Linda
Riley Sager is one of my favorites. While I haven't loved all of his thrillers, this one definitely deserves praise. What starts out as your typical mystery (a young boy goes missing one night and his body is never found). Fast forward to 30 years later and his best friend is out to uncover the truth of what happened that night. Especially since he was the last one to see his friend alive. Soooo many suspects that I didn't see the real one until close to the end. My only complaint about this one is the portion of the story about the facility in the novel that gave off “Stranger Things” vibes. Don't get me wrong, I love that show, but I'm just not sure it needs to be in this novel. But I will say it did increase the creepy vibes which I'm sure was Sager's intention. Overall a solid mystery I would recommend to anyone who enjoys Sager's novels or intriguing stories.
This one was the perfect mix for me. Mystery, romance and fantasy all wrapped up in a beautifully written story. I loved the entire novel. Best of all, none of that “world building” or battles that last 2+ chapters. I just adored the characters and stayed drawn to the story until the end, which is also rare for me. I'll patiently wait for book 2 but I hope it comes out soon!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this audio book. I enjoyed it so much, I will be ordering a print copy. This book has so much valuable information inside for leaders of any organization. It also helps leaders recognize stress, burnout, etc. and how to combat those issues. Each chapter really made me stop and think about my own leadership skills as well as the other leaders on my team. I will be using these lessons with my team to discuss how we can grow as an organization and work to do better for everyone on our team.
I always enjoy Alex Finlay's novels and this one did not disappoint. A story about two teens, young and in love and planning for their future. And then one night everything changes and Ryan's world is torn apart when his girlfriend Ali is taken from his car with no witnesses. All Ryan can remember is being struck in the head and Ali's scream. He wakes up with no recolection of anything else other than the man who hit him missing fingers. With no leads, the case is pinned on a serial murderer and Ryan is never charged. Years later, Ali's car is found in a lake of water and Ryan returns how to find out what really happened that night. This story was really good, but I think the truth of what happened that night could have been better. It was kind of out there and I just feel readers will find that part of the story lacking. Everything leading up to it was great!
I've read a lot of books about IBS and gut problems, which I've had since I was young. It's quite the struggle. Some books help, others not so much but this one, this one is life changing! I enjoyed the audio version so much I ordered a print copy! Definitely recommended for anyone who struggles with IBS and gut health.
As a librarian, I was of course intrigued by the premise of this one. Chloe is a librarian in her small town, giving up on her dreams to come back and care for her siblings after her mother disappears. Struggling financially and mentally to do everything, she stumbles on a rare book in the libraries basement worth quite a bit of money. In the margins she finds correspondence between two long lost lovers. Her neighbor, an old cranky man, offers to buy the book from her for a considerable amount. But why does he want it so badly? With the help of a friend, she digs deeper into the story written on the pages and discovers town secrets that have been buried for years. Overall I enjoyed this one, but I did struggle with Jasper's sections. I don't even know why, the story was very good!
I really enjoyed this one. A magical attic that swaps out husbands? Why not! Magical realism is one of my favorite genres so when I read the premise, I had to have this one. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. I laughed out loud so many times during this book. If you like realistic fiction with just a bit of the unbelievable, this one will not disappoint. Similar to The midnight library in that the main character has the opportunity to live her life with various husbands mixed in.
The Australian Outback - typically a dry place, but a ferocious storm hits and leaves many people trapped where they are. Two couples vacationing struggle against the storm, while locals are preparing for the worst. Andrea and her husband, local owners of the bar/inn are dealing with the storm and a group of biker's that are a little rough. At one point, all of these people come together in good and bad ways, creating turmoil, friction and even murder. This one kept me on the edge of my seat, I couldn't quit listening! I really enjoyed it. The only thing I didn't much care for was the Dutch accents. I just found them slightly annoying but usually accents don't bother me.
Not only was this book helpful, it was also hilarious. I laughed out loud at some of the things the author wrote. (I also cringed a few times bc I do hoard some of the things mentioned in this book). I have... 4 junk drawers, and a few closets that need emptied. The author is spot on- no one wants to clean up your crap when you die. So do your family a favor and clean up while you're alive. And quit buying crap you don't need (guilty as charged). And when someone gifts you something you don't really want or have the room for, keep it for a few weeks and then regift it or donate it. Don't keep it out of guilt. Short, simple and to the point! I'm ready to spring clean my whole house!
