Claire, Darling @callieuntitled
Breakups can be brutal. Just ask Claire, darling! She has been ghosted by her fiancé, Noah. The nerve! But Claire is not one to let things go. She knew something was up when she went to deliver Noah lunch at his workplace and was told no one worked there by that name! Claire is shocked and frazzled is determined to get to the bottom of things. Claire, Darling kept me turning the pages and wondering, as Claire did, what was going on with Noah? What was he up to? Why did he ghost, Claire? As the book progresses, readers get a glimpse into Claire’s childhood and upbringing through journal entries. There is a lot going on in this book which deals with obsession, secrets. deception, mental health, violence, and relationships to name a few. What a great debut novel. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, Callie Kazumi threw a twist in and turned the tables on me! Wonderfully written, well thought out, and gripping! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine | Bantam NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Make Yourself At Home – Blog Tour 3/5/25 @bookouture @WendyClarke99
Who can you trust????? Now that is the question in Wendy Clarke’s gripping, twisted, and secret filled Make Yourself at Home! Everything was fine in Cath and Gary’s life. They have a happy marriage, enjoy their careers, and have good friends. But then Gary’s sister, Lisa, began working at Cath’s school. When Lisa mentions that she has nowhere to go, Cath brings her home and Gary begins to change. Plus, what is going on with the notes that Cath is receiving??? Enter stress and drama stage left! I had no idea where this book was going or what was going to happen, but I enjoyed this twist filled ride. Along the way I came up with several theories and thought I had figured things out, but boy was I so very wrong. I was not close at all – not by a long shot. I enjoyed the mounting tension, the uncertainty, the doubt, the suspicion, and twists that Wendy Clarke so deftly wove into the plot. The secrets, lies, twists, and turns kept my turning the pages and wanting to know how things were going to end up. I did not see one reveal coming and I love it when that happens. I had the privilege of having both the audiobook and the e-book versions of Make Yourself at Home. I thought the narrator of the audiobook did a great job in bringing this book to life. Gripping, tense, shocking and well thought out! Thank you to Bookouture, Bookouture 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.
The Last Days of Kira Mullan
The Last Days of Kira Mullan is the second book in the Maud O’Connor series but worked very well as a stand-alone novel for me. In this book Nancy North has suffered a psychotic break and is trying to put her life back together. She hears noises at night and is convinced that something is very wrong. When Kira, a young woman in the downstairs flat is found dead, her boyfriend and neighbors believe the young woman committed suicide, but Nancy believes she was murdered. Detective Inspector Maude O’Connor is now on the case and is not too willing to dismiss Nancy or her concerns. Maude is determined to get to the truth and is relentless in her pursuit of justice. There were times in the beginning of this book where I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about it. I went in stages of enjoying it, then not enjoying it, but then around the 30% mark, I was all in and wanted answers myself. I am a big fan of tension in books, and I enjoyed how the tension flowed throughout this book from those who doubted Nancy, from those who wanted Maude to hurry her investigation along, from the suspects being interrogated, from the boy’s club and how they treated Maude, and from the circumstances of the victim’s death. I also appreciated how the author showed how dismissive people can be to individuals who have mental illness. How what they share can be swept under the rug or shrugged off as symptoms of their mental illness and not the truth of what they experienced or saw. I appreciated how Maude listened to Nancy and took what she said seriously. This was a nice police procedural/thriller which kept me guessing and won me over despite my initial misgivings. The Last Days of Kira Mullan turned into a gripping, tense, and thrilling book. I enjoyed Maude and look forward to reading more books in this series. Thank you to William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Where You Belong
Fresh starts might not be all that they are cracked up to be! It was meant to be a fresh start in a beautiful setting, in a beautiful home, with friendly neighbors! That is what Julia, her husband James and their two children were hoping for. But everyone is a little too happy, a little too put together, a little too invested in earning gratitude points! Is this gated community really Where You Belong??? I have to agree with other reviews who have mentioned the movie “Don’t Worry Darling” Where You Belong does give those same vibes and then some! The men seem to be in control and the women do as they are told and make sure to wear their bracelets so the app can measure how they are feeling. Julia begins to see and feel the cracks in this gated community’s picture-perfect facade. She beings to question, look for answers, and buck the system. This was an interesting and quick read which has a dystopian type feel to it or does it? We have so many apps on our phones to track our steps, our heart rates, our sleep, our spending, our book quotas, etc. Having an app to track mood was not such a stretch. I applauded the author for adding that into this book. I also enjoyed the tension, the dread, and especially that trapped feeling that I love in books! This book also has a creepy vibe, and I felt for Julia and wondered who things would turn out. This was an impressive, well thought out, and thrilling, debut book which moved at a nice pace and kept me fully invested. Thank you to Storm Publishing 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.
