New Release Review: One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day

 

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy locked room mysteries and really devoured the crazy family antics in One Big Happy Family. What a nutty family the Bishops are- almost every one of them! I really liked Charley although most of the other characters were quite dislikable. Jamie Day is a new author for me and I definitely plan on checking out her back list- I really like her writing style.

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New Release Review: The Perfect Sister by Stephanie DeCarolis

 

The Perfect Sister by Stephanie DeCarolis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars
Although I didn't feel like The Perfect Sister kept me on the edge of my seat, I still enjoyed it. I found the multiple POVs to work well with this plot, and there were some twists and turns I did not see coming. It felt slow at the start, but picked up steam pretty quickly. I did not see the ending coming and felt it was crafted well.

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New Release Review: The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen

 

The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sarina Bowen is one of my favorite romance authors, and I also love suspense novels, so I was so excited about The Five Year Lie! It totally delivered and was such a page-turner. The technology and cybersecurity backdrop was so interesting and I thought the twists and reveal were so well done. I enjoyed the chapters alternating between the past and present- it really upped the suspense for me and kept me on the edge of my seat. I hope Bowen writes more in this genre for sure.

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New Release Review: What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

 

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aside from romance, domestic thrillers and suspense novels are my favorite genre and What the Neighbors Saw really delivered. I found myself hooked from the start and finished in just 2 days. I love when I don't see a twist coming! Told through the alternating POVs of 2 women, the story was engaging and entertaining. Looking forward to author Melissa Adelman's next release.

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My Release Review: My Wife is Missing by D.J. Palmer

 

My Wife is Missing by D.J. Palmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had read a few of D.J. Palmer's novels and enjoyed them, so I listened to the audiobook for My Wife is Missing via my local library. I enjoyed the twists, turns, and uncertainty quite a bit. Chapters alternate with past and present events, and it was quite a ride. The ending took me by surprise, which is always fun.

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New Release Review: Lies by T.M. Logan

Lies

by T.M. Logan

Release Date: September 11, 2018

“Assured, compelling, and hypnotically readable—with a twist at the end I guarantee you won’t see coming” (New York Times bestselling author Lee Child), T. M. Logan’s debut psychological thriller dissects a troubled marriage straight to the marrow as one man separates the truth from the Lies…

Six days ago, Joe Lynch was a happily married man, a devoted father, and a respected teacher living in a well-to-do London suburb. But that was before he spotted his wife’s car entering a hotel parking garage. Before he saw her in a heated argument with her best friend’s husband. Before Joe confronted the other man in an altercation where he left him for dead, bleeding and unconscious.

Now, Joe’s life is unraveling. His wife has lied to him. Her deception has put their entire family in jeopardy. The man she met at the hotel has vanished. And as the police investigate his disappearance, suspicion falls on Joe.

Unable to trust the woman he loves, Joe finds himself at the mercy of her revelations and deceits, unsure of who or what to believe. All he knows is that her actions have brought someone dangerous into their lives—someone obsessed with her and determined to tear Joe’s world apart.

What if your whole life was based on LIES?

My review: 4 stars

Full of twists and turns, and an extremely likable main character. Poor Joe! Things started to unravel so fast- and the lies he starts to uncover just keep coming. Every time I though it couldn't get worse- it absolutely did. I will say I did NOT see the ending coming. I really enjoyed it and look forward to more from T.M. Logan.

New Release Review: Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna

Two Girls Down

by Louise Luna

Release Date: January 9, 2018

“Opening this book is like arming a bomb--the suspense is relentless and the payoff is spectacular.  Lead character Alice Vega is sensational--I want to see lots more of her.”--Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

"Sensational." Wall Street Journal

"A must-read for fans of strong female protagonists.'--Booklist (starred review)

 As addictive, cinematic, and binge-worthy a narrative as The Wire and The Killing, Two Girls Down introduces Louisa Luna as a thriller writer of immense talent and verve.

   

When two young sisters disappear from a strip mall parking lot in a small Pennsylvania town, their devastated mother hires an enigmatic bounty hunter, Alice Vega, to help find the girls. Immediately shut out by a local police department already stretched thin by budget cuts and the growing OxyContin and meth epidemic, Vega enlists the help of a disgraced former cop, Max Caplan. Cap is a man trying to put the scandal of his past behind him and move on, but Vega needs his help to find the girls, and she will not be denied. 

With little to go on, Vega and Cap will go to extraordinary lengths to untangle a dangerous web of lies, false leads, and complex relationships to find the girls before time runs out, and they are gone forever.

My review: 4.5 stars!
After starting this read, I knew immediately that I wanted to stop and get the audiobook because I was immediately engrossed and drawn in to the story. I am an auditory learner, so when a book has a lot of interesting details, I can pick up more when I listen. I was so excited to see that Tavia Gilbert was the narrator- I LOVED her narration of Flat Out Celeste! Gilbert did an amazing job with Two Girls Down- she has such a great expressive voice. I am addicted to the character of Alice Vega- she's such a badass and I hope hope hope that Luna gives her another story. Her partnership was Cap was fabulous- what a great pair. Luna crafted such a layered story with so many plot twists. I also enjoyed Cap's relationship with his teenage daughter- it was so realistic and believable. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel, it's so well done. I am looking forward to reading more from Luna.

via netgalley.com

audiobook purchased from audible.com

Review: The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond

The Marriage Pact

by Michelle Richmond

Release Date: July 25, 2017

How far is too far when it comes to protecting your marriage? Find out in this relentlessly paced novel of psychological suspense for anyone who loved The Couple Next Door.

