Category: 8/10

#BookReview All That We Are Together by Alice Kellen @AliceKellen_ @SourcebooksCasa #AliceKellen #AllThatWeAreTogether #LetItBeSeries #SourcebooksCasa

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#BookReview All That We Are Together by Alice Kellen @AliceKellen_ @SourcebooksCasa #AliceKellen #AllThatWeAreTogether #LetItBeSeries #SourcebooksCasa Title: All That We Are Together

Author: Alice Kellen

Series: Let It Be #2

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca on Jan. 23, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 461

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Book Rating: 8/10

Three years without even seeing him. Three years without Axel.

How do you move on from a broken heart?

Three years have passed since Axel Nguyen shattered Leah Jones’ heart into a million pieces, and Leah has spent every moment of those three years distracting herself from the devastation. She tries to move on with Landon, a guy she meets in college, but she can only truly escape thoughts of Axel when she’s painting. At least one good thing has come out of all of it: her dream of exhibiting her work is finally coming true.

Axel is achingly aware every day of how much he misses Leah. The moment he learns about Leah’s exhibit, Axel can’t think about anything else but to go see her. Being in the same room with Leah, as beautiful and magnetic as he remembers, leaves Axel desperate and Leah breathless in his presence. He offers to be her agent; she accepts. One work trip to Paris later leaves Leah and Axel full of pent-up attraction and wondering if their whirlwind romance is a forever kind of love or if it’s better off left in the past.

International bestselling author Alice Kellen concludes her emotional new adult duology with an evocative and passionate love story for readers of Colleen Hoover, Anna Todd, and books to make you ugly cry.

Review:

Angsty, passionate, and hopeful!

All That We Are Together is an absorbing, heart-tugging tale that takes us back into the life of Leah Jones and Axel Nguyen three years after their breakup as Leah, now a university student with a new boyfriend and some recognition as a budding artist, has her life turned upside once again when Axel, an employee at a reputable gallery comes slamming back into her world to sweep her away to the City of Lights to showcase her work.

The writing is tender and fluid. The characters are vulnerable, scarred, and wary. And the plot is a push-pull tale of life, love, loss, family, expectations, forgiveness, introspection, acceptance, friendship, communication, and new beginnings.

Overall, All That We Are Together is the dramatic, romantic, satisfying conclusion to the Let It Be duology by Kellen that gave the characters I couldn’t help but root for the heartwarming, happy-ever-after ending I really hoped they get. 

 

This novel is available now.

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

       

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Alice Kellen

Alice Kellen is an international bestselling author of romantic fiction. She writes stories with universal, crossover themes such as love, friendship, insecurities, losses and longing for a brighter future, connecting with younger and older readers alike. She lives in Valencia, Spain with her family.

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#BookReview Hedging Your Bets by Jayne Denker @JDenkerAuthor @smpromance @StMartinsPress #JayneDenker #HedgingYourBets #smpromance #smpinfluencers

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#BookReview Hedging Your Bets by Jayne Denker @JDenkerAuthor @smpromance @StMartinsPress #JayneDenker #HedgingYourBets #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: Hedging Your Bets

Author: Jayne Denker

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jan. 9, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Opposites attract in this enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy of feuding neighbors and dueling hearts from Jayne Denker, the author of The Rom-Com Agenda.

When small-town neighbors go head-to-head, better start Hedging Your Bets.

Gillian has been happily divorced for several years and, after trying a few dating apps, prefers to stay that way. Navigating her way through dates with fat shamers and lackluster men has left her with no desire to do anything other than work in her garden in her spare time. Who needs rude comments and awkward first-date conversation when soft roses and vibrant tulips are so much better?

Noah West has just moved to Willow Cove. After a rough breakup that leaves him looking to get far away, he relocates to the same small town he spent summers in as a teen―and moves right next door to Gillian. A big believer in minimalist design and that the best kind of plants are non-flowering, he knows as soon as he meets his neighbor that they are going to clash on just about everything. Now if only he could keep his eyes off her too. That might be helpful.

When a gardening contest brings out the competition in Gillian and Noah, dueling plant arrangements and fiery banter ensues. But is it possible that beneath all their differences, they might just be perfect for each other?

