Lise
Loved this quick little happy read more than I expected! This is the perfect, surprising self-help book / memoir when you need a pick me up. As a cat owner, I didn't need to be convinced of all the happiness that comes with a cat but the chapters and life lessons were wonderful.
The author, Cynthia, found herself unexpectedly with Mr Jinx, an initially difficult long-haired cat with an adventurous personality. By the second chapter, hate turns to love as Jinx helps her navigate her new empty-nest life post-divorce and eventually move to a new state for new adventures.
Highly recommend this heart-warming little read. Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
I was unsure of this book at first - have been going through quite a few self-improvement/ self-help books as of late - but this pleasantly surprised me, and actually motivated me to define my goals, start running in the morning, and start writing. Loved her story, and found a lot of helpful motivational takeaways.
Just WOW! This is my first time reading something by Kate Alice Marshall, but definitely following this author. This read had me guessing all the way till the end I almost feel like I have whiplash. A deliciously dark and twisty read.
In a small Washington state town, three 11 year old friends played a dangerous game they called “The Goddess Game”. They made small sacrificial offerings to the human remains of an unknown woman they decided to call Persephone. One day though, while innocently eating her lunch sandwich, Naomi becomes the victim of a brutal stabbing attack by a local serial killer. Her friends run out of the woods to get help assuming she was dead, but she miraculously survives the attack. She becomes a bit of a local celebrity, but her wounds never entirely heal and she openly wears the scars. Even though her friends Cass and Liv made it out of the attack unscathed, they hold scars and secrets too.
The audio book was well narrated. The atmosphere felt tense, like you could really imagine yourself in Naomi's shoes, never entirely feeling safe. Highly recommend. Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Unexpected thriller favorite so far this year. The different character perspectives reminded me of some of Lucy Foley's work. Character development was great and the twist ending was well done. Quickly devoured this one as loved the setting, plot and characters.
Finished this one in days, and it probably ranks as a second favorite of all the Andrea Bartz novels I've read (following We Were Never Here). Got through this quick as I enjoyed the narrator, her voice and her insecurities and the story line and setting were very interesting. I loved the unusual element of a “throuple” relationship.
The narrator, Kelly Doyle's relationship with fiance / ex-fiance Mike is on the rocks. Their small apartment in Philadelphia starts to feel more and more cramped as they are in the middle of COVID lock down. When childhood acquaintance turned successful author influencer Sabrina Lamont invites her to stay with her and her husband Nathan in their mansion called Tanglewood Estates, Kelly jumps at this opportunity to get some space from Mike and meet her author girl crush. Kelly quickly falls for both Sabrina and Nathan, and realizes the feeling is mutual. Everything is going dreamily well until she discovers some disturbing secrets about the last girl in her position, and is left wondering what happened to her...
A solid 4 for the twists and turns. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pun intended, this dark, twisty and glamorous mystery thriller was another winner from Catherine Steadman. While I normally prefer her audiobooks (her narration performance is exceptional, given she was also an actress in Downtown Abbey), her writing style flows so well I found myself hearing her voice anyway whilst unable to stop turning the pages.
After devouring Something in the Water, I quickly went through all of her other books and greatly anticipated this one. She is fast becoming one of my favorite mystery thriller writers, in the vein of Alice Feeney, Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.
Summary
Harriet “Harry” Reed, an up-and-coming British mystery thriller writer, has taken a leap of faith and moved to New York having met the man of her dreams, Edward Holbeck. Edward is nearly too perfect — handsome, successful and set to inherit a fortune as the eldest son of one of the wealthiest and influential families in America. The Holbecks, however, are manipulative, extremely well-connected, and are full of secrets. Harry, however, has a dark secret of her own.
After agreeing to marry Edward, Harry shortly after meets the Holbecks, with whom Edward had been somewhat estranged. The explanation he gives has to do with him not following his father's footsteps and taking over the family business as well as other family customs that his exes had found strange. Harry quickly gets sucked into their world when she meets Robert Holbeck, her future father-in-law, who gives her an old cassette recording, the contents of which pulls her in to this high stakes cat and mouse game.
Despite being fully aware of how dangerous this family is, Harry is willing to play in order to keep her own dark secret from the love of her life, Edward.
Overall Verdict
This one closely ties Something in the Water as a top fave from the author. I liked the high stakes, the twist I didn't see coming, and the constant feeling of danger and unease, the tension she creates so well throughout the book. Her stories always have deliciously dark, twisty elements but stop just short of being full-on disturbing à la Alice Feeney (all of the books of whom I absolutely love).