Message Deleted – Blog tour 3/4/25 @bookouture @KLSlaterAuthor
What a twisted and tangled web we weave! Message Deleted is a gripping, tension filled, twist filled, book that kept me on my toes and turning the pages. K.L Slater instantly grabbed my attention with a single text, and I found myself questioning what was happening and wondering what was going to happen next! Message Deleted begins with a message which says “Can’t speak… don’t text or call… please just come.” which is then deleted! What would you do if a friend texts you asking you to come over then the text is gone???? That is what Saffy experiences when she receives the alarming text from her best friend, Leona. When Saffy arrives at Leonas home, Leona denies ever sending her the text. Six hours later, Saffy is being questioned by the police as her friend, Leona, and her child is missing and her home looks like a crime scene!!!! What????? This book had a nice amount of tension, twists, turns, reveals, and suspense. I never knew where K.L. Slater was going to take me, but I enjoyed the ride! I found this book to be well thought out and enjoyed how the story was built and built adding layer upon layer. There were times when I wondered where things were going but I knew I was in good hands with Slater and she brought the past and present together wonderfully. Gripping, twisted, thrilling 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.
Too Old for This
It kills me to write this, but Too Old for This was so bloody good! Seriously, Samantha Downing killed it with her tale of a retired serial killer who just wants to enjoy the later years of her life, going to church, playing bingo, and enjoying her quiet time. Sure, thoughts of killing annoying people in her life might creep into her mind, but she keeps them to herself…. Lottie thought her days of killing were behind her. She is a grandmother now and has Bingo to play. But when Plum Dixon, an investigative journalist, knocks on her door and begins to question her, Lottie knows that all those unsolved cases might come back to haunt her, and she can’t have that!!! Oh, how I enjoyed Lottie and her inner thoughts. She was a hoot, and I enjoyed reading about her moral compass on what is proper and what is not. She is not as young as she used to be and well, murder – let’s just say it can be exhausting. But Lottie is not a quitter… Samantha Downing has delivered another clever, gripping, shocking, fun, and thrilling page turner! I could not put this book down! I loved every second of it. Lottie is such a well-drawn character and Samantha Downing made me feel sorry for Lottie with her aches, pains, and struggles while doing what Lottie does best! Too Old for This reminded me of An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good which I also adored. Not in the storyline or plot, but with the aging female serial killer. This book had a nice amount of tension, humor, wit, cat-and-mouse, and danger. Lottie is a bloody good killer, and some scenes may not be for everyone. Addictive, clever, dark, and hard to put down! Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley 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.
Claire, Darling @callieuntitled
Breakups can be brutal. Just ask Claire, darling! She has been ghosted by her fiancé, Noah. The nerve! But Claire is not one to let things go. She knew something was up when she went to deliver Noah lunch at his workplace and was told no one worked there by that name! Claire is shocked and frazzled is determined to get to the bottom of things. Claire, Darling kept me turning the pages and wondering, as Claire did, what was going on with Noah? What was he up to? Why did he ghost, Claire? As the book progresses, readers get a glimpse into Claire’s childhood and upbringing through journal entries. There is a lot going on in this book which deals with obsession, secrets. deception, mental health, violence, and relationships to name a few. What a great debut novel. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, Callie Kazumi threw a twist in and turned the tables on me! Wonderfully written, well thought out, and gripping! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine | Bantam NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Make Yourself At Home – Blog Tour 3/5/25 @bookouture @WendyClarke99
Who can you trust????? Now that is the question in Wendy Clarke’s gripping, twisted, and secret filled Make Yourself at Home! Everything was fine in Cath and Gary’s life. They have a happy marriage, enjoy their careers, and have good friends. But then Gary’s sister, Lisa, began working at Cath’s school. When Lisa mentions that she has nowhere to go, Cath brings her home and Gary begins to change. Plus, what is going on with the notes that Cath is receiving??? Enter stress and drama stage left! I had no idea where this book was going or what was going to happen, but I enjoyed this twist filled ride. Along the way I came up with several theories and thought I had figured things out, but boy was I so very wrong. I was not close at all – not by a long shot. I enjoyed the mounting tension, the uncertainty, the doubt, the suspicion, and twists that Wendy Clarke so deftly wove into the plot. The secrets, lies, twists, and turns kept my turning the pages and wanting to know how things were going to end up. I did not see one reveal coming and I love it when that happens. I had the privilege of having both the audiobook and the e-book versions of Make Yourself at Home. I thought the narrator of the audiobook did a great job in bringing this book to life. Gripping, tense, shocking and well thought out! Thank you to Bookouture, Bookouture 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.