Review:

Heartfelt, engaging, and fun!

Hedging Your Bets is a spirited, heartwarming, enemies-to-lovers romance that introduces us to both the sexy, kind Noah who, after having his heart broken, is hoping that a move to the small town of Willow Cove, Ontario will be the perfect place for him to settle down and create a new life, and the insecure, passionate Gillian who, after a somewhat dismal foray into the world of dating since her divorce, is more than content spending her days helping the people of the community with their pharmaceutical needs and working on her beautifully cultivated garden.

The prose is amusing and light. The characters are quirky, supportive, and sweet. And the plot is a playful, flirty blend of tricky situations, tender moments, awkward mishaps, self-discovery, friendship, kindness, support, happiness, chemistry, misunderstandings, undeniable attraction, and romance, 

Overall, Hedging Your Bets is a charming, humorous, enjoyable treat by Denker that is a delight to read and a wonderful reminder that true love is always worth the fight.

 

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 providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jayne Denker

Jayne Denker is the author of romantic comedies, including The Rom-Com Agenda and the Welcome to Marsden series. When she's not hard at work on another novel (or, rather, when she should be hard at work on another novel), she can usually be found frittering away stupid amounts of time on social media.

Photo by Elizabeth Torgerson-Lamark.

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#BookReview The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer @jsantlofer @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheLostVanGogh #JonathanSantlofer #bookmarkedbylandmark

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#BookReview The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer @jsantlofer @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheLostVanGogh #JonathanSantlofer #bookmarkedbylandmark Title: The Lost Van Gogh

Author: Jonathan Santlofer

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on Jan. 2, 2024

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Rating: 8/10

From the author of the much-praised The Last Mona Lisa comes another thrilling story of masterpieces, masterminds, and mystery.

For years, there have been whispers that, before his death, Van Gogh completed a final self-portrait. Curators and art historians have savored this rumor, hoping it could illuminate some of the troubled artist’s many secrets, but even they have to concede that the missing painting is likely lost forever.

But when Luke Perrone, artist and great-grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa, and Alexis Verde, daughter of a notorious art thief, discover what may be the missing portrait, they are drawn into a most epic art puzzles. When only days later the painting disappears again, they are reunited with INTERPOL agent John Washington Smith in a dangerous and deadly search that will not only expose secrets of the artist’s last days but draws them into one of history’s darkest eras.

Beneath the paint and canvas, beneath the beauty and the legend, the artwork has become linked with something evil, something that continues to flourish on the dark web and on the shadiest corridors of the underground art world.

Review:

Intriguing, mysterious, and fast-paced!

The Lost Van Gogh is a rich, ominous tale that takes us into the life of Alex Verde and her boyfriend Luke Perrone who, after purchasing a seemingly unknown painting at a nearby market, find their lives turned upside down when it’s quickly discovered that it may actually be a lost Van Gogh that more than one person is willing to do whatever it takes, even kill, to get their hands on it.

The writing is smooth and fluid. The characters are relentless, driven, and clever. And the plot, told in alternating POVs, is a menacing tale full of life, loss, secrets, deception, lies, greed, peril, intrigue, and the complex world of art.

Overall, The Lost Van Gogh is an absorbing, pacey, dramatic tale by Santlofer with just the right amount of suspense, well-drawn characterization, and creative storyline to make it another satisfying, highly entertaining read for lovers of both art and this genre.

 

This book is available now. 

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

         

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jonathan Santlofer

Jonathan Santlofer is a writer and artist. His debut novel, THE DEATH ARTIST, was an international bestseller translated into 17 languages, a People Magazine "Page-Turner of the Week" and is currently in development at Fox, along with his second and third novels. His fourth novel, ANATOMY OF FEAR, won the Nero Award for best crime novel of 2009. Jonathan created the Crime Fiction Academy as The Center for Fiction. As an artist, Jonathan has been making replications of famous paintings for wealthy clients for more than 20 years.

Photo by Clarke Tolton.