Harry as the main character is likeable and respectable as her actions show her as someone clearly intelligent, which makes her as a contender in the “The Family Game” all the more exciting.
The final setting takes place in a modern Hungarian castle built in upstate New York. The eery atmosphere fits so well with the tension in the story. A dark, “old-money” family estate, isolated in the winter weather is the perfect backdrop for the story's dramatic end.
I look forward to listening to the audiobook version of this as soon as it is made available as well, as the author's narration performance is not to be missed. Her pacing, tone and emotions convey the story so well, though as this was the first time I've read one of her stories as a book, the writing itself definitely contributes to the unfolding excitement in the story.
This one is definitely a 5 out of 5 for me. Big thanks to NetGalley for letting me get my eager hands on this early read. Can't wait for more from this author!
I loved the premise for this book and was very excited to get a copy. I've not read anything by Lisa Unger before, so had no expectations getting in. The first chapters introduce a family: Hannah (the sister), Mako (the brother), their parents, Bruce (Hannah's husband) and Liza (Mako's wife) at a family holiday gathering. Hannah is a new mom dealing with the anxieties that come with being a new parent, Bruce is a workaholic programmer, Mako is a successful tech entrepreneur and Liza is a yoga influencer. The evening ends on ominous note when they all receive an unexpected Christmas gift: DNA tests.
Hannah, Bruce, Mako and Liza then go off an a fancy weekend holiday, all expenses paid by Mako's insistence. They are joined by Cricket, Hannah's party-girl friend/ex-girlfriend of Mako and her mysterious new boyfriend Joshua. The house is an impressive cabin, so secluded they are unable to receive cell signal. When the storm arrives, things start going wrong very quickly.
This had all the ingredients of what I typically enjoy in a thriller. However, I found it hard to get through as there were so many different character perspectives, several of them taking the reader away from what was going on in the cabin, and some flashbacks which I'm not sure were all really necessary to help propel the story. The ending tidied everything up okay with a vague message about family and what we inherit. While I was very intrigued at the start, the middle and the ending were somewhat underwhelming. Overall though, I enjoyed the atmospheric setting most, and the characters (their lack of depth with exception of Hannah) the least.
Thanks Netgalley for a copy of this read in exchange for my honest review.
My favorite read this year! I had just devoured Elizabeth Day's non-fiction “How to Fail” and have never read her novels. This one was exactly what I was looking for - domestic thriller with themes about pregnancy and motherhood.
I'm currently going through a rainbow pregnancy after a missed miscarriage, and everything both female narrators are going through – a shared yearning for motherhood – was so well expressed from these very different perspectives. Having read about Day's personal struggles with fertility, she clearly drew from her experiences as the heartrending details on the hopes and disappointments of going through infertility treatment was so well captured. The character development was so elegantly crafted.
As for the plot twist, I normally dislike when authors use this certain theme (won't spoil it!) as a plot twist device, but in this case it was so cleverly written I actually didn't mind.
I'd give this one more than 5 stars if I could. Got through this in a day and simply could not put it down.
This was an unexpected ride! At one point, I had to put it down because things felt so overwhelmingly stressful for the main character, but glad I got back on and rode this crazy roller coaster of emotions till the end reveals. Another great read from this author. Recommend to anyone who likes a twisty psychological domestic thriller.
My thinking brain enjoyed a lot of the history and facts presented in this. My feeling brain generally felt pretty sad throughout though, and it became a hard read to push through at times. Ending felt a bit meh.
Wish I'd read this in my 20s! A fun and helpful guide to adulting. While none of the habits are particularly novel or not common sense, her tips are helpful and the book itself is a good motivation to tidy up various areas of life to reduce stress and better enjoy all the little things.
Another reviewer put it best when she said she canceled her Sunday plans because of this book, and I found myself practically doing the exact same! Staying up way past my usual bedtime because I couldn't take my hands off this page turner. I recently one of Sally Hepworth's other novels, The Good Sister, which I loved for the very intelligent character development and twisty plot. When I read the premise for The Soulmate, I was very excited to get my hands on this copy and it did not disappoint.
