Book Review Archives

July 14, 2022July 14, 2022

The Love of My Other Life-Connolly-Rom Com-Available Now

I absolutely loved The Love of My Other Life by CJ Connolly. It’s a romantic comedy with a unique twist, and it should be at the top of your TBR list.

Are we as happy as we can be in our present lives? Is there a possibility that there is more than one type of happiness out there for us? Are some things inevitable, they just may occur under different circumstances in our lives?

The author addresses all of these questions and more through Josie. After a bike accident, she wakes up in a different life from the one she was in before the accident.

It’s still her life – she’s still Josie – but she is not the same Josie.

The author wisely breaks the plot up into sections between Josie and…well, Josie. And then goes back to…Josie before switching to Josie.

That may sound a bit confusing. It all makes sense in the context of the book as you read it. The sections have clear headings so it is easy to know whose timeline you’re in.

I also like how the first part of the book lays all of the groundwork before the author switches to the alternate timeline. It allows the reader to see things that Josie misses and sheds light on Josie’s choices.

The other characters in the book are interesting and contribute appropriately It is not too much. I especially like Rob. He is a stalwart and steady presence. But his revelations toward the end as everything comes to a head are eye-opening.

They put all of Josie’s choices under new scrutiny, which brings the story to a whole new depth of feeling.

Honestly, what I liked best about the book (aside from it being thoroughly engaging) were the questions that it asked and the points that it made about one’s life.

Are you happy because you tell yourself you are? Do you make your own happiness? What is contentment and how do you find it? Is it a “path not taken?” Or is it a “path not taken until it is time to take it?”

We all have those moments that we can look back on and see as turning points in our lives. But what is inevitable, and how do we know that everything that happens isn’t supposed to happen anyway – just on a different time schedule?

I know this review asks a lot of questions, but I loved how The Love of My Other Life was just THAT thought-provoking while still being an entertaining rom-com.

If you are looking for a solid book to round out your beach reads for the summer, look no further than this latest from CJ Connolly.

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Author Bio

CJ Connolly is a writer based in Vancouver, Canada, but hailing originally from the UK. By day, CJ has a career in communications and journalism, with two decades of editing, writing, and marketing experience in the Vancouver and London media and tech industries.

She has also been the host of a real estate-focused talk radio show and has been seen many times reporting on TV and speaking on conference panels.

In her free time – in addition to writing contemporary romance novels – CJ is passionate about singing and is a member of a vocal group in Vancouver. Although she is happily child-free, the great loves of CJ’s life are her young nephews Oscar and Felix, who live much too far away in Munich, Germany.

July 12, 2022July 13, 2022

The Accident-Hurst-Psych Thriller-Available Now

The Accident by Daniel Hurst is a psych thriller that is more thriller than psych. It has a great premise but doesn’t entirely deliver. However, if you go in knowing what you’re getting, you’ll enjoy the book.

The best part of the plot is in the first 80 pages. The author does a fantastic job of building the tension to the accident that guides the rest of the story. It was palpable from each of the character’s points of view.

In this opening part, I think we are meant to feel sorry for Carl, as he has gotten himself into a mess – but it is nothing compared to what is about to happen to him later. The same goes for Jo.

The author has a nice “wait, what” moment when the story transitions to after the accident. Maybe I wasn’t reading close enough, but I thought one thing was happening, when it was actually something else.

That makes sense in the context of the plot.

However, the issue I have is that the reader knows within those first 80 pages what actually happened. So, the rest of the story is more of a “who will find out the truth and when” which is why I said it is more thriller than psych thriller.

There is no surprise in terms of the original accident, so a lot of the middle of the book is the guilty party worrying about when the other character will realize what is actually happening. It does get a bit tedious.

The author saves a few twists for the end which suddenly make one of the characters unreliable. I didn’t get the feeling of this through the rest of the book, and I wish more had been done to create this doubt around the character.

The biggest twist at the end is also a head-scratcher because the person responsible seems to forget exactly how they discovered info about the initial accident and gets caught up the exact same way.

Now, that end event itself is a bit of a shocker. But the character responsible tosses it off like it really wasn’t a big deal and just had to happen. I didn’t get that feel for the character throughout either.

