This one had me hooked initially, I love stories about people behaving badly and hiding secrets etc so I had a good feeling going into it. I also enjoy multiple viewpoints and I especially liked Emily’s perspective as she narrates after she’s already been missing for months. I liked the angle of her being gone for so long yet no one has any idea where she’s been or who she’s been with. There were a ton of unanswered questions and the plot moved steadily forward and kept my interest at first, but unfortunately that interest waned. About halfway in things just started to feel sluggish and like they weren’t going anywhere, or at least anywhere interesting. It was dramatic but not in a fun way, it just seemed pretty silly. I started not really caring about what had happened to Emily in the past or what would happen to her later. I didn’t believe the ending, it just didn’t make a whole lot of sense in terms of motivation for where Emily had been and why. Overall this one fell flat for me despite a decent premise.

After a string of mediocre books I started this on a whim, not sure exactly what to expect. Am I a paranormal romance reader? Nope, but I’ve always wanted to branch out more and this sounded like the perfect place for a newbie like me to start. It totally was, I freaking loved this one. Who knew shifters would work for me?! 

I was a little nervous that the whole supernatural aspect would be confusing for me and it wasn’t. I thought the author did a great job explaining the laws/rules while not getting too bogged down in the details to where I was bored. It honestly fascinated me and made me hope that maybe this will be the start of a new series? 🤞🏻There we’re so many interesting and fun side characters that I would love to read more about. The romance was perfection, Lincoln and Violet had A plus chemistry and witty banter wrapped up in a mash up of fake dating/enemies to lovers/second chance romance. Overall this one was just a pure delight, I can’t tell you how happy this one made me, it provided a true escape and left me smiling.

Ok this one was really good y’all! I’m a sucker for foodie fiction and while I’ve read plenty of books that center on food I don’t think I’ve read one featuring a reality cooking show with amateur home cooks. It was also my first romance with a nonbinary lead too and I really appreciated getting some insights into the struggles London faced. Anymore when I read a romance I want the usual spice, humor and depth but what really makes a romance stand out for me is when the characters are authentic, relatable and messy. I may not be a queer reality show contestant but I still found myself relating to Dahlia as I’m a bit of a hot mess myself. Both Dahlia and London’s issues and struggles were really well drawn and I was rooting so hard for them both as a couple and separately. This one brings the humor, the heat and the heart, lots of tender and sweet moments and plenty of sexiness as well. Definitely recommended by me, especially if you like food and adorable couples who make you a little swoony.

When I first read that this one was about a con artist trying to escape her past I was intrigued. Then part of it is set on a cruise ship where she finds herself trapped, so I was super into that, who doesn’t love a good locked room mystery?! Unfortunately this is a case where it sounded way better than it actually was for me. 

It starts out by flipping back and forth between the past and the present. Past focuses on when Charlotte first meets her ex husband Sam and is introduced to a con artist lifestyle and present is after he’s disappeared and Charlotte is left to pick up the pieces of their lives. It’s super slow and when the past timelines finished and the present day took center stage I assumed the pace would pick up and I was wrong. This isn’t a thriller, it has a very small amount of tension and the outcome was weak. Everything just lagged and I was left wanting more. Meh. I’ve read another book from the author and really loved it so I would try her again, this one just didn’t work for me. 

The very beginning of the synopsis for this one calls it a thrilling family drama so I assumed I was about to read a tense, suspenseful book. I was wrong and so is the synopsis this is NOT a suspense, a mystery or a thriller whatsoever and had I know I was going to be reading regular old fiction (or women’s fiction whatever) I may have liked this one more. Expectations are so important to me as a reader and mislabeling it did this book no favors at all. I will say the very end did have some tension but that is not enough for me to call it a thriller. Just wanted to get that all out because I have a feeling had I known what I was getting into here this would’ve earned a higher rating from me. It was dramatic but in a soap opera kind of way with the characters making very stupid choices and then the secrets? Really predictable and honestly disappointing. I’ve really enjoyed this authors books in the past, but man this one just didn’t do it for me. I spent most of the book wondering what the point was and I’m still sorta feeling that way now. If you do read this go into knowing it’s fiction and try the audio because I swear that’s the only way I finished it. 

Are you still drawn to missing persons stories or are you over them? I’m somehow still interested in them so as soon as I saw that this one was about I was in 👇🏻

From the synopsis: DC Clements knows that people disappear all the time – far too frequently. Most run away from things, some run towards, others are taken but find their way back. A sad few never return. Kai Janssen and Leigh Fletcher are from very different worlds, their disappearances are unlikely to be connected. Yet, at a gut level, the DC believes they might be. How could these women walk away from their families, husbands and homes willingly? Clements is determined to unearth the truth, no matter how shocking and devastating it may be.

The first thing you need to know about this one is that it’s a super slow burn. There is a lot of inner monologue rambling type stuff until almost the halfway point. Then things shift and I was sucked into the story but THEN it went predictable for me and I never got fully invested. The ending truly lost me leaving me just feeling underwhelmed about the whole thing. This is an author I’ve read and enjoyed in the past, this one was just a miss for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: When Kayla Carter's husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their four-year-old daughter. But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates, a new development in sleepy Round Hill, North Carolina, will always hold tragic memories. But when she is confronted by an odd, older woman telling her not to move in, she almost agrees. It's clear this woman has some kind of connection to the area...and a connection to Kayla herself. Kayla's elderly new neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it's clear she, too, has secrets that stretch back almost fifty years. Is Ellie on a quest to right the wrongs of the past? And does the house at the end of the street hold the key? Told in dual time periods, The Last House on the Street is a novel of shocking prejudice and violence, forbidden love, the search for justice, and the tangled vines of two families.

I’m usually a fan of dual timelines and I can definitely see why the format was used here but I was much more invested in the 1965 chapters than the 2010 ones. I think overall I was just more connected to Ellie and her story as she worked for voters rights against the wishes of all of her friends and family members. I did both print and audio but was more drawn to the audio, so take note if you’re a listener. Overall a solid read from the author that tackles lots of heavy topics in a respectful and meaningful manner. 

Ok now this was a clever little thriller! A missing person returning years later may not be the most unique plot but that is just the tip of the iceberg here. It went in several completely unexpected directions that I definitely didn’t predict, and honestly half of what makes me enjoy a thriller is not being able to see what’s ahead too early. Bonus points for a very fast pace and enough twists to keep me engaged, yet not so many that it bordered on the ridiculous making this one very was fun. As usual with this author I can’t say much more without getting into spoilers but this was one of her best books for me and I always recommend them to anyone who likes short, bingeable reads where things always get a little crazy.