The Society
First off, the cover of The Society is stunning! But we can’t judge a book by its cover and unfortunately this book did not live up to its stunning cover for me. This book enticed me with its premise – a secret society in Boston that has been around for centuries. I enjoyed the author’s first book, Our Little World and was hoping to enjoy this book as well. Vivian is from old money in Boston. When her family fortune is lost, she turns to the Knox, a secret society in Boston hoping to become a member. When Vivian shows up at a patient at the hospital where ER nurse, Taylor Adams works is employed. Taylor becomes obsessed with the cultured and glamorous Vivian. When Vivian disappears, Taylor embarks on a mission to find out what happened to her… I enjoyed the atmosphere in this book. I also loved the setting. I also enjoyed the POV’s and how they contributed to the story. I also enjoyed the thought of a secret society and its wealth, power, and secrets. But I found this book to be way too long. It is long, 480 pages long, and I felt every single one of those pages. I don’t mind reading long books if I am enjoying them, but sadly I struggled with this book. I never connected to any of the characters which often makes enjoying a book difficult. I kept picking up other books before forcing myself to power read a lot of this book in one day. I thought of putting this book down for good twice while reading it but then found parts that I did enjoy so I stuck with it. There are some twists and drama which kept me coming back. Other readers have enjoyed this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well. Thank you to Dutton 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 Doctor
Daniel Hurst has taken readers back to the beginning with The Doctor! Readers will finally get to see how Fern and Drew met. This is another thrilling, entertaining, dramatic, and page turning book by Daniel Hurst. He always delivers thrills, chills, and shocking moments! I know that I can always count on him to bring me pure reading bliss. Fern met a woman on the street who gave her a wee bit of advice – to marry a doctor. Fern is not one to let things go, and she sets out to meet, dazzle, a marry a doctor. Enter Dr. Drew Devlin stage left! Fern comes into their relationship with a few secrets, but she is not the only one. Drew has a MASSIVE secret as well. Perhaps they were, in fact, made for each other! The Doctor’s Wife is a prequel to Daniel Hurst’s ‘The Doctor’s Wife’ series. So, it works perfectly as a stand-alone. But beware, this might make you want to read the rest of the books in this gripping, intense, and shocking series!!! Wonderfully written, well thought out, gripping, and hard to put down! 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 Caretaker
Dark, eerie, atmospheric, riveting, and thought provoking. The Caretaker kept me on my toes and had me wondering more than once what the heck was going on in this book. I was at a loss at times, while at the same time, marveling at the eerie vibe of this book. I loved the feel of the impending doom, the creepy calls, the dread, and the increasing sense of danger. Macy Mullins needs money, and she needs it now! When she sees an ad for three days of work. That’s it, all she has to do is stay three days at a stranger’s home. How hard can it be? The home is surrounded by the Oregon Coast wilderness. She’ll be able to leave her troubles behind and with the advance, she can even pay her rent so she and her sister will not be evicted. But when she finds the video tape, things take a horrific turn…. The Caretaker was brimming with tension, dread, danger, suspense, and rules! Rules? Yes, rules. She MUSTFollow the Rites. But what are the rites????? You will need to read this book for yourself to find out. As I mentioned, there were many times when I was at a loss. I didn’t know quite what to make of this book and yet, I could not put it down. I was intrigued, impressed, confused, and horrified. The ending, well I have some questions about that but that did not take away from my enjoyment. I thought the author did a fabulous job with atmosphere, the setting, the isolation, the ‘trapped’ feeling that I love in books and inserting unease onto every single page. This one is creepy, eerie, and might have the hair stand up on the back of your neck. The entire time I was reading, I thought this book would make a great horror movie Thank you to Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler 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 Fair Weather Friend
When it rains, it pours! Faith Richards is a popular TV meteorologist in Detroit. Her fans refer to her as “The Fair Weather Friend.” She is known for her bubbly personality, good looks, and earrings. The viewing public and the city of Detroit are shocked when Faith’s body is found the morning after she left work on her dinner break. The Fair Weather Friend is a captivating mystery which was full of secrets, lies, various POV’s, deception, and drama. As the book progresses, readers learn more about Faith and her not so sunny life. This book had a few twists and turns along the way. The drama, the characters, and the mystery kept me turning the pages wanting to know more. The book does take a bit of a left turn into OTT territory, and I was all there for it. This book is entertaining and dramatic,. I enjoyed going through the characters while trying to determine whodunit. Just when I thought Jessie Garcia had no more aces up her sleeve, she threw in that ending which may be shocking for some and predictable for others. I didn’t see it coming and found it to be fitting. Mysterious, captivating, and a fast-paced read. 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 of the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Whisper Creek
Atmospheric, chilling, and thrilling, Whisper Creek had me turning the pages and desperately wanting to know what happens next! One thing that I enjoyed about this book was how the author, Allison Brennan, had the weather mirroring several characters in this book – unrelenting and dangerous! She also did a great job of building tension, suspense, and danger! Ellen McKenna is doing everything she can to save her Texas farm up and working after her husband’s death. She and her children are trying to grow their family farming business but things are hard and money is tight. A local business man is trying to buy up all the farms in the area and Ellen has been holding out while others have agreed to sell. Just as a storm is pounding down, a horrific discovery is made and the entire McKenna family find themselves in more than one form of danger. I enjoyed the plot, the family relationships, the fight for survival, the tension, the mounting danger and the wrath of the storm. I enjoyed the pacing of this book. Nothing felt drawn out nor did the book move too fast. I enjoyed the twists and the reveals. I enjoyed the characters both likeable and unlikeable. I found them to be fully fleshed out and whether I liked them or not, I was invested in what would happen to them. Wonderfully written, well thought out, thrilling, and brimming with atmosphere! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur 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.
