sarahsbookstack's Reviews (2.55k)

I will never again NOT read Will Dean! This book was such a fast, intriguing, twisted thrill ride.

Twins Molly (living in England) and Katie (or KT, living in New York) haven't seen each other for 2 years. Then Molly gets a call from hey parents she never thought she'd get, Katie has been murdered. 

Molly seems to be kind of reclusive and a shut-in. She works from home and is always weighing the worst case scenario. She hates to fly but she'll do it because of this circumstance. 

This book was so twisty. Molly is the sole character we see and hear everything through. There are red herrings that threw me. I didn't get the big trust but it was such a fantastic one! I didn't expect it at all.

What a fun book! I normally don't like a lot of politics (like actual "elect me" stuff) but this small town mayoral race was loveable.

After a wild night out, Hallie's friend signs her up to run for mayor against Fitz Montgomery. Fitz had been the mayor of Swan Cove mostly because it's a family legacy and they've never run opposed. Doesn't help that they are rich and own most of the town.

Hallie is way over her head and Fitz helps to coach her in campaigning, but the more time they spend together, the more they fall for each other. Keeping it a secret while running against each other is fun.

They were just utterly adorable together. The sparks are real and their banter and smarts make them a great match!

I gave this a 3.25 because I love the Scottish island of Mure setting, but....

I didn't really like Flora a lot. She never did stand up for what she really wanted but let people walk all over her. (I would NOT ever stand for the idea of sharing a wedding with someone I don't even know) It took until near the end of the book for her to do it. She had a kid that isn't walking at a year old and her family calls him an idiot. What kind of people are they to say that?! Does this mean something else in Scotland?

Olivia was a spoiled, selfish girl who comes in with "her money" (really her fiance's) and starts telling everyone how this wedding of hers is going to go! She totally controls Flora.

Jan was pretty much always going on about her "perfect" baby and just being so mean spirited to EVERYONE ELSE! 

I felt so sad for Lorna and Saif's situation. I don't think he should have left as it might be dangerous for his kids back in their homeland and that his wife had already moved on. He should have stayed and worked towards citizenship.

I think the thing I really only liked was the setting and the description of this beautiful land. I didn't really convent with any of the characters at all.

It's hard to write a review without giving anything away. This is a case of Addison who got amnesia 2 years ago. She is set to marry Gabriel and his mother is nice but weary of Addison not knowing her past.

Julian is doing the best for his daughter since her mother disappeared 2 years ago. There is a young point where Addison is recognized but she doesn't know who or why.

You can see where these two stories connect way before they do. When Julian finds Addison while on a business trip, she leaves to go back to figure out her life from before.

That's when it all goes a bit haywire and the truth you get is mind blowing. The lengths Julian went to, he is such a bad person. Instead of just trying to be the best father he can be for his daughter, he had to mess up so many lives. I really hated him.
Poor Cassandra, Addison, Amelia! You have to read it to know why I mention all those names together.

I was satisfied with the conclusion of this book and I am just falling deeper in love with this duo!

While a little longer than I would have liked because there was a bit of repetitiveness at times, I still enjoyed the rest and got through it in a day.

Content warnings: abuse, both physical and sexual, murder

Paris has just been accused of killing her husband and fears that this will dredge up the past that she's kept hidden for so long. 

Then we go to Drew's perspective who does a podcast called Things We Do In The Dark. He was friends with a girl, Joey, who died and her accused murderer mother, Ruby, is up for parole. So Drew, being an investigative journalist, sets out to find what really happened to Joey.

There was a twist I caught onto pretty early that I saw from a mile away but I still liked the journey to see the truth come out. Ruby is so unlikeable and she deserves everything she got! 

Though not my favorite of Hillier's, it was still a very well written story. I liked how (podcasts are so hot right now in books) the podcast wasn't the center of this story.

Did this book beat my other favorite Katherine Center book How To Walk Away? Very possibly 😉

Hannah is an Executive Protection agent (aka bodyguard) and had just lost her mother, her boyfriend who works with her dumped her, and she's just been assigned to protect Jack Stapleton- a Hollywood heartthrob!

To keep him protected from a small stalker, she will live with him at his family's ranch while his mother recovers from cancer removal surgery and pretend to be his girlfriend. 

I really liked Hannah and Jack. They were just so fun together. I love how open he was with her and how kind he was. I liked his family (especially his sweet, sweet mom) but there were some TERRIBLE people in this book that were just MEAN to Hannah and she didn't deserve it.

This book is full of laughter, fake dating that is so fun, and a swoon worthy kiss that is worth the wait.

There was a scene near the end where I knew something was up but didn't imagine what was really happening. I KNEW Jack, I got to know him and KNEW this was a scene that was not right! I can't wait to see others reactions to that scene.

It's no secret that Sleeping Beauty is my favorite fairy tale and that Maleficent is my favorite villain. This story was so beautiful and terrifying all at once and everything I could have hoped for! I love that this is a sapphic love story.

What happens if the Princess Aurora falls for Alyce, who's known as the Dark Grace? What happens if true loves kiss isn't from a Prince?

The Graces are beautiful people who help those in the Kingdom of Briar make hexes - except for Alyce. She is part Vila, she has dark magic inside unlike the other Graces who have Fae/light magic.

I thought this was a very unique retelling. I love how everyone sees Alyce as the evil one when they will stop at nothing to be the best and the most revered. The ending was especially exciting as she embraces her nature when Aurora falls dying. I cannot wait for the second book!

This was a post apocalyptic story type I've never read before. A green mist is biologically bombed over the US and it kills most men instantly or near-instantly and gives some women supernatural powers. I was thinking of The Walking Dead (minus zombies) through the whole thing.

A group of teachers from Oklahoma see this all happen while at a conference in Oregon. One of their group is super intuitive and she leads them to find a safe place. As with this type of story , everyone has their own ideas of what "safe" is. There are people that will think they have all the power and everyone else should give in to them. So this group will encounter danger from the most and people they think they should lead all of humanity that's left. 

After a lot of craziness and encounters with dangerous groups, this group will find a place that seems to be the safest they can get to. But there's a shift in one of the weekends pets and I can't wait for the story to continue to find out what exactly that is. Hopefully we get some answers to why these biological bombs were at off.

I thought this was very cute.
The way they meet- Franny's dress gets ripped in the subway doors and Hayes lends her his jacket, which leads to this being filmed and going viral.

I had to laugh because I once had ripped my pants while out dancing and I can surely say how embarrassing that was! 

Hayes is so awkward and I just felt for him. I always get tongue tied around people. I did like how Franny slowly, somehow, got him to start saying what he means a bit.

As much as Franny Anna Hayes falling in love was cute, I really adored the friendship and Hayes, his cousin Perrine, and his coworker Eleanor and also the friendship of Franny, Cleo and Lola! They were what really made me love this book and all the stuff about New York in here, I can see why a lot love that city.

This is the story of 2 half sisters, both troubled in their own way. Something happened in their youth where Maddie threw all the blame on Emily, for something Maddie did. Emily gets sent to juvie. Years later, Maggie is married to Joseph, who Emily loved first. Emily has just come back into Maddie's life and it's going to blow up. 

It was kind of hard to like any of the characters. Emily, I felt, got the butt end of all the deals. Maddie was just a little brat as a kid (really should have gotten mental health help) and blah as an adult. I really felt that if Maddie had just given Emily more of a chance, none of what happened would have happened. I hated the gaslighting Joseph does to Maddie, especially when her mother died from Alzheimer's . He should have come clean long before any of the gaslighting happened.