Pippa and Gabe are seemingly a perfect couple - beautiful family with two delightful young daughters living in Portsea at a stunning cliffside home. The catch? The cliff point called “The Drop”, the gorgeous viewpoint from their kitchen is a popular suicide spot. Pippa's husband Gabe is a picture perfect hot dad, but since they've moved to their new home outside of Melbourne, he's become a local hero, with his easy way of making people comfortable he's helped saved several lives by convincing them to step away from the cliff.
All seems well until one day, a woman comes to the cliff. Gabe goes out to speak to her and draw her back in as usual while Pippa calls the police, but this time it doesn't work and the woman has seemingly fallen to her death. Pippa tells the police she last saw the woman raise her arms before disappearing out of sight, but leaves out the fact that she's sure she's seen her husband's outstretched arms, almost looking as if they were pushing forward.
The story unravels deliciously as we learn more about the family's dark secrets and about the mysterious woman who jumped. Exceptionally well-paced and intelligently written characters. This is another winner from Sally Hepworth for me.
Thanks Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
This deserves a higher rating - a delightful entertaining read that's more real and relatable than Eat Pray Love!
I like that this book normalises hormonal fluctuations as a natural part of our lives, and that the discussion of periods shouldn't have to be so taboo - that they're a part of our health “report card”. Very helpful and informative read about natural medicine.
Another fantastic Lisa Jewell read. Was initially a bit slow to start, but once it picked up, this book was impossible to put down. Love the different character perspectives that keep you guessing till the end.
I didn't need to be convinced on the benefits of sleep, but found the studies very interesting and the tips for better sleep very helpful.
Really loved this story, all of the characters and all of the historical references in this futuristic fantasy setting. Looking forward to when this is made into a gorgeous film!
Having always struggled with a consistent meditation practice, I enjoyed hearing the author's experience. It read more like a memoir, but was effective in getting me back into a regular practice.
Thrilling novel from Sarah Pekkanen, normally part of the writing team with Gail Hendricks who've released countless page turners like the Wife Between Us.
Gone Tonight was written similarly to those, toggling between two POVs, Ruth who was a runaway teen mom now in her 40s and Catherine, her daughter now 24 years old working as a nurse in a retirement home. Catherine gets the job opportunity she's been waiting for at Johns Hopkins, but that would mean she'd have to move away from mother, the only parent and family she's known her whole life. When Ruth suddenly develops early onset Alzheimers, knowing what she knows about how this illness progress, Catherine decides she must decline this job opportunity to stay and care for her mother. When she starts to dig deeper into her mother's life, however, many things don't add up. She's then suspicious of her mother faking her illness in order to control her life and keep her close.... but why? The more she digs up, the more thrilling the story gets.
Despite a few questionable details in the Ruth chapters describing the past, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Well-paced and exciting story with great character development. Great exploration into the complicatedness of a mother-daughter relationship.
The audiobook was narrated by actress Kate Mara, who of course read fantastically throughout. A great, fun and cozy weekend read.
Big thanks to Netgalley for the ARC copy.
WOW!!! Sally Hepworth has officially become the author whose title I look forward to most every year, and again I was not disappointed. I could not put down Darling Girls. The characters were all immediately likeable / relatable to me. Even with the story's villain Miss Fairchild, I found myself feeling sympathy for her during her perspective chapters.
Darling Girls follows the story of three foster sisters who grew up in a nightmare home on a farmstead outside of Melbourne. They were considered “lucky” to have been placed with young, single Miss Fairchild who had inherited the farmstead and needed the money from fostering children to keep everything afloat. The story starts with the sisters all grown up and seemingly doing okay, despite their traumatic and abusive upbringing, but unraveling in their own way when they're told chilling news that mysterious dead body has been discovered in the terrible home they grew up in.
Jessica is the most OCD, organized and successful of the sisters and works as a home organizer. But it's revealed she has a bit of an addiction problem and is caught stealing pills from wealthy clients' medicine cabinets. Norah is an intelligent and gorgeous bomb shell, but clearly has unresolved anger issues. Alicia is a caring social worker who helps ensure foster kids are actually placed and cared for in good homes, but she struggles with relationships and intimacy of her own. The sisters come together to discover the dark truth behind the bones .
Highly recommend as I could not put this book down. Hepworth explores important psychological themes around attachment, as well as the dark moments of physical and emotional abuse. It was heart warming to see how the sisters' relationship formed and they grew to support one another out of this horrible situation. The book's ending was satisfying, even the last twist about Miss Fairchild.
Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy. Definitely one of my favorites from Hepworth, and already looking forward to more.