Blog Tour Archives

December 6, 2022December 6, 2022

The Opportunist-Friedman-Thriller-Available Now

I can’t quite define The Opportunist by Elyse Friedman. I suppose it is part thriller, part family drama? But I’m not sure that accurately describes it.

Alana is pretty much estranged from her extremely wealthy family for reasons unknown until later in the book. And then more reasons appear even later in the plot. But more on that…later.

Her brothers worry about their place in the inheritance line when their father takes up with his much younger nurse. They ask for Alana’s help in breaking up the relationship in the most drastic way. “Messy family dynamics” doesn’t even begin to describe it.

I think that is one of the things that I didn’t get about the book – a lot of things seemed like they were overreactions to the actual situation. The family thrived on drama. I suppose there was a good reason, as we find out via flashbacks.

Turns out the family has always been a mess with a dark side.

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The chapters aren’t set up with titles so that the reader knows when they are and who is “remembering.” So, you kind of have to pay close attention to that.

Additionally, there are characters and situations that seem thrown in just because…with no real follow-through. And some things come out of nowhere.

For example, Alana’s daughter’s condition isn’t entirely necessary in the bigger scheme of things (unless I missed something somewhere). Stephen comes and goes for one thing. Gertrud also is a mystery, especially given the events at the end.

And don’t get me started on the “twist” about Ed. That felt extremely gratuitous like the author needed to have something contemporary to draw it all together. Oh, and Alana’s sister Lillian as well.

Frankly, the whole middle was muddled to me, like the author had a lot they wanted to put in but didn’t exactly know how to fit it all? And I guessed a major twist about halfway through. Although, to be fair, it was so messy that I wasn’t sure if I was right or not.

What’s funny, though, is that once I accepted that mess, I started looking at everything through a different lens, wondering if I was right and how the author was going to resolve it all.

Turns out that any one of the characters could have been the opportunist. And I liked the book better afterward than I did while I was reading it. Elyse Friedman has written an odd thriller that I would still recommend.

December 4, 2022December 4, 2022

The Sunshine Girls-Fader-Fiction-Available Now

Some books defy classification. They have aspects of different genres, making them difficult to pigeonhole. The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader is one of those. If pressed, I would have to say it is women’s fiction. Although there is some historical fiction to it as well. And mystery.

See what I mean?

Clara and Abbie are mourning the death of their mom, Betty Kay when famous movie star Kitty shows up at the funeral. Clara and Abbie had no idea their mom knew Kitty, and they come to realize that Betty Kay had several secrets. As does Kitty.

I don’t want to give anything away – because discovering the backstory and history of the characters is part of the charm of this book – but suffice it to say that Kitty and Betty Kay go waaaay back.

(To be honest, the blurb gives that part away – but I didn’t want to).

At any rate, Clara and Abbie realize they didn’t really know their mom as well as they thought. It’s actually thought-provoking because by the time we realize our parents had lives before us, it’s sometimes too late to ask them about it.

In our minds, as kids and even as adults, our parents are fully formed when we appear. There’s rarely a thought to events that may have shaped them. I felt that deeply from this book.

Time is nebulous in this book. The chapters switch back and forth between the past – how Betty Kay’s and Kitty’s friendship developed over time – and the present, as the girls try to determine the truth of some family secrets. Does Kitty hold the key to those secrets?

You’ll have to read The Sunshine Girls to find out.

The book moves at a good pace and stays on an even keel. It seamlessly switches back and forth between past and present; it’s never abrupt. And both timelines are equally fascinating (although the historical one is just a little more so).

The author also takes the rose-colored glasses off about social issues and addresses them with sensitivity and care. They serve as reminders that we didn’t start the fire, and some problems have plagued society for decades.

Most of all, the message from the book is that life events shape us but never have to define us. We have the power to reinvent ourselves at any point – we just need the strength and support system to help us make ourselves the best people we can be.

Molly Fader has a real winner in The Sunshine Girls. It’s women’s fiction that shouldn’t be missed.

November 29, 2022November 29, 2022

The Party-Valters-Psych Thriller-Available Now

The Party by Nora Valters is a psych thriller that you need to suspend your disbelief to be able to fully enjoy. If you do that, you should have no problems with the plot.

