sarahsbookstack's Reviews (2.55k)

I love Kristy's books so when I heard she was writing a (in part) historical fiction novel, it went immediately on my TBR!

In the present, we follow Julia who is about to get married to Hayes who she's been with for 10 years. Their is a family heirloom with a wedding veil that she will be wearing. Where it came from is a bit of a mystery.

When a video comes up at the rehearsal dinner, she reevaluates her relationship and becomes a runaway bride.

Then in the past we get the story of the Vanderbilt's- George, his wife Edith and their daughter Cornelia. They also have a veil that is passed down to each new bride. 

I really liked Cornelia. She resonated with me in the fact that she didn't like being in the spotlight that her famous family brought her. (Now I don't have a famous family but I hate spotlights too). I liked her mother Edith a lot too. She didn't have her great love George with her always, but the way she carries on the family legacy and Vanderbilt Estate was remarkable with the surrounding circumstances (the 1929 Stock Market crash).

I love that this book helps you know that it's never too late to realize what your life's dream is and it's never too late to go after it. 

This was a fun, cozy mystery. (My first ever read cozy 😮).

Poor Robin! Almost hits a guy with her car (and someone she knew from high school) and he dies in her arms. Then comes the sheriff, who she liked in high school, and he enlists her help to find out the killer. All while Robin is in the midst of getting her sister Jenn ready for her marriage to Deb.

I loved the sisters relationship. I thought that the way Robin helps solve the murder was believable for a small town with a small cop force.

This is book 7 of a series. I've read them all (except another novella) but I have no less love for these people and this town of Hope Springs than I did at the beginning.  There are a lot of characters so starting at the beginning is best, but there are little histories dropped here and there that I think someone wouldn't be totally lost.

This book has so much heart! Burke Jones, this small town's doctor, is well respected. He's fitting a bit more in this place in the years he's lived here but he often wonders if that's all they see sometimes.

Sophie comes to town with the elder woman she lives with (who happens to be the town founder's mother). She comes so alive in this place, she feels more comfortable there than the Baltimore home she left. She lives to be Belgium in whatever she can do for the town and becomes a fixture in their lives so easily.
Her and Burke are finding a great friendship in each other as they have some of the same feelings. They slide very naturally and seemlessly into love with one another. I loved every moment of their steps together.

Gal is an almost 50 year old former leader of a girl rock group. When her best friend/former drummer Aimee dies, her band gets back together one time to do a benefit concert. Gal sees someone in the crowd and she's not sure why he's there 

This story takes us through after the benefit interspersed with bits from the past. A past of regret, drugs and alcohol. The face she sees in the present dies and her friend's widow is arrested for his murder..... And won't dispute the charges.

Gal tries to figure out why he's doing this in spite of how it might affect his already fragile daughter. But to do that, she has to bring up memories she has posted down deep inside herself.

I liked the fact that Gal had turned her life around, away from those addictions. I thought she was very caring, even when those that need to be taken care of won't let her. 

This was so cute. 
Adina is a freelance journalist trying to get a job in journalism at an online magazine. She pitches a story when she hears about a small town where's big business is going to be building high rise apartments. 

She just knows that this town has to have a problem with that. After all, isn't every small town like the Hallmark ones and Gilmore Girls? She will come to find out that they aren't. But she does meet a local, Finn, who turns her world upside down.

I loved the premise of this. It was so fun and sometimes so laughable at how NOT Hallmark-y this town is. I like the banter and chemistry that Adi and Finn have. I got mad at Finn in regards to his relationship with his dad.... especially when Adi meets him. I really liked Adi's mom, who's really funny.

Definitely not the last book I'll read by this author!

I guess I didn't see what other people saw in this book...... Or I just didn't get it. I got that it was a fantasy because in this story- the monsters are real in Hollywood. I'm not talking about men who abuse their power and abuse others, but there are literal monsters at play here. There were scenes where a "person" cut their skin off and you could get them to do it until they are just a sinewy thing of muscles and all underneath (it honestly made me a bit squeamish!)

I did get that they dealt with so many types of issues. The horrible difference between being a man in Hollywood and a woman in Hollywood where the women are looked down upon, looked at to be playthings. It deals with rasicm and sexism.

Luli has to give up her name and identity to the industry. But she takes her sisters name and makes something of herself. She was drawn in by the glitz and the glamour, but I felt like they took her soul.

Caroline is approached by an old college mate Mat with a story that he's writing that involves her great aunt Caro, her grandmother's (Margo) sister. He comes with the story that her great aunt betrayed her family and ran off with her German lover. 

These choices her great aunt made affected her whole family even to Caroline's time. Determined to see what's true, she flees to her family ancestral home in London where she discovers letters and diary entries that tell a different story that she has to chase with clues she gathers from within them. 

I love that most of this was told through these letters and diary entries. It really gives you (and Caroline) a sense of what these twins were really like. I love how all the puzzle pieces fit together and help bind Caroline's family a little more to each other.

I have to admit, the discoverys could have come a bit quicker. The storyline seemed to drag a bit too long in many places. 

This is my first book I've read of Tarryn's and key me tell you....I loved every aspect of it!

I loved the 2 timelines that we see of Rainy, both her past and her present. Her past had me the most riveted as it deals with her and her mom in this cult in the Vegas desert. Her present has her in this group of ladies "Tiger Mountain" group where Rainy feels on the outskirts.

When the ladies want to take their annual girls trip to Vegas, her present brings her right back to her past, they are going to collide in a big way.

Rainy was such a great character. She was so strong and kept her head even when under the influence of the cult leader, Taured. I was riveted the whole book through! 

Another great book by Coben!

Dr. Beck lost his wife Elizabeth 8 years ago when she was abducted and killed while they were at a lake they frequently escaped to.

Now 8 years later, it's coming up on the anniversary. Beck starts getting cryptic messages in code... Messages containing things only Elizabeth would know. 

As is Coben's style, this is a very fast paced story. It grabs you from the beginning and keeps you in it's grip as secrets come to light.
There is so much info but it comes out smoothly and makes you go "this all makes sense!"

I read through this book on one sitting!

In this we follow Simone through a year after she is newly diagnosed with MS and trying to deal with that while in a new relationship with Connor. We also see her as she lives through an active shooter situation at the community college she works at.

I loved every minute of this book. I believe the thoughts she had with her diagnosis are thoughts that would go through my mind in the same situation. It was very tense during the shooting parts. I felt ever fear they did as they went through it.

I love her new find relationship with Connor. He's very nice and amazing. When they fall out for awhile, my heart broke for them both.
Great book that I'm glad I was able to read!