8/10

#BookReview If We’re Being Honest by Cat Shook @CeladonBooks #IfWereBeingHonest #CeladonBooks #CeladonReads #partner

#BookReview If We’re Being Honest by Cat Shook @CeladonBooks #IfWereBeingHonest #CeladonBooks #CeladonReads #partner Title: If We're Being Honest

Author: Cat Shook

Published by: Celadon Books on Apr. 18, 2023

Genres: General Fiction

Pages: 304

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Celadon Books

Book Rating: 8/10

For fans of We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange and All Adults Here by Emma Straub, Cat Shook’s debut novel If We’re Being Honest is the snappy, smart, heartwarming story of the Williams family, and the sweltering summer that rewrote their history.

When Gerry, the beloved Williams patriarch, dies suddenly, his grandchildren flock from across the country to the family home in Eulalia, Georgia. But when Gerry’s best friend steps up to the microphone to deliver his eulogy, the funeral turns out unlike anyone expected. The cousins, left reeling and confused, cope with their fresh grief and various private dramas. Delia, recently heartbroken, refuses to shut up about her ex. Her sister Alice, usually confident, flusters when she spots her high school sweetheart, hiding a secret that will change both of their lives. Outspoken, affable Grant is preening in the afterglow of his recent appearance on The Bachelorette and looking to reignite an old flame with the least available person in town. Meanwhile, his younger brother Red, unsure of himself and easily embarrassed, desperately searches for a place in the boisterous family.

The cousins’ eccentric parents are in tow, too, and equally lost—in love and in life. Watching over them all is Ellen, Gerry’s sweet and proper widow, who does her best to keep her composure in front of the leering small town.

Clever and completely original, If We’re Being Honest reminds you that while no one can break your heart like your family can, there’s really no one better to put you back together.


Review:

Complex, heartfelt, and absorbing!

If We’re Being Honest is a tender, hopeful, multi-generational story that delves into all the emotional bonds and intricate ties that exist between family members and immerses you in a tale about confronting the past, accepting the things you cannot change, following your heart, learning to heal, and embracing whatever comes next.

The prose is well-turned and fluid. The characters are flawed, troubled, and bitter. And the plot is a captivating tale about life, loss, heartache, grief, guilt, love, secrets, resentment, revelations, acceptance, familial drama, friendship, hope, forgiveness, and introspection.

Overall, If We’re Being Honest is a nuanced, uplifting, character-driven debut by Shook that was a good reminder that family can be frustrating, messy, secretive, and sometimes hard to love, but they can also be surprising, supportive, loyal, and the only true place that feels like home.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

 

Thank you to Celadon Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Cat Shook

Catherine Shook graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016 with degrees in Creative Writing and Mass Media Arts. Born and raised in Georgia, she now lives in Manhattan. IF I WERE BEING HONEST is her first novel.

Photo Credit: MurphyMade

#BookReview Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @TundraBooks @PenguinRandomCA #SomeoneIsAlwaysWatching #KelleyArmstrong #PenguinRandomCA

#BookReview Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @TundraBooks @PenguinRandomCA #SomeoneIsAlwaysWatching #KelleyArmstrong #PenguinRandomCA Title: Someone Is Always Watching

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Published by: Tundra Books on Apr. 11, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Young Adult

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

Source: Penguin Random House Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

Blythe and her friends—Gabrielle, and brother and sister Tucker and Tanya—have always been a tight friend group, attending a local high school and falling in and out of love with each other. But an act of violence has caused a rift between Blythe and Tucker . . . and unexpected bursts of aggression and disturbing nightmares have started to become more frequent in their lives.

The strange happenings culminate in a shocking event at school: Gabrielle is found covered in blood in front of their deceased principal, with no memory of what happened.

Cracks in their friendship, as well as in their own memories, start appearing, threatening to expose long-forgotten secrets which could change the group’s lives forever. How can Blythe and her friends trust each other when they can’t even trust their own memories?


