Best House on the Block
A killer secret, lies, twists, and turns set the stage for Best House on the Block! Appearances truly are deceiving and soon after moving to the Fabulous Forties of East Sacramento, Shannon will learn just how deceiving they are! Shannon Gibbons is an aspiring journalist who has been asked to work as an assistant to journalist, Rosella Marlow. It sounds like a dream job and Shannon is excited until she meets Rosella who is bitter, angry, consumed with grief, and knows quite a few of her neighbor’s secrets. She has a keen eye and has been watching them while at the same time, someone was watching her as well. When a murder occurs, everyone in this picture-perfect neighborhood becomes a suspect! As the police begin to investigate, secrets and lies will be exposed, evidence will be collected, and neighbors shared gossip while wondering who amongst them is a killer! This book has quite a few characters, but I found it easy to keep track of them. Everyone and their brother appeared to be suspects at one point or another in this book. I did my own super sleuthing and tried my best to solve the case (I was not successful). I enjoyed how relationships were tested as secrets and lies were revealed. This book had drama galore, and I was there for the ride. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer 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 Sunflower House
Gripping, heartbreaking, moving, thought provoking and hard to put down! The Sunflower House is a tale of survival, courage, love, and strength. This was a wonderfully written and researched debut historical fiction book that shows the evil of Heinrich Himmler’s notorious Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. These infamous ‘baby factories’ were meant to increase Germany’s population with “racially valuable” children. In the present day, Katrine, finds a box in her mother’s belongings…… 1939 – Allina Strauss has learned that her birth mother was Jewish and, after losing everyone she holds dear, finds herself working as a nurse in a ‘baby factory’ called Hochland Home. There what she witnesses is horrific and distressing. She has a lot to deal with including her Jewish identity and trying to do her best for the infants and toddlers in her care. There she will meet Karl, a high-ranking SS officer who has his own secrets. They are drawn to each other and are committed to saving all the children they can. Whew! I had no idea when I started this book how much I would enjoy it. I found this book to be moving, thought provoking, heartbreaking, and brimming with history. It is so sad to think that these homes for children really existed. The horrors and evil which occurred during the holocaust are beyond devastating and horrific. I thought that Adriana Allegri did a fabulous job of not only showing the horrors but also showing the good in people, their desire to help even knowing what the consequences await if they are caught. I also enjoyed the friendships in this book, the love in many forms, the drive, determination and courage that the characters showed. I often wonder while reading books like The Sunflower House, what would I have done? Would I have made the same choices? Could I be so brave? This was an incredibly impressive debut book. I’m so happy that I took a chance on it and look forward to reading more of what Adriana Allegri writes in the future. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press 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.
A Long Time Gone
Gripping, tense, well thought out, and captivating! I was over the moon to be back in the world of Ben Packard! I have adored and rooted for him since reading the first book in this amazing series, And There He Kept Her! I also love Joshua Moehling’s writing, the plots, the characters, and the settings in his Ben Packard’s series. Plus, the atmosphere, tension, sense of dread, twists, and revelations in every book in this series are so well done. Ben Packard’s brother Nick has been A Long Time Gone and his family has never had closure. Ben was a child when his teenage brother disappeared, and Nick’s disappearance has always weighed on him. Now that he has time on his hands after a shooting, he can investigate the information which has come in concerning his brother. Looking into his brother’s disappearance and possible location of his body, Packard finds himself drawn into the case of a suspicious death! This book has two captivating mysteries involving the disappearance of Ben’s brother Nick and that of the suspicious death of Louise and the circumstances surrounding her death. I found myself fully invested in both mysteries and enjoyed the twists, turns, and shocking revelations. I enjoyed both mysteries in this book. I also loved Ben’s mother who comes to town and provides some laughs and support. She was such a great character, and fingers crossed we will see more of her in future books! Ben Packard is such a great character. He is strong, intelligent, vulnerable, brave, witty and I love reading his thoughts. If you have not read this series, what are you waiting for? As this is the third book in the series, it will be easy to go back and read the previous books. I enjoy the mixing of mystery, police procedural, personal storylines, and character development in Moehling’s Ben Packard series. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press 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 Last Stars in the Sky
Gripping, tense, moving, heartbreaking, and hard to put down! Kate Hewitt evokes almost every emotion with The Last Stars in the Sky. Whew! What a riveting and thought-provoking dystopian tale of survival, strength, drive, determination, hope, and family. Alex, her husband Daniel and their children have moved into her parent’s cabin on a lake in Ontario. Tensions are high between Alex and Daniel as he has made some bad judgement calls and choices lately which has affected the family. When a nuclear disaster happens and the world is thrown into chaos, we see the family doing their best to survive in a new harsh and unrelenting world. Daniel tries to get to their college aged son, Sam, in New York as Alex stays in her family’s cabin by the lake. Both will be tested; both will be pushed beyond what they thought they could endure and handle. I love it when books have me questioning what I would do in the same situations. This book was not only thought provoking, but it had me feeling all kinds of emotions, rooting for the characters while keeping my fingers crossed, and hoping for the best. When I was not rooting for the members of this family and those in their lives, I was reminded about human nature and how some will rise to a challenge while others will take the worst paths imaginable. I had a hard time putting this The Last Stars in the Sky down as I was fully invested and wanted to see how things would end. What a roller coaster ride this book became. Now that I am finished with this book, I can’t wait to read The Midnight Hour which continues the story of this family as they navigate the new world they are living in! Gripping, tense, wonderfully written, and moving. Kate Hewitt continues to amaze me with her beautiful writing, thought provoking books, and vivid descriptions!
