7.5/10

#BlogTour #BookReview Falls to Pieces by Douglas Corleone @dougcorleone @OverTheRiverPR @AmazonPub #FallsToPieces #DouglasCorleone #thomasandmercer #OTRPR

#BlogTour #BookReview Falls to Pieces by Douglas Corleone @dougcorleone @OverTheRiverPR @AmazonPub #FallsToPieces #DouglasCorleone #thomasandmercer #OTRPR Title: Falls to Pieces

Author: Douglas Corleone

Published by: Thomas & Mercer on Apr. 1, 2025

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 285

Format: Paperback

Source: Amazon Publishing, OTRPR

Book Rating: 7.5/10

A mother and daughter in hiding are threatened by more than secrets and lies in a twisting novel of paranoia, revenge, and psychological suspense by bestselling author Douglas Corleone.

For two years, Kati Dawes and her teenage daughter, Zoe, have lived off the grid in Hawaii, hiding from a past Kati must forget as if her life depends on it. New names. Anonymous online presence. So far, safe. Until Kati’s fiancé, attorney Eddie Akana, disappears along a popular hiking trail in a Maui national park. Now all eyes are on Kati. Exposure can make a woman with so many secrets very paranoid.

Eddie’s law partner, Noah Walker, is doing everything he can to protect his new client from the press that’s hovering like a vulture and the authorities whose suspicions about Kati―and the disappearance―are rising. Then suddenly, Zoe goes missing as well. Kati will risk anything to find her. But the worst is still to come. Because Kati’s not the only one with secrets. And buried among them is a twist she never saw coming.


Review:

Simmering, sinister, and edgy!

Falls to Pieces is an ominous, twisty tale that sweeps you away to Hawaii and into the life of Kate Dawes, the mother of a teen daughter who, after fleeing an abusive husband and changing her name, finds her world turned upside down again when her new boyfriend, a local beloved lawyer goes missing, and the publicity surrounding his disappearance brings all his secrets to light as well as her own.

The prose is crisp and tight. The characters are secretive, persuasive, and vulnerable. And the plot is a complex, menacing tale of family, friendship, deception, lies, drama, manipulation, secrets, revelations, suspicious personalities, violence, and murder.

Overall, Falls to Pieces is a suspenseful, compelling, intense tale by Corleone that isn’t incredibly fast-paced but which, ultimately, does a remarkable job of highlighting that people aren’t always who they seem.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

     

 

 

Thank you to OTRPR and Amazon Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Douglas Corleone

Douglas Corleone is the international bestselling author of Gone Cold, Payoff, and
Robert Ludlum’s The Janson Equation, as well as the acclaimed Kevin Corvelli novels,
the Simon Fisk international thrillers, and the stand-alone courtroom drama The
Rough Cut. Corleone’s debut novel, One Man’s Paradise, won the 2009 Minotaur
Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award and was a finalist for
the 2011 Shamus Award for Best First Novel. A former New York City criminal
defense attorney, Corleone now resides in Honolulu, where he is currently at work
on his next novel.

#BookReview Strike and Burn by Taylor Hutton @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #StrikeAndBurn #TaylorHutton #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Strike and Burn by Taylor Hutton @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #StrikeAndBurn #TaylorHutton #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Strike and Burn

Author: Taylor Hutton

Published by: Berkley on Jan. 28, 2025

Genres: Romantic Suspense

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 7.5/10

A breathless romantic thriller that doesn’t just toe the line between danger and desire—it burns it to the ground.

Honor Stone is all alone in this world. No family, no money, no future. So when she locks eyes with Strike Madden—in the morgue of all places—she’s not in the mood to be seduced. Sure, he’s drop-dead gorgeous, and the sizzle of attraction between them is undeniable, but she’s reeling from her identical twin sister’s murder. It’s the wrong time, wrong place, wrong everything.

Still, the enigmatic billionaire hires Honor as an artist to spearhead his carefully curated erotic animation studio—a job they soon find to be a dangerous mix of business and pleasure.

But when her twin’s obsessive killer targets Honor, the painful secrets of Honor’s traumatic past will finally be exposed with devastating consequences. Strike will stop at nothing to protect her, uncovering his own bone-chilling demons—a beautifully broken, dark side that doesn’t scare Honor…

It consumes her.


Review:

Dark, menacing, and alluring!

