Many thanks to my friends at @simonbooks and @simon.audio for the free #gifted copies of this book.  

“Why did no one ever tell [her] that the most dangerous thing in the world isn’t natural disasters or wars or weapons. It is unremarkable men with beautiful smiles and even bigger promises.”

Dark.  Twisty.  Captivating.  Jean’s other stories in other genres may indeed be good, but THIS is where she belongs.  

Ellie is back. But she’s not cooperating.  

This isn’t your typical missing girl storyline.  It’s cleverly constructed with a unique focus on the return of the victim which allows a deep dive into the psychological turmoil victims face.  

While not gory, this is a dark read.  Ellie’s perspective gives a first-hand accounting of the torture she experienced, and the psychologist’s perspective underscored the effects of trauma on her mind and body.  At times, it’s hard to read.  

And yet, I couldn’t stop reading. 

This book was a gripping from start to finish.  Well-crafted with propulsive writing and rich characterization, this thriller was both gritty and realistic.  There was a steadiness to the tension laced unfolding as it concentrated on the depravity of women-- primarily ones deemed “unworthy” of resources-- being preyed upon.  This adeptly stressed the timely and pertinent messaging without ever feeling heavy-handed.  

And those twists!  The way my jaw dropped!  A shocking turn of events that led to a pulse pounding ending.    

I don’t know what Jean is working on next, but I can only hope it’s another haunting thriller like this one! 

🎧 I could NOT put this book down.  And so, on long afternoons at the ballfield, I turned to my audiobook to keep me plugging forward.  The Return of Ellie Black is read by a full cast and gives a fullness to each POV.  The audiobook narration intensified the sense of dread and tension making this a fully immersive experience.  

Many thanks to my friends at @gallerybooks and @simon.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.  

 

Harvey’s books are a mainstay for me each summer.  They give me the same kind of uplift that sitting in a rocking chair on a sundrenched front porch with a glass of sweetened iced tea in hand does.  Tinged with nostalgia and laced with charm, this southern bred reader always feels at home in KWH’s storylines.  And this newest may just be my favorite yet.  

 

Keaton’s grandparents’ home sat vacant-- wholly untouched-- for decades, ever since that fateful night Rebecca and Townsend both disappeared.  

 

Suddenly unemployed, Keaton is tasked with preparing the house for sale.  But there’s more than dust to be uncovered, and those long-buried secrets she discovers could lead to unease or catharsis.  

 

I had a sweet relationship with both of my grandmothers, so watching Keaton get to know hers in this unconventional way impacted me deeply.  As Keaton learned to love Becks, so did I! I savored every recipe, every entertaining tip, every purposeful interaction outlined in the guide she left behind.  (I need that guide!) There was a genuineness found in Becks that I adored and admired. 

 

But Rebecca wasn’t the only character I was taken with.  The small-town setting allowed for a full cast- nosy, quirky, and endearing- that I easily became smitten with.  In particular... a certain young boy and his trusty sidekick.  There’s nothing better than when a cast of characters begins to feel like family.

 

This story hit all the right notes for me, and as I closed the last pages, I felt like I’d been hugged by my grandmomma.  

 

☀️Knowing where you come from is often the key to finding a happier life.

 

➡️While the coastal town setting is lush and inviting, this book is so much more than a beach read.  It’s perfect for any time of year.  

 

🎧 Narrators Cassandra Campbell and Devon Sorvari brilliantly embodied Keaton and Becks breathing life into KWH’s words in a way that made these characters leap off the pages.  And Fred Sanders depiction of Townsend made his journal entries a warm addition.   

Many thanks to my friends at @berkleypub and @prhaudio for the free #gifted copies of this read.  

 

After getting fired-- instead of the expected promotion-- Addison spends the summer at her recently deceased aunt’s house on Fire Island.  What starts out as an effort to prepare the house for sale turns into Addison taking stock, recalibrating her priorities, and possibly finding the place she truly belongs.  

 

I found myself falling in love with Fire Island and its close-knit community right alongside Addison.  With an endearing cast of characters and a lush beach atmosphere, I kept wishing I could paint (bike!) my way into the read.  I became easily invested with this second chance storyline while also pining over the budding romance.  There was a nice balance between the introspection and love story which made the read even more readable and relatable.

 

I realized after the fact that this is a sequel to Rosen’s On Fire Island.  While they don’t have to be read in order, I wish I had. 

