It’s Monday (April 9, 2018)! What Are You Reading! #IMWAYR

categories: #IMWAYR, General Blog Posts, Noteworthy Book Releases

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at Bookdate is a weekly post to share what you’ve recently finished reading, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan on reading this upcoming week.

 

So here is what I just read, am reading, and what I plan to read next:

 

What I Read Last Week (Ebook ARCs):

 

 Title: The Husband Hour

Author: Jamie Brenner

Immediate Thoughts: Absorbing, poignant, and incredibly moving!

Rating: 10/10

Publication Date: April 24, 2018

 

 

 

What I Read Last Week (Physical ARCs):

 

Title: Dead Girl Running

Author: Christina Dodd

Immediate Thoughts: Menacing, twisty, and complex!

Rating: 7.5/10

Publication Date: April 24, 2018

 

 

 Title: The Greek Escape

Author: Karen Swan

Immediate Thoughts: Absorbing, romantic, and mysterious!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: May 8, 2018

 

 

 

What I Read Last Week (Off My TBR ):

 

Title: Unraveling Oliver

Author: Liz Nugent

Immediate Thoughts: A dark and intriguing character-driven thriller!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: August 22, 2017

 

 

Title: Something Borrowed

Author: Louisa George

Immediate Thoughts: Humorous, charming, and lighthearted!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: July 3, 2016

 

 

 

 

What I’m currently reading:

 

                                       

 

 

 

What I’m reading next:

 

                                

 

Current Stats:

# of NetGalley ARCs Read This Week: 1

# of Physical ARCs Read This Week: 2

# of Books Read off my Goodreads TBR This Week: 2

# of NetGalley ARCs Outstanding: 18

# of Books Still on my Goodreads TBR List: 893 (up another 7 ☹️)

 

Have you read any of my upcoming reads? What do you have coming up?

Happy Reading!

New & Noteworthy Book Releases for April 2018!

categories: General Blog Posts, Noteworthy Book Releases

 

Here are some New & Noteworthy Book Releases upcoming in the month of April 2018!

Click on the title to read more about them and add them to your Goodreads TBR!

 

April 1

 

April 3

 

April 5

 

April 9

 

April 10

 

April 16

 

April 17

 

April 24

#BookReview Find Me by J.S. Monroe @JSThrillers @HarlequinBooks

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller
#BookReview Find Me by J.S. Monroe @JSThrillers @HarlequinBooks Title: Find Me

Author: J.S. Monroe

Published by: Park Row on Jan. 16, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 397

Format: Paperback

Source: Harlequin Books

Book Rating: 8/10

A young man embarks on a desperate search for the truth in this chilling, razor-sharp thriller

Five years ago, Rosa walked to the pier in the dead of night, looked into the swirling water and jumped. She was a brilliant young Cambridge student who had just lost her father. Her death was tragic, but not unexpected.

But is that what really happened?

Her death was ruled a suicide. But Rosa’s boyfriend, Jar, still can’t let go. He sees Rosa everywhere—a face on the train, a figure on the cliff. He is obsessed with proving that she is still alive. And then he gets an email.

“Find me, Jar. Find me, before they do…”

As Jar digs into the past, he enters a dark underworld where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted. He is soon thrust into the heart of a larger intrigue that may finally shed some light on Rosa’s death…even as it dangerously threatens his own life.

Review:

Gritty, dark, and disturbing!

Find Me is a complex, creepy thriller that takes you into the life of the tormented, grief-stricken Jar as he embarks on a relentless and harrowing journey to discover, once and for all, the true fate of his girlfriend Rosa who allegedly committed suicide five years prior.

The prose is intense and tight. The characters are skeptical, focused, resilient, and in some cases depraved. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, quickly unravels as it spins you through an intricately-crafted story filled with unforeseen twists, well-timed surprises, mind games, espionage, murder, perversion, evil and pure wickedness.

Find Me is a unique, riveting tale with explicit sexual imagery and demoralization that will not only entertain, but will also confound, shock, disturb, and even frighten you.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                                            

 

 

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

 

About J.S. Monroe

J.S. Monroe is the pseudonym of the British author Jon Stock. Jon is the author of five spy novels and a new standalone psychological thriller, Find Me, to be published in 2017 under the name of JS Monroe. He lives in Wiltshire with his wife and three children.

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#BookReview Unmasked by Stefanie London @Stefanie_London #HarlequinDARE

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance
#BookReview Unmasked by Stefanie London @Stefanie_London #HarlequinDARE Title: Unmasked

Author: Stefanie London

Series: Melbourne After Dark #1

Published by: Harlequin Dare on Apr. 1, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 158

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Stefanie London

Book Rating: 9/10

Cinderella is about to get wicked…

But can a naughty fantasy have a happily-ever-after?