Strike and Burn is a charged, passionate tale that takes you into the lives of two main characters: Honor, a hardworking young woman whose past is littered with tragedy, and Strike, a billionaire businessman with a checkered past of his own who spends his nights hunting down those who enjoy preying on the weak and vulnerable.

The prose is seductive and tight. The characters are scarred, hesitant, and troubled. And the plot is a compelling tale filled with secrets, deception, danger, familial drama, childhood abuse, sexual attraction, erotic animation, tension, mayhem, and murder.

Overall, Strike and Burn is an enticing, sensual, gritty tale by Hutton that is definitely a good choice for those who like their romantic suspense with a whole lot of spice.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Taylor Hutton

Taylor Hutton is the pseudonym of a pair of writer friends, one of whom has twice been a finalist for the National Book Award and the other who is a New York Times bestselling author and Edgar Award finalist. Between the two of them, they have written over forty books. When they are not passing their latest sexy thriller back and forth on Google Doc, they are browsing bookstores, sending each other ridiculous memes, walking their dogs Trudy and Potato around their Los Angeles neighborhood, and making their children cringe with their TikTok videos.

Photo by Indy Flores

#BookReview Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita @Berkley @PenguinRandomCA #VillageInTheDark #CaraKennedySeries #IrisYamashita #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita @Berkley @PenguinRandomCA #VillageInTheDark #CaraKennedySeries #IrisYamashita #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Village in the Dark

Author: Iris Yamashita

Series: Cara Kennedy #2

Published by: Berkley on Jan. 14, 2025

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 288

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 7.5/10

Detective Cara Kennedy thought she’d lost her husband and son in an accident, but harrowing evidence has emerged that points to murder–and she will stop at nothing to find the truth in this riveting mystery from the author of City Under One Roof.

On a frigid February day, Anchorage Detective Cara Kennedy stands by the graves of her husband and son, watching as their caskets are raised from the earth. It feels sacrilegious, but she has no choice. Aaron and Dylan disappeared on a hike a year ago, their bones eventually found and buried. But shocking clues have emerged that foul play was involved, potentially connecting them to a string of other deaths and disappearances. 
 
Somehow tied to the mystery is Mia Upash, who grew up in an isolated village called Unity, a community of women and children in hiding from abusive men. Mia never imagined the trouble she would find herself in when she left home to live in Man’s World. Although she remains haunted by the tragedy of what happened to the man and the boy in the woods, she has her own reasons for keeping quiet.
 
Aided by police officer Joe Barkowski and other residents of Point Mettier, Cara’s investigation will lead them on a dangerous path that puts their lives and the lives of everyone around them in mortal jeopardy.


Review:

Duplicitous, intense, and atmospheric!

In this intriguing, second instalment in the Cara Kennedy series, Village in the Dark, we head back to Alaska, where Anchorage Detective Cara Kennedy now finds herself having to relive the devastating tragedy of losing her husband and son when new clues seem to tie their murders to another crime and she makes the difficult decision to exhume their bodies, treks back to the isolated village of Pont Mettier to ask for help, and allows the romance between herself and the recuperating Officer Barkowski to blossom even further.

The prose is sharp and brisk. The characters are strong, relentless, and resourceful. And the plot unfolds quickly into a menacing tale of mischief, mayhem, corruption, manipulation, betrayal, coercion, greed, violence, and murder.

Overall, Village in the Dark is a tight, captivating, sinister tale by Yamashita that is also dark, intricate, and entertaining.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Iris Yamashita

Iris Yamashita is an Academy Award–nominated screenwriter for the movie Letters from Iwo Jima. She has been working in Hollywood for fifteen years developing material for both film and streaming, has taught screenwriting at UCLA, and is an advocate of women and diversity in the entertainment industry. She has also been a judge and mentor for various film and writing programs, and lives in California.

Photo by Anthony Mongiello

#BookReview The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kaswell @entangledpub @angelamelamud #TheNeighborWager #CrystalKaswell

#BookReview The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kaswell @entangledpub @angelamelamud #TheNeighborWager #CrystalKaswell Title: The Neighbor Wager

Author: Crystal Kaswell

Published by: Entangled Publishing on Feb. 20, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Angela Melamud, Entangled Publishing

Book Rating: 7.5/10

Meet River. He used to be the nerd next door…only now he’s all grown up, got a sleeve of tattoos, and women seem to like him. A lot.

