Category: NetGalley

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: July 11th, 2023

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Womens Fiction, Adult, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | IndieBound | Indigo

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sadie Montogmery has had good breaks and bad breaks in her life, but as a struggling artist, all she needs is one lucky break. Things seem to be going her way when she lands one of the coveted finalist spots in a portrait competition. It happens to coincide with a surgery she needs to have. Minor, they say. Less than a week in the hospital they say. Nothing about you will change, they say. Upon recovery, it begins to dawn on Sadie that she can see everything around her, but she can no longer see faces.

Temporary, they say. Lots of people deal with this, they say. As she struggles to cope―and hang onto her artistic dreams―she finds solace in her fourteen-year-old dog, Peanut. Thankfully, she can still see animal faces. When Peanut gets sick, she rushes him to the emergency vet nearby. That’s when she meets veterinarian Dr. Addison. And she’s pleasantly surprised when he asks her on a date. But she doesn’t want anyone to know about her face blindness. Least of all Joe, her obnoxious neighbor who always wears a bowling jacket and seems to know everyone in the building. He’s always there at the most embarrassing but convenient times, and soon, they develop a sort of friendship. But could it be something more?

As Sadie tries to save her career, confront her haunting past, and handle falling in love with two different guys she realizes that happiness can be found in the places―and people― you least expect.

First Line:

The first person I called after I found out I’d placed in the North American Portrait Society’s huge career-making yearly contest was my dad.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

I am a vast Katherine Center fan. I have read almost all of her books and have loved them. So, when the publisher sent me an email inviting me to review Hello Stranger, I immediately accepted. And guess what? I loved it. I loved it so much that I gave it a rare 5-star review. This book did everything. It made me laugh and cry, and more importantly, it allowed me to connect with the characters.

Hello Stranger is a fast-paced book that takes place entirely in Houston, Texas. Almost all of Katherine Center’s takes place there, and I feel that she makes Houston an exciting place to live.

The plotline for Hello Stranger was unique. Before this book, I think I had only heard of face blindness mentioned on TV. And even then, I thought it was something the author made up. So, reading about it in this book (and googling it on my phone) made it fascinating.

Sadie is a struggling portrait artist living in a hovel on the roof of her best friend’s parent’s building. When a near accident reveals that she has a condition called cavernoma that requires immediate brain surgery, she declines. Earlier that day, Sadie had found out she had placed in a yearly contest that could be huge. But, given no choice (her mother died of the same thing), Sadie undergoes surgery only to discover that she has face blindness (prosopagnosia). To a portrait artist, this is career-ending, but Sadie decides to make the most of it. During this same time, she meets an enigmatic veterinarian when Peanut, her dog, suddenly gets sick. She also meets Joe, a resident in the building she lives in, who is happy to help Sadie when she needs it. Not disclosing her condition to them, Sadie starts dating and falling in love with both. With a deadline approaching and trying to choose between two men, Sadie must make a choice. Along the way, she also comes to terms with her estranged family and their choices. Can Sadie reconcile with her family? Who will she choose? Will she let Joe and the veterinarian know about her face blindness? And what about the contest? What sort of portrait will she paint?

The characters in Hello Stranger were well-written and wonderfully three-dimensional. Initially, I was not too fond of a couple of characters, but I liked them at the book’s end. The only character I consistently did not like was Parker. There was a particular sort of evilness to her, and it only amped up as the book went on.

  • Sadie—I loved her. She was one of the more authentic characters I have read in a book. She made me laugh (I annoyed my husband with the giggling I was doing), and she made me cry. But mostly laugh. I loved how she adapted to face blindness and used it in her art. I also loved how she was with Joe. I understood why she was so upset with her family, too. If I had been treated that way (being sent away to a special school for something that wasn’t even her fault), I would have had zero contact with them. It showed how forgiving (well, in a way, forgiving) she was. And I got her frustration with Parker. I wanted to punch that woman’s face (and I am not a violent person). She did some and said some unforgivable things to Sadie throughout the book.
  • Joe—Ok, so when I read that conversation that he was having about the overweight women who sat on his face and wouldn’t leave, I thought the same thing as Sadie. But, as I got to know him through the book, I started to like him. I thought he was good for Sadie. He even offered to help her with her portrait, which got pretty steamy for a minute. Then a lightbulb went off. I’m not going to say what, but I will say that it must have been confusing to him during a specific scene. I didn’t blame him for being angry.

