Category: 9/10

#BookReview The Seat Filler by Sariah Wilson @AmazonPub #TheSeatFiller #SariahWilson #Montlake

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#BookReview The Seat Filler by Sariah Wilson @AmazonPub #TheSeatFiller #SariahWilson #Montlake Title: The Seat Filler

Author: Sariah Wilson

Published by: Montlake Romance on Apr. 27, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: Amazon Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

The movie star and the dog groomer are one kiss away from the perfect love story. That’s the hiccup in a warm and witty romance by the bestselling author of Roommaid.

The meet-cute award goes to dog groomer Juliet Nolan. It’s one of Hollywood’s biggest nights when she volunteers as a seat filler and winds up next to movie heartthrob Noah freaking Douglas. Tongue tied and toes curling in her pink Converse, she pretends that she doesn’t have a clue who he is. It’s the only way to keep from swooning.

She’s pretty and unpretentious, loves his dog, and is not a worshipping fan. No way Noah’s giving up on her, even if his affectionate pursuit comes with a bump: Juliet has a pathological fear of kissing and the disappointments that follow. What odds does romance have without that momentous, stupendous, once-in-a-lifetime first smooch? Patient, empathetic, and carrying personal burdens of his own, Noah suggests a remedy: they rehearse.

The lessons begin. The guards come down. But there’s another hitch they weren’t betting on. As for that cue-the-orchestra-and-roll-credits happy ending? It might take more than practice to make it perfect.

Review:

Fun, uplifting, and super sweet!

The Seat Filler is a quick, light, flirty tale featuring the hardworking, hesitant Juliet and the handsome, successful Noah Douglas as they navigate a relationship that includes an awards show meet-cute, careers that are worlds apart, instant attraction, romantic moments, undeniable chemistry, and a crippling fear of kissing.

The writing is whimsical and smooth. The characters are charismatic, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is an irresistible blend of shameless flirting, friendship, family, light drama, tricky situations, philemaphobia, spirited shenanigans, awkward interactions, steamy romance, and adorable four-legged friends.

Overall, The Seat Filler is a witty, warm, charming tale by Wilson that I not only devoured in one sitting but absolutely loved.

This novel is available April 27, 2021.

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

       

 

 

Thank you to Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sariah Wilson

USA Today bestselling author Sariah Wilson has never jumped out of an airplane, never climbed Mt. Everest, and is not a former CIA operative. She has, however, been madly, passionately in love with her soulmate and is a fervent believer in happily ever afters—which is why she writes romance. She grew up in southern California, graduated from Brigham Young University (go Cougars!) with a semi-useless degree in history, and is the oldest of nine (yes, nine) children . She currently lives with the aforementioned soulmate and their four children in Utah, along with two cats named Pixel and Callie, who do not get along. (The cats, not the children. Although the children sometimes have their issues, too.)

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart @grandcentralpub #RuthDruart #WhileParisSlept

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#BookReview While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart @grandcentralpub #RuthDruart #WhileParisSlept Title: While Paris Slept

Author: Ruth Druart

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Feb. 23, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 464

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

One woman must make the hardest decision of her life in this unforgettably moving story of resistance and faith during one of the darkest times in history.

Santa Cruz, 1953. Jean-Luc is a man on the run from his past. The scar on his face is a small price to pay for surviving the horrors of Nazi occupation in France. Now, he has a new life in California, a family. He never expected the past to come knocking on his door.

Paris, 1944. A young Jewish woman’s past is torn apart in a heartbeat. Herded onto a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left now is hope.

On a darkened platform, two destinies become intertwined, and the choices each person makes will change the future in ways neither could have imagined.

Told from alternating perspectives, While Paris Slept reflects on the power of love, resilience, and courage when all seems lost. Exploring the strength of family ties, and what it really means to love someone unconditionally, this debut novel will capture your heart.

Review:

Pensive, poignant, and insightful!

While Paris Slept is an affecting, heartwrenching tale set in both France during 1944, as well as California during 1953, that takes you into the lives of five people whose lives are unimaginably changed one day when Sarah Laffitte, a Jewish prisoner, hands her newborn child to a Drancy railway worker in order to save his life.