Even Lexi, the girl of River’s teenaged dreams, all bubbly sweetness—never noticed him. Until now.

There’s only one problem. They’re not meant for each other.

Now it’s up to Deanna, the super pragmatic, algorithm-fueled brains behind the new dating app Meetcute to make sure they realize it.

River might be certain he knows true love when he sees it, but Deanna knows differently, and the future of her company is riding on it. All she has to do is prove to him that what he’s feeling for Lexi isn’t love. Not even close.

…even if it means making him fall for Deanna, instead.

Challenge accepted.


Review:

Spirited, enticing, and fun!

The Neighbor Wager is a lighthearted, engaging tale featuring the hardworking Deanna Huntington who, after working extremely hard to get her new dating app off the ground, is determined to do whatever it takes to prove her algorithms are correct, even if it means showing the boy next door who has always had a crush on her younger sister that she might actually be his better match after all.

The prose is amusing and sweet. The characters are intelligent, resolute, and confident. And the plot is a flirty, entertaining blend of life, love, friendship, chemistry, attraction, tricky situations, self-discovery, family, happiness, and romance.

Overall, The Neighbor Wager is a charming, humorous, sassy tale by Kaswell that is a contemporary twist on the classic “Sabrina” tale.

 

This novel is available now!

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

 

       

 

 

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Angela Melamud for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Crystal Kaswell

Crystal Kaswell writes fun, sexy new adult romances. She loves writing flawed, three-dimensional characters who deal with real problems.

Her weaknesses include dark chocolate, homemade chai lattes, TV marathons, and men with full-sleeves tattoos. She is a diehard defender of pop-punk music, the present tense, and Katniss Everdeen.

#BookReview Where You End by Abbott Kahler @HenryHolt #WhereYouEnd #AbbottKahler #HenryHoltBooks

#BookReview Where You End by Abbott Kahler @HenryHolt #WhereYouEnd #AbbottKahler #HenryHoltBooks Title: Where You End

Author: Abbott Kahler

Published by: Henry Holt and Co. on Jan. 16, 2024

Genres: Horror, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Henry Holt and Co.

Book Rating: 7.5/10

From bestselling nonfiction author Abbott Kahler comes a spellbinding fiction debut inspired by true events: an unusual form of amnesia upends the lives of identical twins, forcing them to face the indelible, dangerous shadow of the past.

When 22-year-old Kat Bird wakes up from a coma, she sees her mirror image: Jude, her twin sister. Jude’s face and name are the only memories Kat has from before her accident. As Kat tries to relearn her history and identity, she trusts Jude will provide all the answers. But as the months progress, Kat begins to fear that, maybe, Jude has been lying to her.

Recruit. Hunt. Perform or Perish.

Growing up in a sophisticated New Age cult, isolated from society, the girls studied poetry and literature—but also played dangerous games of cunning and savagery, games with dark lessons that followed them into adulthood. Now, with Kat’s mind as a blank slate, Jude invents an idyllic childhood in the hope of erasing this history, and all the threats it still holds.

As Kat pulls at the threads of Jude’s elaborate tapestry, those threats draw closer. When the past and present finally converge, the twins must risk everything to save both their unique bond, and each other’s lives.

Intensely creepy and beautifully written, Abbott Kahler’s Where You End is an unforgettable tale of intrigue, revenge, and moral ambiguities in the quest for redemption.


Review:

Dark, eerie, and compelling! 

Where You End is a taut, ominous tale that takes you into the life of twenty-two-year-old Katherine Bird who, after a terrible car accident that leaves her mind blank of almost every memory except the special connection she has with her mirror twin, struggles to uncover the truths and secrets she knows she’s not being told about a past littered with a lot of darkness and perversion.

The prose is gritty and tight. The characters are vulnerable, secretive, and damaged. And the plot, using a back-and-forth, past/present style, unfolds and unravels quickly into a menacing tale of lies, deception, indoctrination, depravity, retribution, manipulation, shocking revelations, sisterhood, violence, and murder.

Overall, Where You End is an intense, sinister, solid debut by Kahler that has certainly left me intrigued and excited for whatever utterly disturbing tale she manages to come up with next.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

 

Thank you to Henry Holt and Company for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Abbott Kahler

Abbott Kahler, formerly writing as Karen Abbott, is the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City; American Rose; Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy; and The Ghosts of Eden Park, which was an Edgar Award finalist for best fact crime and a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award. Her next nonfiction book, Then Came the Devil, is forthcoming in 2025. She is also the host of Remus: The Mad Bootleg King, a forthcoming podcast from iHeartRadio about legendary Jazz Age bootlegger George Remus. A native of Philadelphia, she lives in New York City and in Greenport, New York, where she is at work on her next novel.