As I said at the beginning of this review, if you go into it knowing that you will be reading more of a thriller, when will the other shoe drop type of story, you will definitely enjoy it. Just don’t keep waiting for a typical psych thriller twist. It doesn’t happen.

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Author Bio

Daniel Hurst writes psychological thrillers and loves to tell tales about unusual things happening to normal people. He has written all his life, making the progression from handing scribbled stories to his parents as a boy to writing full length novels in his thirties. He lives in the North West of England and when he isn’t writing, he is usually watching a game of football in a pub where his wife can’t find him.

July 11, 2022July 13, 2022

A Perfect Stranger-Boland-Psych Thriller-Available Now

Shalini Boland continues to grow as a psych thriller author. A Perfect Stranger is a combination of taut scenes, complex characters, and “omg, what did I just read” moments.

Even as the reader has to suspend disbelief just a bit, it is not hard to do so because the entertainment level is so high.

In other words, you’re not going to get a lot of depth, but you’re going to get a page-turning and engaging psych thriller if you just roll with it.

Like many psych thrillers, the story starts with an event before going back in time to the months leading up to that event. Sometimes it is easy to see how the event plays into current events.

In this case, however, it is not so apparent. I spent a good part of the first half of the book wondering how the prologue fits into the narrative. I like that it kept me guessing.

Even as Emily and Aidan circle around the issues they are facing it is easy to see that there is a lot more going on underneath the surface. Some of that doesn’t appear until way late in the book.

Again, it is an effective way to keep the reader hooked.

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The story unfolds in alternating chapters, going back and forth between Emily and Dani’s points of view. As with other aspects, it takes a while to figure out how they are connected.

And oh boy, are they.

The way those are revealed is part of the suspension of disbelief that I mentioned earlier. But by the time you actually get to the point where you need to do that, you are all in.

The author wisely drops some red herrings along with some legit clues as to what is causing all of the trouble for both Emily and Dani.

Even after you get to the event of the prologue, there is still more to come. The author saves one big twist for the very end.

And that twist illustrates just how everyone in this book is pretty much a perfect stranger to everyone else.

Shalini Boland has done it again. If you liked her other books, such as The Family Holiday, you’ll like A Perfect Stranger.

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Author Bio:

Shalini lives in Dorset, England with her husband, two children and Jess their cheeky terrier cross. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer songwriter, but now she spends her days writing suspense thrillers (in between school runs and hanging out endless baskets of laundry).

July 10, 2022July 13, 2022

Out of Her Depth-Barber-Thriller-Available Now

Out of Her Depth by Lizzy Barber is a thriller that slow-burns its way through the plot. It recounts past events at a pace that builds dread to the point where I almost wanted to cover my eyes and read through my fingers because I couldn’t bear to see what was going to happen next.

Yes, it really was that good.

The reader knows from the start that there was a tragic accident that set Rachel’s life on a course of self-destruction. Rachel herself tells us that in the beginning. But the author wisely builds the backstory before getting to the actual event.

I don’t think I’ve ever waited so long for the payoff. I mean, once a certain character was introduced, I had a feeling I knew what the event was. But I still had to wait until almost the very end for confirmation.

THAT is the way to keep a reader hooked.

The chapters are set up in a fairly uniform manner, alternating consistently between then (the buildup to the event) and now (how Rachel is dealing with everything in the present).

No spoiler alert: Rachel is not dealing well at all.

One of the things that I liked most about this book is that it was difficult to tell if Rachel was reliable or not. She was certainly in awe of the situation that she found herself in. But was she to blame for the events, or was she used?

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That question comes up more often than you think, especially as Diana’s true attitudes come to light.

It really is a case study of how manipulation can occur on many different levels.

However, it also made it difficult to see who the true villain was in the story. Diana because of her machinations? Rachel for allowing herself to repeatedly fall into traps? Sebastian because of his general cluelessness and willingness to be a pawn?

They all have equal parts – although given the way the story ends (and no, you will NOT see it coming) I would say that Diana knew what she was doing even way back in the past. She just didn’t care.

Rachel truly was out of her depth all along; she just didn’t know how much until it was too late.