 

Seven Summer Weekends was a delightful blend of women’s fiction and romance that felt as satisfying as a sundrenched day along the coast.

 

🎧 Narrated by Emily Norman, she brought Addison to life with a warmth that made the character and the storyline endearing and relatable. I alternated between print and audio for this one- not wanting to have to put it aside- and you can’t go wrong with either option.  

 

Many thanks to my friends at @marysuerucci and @simonelement books for the #gifted copy of this book.  

Intriguing.  Thought provoking.  Disturbing.

The hum of the refrigerator.  The hum of a fan.  Those background noises are a common albeit invasive part of existence. Sometimes annoying.  Other times soothing.  Most often, such an integral part of life we forget the quiet that came in the before.

Such is true in this not-so-distant envisioning of our future where nature only exists in Disneyworld-eque creations, jobs are taken over by machines, and families co-exist while lost within devices.  The hum of technology is a pervasive part of May’s life.

It’s not often that a book surprises me the way this one did.  Written as a futuristic society and yet not that far removed from our current reality, I found myself deeply invested in this look at technology’s invasiveness— with its ability to help and harm.   

Maybe most disconcerting was the subtlety with which technology was embedded in this society.  Necessary and inescapable yet also supportive and accommodating.  A Jekyll and Hyde conundrum.  And most certainly, a nightmare of our own creation.  

With a tense atmosphere, the anxiety laden storyline left me unsettled.  But I was so intrigued I couldn’t look away.   There’s an urgency to the writing that made the sense of foreboding stretch beyond the pages and into my own life, rife with technology.  

As Phillips hit on many timely themes— surveillance, AI, dependence on devices, and consumerism— I found this read to be both a stern warning and a storyline meant for deep ponderings.  

Compelling and visceral, this is a read I won’t soon forget.   

This book is meant for discussion, and I was grateful to have @bookmarked.by.becky and @rachellelovesbooks to unpack this one with.  

Many thanks to my friends at @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies of this book. 

Oh Katherine!  You know the way to my heart.  

I finished this book mere hours ago, and I AM SO IN LOVE with everything about it.  

From the beginning, I found myself totally invested.  I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.  And then, I found myself swooning in equal measure.  

This storyline was easy to fall for, and I found myself completely infatuated and basking in its goodness.  The characters.  The storyline.  The sweetness of the romance.  The juxtaposition of the hard things and the joy.  It was total perfection.  

But the true magic in this book: the way Center brazenly defended the rom-com genre.  Center’s fierce dedication and love for romance came through loud and clear in Emma’s voice as she went toe to toe with Charlie on the screenplay they teamed up to write.  If I had not already been a wholehearted devotee of the genre- or Center’s books- Emma would’ve convinced me.  

And the cameo from The Bodyguard... BE STILL MY HEART! 

Center’s books are always a ray of sunshine for me, and The Rom-Commers had me smiling from ear to ear with utter satisfaction.  Another winner!

🎧 Patti Murin’s narration for Center’s books is always “chef’s kiss,” and this one is no exception.  Also, hearing Center read the author’s note added a specialness to the read.  But the real reason you’re going to want to grab the audio:  that extra chapter told from Charlie’s POV.  👌🏻

 

 

Many thanks to my friends at @atriabooks and @simon.audio for the free #gifted copies of this book.

 

Witty.  Clever.  Astute. 

 

I love playing armchair detective, and I know when it comes to Hallett’s books, my skills will be put to the test in the most entertaining manner. 

 

With a modern spin on epistolary format, Hallett’s storytelling always feels fresh and unique.   This dark academia mystery utilized texts, emails, group chats, dairy entries, and assignment reports to unravel suspicions surrounding a missing student. 

 

I’m always blown away by the depth of plot and characterization in Hallett’s novels, and The Examiner is no different.  On the surface, this is a novel about teamwork, various forms of art, and modern classroom dynamics.  But as the layers unfolded and characters came alive, much more was revealed of both the storyline and messaging.  

 

I felt the plot slow towards the middle with a depth of details to unpack.  But as the end approached, twists unraveled at a quickened pace and kept me on the hook right up to the surprising end.  

 

🎧 With a full cast of characters, this is a TREAT of an audiobook.  I partnered the audio with my print copy for a full-bodied experience, and it did not disappoint. Each narrator brought a fullness to his/her character, well portraying them as individuals and members of a group.  I highly recommend grabbing the audio to pair with the physical book. 