#BookReview The Trade Off by Sandie Jones @realsandiejones @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #SandieJones #TheTradeOffBook #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview The Trade Off by Sandie Jones @realsandiejones @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #SandieJones #TheTradeOffBook #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers Title: The Trade Off

Author: Sandie Jones

Published by: Minotaur Books on Aug. 15, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: ARC, eBook

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 7.5/10

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club Pick The Other Woman comes The Trade Off, an electrifying new novel of suspense that begs the Would you tell a story, if you knew it was a lie? Or tell the truth and sleep at night?

For Stella, deputy editor of The Globe, the choice has always been clear. It doesn’t matter how low she has to stoop―getting the best story is what she’s built her reputation on.

For Jess, The Globe ’s rookie reporter, the story stops when the truth does. But she knows that the dirty tricks of the tabloids will be hard to overturn.

And when a celebrity is hounded by The Globe and pays the ultimate price, Jess wonders just how much Stella and the paper are responsible.

Determined to show the world what the tabloid is capable of, Jess will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth, but she needs to watch her back, because someone else is prepared to kill to bury it.

RISK or REWARD. JUSTICE or REVENGE. INNOCENCE or GUILT.


Review:

Intricate, crafty, and suspenseful!

The Trade Off is an engrossing, ominous tale that transports you into the lives of two main characters, Stella, the deputy editor of The Globe who will do whatever it takes to get the story, and Jess, the new rookie reporter who believes that the only story that should be printed is the truth, especially when that story can lead to devastating consequences.

The prose is tight and tense. The characters are secretive, ruthless, and driven. And the plot unravels quickly into a gripping tale full of twists, turns, lies, deception, power, abuse, corruption, greed, indulgence, revelations, ambition, and violence.

Overall, The Trade Off is a sinister, entertaining, intense thriller by Jones that explores the ethical and moral fine line between right and wrong. And even though it isn’t my favourite novel by this author, it does do a wonderful job of combining the morally questionable, somewhat sleazy atmosphere of tabloid journalism with unsavoury characters, poor choices, and eerie motivations.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Minotaur Books – St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sandie Jones

SANDIE JONES has worked as a freelance journalist for more than twenty years and has written for publications including The Sunday Times, Woman’s Weekly, and Hello magazine. She lives in Lon-don with her husband and three children. She is the author of The Other Woman, a Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine pick, as well as The First Mistake and The Half Sister. The Guilt Trip is her fourth novel.

Photo by Harriet Buckingham.

#BookReview Funny Guy by Emma Barry @AuthorEmmaBarry @KayePublicity @KayePublicity @AmazonPub #FunnyGuy #EmmaBarry #Montlake #KayePublicity

#BookReview Funny Guy by Emma Barry @AuthorEmmaBarry @KayePublicity @KayePublicity @AmazonPub #FunnyGuy #EmmaBarry #Montlake #KayePublicity Title: Funny Guy

Author: Emma Barry

Published by: Montlake Romance on May 16, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 271

Format: Paperback

Source: Kaye Publicity

Book Rating: 7.5/10

From the author of Chick Magnet comes a heartfelt friends-to-lovers story about what can happen when a funny guy and his childhood best friend are stuck together in a small New York City apartment.

Sam can’t escape the smash hit “Lost Boy” because, well, he is the lost boy. His pop-singer ex immortalized him in a song about his childish ways, and now his comedy career is on the line.

At least he still has Bree, his best friend and confidante. Bree has always been there for Sam, but she’s never revealed her biggest secret: she’s in love with him. To help herself move on, Bree applies for her dream job across the country―and doesn’t say a thing to Sam.

But as Sam tries to resuscitate his career, he turns to Bree for support―and maybe more. In the confines of her tiny apartment, they share a different dynamic. A charged dynamic. But she’s his friend. He can’t be falling for her.

Except he is.

Are his feelings for Bree just funny business? Or is their smoldering attraction the real deal?


Review:

Witty, optimistic, and sweet!