The reason I say that is that simply put. There are a few things in this one that absolutely do not ring true. That doesn’t take away from the plot itself. But it could make for some frustrating reading if you don’t just let yourself “go with it.”

The setup is clear in the blurb. Ruth is at the party with a bunch of friends. She allegedly injures a baby. Everyone turns against her. She spends the rest of the book trying to figure out what the truth of the matter is. She knows what she did could not have been that bad.

I found the introductions of the characters to be confusing. Granted it is at a party, so there are a lot of people who need to be identified. But it takes a while after that to figure out who is important in the overall plot and who is just sort of…there.

As to the plot itself, Ruth has a lot going on. After “the incident” (as I generally thought of it), she has to deal with fallout professionally and personally – the latter through both friends and family.

Some of it works and some of it doesn’t.

One of the things that I did struggle with was the reaction of Ruth’s friends (I’ll get to her family in a minute). I did not think it was at all plausible that every single one of them turned against her, including her fiancé. That seemed very much over-the-top overreaction.

At first, I thought that her parents’ reaction fell into that category. But as the story progressed, it became clear that issues with her father ran deeper than just the incident. So, that didn’t bother me as much.

I did like how Ruth began to question her own perception of reality, especially as more events pile on top of the initial one from the party.

And not to give anything away (as always) – but prepare yourself for some wild revelations along the way. I mean, it got seriously gonzo.

Especially by the time the entire truth comes out. Honestly, it’s one of the craziest resolution threads I can think of in recent memory.

Remember what I said at the beginning of the review, about suspending disbelief? Yeah – you’ll appreciate the author’s goals for the resolution if you do that at the “big reveal.”

Nora Valters has certainly written a unique psych thriller with The Party. I will continue to look for her books.

November 20, 2022November 19, 2022

The Midwife-Jenkins-Psych Thriller-Available Now

There is a lot going on in The Midwife, a new psych thriller by Victoria Jenkins.

One question that came up at the very beginning is exactly who is trustworthy. That stuck with me throughout the majority of the book. That’s a long time to be asking that question in a story. I think it should be a bit clearer earlier than almost ¾ through.

But maybe that’s just me.

Since the plot unfolds from two perspectives, “The Mother” and “The Midwife,” the reader gets somewhat of a holistic view of the action. I found it interesting that the author didn’t use character names for the chapter headings.

There’s a reason for that. But I’m not going to divulge why that is.

While I liked getting two points of view on central events, it meant that there were a lot of inner monologues as each of the characters experienced and reacted to said events.

Yeah, that’s convoluted, but then again, so are parts of the book. And when there is that much internal musing, the action drags.

Fortunately, it does pick up just over halfway through, especially as secrets are revealed (and boy are there a lot of those) and resolutions are reached.

I would definitely say that this is a “slow-build” type of psych thriller. The reader has to let themselves be drawn in and understand that the author is building to…something. And have the patience that the revelations will all make sense in the end.

I have liked other psych thriller novels by Victoria Jenkins. While The Midwife isn’t exactly my favorite, if you go into it knowing that it is very cerebral and take the information as it comes, I think you’ll enjoy it very much. And I will continue to look for her books.

November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

The Sweet Spot-Myers-Rom Com-Available Now

I’m a sucker for a good ol’ fashioned rom com. The Sweet Spot by Monica Myers is just…well, it hits the spot!

There are the usuals that go along with your typical rom com.

Driven entrepreneur woman has been burned by previous relationships and throws herself into work. She also has no social life. She just can’t deal with that and enjoys what she does for a living (more on that in a second)

Playboy/cad man with a reputation (and a long line of exes) gets tired of dealing with the crazy. He realizes he maybe needs to start changing his ways.

The two characters meet cute (in this case, meet unique) and…there ya go.

There was a lot to like about this book. Both Erin and Nolan feel “real.” There aren’t any hidden aspects that make appearances at odd times. Actions and reactions are relatable.

The Sweet Spot blog tour — Buy Links – https://geni.us/HpTAJ

Erin’s job, making erotic pastries, is meant to be shocking. But honestly, it’s been done before. I don’t like to mention other authors’ books in a review, so I won’t. But there is a particular series that is one of my all-time favorites, and the main character has this same job.