Lainey Kline has one goal before she leaves Melbourne forever: transform herself into a sexy siren, sneak into the season’s most glamorous masquerade ball and seduce Damian McKnight. Only there’s a teeny little problem—one deliciously hot night isn’t nearly enough. Now Lainey wants more. But while getting naked is one thing, taking off their masks is quite another…

Review:

Frisky, enticing, and salacious!

Unmasked is a passionate, beguiling read that mixes the determined, focused Lainey who may have come up with the perfect plan to spend one fervent night with the man of her dreams, and Damian, the handsome, consumed businessman who may finally discover his little sister’s best friend is more than he ever could have imagined.

The writing style is steamy and smooth. The characters are hesitant, playful, spirited, and endearing. And the plot is a wonderful combination of light drama, family, friendship, delicious tension, smoking chemistry, sexy innuendoes, and swoon-worthy romance.

Overall, Unmasked is a provocative, entertaining novel that I would have to say is hands down one of the sexiest fairy tales I’ve ever read.

This book is available now.

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

                                           

 

 

Thank you to Stefanie London for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Stefanie London

USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance with humour, heat and heart. Also llamas.

Originally from Melbourne, Australia Stefanie now lives in Toronto, Canada with her wonderful husband. She loves to read, collect lipsticks, watch zombie movies and drink coffee.

Her bestselling book, Pretend It’s Love, is a 2016 Romantic Book of the Year finalist with the Romance Writers of Australia.

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#BookReview The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie @CEMcKenzie1 @SimonSchusterCA

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller
#BookReview The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie @CEMcKenzie1 @SimonSchusterCA Title: The Good Liar

Author: Catherine McKenzie

Published by: Simon & Schuster Canada on Apr. 3, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 360

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

One explosion. Three women. Countless secrets. From bestselling author Catherine McKenzie comes a suspenseful, unsettling novel about what lurks in the wake of tragedy.

Everybody hides. Everybody lies.

On October 10th, three women’s lives are forever altered by a terrible accident.

Cecily was supposed to be in the building that exploded in Chicago and killed her husband. A photo taken of her as she watched the horrifying scene quickly brings her unwanted media attention as the “poster child” of the haunting event. Cecily has secrets she’s desperately trying to hide but cannot find a way to divert the media’s attention from her and her family.

Franny lost her birth mother—Cecily’s best friend—in the destruction shortly after the two met. A year later, she and Cecily team up to help families obtain financial compensation for their loss, but their budding friendship is derailed when it starts to become clear Franny’s story doesn’t quite add up. How did she manage to track down her mother? And why did her mother keep Franny a secret even after they’d met?

A thousand miles away in Montreal, Kate is trying to create a new life. But what led her to leave Chicago in the first place? Will she succeed in moving on from her mistakes or will Kate be drawn back into her old life?

With surprising twists and turns, The Good Liar is a riveting read by a masterful storyteller that will make readers wonder how far they’d go to hide their own secrets.

Review:

Thought-provoking, intricate, and masterfully crafted!

The Good Liar is a perfectly executed, character-driven psychological thriller that highlights how devastating, damaging, and dangerous secrets can truly be and has you quickly questioning whether a good liar is one who lies out of benevolence or spite.

The writing is polished and fluid. The characterization is exceptional with a cast of characters who each draw your curiosity, loyalty, sympathy, and doubt. And the plot told from multiple perspectives and using a mixture of narrative styles creates tension and suspicion as it unravels piece-by-piece all the deception, secrets, histories, personalities, and relationships within it.

The Good Liar is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read this year. It’s a clever, twisty, skillfully paced page turner that will have you on the edge of your seat from the very first page and will leave you surprised, shocked, satisfied and ruminating the weight grief, guilt, insecurity, and obsession have over our reactions to tragedy.

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

 

About Catherine McKenzie

Catherine McKenzie was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. A graduate of McGill University in history and law, Catherine practiced law for twenty years before leaving to write full time. An avid runner, skier, and tennis player, she’s the author of numerous bestsellers including I’ll Never Tell and The Good Liar. Her works have been translated into multiple languages and I’ll Never Tell and Please Join Ushave been optioned for development into television series.

Photograph by Fany Ducharme.

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It’s Monday (April 2, 2018)! What Are You Reading! #IMWAYR

categories: #IMWAYR, General Blog Posts, Noteworthy Book Releases

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at Bookdate is a weekly post to share what you’ve recently finished reading, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan on reading this upcoming week.