Review:

Intense, intricate, and twisty!

Someone Is Always Watching is a complex, psychological thriller that takes you into the life of a close-knit group of teens, all students at a private, prestigious STEM academy who, after one of their friends begins to exhibit unusual behaviours, becomes obsessed with the idea that the security cameras are always watching, and is found covered in blood at the scene of the Vice Principal’s death, begin to try and unravel what actually happened and what their ever-increasing nightmares and troubling, fragmented memories really mean.

The writing style is tight and sinister. The characters are vulnerable, determined, and resourceful. And the plot is an action-packed, ominous tale full of secrets, deception, tragedy, friendship, childhood trauma, red herrings, self-identification, experimentation, and shocking revelations.

Overall, Someone Is Always Watching is a menacing, mystifying, sinuous tale that is the first YA novel I’ve had the chance to read by Armstrong, but with its abundance of intrigue, action, deduction, and adventure surely won’t be my last.

 

This novel is available now.

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

             

 

 

 

Thank you to Penguin Random Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Photograph by Kathryn Hollinrake.

#BookReview Deep Fake by Ward Larsen @wardlarsen @ForgeReads #DeepFake #WardLarsen #ForgeBooks #ForgeReads

#BookReview Deep Fake by Ward Larsen @wardlarsen @ForgeReads #DeepFake #WardLarsen #ForgeBooks #ForgeReads Title: Deep Fake

Author: Ward Larsen

Published by: Forge Books on Mar. 14, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Hardcover

Source: Forge Books

Book Rating: 8/10

Absolute Power meets The Manchurian Candidate in this explosive political thriller from USA Today bestselling author Ward Larsen, Deep Fake.

The Cold War is back—but for some it never ended.

Sarah Ridgeway is living the life she’s always envisioned. She has a devoted husband, a loving daughter, and a comfortable home. The path to reach it, however, has not always been smooth. For twelve years her husband, Bryce, served in the Army, deployed to some of the world’s worst trouble spots. After his service ended with a combat injury, the future had seemed precarious, but with Sarah’s support and that of his wealthy family, combined with his exemplary service record, he is elected to congress.

Then, in a moment, everything changes: at a drab Washington fundraiser, the junior congressman intervenes in a terrorist attack, and narrowly escapes with his life. When videos of his bravery go viral, he quickly becomes a national hero. The timing could not be more fortuitous. The presidential primaries are heating up, and Bryce’s party is desperate for a fresh candidate to challenge the vulnerable incumbent.

Amid the whirlwind, Sarah senses something amiss. Since the attack, Bryce has been forgetful and acting strangely. Could it be the stress? she wonders. Might the recent explosion have aggravated his combat trauma? For the first time ever, she finds herself doubting a man she has always trusted. Confessing her fears to her closest friend, together they quietly search for answers. What they uncover is stunning: the man who might soon be president has a deeply held secret. A secret that will likely destroy Sarah’s life—and certainly lead the nation to ruin.


Review:

Ominous, action-packed, and twisty!

Deep Fake is a well-executed, sinister tale that takes you into the life of Sarah Ridgeway, a mother and congressman’s wife who, after sensing something is just not right, decides to ask her friend for help figuring out what’s really going on with her ex-army husband who hasn’t been acting like himself since surviving a terrorist attack and then quickly announcing he’s running for president.

The prose is brisk and tight. The characters are vulnerable, resourceful, and persistent. And the plot is a thrilling tale full of greed, power, deception, coercion, manipulation, corruption, espionage, politics, and murder.

Overall, Deep Fake is a menacing, edgy, satisfying tale by Larsen that highlights just how easily the line between right and wrong can be blurred and reminds us that sometimes there are no limits to the lengths that people and countries will go for control and power.

 

This book is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Forge Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ward Larsen

Ward Larsen is a USA Today bestselling author and a four-time winner of the Florida Book Award.