The prose is emotive and charged. The characters are brave, selfless, and compassionate. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine seamlessly into an alluring tale of life, loss, family, tragedy, desperation, secrets, friendship, war, parenthood, unconditional love, and the true meaning of family.

Overall, While Paris Slept is an atmospheric, intense, impactful novel by Druart that sweeps you away to another time and place and reminds you that survival of any form takes unimaginable sacrifice, courage, strength, and often moral and ethical dilemmas.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ruth Druart

Ruth Druart grew up on the Isle of Wight, leaving at eighteen to study psychology. In 1993 she moved to Paris, the city that inspired her to write While Paris Slept. There she pursued a career in international education and raised three sons with her French husband. She recently left her teaching position, so she can write full time while running her writing group in Paris.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth @SallyHepworth @StMartinsPress #TheGoodSister #SallyHepworth #StMartinsPress

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#BookReview The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth @SallyHepworth @StMartinsPress #TheGoodSister #SallyHepworth #StMartinsPress Title: The Good Sister

Author: Sally Hepworth

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 13, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

From the outside, everyone might think Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be: Rose is the responsible one and Fern is the quirky one. But the sisters are devoted to one another and Rose has always been Fern’s protector from the time they were small.

Fern needed protecting because their mother was a true sociopath who hid her true nature from the world, and only Rose could see it. Fern always saw the good in everyone. Years ago, Fern did something very, very bad. And Rose has never told a soul. When Fern decides to help her sister achieve her heart’s desire of having a baby, Rose realizes with growing horror that Fern might make choices that can only have a terrible outcome. What Rose doesn’t realize is that Fern is growing more and more aware of the secrets Rose, herself, is keeping. And that their mother might have the last word after all.

Review:

Simmering, pacey, and brilliantly clever!

The Good Sister is an intricate, character-driven, domestic thriller that takes you into the lives of two sisters, Rose, a hardworking wife who longs for a child, and Fern a quirky, librarian who struggles daily to navigate a world bursting with sensory overload.

The prose is crisp and intense. The characters are devious, cunning, and scarred. And the plot told from differing perspectives unfolds rapidly into an exhilarating tale full of twists, turns, surprises, familial drama, tragedy, greed, lies, and deception.

Overall, The Good Sister is another gripping, twisty, suspenseful tale by Hepworth that does a wonderful job of delving into all the complex, dysfunctional dynamics that can exist between family members and reminds us just how parasitic and toxic some of those relationships can truly be.

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

 

About Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth has lived around the world, spending extended periods in Singapore, the United Kingdom and Canada. She is the author of The Secrets of Midwives, The Things We Keep, The Mother's Promise, The Family Next Door and The Mother-in-Law. Sally now lives in Melbourne with her husband, three children, and one adorable dog.

Photo by Mrs. Smart Photography.

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#BookReview All My Lies Are True By Dorothy Koomson @DorothyKoomson @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #AllMyLiesAreTrue #DorothyKoomson #MobiusBooksUS

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#BookReview All My Lies Are True By Dorothy Koomson @DorothyKoomson @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #AllMyLiesAreTrue #DorothyKoomson #MobiusBooksUS Title: All My Lies Are True

Author: Dorothy Koomson

Series: Poppy & Serena #2

Published by: Headline Books on Mar. 9, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 9/10

From the bestselling author of The Ice Cream Girls comes a gripping emotional thriller of love and obsession and the nature of coercive control. ‘The author plays a blinder’ says the Sun.

Verity is telling lies…
And that’s why she’s about to be arrested for attempted murder.

Serena has been lying for years. . .
And that may have driven her daughter, Verity, to do something unthinkable…

Poppy’s lies have come back to haunt her . . .
So will her quest for the truth hurt everyone she loves?

Everyone lies.
But whose lies are going to end in tragedy?

Review:

Twisty, tragic, and unpredictable!

All My Lies Are True is the tortuous, cunning sequel to The Ice Cream Girls that takes you into the life of Poppy Carlisle’s brother, Logan, who is consumed with vindication, revenge, and an all-consuming love affair with Serena Gorringe’s daughter, Verity.