That’s not to say it isn’t still funny The author in this case goes a bit over the top with Erin’s baking skills. It’s just that it wasn’t as shocking to me as it might be to other readers.

The author also did a good job with the annoying exes of both characters. Experience? Intuition? And I really like Alana, Nolan’s assistant. She needs her own book.

The only thing that didn’t really work for me was how looooong everything took, only to feel very rushed at the end. There are reasons that both Erin and Nolan have reservations about each other (most are legit) but then they’re making snap decisions?

It just felt like there was something missing that bridged everything together to get to the resolution at the end.

Regardless, The Sweet Spot was an engaging rom com. I will continue to look for books by Monica Myers.

November 9, 2022November 9, 2022

The Clinic-Martyn-Psych Thriller-Available Now

I had a feeling that The Clinic by Sally-Anne Martyn was going to be a different type of psych thriller from the opening pages.

I mean, when it starts at a psych asylum, what else can you expect? Especially if you know that the main gist of the story is about “health and wellness.”

I also knew that it was going to be uncomfortable reading because of the focus on the lengths women will go to achieve what they perceive as beauty.

I wasn’t disappointed.

You can get the gist of the story from the blurb. Health clinic set up on the grounds of an old insane asylum. Is everything as it seems? Obviously not.

I thought the author did a fantastic job of building the dread. It wasn’t so much suspense as it was a more tangible feeling of not wanting to know what was really going on but not being able to stop reading further.

Even through the gory details.

And I do mean gory. The author does not mince words when it comes to detailing the truths about the clinic.

All in all, I was reminded of Shutter Island (which is an all-time favorite of mine). I was kept off-balance in the same way, wondering if people were who they appeared to be and what their motives were.

And actually, the commentary the author provides about women’s vanity is very thought-provoking. Also unusual for a psych thriller.

At any rate, The Clinic is a creepy-good story, and I will look for other books by Sally-Anne Martyn.

November 5, 2022November 6, 2022

Forget Me Not-Rijks-Psych Thriller-Available Now

Forget Me Not by Miranda Rijks is a psych thriller that mostly delivers, and it has a couple of decent twists to boot.

I liked the setup. There is an incident of unknown origin. That’s how I’ve come to think of the events that often occur in a prologue.

Most of the time, we don’t know who, when, how, or why. And that’s good because it kicks the book off with a mystery.

In this case, the action jumps from the event in the prologue to Helen’s life in the current time. She makes an offhanded comment about timing that gives the reader another mystery to latch onto. And then the story is off and running.

The plotting is pretty good, and so is the pacing. I never got bored of the story, and it felt like it kept moving forward fairly smoothly.

I did like Helen. She is matter-of-fact and honest. She is a victim of circumstances and ugly people. However, there are times (specifically later in the book) when I think she could have been smarter about a few things.

That’s all I am going to say about that.

The author throws in quite a few red herrings along the course of the story. I found it pretty easy to tell what wasn’t important for the most part, but I will say I missed one major connection.

I did guess one of the bigger twists, so there was not a lot of tension in that. And I guessed at what would happen to one of the characters due to the situations at hand.

At one point, it seemed as if the author ran out of steam. A couple of characters I figured on being more prominent literally just disappeared. And a couple of resolutions were underwhelming.

But Forget Me Not was still a good psych thriller, and I will continue to look for books from Miranda Rijks.

November 4, 2022October 30, 2022

The App-James-Horror-Thriller-Available Now

Plain ol’ horror is not usually my thing, but when I saw the description for The App by Stuart James, I knew I had to give it a try.

I am so glad I did. It was the perfect choice for the time of year. (This review is being written the weekend of Halloween).

Not only is it a solid horror/thriller, but it is also a searing commentary on social media and how careless people have become.

That said, it’s not preachy. The message is clear in the actions and reactions of the characters.

The setup is simple. People get a message from a friend, stating that if they want to win some money, they just have to click a link, download an app, and follow the instructions.

Sounds easy enough.

But you know from the genre that there is going to be so much more to it.

I don’t want to give anything away – look at the blurb for more info.

And while the horror aspects will satisfy any lover of the genre, I found myself more pulled in by the thriller aspect. Especially when it comes to the focus on social media.

