HBG Canada Archives - What's Better Than Books?

Source: HBG Canada

22
Apr
2024

#BookReview The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson @katethompson380 @HBGCanada @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2024 #KateThompson #TheWartimeBookClub #HBGCanada

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction, Noteworthy Book Releases

Title: The Wartime Book Club

Author: Kate Thompson

Published by: Forever on Apr. 9, 2024

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 512

Format: Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

Inspired by true events, The Wartime Book Club is an unforgettable story of everyday bravery and resistance, full of romance, drama, and camaraderie and a tribute to the joy of reading and the power of books in our darkest hour.

The Isle of Jersey was once a warm and neighborly community, but in 1943, German soldiers patrol the cobbled streets, imposing a harsh rule.

Nazis have ordered Grace La Mottée, the island’s only librarian, to destroy books that threaten the new regime. Instead, she hides the stories away in secret. Along with her headstrong best friend, she wants to fight back. So she forms the Wartime Book Club: a lifeline, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of reading.

But as the occupation drags on, the women’s quiet acts of bravery become more perilous – and more important – than ever before. And when tensions turn to violence, they are forced to face the true, terrible cost of resistance . . .

Based on astonishing real events, The Wartime Book Club is a love letter to the power of books in the darkest of times – as well as a moving page-turner that brings to life the remarkable, untold story of an island at war.

Review:

Rich, absorbing, and sincere!

The Wartime Book Club is a poignant, immersive tale set on the Isle of Jersey during 1943 that takes you into the lives of Grace La Mottée, a resilient, kindhearted librarian and her best friend and local postal worker Beatrice Gold as they do whatever they can to entertain, protect, and fight back against the Nazi Germans who invade and occupy their homeland during WWII.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are brave, tormented, and determined. And the plot is an exceptionally touching tale about life, loss, family, secrets, separation, desperation, tragedy, survival, love, the horrors of war, and the power of literature.

Overall, The Wartime Book Club is a moving, emotional, beautifully written tale by Thompson inspired by real-life events that reminds us that survival of any kind often involves heartbreaking choices, moral dilemmas, action, spirit, extreme loss, and beyond all else, unimaginable courage and sacrifice.

This novel is available now.

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

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

About Kate Thompson

Kate Thompson was born in London and worked as a journalist for women's magazines and national newspapers before becoming a novelist. Over the past ten years, Kate has written twelve fiction and nonfiction titles, three of which have made the Sunday Times top ten bestseller list. She now lives in Sunbury with her husband, two sons, and two rescued Lurcher dogs, Ted and Saphhie.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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03
Apr
2024

#BookReview Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez @HBGCanada @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2024 #AbbyJimenez #JustForTheSummer #HBGCanada

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Noteworthy Book Releases

Title: Just for the Summer

Author: Abby Jimenez

Published by: Forever on Apr. 2, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 432

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

Review:

Enchanting, heartwarming, and brilliantly crafted!

Just for the Summer is a tender, witty, romantic tale that takes you into the lives of Emma and Justin, two twenty-somethings who, after connecting through a funny Reddit post, agree to temporarily date in order to try and break the curse they both seem to be living under.

The prose is well-turned and fluid. The characters are sweet, flawed, genuine, and lovable. And the story is an exceptionally absorbing tale about life, love, healing, forgiveness, hope, self-reflection, familial drama, weighty issues, friendship, courage, taking chances, happiness, and new beginnings.

For the past few years Abby Jimenez’s books have been some of my all-time favourites, and even though I didn’t think it was possible to love another one of her books more than the ones I’ve already read, she proved me wrong. Just for the Summer is an unbelievable story that captured my heart from the very first page, and not only did I devour it, I absolutely loved it!

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 & Forever for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Abby Jimenez

Abby Jimenez is a Food Network champion, motivational speaker, and contemporary romance novelist living in Minnesota. Abby founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen in 2007. The bakery has since gone on to open multiple locations in two states, won numerous Food Network competitions and amassed an international cult following. Abby has since turned her talents to penning novels. She loves a good book, coffee, doglets, and not leaving the house.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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23
Mar
2024

#BookReview Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner @LisaGardnerBks @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #LisaGardner #StillSeeYouEverywhere #FrankieElkin #GrandCentralPub #HBGCanada

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller

Title: Still See You Everywhere

Author: Lisa Gardner

Series: Frankie Elkin #3

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Mar. 12, 2024

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 416

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner comes a harrowing new thriller:

Frankie Elkin is an expert at finding the missing persons that the rest of the world has forgotten, but even she couldn’t have anticipated this latest request—to locate the long-lost sister of a female serial killer facing execution in three weeks’ time.