The prose is tight and intense. The characters are secretive, scarred, and troubled. And the plot told from multiple perspectives and using a past/present, back-and-forth style builds and unravels quickly into an ominous tale filled with deep-seated resentments, suspicious motivations, shocking revelations, familial drama, deception, lies, obsession, abuse, and violence.

Overall, All My Lies Are True is an unsettling, clever, riveting tale by Koomson that delves into the long-reaching, enduring emotional and psychological damage caused by traumatic events and highlights just how easily dominance, intimidation, and manipulation can be masked as love.

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

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

 

About Dorothy Koomson

Hello, my name's Dorothy Koomson and I'll try to make this bit that's all about me as interesting as possible.

I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.

I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my master's degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.

Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, my third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.

Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview #Giveaway Elizabeth & Margaret by Andrew Morton @andrewmortonuk @GrandCentralPub #Elizabeth&Margaret #AndrewMorton #GrandCentralPub

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#BookReview #Giveaway Elizabeth & Margaret by Andrew Morton @andrewmortonuk @GrandCentralPub #Elizabeth&Margaret #AndrewMorton #GrandCentralPub Title: Elizabeth & Margaret

Author: Andrew Morton

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Mar. 30, 2021

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

Perfect for fans of The Crown, this captivating biography from a New York Times bestselling author follows Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Margaret as they navigate life in the royal spotlight.

They were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward Vlll decided to abdicate the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called ‘Lillibet.’ And bow to her wishes.

Elizabeth would always look upon her younger sister’s antics with a kind of stoical amusement, but Margaret’s struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system—and her fraught relationship with its expectations—was often a source of tension. Famously, the Queen had to inform Margaret that the Church and government would not countenance her marrying a divorcee, Group Captain Peter Townsend, forcing Margaret to choose between keeping her title and royal allowances or her divorcee lover.

From the idyll of their cloistered early life, through their hidden war-time lives, into the divergent paths they took following their father’s death and Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne, this book explores their relationship over the years. Andrew Morton’s latest biography offers unique insight into these two drastically different sisters—one resigned to duty and responsibility, the other resistant to it—and the lasting impact they have had on the Crown, the royal family, and the ways it adapted to the changing mores of the 20th century.

Review:

Sincere, intuitive, and captivating!

Elizabeth & Margaret is the candid, informative biography of Lilibet and Margaret. Two sisters whose lives were drastically changed when their father unexpectedly took the throne in 1936, their home suddenly became Buckingham Palace, and one became the heir apparent and would subsequently go on to become the longest-reigning British monarch of all time.

The writing is descriptive and vivid. The characters are special, unique, duty-bound, and intriguing. And the novel is a fascinating look into how two women with distinctive, individual personalities chose to live lives that were consistently under scrutiny and criticism.

I think in a time when royal fascination seems to be running high, Elizabeth & Margaret is an incredibly insightful look not only into the push-pull relationship between two sisters who seemed to genuinely admire each other but also the pressures, responsibilities, hardships, and luxuries they each individually experienced due to their respective positions and differing roles in the House of Windsor.

This book is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

GIVEAWAY!

I’m giving two people a chance to win a copy of Elizabeth & Margaret. To enter please visit my Instagram page HERE! 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for sponsoring the giveaway! All giveaway information can be found in the Instagram Giveaway Post. Good luck!

 

About Andrew Morton

Andrew Morton studied history at the University of Sussex, England, with a focus on aristocracy and the 1930s. Morton has written biographies featuring the British Royal Family as well as celebrities, including Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, and Madonna. His bestselling biography of Princess Diana, Diana: Her True Story, met with international acclaim as “the closest we will ever come to her autobiography.”

Photograph courtesy of GCP Website.

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#BookReview Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee @OverTheRiverPR #ChangingtheRules #RichterSeries #CatherineBybee #OTRPR #Montlake

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#BookReview Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee @OverTheRiverPR #ChangingtheRules #RichterSeries #CatherineBybee #OTRPR #Montlake Title: Changing the Rules

Author: Catherine Bybee

Series: Richter #1

Published by: Montlake Romance on Mar. 23, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: OTRPR

Book Rating: 9/10

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes the steamy first novel in her new adrenaline-fueled Richter series.

