The Wife Before
Secrets and lies are the name of the game in The Wife Before! This is the 8th book which I have read by Sheryl Browne and she never disappoints me. As with the other books I have read by her, The Wife Before was gripping, mysterious, wonderfully written, thrilling, and had me trying to figure out who could be trusted and who was telling the truth!!!! Kara has suffered a horrible, heartbreaking loss that has left her devastated and full of grief. When she met Jack, she realized that he had suffered a great loss as well. This helped them bond and lean on each other. As their bond deepens and their relationships blooms, there is a knock at the door which shakes the solid foundation they have built together. Jack’s former Mother-in-law has arrived and informed Kara that Jack killed her daughter! Jack denies the outrageous claim, but she has planted a seed of doubt in Kara. Who can be trusted? Who is telling the truth? Is Jack a killer? Is Kara safe? Is the woman lying???? I love the seed of doubt that was planted in me. I also loved the mounting tension, dread, drama, and danger in this book. This book began feeling like a romance book but quickly moves into a mystery thriller! I love the twists and turns along the way. I thought I figured things out, then changed my mind, then changed it once again. I enjoyed the pacing, the not knowing who I could trust, the well thought out plot, the characters, the twists, and the reveal in The Wife Before! Another thrilling and shocking book by Sheryl Browne. 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 Better Mother
Oh Baby! The Better Mother: A Thriller was an addictive, twisted, and chilling book!!!!! I could not turn the pages fast enough! I was glued to the pages and loved every moment of it. Jennifer van der Kleut has written a jaw dropping, thrilling, and fast paced book that people will be talking about! Wowza! There characters in this book range from likeable to off the charts psycho!!!!! What a wild dark ride!!!! Savannah Mitchell was still recovering from a breakup that blind sighted her when she had a brief fling with a man, she met named Max. She always wanted to be a mother but never thought she would find herself single and pregnant! But that short fling with Max has her expecting a baby. When she informs him that she was pregnant, he is happy but informs her that he and his girlfriend Madison have recently gotten back together. An even bigger shocker – Madison is thrilled about the pregnancy. I don’t know about you, but this right here would give me pause. As Ross Geller once proclaimed on the show, Friends, they were on a break. But who is happy about their partner getting another woman pregnant on a break in the relationship????? But I digress…. As the pregnancy progresses, Madison becomes increasingly ‘assertive’ in her attempts to help and celebrate the pregnancy…… This book is brimming with tension, unease, and diabolical moments. The characters range from likeable, to questionable, to straight up psycho! The drama is high; the stakes are even higher! This book became a fast-paced page turner which had my pulse elevated, and my hands clinched around my kindle. Holy Moly! This is a fantastic book. Yes, there are some OTT moments, but I didn’t care one bit. I was having too much fun while reading this wonderfully written, well thought out, and shocking book! Thank you to Crooked Lane 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.
Nowhere Burning
Well, this was a dark one. Catriona Ward is a gifted storyteller, and she has quite a few stories to tell in Nowhere Burning. Don’t confuse Nowhere with Neverland. Nowhere is a place for children to take refuge in the ruins of an infamous movie star’s ranch. The place is infamous due to the star’s penchant for dark crimes. In its ruins, children have gathered, and adults are not allowed. Riley and her younger brother Oliver ran away in the night from a horrific living situation. She has heard for Nowhere and thinks it may be just the place for them. But are they trading one horror for another. There she will learn that nothing in life is free and that all things come at a cost. That is just one of the stories being told in this book. Catriona Ward manages to include more. Some worked better than others. Keep in mind, this is not a short story collection but a book where their stories will have a merging at some point. Sadly, this book was a mixed bag for me. There were things that I enjoyed and things that did not work for me. I loved the atmosphere, the tension, the dread, and the eerie vibe in this book. I also enjoyed the setting and the menacing scenery. Plus, the ending was a very nice touch! I thought that was well done. What I struggled with was the pacing and its slower meandering trip through the dark bleak world of nowhere. I also felt that she had a lot going on with the other storylines and would have liked to just stick with one or two. I struggled to connect with this book even with the elements that I enjoyed. I had both the book and the audiobook. I found myself going back and forth between the two, hoping one would grab me more than the other. Again, a mixed bag. Thank you to Macmillan Audio, 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.
