to William Morrow & Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on February 24, 2025.

SYNOPSIS:

Cleo, a college student at NYU, ventures home to Brooklyn to have dinner with her mom, Kat. They don’t have the best relationship, and they haven’t been talking to each other lately.

When Cleo arrives, something isn’t right. Her mom’s blood is in the house, and other things are off.

What happened to Kat?

MY THOUGHTS

This is the second book I’ve read by McCreight, and it is amazing.

Very well executed thriller. I did not want to put it down. McCreight steadily builds tension throughout each chapter of the book.

I loved how the story was presented. We get the POVs of both Cleo & Kat, as well as some of Kat’s old journal entries, transcriptions of conversations between Cleo and her therapist, and some other blurbs interspersed throughout the story (e.g., emails, news articles, legal complaint, text messages).

Excellent character development. We learn about Kat’s childhood, as well as why Cleo & Kat are estranged.

Expertly plotted. Although there are a lot of moving parts in this book, the author seamlessly weaves them together, so I never found myself being confused or having to go back to reread to figure out what was going on.

Satisfying ending. Fast paced read.

Finished in less than 24 hours.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️bravo 👏🏼a very well-done suspense with an estranged mom & daughter as our main characters. finished in 24 hours.

Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on August 8, 2024.

SYNOPSIS

Camryn Lane has published her first novel, Burnt Orchid. On top of that, she is a divorced mom co-parenting her teenage daughter with her ex & she works as a guidance counselor at a local high school.

Shortly after her book is released, she receives a harsh email from an anonymous person. After the email, she gets trolled online, receives a ton of one-star reviews, and is the target of online harassment.

MY THOUGHTS

The book is mainly from Camryn’s perspective, but there are random chapters from her book interspersed throughout. I did not think these chapters added very much to the story.

The ending was mehhh. Very anticlimactic. The book was paced slowly, and ultimately, there wasn’t a pay off.

There was some suspense and tension in the book, but the characters were really unlikable. The MC was so annoying, and she didn’t make sense to me.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️meh, I would skip this one.

SYNOPSIS

A short novella. Book 2.5 in the series.

Molly is back, and she’s still Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. She lives with her boyfriend, Juan, and he’s also a pastry chef at the hotel.

Juan is acting out of sorts. Is something going on?

MY THOUGHTS

I always enjoy getting to spend more time with Molly.

This book, however, is NOT like the others. It isn’t a mystery. I would call it romance.

Predictable.

I enjoyed it, but I think only a certain audience will like it. If you are a fan of the series & love Christmas, this one is for you.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️romance, not mystery. would recommend to fans of The Maid series & Christmas lovers.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book is out now.

SYNOPSIS

Along with her friends, the "funeral ladies," Esther Larson has been cooking comforting meals for funerals in Northwoods, Wisconsin, for seventy years.

Esther falls for an online scam, where she sends $30,000 to “Hazel” (her “internet friend” that recently had a baby). Esther thinks Hazel will pay her back. The bills are mounting, and Esther worries she may lose her house.

Esther’s granddaughter, Iris, finds out about the scam, and she brainstorms how to help her grandma get out of this situation.

Cooper and his half-sister come to town to bury Cooper’s stepmom, who was estranged from their dad. Cooper’s dad is a celebrity TV chef. Cooper is also suffering from PTSD after an event that took place when he was a paramedic.

MY THOUGHTS

Small midwestern town.

Things I liked: a charming small-town feel, a strong sense of community, and the funeral ladies’ cookbook.

Too religious + very Catholic. While I expected some religious undertones given that the story involves church ladies preparing food for funerals, this book went it way beyond undertones.

The narrative often crosses into overt preachiness, which alienates readers who don’t share those beliefs. Instead of offering a nuanced exploration of spirituality, the story reinforces specific viewpoints without much subtlety.

In contrast to the religious themes, there is also a surprising amount of drinking throughout the book. Although it might aim to reflect the characters' struggles or serve as a coping mechanism, the pervasive drinking often feels excessive and repetitive. It starts to overshadow more meaningful interactions and begins to feel like a crutch in the story rather than a relevant detail or plot point.

