The Bones Beneath My Skin
T.J. Klune has dazzled me yet again with his gripping and wonderful The Bones Beneath My Skin! This book had me feeling all the feels. I was completely immersed in this book, the descriptions, the characters, and the plot. T.J. Klune excels at writing about found family(s), relationships, and love. His characters are equal parts quirky and endearing. I just want to hug them all and spend time with them all. The book begins with Nate Cartwright returning to his hometown after being fired from his job as a journalist. His estranged parents are dead, and he inherited their cabin in Oregon. He hopes to enjoy the solitude and have some time to himself to figure out what comes next. He never imagined what he would find when he arrived. A man named Alex and a little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Who could not fall a little bit in love with her? I mean seriously with that name alone I fell hook line and sinker for her quirkily little self! It’s interesting how lives can change on a dime. How one moment you are living your life and the next everything changes. This happens to the three characters in this book. I adored them all. With most of Klune’s books, the characters go on a quest/adventure of sorts. They are outsiders who are endearing, brave, loveable, and strong (even if they don’t know it). As I mentioned, this book had me feeling all kinds of emotions ranging from, hope, anxiety, sadness, happiness, and joy. The Bones Beneath My Skin has secret agencies, a quest for survival, and even romance. I love the found family aspect of his books. The coming together or people, the acceptance, the bonds, the love, and even the spats. This book was heartwarming, beautifully written, and moving. T.J. Klune could write the phone book and make it magical! I love how he gives readers characters to root for, to be inspired by, and to fall in love with. There were so many insightful and beautiful passages in this book about love, what it means to be human, and connection! I simply adore T.J. Klune’s books and highly recommend them. Beautifully written, heartwarming, and imaginative! Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Vanishing Bookstore
Helen Phifer has crafted a magical and spellbinding tale about a family of women accused of being witches during the Salem Witch Trials. These women have been cursed to live their lives repeatedly while being hunted by the same diabolical man. Phifer enchanted me with Salem, witches, mystery, a hidden bookstore, and a quest for survival! Salem, 1692 A young woman accused of being a witch hides a journal in a vine covered bookstore and runs. The bookstore mysterious vanishes and is never seen again. Present Day Dora (Isadora) meets the mother she thought was dead. With that meeting she also meets her aunts and learns of the curse that has been on their family since 1692. The family of women have been cursed to be hunted over time and through various lives by George Corwin who originally sought their downfall in in 1692. This book touches on family, family secrets, memory, witches, history, survival, relationships, and being alive. As Dora learns more and begins to remember, the situation becomes more dire as the women once again try to break the curse. I enjoyed the writing, the vivid descriptions, the dual timelines, the plot, the awakening of memories, the quest to break a curse, the search for a missing bookstore, and the drive to survive. I would put this book in the lighter witch book. Although it deals with the persecution of those accused of being witches, the book is on the lighter side. There is nothing scary or horrific in the book. Atmospheric, captivating, and magical! Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Cold Eternity
Atmospheric, creepy, eerie, chilling, and horrific! S.A. Barnes is queen of space-fantasy-spaceship books! I can always count on her to bring the thrills, the chills, and to provide the hairs standing up on the back of my neck feeling that I love. This book is oozing with unease and dread. Cold Eternity gave me the heebie jeebies. Can you imagine being on a spaceship, cut off from others, having to hit a button every three hours, and hearing strange small noises? S.A. Barnes brilliantly nailed the eeriness and loneliness of space, coupled with sleep deprivation, tension, and dread. Halley has accepted a job on the Elysian Fields, a spaceship carrying the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth’s wealthiest and elite citizens. There she will do rounds and push a button every 3 hours in exchange for room and board and a small salary. She is happy to have the job as she is running from a political scandal. Things take a turn when she thinks she saw something. But she is sleep deprived, and who hasn’t seen something out of the corner of their eye to only have it be something else. Karl, the mechanic and man who hired her, says it was nothing, just a computer glitch… This book played out like a movie in my mind. I loved the atmosphere, the trapped feeling, the unease, and the dread. I also loved the creepiness of Halley being on board a ship full of cryogenically frozen bodies. Creepy! The eerie vibe mixed with the mounting dread and tension had me feeling tense and on the edge of my seat. I had no idea where this book was heading or what was going to happen as Halley walked around making her rounds. This book is a little bit of a slow burn but I did not mind it one bit as I knew that Barnes was building tension and dread while enabling readers to get to know more about Halley and the Elysian Fields ship. This book becomes more and more terrifying as the book progresses. If you have not read a book by S.A. Barnes before this is a great book to start with. My favorite book of hers is Dead Silence. Chilling well thought out, horrific, and atmospheric! Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wife, Mother, Liar
