I think this may be my new favorite EK book although I will always be absolutely obsessed with The Score (Allie & Dean 😍) and I always rate her books 5 stars but this one deserves more than a 5 for me. It was total perfection and just so much more than I expected. My expectations were super high too but it was just too good! Shane and Diana were everything, their banter was hilarious, they have a whole frenemies thing going on and then you also get fake dating, close proximity, and sports. This had so much depth, it made me swoon so hard, it cracked me up and I wasn’t expecting to be a sobbing mess but I was?! Can we talk about how hot this one was too pls? Good lord Shane and Diana were insane together, there was one particular spicy scene that had my jaw on the floor and the kink was unexpected and 🥵 I think my jaw was on the floor more than it ever has been while reading a romance, so many surprises and so many emotions, I loved every single page of this perfect book!! 

This book read exactly like watching a Lifetime movie and I was sooo in the mood for that type of story when I started so this really worked for me. The pacing is fast and furious and it switches back and forth between Jo and Dana’s perspectives which just left me wanting to read just one more chapter until I had just finished the entire book. It opens with Dana calling Jo for help because she just killed her husband so a train wreck I couldn’t look away from right from the beginning. What follows is a twisty ride with over the top reveals and stunning twists that were outrageous but deliciously juicy and fun. If you don’t take this one too seriously and just suspended all disbelief this was a blast!

Ahh this one was unhinged in the most fun way! It seemed like one of those pretty straightforward thrillers where I assumed I knew where it was going but I was pleasantly surprised by several of the twists. Was it a little dramatic? Absolutely but it was wickedly fun too. This one is full of unlikable characters and you hear from most of them at some point, but I love to hate devious people and this group was wild. There’s a fairly small cast of characters and the ways they were entangled was complicated and messy but it just made this one that much more insane. This was like the very definition of a popcorn thriller, it’s light yet pretty gripping, it’s scandalous and shocking and I promise you will be entertained by the characters antics.

As excited as I was for a brand new series from Lena I didn’t know if I could root for a King after absolutely loving the Sullivan family. Let’s just say she made it easy to fall for Whip and if I were at The Grudge Holder I would just sit with Duke and Sylvie 😂 iykyk Being back in Outtatowner was such a treat, it felt a little like coming home and seeing the Sullivan crew was amazing. Whip won me over almost immediately, the banter between him and Emily was too good and there’s so much more to him than meets the eye. Emily brought out a softer side to him, it’s the whole good girl/bad boy thing and I’m a sucker for that trope. Other tropes included one night stand, sneaking around, bosses daughter, opposites attract and forbidden. If you like steamy small town romance with some drama with the residents this was so good! 

It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a CL book so much, I’ve been a little all over the place with ratings on their last few releases but this one was so fun! Definitely a must for summer reading, this one will be in everyone’s beach bag for sure. Was it a perfect read? Definitely not, but it was wildly entertaining and the authors did what they do best. They set up an outrageous premise that you just have to roll with or you won’t enjoy it and then they hit you with incredibly funny banter and quirky characters you’ll enjoy. If you like marriage of convenience, opposites attract, slow burn and funny pop culture references this was super fun! 

This was a slow burn thriller bordering on horror that didn’t lack in intensity despite its sedate pacing. It was the type of read that made me uneasy the whole time and part of that was being inside Annie’s mind the whole time was unsettling. I mean that as a compliment though, the authors ability to make me uncomfortable and unsteady is a gift, this was just a lot at times. Annie isolates herself when she struggles with her mental health and it gave the whole thing a claustrophobic feel to it. With slow mounting suspense and dread it managed to keep it attention easily, but it is a heavy read with plenty of depth and substance. If you like character driven psychological suspense that you can really sink your teeth into this was good!

I am always drawn to a story about sisters, something about that family dynamic never gets old to me and throw in some drama and I’m set. This follows the Peacock sisters and there was lots of secrets and drama in this family that kept me pretty entertained. Based on the title I knew there would also be lies obviously but I didn’t realize how big and dramatic some of them would be. None of the characters were super likable to me, but they were interesting enough and this one went by quickly. I really enjoyed the setting of the castle for Sylvie’s wedding and enjoyed the details and history highlighted throughout. I struggled a bit with some of the situations but overall this was mostly enjoyable for me. If you like family dramas with toxic relationships and complicated upbringings give this a try.

I absolutely love a missing persons story, I never seem to tire of them but I love when the missing person returns even more so this one sounded right up my alley and it was! I was hooked from the start, of course I wanted to know where Ellie had been and who had kept her for two years but I was also very invested in Chelsey as well. She was such a well developed character, really all the characters were well drawn and the way her past shaped her as a detective was so interesting and heartbreaking. This one is pretty dark and disturbing and the psychological aspects on both Ellie and Chelsey were examined in detail making for some chilling reading. There are multiple viewpoints and the audio version had a terrific cast of narrators so if you like to listen to books I can highly recommend that version. Hearing parts of this out loud gave me serious chills and made this one all the more memorable than it already was. If you want a solid and twisty suspense this was excellent.

I’ve read some of the authors romances and enjoyed them and I’m always super interested when an author switches genres so this was a must for me. The premise was also super unique, receiving a text message five years too late is crazy but also sorta believable too. As things progress the plot does seem far fetched at times but it was such a compelling read I didn’t mind. I was engaged with the story the whole time and curious to see what happened next and the author threw a couple of curveballs my way. I really liked Ariel and found her to be a sympathetic and likable character and her relationships with her son and best friend were really sweet. Really impressive thriller debut and I would love to see what the author comes up with next!