As I mentioned at the outset, this is a slow burn, so there are times when it might feel like it is dragging but trust me – those parts are important. Reading between the lines should be your mantra for this thriller.

Author Bio: Lizzy Barber studied English at Cambridge University. Her first novel, A Girl Named Anna, won the Daily Mail and Random House First Novel Prize. She lives in London with her family.

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July 9, 2022July 14, 2022

The Betrayal-Baxter-Psych Thriller-Available Now

How can I describe The Betrayal, the new “psych thriller” from Cole Baxter?

Sometimes you go into a book expecting one thing and it is actually different. So, you might be disappointed in what you didn’t get. But if you see it as something else, it is pretty good.

That probably doesn’t clear things up too much.

I put psych thriller in quotes above because that is how the publisher describes it. However, I did not get much “psych” from it. I did get lots of slow-burn thriller.

Erin is on the run. We find out why fairly early on, but it really isn’t a surprise – the hints are there. She establishes a new life in a new place, thinking that she has done everything she can to protect herself.

But has she?

There is a bit of psych here and there in the book, especially as events start to happen on the island and she decides to solve the “mystery” herself.

However, there are long descriptions of her life as a pet groomer, which verge on tedious at times. Although, I suppose if you are interested in becoming a groomer, there are some good tips here.

I had a little bit of a problem with Erin’s reactions and that could have been character-driven or just in the writing. For example, her ex-husband who is out of prison (not a spoiler, it’s in the blurb) starts to re-enter her life.

She is meant to be terrified of that. It’s partly why she ran. But she goes on tv (not exactly “hiding”) and makes other questionable moves that seem to indicate a lack of sense, putting herself out in the public eye.

For one example, she receives a package from her ex, and she rolls her eyes at the card like it’s no big deal, even though it is clearly controlling. Not a page later, however, she is cowering in terror. And then she is smiling at the card again.

It is just uneven and that’s where the “psych” part falls short.

But the thriller part is strong, as it winds through the rest of the plot. You probably won’t guess the big twist and reveal. They’re unique and took me by surprise mainly because a lot of authors would not “go there.” But Cole Baxter did.

So, to return to my first paragraph, The Betrayal is not exactly a psych thriller in the classic sense, but if you approach the book from a domestic thriller point of view, you will find a decent plot with some good twists.

Also from Cole Baxter: The Perfect Suitor

AUTHOR BIO

Cole Baxter loves writing psychological suspense thrillers. It’s all about that last reveal that he loves shocking readers with.

He grew up in New York, where there, crime was all around. He decided to turn that into something positive with his fiction.

His stories will have you reading through the night—they are very addictive!

July 8, 2022July 14, 2022

Her Perfect Life-Shiner-Psych Thriller-Available Now

As I read Her Perfect Life, the new psych thriller from Emily Shiner, two sayings kept going through my head.

“The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” and “Be careful what you wish for.”

Millie finds out the truth of both of these old adages, and she is the worse off for it.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The book starts with a great psych thriller premise (and there’s really no spoiler, because it’s all in the blurb). Identical twins have a shared secret; one wants revenge, one has a seemingly perfect life in comparison.

What could go wrong?

Turns out, everything.

Again, the blurb gives a lot of the plot away, which I kind of take issue with. I would have preferred to know less about Eve’s life going into the book. It would have been nice to have the same perception as Millie. I think it would have made Millie more sympathetic.

As it is, even before the prologue, the reader knows that Eve’s life isn’t as wonderful as Millie thinks.

About that prologue – it felt like it almost gave too much away. By blowing the entire surprise of Millie’s revenge, a potential twist was missed.

The author has several twists still in store, but in all honesty, for me, the plot was already revealed and therefore not as engaging as it could have been.

I also thought that Mya and Garth were pretty inept at their chosen profession (no spoiler). It is actually surprising that they were as “successful” as they were.

In truth, none of the characters were very likable, which made it hard to care about any of them as the plot progressed. However, the plot itself was still good.

That makes the plot the true star of the Her Perfect Life. Even though I didn’t like the characters, I wanted to see where the author was going to go next.

I would recommend this book based on that alone.