Hello Stranger fits perfectly into the romance genre. I liked that the author took a more gradual approach to Sadie and Joe’s romance. There was no Instalove. Sadie didn’t like Joe because of the conversation I mentioned above. But, once the friendship turned to romance, it was awesome. What I also liked about this book is the author didn’t even mention that sex. Instead, the author had Sadie and Joe kiss a couple of times (and it was super hot), and the author kept it at that.

The storyline with Sadie, the contest, and her face blindness was well-written and well-researched. I loved seeing how Sadie tried to identify people (gait, hair, voice, personality). I also liked how the author incorporated it into the contest. I am not an artist (not even close to it) and had no clue how an artist with face blindness would use a grid to help paint people. But the author explained that (and I did a little research on my own).

The storyline with Sadie and her family was heartbreaking. It also made me extremely mad at her father and stepmother. I know her stepmother was trying to help during the book (and she did get brownie points for the dress) but believing Parker over Sadie was wrong. When overhearing what that witch said to her at the contest and what she did, I was furious for Sadie. I cried angry tears for her. Thankfully Sadie’s dad did hear and did try to set things right, but still. I had steam coming out of my ears. I hope Parker gets help (it sounds like she needs it).

The storyline with Sadie, Joe, and the veterinarian made me laugh. I figured everything out fairly early in the book. But it was fun to watch Sadie try to juggle two men. I winced during the breakup scene, and I felt so bad when Joe flipped out on Sadie. I 100% understood Joe’s anger and confusion (I would have been confused too). I did say (out loud), “This is why you tell people you have face blindness.”

The end of Hello Stranger was what I expected it to be. Sadie and Joe got their HEA. But, more importantly, other things were also on the way to being healed. I was sad when the book ended because I wanted to see where Joe and Sadie were in 5 years.

I recommend Hello Stranger to anyone over 16. There is no sex (a couple of kissing scenes), mild language, and very mild violence.

I want to thank Saint Martin’s Press and Katherine Center for allowing me to read and review Hello Stranger. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you liked reading Hello Stranger, you will enjoy these books:

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: June 20th, 2023

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Contemporary, Adult, Crime

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door in a chilling story of murder and intrigue set in a well-to-do DC suburb.

Sometimes the darkest acts occur in the most beautiful houses…

When Alexis and her husband Sam buy a neglected Cape Cod house in an exclusive DC suburb, they are ecstatic. Sam is on the cusp of making partner at his law firm, Alexis is pregnant with their second child, and their glamorous neighbors welcome the couple with open arms. Things are looking up, and Alexis believes she can finally leave her troubled past behind.

But the neighborhood’s picture-perfect image is shattered when their neighbor Teddy – a handsome, successful father of three – is found dead on the steep banks of the Potomac River. The community is shaken, and as the police struggle to identify and apprehend the killer, tension in the neighborhood mounts and long-buried secrets start to emerge.

In the midst of the turmoil, Alexis takes comfort in her budding friendship with Teddy’s beautiful and charismatic widow, Blair. But as the women grow closer, the neighborhood only becomes more divided. And when the unthinkable truth behind Teddy’s murder is finally uncovered, both Blair and Alexis must reexamine their friendship and decide how far they are willing to go to preserve the lives they have so carefully constructed.

First Line:

The listing popped up on my phone last night. I scrolled through the pictures as least a dozen times, then tried to conjure the house’s full layout in my mind’s eye as I fell asleep.

