My Friends
Absolutely brilliant and beautiful. My friends, I encourage you all to grab a copy of My Friends and enjoy it in your favorite reading spot! I loved, loved, loved this book. All the stars and then some! I love books about found family, underdogs, and flawed individuals. I also love with books with beautiful writing and Fredrik Backman out did himself with My Friends! Every single page of this book was a gift. This book evoked emotion, had me rooting for the characters, feeling their pain and their joy. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and there is so much beauty in this book. Beauty in the friendships, beauty in the artwork, beauty in found family, and beauty in the kindness of strangers. There is also love. Love for friends, love for those who are not related to us but become our family, love for family (even if they are horrible) and love of art. It is a piece of art but it also so much more. It is the embodiment of a bond, it was their life, it was their friendship, it was a found family, it was a summer day, and it was everything to the group of teens who were painted by their friend, the artist. Louisa, a young artist herself, sees what the artists intended while looking at the artwork at a museum while others only see the Sea. A chance meeting with the artist in an alley will change Louisa’s life. He sees in her what she can’t see herself. He sees her beauty, her perceptive eye, her loss, her grief, and her love of art. He bequeaths her the painting and unknowing/knowingly gives her so much more. Ted, the artists childhood friend and one of the teens in the painting, gives Louisa the painting and along their journey together shares with her the story behind the artwork. What a joy this was to read. It is brilliant, and beautifully written. I found myself highlighting section after section. My Friends is now my favorite book by Backman. This book gives all the feels while also giving some humor, some smiles, some tears, and some hope. I loved his flawed characters and how they came together and became each other’s family. The friendships of our youth are special and life altering, and Fredrik Backman captured that beautifully. Plus, the ending – priceless. Told in two timelines, My Friends is a masterpiece itself. Beautifully written, evoking emotion well thought out, and moving. Highly Recommend.
Dead of Summer @MaxwellJessa @AtriaBooks
Old money, power, prestige, secrets, lies, and an isolated New England Island set the stage for Dead of Summer. This book is a twisted, chilling, gripping, and dark tale about a young woman coming home to Orla O’Connor and looking for answers! I enjoyed this dark tale the mystery about what happened the night a young woman name Alice disappeared. Orla O’Connor hasn’t been to Hadley Island since her best friend, Alice disappeared one night. Orla, Alice and David were inseparable that summer. They had fun in the sun and partied at night. David has returned to his family’s luxurious estate on the island with his girlfriend, Faith. Faith is hoping for a romantic and luxurious trip, but David is preoccupied and seldom around. Henry, an islander, was accused in Alice’s disappearance and has never left. He remains, always watching…… This was an enjoyable mystery which kept me fully invested and turning the pages. I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way; although there were times that I hoped the pace moved slightly faster. I enjoyed the setting and that trapped feeling of being on the isolated where everyone knew everyone, and secrets are hard to keep. Coming in under 300 pages, this proved to be an enjoyable book. This is the second book which I have read by Jessa Maxwell, The Golden Spoon being the first. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future. Thank you to Atria Books, Edelweiss, 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.