All the Little Houses
Has the heat gotten to everyone in Texas????? Is everyone in this book going off the rails? You need to read it to find out! May Cobb has succeeded in writing another gripping, thrilling, hard to put down book depicting residents in the mid-1980s in the tiny town of Longview, Texas. She shows the struggles teens face fitting in with their peer group – the power plays, the outsiders, the popular ones, the social status. She also shows adults behaving badly and how they relate to their children. 1980’s Texas Nellie desperately wants to be a popular girl at school. She is a spoiled mean girl who comes from an affluent and influential family. Her mother and local beauty, Charleigh, buys Nellie anything she wants can’t buy Nellie popularity. Nellie just can’t fit in with the in-crowd. She’s a mean girl and Charleigh will do anything to help her daughter claw her way to the top. Jane has moved to town with her bible loving, furniture making, modest looking parents. They stand out from others in town and people can’t help but turn their heads at them. Jane is immediately accepted by her teen peers and quickly becomes a member of the in-crowd. Holy Moly, everyone in this Texas town is about to have their worlds rocked. May Cobb does not save that drama for her mama. She puts it on full display in All the Little Houses!! This book is full of tension, secrets, power plays, jealousy, illicit escapades, and bad deeds! This book is told through multiple POV’s and shows many characters behaving badly. This book doesn’t tip toe into OTT territory; it plows through it. I loved the drama and the tension. Don’t get me started on the ending. I sat there with my mouth hanging open thinking what-just-happened??? This book left me hanging and wanting more answers. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel. Dramatic, addictive, OTT, hard to put down, and entertaining!!! Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark 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 Society
First off, the cover of The Society is stunning! But we can’t judge a book by its cover and unfortunately this book did not live up to its stunning cover for me. This book enticed me with its premise – a secret society in Boston that has been around for centuries. I enjoyed the author’s first book, Our Little World and was hoping to enjoy this book as well. Vivian is from old money in Boston. When her family fortune is lost, she turns to the Knox, a secret society in Boston hoping to become a member. When Vivian shows up at a patient at the hospital where ER nurse, Taylor Adams works is employed. Taylor becomes obsessed with the cultured and glamorous Vivian. When Vivian disappears, Taylor embarks on a mission to find out what happened to her… I enjoyed the atmosphere in this book. I also loved the setting. I also enjoyed the POV’s and how they contributed to the story. I also enjoyed the thought of a secret society and its wealth, power, and secrets. But I found this book to be way too long. It is long, 480 pages long, and I felt every single one of those pages. I don’t mind reading long books if I am enjoying them, but sadly I struggled with this book. I never connected to any of the characters which often makes enjoying a book difficult. I kept picking up other books before forcing myself to power read a lot of this book in one day. I thought of putting this book down for good twice while reading it but then found parts that I did enjoy so I stuck with it. There are some twists and drama which kept me coming back. Other readers have enjoyed this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well. Thank you to Dutton 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 Doctor
Daniel Hurst has taken readers back to the beginning with The Doctor! Readers will finally get to see how Fern and Drew met. This is another thrilling, entertaining, dramatic, and page turning book by Daniel Hurst. He always delivers thrills, chills, and shocking moments! I know that I can always count on him to bring me pure reading bliss. Fern met a woman on the street who gave her a wee bit of advice – to marry a doctor. Fern is not one to let things go, and she sets out to meet, dazzle, a marry a doctor. Enter Dr. Drew Devlin stage left! Fern comes into their relationship with a few secrets, but she is not the only one. Drew has a MASSIVE secret as well. Perhaps they were, in fact, made for each other! The Doctor’s Wife is a prequel to Daniel Hurst’s ‘The Doctor’s Wife’ series. So, it works perfectly as a stand-alone. But beware, this might make you want to read the rest of the books in this gripping, intense, and shocking series!!! Wonderfully written, well thought out, gripping, and hard to put down! 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 Caretaker
Dark, eerie, atmospheric, riveting, and thought provoking. The Caretaker kept me on my toes and had me wondering more than once what the heck was going on in this book. I was at a loss at times, while at the same time, marveling at the eerie vibe of this book. I loved the feel of the impending doom, the creepy calls, the dread, and the increasing sense of danger. Macy Mullins needs money, and she needs it now! When she sees an ad for three days of work. That’s it, all she has to do is stay three days at a stranger’s home. How hard can it be? The home is surrounded by the Oregon Coast wilderness. She’ll be able to leave her troubles behind and with the advance, she can even pay her rent so she and her sister will not be evicted. But when she finds the video tape, things take a horrific turn…. The Caretaker was brimming with tension, dread, danger, suspense, and