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#BookReview Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally @CConnallyAuthor @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #ActLikeALadyThinkLikeALord #LadyPetraInquires #CelesteConnally #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally @CConnallyAuthor @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #ActLikeALadyThinkLikeALord #LadyPetraInquires #CelesteConnally #SMPInfluencers Title: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord

Author: Celeste Connally

Series: Lady Petra Inquires #1

Published by: Minotaur Books on Nov. 14, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: Hardcover

Source: Minotaur Books

Book Rating: 8/10

Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, a dazzling first entry in a terrific new Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin.

When Lady Petra Forsyth’s fiancé and soulmate dies just weeks ahead of their wedding, she makes the shocking proclamation—in front of London’s loosest lips—that she will never remarry. A woman of independent means, Petra sees no reason to cede her wealth and freedom to any man now that the love of her life has passed, nor does she intend to become confined to her country home. Instead, she uses her title to gain access to elite spaces and enjoy the best of society without expectations.

But when ballroom gossip suggests that a longtime friend has died of “melancholia” while in the care of a questionable physician, Petra vows to use her status to dig deeper—uncovering a private asylum where men pay to have their wives and daughters locked away, or worse. Just as Lady Petra has reason to believe her friend is not dead, but a prisoner, her own headstrong actions and thirst for independence are used to put her own freedom in jeopardy.

Review:

Atmospheric, witty, and mysterious!

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is an engaging, amusing tale set in London during 1815 that features Lady Petra Forsyth, a young, independent woman who, after losing her fiancé and declaring she will never marry, finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery when she begins to notice an unusual amount of high society wives disappearing and a servant who knows too much turns up dead.

The writing style is rich and light. The characters are adventurous, plucky and resourceful. And the plot is a well-paced, immersive tale full of red herrings, tricky situations, amateur sleuthing, awkward moments, danger, deduction, duplicity, attraction, and friendship.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is a compelling, suspenseful, highly entertaining tale by Connally that is not only a wonderful start to the Lady Petra Inquires series but, in my opinion, a great choice for anyone who’s looking for a historical mystery that’s not only lighthearted but playful.

 

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 Celeste Connally

CELESTE CONNALLY is an Agatha Award nominee, and a former freelance writer and editor. A lifelong devotee of historical novels and adaptations fueled by her passion for history—plus weekly doses of PBS Masterpiece—Celeste loves reading and writing about women from the past who didn’t always do as they were told.

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#BookReview The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell @MaxwellJessa @SimonSchusterCA #TheGoldenSpoon #JessaMaxwell #SimonSchusterCA

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#BookReview The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell @MaxwellJessa @SimonSchusterCA #TheGoldenSpoon #JessaMaxwell #SimonSchusterCA Title: The Golden Spoon

Author: Jessa Maxwell

Published by: Atria Books on Mar. 7, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 288

Format: Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

For six amateur bakers, competing in Bake Week is a dream come true.

When they arrive at Grafton Manor to compete, they’re ready to do whatever it takes to win the ultimate The Golden Spoon.

But for the show’s famous host, Betsy Martin, Bake Week is more than just a competition. Grafton Manor is her family’s home and legacy – and Bake Week is her life’s work. It’s imperative that both continue to succeed.

But as the competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s small acts of sabotage. Someone switching sugar for salt. A hob turned far too high.

But when a body is discovered, it’s clear that for someone in the competition, The Golden Spoon is a prize worth killing for…

Review:

Fast-paced, atmospheric, and cosy!

The Golden Spoon is a crafty, ominous tale that sweeps you away to a dilapidated manor in Vermont where six contestants from all walks of life have gathered to film and compete in the reality TV show “Bake Week,” but in a group like this, where tensions are high, secrets are rife, winning is everything, and everyone has a hidden agenda, death is definitely not out of the question.

The prose is crafty and light. The characters are self-obsessed, quirky, and secretive. And the plot is an enticing, suspenseful mix of twists, turns, secrets, manipulation, sabotage, revelations, revenge, confessions, malicious intentions, and murder.

Overall, The Golden Spoon is a mysterious, amusing, satisfying treat by Maxwell that had just the right amount of suspicious personalities, zany antics, and abundance of drama to keep me engaged and entertained from start to finish.

 

This book is available now.

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

        

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jessa Maxwell

Jessa Maxwell is the author of The Golden Spoon and I Need You to Read This. She is also the author and illustrator of five picture books for children. Her comics and cartoons have been published in The New Yorker and The New York Times and her writing has been published in Slate, Marie Claire, and many others. She now lives in Jamestown, Rhode Island with her husband, two cats and three-legged dog.