The pacing of the novel is inconsistent, particularly in the second half. While the first half of the book takes time to set the scene, the latter half feels rushed, as if the author was in a hurry to tie up loose ends. This hurried pace impacts the emotional weight of the story's climax and resolution.

Majority of characters aren’t very likable or interesting.

The characters lacked depth. They felt more like placeholders than real people. No one evolves throughout the story.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️The lack of character depth, an overemphasis on religion, repetitive drinking scenes, and a rushed second half ultimately detract from its potential. For readers who enjoy books with strong, well-rounded characters and a balanced exploration of complex themes, this one probably isn’t for you.

SYNOPSIS

Meredith is a psychiatrist in NYC, and she’s struggling after going through a rough patch & experiencing a loss.

One day, Meredith crosses paths with Gabriel Wright, a man connected to her through tragic ways. She develops an unhealthy interest & starts following him.

One day, Gabriel makes and appointment with Meredith, and he becomes her patient.

Meredith keeps spiraling.

MY THOUGHTS

Loved the writing & plot. Super engaging and hard to put down.

Short chapters.

Easy to read.

Meredith is an extremely hot mess, but it works in this book. She seemingly can’t ever make the right decision.

The ending was satisfying. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐⭐hard to put down thriller with a great premise & a messy MC

SYNOPSIS

Rafe and Jeremy disappeared for six months and returned with scars and no memory of what happened.

15 years later, Jeremy is now a famous missing persons' investigator and believes that Emilie's missing sister is in the same magical realm where they were. However, secrets emerge as they embark on the quest to find Emilie's sister, and the former lost boys must confront their shared past to get everything back.

MY THOUGHTS

I have heard really great things about this author, so I was excited to give this a try.

Overall, it was just okay to me. It felt more like a YA book to me & geared toward a younger audience.

It felt strangely paced. The beginning was slow, but the time spent in the other world was confusing & jumbled.

There wasn’t much depth to the main characters. I kept waiting for a big moment to happen, but nothing too big ever happens.

I did appreciate several of the themes explored. I liked the idea of finding people & spaces that allow you to be yourself and that you feel comfortable in.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️this one was just okay to me. read more like YA.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on July 16, 2024.

SYNOPSIS

Frederick Fife, an eighty-two year old man, unintentionally swaps places with another old man, Bernard Greer.

Fred was on the brink of becoming unhoused, but due to a case of mistaken identity, he gets to move into a nursing home.

MY THOUGHTS

Intriguing premise.

I liked Fred a lot - he’s a lovable character. There’s other charming characters, too!

The pacing was slow & story dragged a bit.

I liked how the book touched on senior care & lack of resources.

A few too many incontinence jokes for me.

Alternating perspectives.

A satisfying & feel-good read.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️Satisfying & feel-good read. Pacing slow & drags a bit.

Thanks to William Morroe and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on September 11, 2024.

SYNOPSIS:

Several families live on an exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road. Someone is murdered at the annual block party. The book jumps back in time to a year before the murder, and in that year, you learn about the characters, the motive, & the murder.

MY THOUGHTS

I really liked this book. It’s my first read by Jamie Day, but I found it easy to read & suspenseful throughout the book.

This was a nail-biting, tense, fast-paced thriller, and the author does a wonderful job crafting the story.

I liked the idea of a neighborhood scandal/drama, and it felt pretty original to me. I read a lot of thrillers, and I haven’t come across one with this block party setting before.

This story involves a lot of drinking, gossip, scandals, & drama.

The story is told from multiple POVs (namely, a mother & a daughter).

Author’s writing style is solid.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nail-biting, fast-paced, tense thriller with original plot. Solid writing & good story.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's due to be published on July 18, 2023.

SYNOPSIS

Francis Keen wrote a popular advice column, Dear Constance, at The Herald until she was murdered. Alex Marks gets the job as her replacement.

After starting, Alex starts getting weird letters. She also starts to look into Francis Keen’s murder & fights to keep her own past under wraps.

MY THOUGHTS

Overall, this was a pretty predictable read.

The second half of the book is way better than the first half of the book. It was pretty slow pacing.

I found myself getting bored a lot. Struggled to hold my interest.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐predictable & very slow. got bored a lot.

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on August 13, 2024.