Her Housekeeper
Whew! Talk about being kept on your toes and fully invested!!! Her Housekeeper was gripping, shocking, tense, and twist filled. Samantha Hayes takes readers on a wild ride in this riveting psychological thriller! I thought I had things figured out in this book, but I was wrong, wrong, wrong! Samantha Hayes carefully and expertly crafted a twisted tale that I did not want to put down! Gina, Matt, and their two young children find themselves in need of a place to stay after a fire at their home. When Gina’s friend, Annie, offers them the use of her home, they can’t refuse. When a woman shows up saying she is the housekeeper. Annie who is out of town, confirms that Mary, the woman at the door is her housekeeper, they let her in….. I loved the tension in this book. I thought Samantha Hayes did a great job depicting Gina’s sense of unease and doubt that arose during her interactions with Mary. I could almost see the hairs on the back of her neck standing up as she questioned Mary’s intentions and motives. I also enjoyed the POV of both Mary and Gina. What a nice touch! As I mentioned, this book has a nice number of secrets, suspense, tension, and twists. I love books which keep me guessing and Her Housekeeper did that and then some! I look forward to reading what Samantha Hayes 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.
What the Woods Took
WOWZA! Gripping, tense, dark, horrific and hard to put down! Like two of the main characters, I was instantly grabbed from the very beginning of What the Woods Took! This book had me turning the pages, not wanting to put it down as I was fully invested in what was going to happen next in this coming-of-age tale of survival! Devin Green, asleep at her foster home, is taken from her bed in the middle of the night and thrown in a van. In the van she meets Oliver, a teen who was also grabbed at his home as he slept as well. Initially, they are given very little information, which ramps up their anxiety and unease. What they do know is that they are being taken to an experimental therapy program where they will hike, camp, and survive in the woods with two camp counselors and other teens for 50 days. The intended result of the therapy program is that the teens will emerge from the woods changed for the better! When they wake up and their two camp counselors are missing, the teens find themselves faced with the unimaginable! I enjoyed the mixing of personalities and backgrounds of the teens in this book. I also enjoyed their dynamics with each other and their reactions after being thrust into a situation beyond their control. Can you imagine strangers waking you up and taking you by force with little to no explanation. That you are a minor and have no say in what is happening to you? I thought Courtney Gould did a fantastic job of depicting this. I enjoyed how Devin fought and tried to escape while Olive, who did not like the situation, was more accepting of what was happening. Their reactions alone in the beginning of the book show their personalities. Then they meet the other teens who are distinct and add so much to the plot. What the Woods Took has that trapped feeling that I enjoy in books. While they are not physically locked into any room or house, the group of teens do have the task of finding their way out of the woods – woods that they are unfamiliar with. Survival is the name of the game for them. This book was oozing with atmosphere. I also enjoyed the sense of unease, tension and mounting danger. I enjoyed the sense of something-isn’t-quite-right that morphed into full on fear! When they learned that they were not alone in the woods, the creepy factor went off the charts. Their therapy adventure in the woods morphed into a horrific nightmare! What the Woods Took also morphed into a great story about friendship, romance, survival, trust, and battling your own demons. Creepy, scary, tense, well thought out, spooky! I had both the book and the audiobook versions of this book which made for an enjoyable reading experience. I found the narration of the audiobook to be wonderful. Thank you to Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, 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.