Thank you Netgalley for an ARC audio of one of my favorite authors! Sally Hepworth's books are always suspenseful and interesting and her newest is no different. It's a story about three foster children who grew up in the same house together (Wild Meadows) under the thumb of unpredictable Miss Fairchild. Years later when a body is found on the property, the girls return to help uncover the truth about the person they lived with for so many years. What follows are secrets that no one saw coming, especially them. This book has it all, including a surprise ending! The narrator was good, but I did struggle a bit with some of her narrative.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. Although it's not my typical read, I thoroughly enjoyed it. My only regret is not realizing it was book four of a series. It takes place in McFalls County on top of a mountain owned by a family for several generations. It follows Gareth, local crime boss and his employee, “Nails” McKenna. Nails goes too far one night and Gareth tries to pay him off to leave town. What follows is a long road trip with Nails and the woman he tried to defend (Dallas), running for their lives all while trying to figure out what exactly happened that night. Without the back story of this mountain or these characters, I was still able to follow most of it. It has everything really - love, mystery, and action. The narrator did a fantastic job of portraying all of the characters.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this nonfiction title. Unfortunately, what I was expecting it be, it was not. As a parent of an 18 year old son, I was hoping for solid advice and guidance on how to help him navigate the next five years of his life. Entering into adulthood is scary; he's unsure what he wants to be when he grows up. So I was expecting this book to be about just that - how to parent him and help him get through the challenges he will face as a young adult. What I listened too was not helpful at all. If you're looking for a sampling of therapy sessions (and a mentality that everyone should be in therapy), this is the book for you. I found it very repetative and unhelpful. The title to me was very misleading as this book was not about how to parent your child through adulthood, but rather about how to fix all of the issues said child might have. I guess I am fortunate that my son is not struggling in the ways the children in this book are...
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC by one of my favorite authors! Rebecca Serle has yet again captivated me with her writing. This book was so intriguing from the description, I had to read it and I am so glad I did. The story is about Daphne and her love interests through time. But Daphne's story is a bit different - for every man she meets and spends time with, she knows exactly how much time it will last. She is given a slip of paper for each new relationship and on that slip of paper is the amount of time she will spend with this particular man. We get to experience each relationship (some last a night, others last months). Daphne seems content with this life, always knowing what to expect, until the unexpected happens and she is given note that is blank. Her only conclusion is that Jake is the one. If the note is blank, it must mean forever; this relationship has no expiration date. But she still has doubts, is Jake the one? And then Hugu (her one time boyfriend for three months, turned best friend), make an unexpected announcement that leaves Daphne wondering if she has more control over her relationships than she realizes. I absolutely adored this novel from start to finish and I can't wait to read more from this author.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audio version of “The day tripper” by James Goodhand. I thoroughly enjoyed this one as it is similar to others I've read, but also different. A book about second chances, do-overs and what you would do differently if you were given one. In life, I feel like we all have regrets, paths we would have taken (or wouldn't have) had we known the outcome. In Goodhand's new novel, Alex Dean gets to do just that. Will he make the right choices to end up with a better future than the one he is in now? Will it all work out for him in the end or are we destined to the same fate no matter what choice we make? As he relives his life out of order, he realizes what's most important to him and tries to make different choices to rewrite his future. I highly recommend this one to anyone who read and enjoyed, “The midnight library” by Matt Haig.
This book was very appealing for me starting with the title. This story is about a ranch dedicated to women going through divorce in the 1950s. You can get a divorce if you're unhappy in marriage, but you have to spend time at the “Divorce Ranch” with other women going through the same. Honestly, that's all I really know. I tried so hard to enjoy this book. I listened more than once to many of the chapters and I tried to love Lois, Greer and the rest of their ranch mates. But I just didn't. I didn't love the writing, the story or the characters. I struggled through this entire book and had it not been an ARC, I would have DNF'd it after the first few chapters. There wasn't much going on in this one and it was very slow paced. All of that being said, I do see it has several five star reviews, so let's just say it wasn't my type of read. I think I was expecting it to be something it wasn't. I will still recommend to others who enjoy slow paced novels.
As someone who judges a book by its cover, I was really surprised by this one. It wasn't what I expected at all, and sadly, it was not my favorite. I really struggled, so much so that I requested the audio ARC and the print copy. I tried reading, listening and combining the two. Unfortunately, this one just fell short for me. I didn't find any of the characters likable, and the lead was quite gullible. I'm not even sure who died and who lived if I'm being completely honest. Just not my type of story I guess? It read like a cozy mystery, but not quite. I can't even pinpoint what went wrong here, but I did not enjoy it as much as I'd hoped.