Whew! Give me a second while I collect myself after reading this gripping, shocking, doozy of a book! Holy Cow! Wife, Mother, Liar almost gave me whiplash at the end! Seriously, I did not see that coming at all! What a wild ride full of secrets, lies, accusations, and twists! My head is still spinning from this roller coaster ride! Jill and Wendy have been friends and neighbors for a long time. They have shared meals, shared confidences, and watched their children go from babies to teenagers. They have had many good times together until one heartbreaking night when their children went to prom together and only one came home alive. No parent wants to bury their child. No parent wants to have their child be questioned. Tragedy affects relationships and in Wife, Mother, Liar, Jill and Wendy have decided to get together for another girls weekend. This is the 8th book that I have read by Sue Watson! I know I can always count on her to deliver clever, well thought out, riveting, and twisted psychological thrillers. She delivered yet again with Wife, Mother, Liar! Just when I thought I had a handle on things and knew how things were going to turn out, she blind sighted me with another mind blowing and shocking twist. I loved the drama, the tension, the hostility, the grudges, and the secrets! I also enjoyed how both women were presented. I could not help but feel for the mother who lost her child and still hoped to get answers. At the same time, I felt for the mother who was protecting her child from finger pointing. This book was like being on a child’s teeter totter at times and on a roller coaster at other times. Then there is the shock factor. I was shocked more than once while reading this book. I couldn’t help but think: “how very clever of you, Sue Watson!” Fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy this book. I felt a bevy of emotions while reading this book. I love it when a book causes me to feel and to think. This did both. Mainly, it entertained, left my jaw hanging open, and kept my finger turning the pages. I can’t wait to read what Sue Watson writes next! Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Three Days in June
I wanted to give Gail a great big giant hug after reading this book. This book may be short on pages but packs quite a powerful quiet punch. I found this book to be beautifully written, moving, gripping, and thought provoking. Relationships are the name of the game in this wonderful book! Three Days in June provides readers with a look into the life of Gail Baines over the course of, you guessed it, three days. One the first day, we along with Gail, learns she is losing her job. Add that to the fact that she was not invited to the spa day prior to her daughter, Debbie’s wedding. Then Max, her ex-husband, shows up with a cat and no place to stay. Whew! I enjoyed getting to know the characters and see Gail’s present life and relationships while getting glimpses into her past and past relationships. Gail may not be a people person, but she has a heart, feelings, and emotions. The characters are quirky, unique, interesting, and memorable. I enjoyed reading along as Gail, Max, and Debbie interacted amongst themselves and others. In three days so much happened and changed for all for all of them in quiet but BIG ways This is the first book Anne Tyler book that I have read, and I am looking forward to reading more of her books. Beautifully written and a joy to read. Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Perfect Boyfriend
What did I just read????? Holy Moly, S.E. Lynes has taken me on a riveting, wild, and shocking roller coaster of a ride once again! I mean, seriously this book knocked my socks off leaving me with cold feet and my jaw hanging open! This book had me in its clutches from the very beginning and never let go! Whew! Kirsty is at the hospital where she works as a midwife. She has just delivered a baby and is walking down the hallway when she sees a man who stops her in her tracks! Could it be? Is it him? Is the handsome man walking toward her high school boyfriend (Hughie Reynolds) who vanished all those years ago?????? The man tells her she must be mistaken but she knows it is him! The eyes, it’s all in the eyes!! But is she correct???? Everyone in her life from her husband to her friends, believe she is mistaken, perhaps a bit hormonal as she is very pregnant. Well, well, well, hang on to your hats folks because this book is about to become a wild, fast paced, and thrilling ride. I enjoyed how the book is told through the perspective of both Kirsty and Hughie. I found this to be a nice clever touch! Plus, readers are also given glimpses into the past. S. E. Lynes brilliantly captures the emotions of being a teen experiencing a myriad of emotions. She also captured Kirsty’s unwavering drive and determination to get to the truth! I enjoyed the mystery in this book as well as the mounting tension and sense of unease. I could not stop turning the pages as the twists and turns kept coming! There was one part where my mouth fell open in shock because I did not see that reveal coming at all!!! Total shocker! S.E. Lynes never disappoints! Gripping, shocking, wonderfully written, and well thought out! Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Bones Beneath My Skin