“Gripping, thought-provoking, and irresistible.”—Dean Koontz

Newlyweds Alice and Jake are a picture-perfect couple. Alice, once a singer in a well-known rock band, is now a successful lawyer. Jake is a partner in an up-and-coming psychology practice. Their life together holds endless possibilities. After receiving an enticing wedding gift from one of Alice’s prominent clients, they decide to join an exclusive and mysterious group known only as The Pact.

The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact. And most of its rules make sense. Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly. Plan a trip together once per quarter. . . .

Never mention The Pact to anyone.

Alice and Jake are initially seduced by the glamorous parties, the sense of community, their widening social circle of like-minded couples.

And then one of them breaks the rules.

The young lovers are about to discover that for adherents to The Pact, membership, like marriage, is for life. And The Pact will go to any lengths to enforce that rule.

For Jake and Alice, the marriage of their dreams is about to become their worst nightmare.

Praise for The Marriage Pact
“This fast-paced nail-biter goes in unpredictable directions. . . . It also raises thoughtful questions about individual agency and marital commitment. With strong writing, intriguing characters, and a compelling conceit, this psychological thriller seems destined for the top of summer reading lists. Recommended as a fresh voice for readers of Gillian Flynn or Ruth Ware.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Creepy and engrossing . . . [The Marriage Pact takes] readers deep into the heart of a marriage and exposes some of the darker drives, such as possession and control, that can lurk within even the most harmonious of unions.”—Booklist

My review: 4 stars
The Marriage Pact is so different from what I typically read, but the blurb intrigued me so much that I just had to request an ARC. Although I did enjoy Girl on the Train and several of Gillian Flynn's novels, including Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, and Dark Places, I just typically find myself drawn to romance. I think The Marriage Pack would make a FANTASTIC movie- this story was so well-written and the dialog was amazing. Both of the main characters are well developed and likable. The story line was intense and I had a hard time putting this book down- I was so anxious to find out what happened next. Overall, a great read!

Blog Tour: Pieces of Heaven by Natasha Madison

Pieces of Heaven (Heaven & Hell #2)

by Natasha Madison

I didn’t want this life.

But sometimes you’re forced to make the best of the crappy hand you’ve been dealt. I wanted to teach my daughter that. No matter what happens you face your problems head-on. 

Never cower. Never give up. 

Then someone took her and I had to put my faith in a system that had failed me, and my hope in a man I didn’t know. 

Serve. Honor. Protect, are the only things I’ve ever cared about until her case was dropped on my desk. As we searched for her missing daughter, the last woman I thought I’d fall in love with became my reason for living. 

Then the world came crashing down around us.

One secret would change everything, but I had one more hand to be dealt. And if I played my cards right, maybe, just maybe we’d get our piece of heaven.

My review: 4.5 Stars

What a great follow-up to Hell and Back! When Pieces of Heaven begins, the story runs parallel to Hell and Back, this time from Mick's POV. It can definitely stand alone, but I would suggest reading Hell and Back first because it's just so good and gives you a background for some of the characters that are in Pieces of Heaven.

Marissa was so much more than I thought she'd be when we met her in Hell and Back. She was a super-strong woman- actually a great mother who has been dealt a terrible hand. Mick was such an alpha- stubborn and gruff, but yet so sweet and sexy. These two were great together. The story was faced-paced and well-written and the characters were developed so well. Filled with lots of twists and turns and plenty of suspense, this book kept me one the edge of my seat and up way too late one night to finish. I definitely recommend!

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When her nose isn't buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she's in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It's a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn't listen to her...

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Release Day Review: Anchor by Nicole Blanchard

Anchor

by Nicole Blanchard 

First to Fight Series #1 

Publication Date: September 20, 2016 

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Read for FREE in KindleUnlimited: Amazon

I’ll do anything to save her. A woman I’ve never met, whose name I don’t even know, gambled her own life to protect my child. In return, she was taken by a mad man. I’ll put my career, my security, and my life on the line to get her back, even if it means facing the truth about my own mistakes. The only thing she can’t trust me with…is her heart.

 This is a FULL LENGTH, STANDALONE with a HEA and NO CLIFFHANGER.

"Anchor is an out of this world, incredible story that combines an adrenaline-laced thriller with a sweet, steamy romance." The Wonderings of One Person "It had a perfect combination of action, suspense and romance." Crystal's Crazy Book Ramblings "Heart pumping and thrilling!" Kawehi's Book Blog

My review: 4 Heart-Stopping Stars!
Wow! I am so impressed by this book! I read it in one sitting, staying up way later than I should have to find out how it would end! The suspense was AMAZING and the drama was intense! Chloe is pretty amazing- what a strong brave woman. Gabe is dreamy, a retired Marine and father who loves his daughter. I will for sure be checking out the rest of this series!

Also in the Series

About Nicole Blanchard

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Nicole Blanchard lives in Florida with her family and their menagerie of animals. She chooses each day to chase her own fairy tale even if they contain their fair share of dragons. She is married to her best friend and owns her own business. Nicole survives on a diet of too many books and substantial amounts of root beer and slim jims. When not reading, she’s lavishing attention on her family or inhaling every episode of The Walking Dead and The Big Bang Theory. Amazon | Website| Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Tumblr | Newsletter | Reader Group

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