in My Arms was a refreshing spin on the same old story of the women who don't quite fit in with the perfect PTA moms at school.
Safe in My Arms by Sara Shepard, 3.5 Stars
The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives by Kristin Miller, 3.5 Stars
The Secret Lives of Trophy Wives is a fantastic beach read. It's a light enough read to keep one eye on the kids in the water while you read, but salacious enough that you'll keep turning the pages.
Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens, 3.5 Stars
Dark Roads is a great read. It's got a great setting, and plenty of twists and turns you didn't see coming and a rich cast of characters. #darkroads #netgalley
Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey, 3.5 Stars
Where the Truth Lies, it will keep you turning pages far past your bedtime.
Hostage by Claire Macintosh, 4 Stars
Hostage is a wild ride from start to finish.
You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon, 3.5 Stars
You Will Remember Me is a great read, full of richly drawn characters who all kind of operate on the fringes of acceptable life (and that makes them so much more interesting than you or I!)
The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman, 5 Stars
I recommend The Disappearing Act to fans of Steadman and suspense, along with people who like a bit of an insiders taste into the going ons of stardom and Hollywood.
Kin by Shawna Kay Rodenburg, 2.5 Stars
I could see this story successful adapted to film. It definitely had a Hillbilly Elegy feel to it.
A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams, 4 Stars
A Dark and Secret Place is a book that will be satisfying to every true crime podcast enthusiast, Dateline addict, or Hannibal fan.
The Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian, 4 Stars
I highly recommend Hour of the Witch to fans of Bohjahlian and lovers of historical fiction.
The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon, 5 Stars
Janelle Brown, author of Pretty Things and Watch Me Disappear had the perfect testimonial for the book saying, "The Drowning Kind is satisfying on every level: Marvelously chilling, elegantly written, a true page-turner. I couldn’t wait to get to the end; I also wanted to savor every page. Jennifer McMahon is a master of mood.”
You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes, 4.5 Stars
You Love Me is everything I wanted it to be. Joe isn't the same guy who used to stalk Beck through the windows of her NYC apartment. He's matured. I think he might not be as much of a psycho. Well, scratch that.
The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, 3.5 Stars
When Ambrosia arrives at her freshman year of college, she has a chip on her shoulder. Like the size of Antarctica.
The Project by Courtney Summers, 4 Stars
The Project is a great read, you definitely won't regret picking this one up. Yes, it's technically YA, but it's one of the YA books with amazing crossover adult potential.
The Burning Girls, by C.J. Tudor, 5 Stars
C.J. Tudor is a bit macabre and her books just feel different than your average thriller. Her books are a little bit gory, a little bit spooky, the tiniest bit shocking and super readable.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, 5 Stars
The Four Winds is a richly drawn work of historical fiction that transports the reader to that moment in history. Hannah does this in a way not many authors can master and it's breathtaking.
The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous, 4 Stars
Really, if we had to choose just one main character in this book, it might not be Sadie or Beth (or even Leonora), but rather Raven Hall. Because people who have lived there, are somehow legit, obsessed with it.
Influence by Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham, 3.5 Stars
Buckingham and Shepard have created some colorful characters that remind me a lot of the real-life (or were they?) shenanigans on Laguna Beach.
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, 3.5 Stars
Jane is kind of an enigma. She comes from a troubled past, and she is clearly trying to improve her life.
Take It Back by Kia Abdullah, 4 Stars
Not only was it a page turner, but it makes you think.
Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane, 3 Stars
In Pretty Little Wife, the reader gets a front row seat to the relentless interrogations and everything that Lila is up to in the days following her husbands, ahem, disappearance.
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam, 5 Stars
Yes, Leave the World Behind, is the crowning novel that fits in so well in 2020, it's a little scary.
The Last to See Her by Courtney Evan Tate, 3.5 Stars
The Last to See Her is a wild ride that is part mystery, part thriller, part romance, part story of betrayal and part sister story. Which sounds like it could be too much. But it's actually just the perfect amount.
Cardiff, by the Sea by Joyce Carol Oates, 4.5 Stars
Perfect for curling up with under a blanket on a dark and stormy night.
White Ivy by Susie Yang, 4.5 Stars
What does an ivy do? It clings to wood or stone, hiding the ruins of what it feeds upon.
Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger, 4 Stars
Two strangers swapping stories they would never tell most people they know. Strangers taking advantage of anonymity. Or so Selena thought.
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman, 5 Stars
Hoffman takes us all the way back to the 1600's where we meet Maria Owens, the matriarch of The Owen's Family featured in The Rules of Magic and the Practical Magic Series.
The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult, 4 Stars
There is no arguing that Jodi Picoult is one of the greatest writers of our time. I mean, can you argue that?
Don’t Look for Me by Wendy Walker, 4 Stars
Stories of missing people are so horrifying, but we are still able to hang on to the tiniest glimmer of hope that things could go back to the way they were before.
The Last Story of Mina Lee, by Nancy Jooyoun Kim, 4 Stars
Mina Lee, the fictional star of The Last Story of Mina Lee. She is fictional, but feels so real I think I've seen her in a small swap meet shop sometime in my past. #netgalley #thelaststoryofminalee
Three Perfect Liars by Heidi Perks, 4 Stars
I really enjoyed Three Perfect Liars. I totally identified with the characters and their struggles and enjoyed the well-place twists and turns.
We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin, 4 Stars
Heaberlin has written some strong female characters who are running from something but still have strength to stand up for what is important no matter the cost, and no matter what anyone thinks.
Behind the Red Door by Megan Collins, 5 Stars
I didn't just read this book, I fed on it and consumed it. Which sounds super disturbing. But it was so good.
When I Was You, by Amber Garza, 4 Stars
It definitely brings You to mind, minus adorable Joe (is it unhealthy to think a serial killer is cute?).
What You Wish For by Katherine Center, 4 Stars
But What You Wish For was charming, nostalgic and just a good light read. #netgalley #whatyouwishfor
The Golden Cage by Camilla Lackberg, 3 Stars
I know some men hide their true nature well, but for the most part, if you are a smart, sensible woman with good instincts, you can smell them coming from a mile away.
Perfectly Famous, Elizabeth Liebert, 2.5 Stars
Ward is a famous author, who was interrupted at a book event for her most recent release, by the news that her daughter has gone missing.
The Second Home by Christina Clancy, 4 stars
The Second Home is the perfect book to pick-up for your non-existent vacation this summer. So pull up a lawn chair by the baby pool in your backyard, pour yourself some ice tea and escape to Cape Cod!
Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak, 4 Stars
Stella is the absolute worst. Think Valerie from 90210 or Regina George from Mean Girls, or Heather Chandler from, well, Heathers. And she is totally Peach Salinger from You. #necessarypeople @annapitoniak
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner, 3.5 Stars
I still adore Jennifer Weiner. This one just wasn't my favorite. And that's okay.
Pretty Things by Janelle Brown, 4 Stars
When her mom gets sick, Nina returns home to help. And it isn't long before she finds herself engulfed in her mother's con world with her ruggedly handsome friend, Lachlan.
Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering, 4 Stars
I'd recommend Too Good to Be True to fans of Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendrick's collaborations, and Lisa Jewell fans.
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James, 5 Stars
This book is the real deal. It's so spooky you won't want to read it in a dark room, but it's so good that you keep reading it in that dark room because you NEED to know what happens!
Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough, 3 stars
Marcie and Keisha have something in common in the upper-class world of Savannah. Among the old money and high society, they stand out.
Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison, 3.5 Stars
Ellison spins a great tale full of the mystery and dark past of a girl's private school and creates multi-dimensional characters who are hiding things from each other and the reader.
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher, 3.5 Stars
Imagine if you had a husband. And he had two other wives, except you knew nothing about them.
Anything for You by Saul Black, 3.5 Stars
Once I was invested in the characters, things really started to get interesting for me and the pages started turning faster and faster.
Did I Say You Could Go? by Melanie Gideon, 5 Stars
As each crazy detail leads into the next, this book with scratch every single itch you have to gossip IRL.
The Fiancée by Kate White, 3.5 Stars
The Fiancée is a snapshot look into the lives of an extended wealthy family.
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz, 5 stars
The Plot is a fantastic novel. It has intrigue, suspense, it's compulsively readable and of course, it has some twists. Pick this one up, you won't be disappointed.