 

So here is what I just read, am reading, and what I plan to read next:

 

What I Read Last Week (Ebook ARCs):

 


 Title: The First Family

Author: Michael Palmer & Daniel Palmer

Immediate Thoughts: An entertaining, action-packed medical thriller!

Rating: 7.5/10

Publication Date: April 17, 2018

 

 

 

What I Read Last Week (Physical ARCs):

 

Title: Bellewether

Author: Susanna Kearsley

Immediate Thoughts: Powerful, moving, and incredibly fascinating!

Rating: 10/10

Publication Date: April 24, 2018

 

 

 Title: The Cursed Wife

Author: Pamela Hartshorne

Immediate Thoughts: An intriguingly dark, historical thriller about two women whose lives are consumed by secrets, deception, and jealousy!

Rating: 7.5/10

Publication Date: April 19, 2018

 

 

 

What I Read Last Week (Off My TBR ):

 

Title: The Hating Game

Author: Sally Thorne

Immediate Thoughts: Romantic, dreamy, and laugh-out loud funny!

Rating: 10/10

Publication Date: August 9, 2016

 

 

 

 

What I’m currently reading:

 

                                        

 

 

 

What I’m reading next:

 

                                

 

Current Stats:

# of NetGalley ARCs Read This Week: 1

# of Physical ARCs Read This Week: 2

# of Books Read off my Goodreads TBR This Week: 1

# of NetGalley ARCs Outstanding: 15

# of Books Still on my Goodreads TBR List: 886 (yikes up another 5)

 

Have you read any of my upcoming reads? What do you have coming up?

Happy Reading!

Looking Ahead – This Month’s TBR List (April 2018)

categories: Monthly Meme, TBR List

 

Looking Ahead – This Month’s TBR List is a new monthly meme

hosted by Tina at Reading Between the Pages to share the books you

anticipate reading in the month to come.

 

If you have a TBR list for the upcoming month be sure to join the fun and link in!

 

 

 

And Now My TBR for April:

 

 

Have you read any of these?

 

What are you looking forward to reading this month?

#BookReview Dirty Games by HelenKay Dimon @helenkaydimon @readloveswept

categories: 7.5/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romantic Suspense
#BookReview Dirty Games by HelenKay Dimon @helenkaydimon @readloveswept Title: Dirty Games

Author: HelenKay Dimon

Series: Dirty #2

Published by: Loveswept on Mar. 13, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 247

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Loveswept, NetGalley

Book Rating: 7.5/10

Sometimes, to get what you want in business or in love, you have to get your hands dirty. Luckily for Finn and Justin, dirty comes naturally.

Finn Drummond is the baby in a family of sharks—which means he’s worked twice as hard to make a name for himself. After learning the tricks of the trade from his brothers, Finn’s just as ruthless and dominant. Out in the field, his appetites are legendary: for success, for money, for women and men. But when supplies from Drummond Charities go missing, Finn has to partner up with the smoldering ex–Army grunt who’s always challenging his authority—or giving him mixed signals.

Justin Miller wanted his attraction to Finn to be mutual, but the cocky brat always had a girlfriend. Who could blame Justin for trying to move on? Despite their history, they’ve got to work together to figure out who’s been derailing their humanitarian work. But after Justin and Finn are thrown together against gunrunners and kidnappers, their simmering chemistry turns explosive. Turns out, Finn knows how to handle himself in a crisis—and in the sack. Justin only hopes that hot sex is enough to persuade this spoiled pretty boy to do the right thing.

Review:

Fast-paced, smoldering, and exceptionally suspenseful!

Dirty Games, the latest novel in the Dirty series is an action-packed, steamy tale involving the determined, feisty, youngest Drummond brother, Finn and the serious, ruggedly handsome, snarky Justin as they reluctantly work together to solve the mystery behind the missing humanitarian aid shipments.

The writing is clear and crisp. The characters are hot-headed, relentless, and stubborn. And the plot sweeps you away into a push-pull storyline filled with tension, deception, danger, political instability, arms dealing, red-hot chemistry, sexy times, and violence.

Overall, Dirty Games is an enjoyable, entertaining, passionate read and even though I preferred the first novel in the series, if you love romantic suspense this won’t disappoint.

If you haven’t already had a chance to read my review for Dirty Deeds, Dirty #1, be sure to check it out here:

 

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House – Loveswept for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About HelenKay Dimon

HelenKay Dimon is a divorce lawyer-turned-romance author. After dedicating years to helping people terminate relationships she now writes romance novels full time. Her books have earned praise, appeared on bestseller lists, won numerous awards and twice been named Red-Hot Reads and excerpted in Cosmo. She sometimes writes erotic romance, sometimes writes romantic suspense and sometimes writes contemporary romance. But no matter what she’s writing her books are always filled with smart banter and sexy times, and a HEA is guaranteed.