As an employee of MacBain Securities and Solutions, Claire Kelly can certainly hold her own. Armed with an impressive set of covert skills, she’s more than prepared to tackle any job that comes her way…except one involving Cooper Lockman.

Cooper and Claire used to work together before his feelings for her sent him packing to Europe for six long years. But now he’s back and determined to ignore the still-smoldering heat that lingers between them.

Their current mission: go undercover together at a California high school to root out the mastermind behind a prostitution ring targeting young girls. The closer they get to the truth and the closer they get to each other, however, the deadlier their task becomes. As Claire and Cooper risk their lives to bring down their target, will their hearts be the final casualties?

Review:

Spicy, mysterious, and deliciously romantic!

Changing the Rules is a charged, alluring, suspenseful tale featuring the competent, handsome Cooper Lockman, who after finally returning to the California division of McBain Security and Solutions finds himself not only working undercover at a local high school as a substitute auto teacher and track coach to suss out those involved in a highly organized teen prostitution ring, but back working nice and close with the one woman, Claire Kelly, that caused him to flee to Europe six years ago and who he’s never been able to forget.

The prose is tight and seductive. The characters are dependable, multilayered, and swoon-worthy. And the plot is a steamy, rousing blend of friendship, family, tension, corruption, sizzling chemistry, flirty banter, red herrings, mayhem, sexy times, and dangerous situations.

Overall, Changing the Rules is an action-packed, menacing, addictive novel with irresistible characters that I devoured from start to finish. It captivated, amused, and thoroughly entertained me, and now I can’t wait for the release of the next book in the series, A Thin Disguise.

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

 

About Catherine Bybee

Catherine Bybee is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-five books that have collectively sold more than three million copies and have been translated into twelve languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite series, the Weekday Brides series, and the Most Likely To series.

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#BookReview #Giveaway Win by Harlan Coben @harlancoben @GrandCentralPub #Win #HarlanCoben #WindsorHorneLockwoodIII #GrandCentralPub

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#BookReview #Giveaway Win by Harlan Coben @harlancoben @GrandCentralPub #Win #HarlanCoben #WindsorHorneLockwoodIII #GrandCentralPub Title: Win

Author: Harlan Coben

Series: Windsor Horne Lockwood III #1

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Mar. 16, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

The new novel from Harlan Coben, #1 New York Timesbestselling author and creator of The Stranger on Netflix.

From a #1 New York Times bestselling author comes this thrilling story that shows what happens when a dead man’s secrets fall into the hands of vigilante antihero—drawing him down a dangerous road.

Over twenty years ago, the heiress Patricia Lockwood was abducted during a robbery of her family’s estate, then locked inside an isolated cabin for months. Patricia escaped, but so did her captors — and the items stolen from her family were never recovered.

Until now. On the Upper West Side, a recluse is found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside two objects of note: a stolen Vermeer painting and a leather suitcase bearing the initials WHL3. For the first time in years, the authorities have a lead — not only on Patricia’s kidnapping, but also on another FBI cold case — with the suitcase and painting both pointing them toward one man.

Windsor Horne Lockwood III — or Win, as his few friends call him — doesn’t know how his suitcase and his family’s stolen painting ended up with a dead man. But his interest is piqued, especially when the FBI tells him that the man who kidnapped his cousin was also behind an act of domestic terrorism — and that the conspirators may still be at large. The two cases have baffled the FBI for decades, but Win has three things the FBI doesn’t: a personal connection to the case; an ungodly fortune; and his own unique brand of justice.

Review:

Action-packed, intricate, and twisty!

Win is a sinister, tortuous tale that finally gives Myron Bolitar’s sidekick the hedonistic Windsor Horne Lockwood III centre stage when a painting stolen from his family long ago and his monogrammed suitcase from when he was a teen is discovered in the home of a murdered recluse who may also have ties to the activist bombing group known as the Jane Street Six who inadvertently killed seven people in the early 70s, as well as the infamous “Hut of Horrors” where several women, including Win’s cousin Patricia, was kept and sexually assaulted for several months in the 1990s.

