Connecting Strangers was rather hard to rate. There were some elements here that I found well done, and others not so much. So I think 3 stars was a safe meeting ground. This book was about Emily, a girl who was desperately trying to run away from her past, with plenty of good reason for doing so. While on the run from her many troubles she inadvertently runs into Adam, the local sheriff for the town she was supposed to be breezing through. Things heat up from there.

Ok let's start with some of the things that I liked about this book. First, I really liked the way this author portrayed the abuse between Emily and Mark. It was nice to not have the abuse be belittled when it was more mental than physical. I think a lot of how abusers succeed in their abuse is because it's such a mental thing, the separation from other people, the degrading, and the fear all come into play hugely. It was nice for this author to show that, and how the outcome can be the same, even when it's not solely physical abuse.

I also really enjoyed this town. Juniper Springs was everything Emily's hometown of, Broomtown wasn't., it was warm, safe, inviting and full of people with kind hearts that go above and beyond for other people. Even for strangers. Cue Francine, waitress with a heart of gold. She might have been one of the most giving and kind characters I have ever met. She immediately saw a kindred spirit in Emily and came to her aid, freely giving things from a hot meal, to her a place in her work and home. It was amazing, the kind of amazing that you sincerely hope truly can exist out there in the world.

I also, for the most part, liked Emily. I was glad for how strong she was. There was no transformation from Meer cat to cougar. Did she become stronger as the story progressed? Yes. But she always had it in her. She was a fighter from the get-go, she just had so many other losses and felt so trapped that she forgot just how strong she was. Being that she was this way, her back story made the why's of her staying in that toxic relationship very clear. She was someone that literally had no one else and no where else to go. Which made her bravery that much more admirable. Adam was also a likeable guy. Of course it doesn't hurt that he was a drop dead sexy guy in uniform. He was pretty nice too though. He certainly took the whole hero cop thing very seriously.

Alrighty then...dislikes. Well, I suppose it's only really one dislike, but it's a rather large one for mw.The instant attraction/overwhelming need to have each other was not working for me. I wish there would have been more build up to that. She literally ran from one man, who abused her, right into the arms of another. Being that Emily was, rightfully, distrustful of people, you would think that would have really carried through more than a half day after meeting Adam. Not saying they as a couple didn't work for me, they did, but in my opinion this story would have been greatly enhanced had them getting together been held of for a little bit. I would have liked to see them get to know each other a little bit before jumping right into the sack. It would have made sense to build a trust between the two more before the rest. Had that been different, I probably would have gave this book a 4 star rating.

This is only the first book in a series. I think it was a decent enough start to a series. I would probably pick up the next book so I could see what happens next, as this one ends with a slight cliffhanger. But I think that book two could either make or break this series for me. I was on the fence about this one in a few areas, so I would want something to really grab a hold of me by the next book or I most likely wouldn't continue on with future books.

I received this ARC from the Author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

THE OFFER BY: KARINA HALLE  
 
   Gahhhhhhh!!  I think I had such high expectations because, for one, it's Karina Halle and I adore her, and secondly because I read and LOVED The Pact, same group of characters but different MCs, and I mean I honestly put that one on my favorites shelf. So I think I set the bar so high for this one that it was almost inevitable that it would not fully reach the extent of my expectations.
 
   I did really looked forward to this story line, being that Nicola was a single mom, and that's something I can understand, as well a being with a man that decides to build a life with you and your child. For the most part that aspect didn't disappoint, it was a pretty good depiction of some of the struggles and feelings that a single mom can go through.
 
"I know he sounds so breezy about the whole thing but, then again, how can he understand what this means to me? So many years and no one has done something like this, no one has ever thought of me and Ava that much. It's then that I realize how tired I am, how much I've been pushed to the side, how much I've pushed myself to the side. It feels so fucking good to have someone care about us."
 
  Halle always seems to do a fabulous job at capturing the full scope of a person, a nice mix of naughty and nice. She puts flaws out there and I'm always thankful for that. Perfection can be boring. I think we have all made mistakes in the past, and will make more in the future, it's part of life, and sometimes the best things come out of learning from a previous failure. I really appreciated that aspect of the story. 
 