Photo by Stephanie Ewens.

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#BookReview The Wedding Ranch by Nancy Naigle @smpromance @nancynaigle @StMartinsPress #TheWeddingRanch #NancyNaigle #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview The Wedding Ranch by Nancy Naigle @smpromance @nancynaigle @StMartinsPress #TheWeddingRanch #NancyNaigle #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers Title: The Wedding Ranch

Author: Nancy Naigle

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

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Two people get a second chance at love in this heartwarming story by author Nancy Naigle, The Wedding Ranch…

When Lorri Walker’s husband gifted her with a mastiff puppy on Valentine’s Day, she believed he was recommitting himself to their marriage after going astray. Six months later, he left both her and their dog for someone else. Since her recent move to Dalton Mill to unbraid herself from the past, Lorri’s graphic design business is now flourishing, her growing mastiff, Mister, has plenty of space to romp, and her ex in Raleigh can fade to a distant memory.

Ryder Bolt is haunted by the tragic loss of his wife and young son seven years ago. Thankfully, ranching keeps Ryder busy, and spending time with his niece and nephew—whose venue, The Wedding Ranch, has become a popular tourist destination—keeps him from getting lonely.

When Lorri and Ryder met, love was the last thing they were looking for. When they’re together, smiles come easier and burdens feel lighter, and both are embracing the possibility of something deeper.

But when a long-buried revelation surfaces, the fate that brought them together threatens to tear them apart.

Review:

Quaint, absorbing, and sweet!

The Wedding Ranch is a heartfelt, uplifting tale set in the small town of Dalton Mill that takes you into the lives of Ryder Bolt, a young widower still grappling with the loss of his wife and young son and the all-consuming grief that is preventing him from moving on, and Lorri Walker, a newly divorced woman looking forward to starting a new life in a new home with her beloved mastiff, Mister.

The prose is genuine and smooth. The characters are relatable, hesitant, and kind. And the plot is an addictive, alluring mix of friendship, family, life, loss, grief, introspection, support, forgiveness, community, new beginnings, furry friends, and the power of love.

Overall, The Wedding Ranch is another cosy, heartwarming, delightfully enchanting story by Naigle that reminds us to surround ourselves with those we love and to always live life to the fullest.

 

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 an exchange for an honest review.

 

About Nancy Naigle

USA Today bestselling author NANCY NAIGLE whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. Now happily retired, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she currently calls North Carolina home. Nancy is the author of Christmas Joy and Hope at Christmas, both of which have been turned into film for Hallmark Channel.

Photograph by Adam Sanner.

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#BookReview Love Interest by Clare Gilmore @momentofclarety @smpromance #LoveInterestNovel #ClareGilmore #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview Love Interest by Clare Gilmore @momentofclarety @smpromance #LoveInterestNovel #ClareGilmore #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers Title: Love Interest

Author: Clare Gilmore

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Oct. 10, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 335

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

A sparkling adversaries-to-lovers romcom set at a magazine publisher in Manhattan. When Casey and Alex are forced into proximity, they soon realize falling for each other is just as much of a risk and as it is a reward.

Casey Maitland has always preferred the reliability of numbers, despite growing up the daughter of two artistic souls. Now a twenty-four-year-old finance expert working in Manhattan, Casey wonders if the project manager opening at her company – magazine powerhouse LC Publications – is a sign from the universe to pursue a career with a little more sparkle. That is, until she’s passed over for the job in favor of the board chairman’s son.

Alex Harrison is handsome, Harvard-educated, and enigmatic. Everybody loves him – except for Casey. But when the two are thrown on the same project, they both have something to prove. For Casey, it’s getting tapped for a transfer to the London office and fulfilling her dreams of travelling. For Alex, it’s successfully launching a brand that will impress his distant father.

As work meetings turn into after hours, Casey and Alex are drawn to each other again and again, but neither can avoid the messy secrets and corporate intrigue threatening to tear them apart. What they discover about their workplace might change everything – including the dreams each of them is chasing.

Review:

Charming, captivating, and sweet!