Deadly Sanctuary
Shannon Hollinger and FBI Special Agent Cassidy Knox are back in another thrilling, gripping, tense, and hard to put down book!!!!! Grave Waters is the third book in the stunning and wonderfully written Cassidy Know series! I appreciate that this book takes place shortly following the events of the second book in the series, Fatal Betrayal. While this book would work as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the first two books in the series to become better acquainted with Cassidy and Jake. The first two books were intriguing and thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat. Grave Waters is the 11th book that I have read by Shannon Hollinger. Cassidy Knox just can’t seem to catch a break! Can’t a girl have a little down time? She is busy running the animal sanctuary she inherited, while helping Jake recover from his injuries. The chemistry between Cassidy and Jake is about to boil over until a man’s body has been found inside a crab trap in the everglades. She is called back into action when the man’s identity is known, and Cassidy can’t say no as she has a personal connection to the man. When Cassidy learns of other men killed in the same manner as the dead man in the crab track, she knows she is searching for a serial killer! As Cassidy begins her investigation, she welcomes a rooster to her animal sanctuary and finds herself in harm’s way in more ways than one. Not from the rooster mind you, but from another source close to the rooster! Plus, the search for the serial killer ramps up and his Cassidy looking very close to home for answers. This was another gripping and thrilling book in the series. I enjoyed the mystery and the unfolding of the plot. The tension and sense of danger grew as the book progressed. I also enjoyed the sense of community in this book. Cassidy returned to where she grew up after her grandfather’s death. She knows many of the locals from school, and I enjoyed the few scenes with her exchanging banter with them. I also enjoyed the character development and continuation of the story arc. Plus, I love how the animals steal every scene that they are in! Wonderfully written, well thought out, gripping, full of tension, unease and danger! Thank you to Shannon Hollinger who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Girls Before
Dark, twisted, secret filled and oozing with unease, The Girls Before was a roller coaster ride of a book. It ebbed and flowed, stalled a little, then cranked things into high gear. While this was not my favorite book by this author, I did enjoy this twist filled ride. There is a girl in the basement. She wasn’t the first and what will happen when that door opens one last time? Will she finally be free or will she suffer a grim fate??? Audrey, a search and rescue expert, has never gotten over the disappearance of her ex-best friend, Janie, who was last seen when they were teenagers. When Audrey comes upon evidence in the forest concerning a runaway, her investigation has her asking more questions while desperately searching for answers. This was an interesting book which kept me guessing and had me a little frustrated. It grabbed my attention, then things slowed down, then things ramped up. Hence my comment about this being a roller coaster of a ride book. I felt that for most of the book, it was slowly chugging uphill until it got to the top and then sped its way to the shocking reveal at the end. I would have enjoyed a more even pacing. I am not a fan of slow burns, but this one was intriguing enough to keep me engaged. I did enjoy the revealing of secrets and the various twists and turns. I also enjoyed the atmosphere and the POV’s Stranger and Audrey. I thought the POV’s were a nice touch and added to the unease and eerie vibe of the book. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing this book to life. Thank you to 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.
In Deep Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival, and Courage
I enjoy books about real people who are thrown into extraordinary circumstances. I often wonder while reading those books what I would do if I were in the shoes of the person and/or persons in that book. In Deep Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival, and Courage, tells the real-life story of three friends whose boat, tied to an unmanned oil rig, sank 15 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico. The three men were in the water for 28 hours!!!!! The men had to fight to survive against the waves, the cold, lack of water, and no one to call for help. Keep in mind, they were not the only ones in the water! Not only did they have to contend with jelly fish stings, nibbles from fish, and last but certainly not least, the circling sharks that kept getting closer and closer…… Not only was this book about the three men in the water, but it is also about those on the rescue team and their search for the men. How do you find people in the water when you don’t know where they are? How do you search for those who never told friends, significant others, or family members what marina they left from? Here’s some advice – always, and I mean always tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back!!!!! This was fast paced and gripping book which had me turning the pages and wanting to know how (and if all) the men would be rescued. I had not heard of this incident, so this was all fresh news to me. The author spoke to everyone involved and put their tale down on paper. Readers will get insight into the minds of both the men in the water, those in the men’s lives, and the rescuers who saved them. I could see their tale being made into a movie. This one was a nail biter. I can’t imagine the fear the men must have felt, the desperation, the anxiety, the cold, the exhaustion. Then there is the fear and dread of their loved ones. The rescuers had their own tale to tell. How they managed to search and find the three men with little information to go on. The bravery, the determination, and the harrowing rescue. I thought the author did a tremendous job of bringing this story to life. He did his research and it shows. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions and the pulse pounding moments which the author brought to life. The friendship of the men and their fight to stay alive was admirable. All involved were brave and put in situations which tested them in more ways than one. The tension in this book hit me like the waves hit the men. As I mentioned, I kept thinking about what I would do if I were in their shoes or shall I say life jackets. A wonderfully written, well researched, gripping, harrowing, and anxiety provoking tale of survival which proved to be a fast and riveting 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 the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Wife Before