The writing is bold and tight. The characters are self-absorbed, deviant, and deceptive. And the plot is an intense, mysterious tale filled with twists, turns, familial drama, secrets, coercion, manipulation, mayhem, attraction, danger, violence, and murder.

Overall, Win has everything you’ve come to expect in a Harlan Coben novel, as well as an antihero that you will love to hate. It’s absorbing, addictive, and exceptionally twisty, and for this long-time Coben fan, a book that was undoubtedly long overdue, eagerly anticipated, and extremely satisfying.

This book is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

GIVEAWAY!

I’m giving two people a chance to win a copy of Win. To enter please visit my Instagram page HERE! 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for sponsoring the giveaway! All giveaway information can be found in the Instagram Giveaway Post. Good luck!

 

About Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is a #1 NewYorkTimes bestselling author and one of the world's leading storytellers. His suspense novels are published in forty-five languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with seventy-five million books in print worldwide. His Myron Bolitar series has earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and many of his books have been developed into Netflix series, including his adaptation of The Stranger, headlined by Richard Armitage, and The Woods. He lives in New Jersey.

Photo by Claudio Marinesco.

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#BookReview Yes & I Love You by Roni Loren @RaincoastBooks @SourcebooksCasa #Yes&ILoveYou #RoniLoren #SayEverythingSeries

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#BookReview Yes & I Love You by Roni Loren @RaincoastBooks @SourcebooksCasa #Yes&ILoveYou #RoniLoren #SayEverythingSeries Title: Yes & I Love You

Author: Roni Loren

Series: Say Everything #1

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca on Mar. 2, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Raincoast Books

Book Rating: 9/10

Everyone knows Miz Poppy, the vibrant reviewer whose commentary brightens the New Orleans nightlife. But no one knows Hollyn, the real face behind the media star…or the fear that keeps her isolated. When her boss tells her she needs to add video to her blog or lose her job, she’s forced to rely on an unexpected source to help her face her fears.

When aspiring actor Jasper Deares finds out the shy woman who orders coffee every day is actually Miz Poppy, he realizes he has a golden opportunity to get the media attention his acting career needs. All he has to do is help Hollyn come out of her shell…and through their growing connection, finally find her voice.

A beautifully emotional new contemporary romance from New York Times and USA Today bestseller Roni Loren.

Review:

Colourful, charming, and uplifting!

Yes & I Love You is an enchanting, affecting tale that takes you into the lives of Hollyn Tate, a sassy, successful online blogger who struggles with face-to-face social interactions due to her anxiety over her Tourette symptoms, and Jasper Dears, a young barista by day, improv actor by night who is determined not to give up his dream but is in desperate need of a full-time job and some form of stability.

The prose is witty and light. The characters are self-conscious, flawed, and quirky. And the plot is a tender, delightful blend of friendship, family, introspection, courage, taking chances, new beginnings, and unconditional love.

Overall, Yes & I Love You is a compassionate, funny, heart-tugging tale by Loren with the sweetest storyline and an abundance of special characters you not only root for but totally fall in love with. This is the first novel in the Say Everything series and based on how much I adored this one, it would be an understatement to say I can’t wait to read the next one.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

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

 

About Roni Loren

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. She holds a master’s degree in social work and spent years as a mental health counselor, but now she writes full time from her cozy office in Dallas, Texas where she puts her characters on the therapy couch instead. She is a two-time RITA Award winner and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews @littlebrown @HBGCanada #WhoIsMaudDixon #AlexandraAndrews

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#BookReview Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews @littlebrown @HBGCanada #WhoIsMaudDixon #AlexandraAndrews Title: Who Is Maud Dixon?