She has called herself “death,” but people called her the devil.

The case was sensational. Kaylee Pierson had confessed from the very beginning, waived all appeals. Despite the media’s chronicling of her tragic circumstances—the childhood spent with a violent father—no one could find sympathy for “the Beautiful Butcher” who had led eighteen men home from bars before viciously slitting their throats.
Now, with only twenty-one days left to live, Pierson has finally received a lead on the whereabouts of the sister who was kidnapped over a decade ago, and she needs Frankie’s help to find her. The Beautiful Butcher’s offer:

When was the last time your search ended with finding the living?

Unable to resist the chance for a rescue, Frankie takes on Pierson’s request. Twelve years ago, five-year-old Leilani went missing in Hawaii. The main suspect? Pierson’s tech mogul ex-boyfriend, Sanders MacManus. Now, on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific—the site of MacManus’s latest vanity project—fresh evidence has appeared. In order to learn the truth and possibly save a young woman’s life, Frankie must go undercover at the isolated base camp. Her challenge: A dozen strangers. Countless dangerous secrets. Zero means of calling for help. And then the storm rolls in…

Review:

Simmering, gripping, and atmospheric!

Still See You Everywhere is an ominous, character-driven thriller that takes us back into the life of Frankie Elkin as she now finds herself heading to the remote Hawaiian island of Pomaikai at the request of a deranged, convicted serial killer on death row who is hoping to find her missing teenage sister whom she believes is being groomed by her ex-boyfriend and tech billionaire, Sanders MacManus, before her execution.

The prose is brisk and tight. The characters are stubborn, damaged, and impulsive. And the plot is a darkly menacing tale of twists, turns, action, intrigue, power, corruption, duplicity, manipulation, danger, terror, suspicion, survival, and murder.

Overall, Still See You Everywhere is another tortuous, addictive, unnerving tale by Gardner that is deliciously relentless, excessively deceptive, and bursting with misdirection.

This book is available now.

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

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

About Lisa Gardner

New York Times bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in police procedure, cutting edge forensics and twisted plots into a streak of eleven bestselling suspense novels.

Lisa lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her family, as well as two highly spoiled dogs and one extremely neurotic three-legged cat. Lisa graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in international relations.

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20
Mar
2024

#BookReview This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan @HBGCanada @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2024 #KennedyRyan #ThisCouldBeUs #SkylandSeries #HBGCanada

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance

Title: This Could Be Us

Author: Kennedy Ryan

Series: Skyland #2

Published by: Forever on Mar. 5, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 416

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

Soledad Barnes has her life all planned out. Because, of course, she does. She plans everything. She designs everything. She fixes everything. She’s a domestic goddess who’s never met a party she couldn’t host or a charge she couldn’t lead. The one with all the answers and the perfect vinaigrette for that summer salad. But none of her varied talents can save her when catastrophe strikes, and the life she built with the man who was supposed to be her forever, goes poof in a cloud of betrayal and disillusion.

But there is no time to pout or sulk, or even grieve the life she lost. She’s too busy keeping a roof over her daughters’ heads and food on the table. And in the process of saving them all, Soledad rediscovers herself. From the ashes of a life burned to the ground, something bold and new can rise.

But then an unlikely man enters the picture—the forbidden one, the one she shouldn’t want but can’t seem to resist. She’s lost it all before and refuses to repeat her mistakes. Can she trust him? Can she trust herself?

After all she’s lost . . .and found . . .can she be brave enough to make room for what could be?

Review:

Evocative, affecting, and heartfelt!

This Could Be Us is a heartwarming, touching tale that takes you into the life of Soledad Barnes, a mother of three daughters who must learn how to take risks, be true to herself, follow her heart, and try not to lose sight of her own wants, needs, and dreams after her husband is arrested for a white-collar crime.