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

Alexis and her husband Sam are thrilled to buy a fixer-upper in an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C. But things start to go south almost immediately after they move in:

  1. The house they loved is turning into a money pit with endless repairs.
  2. Alexis’s relationship with Sam turned from goodish to rocky.
  3. The husband of her next-door neighbor (Teddy) is killed while running on a popular path that borders the Potomac River.

Alexis, a stay-at-home mother of two children, slowly makes friends with the other women in the neighborhood. But, the one she grows closest to is Blair, who happens to be the widow of the man killed. But the longer it takes for Teddy’s killer to be identified, the more tense the neighborhood gets, and long-held secrets come to light. What secrets are being unearthed in this neighborhood? And how are those secrets directly linked to Teddy’s death?

When I read the blurb for What the Neighbors Saw, I thought I was getting into a psychological thriller. But what I thought and what I read were two different things. In a way, it was a psychological thriller but not how I thought it would be. This book was an almost soap opera-type look into an affluent neighborhood. It reminded me a little bit of a Jackie Collins book. I did enjoy reading What the Neighbors Saw but wished there was less drama and more thriller.

What the Neighbors Saw is a medium to fast-paced book. It took me over a day to read it. The pacing of What the Neighbors Saw did suit the book. I wish the author had slowed the book’s pacing during key points (mainly the ending).

What the Neighbors Saw takes place entirely in an affluent neighborhood in Washington, D.C. There are some flashbacks to Alexis’s life growing up in Baltimore, but the entirety of the book is set in this one neighborhood.

I liked Alexis, and the more she revealed about her past, the more I felt terrible for her. But, she was an unreliable narrator. She was exhausted from caring for a newborn and toddler (even with a nanny), and I felt that exhaustion colored her views of people and events in the neighborhood.
This sentiment extends to her waste of space husband, Sam. He gaslit and verbally abused her for 90% of the book. Their scenes together alternately made me sad and ticked me off.

I liked Alexis, and the more she revealed about her past, the more I felt terrible for her. But, she was an unreliable narrator. She was exhausted from caring for a newborn and toddler (even with a nanny), and I felt that exhaustion colored her views of people and events in the neighborhood.
This sentiment extends to her waste of space husband, Sam. He gaslit and verbally abused her for 90% of the book. Their scenes together alternately made me sad and ticked me off.

I wanted to like Blair but couldn’t quite cross that line. There was something about her that rubbed me the wrong way. Her grief over her husband dying was too predictable. Her friendship with Alexis was too convenient. And there is the question of her secret. I figured it out quickly but was still surprised (and disgusted) when it was revealed.

The thriller angle was lacking in What the Neighbors Saw. It didn’t reach thriller level in my eyes. It did come close to that towards the end of the book but has yet to get it. I was sad about that because I could see the potential.

On the other hand, the mystery angle of the book was chef’s kiss. The author kept the mystery of who killed Teddy and why under wraps until the end of the book. It also went hand in hand with two twists that surprised me—these twists I did not see coming.

As I said above, the end of the book was full of twists. I was in disbelief over what was revealed, and I needed to retake everything. But the ending didn’t mesh with the rest of the book. I felt the author rushed it.

I recommend What the Neighbors Saw to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and mild graphic sex scenes.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Melissa Adelman for allowing me to read and review What the Neighbors Saw. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of What the Neighbors Saw, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of Publication: June 20th, 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, Adult, Adult Fiction, World War II

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In 1942, Hazel Francis left Wichita, Kansas for California, determined to do her part for the war effort. At Douglas Aircraft, she became one of many “Rosie the Riveters,” helping construct bombers for the U. S. military. But now the war is over, men have returned to their factory jobs, and women like Hazel have been dismissed, expected to return home to become wives and mothers.

Unwilling to be forced into a traditional woman’s role in the Midwest, Hazel remains on the west coast, and finds herself in the bohemian town of Laguna Beach. Desperate for work, she accepts a job as an assistant to famous artist Hanson Radcliff. Beloved by the locals for his contributions to the art scene and respected by the critics, Radcliff lives under the shadow of a decades old scandal that haunts him.