Secrets and lies are the name of the game in The Wife Before! This is the 8th book which I have read by Sheryl Browne and she never disappoints me. As with the other books I have read by her, The Wife Before was gripping, mysterious, wonderfully written, thrilling, and had me trying to figure out who could be trusted and who was telling the truth!!!! Kara has suffered a horrible, heartbreaking loss that has left her devastated and full of grief. When she met Jack, she realized that he had suffered a great loss as well. This helped them bond and lean on each other. As their bond deepens and their relationships blooms, there is a knock at the door which shakes the solid foundation they have built together. Jack’s former Mother-in-law has arrived and informed Kara that Jack killed her daughter! Jack denies the outrageous claim, but she has planted a seed of doubt in Kara. Who can be trusted? Who is telling the truth? Is Jack a killer? Is Kara safe? Is the woman lying???? I love the seed of doubt that was planted in me. I also loved the mounting tension, dread, drama, and danger in this book. This book began feeling like a romance book but quickly moves into a mystery thriller! I love the twists and turns along the way. I thought I figured things out, then changed my mind, then changed it once again. I enjoyed the pacing, the not knowing who I could trust, the well thought out plot, the characters, the twists, and the reveal in The Wife Before! Another thrilling and shocking book by Sheryl Browne. 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 Better Mother
Oh Baby! The Better Mother: A Thriller was an addictive, twisted, and chilling book!!!!! I could not turn the pages fast enough! I was glued to the pages and loved every moment of it. Jennifer van der Kleut has written a jaw dropping, thrilling, and fast paced book that people will be talking about! Wowza! There characters in this book range from likeable to off the charts psycho!!!!! What a wild dark ride!!!! Savannah Mitchell was still recovering from a breakup that blind sighted her when she had a brief fling with a man, she met named Max. She always wanted to be a mother but never thought she would find herself single and pregnant! But that short fling with Max has her expecting a baby. When she informs him that she was pregnant, he is happy but informs her that he and his girlfriend Madison have recently gotten back together. An even bigger shocker – Madison is thrilled about the pregnancy. I don’t know about you, but this right here would give me pause. As Ross Geller once proclaimed on the show, Friends, they were on a break. But who is happy about their partner getting another woman pregnant on a break in the relationship????? But I digress…. As the pregnancy progresses, Madison becomes increasingly ‘assertive’ in her attempts to help and celebrate the pregnancy…… This book is brimming with tension, unease, and diabolical moments. The characters range from likeable, to questionable, to straight up psycho! The drama is high; the stakes are even higher! This book became a fast-paced page turner which had my pulse elevated, and my hands clinched around my kindle. Holy Moly! This is a fantastic book. Yes, there are some OTT moments, but I didn’t care one bit. I was having too much fun while reading this wonderfully written, well thought out, and shocking book! Thank you to Crooked Lane 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.
Nowhere Burning
Well, this was a dark one. Catriona Ward is a gifted storyteller, and she has quite a few stories to tell in Nowhere Burning. Don’t confuse Nowhere with Neverland. Nowhere is a place for children to take refuge in the ruins of an infamous movie star’s ranch. The place is infamous due to the star’s penchant for dark crimes. In its ruins, children have gathered, and adults are not allowed. Riley and her younger brother Oliver ran away in the night from a horrific living situation. She has heard for Nowhere and thinks it may be just the place for them. But are they trading one horror for another. There she will learn that nothing in life is free and that all things come at a cost. That is just one of the stories being told in this book. Catriona Ward manages to include more. Some worked better than others. Keep in mind, this is not a short story collection but a book where their stories will have a merging at some point. Sadly, this book was a mixed bag for me. There were things that I enjoyed and things that did not work for me. I loved the atmosphere, the tension, the dread, and the eerie vibe in this book. I also enjoyed the setting and the menacing scenery. Plus, the ending was a very nice touch! I thought that was well done. What I struggled with was the pacing and its slower meandering trip through the dark bleak world of nowhere. I also felt that she had a lot going on with the other storylines and would have liked to just stick with one or two. I struggled to connect with this book even with the elements that I enjoyed. I had both the book and the audiobook. I found myself going back and forth between the two, hoping one would grab me more than the other. Again, a mixed bag. Thank you to Macmillan Audio, 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.
