I really liked the slower place of this book, it makes it all the more perfect of a thriller read. 

The Barclay's nanny had been found dead and no one knows if it's an accident or murder. Ian and Beth are divorcing. Rose, the 9 year old, has stopped speaking. Stella is a BIA (a Best Interest Attorney) sent in to assess who would be best to take custody of Rose. Harriett is Ian's mother who has been living with them for a while. 

Lots of secrets and lies and coverups. You never know who to trust I really liked the character of Stella because of her (sad but a bit helpful?) childhood. I devoured this book in a day. 

OK, I really and truly adore Nathan. Once you get the reason behind the grumpy persona, you can totally see why he feels the way he feels about hockey and not having time for relationships. BUT, same as Summer, the first time he TRULY smiles and it's for her....I giggled and kicked my feet. I love that he is such a heavy sleeper and that even the team guys can't wake him up without doing something drastic. When he wakes just by Summer's voice in his ear....OH. MY. GOODNESS!

Summer is such a sweetheart and she really knows her stuff as a legal council. I like her and her twin sister's (Lucy) relationship.I like how they consult with each other in this book as Summer slowly falls for Nathan.

I didn't know going in that this would be a fake dating situation and that's one of my favorite tropes!
I laughed at the scene (and yes swooned because one bed) because Summer is me and I am her in the fact that we both have perpetually cold feet! but she gets them warmed by Nathan....oh yes! Also, when Summer gets to take care of HIM through a sickness 🥰

This story is at times tough to read. I did not like how the church where this family belonged to treated women.  They were made to be a housewife and a mother and they couldn't ever think of being something else or they would be shunned and treated poorly. I constantly had to remind myself while reading that this was modern times and not like the 1800s. 

Hope unfortunately had to become the "mom" of her siblings after their mom died. When a woman comes seeking their church and then becomes her stepmother, she begins to see what a life outside this church would be and she is conflicted but curious. She battles with herself all the time and after her stepmother realizes that she doesn't want to belong to this place...Hope's world changes drastically and, I felt, never for the better. 

The first 100 pages were slow going for me and then I just flew through the rest!

Wow, wow, wow. This is a novel filled with heartache, suspense, lies, and deep dark secrets. 

Lee is a single mother to Mason who is on the Spectrum. (I love this kid by the way, so fun and of course reminds me of my son on the Spectrum). He has a home occupational therapist named Noah who plays a big role. Her best friend Grace convinces her to come with her and some other friends on a girl's weekend. Someone won't come back alive. 

After the accident, I started to try and find out the truth behind the story. I had an idea and once that flipped over and wasn't right, I then knew a part of the end. But it still had my heart in my throat to see where the end of the book would take us and there is shock galore. 

I should not have slept on this story! The chemistry between the two leads (so tension filled too!) is so great. 

Ama is an amazing wedding planner (though I could tell from the get go that her mentor didn't think so). She also has a mother that has been married more times than anyone I've ever heard of (kind of sad when you think of it). 

Elliot is an incredible designer with flowers. He has such a beautiful vision. He's also super grumpy and always scowls but that's part of his charm.

I love the then/now storyline we get for them. We get insight into why there is so much animosity/uncomfortableness with them. I absolutely loved when he stepped up when she needed him most and I'm so glad she had that confrontation with her mentor! 

This was a super fast and great book. I like Sean so much! He is so sweet and protective and he's an amazing firefighter. Eva is so fiery! I couldn't believe the stuff she had to deal with that her cheating ex/coworker put her through. Though I do wish we would have had an explanation for his behavior more than just "he's an a**hole".

Now Eva's parents are such snobs and I'm so glad when Eva finally (and Sean) put them in their place. Just because Sean didn't get more than an associate's degree- I hated when her dad who was a doctor thought Sean was "less" even though he risks his own life as a firefighter. 

I love creepy stories in old houses. I like when I get to the end of the story and find a plot point that shocks me as this one did. 

Rowan becomes a nanny to three little girls, the Elincourt sisters. The mom and dad leave her the first day to take care of business matters. The big house, very modernized with a system run from an app, has secrets hidden. But Rowan also has secrets. 

I love that a big part of this story is told in letters from Rowan in prison. The discovery of why is told in what happens in the house and with the girls from Rowan's perspective. 

I thought this was a solid mystery. 

Nova is asked to take on a brother and sister to foster. Their mom died and their father is negligent and abusive. 

This book made my heart hurt for Henry and Bella. They are only 9 and 7 and they just have the worst father. Henry acts out and there is fear (and some very legitimate ways) he's like his dad. All 3 do the best they can in this new situation and Nova is just a saint.

You will get angry but you will also feel joy as the story goes along. The book starts out sad and hard to get through but ends in hope and tears. So beautiful

This was a fun one. 
I really liked Ruby. She has had a rough life, raising her little sister when their parents abandoned them. Then taking in her sister's best friend. Then paying for her sister to go to college. Then she gets an opportunity to enter a mixology competition...but she's also trying a second chance with Theo.

Theo and his family have helped Ruby as much as they could and gave her a bit of a semblance of a normal childhood when they were in the same city.  I thought he and his brothers were a riot. 

Fun book and I can't wait to read the previous books.