Working hard to stay on her cantankerous employer’s good side, Hazel becomes a valued member of the community. She never expected to fall in love with the rhythms of life in Laguna, nor did she expect to find a kindred spirit in Jimmy, the hotel bartender whose friendship promises something more. But Hazel still wants to work with airplanes—maybe even learn to fly one someday. Torn between pursuing her dream and the dream life she has been granted, she is unsure if giving herself over to Laguna is what her heart truly wants.

First Line:

I stepped off the coach, directly in front of the boardwalk, and was immediately struck by the colors.

Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison

Having just been let go from her riveting job, Hazel has nowhere to go. Unwilling and unable to go home to Kansas to conform to the life of a housewife and mother, Hazel decides to stay in California. Landing in Laguna, Hazel becomes the assistant to the reclusive artist Hanson Radcliff. Hazel didn’t expect to fall in love with the free spirit of Laguna, and she most definitely didn’t expect to become a vital member of the community. Laguna was only supposed to be a temporary place for Hazel to regroup and refocus on her plans- working on airplanes and eventually flying them. Will Hazel put down roots in Laguna? Or will she drift onto the next town, looking for her dream?

I have mentioned this before, but I am fascinated with anything World War II. I read anything that I can get my hands on it. But I rarely have read anything about what happened after World War II. So, when I read the Hotel Laguna blurb, I knew I needed to read it. Also, I am a massive fan of anything that Nicola Harrison writes. I am glad that I read this book because it was excellent!!

Hotel Laguna is a fast-paced book that is primarily set in the town of Laguna, California. The pacing of this book fits the storyline. But the book lagged a tiny bit toward the middle of the book. It didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book.

The main storyline in Hotel Laguna centers around Hazel. This was a well-written storyline that kept my attention on the book. Not only did I enjoy reading about Hazel’s past (and found her riveting experience fascinating), but I also liked seeing how her relationships with several of the characters in the book shaped her.

Several secondary storylines fed in and bolstered the main storyline. The main secondary storylines that stood out to me were the storyline about Hanson, Isabella Rose, the painting, and the scandal. The other storyline that stood out was the one with Jimmy, the hotel, and the Laguna community. Both storylines were well-written, and they added depth to the main storyline.

Hazel was an interesting character, and I liked that she didn’t always make the best choices. But she was a good person, and she did try for a long time to stay in a situation that didn’t make her happy. Hazel also did try to let her fiance down lightly when she couldn’t make things work anymore. And after that nasty letter from her fiance’s mother, she continued sending them money (for his funeral expenses). And in the present day (aka 1946), Hazel still didn’t make the best choices, but her heart was in the right place.

Hanson Radcliff was a compelling character, also. He was much older than Hazel, and I thought he didn’t care for her for most of the book. It wasn’t until the last half of the book that I saw that he cared for her like a daughter. I was slightly irritated that the author dragged out his story with Isabella Rose and the painting

There was a slight mystery angle in Hotel Laguna. It centered around the missing painting that Hanson did of Isabella Rose and where he hid it. There was a neat twist toward the end that I saw coming. Even though I saw the twist coming, it was still interesting to read.

The end of Hotel Laguna was bittersweet. But I don’t think that I would have written it any differently.

I recommend Hotel Laguna to anyone over 16. There is mild language, mild violence, and nongraphic sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Nicola Harrison for allowing me to read and review Hotel Laguna. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Hotel Laguna, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Nicola Harrison

How the Murder Crumbles (Cookie Shop Mystery: Book 1) by Debra Sennefelder

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Date of publication: June 20th, 2023

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Contemporary

Series: Cookie Shop Mystery

How the Murder Crumbles—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Debra Sennefelder whips up cookies and crime in a delicious new cozy series, perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Peg Cochran.