Funny Guy is an uplifting, layered tale that mixes the kind, hardworking Bree, who may finally have to come to grips with the fact that her childhood best friend doesn’t love her in the same way she loves him, and Sam, the hotheaded, impulsive comedian who seems to use his tortured past and feelings of worthlessness to continually try to destroy his successful career and any relationships that could be long-lasting.

The writing is warm and charming. The characters are patient, supportive, and scarred. And the plot is a delightful mix of life, love, friendship, chemistry, attraction, heartfelt moments, introspection, taking chances, and moving on.

Overall, Funny Guy is a captivating, tender, quick read by Barry that did a wonderful job of mixing heavier issues with some lighthearted fun.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

     

 

 

Thank you to Kaye Publicity for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Emma Barry

Emma Barry is a teacher, novelist, recovering academic, and former political staffer. She lives with her high school sweetheart and a menagerie of pets and children in Virginia, and she occasionally finds time to read and write.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan @smpromance @StMartinsPress #SophieSullivan #AGuidetoBeingJustFriends #JansenBrothersSeries #smpromance #smpinfluencers

#BookReview A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan @smpromance @StMartinsPress #SophieSullivan #AGuidetoBeingJustFriends #JansenBrothersSeries #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: A Guide to Being Just Friends

Author: Sophie Sullivan

Series: Jansen Brothers #3

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jan. 17, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 7.5/10

A playful and emotional romantic comedy from the author of Ten Rules for Faking It

Hailey Sharp has a one-track mind. Get By the Cup salad shop off the ground. Do literally everything possible to make it a success. Repeat. With a head full of entrepreneurial ideas and a bad ex in her rearview, her one and only focus is living life the way she wants to. No distractions.

Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships. With a string of lackluster first dates and the pain from his parents’ angry divorce following him around, he’d much rather find someone who he likes, but won’t love. Companionship, not passion, is the name of the game.

When Hailey and Wes find each other in a disastrous meet cute that wasn’t even intended for them, they embarrassingly go their separate ways. But when Wes finds Hailey to apologize for his behavior, they strike a friendship. Because that’s all this can be. Hailey doesn’t want any distractions. Wes doesn’t want to fall in love.

What could possibly go wrong?


Review:

Engaging, heartfelt, and fun!

A Guide to Being Just Friends is an alluring, friends-to-lovers romance that transports you to the idyllic San Verde and into the lives of the hardworking, heartbroken Hailey Sharp, who is determined after a disastrous breakup to put all her time and effort into making her new salad shop a success, and the intelligent, successful Wes Jansen who is content with casual dating and determined to never fall in love.

The writing is witty and light. The characters are sweet, helpful, and friendly. And the plot is a charming blend of life, love, introspection, friendship, family, awkward situations, misunderstandings, undeniable attraction, and taking chances.

Overall, A Guide to Being Just Friends is an amusing, lighthearted, slow-burning tale by Sullivan that is the third and last book in the Jansen Brothers series, and even though it can definitely be read as a standalone, as someone who missed the first two novels in the series, I think I would have enjoyed this one even more if I had had the chance to read them.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to SMP Romance – St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sophie Sullivan

SOPHIE SULLIVAN is a Canadian author as well as a cookie-eating, Diet Pepsi-drinking, Disney enthusiast who loves reading and writing romance in almost equal measure. She writes around her day job as a teacher and spends her spare time with her sweet family watching reruns of Friends. TEN RULES FOR FAKING IT is her romcom debut novel, but she's had plenty of practice writing happily ever after as her alter ego, Jody Holford.

#BookReview The Party House by Lin Anderson @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #ThePartyHouse #LinAnderson #PGCBooks

#BookReview The Party House by Lin Anderson @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #ThePartyHouse #LinAnderson #PGCBooks Title: The Party House

Author: Lin Anderson

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Jan. 10, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 7.5/10

The Party House by Lin Anderson is a deeply atmospheric psychological thriller set in the Scottish Highlands, for fans of Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware and Sarah Pearse’s The Sanatorium.

Devastated by a recent pandemic brought in by outsiders, the villagers of Blackrig in the Scottish Highlands are outraged when they find that the nearby estate plans to reopen its luxury ‘party house’ to tourists.

As animosity sparks amongst the locals, part of the property is damaged and, in the ensuing chaos, the body of a young girl is found in the wreck. Seventeen-year-old Ailsa Cummings went missing five years ago, never to be seen again – until now.