Best House on the Block
A killer secret, lies, twists, and turns set the stage for Best House on the Block! Appearances truly are deceiving and soon after moving to the Fabulous Forties of East Sacramento, Shannon will learn just how deceiving they are! Shannon Gibbons is an aspiring journalist who has been asked to work as an assistant to journalist, Rosella Marlow. It sounds like a dream job and Shannon is excited until she meets Rosella who is bitter, angry, consumed with grief, and knows quite a few of her neighbor’s secrets. She has a keen eye and has been watching them while at the same time, someone was watching her as well. When a murder occurs, everyone in this picture-perfect neighborhood becomes a suspect! As the police begin to investigate, secrets and lies will be exposed, evidence will be collected, and neighbors shared gossip while wondering who amongst them is a killer! This book has quite a few characters, but I found it easy to keep track of them. Everyone and their brother appeared to be suspects at one point or another in this book. I did my own super sleuthing and tried my best to solve the case (I was not successful). I enjoyed how relationships were tested as secrets and lies were revealed. This book had drama galore, and I was there for the ride. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer 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 Sunflower House
Gripping, heartbreaking, moving, thought provoking and hard to put down! The Sunflower House is a tale of survival, courage, love, and strength. This was a wonderfully written and researched debut historical fiction book that shows the evil of Heinrich Himmler’s notorious Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. These infamous ‘baby factories’ were meant to increase Germany’s population with “racially valuable” children. In the present day, Katrine, finds a box in her mother’s belongings…… 1939 – Allina Strauss has learned that her birth mother was Jewish and, after losing everyone she holds dear, finds herself working as a nurse in a ‘baby factory’ called Hochland Home. There what she witnesses is horrific and distressing. She has a lot to deal with including her Jewish identity and trying to do her best for the infants and toddlers in her care. There she will meet Karl, a high-ranking SS officer who has his own secrets. They are drawn to each other and are committed to saving all the children they can. Whew! I had no idea when I started this book how much I would enjoy it. I found this book to be moving, thought provoking, heartbreaking, and brimming with history. It is so sad to think that these homes for children really existed. The horrors and evil which occurred during the holocaust are beyond devastating and horrific. I thought that Adriana Allegri did a fabulous job of not only showing the horrors but also showing the good in people, their desire to help even knowing what the consequences await if they are caught. I also enjoyed the friendships in this book, the love in many forms, the drive, determination and courage that the characters showed. I often wonder while reading books like The Sunflower House, what would I have done? Would I have made the same choices? Could I be so brave? This was an incredibly impressive debut book. I’m so happy that I took a chance on it and look forward to reading more of what Adriana Allegri writes in the future. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press 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.
A Long Time Gone
Gripping, tense, well thought out, and captivating! I was over the moon to be back in the world of Ben Packard! I have adored and rooted for him since reading the first book in this amazing series, And There He Kept Her! I also love Joshua Moehling’s writing, the plots, the characters, and the settings in his Ben Packard’s series. Plus, the atmosphere, tension, sense of dread, twists, and revelations in every book in this series are so well done. Ben Packard’s brother Nick has been A Long Time Gone and his family has never had closure. Ben was a child when his teenage brother disappeared, and Nick’s disappearance has always weighed on him. Now that he has time on his hands after a shooting, he can investigate the information which has come in concerning his brother. Looking into his brother’s disappearance and possible location of his body, Packard finds himself drawn into the case of a suspicious death! This book has two captivating mysteries involving the disappearance of Ben’s brother Nick and that of the suspicious death of Louise and the circumstances surrounding her death. I found myself fully invested in both mysteries and enjoyed the twists, turns, and shocking revelations. I enjoyed both mysteries in this book. I also loved Ben’s mother who comes to town and provides some laughs and support. She was such a great character, and fingers crossed we will see more of her in future books! Ben Packard is such a great character. He is strong, intelligent, vulnerable, brave, witty and I love reading his thoughts. If you have not read this series, what are you waiting for? As this is the third book in the series, it will be easy to go back and read the previous books. I enjoy the mixing of mystery, police procedural, personal storylines, and character development in Moehling’s Ben Packard series. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press 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 Last Stars in the Sky
Gripping, tense, moving, heartbreaking, and hard to put down! Kate Hewitt evokes almost every emotion with The Last Stars in the Sky. Whew! What a riveting and thought-provoking dystopian tale of survival, strength, drive, determination, hope, and family. Alex, her husband Daniel and their children have moved into her parent’s cabin on a lake in Ontario. Tensions are high between Alex and Daniel as he has made some bad judgement calls and choices lately which has affected the family. When a nuclear disaster happens and the world is thrown into chaos, we see the family doing their best to survive in a new harsh and unrelenting world. Daniel tries to get to their college aged son, Sam, in New York as Alex stays in her family’s cabin by the lake. Both will be tested; both will be pushed beyond what they thought they could endure and handle. I love it when books have me questioning what I would do in the same situations. This book was not only thought provoking, but it had me feeling all kinds of emotions, rooting for the characters while keeping my fingers crossed, and hoping for the best. When I was not rooting for the members of this family and those in their lives, I was reminded about human nature and how some will rise to a challenge while others will take the worst paths imaginable. I had a hard time putting this The Last Stars in the Sky down as I was fully invested and wanted to see how things would end. What a roller coaster ride this book became. Now that I am finished with this book, I can’t wait to read The Midnight Hour which continues the story of this family as they navigate the new world they are living in! Gripping, tense, wonderfully written, and moving. Kate Hewitt continues to amaze me with her beautiful writing, thought provoking books, and vivid descriptions!