The writing is genuine and sincere. The characters are flawed, compassionate, and endearing, And the plot is an absorbing tale about life, loss, heartbreak, forgiveness, family, courage, happiness, self-love, female friendships and new beginnings.

Overall, This Could Be Us is an uplifting, emotive, alluring addition to the Skyland series by Kennedy, and as always, after I finish any of her novels, I’m already looking forward to reading whatever she publishes next.

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 & Forever for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Kennedy Ryan

A RITA® and Audie® Award winner, USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish, and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts. Kennedy and her writings have been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, TIME, O magazine, and many others. She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son.

17
Feb
2024

#BookReview Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday @HBGCanada @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2024 #JennyHoliday #CanadianBoyfriend #HBGCanada

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance

Title: Canadian Boyfriend

Author: Jenny Holiday

Published by: Forever on Jan. 30, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Fate brings together a ballet teacher and a hockey player in this big-hearted novel about second chances and taking risks.

Once upon a time teenage Aurora Evans met a hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. And soon, he was the perfect fake boyfriend, a get-out-of-jail-free card for all kinds of sticky situations. I can’t go to prom. I’m going to be visiting my boyfriend in Canada. He was just what she needed to cover her social awkwardness. He never had to know. It wasn’t like she was ever going to see him again…

Years later, Aurora is teaching kids’ dance classes and battling panic and eating disorders—souvenirs from her failed ballet career—when pro hockey player Mike Martin walks in with his daughter. Mike’s honesty about his struggles with widowhood helps Aurora confront some of her own demons, and the two forge an unlikely friendship. There’s just one problem: Mike is the boy she spent years pretending was her “Canadian boyfriend.”

The longer she keeps her secret, the more she knows it will shatter the trust between them. But to have the life she wants, she needs to tackle the most important thing of all—believing in herself.

Review:

Winsome, warm, and uplifting!

Canadian Boyfriend is an absorbing, heartfelt tale that takes you into the lives of two main characters. Mike Martin, a professional hockey player and widower whose main focus is raising his daughter the best way he can, and Aurora Evans, a former ballerina turned dance teacher who, after pretending to date a Canadian hockey player for years as a teen, may have finally just stumbled across the man himself in real life.

The writing is light and tender. The characters are supportive, kind, and genuine. And the plot is an entertaining, amusing mix of life, love, family, friendship, grief, trust, compassion, happiness, healing, self-reflection, tricky moments, undeniable attraction, and romance.

Overall, Canadian Boyfriend is a cosy, sweet, heart-tugging tale by Holiday with characters I couldn’t help but fall in love with, a push-pull storyline that kept me engaged from start to finish, and a happy-ever-after ending that made me swoon.

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 & Forever for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Jenny Holiday

Jenny Holiday is a USA Today bestselling author who started writing at age nine when her awesome fourth-grade teacher gave her a notebook and told her to start writing some stories. That first batch featured mass murderers on the loose, alien invasions, and hauntings. (Looking back, she’s amazed no one sent her to a shrink.) She’s been writing ever since. After a detour to get a PhD in geography, she worked as a professional writer, producing everything from speeches to magazine articles. Later, her tastes having evolved from alien invasions to happily-ever-afters, she tried her hand at romance. She lives in London, Ontario, with her family.

01
Feb
2024

#BookReview The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester @HBGCanada @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2024 #NatashaLester #TheDisappearanceOfAstridBricard #HBGCanada

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction

Title: The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard

Author: Natasha Lester

Published by: Forever on Jan. 30, 2024

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 464

Format: Hardcover

Source: Forever, HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

Three generations. One chance to prove themselves. Can the women of the Bricard fashion dynasty finally rewrite their history?

French countryside, Present Blythe Bricard is the daughter of famous fashion muses but that doesn’t mean she wants to be one. She turned her back on that world, and her dreams, years ago. Fate, however, has a different plan, and Blythe will discover there is more to her iconic mother and grandmother than she ever knew. New York, 1970: Designer Astrid Bricard arrives in bohemian Chelsea determined to change the fashion world forever. And she does―cast as muse to her lover, Hawk Jones. And when they’re both invited to compete in the fashion event of the century―the Battle of Versailles―Astrid sacrifices everything to showcase her talent. But then, just as her career is about to take off, she mysteriously vanishes, leaving behind only a white silk dress.