T.J. Klune has dazzled me yet again with his gripping and wonderful The Bones Beneath My Skin! This book had me feeling all the feels. I was completely immersed in this book, the descriptions, the characters, and the plot. T.J. Klune excels at writing about found family(s), relationships, and love. His characters are equal parts quirky and endearing. I just want to hug them all and spend time with them all. The book begins with Nate Cartwright returning to his hometown after being fired from his job as a journalist. His estranged parents are dead, and he inherited their cabin in Oregon. He hopes to enjoy the solitude and have some time to himself to figure out what comes next. He never imagined what he would find when he arrived. A man named Alex and a little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Who could not fall a little bit in love with her? I mean seriously with that name alone I fell hook line and sinker for her quirkily little self! It’s interesting how lives can change on a dime. How one moment you are living your life and the next everything changes. This happens to the three characters in this book. I adored them all. With most of Klune’s books, the characters go on a quest/adventure of sorts. They are outsiders who are endearing, brave, loveable, and strong (even if they don’t know it). As I mentioned, this book had me feeling all kinds of emotions ranging from, hope, anxiety, sadness, happiness, and joy. The Bones Beneath My Skin has secret agencies, a quest for survival, and even romance. I love the found family aspect of his books. The coming together or people, the acceptance, the bonds, the love, and even the spats. This book was heartwarming, beautifully written, and moving. T.J. Klune could write the phone book and make it magical! I love how he gives readers characters to root for, to be inspired by, and to fall in love with. There were so many insightful and beautiful passages in this book about love, what it means to be human, and connection! I simply adore T.J. Klune’s books and highly recommend them. Beautifully written, heartwarming, and imaginative! Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Vanishing Bookstore
Helen Phifer has crafted a magical and spellbinding tale about a family of women accused of being witches during the Salem Witch Trials. These women have been cursed to live their lives repeatedly while being hunted by the same diabolical man. Phifer enchanted me with Salem, witches, mystery, a hidden bookstore, and a quest for survival! Salem, 1692 A young woman accused of being a witch hides a journal in a vine covered bookstore and runs. The bookstore mysterious vanishes and is never seen again. Present Day Dora (Isadora) meets the mother she thought was dead. With that meeting she also meets her aunts and learns of the curse that has been on their family since 1692. The family of women have been cursed to be hunted over time and through various lives by George Corwin who originally sought their downfall in in 1692. This book touches on family, family secrets, memory, witches, history, survival, relationships, and being alive. As Dora learns more and begins to remember, the situation becomes more dire as the women once again try to break the curse. I enjoyed the writing, the vivid descriptions, the dual timelines, the plot, the awakening of memories, the quest to break a curse, the search for a missing bookstore, and the drive to survive. I would put this book in the lighter witch book. Although it deals with the persecution of those accused of being witches, the book is on the lighter side. There is nothing scary or horrific in the book. Atmospheric, captivating, and magical! Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Cold Eternity
Atmospheric, creepy, eerie, chilling, and horrific! S.A. Barnes is queen of space-fantasy-spaceship books! I can always count on her to bring the thrills, the chills, and to provide the hairs standing up on the back of my neck feeling that I love. This book is oozing with unease and dread. Cold Eternity gave me the heebie jeebies. Can you imagine being on a spaceship, cut off from others, having to hit a button every three hours, and hearing strange small noises? S.A. Barnes brilliantly nailed the eeriness and loneliness of space, coupled with sleep deprivation, tension, and dread. Halley has accepted a job on the Elysian Fields, a spaceship carrying the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth’s wealthiest and elite citizens. There she will do rounds and push a button every 3 hours in exchange for room and board and a small salary. She is happy to have the job as she is running from a political scandal. Things take a turn when she thinks she saw something. But she is sleep deprived, and who hasn’t seen something out of the corner of their eye to only have it be something else. Karl, the mechanic and man who hired her, says it was nothing, just a computer glitch… This book played out like a movie in my mind. I loved the atmosphere, the trapped feeling, the unease, and the dread. I also loved the creepiness of Halley being on board a ship full of cryogenically frozen bodies. Creepy! The eerie vibe mixed with the mounting dread and tension had me feeling tense and on the edge of my seat. I had no idea where this book was heading or what was going to happen as Halley walked around making her rounds. This book is a little bit of a slow burn but I did not mind it one bit as I knew that Barnes was building tension and dread while enabling readers to get to know more about Halley and the Elysian Fields ship. This book becomes more and more terrifying as the book progresses. If you have not read a book by S.A. Barnes before this is a great book to start with. My favorite book of hers is Dead Silence. Chilling well thought out, horrific, and atmospheric! Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wife, Mother, Liar