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#BookReview An Unsuitable Match by Joanna Trollope @joannatrollope @PGCBooks

categories: 7.5/10, Book Review, General Fiction, Women's Fiction
#BookReview An Unsuitable Match by Joanna Trollope @joannatrollope @PGCBooks Title: An Unsuitable Match

Author: Joanna Trollope

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Mar. 27, 2018

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 7.5/10

Number one bestselling author, Joanna Trollope, is back with her twenty-first novel.

Dealing with one’s own emotions is one thing, but facing a parent’s rollercoaster of a love life is quite another.

Rose Woodrowe is getting married to Tyler Masson – a wonderful, sensitive man who is head-over-heels in love with her. The only problem? This isn’t the first time for either of them. And when you marry later in life there are a lot more people to consider…

Like Rose’s daughter, Laura, who remembers her mother’s first marriage and doesn’t want her to get hurt again. Or the twins, Emmy and Nat, who are used to their mum being there for them whenever, and for whatever, they need. And then there’s Tyler’s children: Mallory, a young actress who craves her father’s attention, and Seth, whose San Francisco bakery is just taking off and needs all the money he can get.

Both Rose and Tyler are determined to get it right this time, but in trying to make everyone happy, can they ever be happy themselves?

Review:

Insightful, sincere, and absorbing!

An Unsuitable Match is a heartfelt, domestic story about relationships, new and old, and all the complexities, drama, and emotion that surround them.

The prose is polished and astute. The characters are well-developed, genuine, and troubled. And the plot is a compelling, heartwarming ride of life, love, self-discovery, familial dynamics, second-chance romance, aging, support, honesty, and friendship.

Overall, An Unsuitable Match is a sophisticated, moving, relatable tale that highlights the highs-and-lows of committing later in life and reminds us of all the struggles and challenges of trying to combine and blend families together.

 

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

 

About Joanna Trollope

Joanna Trollope is the author of twenty highly acclaimed and bestselling novels, including City of Friends, Friday Nights, Second Honeymoon, and The Other Family. She was appointed OBE in 1996, and a trustee of the UK National Literacy Trust in 2012. She has chaired the Whitbread and Orange Awards, as well as being a judge of many other literature prizes; she has been part of two DCMS panels on public libraries and is patron of numerous charities, including Meningitis Now, and Chawton House Library. In 2014, she updated Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility as the opening novel in the Austen Project.

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#BookReview Tangerine by Christine Mangan @HarperCollinsCa

categories: 8/10, Book Review, General Fiction, Historical Fiction
#BookReview Tangerine by Christine Mangan @HarperCollinsCa Title: Tangerine

Author: Christine Mangan

Published by: Ecco on Mar. 27, 2018

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: HarperCollins Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

The last person Alice Shipley expected to see since arriving in Tangier with her new husband was Lucy Mason. After the accident at Bennington, the two friends—once inseparable roommates—haven’t spoken in over a year. But there Lucy was, trying to make things right and return to their old rhythms. Perhaps Alice should be happy. She has not adjusted to life in Morocco, too afraid to venture out into the bustling medinas and oppressive heat. Lucy—always fearless and independent—helps Alice emerge from her flat and explore the country.

But soon a familiar feeling starts to overtake Alice—she feels controlled and stifled by Lucy at every turn. Then Alice’s husband, John, goes missing, and Alice starts to question everything around her: her relationship with her enigmatic friend, her decision to ever come to Tangier, and her very own state of mind.

Tangerine is a sharp dagger of a book—a debut so tightly wound, so replete with exotic imagery and charm, so full of precise details and extraordinary craftsmanship, it will leave you absolutely breathless.

Review:

Chilling, atmospheric, and ominous!

Tangerine is a well-paced, psychological thriller set in Tangier, Morocco that is told from two different perspectives. Alice, a wealthy, fragile, young woman with a history of tragedy and a husband and new home she’s not entirely comfortable or content with. And Lucy, a dangerous, manipulative young lady who seems to lack a conscience and be driven by an unhealthy, violent obsession.

The writing is taut and vividly descriptive. The characters are complex, flawed, and highly unstable. And the plot, using alternating chapters, does a superb job of building tension and unease as it subtly unravels and intertwines an intricate web of lies, secrets, pretense, desperation, infatuation, violence, and murder.

Overall, Tangerine is a fantastic debut for Mangan that transports you to another time and place and reminds you that some friendships are not only toxic but often deadly.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                                            

 

 

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

 

About Christine Mangan

Christine Mangan has her PhD in English from University College Dublin, where her thesis focused on 18th-century Gothic literature, and an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Southern Maine. Tangerine is her first novel.