Wingate, Connecticut, is famed as one of the top ten shopping destinations in the state, and home to Mallory Monroe’s beloved Cookie Shop—a place where patrons are greeted with the heavenly aroma of freshly baked cookies that are as beautifully decorated as they are insanely delicious.

But things aren’t going so smoothly for Mallory. Her two employees are a disaster in the kitchen, she catches her boyfriend with another woman, and she’s seen having a fierce argument with food blogger Beatrice Wright, who accuses Mallory of stealing her cookie recipe. Then Beatrice turns up dead in her kitchen, flour outlining her body and a bloodied marble rolling pin nearby. Mallory immediately becomes suspect number one, her sales plummet, and she desperately tries to clear her name—but that’s not the only murder the killer is baking up.

Debra Sennefelder has cooked up a perfect recipe—endearing characters, a picture-perfect evocation of small-town life, and a quaint sweets shop. And just when things get a little too comfy, there’s always a murder or two for good measure.

First Line:

“Why was the cookie so angry with the baker?” Kip Winslow asked the group of five women as they tied their aprons. He waited a beat.

How the Murder Crumbles by Debra Sennefelder

Mallory is working at her dream job, running the bakery left to her by her late aunt. But things are not going smoothly. Her two employees are bickering with each other, she catches her boyfriend with another woman, and a food blogger, Beatrice, has publically accused Mallory’s deceased aunt of stealing a cookie recipe from her. If things can’t get any worse, they do. On a spur-of-the-moment decision, Mallory visits Beatrice to try and smooth things over. When she gets there, Beatrice is dead, and Mallory is the main suspect (due to the argument earlier that day). With the police breathing down her neck and her reputation in tatters, Mallory decides to solve the mystery. But that is easier said than done because everyone in town had issues with Beatrice. Can Mallory catch the killer? Or is she next on that person’s list?

I had been on a cozy mystery download frenzy when I decided to download this book. I had decided that I needed to read more cozy mysteries, and I would follow that promise to myself. Coincidentally, Crooked Lane Books had a bunch that was read now. How the Murder Crumbles is part of that haul.

While I liked How the Murder Crumbles, I wasn’t a big fan of it. The characters didn’t cut it for me. Everything else (including the mystery) was well written. But will I read the other books in the series (when they are published), yes. I have become attached to the secondary characters and hope Mallory’s business catches a break.

The main storyline in How the Murder Crumbles centers around Mallory, Beatrice’s death, and Mallory’s investigation. I felt that Mallory was a little unstable from the beginning of the book. I don’t know if the author meant to write her this way, but it came across like that to me. And her mental state began to crumble once she found Beatrice dead, and the police started investigating her. The author did a great job of showing her heading toward a breakdown while hyper-focusing on Beatrice’s murder. She was able to pull up some great leads to give to the police during that time.

The characters in How the Murder Crumbles were well-written and multi-faceted. I liked that even the victim had multiple sides to her. Those dimensions of the characters fleshed out the storyline and made the characters feel lifelike.

I did feel bad for Mallory. She was trying her best to ensure her aunt’s business succeeds. But she had her work cut out for her. Then Beatrice blows into the story and publically accuses her of stealing one of her recipes, and Mallory loses it. I don’t blame her; I would have done the same thing. But Mallory’s stinky day turns even more so when she finds her boyfriend cheating on her and then she finds Beatrice dead. The glimpse of a happy but stressed out Mallory turns into a stressed out, anxious, heading towards a breakdown Mallory who is convinced she’s going to jail for murder. Again, I would have felt the same way. But I wouldn’t have done what Mallory did and actively hunted down leads. Maybe it was the stress or the mysteries she read, but she would clear her name. Adding to her anxiety, her cousin acted weird, her ex convinced his boss to withdraw a large order, and the other woman wanted to be her best friend. I have no clue how Mallory didn’t snap.