Breaking the Dark
Lisa Jewell has entered the Marvel Universe with Breaking the Dark featuring retired superhero, Jessica Jones. I am not a big Marvel movie watcher and had not heard of Jessica Jones prior to reading this book. But I am a Lisa Jewell fan and decided to give this book a read. It is engaging, intriguing, entertaining, and well written. This book gives readers a glimpse into Jessica Jones life. She is no longer a superhero and lives a quiet life. She doesn’t like to draw attention to herself or to be noticed. Jessica Jones now works as a private detective who is presented with an interesting case. A distraught mother hires her to find out what happened to her children, who have recently come back from visiting their father in the UK. She claims that her children are not her ‘real’ children and have been replaced. The twin teens are behaving in a bizarre and strange fashion. Jessica is skeptical but soon begins to see where Amber, the mother of the teens in question, is coming from and begins her investigation…. This book soon takes a dark turn as Jessica makes her way to the UK and is introduced to some characters that readers are provided glimpses of at the beginning of the book. This book proved to be a fast read which kept me invested. This book did have a nice number of twists and suspense. It also gave readers a reluctant hero in Jessica and some other characters readers will want to boo and hiss at. While I enjoyed Breaking the Dark, I didn’t love it. I believe if I had known more about the character of Jessica Jones prior to reading this book, I might have enjoyed this book more than I did. Well written, well thought out, and entertaining. This is the first book in a series of books which will be written by various authors. Thank you to Hyperion Avenue 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 Sharp County Slasher
Dark, disturbing, mysterious, and intriguing. The Sharp County Slasher is a book where a retired detective, Hilrey Higgins, is also a retired serial killer. What!?! Yes! Hilrey has been called in to help investigate a copycat killer who is mimicking Hilrey’s kills with precision! Detective Dakota Diaz has also been called in to investigate and she and Hilrey must work together to catch a killer. A killer hunting a killer…So the synopsis pretty much tells a lot about the book but…. there is more, much more which is not mentioned. This book is less than 200 pages, and I easily read this book in one day. It wasn’t as gripping as I had hoped but the mystery was enough to keep me invested. I will say that this book is not for the faint of heart or the squeamish. This is the first book in what is going to be a series. The book goes in dark places while the investigators try to shed light on whodunit. This book started strong and lost me a little in the middle and redeemed itself a little with the ending. Overall, this was a solid 3 star read. It was intriguing enough that I would read the next in the series to see where the author takes the characters. #TheSharpCountySlasher #NetGalley Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op 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 Quiet Librarian
Another brilliant book by Allen Eskens! I swear, he could write the phone book (do they still make them?) and I would read it! The Quiet Librarian is gripping, mysterious, powerful, beautifully written, well thought out, and hard to put down. I tend to be a very fast reader, but I forced myself to slow it down and take it slow with this one. I wanted to savor the writing, the attention to detail, the plot, and the characters. Hanna Babic lives a quiet peaceful life working as a librarian in Minnesota. She is left shocked, reeling, and devastated when a detective informs her that Amina, her best friend has been murdered!! It is apparent that her past has caught up with her. Hanna met Amina in Bosnia during wartime. Hanna’s past and present collide, and Hanna knows she could be next! This book is gut wrenching and heartbreaking. The descriptions of the war and vile and horrific crimes against women is heart wrenching. This book is told in two timelines, and both pack an emotional punch but the time during the Bosnian war hits the hardest. As the book progresses readers will learn that quiet women dangerous – at least Hanna can be. She is quiet yet strong, fierce, and has a strong will to live. The Quiet Librarian is a powerful and emotion evoking book which showcases Eskens writing skill and plot building expertise. This book is completely different from the other books he has written showing her versatility and attention to historical detail.
Husband Missing – Blog Tour @bookouture #LisaRegan
*CRACK* That is the sound of Lisa Regan hitting it out of the ballpark yet again with another thrilling, shocking, addictive and hard to put down book in her amazing Detective Josie Quinn series!!!! Seriously, this series keeps getting better and better!!!! Lisa Regan had my heart pounding, and my emotions stirred the entire book. I feel as if I were on an emotional roller coaster of mystery and thrills! Plus, that ending!!!!! Holy Crap! It left me with my jaw hanging open! I was literally speechless! Whew! The book begins with Josie and Noah painting a room in their home, their thoughts on the future and their dreams of having a family. After Josie returns home after investigating a crime scene, she finds her home ransacked, blood on various surfaces and Noah is missing! I felt for her and was anxious and desperate for answers as well. The entire Denton police team jumped into action to not only find one of their own but to solve the mystery of the crime scene that Josie was initially investigating. There were several times in this book where I wanted to high five several characters and time when I wanted to shake a couple of others. I have to say that Turner has begun to grow on me, and I am beside myself trying to figure out his connection with Josie’s twin sister, Trinity. This book is full of tension, dread, unease, and danger. It is also full of love, hope, and support from those in Josie’s life. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and fully invested. Lisa Regan stunned and amazed me with this shocking, wonderfully written, and gripping page turner. Wowza! This book was beyond fantastic! I loved every single page of it! Lisa Regan has outdone herself yet again. Each time I read a book in the series, I come away saying ‘that one was the absolute best one yet’. Here I am again and will happily say, This is the absolute best book in the series thus far!!!!!! I love the characters, the character development in this series, the relationships between the characters, the mysteries, and the setting. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! Highly Recommend! *This was a wonderful Witches Words buddy read with Carolyn, Brenda, and DeAnn. Please read their reviews as well to get their thoughts on Husband Missing 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.