Author: Alexandra Andrews

Published by: Little Brown and Company on Mar. 2, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: Hardcover

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

Florence Darrow is a small-town striver who believes that she’s destined to become a celebrated writer. When she stumbles into the opportunity to become the assistant to “Maud Dixon,” a celebrated-but anonymous-novelist (think: Elena Ferrante), she believes that the universe is finally providing her big chance. The arrangement feels idyllic; Helen can be prickly, but she is full of pointed wisdom on both writing and living. She even invites Florence along on a research trip to Morocco, where her new novel is set. Florence has never been out of the country before; maybe, she imagines, she’ll finally have something exciting to write about herself.

But when Florence wakes up in the hospital after a terrible car crash, and Helen is dead, she begins to imagine what it might be like to ‘upgrade’ into not only Helen’s life, but also that of Helen’s bestselling pseudonym, Maud Dixon…

Review:

Chilling, atmospheric, and ominous!

Who Is Maud Dixon? is a character-driven, psychological thrill ride involving the young, ambitious Florence Darrow, who after landing her dream job as an assistant to a famous writer, has no qualms in seizing an opportunity when it presents itself and dabbling in a little identity and literary theft in her ceaseless pursuit to become a world-class, successful writer.

The prose is intense and tight. The characters, including the devious, impulsive protagonist, are consumed, complex, and vulnerable. And the well-crafted, menacing plot builds nicely to create the perfect amount of tension and suspense as it unravels all the manipulative actions, questionable personalities, duplicitous motivations, and parasitic relationships within it.

Who Is Maud Dixon? is a tragic, unsettling, compelling novel by Andrews that with its beautiful Moroccan setting, self-absorbed, unscrupulous characters, and a plot reminiscent of Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr Ripley” is sure to have thriller fans excited and enthralled.

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Alexandra Andrews

Alexandra Andrews has worked as a journalist, editor and copywriter in New York and Paris. Who Is Maud Dixon? is her first novel. Publishers Weekly named her a “Writer to Watch” in 2021. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and children.

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#BookReview Last Call by Elon Green @CeladonBooks #ReadLastCall #CeladonBooks #CeladonReads

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#BookReview Last Call by Elon Green @CeladonBooks #ReadLastCall #CeladonBooks #CeladonReads Title: Last Call

Author: Elon Green

Published by: Celadon Books on Mar. 9, 2021

Pages: 272

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Celadon Books

Book Rating: 9/10

The gripping true story, told here for the first time, of the Last Call Killer and the gay community of New York City that he preyed upon.

The Townhouse Bar, midtown, July 1992: The piano player seems to know every song ever written, the crowd belts out the lyrics to their favorites, and a man standing nearby is drinking a Scotch and water. The man strikes the piano player as forgettable.

He looks bland and inconspicuous. Not at all what you think a serial killer looks like. But that’s what he is, and tonight, he has his sights set on a gray haired man. He will not be his first victim.

Nor will he be his last.

The Last Call Killer preyed upon gay men in New York in the ‘80s and ‘90s and had all the hallmarks of the most notorious serial killers. Yet because of the sexuality of his victims, the skyhigh murder rates, and the AIDS epidemic, his murders have been almost entirely forgotten.

This gripping true-crime narrative tells the story of the Last Call Killer and the decades-long chase to find him. And at the same time, it paints a portrait of his victims and a vibrant community navigating threat and resilience.

Review:

Engrossing, graphic, and gritty!

Last Call is the candid, comprehensive true story of the grisly murder and dismemberment of multiple gay men in Manhattan during the late 80s, early 90s, including an in-depth look into the lives of the victims, the investigations and media attention (or lack thereof), the political climate and social atmosphere of the time, and the scientific breakthrough that ultimately led to the killer’s identification and subsequent incarceration.

It is without a doubt an insightful, disturbing, exceptionally descriptive, well-researched tale by Green that left me horrified, satisfied, and intrigued to learn more, and is definitely one of the best true-crime stories I’ve read in quite some time.

This novel is available on March 9, 2021.

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

                   

 

 

 

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

 

About Elon Green

ELON GREEN has written for The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and The Columbia Journalism Review, and appears in Sarah Weinman's forthcoming anthology of true crime. He has been an editor at Longform for nearly a decade.

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