Love Interest is an amusing, tenderhearted, enemies-to-loves romance that transports you to NYC and into the lives of the independent, spirited Casey, who’s determined to do whatever it takes to prove she deserves a promotion, and the successful, hardworking Alex, who takes his job extremely serious and wants to do whatever it takes to make his detached father proud of his success.

The writing is heartfelt and light. The characters are intelligent, stubborn, vulnerable, and endearing. And the plot is a push-pull tale full of workplace drama, tender moments, humorous mishaps, witty banter, goals, expectations, optimism, chemistry, and love.

Overall, Love Interest is an easy, hopeful, promising debut by Gilmore that is bursting with self-discovery, friendship, romance, and the ups and downs of finding success in corporate America.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

            

 

 

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

 

About Clare Gilmore

A Nashville native, Clare Gilmore studied Supply Chain Management and English Literature (a perfect combination) at the University of Tennessee. She is currently a resident of Tennessee daylighting as a corporate analyst. Love Interest is her first novel.

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#BookReview Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen by Sarah James @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #LastNightattheHollywoodCanteen #SarahJames #bookmarkedbylandmark

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#BookReview Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen by Sarah James @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #LastNightattheHollywoodCanteen #SarahJames #bookmarkedbylandmark Title: Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen

Author: Sarah James

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on Nov. 7, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Rating: 8/10

Perhaps the best place in 1943 Hollywood to see the stars is the Hollywood Canteen, a club for servicemen staffed exclusively by those in show business. Murder mystery playwright Annie Laurence, new in town after a devastating breakup, definitely hopes to rub elbows with the right stars. Maybe then she can get her movie made.

But Hollywood proves to be more than tinsel and glamour. When despised film critic Fiona Farris is found dead in the Canteen kitchen, Annie realizes any one of the Canteen’s luminous volunteers could be guilty of the crime. To catch the killer, Annie falls in with Fiona’s friends, a bitter and cynical group―each as uniquely unhappy in their life and career as Annie is in hers―that call themselves the Ambassador’s Club.

Solving a murder in real life, it turns out, is a lot harder than writing one for the stage. And by involving herself in the secrets and lies of the Ambassador’s Club, Annie just might have put a target on her own back.

Review:

Tense, suspenseful, and fun!

Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen is a scheming, twisty whodunit that sweeps you away to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age and into the life of Annie Laurence, a New York playwright who, after a devastating breakup and the end of her show, heads to LA to start a new life writing for the movies only to find herself quickly in a world of trouble when one of her new friends, a famous critic who seems to have had a little bit of dirt on everyone is found murdered and everybody seems to have had at least one reason to want her dead.

The writing is witty and tight. The characters are ambitious, self-obsessed, and vulnerable. And the plot is an enticing mix of lies, secrets, drama, duplicity, manipulation, mayhem, substance abuse, movie-making, amateur sleuthing, and murder.

Overall, Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen is a menacing, nostalgic, highly entertaining tale by James that is the perfect choice for fans of 1940s Tinseltown mysteries that have an abundance of quirky characters, Hollywood legends, and straight-up detective work.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sarah James

Sarah James is the author of twisty homefront historical mysteries. Her debut novel THE WOMAN WITH TWO SHADOWS was an international best-seller. Her second novel, LAST NIGHT AT THE HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN, is forthcoming from Sourcebooks.

In addition to writing historical fiction, Sarah is a humor writer and editor of Slackjaw, Medium's largest humor publication. She has also contributed to Baseball Prospectus, Reductress, Pittsburgh City Paper, CrimeReads, and more.

Sarah is a graduate of the USC MFA Writing for Screen and Television program, and received a BA in American Studies from Fordham University. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her cat, Lucille.

Photo: Matt Mahaffey

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#BookReview The Intern by Michele Campbell @MCampbellBooks @StMartinsPress #TheInternNovel #MicheleCampbell #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview The Intern by Michele Campbell @MCampbellBooks @StMartinsPress #TheInternNovel #MicheleCampbell #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: The Intern

Author: Michele Campbell

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Oct. 3, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

A young Harvard law student falls under the spell of a charismatic judge in this timely and thrilling novel about class, ambition, family and murder.