His first thriller, The Perfect Assassin, is currently being adapted into a major motion picture by Amber Entertainment.

A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Larsen flew over twenty missions in Operation Desert Storm.

He has also served as a federal law enforcement officer, airline captain, and is a trained aircraft accident investigator.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview Too Wrong to Be Right by Melonie Johnson @smpromance @MelonieJohnson @StMartinsPress #2Wrong2BRight #MelonieJohnson #smpromance #smpinfluencers #StMartinsPress

#BookReview Too Wrong to Be Right by Melonie Johnson @smpromance @MelonieJohnson @StMartinsPress #2Wrong2BRight #MelonieJohnson #smpromance #smpinfluencers #StMartinsPress Title: Too Wrong to Be Right

Author: Melonie Johnson

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Feb. 28, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: ARC, eBook

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

After her latest jerk of a boyfriend dumps her (and ditches her with his pet hedgehog), florist Kat Kowalski is done chasing after Mr. Wrong. With her two best friends moving on to more serious relationships, she’s ready to stop repeating the same mistakes that are leaving her stuck in the single lane. Armed with a list of qualities for her perfect Mr. Right, Kat swears off dating until she finds him.

Then in a meet-disaster involving a corpse and a salty cockatoo, she stumbles across Mick O’Sullivan at his family’s funeral home. Their immediate chemistry warns Kat to keep things platonic; after all, following her heart never worked out in the past, and this time she’s determined to listen to her head. But can Kat and Mick be just friends? As she gets to know him better, the lines blur, and Kat starts to wonder if she’s gotten it wrong and Mick is exactly who she’s been looking for…


Review:

Humorous, sweet, and light!

Too Wrong to Be Right is a charming, heartfelt romance that mixes the hardworking, hesitant Kat who, after her most recent breakup, is determined to stop picking men based on attraction but rather a list of qualities she’s sure will help her find the one, and the dependable, patient Mick who will put his ever-growing feelings aside to help his new friend find the man of her dreams even though he secretly wishes it was him.

The prose is smooth and tender. The characters are quirky, fun-loving, and supportive. And the plot is a comical, heartwarming blend of instant attraction, witty banter, palpable chemistry, friendship, family, light drama, unconditional love, and scene-stealing pets.

Overall, Too Wrong to Be Right is a cute, adorable, entertaining tale by Johnson that was a true delight to read with its amusing characters, 90s rom-com references, happy-ever-after ending, and characters I couldn’t help but root for.

 

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 Melonie Johnson

USA Today bestselling author Melonie Johnson—aka #thewritinglush—enjoys sipping cocktails that start with the letter m. Declared a “writer to watch” by Kirkus and a “fizzy, engrossing new voice” by Entertainment Weekly, her smart funny contemporary romances include Too Good to Be Real and her award-winning Sometimes in Love debut series: Getting Hot with the Scot, Smitten by the Brit, and Once Upon a Bad Boy. A former high school English and Theatre teacher, she spends her days in her Star Wars office, dreaming up meet cutes. She lives in Chicagoland with her husband, their two redhead daughters, and one very large dog.

Photo by Heather Stumpf.

#BookReview The Angel Maker by Alex North @CeladonBooks #alexnorth #alexnorthauthor #theangelmaker #CeladonBooks #CeladonReads #partner

#BookReview The Angel Maker by Alex North @CeladonBooks #alexnorth #alexnorthauthor #theangelmaker #CeladonBooks #CeladonReads #partner Title: The Angel Maker

Author: Alex North

Published by: Celadon Books on Feb. 28, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Celadon Books

Book Rating: 8/10

A dark, suspenseful new thriller about the mysteries of fate, the unbreakable bond of siblings, and a notorious serial killer who was said to know the future.

Growing up in a beautiful house in the English countryside, Katie Shaw lived a charmed life. At the cusp of graduation, she had big dreams, a devoted boyfriend, and a little brother she protected fiercely. Until the day a violent stranger changed the fate of her family forever.

