My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa

The best thing about being around others who love books as much as you do, you learn about so many good books that you would’ve never picked up ever before.

Thank you Berkley for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Ever since she was adopted from a Sri Lankan orphanage, Paloma has had the best of everything—schools, money, and parents so perfect that she fears she’ll never live up to them. Now at thirty years old and recently cut off from her parents’ funds, she decides to sublet the second bedroom of her overpriced San Francisco apartment to Arun, who recently moved from India. Paloma has to admit, it feels good helping someone find their way in America—that is until Arun discovers Paloma’s darkest secret, one that could jeopardize her own fragile place in this country. Before Paloma can pay Arun off, she finds him face down in a pool of blood. She flees the apartment but by the time the police arrive, there’s no body—and no evidence that Arun ever even existed in the first place. Paloma is terrified this is all somehow tangled up in the desperate actions she took to escape Sri Lanka so many years ago. Did Paloma’s secret die with Arun or is she now in greater danger than ever before?

The best thing I can say is, try to take as little from the synopsis as possible. I think just opening this book and reading it right away with fresh eyes is the best thing ever. The writing is absolutely superb. The story itself is very similar to other thrillers, but I appreciated the cultural twist added to this one! If you read a lot of thrillers or mysteries, I think this is a toss up. You will probably guess the twists early on, but I really don’t want you to miss out on how well this was written. All in all, a great debut. I can’t wait to see more from this author!

4/5 Stars

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Sometimes you just need a really good romance novel for a break in-between the thrills and mayhem.

Thank you Berkley for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding…six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

As a scientist by trade myself, I absolutely loved this book. It was the perfect mix of romance, science, and comedy. This, in my opinion, is the perfect romance book. Not only were you rooting for the main characters, but you were also falling in love with the side characters too! I wanted more of the story and secretly hope there is something in the works down the line. Plus, a story about women in STEM? Heck yes!

5/5 Stars

Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell

Oh, David Bell…I am forever in debt to your amazing writing. So excited to be reading another book of yours this month!

Thank you Berkley for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: After years of struggling to write following the deaths of his wife and son, English professor Connor Nye publishes his first novel, a thriller about the murder of a young woman. There’s just one problem: Connor didn’t write the book. His missing student did. And then she appears on his doorstep, alive and well, threatening to expose him. Connor’s problems escalate when the police insist details in the novel implicate him in an unsolved murder from two years ago. Soon Connor discovers the crime is part of a disturbing scandal on campus and faces an impossible dilemma–admit he didn’t write the book and lose his job or keep up the lie and risk everything. When another murder occurs, Connor must clear his name by unraveling the horrifying secrets buried in his student’s manuscript.

Another phenomenal book by David. Honestly, he is definitely one of my top five favorite authors of all-time. He never ceases to fail! His stories always grip you right from page one. This book is no exception. If you are a fan of mysteries or suspense novels, don’t even hesitate on this read – pick it up ASAP! I can’t wait for his next thrilling tale!

5/5 Stars

Final Girls Support Group by Grady Hendrix

I’m not one for scary movies, but them premise of this book had me hooked from page one!

Thank you Berkley Publishing for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: In horror movies, the final girl is the one who’s left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her? Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she’s not alone. For more than a decade she’s been meeting with five other actual final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette’s worst fears are realized–someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece. But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.

Albeit a little more gory than I wanted it to be, but this book was awesome. I was biting my nails, hanging on the edge of my seat, from the very beginning. While it may be hard to relate to a “final girl”, these characters somehow are totally relatable! Their emotions and fears are so real, it gave me chills! Highly recommend this read! Just don’t stay up too late reading it 🙂

4/5 Stars

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley

I grew up 30 minutes away from the Chesapeake Bay, so any book that takes place in the same area is an automatic must-read for me!

Thank you Berkley for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Piper Parrish’s life on Frick Island—a tiny, remote town smack in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay—is nearly perfect. Well, aside from one pesky detail: Her darling husband, Tom, is dead. When Tom’s crab boat capsized and his body wasn’t recovered, Piper, rocked to the core, did a most peculiar thing: carried on as if her husband was not only still alive, but right there beside her, cooking him breakfast, walking him to the docks each morning, meeting him for their standard Friday night dinner date at the One-Eyed Crab. And what were the townspeople to do but go along with their beloved widowed Piper? Anders Caldwell’s career is not going well. A young ambitious journalist, he’d rather hoped he’d be a national award-winning podcaster by now, rather than writing fluff pieces for a small town newspaper. But when he gets an assignment to travel to the remote Frick Island and cover their boring annual Cake Walk fundraiser, he stumbles upon a much more fascinating tale: an entire town pretending to see and interact with a man who does not actually exist. Determined it’s the career-making story he’s been needing for his podcast, Anders returns to the island to begin covert research and spend more time with the enigmatic Piper—but he has no idea out of all the lives he’s about to upend, it’s his that will change the most.

Don’t look any further for the perfect beach read. This book is charming, emotional, and enchanting! You’ll cry tears of sadness and joy all in the same breath. A beautiful story of love and friendships. A beautiful story of humanity at it’s best. And to all my friends and family back home reading this review, it’s based off of Smith Island, so you just have to pick it up this summer and read it! 🙂

5/5 Stars

The Minders by John Marrs

John Marrs is one of my favorite authors. I’m super excited to be able to read his latest novel!

Thank you Berkley Books for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: In the 21st century, information is king. But computers can be hacked and files can be broken into – so a unique government initiative has been born. Five ordinary people have been selected to become Minders – the latest weapon in thwarting cyber-terrorism. Transformed by a revolutionary medical procedure, the country’s most classified information has been taken offline and turned into genetic code implanted inside their heads. Together, the five know every secret – the truth behind every government lie, conspiracy theory and cover up. In return, they’re given the chance to leave their problems behind and a blank slate to start their lives anew. But not everyone should be trusted, especially when they each have secrets of their own they’ll do anything to protect.