Paris, 1917: Parentless sixteen-year-old Mizza Bricard has made a to be remembered on her own terms. Her promise sustains her through turbulent decades and volatile couture houses until, finally, her name is remembered and a legend is born―one that proves impossible for Astrid and Blythe to distance themselves from.

Review:

Astute, heartbreaking, and mysterious!

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is a tender, intriguing tale that takes you on a journey into the lives of three generations of Bricard women. Mizza, a young Paris assistant and muse to Christian Dior who spends the wartime helping the resistance; Astrid, a bold, headstrong designer who uses all her energy to try to step out of the shadow left by her mother and prove the journalists wrong once and for all by showcasing her true talent at the 1973 Battle of Versailles Fashion Show, and Blythe a mother of two who, after being abandoned by both her famous parents, dreams of making a success of her own sustainable-fashion brand and perhaps finally discovering what really happened on that night so long ago when her mother seemingly disappeared without a trace.

The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are talented, tormented, and resilient. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel into a poignant, simmering tale of familial dynamics, drama, emotion, secrets, love, loss, lies, heartbreak, introspection, passion, inequality, injustice, and the misogynistic world of fashion.

As most of you know, I am a huge fan of Natasha Lester and have read almost every novel she has ever written, and The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is without a doubt another compelling, romantic, affecting tale by Lester but one with perhaps a little more grit, depth, and layers than we’ve had the pleasure of seeing from her before.

This novel is available now.

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

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

About Natasha Lester

Natasha Lester is a USA Today, internationally best-selling author. Prior to writing, she worked as a marketing executive for L’Oreal, managing the Maybelline brand, before returning to university to study creative writing.

Her first historical novel, the bestselling A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, was published in 2016. This was followed by Her Mother’s Secret in 2017 and The Paris Seamstress in 2018. The French Photographer is her latest book (note: this will be published as The Paris Orphan in North America in September 2019).

Natasha's books have been published in the US, the UK, Australia and throughout Europe. She lives in Perth, Western Australia with her 3 children and loves travelling, Paris, vintage fashion and, of course, books.

Photograph courtesy of Goodreads Author Page.

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03
Aug
2023

#BookReview Change of Plans by Dylan Newton @HBGCanada @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2023 #DylanNewton #ChangeofPlans #HBGCanada

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance

Title: Change of Plans

Author: Dylan Newton

Published by: Forever on Aug. 1, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

In this charming romantic comedy, a hometown hero comes to the rescue of a chef unexpectedly left to care for three little girls—who may end up saving him too.

When disaster strikes and chef Bryce Weatherford is given guardianship of her three young nieces, her life goes from cooking with fire…to controlling a dumpster fire. Five‑year‑old Addison refuses to remove her fairy wings, eight‑year‑old Cecily won’t bathe, and tween June is majoring in belligerence. With all this chaos, Bryce jettisons hope for a life outside of managing her family and her new job.

It’s been years since Ryker Matthews had his below‑the‑knee amputation, yet the phantom pain for his lost limb and Marine career haunts him. To cope, he focuses on his vehicle restoration business. He knows he’s lucky to be alive. Yet, “lucky” feels more like “cursed” to his lonely heart.

When Ryker literally sweeps Bryce off her feet in the grocery store’s baby aisle, they both feel sparks. But falling in love would be one more curveball neither is ready to deal with… or is it exactly the change of plans they need?

Review:

Fun, touching, and sweet!

Change of Plans is a tenderhearted, amusing tale that transports you to the small town of Wellsville, NY and introduces you to the overwhelmed, stressed Bryce as she struggles to juggle the loss of her brother, a relocation, a custody battle, the guardianship of her three nieces, and a budding relationship with the scarred, hunky former Marine turned mechanic Ryker who is having a hard time of his own dealing with his debilitating nightmares from his time in Afghanistan and the ongoing pain in his partially amputated leg.

The prose is polished and light. The characterization is spot on with a cast of characters that are flawed, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is an irresistible blend of heart, humour, life, loss, guilt, grief, misunderstandings, tender moments, PTSD, family, friendship, tension, and attraction.