Years later, still unable to live down the guilt surrounding what happened to her brother, Chris, and now with a child of her own to protect, Katie struggles to separate the real threats from the imagined. Then she gets the phone call: Chris has gone missing and needs his big sister once more.

Meanwhile, Detective Laurence Page is facing a particularly gruesome crime. A distinguished professor of fate and free will has been brutally murdered just hours after firing his staff. All the leads point back to two old cases: the gruesome attack on teenager Christopher Shaw, and the despicable crimes of a notorious serial killer who, legend had it, could see the future.


Review:

Dark, gritty, and spine-chilling!

The Angel Maker is a layered, unsettling, psychological thriller that delves into all the devastating emotional, psychological, and physical effects caused by violence on its victims, as well as their families, and highlights just how easily the most heinous of evil can often live comfortably amongst us merely hidden behind masks of normality.

The writing is sharp and crisp. The characters are secretive, cunning, and vulnerable. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, builds quickly creating intensity and suspense as it unravels all the relationships, motivations, personalities, deception, and devious behaviours within it.

Overall, The Angel Maker is, ultimately, a story of lies, revelations, jealousy, obsession, familial drama, mental illness, depravity, guilt, manipulation, violence, and murder. It’s a tight, clever, disturbing thrill ride by North that had just the right amount of twists, turns, and surprises to keep me thoroughly engrossed 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 Celadon Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Alex North

Alex North is the internationally bestselling author of The Whisper Man and The Shadows. He lives in Leeds, England, with his wife and son, and is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name.

Photo by Charlotte Graham.

#BookReview Her Unexpected Match by Lacey Baker @LaceyBakerbook @entangledpub @angelamelamud #HerUnexpectedMatch #LaceyBaker

#BookReview Her Unexpected Match by Lacey Baker @LaceyBakerbook @entangledpub @angelamelamud #HerUnexpectedMatch #LaceyBaker Title: Her Unexpected Match

Author: Lacey Baker

Series: Crescent Island #1

Published by: Entangled Publishing on Feb. 21, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Angela Melamud, Entangled Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

Travel writer Allie Sparks has one goal: to find the story that will save her career. So here she is, visiting her bestie on picturesque Crescent Island—with sun-warmed beaches, the briny smell of the ocean, and rumors of a secret astrologer-matchmaker who guarantees love. Of course, Allie doesn’t believe in any of that stuff. If anything, she’ll prove it’s a total scam.

Ryan Parker believes in love—just not right now. He’s focused on expanding his family’s barbeque business, finding investors, and keeping his too-big Great Dane puppy from jumping on everyone, including his sister’s pretty, whiskey-eyed best friend. Besides, falling for a tourist is definitely not in his astrological forecast.

Allie is doing everything she can to resist the charm of the town and its beauty, not to mention her attraction to Ryan. But there’s a lot more happening on Crescent Island than anyone knows…and when her story goes to print, this tiny, close-knit town might never be the same.


Review:

Sweet, hopeful, and engaging!

Her Unexpected Match is an enchanting, tender tale that features the dependable, handsome Ryan who, after meeting his little sister’s best friend, may discover that now is the right time for love, and the driven, hardworking travel writer Allie who may finally learn there’s a lot more to life than just work and that the true meaning of home is somewhere you feel cared for, supported and loved.

The prose is effortless and smooth. The characters are spirited, kindhearted, and amusing. And the plot is a delightful mix of family, friendship, tension, attraction, self-discovery, special moments, happiness, taking chances, and swoon-worthy romance.

Overall, Her Unexpected Match is a heartfelt, romantic, uplifting treat by Baker that’s a wonderful start to the Crescent Island series with its idyllic setting, affable characters, and little sliver of magic.