My Friends
Absolutely brilliant and beautiful. My friends, I encourage you all to grab a copy of My Friends and enjoy it in your favorite reading spot! I loved, loved, loved this book. All the stars and then some! I love books about found family, underdogs, and flawed individuals. I also love with books with beautiful writing and Fredrik Backman out did himself with My Friends! Every single page of this book was a gift. This book evoked emotion, had me rooting for the characters, feeling their pain and their joy. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and there is so much beauty in this book. Beauty in the friendships, beauty in the artwork, beauty in found family, and beauty in the kindness of strangers. There is also love. Love for friends, love for those who are not related to us but become our family, love for family (even if they are horrible) and love of art. It is a piece of art but it also so much more. It is the embodiment of a bond, it was their life, it was their friendship, it was a found family, it was a summer day, and it was everything to the group of teens who were painted by their friend, the artist. Louisa, a young artist herself, sees what the artists intended while looking at the artwork at a museum while others only see the Sea. A chance meeting with the artist in an alley will change Louisa’s life. He sees in her what she can’t see herself. He sees her beauty, her perceptive eye, her loss, her grief, and her love of art. He bequeaths her the painting and unknowing/knowingly gives her so much more. Ted, the artists childhood friend and one of the teens in the painting, gives Louisa the painting and along their journey together shares with her the story behind the artwork. What a joy this was to read. It is brilliant, and beautifully written. I found myself highlighting section after section. My Friends is now my favorite book by Backman. This book gives all the feels while also giving some humor, some smiles, some tears, and some hope. I loved his flawed characters and how they came together and became each other’s family. The friendships of our youth are special and life altering, and Fredrik Backman captured that beautifully. Plus, the ending – priceless. Told in two timelines, My Friends is a masterpiece itself. Beautifully written, evoking emotion well thought out, and moving. Highly Recommend.
Dead of Summer @MaxwellJessa @AtriaBooks
Old money, power, prestige, secrets, lies, and an isolated New England Island set the stage for Dead of Summer. This book is a twisted, chilling, gripping, and dark tale about a young woman coming home to Orla O’Connor and looking for answers! I enjoyed this dark tale the mystery about what happened the night a young woman name Alice disappeared. Orla O’Connor hasn’t been to Hadley Island since her best friend, Alice disappeared one night. Orla, Alice and David were inseparable that summer. They had fun in the sun and partied at night. David has returned to his family’s luxurious estate on the island with his girlfriend, Faith. Faith is hoping for a romantic and luxurious trip, but David is preoccupied and seldom around. Henry, an islander, was accused in Alice’s disappearance and has never left. He remains, always watching…… This was an enjoyable mystery which kept me fully invested and turning the pages. I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way; although there were times that I hoped the pace moved slightly faster. I enjoyed the setting and that trapped feeling of being on the isolated where everyone knew everyone, and secrets are hard to keep. Coming in under 300 pages, this proved to be an enjoyable book. This is the second book which I have read by Jessa Maxwell, The Golden Spoon being the first. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future. Thank you to Atria Books, Edelweiss, 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.