And there he does it again! Another fantastic book I couldn’t put down once I picked it up to read! This is such a relevant story, especially with today’s news of hacking happening minute by minute. The characters and plot are complex in the best way possible. There are a lot of different point of views, but that’s what makes this story completely put-together. If you haven’t read his previous books, I recommend doing so because it definitely ties characters into this book, but is not necessarily required to read this one. A Highly recommended read!

5/5 Stars

If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier

If you love true crime podcasts, this book may just be for you!

Thank you Berkley for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Sera loves true crime podcasts. They make her feel empowered in a world where women just like her disappear daily. She’s sure they are preparing her for something. So when Rachel, her favorite podcast host, goes missing, Sera knows it’s time to act. Rachel has always taught her to trust her instincts. Sera follows the clues hidden in the episodes to an isolated ranch outside Rachel’s small hometown to begin her search. She’s convinced her investigation will make Rachel so proud. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won’t be the last…Rachel did try to warn her.

Okay, I cannot go on any further without mentioning, HOW AWESOME IS THIS COVER?! Literally, so stunning! Now to the book…here is your fair warning (just like Rachel gave *wink wink*). It’s a tad WEIRD. Like mind-twisting, what the heck are they thinking/doing, what did I read type of weird. Not too much so that you wouldn’t enjoy reading it, but just be prepared for a mind-bending experience. The story is told in the second person which is different than most which leave elements of suspense, but it also left me with plot holes and confusion. The concept is so unique and it truly has suspense all throughout, so I really did enjoy the read but may not find myself picking it up ever again.

3/5 Stars

Always The Last To Know by Kristan Higgins

If you’ve been apart of the literary world for awhile, you should be familiar with Kristan and her wonderful work!

I’m so excited to join Berkley’s Blog Tour in introducing her latest novel, Always The Last to Know!

Sometimes you have to break a family to fix it.

From New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins, a new novel examining a family at the breaking point in all its messy, difficult, wonderful complexity.

The Frosts are a typical American family. Barb and John, married almost fifty years, are testy and bored with each other…who could blame them after all this time? At least they have their daughters– Barb’s favorite, the perfect, brilliant Juliet; and John’s darling, the free-spirited Sadie. The girls themselves couldn’t be more different, but at least they got along, more or less. It was fine. It was enough.

Until the day John had a stroke, and their house of cards came tumbling down.

Now Sadie has to put her career as a teacher and struggling artist in New York on hold to come back and care for her beloved dad–and face the love of her life, whose heart she broke, and who broke hers. Now Juliet has to wonder if people will notice that despite her perfect career as a successful architect, her perfect marriage to a charming Brit, and her two perfect daughters, she’s spending an increasing amount of time in the closet having panic attacks.

And now Barb and John will finally have to face what’s been going on in their marriage all along.

From the author of Good Luck with That and Life and Other Inconveniences comes a new novel of heartbreaking truths and hilarious honesty about what family really means. 

It’s a feel-good emotional read that you won’t want to miss out on! Such a wonderful, heartfelt story. Now available!

The Closer You Get by Mary Torjussen

Hey, any book that has a quote and great review from one of your favorite authors (Shari Lapena), you just have to read it!

Thank you Berkley for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Coworkers Ruby and Harry are in love–but they’re married to other people. They decide to tell their spouses that their marriages are over and to start their new lives together. Ruby, who has wanted to leave her controlling husband for a while, tells him she’s leaving him and waits at the hotel where she and Harry are to meet. But Harry never shows up. Suddenly, Ruby’s life has fallen apart, and she’s lost everything. Harry won’t answer her calls, and she’s fired from her job. She finds a cheap apartment in a run-down part of town, all the while wondering what happened to Harry. Just as Ruby thinks she’s hit rock bottom, strange and menacing things start to happen–someone is sneaking into her apartment, and someone is following her home late at night–and she is going to have to fight for her survival.

This may have been written similarly to other domestic thrillers, but the writing and differing point of views was enjoyable to read! I’m not much for multiple points of view, but it flowed really well in this book. It was a fun, easy read that kept me on the edge of my seat even if it seemed like a familiar story. It read even better than watching a good Hallmark Movie Mystery. It had just the right amount of mystery with some good twists in-between. It’s a perfect weekend binge read.

4/5 Stars

Master Class by Christina Dalcher

I read and really enjoyed Christina’s first novel Vox (you can read my review on this blog), and was excited to hear about her latest novel!

Thank you Berkley for my gifted e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Every child’s potential is regularly determined by a standardized measurement: their quotient (Q). Score high enough, and attend a top tier school with a golden future. Score too low, and it’s off to a federal boarding school with limited prospects afterwards. The purpose? An improved society where education costs drop, teachers focus on the more promising students, and parents are happy. Elena Fairchild is a teacher at one of the state’s elite schools. When her nine-year-old daughter bombs a monthly test and her Q score drops to a disastrously low level, she is immediately forced to leave her top school for a federal institution hundreds of miles away. As a teacher, Elena thought she understood the tiered educational system, but as a mother whose child is now gone, Elena’s perspective is changed forever. She just wants her daughter back. And she will do the unthinkable to make it happen. 

As a teacher and a mother, this book hit me on all kinds of levels. I have so many thoughts on the education system and honestly, this book brings about a great conversation on a lot of them! A world where test scores define you? Are we there yet even? The suspense! This book is all too real in my opinion, which makes it all the greater to read! I loved it and would really love to hear your thoughts on it as well!

5/5 Stars