 

Gritty and addictive.   A completely juicy read!

 

I’ve been a fan of Lovering’s work since I first read Can’t Look Away and added her entire backlist to my TBR.  So when Tell Me Lies was recently in the spotlight as season 2 of the series premiered, I knew it was time.  

 

College should be a time for exploration and growth.  But after Lucy met Stephen, her experience became a spiral of toxicity and obsession.

 

This was one disturbing and gritty storyline.  Drama filled and full of angst, this book made me feel deeply and kept me swiftly turning page after page.  

 

With chapters alternating between Stephen and Lucy’s POV, character development was rich and layered, and it also gave perspective to both sides of the relationship.  

 

Stephen, master manipulator and profuse liar, was so easy to hate.  But the juxtaposition between Lucy’s intelligence and naivete had me vacillating between frustration and empathy for her.  

 

This was a stark look at toxic love.  The on and off relationship was steeped in intensity.  And while it made for a very entertaining read, it also felt scarily plausible.   

 

🎧 The dual narration from Corey Brill and Rebekkah Ross brought both characters to life and accentuated the depth of emotion and tension that built throughout the relationship.  Such an easy binge listen!  

Many thanks to my friends at @macmillan.audio for the free #gifted copy of this book.  

 

“Much like water puts out fire, education and opportunity put out crime.”

 

Deeply impactful.  Vitally important.  

 

I immediately found myself invested as Slepian recounted the decades long fight for justice for six wrongfully incarcerated men.  

 

This book is more than mere reporting. This book is a battle cry.  These men... never given the presumption of innocence.  A justice system steeped in error and corruption.  Lives irrevocably changed.  

 

As Dan chronicled each man’s meticulously researched story, I found myself awash with emotion.  I raged.  I cried.  I cheered with relief.  And I closed the last page forever changed.  This is one of the most affecting books I’ve read this year.  

 

It’s obvious that this was a work of heart for Slepian.  The ethics and empathy that guided him as he fought for truth bled through on each page.  

 

Truly, I cannot recommend this book more strongly. It should be required reading for every American. 

 

🎧 Slepian narrated the audiobook, and his years of experience with Dateline shone through in this exceptional execution.  It’s a full production that includes snippets of interviews, excerpts read by the then-prisoners, and various other effects/additions.  But it was the raw emotion I felt in his narration that made this book so personal and impactful.  A stunning listen.

Thank you @berleypub for the free #gifted copies of this book.  

 

A doomed mansion.  Long buried secrets.  Two mysterious murders decades apart. 

 

Delivering an engaging slow burn gothic mystery, Cleeton takes on a distinctly different style in The House on Biscayne Bay.

 

With dual timelines set decades apart, the storyline’s focal point becomes the house itself.  Is it haunted?  Is it cursed?

 

There was a cinematic vibrance found in the way each scene was set.  From the mansion’s opulent origin to its crumbling demise, Marbrisa became a living entity and full-fledged character within the story.  

 

Suspense gradually built until the atmosphere loomed with eeriness.  The gothic vibes were painted with broad strokes creating a horror-lite feel.  (Though honestly, I would’ve loved a much darker vibe.) 

 

This was a surprising departure from what I’m used to from this author.  Though it was enjoyable, I didn’t find myself as connected to this read as I have her others.  

 

Still, I’m interested to see what she releases next.    

Many thanks to my friends at @gallerybooks @scoutpressbooks and @simon.audio for the free #gifted copy of this book.  

 

Darkly humorous and fast paced.  This was a campy fun mystery that made me glad I’m not in the dating world!

 

It turned out that Noah wasn’t the love of Gwen’s life.  And so, she turned to a popular dating app.  It was bad enough that she paired with a bunch of losers, but things turned immensely worse when each suitor ended up dead after their dates.  

 

What you’ll find:

➡️Hot mess main character

➡️ (Hilarious) dating nightmares

➡️Serial k!ller

➡️Dark humor

➡️Light mystery

 

I’m always interested in a unique plot, and the originality of this premise immediately caught my attention.  I found it to be easily readable even with some plot holes and implausibility.  

 

Though I had expected a darker read full of tension and suspense, this one played out in a fun and lighthearted way that entertained. 

 

🎧 This was an easy audio binge!  Georgia Maguire nailed the quirky and sarcastic nature of the main character and accentuated the hilarious hijinks on every bad date.