James Markert's story is so many things but most of all, uplifiting. I'll admit it took me a while to get into this one, but once I caught on to the story line and the author's writing, I was hooked! A story about a family drawn apart by misunderstandings and past mistakes. A story about Jeremiah Goodbye and his second chance to live the life he always wanted. A story about the Dust Bowl and the hardships families faced during that time period. And, how they eventually come to find each other again with the help of a lost boy, Peter Cotton. This story had everything you could want - drama, intrigue, love, and a touch of magic. My first book by Mr. Markert, but certainly not my last. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC (although I noticed it was published in book format in 2018?) At any rate, I would have missed out on a great story had it not been offered as an audio ARC. The narrator was also fantastic and did an excellent job making the character of Jeremiah and Peter Cotton come to life.
This book is for anyone who's ever wondered what might have been (and if you haven't, count yourself lucky). The rest of us, like the main character, wonder from time to time what our lives might look like had we made different choices. The story opens with Frankie on yet another first date. Like many of the others, it's not going well so she decides to skip out. Then she dies. Then she wakes up at the “station” which is something between heaven and hell. Frankie has been given a second chance of life. She has two options, go back to the life she was living (but felt lacking) or pick from a different life. She spends the next several chapters reliving her life but different, getting a glimpse of what would have been had she chosen differently. While this premise has been done several times, I applaud Acton's take on this. I will recommend for fans of “The midnight library” and other similar titles. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and was happy with the ending, and Frankie's choice. A feel good book with perfect narration, a great choice for a lazy Sunday!
Finlay Donovan has done it again!! (Or should I say, Elle Cosimano?) I absolutely love this series and #4 did not disappoint! From the road trip, to the hotel hopping, the dead bodies and everything in between; this book had me laughing and guessing until the end. Finlay and Vero have gotten themselves into quite the dilemma this time and I had no clue how they were going to come out of it unscathed. In their typical crime solving style, they not only manage, but go above and beyond everyone's expectations. I will definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys this series or anything by Evanovich. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Thank you so much Netgalley for this wonderful ARC from one of my favorite authors. Kristin Hannah has done it again. I rarely enjoy historical fiction, but when this woman writes about history, I can't get enough. The writing is beautiful, a story about a war that had so many divided and the nurses who saved countless lives while serving their country and putting their own lives at risk. I loved Frankie from the first chapter. Young and naive, she enlists to find her brother, not realizing the hell she's about to endure. While saving lives, she falls for not one, but two men. After the war, she's left to pick up the pieces of her existing life, but she's not the woman she once was. Struggling with the aftermath, she must come to terms with hard truths and seek help to overcome all of the heartbreak. I'll stop there because I don't want to ruin it but the author definitely had me reading all day until it was finished.
This one started out slow but overall was a cute story. Wren Waters is no longer engaged to the love of her life. The only thing that gets her out of bed every day is geocaching. She decides to hit the road on a journey to find hidden treasures and ultimately, find herself. Given her track record, she's leery of men in general but when one man, also on a path to find himself, saves her from a life threatening situation, Wren must decide whether to trust Marshall and join forces or risk her life by going solo. The road trip begins as two strangers on a mission to find themselves, but as their journey progresses, so does their friendship.
Thank you so much Netgalley for the ARC of this fantastic novel! The suspense and the plot twists were incredible and kept me guessing until the very end. Cate Quinn has crafted a seriously suspenseful story that involves a rehab center and a group of misfits trying to get their act together. I fell for all of these characters but especially Meg. After discovering her sister Haley has died in rehab, she risks everything to go undercover and find her murderer, as Meg refuses to believe her sister ended her own life while inside. Upon arriving at the Clinic, Meg meets the other addicts Haley was inside with and immediately decides one of them is her killer. Working through her own addictions and past childhood trauma, she tries to also solve her sister's murder. What happens in between is a roller coaster ride that leaves the reader convinced that everyone is lying and no one can be trusted.
What an exceptional book. One of the best I've read all year. It's interesting how your reading choices change over the years. If you'd have told me even 10 years ago that I would love fantasy, I would have laughed. Now I can't get enough of it. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is easily one of my new favorites. It's a story about a woman who strikes a deal with a devil, something we all know comes with consequence. The terms are never as easy as they sound. What follows is an extended life. In the end, she is left with one choice - make the ultimate sacrifice to save the man she loves or suffer herself. As much as I loved it, I do wish the ending would have tied up some loose ends. But aside from that, a beautifully written novel that will stay with me for a long time.