 

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 Lacey Baker

Lacey Baker, a Maryland native, lives with her husband, three children, two grandchildren and English Bulldog in what most would call Suburban America--a townhouse development where everybody knows each other and each other's kids. Family cook-outs, reunion vacations, and growing up in church have all inspired Lacey to work towards her dreams and to write about the endurance of family and the quest to find everlasting love. To date she has written in several genres including small town romance, YA paranormal (as Artist Arthur), a cozy mystery series titled Rumors and adult paranormal (as A.C. Arthur).

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com.

#BookReview The Devil You Know by P. J. Tracy @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #TheDevilYouKnowBook #PJTracy #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview The Devil You Know by P. J. Tracy @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #TheDevilYouKnowBook #PJTracy #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers Title: The Devil You Know

Author: P. J. Tracy

Series: Detective Margaret Nolan #3

Published by: Minotaur Books on Jan. 17, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 304

Format: Hardcover

Source: Minotaur Books

Book Rating: 8/10

LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan returns in The Devil You Know, the next book in the series where P. J. Tracy “seems to have found her literary sweet spot” (New York Times Book Review).

Los Angeles has many faces: the real LA where regular people live and work, the degenerate underbelly of any big city, and the rarified world of wealth, power, and celebrity. LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan’s latest case plunges her into this insular realm of privilege, and gives her a glimpse of the darkness behind the glitter.

The body of beloved actor Evan Hobbes is found in the rubble of a Malibu rockslide a day after a fake video ruins his career. It’s not clear to Nolan if it’s an accident, a suicide, or a murder, and things get murkier as the investigation expands to his luminary friends and colleagues. Meanwhile, Hobbes’ agent is dealing with damage control, his psychotic boss, and a woman he’s scorned. But when his powerful brother-in-law is murdered, he and Nolan both find themselves entangled in a scandalous deception of deadly proportion that shakes the very foundation of Hollywood’s untouchables.


Review:

Tense, captivating, and mysterious!

The Devil You Know is a scheming, twisty tale that sweeps you away to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, where deception is rife, tensions are running high, everyone has a hidden agenda, and despicable behaviour, backstabbing, partying, sex and murder seem to always be on the table.

The writing is crisp and tight. The characters are ambitious, self-obsessed, and ruthless. And the plot is an enticing mix of lies, secrets, duplicity, infidelity, manipulation, mayhem, vengeance, and murder.

Overall, The Devil You Know is another entertaining, enjoyable, satisfying addition to the LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan series by Tracy that does a wonderful job of reminding us that revenge is best served cold.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

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

 

About P. J. Tracy

P. J. Tracy is the pseudonym of Traci Lambrecht, bestselling and award winning author of the Monkeewrench series. Lambrecht and her mother, P. J., wrote eight novels together as P. J. Tracy before P. J. passed away in 2016. Lambrecht has since continued the Monkeewrench series solo. She spent most of her childhood painting and showing Arabian horses, and graduated with a Russian Studies major from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where she also studied voice. She now lives outside Minneapolis.

Photo by Pamela Stege.

#BookReview Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #DearMissHermione #OfMannersandMurder #AnastasiaHastings #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #DearMissHermione #OfMannersandMurder #AnastasiaHastings #SMPInfluencers Title: Of Manners and Murder

Author: Anastasia Hastings

Series: Dear Miss Hermione #1

Published by: Minotaur Books on Feb. 7, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Minotaur Books

Book Rating: 8/10

Of Manners and Murder is the first in the delightful new Dear Miss Hermione mystery series from Anastasia Hastings.

1885: London, England. When Violet’s Aunt Adelia decides to abscond with her newest paramour, she leaves behind her role as the most popular Agony Aunt in London, “Miss Hermione,” in Violet’s hands.

And of course, the first letter Violet receives is full, not of prissy pondering, but of portent. Ivy Armstrong is in need of help and fears for her life. But when Violet visits the village where the letters were posted, she finds that Ivy is already dead.