Deadly Sanctuary
Shannon Hollinger and FBI Special Agent Cassidy Knox are back in another thrilling, gripping, tense, and hard to put down book!!!!! Grave Waters is the third book in the stunning and wonderfully written Cassidy Know series! I appreciate that this book takes place shortly following the events of the second book in the series, Fatal Betrayal. While this book would work as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the first two books in the series to become better acquainted with Cassidy and Jake. The first two books were intriguing and thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat. Grave Waters is the 11th book that I have read by Shannon Hollinger. Cassidy Knox just can’t seem to catch a break! Can’t a girl have a little down time? She is busy running the animal sanctuary she inherited, while helping Jake recover from his injuries. The chemistry between Cassidy and Jake is about to boil over until a man’s body has been found inside a crab trap in the everglades. She is called back into action when the man’s identity is known, and Cassidy can’t say no as she has a personal connection to the man. When Cassidy learns of other men killed in the same manner as the dead man in the crab track, she knows she is searching for a serial killer! As Cassidy begins her investigation, she welcomes a rooster to her animal sanctuary and finds herself in harm’s way in more ways than one. Not from the rooster mind you, but from another source close to the rooster! Plus, the search for the serial killer ramps up and his Cassidy looking very close to home for answers. This was another gripping and thrilling book in the series. I enjoyed the mystery and the unfolding of the plot. The tension and sense of danger grew as the book progressed. I also enjoyed the sense of community in this book. Cassidy returned to where she grew up after her grandfather’s death. She knows many of the locals from school, and I enjoyed the few scenes with her exchanging banter with them. I also enjoyed the character development and continuation of the story arc. Plus, I love how the animals steal every scene that they are in! Wonderfully written, well thought out, gripping, full of tension, unease and danger! Thank you to Shannon Hollinger who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Girls Before
Dark, twisted, secret filled and oozing with unease, The Girls Before was a roller coaster ride of a book. It ebbed and flowed, stalled a little, then cranked things into high gear. While this was not my favorite book by this author, I did enjoy this twist filled ride. There is a girl in the basement. She wasn’t the first and what will happen when that door opens one last time? Will she finally be free or will she suffer a grim fate??? Audrey, a search and rescue expert, has never gotten over the disappearance of her ex-best friend, Janie, who was last seen when they were teenagers. When Audrey comes upon evidence in the forest concerning a runaway, her investigation has her asking more questions while desperately searching for answers. This was an interesting book which kept me guessing and had me a little frustrated. It grabbed my attention, then things slowed down, then things ramped up. Hence my comment about this being a roller coaster of a ride book. I felt that for most of the book, it was slowly chugging uphill until it got to the top and then sped its way to the shocking reveal at the end. I would have enjoyed a more even pacing. I am not a fan of slow burns, but this one was intriguing enough to keep me engaged. I did enjoy the revealing of secrets and the various twists and turns. I also enjoyed the atmosphere and the POV’s Stranger and Audrey. I thought the POV’s were a nice touch and added to the unease and eerie vibe of the book. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing this book to life. Thank you to 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.
In Deep Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival, and Courage
I enjoy books about real people who are thrown into extraordinary circumstances. I often wonder while reading those books what I would do if I were in the shoes of the person and/or persons in that book. In Deep Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival, and Courage, tells the real-life story of three friends whose boat, tied to an unmanned oil rig, sank 15 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico. The three men were in the water for 28 hours!!!!! The men had to fight to survive against the waves, the cold, lack of water, and no one to call for help. Keep in mind, they were not the only ones in the water! Not only did they have to contend with jelly fish stings, nibbles from fish, and last but certainly not least, the circling sharks that kept getting closer and closer…… Not only was this book about the three men in the water, but it is also about those on the rescue team and their search for the men. How do you find people in the water when you don’t know where they are? How do you search for those who never told friends, significant others, or family members what marina they left from? Here’s some advice – always, and I mean always tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back!!!!! This was fast paced and gripping book which had me turning the pages and wanting to know how (and if all) the men would be rescued. I had not heard of this incident, so this was all fresh news to me. The author spoke to everyone involved and put their tale down on paper. Readers will get insight into the minds of both the men in the water, those in the men’s lives, and the rescuers who saved them. I could see their tale being made into a movie. This one was a nail biter. I can’t imagine the fear the men must have felt, the desperation, the anxiety, the cold, the exhaustion. Then there is the fear and dread of their loved ones. The rescuers had their own tale to tell. How they managed to search and find the three men with little information to go on. The bravery, the determination, and the harrowing rescue. I thought the author did a tremendous job of bringing this story to life. He did his research and it shows. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions and the pulse pounding moments which the author brought to life. The friendship of the men and their fight to stay alive was admirable. All involved were brave and put in situations which tested them in more ways than one. The tension in this book hit me like the waves hit the men. As I mentioned, I kept thinking about what I would do if I were in their shoes or shall I say life jackets. A wonderfully written, well researched, gripping, harrowing, and anxiety provoking tale of survival which proved to be a fast and riveting 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 the thoughts and opinions are my own.