Whew! Give me a second while I collect myself after reading this gripping, shocking, doozy of a book! Holy Cow! Wife, Mother, Liar almost gave me whiplash at the end! Seriously, I did not see that coming at all! What a wild ride full of secrets, lies, accusations, and twists! My head is still spinning from this roller coaster ride! Jill and Wendy have been friends and neighbors for a long time. They have shared meals, shared confidences, and watched their children go from babies to teenagers. They have had many good times together until one heartbreaking night when their children went to prom together and only one came home alive. No parent wants to bury their child. No parent wants to have their child be questioned. Tragedy affects relationships and in Wife, Mother, Liar, Jill and Wendy have decided to get together for another girls weekend. This is the 8th book that I have read by Sue Watson! I know I can always count on her to deliver clever, well thought out, riveting, and twisted psychological thrillers. She delivered yet again with Wife, Mother, Liar! Just when I thought I had a handle on things and knew how things were going to turn out, she blind sighted me with another mind blowing and shocking twist. I loved the drama, the tension, the hostility, the grudges, and the secrets! I also enjoyed how both women were presented. I could not help but feel for the mother who lost her child and still hoped to get answers. At the same time, I felt for the mother who was protecting her child from finger pointing. This book was like being on a child’s teeter totter at times and on a roller coaster at other times. Then there is the shock factor. I was shocked more than once while reading this book. I couldn’t help but think: “how very clever of you, Sue Watson!” Fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy this book. I felt a bevy of emotions while reading this book. I love it when a book causes me to feel and to think. This did both. Mainly, it entertained, left my jaw hanging open, and kept my finger turning the pages. I can’t wait to read what Sue Watson writes next! Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Three Days in June
I wanted to give Gail a great big giant hug after reading this book. This book may be short on pages but packs quite a powerful quiet punch. I found this book to be beautifully written, moving, gripping, and thought provoking. Relationships are the name of the game in this wonderful book! Three Days in June provides readers with a look into the life of Gail Baines over the course of, you guessed it, three days. One the first day, we along with Gail, learns she is losing her job. Add that to the fact that she was not invited to the spa day prior to her daughter, Debbie’s wedding. Then Max, her ex-husband, shows up with a cat and no place to stay. Whew! I enjoyed getting to know the characters and see Gail’s present life and relationships while getting glimpses into her past and past relationships. Gail may not be a people person, but she has a heart, feelings, and emotions. The characters are quirky, unique, interesting, and memorable. I enjoyed reading along as Gail, Max, and Debbie interacted amongst themselves and others. In three days so much happened and changed for all for all of them in quiet but BIG ways This is the first book Anne Tyler book that I have read, and I am looking forward to reading more of her books. Beautifully written and a joy to read. Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Perfect Boyfriend
What did I just read????? Holy Moly, S.E. Lynes has taken me on a riveting, wild, and shocking roller coaster of a ride once again! I mean, seriously this book knocked my socks off leaving me with cold feet and my jaw hanging open! This book had me in its clutches from the very beginning and never let go! Whew! Kirsty is at the hospital where she works as a midwife. She has just delivered a baby and is walking down the hallway when she sees a man who stops her in her tracks! Could it be? Is it him? Is the handsome man walking toward her high school boyfriend (Hughie Reynolds) who vanished all those years ago?????? The man tells her she must be mistaken but she knows it is him! The eyes, it’s all in the eyes!! But is she correct???? Everyone in her life from her husband to her friends, believe she is mistaken, perhaps a bit hormonal as she is very pregnant. Well, well, well, hang on to your hats folks because this book is about to become a wild, fast paced, and thrilling ride. I enjoyed how the book is told through the perspective of both Kirsty and Hughie. I found this to be a nice clever touch! Plus, readers are also given glimpses into the past. S. E. Lynes brilliantly captures the emotions of being a teen experiencing a myriad of emotions. She also captured Kirsty’s unwavering drive and determination to get to the truth! I enjoyed the mystery in this book as well as the mounting tension and sense of unease. I could not stop turning the pages as the twists and turns kept coming! There was one part where my mouth fell open in shock because I did not see that reveal coming at all!!! Total shocker! S.E. Lynes never disappoints! Gripping, shocking, wonderfully written, and well thought out! Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
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