rules! Rules? Yes, rules. She MUSTFollow the Rites. But what are the rites????? You will need to read this book for yourself to find out. As I mentioned, there were many times when I was at a loss. I didn’t know quite what to make of this book and yet, I could not put it down. I was intrigued, impressed, confused, and horrified. The ending, well I have some questions about that but that did not take away from my enjoyment. I thought the author did a fabulous job with atmosphere, the setting, the isolation, the ‘trapped’ feeling that I love in books and inserting unease onto every single page. This one is creepy, eerie, and might have the hair stand up on the back of your neck. The entire time I was reading, I thought this book would make a great horror movie Thank you to Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler 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 Fair Weather Friend
When it rains, it pours! Faith Richards is a popular TV meteorologist in Detroit. Her fans refer to her as “The Fair Weather Friend.” She is known for her bubbly personality, good looks, and earrings. The viewing public and the city of Detroit are shocked when Faith’s body is found the morning after she left work on her dinner break. The Fair Weather Friend is a captivating mystery which was full of secrets, lies, various POV’s, deception, and drama. As the book progresses, readers learn more about Faith and her not so sunny life. This book had a few twists and turns along the way. The drama, the characters, and the mystery kept me turning the pages wanting to know more. The book does take a bit of a left turn into OTT territory, and I was all there for it. This book is entertaining and dramatic,. I enjoyed going through the characters while trying to determine whodunit. Just when I thought Jessie Garcia had no more aces up her sleeve, she threw in that ending which may be shocking for some and predictable for others. I didn’t see it coming and found it to be fitting. Mysterious, captivating, and a fast-paced read. 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 of the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Whisper Creek
Atmospheric, chilling, and thrilling, Whisper Creek had me turning the pages and desperately wanting to know what happens next! One thing that I enjoyed about this book was how the author, Allison Brennan, had the weather mirroring several characters in this book – unrelenting and dangerous! She also did a great job of building tension, suspense, and danger! Ellen McKenna is doing everything she can to save her Texas farm up and working after her husband’s death. She and her children are trying to grow their family farming business but things are hard and money is tight. A local business man is trying to buy up all the farms in the area and Ellen has been holding out while others have agreed to sell. Just as a storm is pounding down, a horrific discovery is made and the entire McKenna family find themselves in more than one form of danger. I enjoyed the plot, the family relationships, the fight for survival, the tension, the mounting danger and the wrath of the storm. I enjoyed the pacing of this book. Nothing felt drawn out nor did the book move too fast. I enjoyed the twists and the reveals. I enjoyed the characters both likeable and unlikeable. I found them to be fully fleshed out and whether I liked them or not, I was invested in what would happen to them. Wonderfully written, well thought out, thrilling, and brimming with atmosphere! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur 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.
All the Little Houses
Has the heat gotten to everyone in Texas????? Is everyone in this book going off the rails? You need to read it to find out! May Cobb has succeeded in writing another gripping, thrilling, hard to put down book depicting residents in the mid-1980s in the tiny town of Longview, Texas. She shows the struggles teens face fitting in with their peer group – the power plays, the outsiders, the popular ones, the social status. She also shows adults behaving badly and how they relate to their children. 1980’s Texas Nellie desperately wants to be a popular girl at school. She is a spoiled mean girl who comes from an affluent and influential family. Her mother and local beauty, Charleigh, buys Nellie anything she wants can’t buy Nellie popularity. Nellie just can’t fit in with the in-crowd. She’s a mean girl and Charleigh will do anything to help her daughter claw her way to the top. Jane has moved to town with her bible loving, furniture making, modest looking parents. They stand out from others in town and people can’t help but turn their heads at them. Jane is immediately accepted by her teen peers and quickly becomes a member of the in-crowd. Holy Moly, everyone in this Texas town is about to have their worlds rocked. May Cobb does not save that drama for her mama. She puts it on full display in All the Little Houses!! This book is full of tension, secrets, power plays, jealousy, illicit escapades, and bad deeds! This book is told through multiple POV’s and shows many characters behaving badly. This book doesn’t tip toe into OTT territory; it plows through it. I loved the drama and the tension. Don’t get me started on the ending. I sat there with my mouth hanging open thinking what-just-happened??? This book left me hanging and wanting more answers. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel. Dramatic, addictive, OTT, hard to put down, and entertaining!!! Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark 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.