   One part of both of The Offer and The Pact that I really like are that they are dealing with characters in their 30s. With NA being such a huge thing right now it's kind of nice to also see some stories like these that deal with things that are definitely relevant to where I am in my life now. I quite enjoy the feeling in them that it's okay to be 30 and still figuring things out. When you're younger I think you have this image in your head of 30 like all your boxes will be checked by then, established in your career, married, children, homeowner, etc. but in reality things can end up quite different than you initially expected. And you know what, sometimes that's not only ok, sometimes it's great, and sometimes it just takes a little longer to get the things you want, and other times you may realize the things you wanted then aren't necessarily the things you want now. It's nice to see those realities explored in stories.
 
   All in all The Offer was a good read and, as always, I look forward to seeing what Halle comes up with next.
 
 

BABY TEETH BY: ZOJE STAGE  
Let me start this review by saying I have a teenage daughter. Now, as a mom, I can't be the only one ever to have one of those dreams...one of those terrifying nightmares where your child is basically the devil incarnate and you're just feverishly drowning in helplessness, no matter what you do the situation/your child cannot be swayed, controlled or tempered. Like trying to slog through the quicksand stairs while the monster is chasing you. This book is like living that nightmare and you just can't escape from it.
 
 

 
 
I was completely riveted by this story. It plays on so so many parental fears, fears we all have,
 
'am I doing this right?'
 
 
'Should I have done it this way or that way instead?'
 
'Am I wrong for thinking this..or feeling that?'
 
'Am I a good mother?'
 
 

 
 
It made me waiver constantly on my feelings towards Suzette. Much of her thought process was so relatable. We tend to, right or wrong, have a constant internal battle with ourselves and Suzette was a pretty spectacular example of this. Even the way she constantly compared her upbringing to that which she provided for her daughter. We all strive to 'be better', we all want for our children that which we felt we lacked and needed the most. On the flip side though, she could be selfish and quick to think or expect the worst, although considering her history it wasn't exactly a stretch to see why she would do so in some ways, and her constant desire to exude perfection, especially to her husband was concerning. Really she was a spectacularly flawed human, much like the rest of us. I mean, can you still call it paranoia if there's a legitimate reason to be paranoid?
 
 
Hannah was an equally compelling character. It was easy to teeter back and forth between feeling sympathy for her and wondering how much of what was happening with her was in fact due to the dynamic in the household, or stemming from Suzette's shortcomings or overreaching and her father's overcompensation and denial, or being terrified of the fact that maybe she is a deeply disturbed little girl capable of horrifying actions. Either way it was impossible to look away, I was as determined as Suzette to get to the bottom of this mystery. Admittedly some of her actions seemed over the top and to be a thrill just for the sake of the thrill, but it was honestly still riveting nonetheless.
 
 

 
 
I don't want to spoil anything because a lot of the page-turning fun of this book is waiting to find out what is really happening and which side you will ultimately fall on. Although I will say that even at the very end I still found myself conflicted on that! But I must say, as frustrating as that can be, it was also an unexpected surprise and I feel like it fit the story as a whole quite well. I truly enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down, it was pretty much everything it promised it would be, a disturbing, fast paced page-turner that will keep you engrossed till the very end!
 
 
*I received an ARC of this book via St. Martin's Press and this is my honest review*
 

I wanted so bad to love this story, Pride & Prejudice meets Zombies, sign me up! Ultimately though it just wasn't for me. I'm okay with a slow burn, I don't mind waiting awhile to get to the payoff, but I never really felt like I got there by the end, unfortunately. To be honest the real build up didn't even seem to come into play until the second half of the book and it just never quite delivers on the action I was highly anticipating.

Besides the lacking action I had wanted, I also found it hard to connect with any of the characters as they all seemed so similar to me and there were so many of them they all kind of blobbed together. It was written well, and there was a lot of potential and a few enjoyable scenes, but in the end I was left wanting and not in a good way.