She’ll quickly discover that when you represent the best-loved Agony Aunt in Britain, both marauding husbands and murder are par for the course.


Review:

Atmospheric, mysterious, and delightfully entertaining!

Of Manners and Murder is a playful, engaging tale set in England during 1885 that features Violet Manville, a spirited bluestocking who, after her Aunt Adelia heads to the Continent on vacation leaving her in charge of the “Dear Miss Hermione” column, finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery with the most unusual suspects after travelling to Willingdale to meet up with a young woman who wrote to her in fear for her life only to discover when she arrives there that she’s already dead.

The writing style is light and witty. The characters are intelligent, adventurous, and intriguing. And the plot is a well-paced, compelling whodunit full of red herrings, amateur sleuthing, tricky situations, awkward moments, deduction, danger, attraction, and a touch of romance.

Of Manners and Murder is the first book in the Dear Miss Hermione series, and if you love historical mysteries/romances, this novel won’t disappoint. It is an amusing, enjoyable, cosy read that is the first novel I’ve read by Hasting but undoubtedly won’t be my last.

 

This novel is available February 7, 2023.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Anastasia Hastings

ANASTASIA HASTINGS is a penname for Connie Laux who has, over a thirty-year career, published 65 novels in a number of different genres and under a number of names.

She began her career writing historical romance, and has also written contemporary romance, YA, and a children's book. Over fifteen years ago, she set her sights on writing in her favorite genre, mystery, and since then has published 30+ mysteries for Minotaur and Penguin Random House.

As Kylie Logan, she wrote the Jazz Ramsey books for Minotaur as well as a number of cozy mysteries for Berkley, including the League of Literary Ladies series, the Ethnic Eats series, and the Button Box mysteries. She's also written the Haunted Mansion mysteries as Lucy Ness and the Love is Murder mysteries (set in a romance bookstore) as Mimi Granger. As Casey Daniels, she authored the Pepper Martin mysteries, a series in which she put her knowledge of old cemeteries and the paranormal to good use.

She is a Sherlock Holmes devotee, a Victorian England aficionado, and she enjoys learning about history as it applies to the everyday lives of the people who lived it. Connie learned to love mysteries at an early age thanks to her dad who was a Cleveland Police detective. He not only introduced her to the Holmes stories, he took her along on his days off and they went in search of stolen cars.

Connie lives outside of Cleveland with her husband, David, and her Airedale, Eliot Ness, who is a ribbon-winning show dog when he's outside and a couch potato when he's home.

#BookReview The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale @RKapelkeDale @StMartinsPress #TheIngenue #RachelKalpekeDale #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencer

#BookReview The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale @RKapelkeDale @StMartinsPress #TheIngenue #RachelKalpekeDale #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencer Title: The Ingenue

Author: Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Dec. 6, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen’s Gambit in this new novel of suspense about the bonds of family, the limits of talent, the risks of ambition, and the rewards of revenge.

When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother’s unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother’s will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her own past–and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life–for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?

Set against a post #MeToo landscape, The Ingenue delves into mother-daughter relationships, the expectations of talent, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the things that once made you special are taken from you. Moving between Saskia’s childhood and the present day, this dark, contemporary fairy tale pulses with desire, longing, and uncertainty, as it builds to its spectacular, shocking climax.


Review:

Dark, dramatic, and disturbing!

The Ingenue is a gritty, suspenseful tale that takes you into the life of Saskia Kreis, a thirty-seven-year-old former piano prodigy who, after returning home after her mother’s death to find she’s been disinherited and that her mother has left her multi-million dollar mansion to an old family friend, decides to open up old wounds and discover just how inappropriate her teenage relationship was with this man and just how many others he may have also targeted.

The prose is taut and tight. The characters are vulnerable, consumed, and tormented. And the plot does a exceptional job of building tension and unease as it subtly intertwines and unravels an intricate tale of lies, secrets, abuse, control, manipulation, expectations, revenge, and redemption.