Her Housekeeper
Whew! Talk about being kept on your toes and fully invested!!! Her Housekeeper was gripping, shocking, tense, and twist filled. Samantha Hayes takes readers on a wild ride in this riveting psychological thriller! I thought I had things figured out in this book, but I was wrong, wrong, wrong! Samantha Hayes carefully and expertly crafted a twisted tale that I did not want to put down! Gina, Matt, and their two young children find themselves in need of a place to stay after a fire at their home. When Gina’s friend, Annie, offers them the use of her home, they can’t refuse. When a woman shows up saying she is the housekeeper. Annie who is out of town, confirms that Mary, the woman at the door is her housekeeper, they let her in….. I loved the tension in this book. I thought Samantha Hayes did a great job depicting Gina’s sense of unease and doubt that arose during her interactions with Mary. I could almost see the hairs on the back of her neck standing up as she questioned Mary’s intentions and motives. I also enjoyed the POV of both Mary and Gina. What a nice touch! As I mentioned, this book has a nice number of secrets, suspense, tension, and twists. I love books which keep me guessing and Her Housekeeper did that and then some! I look forward to reading what Samantha Hayes 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.
What the Woods Took
WOWZA! Gripping, tense, dark, horrific and hard to put down! Like two of the main characters, I was instantly grabbed from the very beginning of What the Woods Took! This book had me turning the pages, not wanting to put it down as I was fully invested in what was going to happen next in this coming-of-age tale of survival! Devin Green, asleep at her foster home, is taken from her bed in the middle of the night and thrown in a van. In the van she meets Oliver, a teen who was also grabbed at his home as he slept as well. Initially, they are given very little information, which ramps up their anxiety and unease. What they do know is that they are being taken to an experimental therapy program where they will hike, camp, and survive in the woods with two camp counselors and other teens for 50 days. The intended result of the therapy program is that the teens will emerge from the woods changed for the better! When they wake up and their two camp counselors are missing, the teens find themselves faced with the unimaginable! I enjoyed the mixing of personalities and backgrounds of the teens in this book. I also enjoyed their dynamics with each other and their reactions after being thrust into a situation beyond their control. Can you imagine strangers waking you up and taking you by force with little to no explanation. That you are a minor and have no say in what is happening to you? I thought Courtney Gould did a fantastic job of depicting this. I enjoyed how Devin fought and tried to escape while Olive, who did not like the situation, was more accepting of what was happening. Their reactions alone in the beginning of the book show their personalities. Then they meet the other teens who are distinct and add so much to the plot. What the Woods Took has that trapped feeling that I enjoy in books. While they are not physically locked into any room or house, the group of teens do have the task of finding their way out of the woods – woods that they are unfamiliar with. Survival is the name of the game for them. This book was oozing with atmosphere. I also enjoyed the sense of unease, tension and mounting danger. I enjoyed the sense of something-isn’t-quite-right that morphed into full on fear! When they learned that they were not alone in the woods, the creepy factor went off the charts. Their therapy adventure in the woods morphed into a horrific nightmare! What the Woods Took also morphed into a great story about friendship, romance, survival, trust, and battling your own demons. Creepy, scary, tense, well thought out, spooky! I had both the book and the audiobook versions of this book which made for an enjoyable reading experience. I found the narration of the audiobook to be wonderful. Thank you to Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, 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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