The excavation of Ailsa’s remains ignites old suspicions cast on the men of this small community, including Greg, the estate’s gamekeeper. At the beginning of a burgeoning relationship with a new lover, Joanne, Greg is loath to discuss old wounds. Frightened by Greg’s reaction to the missing girl’s discovery, Joanne begins to doubt how well she knows this new man in her life. Then again, he’s not the only one with secrets in their volatile relationship . . .


Review:

Dark, suspenseful, and unnerving!

The Party House is an engrossing, ominous tale that transports you to Scotland post-pandemic and into the lives of the Blackrig villagers, especially estate gamekeeper Greg, as they juggle with their feelings for the reopening of the posh, local estate where parties were always wild, rules were flounted, COVID was transmitted killing six of their own treasured souls, and where it now also seems to be the burial site for the body of a missing teen.

The prose is tight and intense. The characters are wary, secretive, and troubled. And the plot, told from alternating perspectives, unravels quickly into a gripping tale full of twists, turns, shocking revelations, lies, deception, indulgence, depravity, jealousy, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Party House is a sinister, entertaining, intense stand-alone thriller by Anderson that does a wonderful job of combining the isolating atmosphere of The Scottish Highlands with unsavoury characters, poor choices, and eerie motivations.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

              

 

 

Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lin Anderson

Lin Anderson is a Scottish author and screenwriter known for her bestselling crime series featuring forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod. Four of her novels have been longlisted for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year, with Follow the Dead being a 2018 finalist. Her short film River Child won both a Scottish BAFTA for Best Fiction and the Celtic Film Festival’s Best Drama award and has now been viewed more than one million times on YouTube. Lin is also the co-founder of the international crime writing festival Bloody Scotland, which takes place annually in Stirling.

#BookReview Wait for Me by Sara Shepard @UnionSqandCo #WaitforMe #SaraShepard #UnionSqandCo

#BookReview Wait for Me by Sara Shepard @UnionSqandCo #WaitforMe #SaraShepard #UnionSqandCo Title: Wait for Me

Author: Sara Shepard

Published by: Union Square & Co. on Nov. 1, 2022

Genres: Young Adult

Pages: 336

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Union Square & Co.

Book Rating: 7.5/10

Drowning in déjà vu . . .
 
Who is Casey Rhodes? Is she a no-nonsense realist or a hopeless romantic? A just-getting-by scholarship student or a sometimes-Cinderella dating the cool, cultured heir to a media empire and New York City’s most eligible? At seventeen years old and already in her sophomore year at NYU, Casey sheds disguises effortlessly. It’s how she navigates school and avoids the second-guessing that’s plagued her since she and her boyfriend Marcus got together. 
 
But then Casey starts hearing voices that terrify her so badly she flees to the remote beach town of Avon where she can sort through her thoughts and reset. But the voices only get more intense and are now accompanied by visions of places she’s never been and people she’s never met, like Jake who’s lived in Avon his whole life. There’s no way Casey could know him, yet she feels an immediate connection. And, crazier still: he feels it too. Together they search for answers, finding only questions—about their connection, Avon, Casey’s memories . . . And whose voice is she hearing inside her head?


Review:

Mysterious, thought-provoking, and romantic!

Wait For Me is a creative, dramatic tale that takes you on a journey into the life of seventeen-year-old Casey Rhodes as she struggles with her hesitancy towards her seemingly rich, handsome boyfriend Marcus, her haunting memories of the loss of her mother, the inexplicable attraction she seems to have for a boy who calls her Becky, and disturbing flashbacks that seem so real but from another life completely.

The writing is haunting and rich. The characters are confused, troubled, and determined. And the plot is a tortuous, emotional tale of life, loss, tragedy, desperation, familial drama, secrets, heartache, romance, tortured souls, and supernatural phenomena.

Overall, Wait For Me was a little different than I was expecting but was nevertheless a unique, compelling, twisty read by Shepard that kept me intrigued from start to finish.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Union Square & Co. for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sara Shepard

Sara Shepard is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the sixteen-book Pretty Little Liars series, which has sold millions of copies worldwide, has been translated into more than twenty different languages, and became a popular TV show on Freeform. She’s also the author of The Perfectionists and The Lying Game, which also were TV series, as well as The Amateurs series, and several books for adults including The Heiresses, Reputation, and The Elizas. She’s written more than thirty novels in total and is also active in the screenwriting and podcasting spaces.

Photo by Daniel Snyder.