I should probably throw in here that I currently work with people in cybersecurity. As such, my days are often spent finding the latest threats and summarizing them for shareholders and customers.

One of the most common threads of every data breach and cyberattack is human error. And that usually translates into “someone clicked a link that they shouldn’t have,” often from a text message or email.

So, when I saw that was the method for The App, I was intrigued…to say the least. Let it be a lesson to NEVER CLICK A LINK!!!

Anyway, the writing was sharp, the story was plotted well, and the action was consistent. My only complaint involves the backstory of the madman behind the misery of the app.

I thought it was plausible and quite detailed. However, it took me a while to figure out how it was fitting into the overall story. That’s a minor gripe, but still.

I don’t know that I’m a convert to the horror genre, but I definitely will be looking for the next book by Stuart James.

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November 4, 2022November 11, 2022

The Daughter in Law-Boland-Psych Thriller-Available Now

I like a good psych thriller where there are multiple suspects for whatever trickery is going on. The Daughter-in-Law by Shalini Boland falls squarely in that category.

The story starts with a prologue (as these often do) and then jumps to the current time. This prologue is one of the ones that you know involves the main characters – you just don’t know who or why.

I thought the premise was good, maybe a bit unbelievable, but that’s the way psych thrillers go. In this case, the cleverness of the author is that the characters are written in a way that makes the reader unsure of who to trust.

For example, alternating points of view between Caroline and Lillian give us the plot and tell us the story. However, it is difficult to get a handle on both of them. Caroline is off on the wrong foot, and Lillian seems overbearing.

But are they actually in the positions they seem to be in?

I know that sounds convoluted, but (as always) I don’t want to give anything away.

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After their roles are (somewhat) clear, a third perspective appears. At first, those brief chapters seem disjointed. But a little more information appears each time.

It’s up to the reader to put 2+2 together, and some readers may come up with 5. I did figure out one twist, but the author had a couple of others I did not guess. Some of my guesses were wrong. I appreciate a plot that makes me change my mind about the characters.

A psych thriller is difficult to write about because a small slip could ruin the experience for another reader. However, I will say that you can read this quickly. I read it in one sitting. It clipped along at a good pace, and I was never bored.

Shalini Boland has become a favorite psych thriller author, and The Daughter-in-Law is a perfect example of why I will continue to look forward to her novels.

October 31, 2022October 29, 2022

The Nurse’s Secret-Lawler-Psych Thriller-Available Now

The Nurse’s Secret by Liz Lawler is a psych thriller that self-identifies as a police procedural. The result is….well, read on.

I thought the premise was good. I mean, a story should be good when it starts with a murder, right? And obviously, nurses are supposed to help people, so the title indicates that this may not be the case.

The story unfolds from three points of view, Sarah, Nick, and Charlie. It’s an interesting choice because as a psych thriller, I would have thought more would have been from Sarah and another character’s point of view.

Nick and Charlie are both law enforcement, investigating the murder, so their perspectives are more similar to each other. And since they make up two-thirds of the story, I think that’s why I got a definite police procedural vibe.

That’s okay, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

Additionally, there’s a history between two of the main characters (not saying who), so that complicates some of the aspects of the story.

There are also a lot of extraneous characters. Some of them, we get to know, and some are already out of the picture before the story even starts. In fact, everything is very character driven.

The Nurse's Secret blog tour psych thriller

This means there are a lot of balls to keep in the air, and a lot of connections to try to keep straight. Add this to the detailed police info, and it all of a sudden isn’t a page-turning psych thriller. It’s more, “I hope I can keep everything straight” and “Wait, who is that again?”

It also doesn’t help that the murderer is pretty obvious from early on. The reveals come fast and furious in the last 10-15% of the book, but by then so much has occurred, it’s almost a throwaway.

And that’s another thing: the pacing is uneven. There are long sections that seem to serve no purpose and then everything happens very quickly at the end. I like a bit more evenness in my stories.

If you’re looking for a traditional psych thriller, The Nurse’s Secret isn’t it. However, if you understand that there is mystery upon mystery, lots of focus on character and convoluted motives, along with a hefty focus on police work, then Liz Lawler has written the book for you.

I think I would have liked it more if I had known the latter.