Author Bio

Emily Shiner always dreamed of becoming an author but first served her time as a banker and a teacher. After a lifetime of devouring stacks of thrillers, she decided to try her hand at writing them herself. Now she gets to live out her dream of writing novels and sharing her stories with people around the world. She lives in the Appalachian Mountains and loves hiking with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs.

June 28, 2022July 3, 2022

The Ex-Husband-Hayes-Psych Thriller-Available Now

The Ex-Husband by Samantha Hayes is a solid psych thriller that turned into a much deeper exploration of character than I could have imagined.

I probably need to explain that.

Not to go into too much detail, but I was in the middle of a Crime and Mental Disorders class while I was reading this book. And it just so happens that one of the mental disorders that we examined was sadism.

Now, people tend to think that sadism has to have a sexual aspect to it. Wrong. Everyday sadism describes people who like to torture others (physically, mentally, emotionally) for the sake of the torture. Nothing else.

They just like to make other people miserable through manipulation.

If you read the book, you know that this description fits “The Ex-Husband” perfectly.

So, while the book itself is really good (to that point in a minute) it actually became a perfect case study for the class! How is that for great timing?

It actually added depth to the characters, as I took the opportunity to explore their behaviors from a clinical perspective. I may or may not have even mentioned the book in a discussion post 😉

That’s not to say that you have to go that deep to enjoy The Ex-Husband. It is really a cracking good psych thriller.

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You will absolutely squirm at Craig. There were times that I just had to stop reading because he was so disturbing. And you’ll feel for Leah, especially as everything around her starts to crumble, both literally and figuratively.

I thought Gillian could have had a slightly bigger role. And I’m not sure how I feel about Gabe.

Oh, and the author includes one of the most amazing twists in recent memory. I am soooo not going to give it away, but I guarantee that your jaw will drop. I’m not one for overstating things, but I literally gasped out loud and said, “OH, NO WAY!”

Fortunately, my husband is used to this occasionally happening. He just looked at me and said, “That good, huh?”

Yes, The Ex-Husband was that good. Samantha Hayes has written a creepy psych thriller that should be on your TBR!

P.S. I just looked at my review of The Trapped Wife. Apparently, this is a common reaction from me when it comes to this author’s books.

Author Bio:

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Samantha Hayes grew up in a creative family where her love of writing began as a child. Samantha has written eight thrillers in total, including the bestselling Until You’re Mine. The Independent said “fantastically written and very tense” while Good Housekeeping said “Her believable psychological thrillers are completely gripping.” Samantha’s books are published in 22 languages at the last count.

When not writing, Samantha loves to cook, go to the gym, see friends and drink nice wine. She is also studying for a degree in psychotherapy. She has three grown-up children and lives in Warwickshire.

June 24, 2022June 24, 2022

The Resort-Watson-Psych Thriller-Available Now

The Resort by Sue Watson is a psych thriller that has some Agatha Christie elements and is mostly a good read.

I’ll explain that in a bit.

I liked the setup of a luxury hotel on an island. Not being familiar with the area, however, I wasn’t sure if I believed how “tropical” it could be. It sometimes feels like the descriptions stick between “old school glamour” and tropical.

I also liked the whodunit aspect of the plot. In an isolated place, there are theoretically a finite number of suspects, so anyone could have been the culprit for the horrible events.

This feeling was especially strong when the police announced that nobody was going to be able to leave the island. You could almost feel the gate come down around the resort.

However, there were a couple of things that could have been a bit better.

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Because the author focuses on the three couples, for the most part, the reader doesn’t get the feeling that anyone else is actually a suspect. So, that seems like a wasted opportunity. Suspicion of one employee seems to dissipate and go unresolved.

There are also a lot of inner monologues of characters thinking about things (sometimes to the point of tedium) and then later explaining that something happened.

I would have preferred there to be more action. The important events should take place “in time” where we can see them happening – not just read about them. This happens a few times, and it is a little disappointing. It also makes the characters slightly boring.

Also, noting whose perspective we are reading from would be helpful. It just felt muddied. And don’t get me started on the investigation by the police. (Ugh).

All that being said, I did guess a few of the twists. But, I did not catch one of the main whodunits, so the author did surprise me on that one.