Overall, The Ingenue is an unsettling, compelling psychological thriller by Kapelke-Dale that delves into all the deep, dark secrets people keep even from those closest to them and raises the question of how well do you really know anyone.

 

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Rachel Kapelke-Dale is the co-author of GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND (Penguin 2014), a memoir about the significance and nuances of female friendships. The author of Vanity Fair Hollywood's column "Advice from the Stars," Kapelke-Dale spent years in intensive ballet training before receiving a BA from Brown University, an MA from the Université de Paris VII, and a PhD from University College London. She currently lives in Paris.

Photo by author.

#BookReview Blush by Helen Hardt @HelenHardt @entangledpub @angelamelamud #HelenHardt #Blush #BlackRoseSeries

#BookReview Blush by Helen Hardt @HelenHardt @entangledpub @angelamelamud #HelenHardt #Blush #BlackRoseSeries Title: Blush

Author: Helen Hardt

Series: Black Rose #1

Published by: Entangled Publishing on Jan. 24, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Erotica

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Angela Melamud

Book Rating: 8/10

What he wants from you will make you…Blush

Amanda Thomas is hopelessly in love with Jackson Paris, but he will never see her as anything more than his sweet and innocent bestie. After being virgin-adjacent for too long, Mandy is officially ready to move on. She wants to learn about hot, dirty sex, so she joins an online dating app where the enigmatic Mr. Dark promises to fulfill all of her wicked fantasies…

Jackson Paris has been keeping secrets from his stunning, too-innocent best friend—like forbidden sexual proclivities and his membership at the exclusive Black Rose Underground club. But Mandy has decided she needs an education—the filthy kind. As Mr. Dark, Jackson can safely give her a taste of what she wants—and deter her from pursuing more—without revealing his identity.

But in the dim, provocative atmosphere of Black Rose Underground, there are no secrets. Here, every wicked appetite is satisfied. And for the first time, Mandy will discover who her best friend really is…just in time to shock him with a secret of her own.


Review:

Provocative, charged, and enticing!

Blush is a passionate, tantalizing, friends-to-more romance featuring the sweet, inexperienced Amanda, who has finally decided it’s time to move on and forget about her long-time crush she’s always had for her best friend, and the sinfully swoon-worthy Jackson, who is finding it harder and harder to keep his attraction for his best friend a secret, and realizes he may just have to be the one who introduces her to the joys of sex, especially the darker, kinkier side that he usually prefers.

The prose is steamy and intense. The characters are considerate, caring, and patient. And the plot is an alluring mix of exquisite chemistry, sultry dialogue, simmering tension, heat, heart, desire, drama, boundaries, pleasure, friendship, and love.

Overall, Blush is a tantalizing, dramatic, sexy start to this new Black Rose series by Hardt that has all the spicy elements we’ve come to know and love about her novels, including a little forbidden love, a lot of seduction, and some light BDSM fun.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from the following audible link.

           

 

 

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

 

About Helen Hardt

#1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Helen Hardt published her first story in 2008, after studying abroad in France, practicing law for a short time, and spending fifteen years as a stay-at-home mom. She has currently written sixteen novels, five novellas, and two collections of shorter works. Her novel Craving, first in the Steel Brothers Saga, released to critical acclaim in May of 2016 and became a bestseller.

Helen is equally at home wielding her red pen as an editor. She’s a true grammar geek who is constantly annoyed that she can’t spot her own typos. Helen believes there is always something new to learn in this business, so she regularly takes writing classes and attends workshops and conferences.

When she’s not pounding away at her laptop, Helen can be found surfing Facebook with a glass of red wine in one hand and a bowl of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream in the other. She holds a blackbelt in taekwondo but is a hopeless romantic at heart. She lives in Colorado and is the proud mother of two incredibly handsome and gifted young men.

Photography by Misha Photography.