Overall, Change of Plans is another cosy, charming, heartwarming tale that I absolutely adored and which easily once again solidified why Dylan Newton holds a top spot on my must-read author list.

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 & Forever for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Dylan Newton

Dylan Newton was born and raised in a small town where the library was her favorite hang-out. After over a decade working in corporate America, Dylan quit to pursue her passion: writing books. When she isn't writing, Dylan is pursuing her own happily ever after with her high school sweetheart as they split time between Florida and Upstate New York with their two much cooler daughters and a tone-deaf cockatiel.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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01
Aug
2023

#BookReview Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown @sandrabrown_NYT @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #SandraBrown #OutofNowhere #GrandCentralPub #HBGCanada

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Title: Out of Nowhere

Author: Sandra Brown

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Aug. 1, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 417

Format: Hardcover

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown returns with a fast-paced, emotional thriller where the lives of a young mother and a high-rolling consultant collide under devastating circumstances—culminating in a desperate manhunt that will change their futures forever.

At a Texas county fair, amidst carousels and a bustling midway, children’s book author Elle Portman is enjoying a rare night out with her favorite her two-year-old son, Charlie. But just as they’re about to head home, the unthinkable a shooter opens fire into the crowd, causing widespread panic to erupt all around them.

Also caught in the melee was corporate consultant Calder Hudson. Arrogant, self-centered, and high off his latest career win, he’s frustrated and confused when he wakes up in the hospital after undergoing emergency surgery on his arm. The doctor tells him that he was lucky—that as far as gunshot wounds go, he pulled through remarkably well. Others weren’t so lucky, which instills in Calder a furious determination to get justice . . . a goal shared by Elle.

Their chance encounter at the police station leads to a surprising and inexplicable gravitation to one another, but even as the attraction grows, Elle and Calder can’t help but wonder if the unimaginable tragedy that brought them together is too painful and too complicated to sustain—especially while the shooter remains at large.

Review:

Adrenaline-pumping, riveting, and twisty!

Out of Nowhere is a well-executed, suspenseful tale that takes you into the life of Elle Portman, a hardworking, single mother who, after her worst nightmare comes true, finds herself consistently in the company of the handsome, successful Calder Hudson when it quickly becomes apparent they’re both still in the crosshairs of a relentless, highly motivated killer.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are vulnerable, resilient, and resourceful. And the plot is a cat-and-mouse game full of twists, turns, friendship, deception, desire, temptation, attraction, dangerous situations, red herrings, suspicious personalities, romance, violence, and murder.

Overall, Out of Nowhere is another action-packed, sinister, highly satisfying page-turner by Brown that had the perfect amount of suspense and romance to not only keep me invested, engaged, guessing, and entertained from start to finish but also more than happy to devour it in only one sitting.

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 gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty-nine New York Times bestsellers, including the #1 Seeing Red. There are over eighty million copies of her books in print worldwide, and her work has been translated into thirty-four languages. She lives in Texas.

Photograph courtesy of grandcentralpublishing.com.

30
Jun
2023

#BookReview Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez @iamHRChavez @mulhollandbooks @HBGCanada #BeforeSheFindsMe #HeatherChavez #MulhollandBooks #HBGCanada

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller

Title: Before She Finds Me

Author: Heather Chavez

Published by: Mulholland Books on Jun. 27, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Hardcover

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

In this shocking thriller, two unlikely mothers race to uncover the truth behind a horrific attack—even after it becomes clear that the truth will destroy one of their families.

Julia Bennett has worked hard to create a stable life for her daughter, Cora, in Southern California. So when Cora leaves for college, the worst thing Julia expects on move-in day is an argument with her ex-husband and his new wife. But a sudden attack leaves the campus stunned—and only Julia’s quick actions save Cora’s life. Shaken in the aftermath, and haunted by a dark secret, Julia starts to wonder: What if the attack wasn’t as random as everyone believes?

Newly pregnant Ren Petrovic has an unusual career—she’s a trained assassin, operating under a strict moral code. Ren wasn’t on campus that day, but she knows who was: her husband, Nolan. What she doesn’t know is why Nolan has broken their rules by not telling her about the job in advance. The more Ren looks into the attack, the more she begins to question: Who really hired Nolan? And why did one woman in the crowd respond so differently from all the rest?