The Resort has good bones. I didn’t get a lot of “psych” from the psych thriller, but there is a tension that builds throughout. I still like this author and will continue to look forward to her books.

Twitter: @suewatsonbooks
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Author Bio:

Sue Watson was a journalist on national magazines and newspapers before becoming a TV producer with the BBC.

Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue explores the darker side of life, writing psychological thrillers with big twists. Originally from Manchester, she now lives with her family in leafy Worcestershire.

June 23, 2022June 23, 2022

The Girl from Jonestown-Maas-Historical Fiction-Available Now

Sharon Maas has a knack for writing compelling historical fiction involving famous events that people actually know very few details about. The Girl from Jonestown is no exception.

People have heard of Jonestown. And if they don’t know exactly what happened there, they have a general idea. Even if they know nothing, they have probably heard the mainstream phrase about drinking the Kool-Aid.

It is odd to think that there are people who say that but probably have zero knowledge about its origin. But I digress.

The story is equally Lucy and Zoe. Lucy is writing from inside Jonestown. From her, we get the entire backstory of how it came to be and what is currently happening in the camp.

Zoe gives us the “outsider” point of view. She has family in the area, so we learn about traditions and how people view the area they live in.

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Jonestown is the lurid hook to the story. But I found myself more intrigued by learning about Guyana, the Amerindian people, and their beliefs. The parallel points of view dovetail nicely into a lush, disturbing narrative.

The author’s writing has improved over her books. The chapters flow seamlessly into each other, looping around to include other characters, before moving back to the main plot lines. It all works to draw the reader into an immersive experience.

There are a few scenes toward the end that I know are present to advance the plot, but one involving Zoe and “Dad” felt gratuitous. His power, influence, and insanity are already perfectly clear by this point.

The Girl from Jonestown is memorable historical fiction. Sharon Maas has written another unique story, and I look forward to more from her.

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Author Bio:

Sharon Maas was born to politically active parents in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951. She was educated in England, Guyana, and, later, Germany. She now lives in Ireland. Her books include The Violin Maker’s Daughter, The Soldier’s Girl, Her Darkest Hour, and many other novels.

June 22, 2022June 21, 2022

Here for the Drama-Bromley-Rom Com-Available Now

I. Loved. This. Book. From the witty writing to the clever plot, and everything in between, Here for the Drama by Kate Bromley has everything I could ask for in a rom com.

The fact that it centers around theater people? Well, that’s icing on the cake.

I related to Winnie right away. I know she is a bit older, but the theater geek I was in my 20s totally saw her as a familiar character. If I’m being honest, I probably saw myself in her. Why?

Let’s just say that the first time my mom and I went to London and toured the Globe theater, I was in the middle of rehearsals for A Midsummer Night’s Dream back home at college. The role of Titania.

So, when the guide gave us the opportunity to go up on stage to test the acoustics, guess who went and what I recited?

Yeah, absolutely. Winnie and I would get along great.

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I also like Roshni. At first, I thought she was going to be a third wheel, non-important character. But her wit is sharp, and the banter between her and Winnie is thoroughly entertaining.

Juliette is more of an enigma, and I think that is purposeful. Older playwright, mysterious, broken heart…almost Norma Desmond-like. And jaded. Very jaded. Which is also typical of theater people.

To me, the rom com aspect almost took a backseat to the drama of rehearsals. I kept wanting to get back to the pop-up performance of Juliette’s play.

That being said, the rom com is fun too. I really enjoyed Liam because he’s more than just the “cute Brit” character. His interactions with Winnie are genuine.

And I think that’s the thing that I love most about the book. Yes, it’s a rom com, so yes, there are certain points that have to be hit.

But the conversations are relatable, the characters feel like actual people, and the entire story is plausible. It is just…real.

I adored Talk Bookish to Me, and with Here for the Drama, Kate Bromley has once again hit personal notes for me but also written a rom com that everyone will love. Do not miss this one.

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Author Bio:

KATE BROMLEY lives in New York City with her husband, son, and her somewhat excessive collection of romance novels (It’s not hoarding if it’s books, right?). She was a preschool teacher for seven years and is now focusing full-time on combining her two great passions – writing swoon-worthy love stories and making people laugh. She is also the author of Talk Bookish to Me.