Madison Rivera lands the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. But Madison has a secret that could destroy her career. Her troubled younger brother Danny has been arrested, and Conroy is the judge on his case.

When Danny goes missing after accusing the judge of corruption, Madison’s quest for answers brings her deep into the judge’s glamorous world. Is Kathryn Conroy a mentor, a victim, or a criminal? Is she trying to help Madison or use her as a pawn? And why is somebody trying to kill her?

As the two women circle each other in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game, will they save each other, or will betrayal leave one of them dead?

Review:

Tense, twisty, and suspenseful!

The Intern is a well-executed, menacing tale that features Harvard law student Madison Rivera, who after acquiring the coveted internship with one of her idols and professors, Federal Judge Kathryn Conroy, begins to quickly uncover that people are not always quite as wholesome as they seem and often have a lot of dark secrets in their closets, secrets that others are more than happy to kill for in order to keep quiet.

The prose is brisk and tight. The characters are intelligent, resourceful, and scared. And the plot is a fast-paced, cat-and-mouse game full of twists, turns, action, intrigue, power, corruption, duplicity, manipulation, danger, terror, and murder.

Overall, The Intern is a sinister, edgy, action-packed page-turner by Campbell that I found to be intricate, satisfying, and undoubtedly highly entertaining.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Michele Campbell

Michele Campbell

A graduate of Harvard University and Stanford Law School, Michele Campbell worked at a prestigious Manhattan law firm before spending eight years fighting crime as a federal prosecutor in New York City.

Michele is the author of She Was the Quiet One and It's Always the Husband.

Photo Credit: Nina Subin

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#BookReview Nanny Wanted by Lizzy Barber @ByLizzyBarber @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #NannyWanted #LizzyBarber #PGCBooks

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#BookReview Nanny Wanted by Lizzy Barber @ByLizzyBarber @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #NannyWanted #LizzyBarber #PGCBooks Title: Nanny Wanted

Author: Lizzy Barber

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Oct. 31, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

A remote Cornish mansion. The perfect couple. And the deadly secrets that bind them.

When Lily finally leaves her toxic relationship, a job as a nanny at Kewney Manor seems like the perfect solution. There, she can cut herself off from her old life, and never have to see him again.

The Rowes seem like a model family, and Lily falls instantly in love with her new home. But she can’t help feeling that something isn’t quite right. Why will nobody tell her about the nanny before? Where does Laurie go at night? And what does Charles really want?

As Lily becomes increasingly entangled in the Rowes’ lives, she realizes that the perfect family may not be all that they seem. And as that as much as she fears the past she is running from, perhaps the present is where the real danger lies. . .

Review:

Simmering, gripping, and claustrophobic!

Nanny Wanted is an ominous, character-driven thriller that introduces us to Lily, a young woman who, after fleeing London for a quieter existence and a place to hide, quickly discovers that everything is not as perfect as it seems in the affluent home of the Rowes family she’s employed by, relationships seem to be strained, everyone has a secret to hide, and danger potentially lurks around every corner.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are anxious, flawed, and vulnerable. And the plot is a darkly menacing tale full of twists, turns, revelations, insecurities, lies, manipulation, isolation, domestic abuse, familial dysfunction, and troubled pasts.

Overall, Nanny Wanted is a taut, atmospheric, unnerving tale by Barber that is deliciously relentless, surprising, deceptive, and bursting with eeriness.

 

This book is available now.

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

        

 

 

Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lizzy Barber

Lizzy Barber studied English at Corpus Christ College, Cambridge University. After 'previous lives' acting and working in film development, she has spent the last ten years as Head of Brand and Marketing for The Hush Collection, a boutique group of restaurants founded by her brother, Jamie.

Her debut novel, MY NAME IS ANNA, is the winner of the Daily Mail First Novel Competition, and was published in 2019 in the UK by Penguin Random House, by Mira/Harper Collins in the US and by Albatros in Slovakia.

OUT OF HER DEPTH was published in 2022 by Pan Macmillan in the UK and Harper Collins in the US and was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick. The TV rights have been optioned by Sony.

Her third novel, GIRLS LIKE THAT, will be published in 2023 by Pan Macmillan.

Lizzy lives in London with her husband, George, a food writer and strategy consultant, and their son, Marlowe.

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