rezelazny's Reviews (1.09k)

What a refreshing read! Just what I needed to get out of my reading slump. Totally predictable, but well worth the time and effort, Ms. Mansell delivers an excellent read on romance, friendship and family. Best friends Carmen and Nancy are at the cross roads in their relationships. Both have lost their husbands, one to death and one to adultery. They decide to regroup by living together in Carmen's huge mansion. Others soon join them; Nancy's Mom Rose and Carmen's brother-in-law Rennie. I loved the other secondary characters; Zac, Mia and Connor. All of the characters have a happy ending, which is exactly what you expect from Ms. Mansell. The drama of getting there is part of the fun. This makes me want to go out for drinks with my best friend and have a laugh.
Thank you Netgalley for this bright spot in my gloomy April reads.

Heartbreaking book about loss, first loves, sibling rivalry and fitting in. Cedar Lee has lost two of the people who she holds most dear, her Dad and her brother Ben. The 12 year old is then moved to her Mom's old home town to regroup for the summer with her remaining family. Cedar finds herself drawn to a boy riding his bike down the street with what seems to be, no care in the world. With the help of this new friend, Cedar struggles to put the pieces back together of her life while learning about what she, as a young girl, wants out of life.
Wonderful read for middle schoolers and really any age.

Decent thriller with some really interesting twists. But something was just missing for me. I actually put this down and struggled to pick it back up and finish it. I think I just didn't gel with the main character Ben. He just was too sad for me, to in his head, to melancholy. And wow did this mystery have meat and lots of stuff going on. Ah well, it just wasn't meant to be for me. Thanks netgalley for a galley in exchange for an honest review

It doesn't happen often that I start reading a book and immediately wish I could put my life on hold to finish it up in one big gulp. Unfortunately, as a working Mom I had to read this amazing thriller in drips and drabs-sneaking my kindle into the bathroom with me, hiding from my toddler and husband. Ms. Miranda has written a gem. A first rate thriller and not so much because of the who-done-it twists and turns, or the grand character development, but because this book is told backwards. Yes, even with all the hype and the note from the publisher at the beginning I was really questioning how this could work, how I could enjoy a book that you have to work so hard to tell what happened when. But, Ms. Miranda makes it seem like everyone should write this way. I'm not going to even bother discussing the plot, don't want to ruin it for you future reader. Do yourself a favor, pick this up and jump on the Missing Girls bandwagon early, you won't want to miss this one.
Thank you netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this galley in exchange for an honest review.

A quick cozy mystery full of humor and adventure. I really enjoyed Miss Seeton, she seemed to really get herself into a mess with her timing and of course, with her umbrella. I enjoyed the characters of this small country village. The mystery was well-developed, the story even paced and everything ended pretty clearly. My only big question was on the setting-when was this supposed to have taken place? In the 1960's? Today? It read as if it was a bit modernized-just enough to confuse me as to the time period. I would read another in this series.
Thank you Netgalley for this galley in exchange for an honest review.

A magical tour and review through New York City's food scene. Wait, it is more than that, it is a story about people's dreams, making things come true, working hard and what actually goes on behind the scene of some of New York City's famous eateries. What I enjoyed most about this read was the variety and spectrum of food vendors that the author showed us. It wasn't just a book full of the stories of the rich and famous chefs of the City. It showed us the everyday baker, food cart worker, waiter-the people who work back breaking hours to make the delicious food we yearn for. This book made me want to hop a train to New York City with the book in hand and line up outside every one of these eateries for amazing food! So hungry!
Read through Penguin's First to Read Program.

A quick, light, yet very insightful read on one woman's life, romance and discovery of herself. Corrine is a 28 year old receptionist who is still pining after the old boyfriend-even though they broke up over a year ago-and wondering how to get out of the rut she is in. She wakes up one day with a horrible hang-over realizing she has called her ex in her drunken haze. The story then shifts points of view between Corrine and James, her ex, filling the reader in on their break-up and what they have been doing over the past year. I got a bit confused as to when the story would hop tenses, but otherwise, I was hooked and read this in one sitting. I couldn't wait to see how Corrine reshaped her life. Definitely would read more by this author.
Thank you Netgalley for a galley in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent thrill ride! Samantha Brinkman is a defense attorney who is broke, has mother issues and is struggling to survive in the legal world out in LA. Along comes the case of a life-time. A cop is going on trial for murdering a well-loved actress and her roommate. Sam decides to take the case, after her office mates tell her to or they will mutiny. The cop, Dale, tries to convince Sam that he is innocent, but the more digging she and her team do, the more it seems like he is a the perfect murder. This courtroom thriller keeps you on your toes with tons of characters, lots of twists (some really oddball ones) and enough drama to have to reading late into the night. I really enjoyed the character development. I loved Sam's interactions in Court and with her friends. The twist at the end will definitely have me pre-ordering the next in the series.
Thanks Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

There is not a lot of things that I like better than a chick-lit book where everything ends up roses and the motto is friends, family, love and be true to yourself. Frankie's husband announces on their 1st anniversary that he feels bored, he feels stuck, he wants to try new things. Frankie is in absolute shock. Her one and only goal is to be a good wife to Jason. And so the late blossoming of Frankie starts. She decides with the help of her friends and a sex teacher to broaden her horizons. This is NOT a 'dirty' book, but full of fun and light episodes of Frankie and her sex teacher trying to get her to loosen up a bit, discover herself and what she needs from a relationship. The subplots of Frankie's family and 2 best friends are just as enjoyable as the main. Everyone ends up where they should, not a lot of surprise, but the journey is fun and light-hearted. Would definitely add the author to my to-read list!
Thanks Netgalley for a galley in exchange for an honest review.