The Winters by Lisa Gabriele

I’m a huge Alfred Hitchcock fan, so I obviously had to get my hands on this book after I heard it was based off of the book-turned-movie Rebecca.

A young woman is working for a boat company when she runs into Max Winters, a famous New York Senator. They spend time together which soon leads into a whisking romance with a quick engagement. Meanwhile, Dani, Max’s teenage daughter, is having a hard time getting over the death of her mother, Max’s first wife Rebekah. You would almost think that Rebekah was still around. What happened to Rebekah? Will the young woman ever feel like she belongs in her new family?

It’s a little slow to start in my opinion (I had to push myself along at first, not going to lie), but enjoyed this modern take on the classic regardless. The plot was well done and worth the read if you’re a Rebecca fan. It’s just a little longer than it needed to be. On the other hand, I’m absolutely in love with the cover! I don’t think I could find myself reading this one again. I’d rather read Rebecca, honestly.

3/5 Stars

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

Shari Lapena is just oh so wonderful, I was beyond myself when I got a copy of her latest book, An Unwanted Guest.

A huge thanks to Pamela Dorman Books and Viking Books for the book in exchange for my honest review.

Come to Mitchell’s Inn, where there are leather club chairs by the fireplace, a bar made entirely out of ice, old fancy wood paneling, a good company. Or so we assume? A large snow storm has hit Mitchell Inn and snowed in half the staff and the guests. They all get acquainted with one another during cocktail hour and converse over dinner. Every one eventually heads to bed, with not a trace of complaints when the next day, they awake to find a guest, the most gorgeous of them all, dead at the bottom of the staircase. This story takes place in three days where we learn more truth behind these guests and what truly happened. If you loved Clue, you’ll devour this one.

I adored this! I could not stop reading! Ironically enough, I read Lapena’s A Stranger In The House while rocking my newborn to sleep, and this while rocking that same child, now a teething one year old, to sleep. I was upset when she woke to say the least. It’s a fast paced read that captures your attention at each beckoning hour of their weekend snowed-in. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but Shari does an amazing job sharing such intricate details about their life where you won’t ever get lost. I love how the names are bolded every once in awhile when she switches focus of the story (that may just be in the advanced reader’s copy, but I hope it stays that way). It keeps you engaged with who’s who and what’s going on. I’m a super huge fan of the movie and board game Clue, so I completely and utterly bought in to this storyline and loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to read it again!

5/5 Stars