Breaking the Dark
Lisa Jewell has entered the Marvel Universe with Breaking the Dark featuring retired superhero, Jessica Jones. I am not a big Marvel movie watcher and had not heard of Jessica Jones prior to reading this book. But I am a Lisa Jewell fan and decided to give this book a read. It is engaging, intriguing, entertaining, and well written. This book gives readers a glimpse into Jessica Jones life. She is no longer a superhero and lives a quiet life. She doesn’t like to draw attention to herself or to be noticed. Jessica Jones now works as a private detective who is presented with an interesting case. A distraught mother hires her to find out what happened to her children, who have recently come back from visiting their father in the UK. She claims that her children are not her ‘real’ children and have been replaced. The twin teens are behaving in a bizarre and strange fashion. Jessica is skeptical but soon begins to see where Amber, the mother of the teens in question, is coming from and begins her investigation…. This book soon takes a dark turn as Jessica makes her way to the UK and is introduced to some characters that readers are provided glimpses of at the beginning of the book. This book proved to be a fast read which kept me invested. This book did have a nice number of twists and suspense. It also gave readers a reluctant hero in Jessica and some other characters readers will want to boo and hiss at. While I enjoyed Breaking the Dark, I didn’t love it. I believe if I had known more about the character of Jessica Jones prior to reading this book, I might have enjoyed this book more than I did. Well written, well thought out, and entertaining. This is the first book in a series of books which will be written by various authors. Thank you to Hyperion Avenue 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 Sharp County Slasher
Dark, disturbing, mysterious, and intriguing. The Sharp County Slasher is a book where a retired detective, Hilrey Higgins, is also a retired serial killer. What!?! Yes! Hilrey has been called in to help investigate a copycat killer who is mimicking Hilrey’s kills with precision! Detective Dakota Diaz has also been called in to investigate and she and Hilrey must work together to catch a killer. A killer hunting a killer…So the synopsis pretty much tells a lot about the book but…. there is more, much more which is not mentioned. This book is less than 200 pages, and I easily read this book in one day. It wasn’t as gripping as I had hoped but the mystery was enough to keep me invested. I will say that this book is not for the faint of heart or the squeamish. This is the first book in what is going to be a series. The book goes in dark places while the investigators try to shed light on whodunit. This book started strong and lost me a little in the middle and redeemed itself a little with the ending. Overall, this was a solid 3 star read. It was intriguing enough that I would read the next in the series to see where the author takes the characters. #TheSharpCountySlasher #NetGalley Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op 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 Quiet Librarian
Another brilliant book by Allen Eskens! I swear, he could write the phone book (do they still make them?) and I would read it! The Quiet Librarian is gripping, mysterious, powerful, beautifully written, well thought out, and hard to put down. I tend to be a very fast reader, but I forced myself to slow it down and take it slow with this one. I wanted to savor the writing, the attention to detail, the plot, and the characters. Hanna Babic lives a quiet peaceful life working as a librarian in Minnesota. She is left shocked, reeling, and devastated when a detective informs her that Amina, her best friend has been murdered!! It is apparent that her past has caught up with her. Hanna met Amina in Bosnia during wartime. Hanna’s past and present collide, and Hanna knows she could be next! This book is gut wrenching and heartbreaking. The descriptions of the war and vile and horrific crimes against women is heart wrenching. This book is told in two timelines, and both pack an emotional punch but the time during the Bosnian war hits the hardest. As the book progresses readers will learn that quiet women dangerous – at least Hanna can be. She is quiet yet strong, fierce, and has a strong will to live. The Quiet Librarian is a powerful and emotion evoking book which showcases Eskens writing skill and plot building expertise. This book is completely different from the other books he has written showing her versatility and attention to historical detail.
Husband Missing – Blog Tour @bookouture #LisaRegan
*CRACK* That is the sound of Lisa Regan hitting it out of the ballpark yet again with another thrilling, shocking, addictive and hard to put down book in her amazing Detective Josie Quinn series!!!! Seriously, this series keeps getting better and better!!!! Lisa Regan had my heart pounding, and my emotions stirred the entire book. I feel as if I were on an emotional roller coaster of mystery and thrills! Plus, that ending!!!!! Holy Crap! It left me with my jaw hanging open! I was literally speechless! Whew! The book begins with Josie and Noah painting a room in their home, their thoughts on the future and their dreams of having a family. After Josie returns home after investigating a crime scene, she finds her home ransacked, blood on various surfaces and Noah is missing! I felt for her and was anxious and desperate for answers as well. The entire Denton police team jumped into action to not only find one of their own but to solve the mystery of the crime scene that Josie was initially investigating. There were several times in this book where I wanted to high five several characters and time when I wanted to shake a couple of others. I have to say that Turner has begun to grow on me, and I am beside myself trying to figure out his connection with Josie’s twin sister, Trinity. This book is full of tension, dread, unease, and danger. It is also full of love, hope, and support from those in Josie’s life. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and fully invested. Lisa Regan stunned and amazed me with this shocking, wonderfully written, and gripping page turner. Wowza! This book was beyond fantastic! I loved every single page of it! Lisa Regan has outdone herself yet again. Each time I read a book in the series, I come away saying ‘that one was the absolute best one yet’. Here I am again and will happily say, This is the absolute best book in the series thus far!!!!!! I love the characters, the character development in this series, the relationships between the characters, the mysteries, and the setting. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! Highly Recommend! *This was a wonderful Witches Words buddy read with Carolyn, Brenda, and DeAnn. Please read their reviews as well to get their thoughts on Husband Missing 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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