* I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest review *

Wow! Seriously impressed with this book. I truly enjoyed each and every story! I was confident going in I would like it, but as a whole it really knocked my socks off. I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite from the bunch as I thoroughly enjoyed each one. Definitely made me want to read more from these authors as many are new to me.

I was pleasantly surprised to find The Dinner List in my mailbox a week back. The premise was interesting, I think we've all at least considered the question, if you could name five people, living or dead, who you could invite to dinner, who would they be? So the idea of having this dream dinner come true, what would that ACTUALLY look like, would everyone get along? Would some people end up not being what you thought they'd be like? Etc. Well our MC Sabrina had just this happen at 30th birthday dinner, her five living and deceased people there for her.

The story takes place over the span of this one time only dinner, and also jumps back to past events between Sabrina and all of the guests. While the story starts off a little awkward between the guests and what they are all really doing there, it starts all coming to light as it progresses. With a twist or two along the way!

This was a little of a slow burn. Not action packed by any means, but ultimately very emotional with some truly fantastic ideas about what it is to grow up, relationships, love, loss, and forgiveness.

A few things that resonated deeply with me:

1) The brilliant portrayal of what it is like to become an adult. To really start to question all the things around you, the relationships, the goals you want to achieve, what you want to do or be, want you really want and need vs what others may want or need or expect you to. The last one especially, we are almost hardwired on what to expect from life, go to college, get a job, get married, buy a house, start a family, etc. I feel like we don't start questioning these things, if any or all of them are truly what we want or if we are just operating on someone else's playbook until we are in our twenties. It was refreshing and so real to see this exactly so beautifully on display in this book.

2) How relationships change over time. This can be such a difficult lesson to learn, but as we grow and our lives carry us in new exciting directions, our relationships change. That doesn't always mean they change for the worse, but one they definitely become something other than the center of your life, which is mostly how they feel when you are young. More often than not, it isn't even anything definable that changes it, no big dramatic moment, not one thing, it changes "Not with a bang but a whimper". Just a progressive shift of priorities, opinions, and lifestyles.

I thought this was expertly portrayed by Sabrina and Jessica in The Dinner List. Sometimes it can be so difficult to see that while your relationships look different, it doesn't necessarily mean make them less than they were. Jessica had a husband and a baby, living in the burbs, while Sabrina was in the city with a job and a long term boyfriend. Neither one being better than the other, but time, distance, priorities, these all account for just how we can be there for each other sometimes.

This was also highlighted well with Sabrina's relationship with Tobias as well. With them getting together when they were younger and growing up as a couple. I felt like in some instances as they grew, they started veering in different directions and it can be really hard to accept that some of those directions may just end up being deal breakers. They seemed more content to try and live in a bubble of denial that things were changing, maybe because they were afraid of what that change would mean for them as a couple. Unfortunately denial can only last so long and their bubble was reaching the bursting point for quite some time.

3) The absentee parent. Being someone who never met my father, I could relate to Sabrina and her inclusion of her father on her dinner list. If for nothing more than the burning questions, because there are always questions you have for someone meant to be there for you that wasn't. I was riveted by all their interactions with each other tbh. So many small details even, that rang so true, like Sabrina's apprehension to give him a chance to explain things like it would somehow be a betrayal to her mother.

There was something so brilliant and sad about them finally having only a few hours to say what they had to say to each other. And something so relatable to anyone, when you finally see your parents for what they are, human. Such a jarring realization to know that these larger than life pillars are merely flesh and bone people who aren't always right, make mistakes, and aren't all good or bad, but varying shades of grey like the rest of us.

Honestly, this book was more heavy than I anticipated going in, but in a wonderful way. And the inclusion of Audrey Hepburn and a random teacher of Sabrina's helped lighten the load a little throughout. They ended up bringing a nice balance to the dinner and the story itself. This was one dinner that just might change Sabrina's life, and one book that will make you think about your own. Very well done and I look forward to reading more from this author.

*I received an ARC of this book via Flatiron Books and this is my honest review*