Julia and Ren each want answers, but their searches quickly pit them against each other. One woman is a hired killer, but the other is a determined survivor. And both mothers will defend their families to the bitter end.

Review:

Captivating, twisty, and clever!

Before She Finds Me is an elaborately plotted, ominous tale that takes you into the lives of two main characters whose paths are inexplicably linked after a gunman opens fire on the grounds of Anderson Hughes College on move-in day. Julia Bennett, a mother and botany professor with a troubled past who is sure the recent mass shooting that left her daughter injured and her ex-husband’s new wife dead was not as random as it first appeared, and Ren Petrovic, a hired assassin determined to do whatever it takes to protect her unborn child while also discovering why her husband took a side job she knew nothing about.

The writing is tight and tense. The characters are persistent, resourceful, and multilayered. And the plot, including all the subplots, seamlessly intertwine and unravel into a gripping tale full of twists, turns, secrets, surprises, revelations, manipulation, coercion, mischief, mayhem, violence, and murder.

Overall, Before She Finds Me is an exceptionally menacing, intricately woven, highly entertaining mystery that has a nice amount of suspense, good character development, and great pace. It’s surprisingly the first novel I’ve had a chance to read by Chavez, but it certainly won’t be my last.

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 Heather Chavez

Heather Chavez is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley’s English literature program and has worked as a newspaper reporter, editor, and contributor to mystery and television blogs. She lives with her family in Santa Rosa, California. She’s the author of the thrillers No Bad Deed and Blood Will Tell.

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16
Jun
2023

#BookReview The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand @elinhilderbrand @littlebrown @HBGCanada #TheFiveStarWeekend #ElinHilderbrand #HBGCanada

categories: 9/10, Book Review, General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Title: The Five-Star Weekend

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Published by: Little Brown and Company on Jun. 13, 2023

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hotel Nantucket: After tragedy strikes, food blogger Hollis Shaw gathers four friends from different stages in her life to spend an unforgettable weekend on Nantucket.

Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. She’s the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. The cracks in Hollis’s perfect life—her strained marriage and her complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline—grow deeper.

So when Hollis hears about something called a “Five-Star Weekend”—one woman organizes a trip for her best friend from each phase of her life: her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife—she decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket. But the weekend doesn’t turn out to be a joyful Hallmark movie.

The husband of Hollis’s childhood friend Tatum arranges for Hollis’s first love, Jack Finigan, to spend time with them, stirring up old feelings. Meanwhile, Tatum is forced to play nice with abrasive and elitist Dru-Ann, Hollis’s best friend from UNC Chapel Hill. Dru-Ann’s career as a prominent Chicago sports agent is on the line after her comments about a client’s mental health issues are misconstrued online. Brooke, Hollis’s friend from their thirties, has just discovered that her husband is having an inappropriate relationship with a woman at work. Again! And then there’s Gigi, a stranger to everyone (including Hollis) who reached out to Hollis through her blog. Gigi embodies an unusual grace and, as it happens, has many secrets.

The Five-Star Weekend is a surprising and captivating story about friendship, love, and self-discovery set on Nantucket. It will be a weekend like no other.

Review:

Heartwarming, comforting, and nostalgic!

The Five-Star Weekend is a lighthearted, engaging tale that takes you into the life of Hollis Shaw, a middle-aged successful food blogger who, after returning to her hometown of Nantucket, invites four friends, one from each stage of her life, to spend a weekend at her home on the island to help her come to grips with the recent loss of her husband and the strained relationship with her daughter she’s struggling to repair.

The prose is sentimental and tender. The characters are independent, supportive, and layered. And the plot is a compelling, touching tale of life, love, family, honesty, kindness, communication, acceptance, self-discovery, grief, loss, understanding, forgiveness, romance, taking chances, and new beginnings.

Overall, The Five-Star Weekend is another emotive, thoughtful, cosy read by Hilderbrand that does a beautiful job of reminding us just how important, powerful, and meaningful female friendships 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 HBG Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand is a mother of three, an avid runner, reader, and traveler, and the author of twenty-three novels. She grew up outside Philadelphia, and has lived on Nantucket for more than twenty years.

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