The Last Days of Kira Mullan
The Last Days of Kira Mullan is the second book in the Maud O’Connor series but worked very well as a stand-alone novel for me. In this book Nancy North has suffered a psychotic break and is trying to put her life back together. She hears noises at night and is convinced that something is very wrong. When Kira, a young woman in the downstairs flat is found dead, her boyfriend and neighbors believe the young woman committed suicide, but Nancy believes she was murdered. Detective Inspector Maude O’Connor is now on the case and is not too willing to dismiss Nancy or her concerns. Maude is determined to get to the truth and is relentless in her pursuit of justice. There were times in the beginning of this book where I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about it. I went in stages of enjoying it, then not enjoying it, but then around the 30% mark, I was all in and wanted answers myself. I am a big fan of tension in books, and I enjoyed how the tension flowed throughout this book from those who doubted Nancy, from those who wanted Maude to hurry her investigation along, from the suspects being interrogated, from the boy’s club and how they treated Maude, and from the circumstances of the victim’s death. I also appreciated how the author showed how dismissive people can be to individuals who have mental illness. How what they share can be swept under the rug or shrugged off as symptoms of their mental illness and not the truth of what they experienced or saw. I appreciated how Maude listened to Nancy and took what she said seriously. This was a nice police procedural/thriller which kept me guessing and won me over despite my initial misgivings. The Last Days of Kira Mullan turned into a gripping, tense, and thrilling book. I enjoyed Maude and look forward to reading more books in this series. Thank you to William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Where You Belong
Fresh starts might not be all that they are cracked up to be! It was meant to be a fresh start in a beautiful setting, in a beautiful home, with friendly neighbors! That is what Julia, her husband James and their two children were hoping for. But everyone is a little too happy, a little too put together, a little too invested in earning gratitude points! Is this gated community really Where You Belong??? I have to agree with other reviews who have mentioned the movie “Don’t Worry Darling” Where You Belong does give those same vibes and then some! The men seem to be in control and the women do as they are told and make sure to wear their bracelets so the app can measure how they are feeling. Julia begins to see and feel the cracks in this gated community’s picture-perfect facade. She beings to question, look for answers, and buck the system. This was an interesting and quick read which has a dystopian type feel to it or does it? We have so many apps on our phones to track our steps, our heart rates, our sleep, our spending, our book quotas, etc. Having an app to track mood was not such a stretch. I applauded the author for adding that into this book. I also enjoyed the tension, the dread, and especially that trapped feeling that I love in books! This book also has a creepy vibe, and I felt for Julia and wondered who things would turn out. This was an impressive, well thought out, and thrilling, debut book which moved at a nice pace and kept me fully invested. Thank you to Storm Publishing 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.
Message Deleted – Blog tour 3/4/25 @bookouture @KLSlaterAuthor
What a twisted and tangled web we weave! Message Deleted is a gripping, tension filled, twist filled, book that kept me on my toes and turning the pages. K.L Slater instantly grabbed my attention with a single text, and I found myself questioning what was happening and wondering what was going to happen next! Message Deleted begins with a message which says “Can’t speak… don’t text or call… please just come.” which is then deleted! What would you do if a friend texts you asking you to come over then the text is gone???? That is what Saffy experiences when she receives the alarming text from her best friend, Leona. When Saffy arrives at Leonas home, Leona denies ever sending her the text. Six hours later, Saffy is being questioned by the police as her friend, Leona, and her child is missing and her home looks like a crime scene!!!! What????? This book had a nice amount of tension, twists, turns, reveals, and suspense. I never knew where K.L. Slater was going to take me, but I enjoyed the ride! I found this book to be well thought out and enjoyed how the story was built and built adding layer upon layer. There were times when I wondered where things were going but I knew I was in good hands with Slater and she brought the past and present together wonderfully. Gripping, twisted, thrilling 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.
Too Old for This
It kills me to write this, but Too Old for This was so bloody good! Seriously, Samantha Downing killed it with her tale of a retired serial killer who just wants to enjoy the later years of her life, going to church, playing bingo, and enjoying her quiet time. Sure, thoughts of killing annoying people in her life might creep into her mind, but she keeps them to herself…. Lottie thought her days of killing were behind her. She is a grandmother now and has Bingo to play. But when Plum Dixon, an investigative journalist, knocks on her door and begins to question her, Lottie knows that all those unsolved cases might come back to haunt her, and she can’t have that!!! Oh, how I enjoyed Lottie and her inner thoughts. She was a hoot, and I enjoyed reading about her moral compass on what is proper and what is not. She is not as young as she used to be and well, murder – let’s just say it can be exhausting. But Lottie is not a quitter… Samantha Downing has delivered another clever, gripping, shocking, fun, and thrilling page turner! I could not put this book down! I loved every second of it. Lottie is such a well-drawn character and Samantha Downing made me feel sorry for Lottie with her aches, pains, and struggles while doing what Lottie does best! Too Old for This reminded me of An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good which I also adored. Not in the storyline or plot, but with the aging female serial killer. This book had a nice amount of tension, humor, wit, cat-and-mouse, and danger. Lottie is a bloody good killer, and some scenes may not be for everyone. Addictive, clever, dark, and hard to put down! Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley 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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