I think this might have been my favourite of Hoover’s novels so far, as much as there was a really sad tone to this story, I loved the intensity of it, I went through the whole range of emotions with this one, wiping a tear or two away towards the end but loving the outcome. And I was totally stanning Ledger & Kenna getting together. There was a little less of the saucy stuff in this one, but Hoover definitely knows how to build the momentum & create that chemistry.

Greta is a bit of an awkward, pathetic character, she kind of bumbles through her days & creates these uncomfortable situations wherever she goes. She keeps a tight hold on her life, keeping things predictable & contained. It was almost too much for me at first, I wasn’t sure if I could enjoy this book because of the cringeworthy situations she seemed to constantly be in. I did manage to push on though & now I’m finished, I’m glad I did. This was actually a very sweet read. I ended up loving the storyline, Greta is living out something all of us could only dream about - a rich person/friend leaves her an incredible experience in his will that changes her life. I closed the book overwhelmed with a warmth I wasn’t expecting. This was a beautiful story. I loved it.

Favourite quote: “You know the word ubunto?” She shook her head. “It means, “I am who I am, because of you”. Everybody we meet changes us a little, no?”…. “What you do today, impacts me… and what I do, impacts you. We are all connected. That is humanity.”

It’s early days but I’m confident in calling this one my favourite book of ‘23. Thoroughly enjoyed the intrigue, the suspense, the unexpected revelations that just kept coming all the way to the end. Hammer has written my favourite kind of thrilling mystery. And I always appreciate that the main character in these types of novels doesn’t have the distraction of a love interest!

A great little thriller to get stuck into. I wanted to say this one felt like the beach read of crime dramas, had an easy to read flow to it & wasn’t overly lengthy. I was surprised at who the murderer was, the twists definitely got me!

This very light-hearted book touched on some really intense topics. I loved the way the friendships of these women came full circle, I love that it didn’t make these three girlfriends out to be the very tightest, unbreakable band of friends that ever existed. It felt a bit more in tune with reality to read about people with struggles who love their friends dearly but feel like sometimes you just can’t give everything… Also, would like to go to Paris now thank you very much!

I was unprepared for this book. Unlike the other novels in Hoover’s collection, where most of her books seem to be covering toxic relationships, this one was covering a fairly heavy topic - infertility & the affect it can have on relationships. I felt the devastation within the character, so well captured, I felt the very real grief as I naturally slipped into a sort of character relatability. I’ve never experienced what they’ve been through & I felt so much sadness for the characters & anyone who’s been in those shoes, but at the same time, reading this made me feel conflicted. A lack of communication always frustrates me & makes me feel a disassociation with the characters & their journey. While this was a tougher read than I was probably looking for, it was still well written & felt realistic to me.