I loved the mystery angle of How the Murder Crumbles. This was a twisty mystery with so many red herrings that I was utterly bamboozled by who the murderer was and why that person killed Beatrice when it was revealed. The author had Mallory chasing dead-end leads or chasing leads that led to her becoming more prominently featured in the community (she joined a business committee). Some were boring, and others were interesting. But all painted a very unflattering of the victim and other town residents. I was also a little peeved at the police because in no way did they even tell Mallory she wasn’t a suspect until almost the end of the book. All that stress and anxiety could have been avoided if they were more open. But, then again, would they have gotten the results? Yes, but not with the flair that Mallory brought.

A very slight romance angle was kept almost one-sided until the end of the book. I understood why (conflict of interest), and I can’t wait to see where this romance will go!!

The end of How the Murder Crumbles was interesting. I did not see how the murderer was and why that person killed Beatrice. It took me entirely by surprise.

I recommend How the Murder Crumbles to anyone over 16. There are no sexual situations, mild to moderate violence, and mild language.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley, and Debra Sennefelder for allowing me to read and review How the Murder Crumbles. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of How the Murder Crumbles, you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Debra Sennefelder:

A Stolen Child (Maggie D’Arcy: Book 4) by Sarah Stewart Taylor

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: June 20th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Ireland, Mystery Thriller

Series: Maggie D’Arcy

The Mountains Wild—Book 1

A Distant Grave—Book 2

The Drowning Sea—Book 3

A Stolen Child—Book 4

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sarah Stewart Taylor is known for her atmospheric portrayal of an American detective in Ireland, and her critically acclaimed series returns with A Stolen Child.

After months of training, former Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy is now officially a Garda. She’s finally settling into life in Ireland and so is her teenage daughter, Lilly. Maggie may not be a detective yet, but she’s happy with her community policing assignment in Dublin’s Portobello neighborhood.

When she and her partner find former model and reality tv star Jade Elliot murdered—days after responding to a possible domestic violence disturbance at her apartment—they also discover Jade’s toddler daughter missing. Shorthanded thanks to an investigation into a gangland murder in the neighborhood, Maggie’s friend, Detective Inspector Roly Byrne, brings her onto his team to help find the missing child. But when a key discovery is made, the case only becomes more confusing—and more dangerous. Amidst a nationwide manhunt, Maggie and her colleagues must look deep into Jade’s life—both personal and professional—to find a ruthless killer.

First Line:

“Guard! Guard and American Guard! Guard and American Guard!” My partner, Garda Jason Savage, and I were just finishing up our community patrol when we see two boys beckoning us along the South Circular Road.

A Stolen Child by Sarah Steward Taylor

Maggie D’Arcy is finally a Garda after months of training. It is a step down from her American role as a homicide detective in Long Island, but she is happy. She loves community policing with her partner in the Portobello neighborhood in Dublin. Things change when she and her partner are called to a murder. The victim, a former reality TV star and model, has been found strangled in her house. But, to their horror, they find out that the victim also has a toddler daughter, and she is nowhere to be found. Due to Garda shortages because of a gang murder, Maggie is brought in to help investigate. They are not only tasked with finding the toddler but solving the murder. And the deeper that Maggie digs into the victim’s life (professional and personal), the muddier it gets. Who killed the victim and why? And more importantly, where is the baby?

A Stolen Child is the 4th book in the Maggie D’Arcy series. This book can be read as a standalone book. But I always suggest reading the previous books to catch up on the backstories. I have added books 1-3 to my Goodreads list, and hopefully, I will get to read them at some point.

A Stolen Child is a medium to fast-paced book. I was a little torn on how to describe the book’s pacing. It was fast-paced up to about the middle of the book and then slowed down to a medium pace. I thought that slowing down the storyline would throw the reader off. Surprisingly, it didn’t. There was a slight lag after Laurel was found, but it didn’t affect my interest.

A Stolen Child occurs entirely in Dublin, Ireland, with a few brief forays into a small village on the outskirts of Dublin. I loved it. Ireland ranks very high on my bucket list of places to visit when the kids leave the house.

The main storyline centers around Maggie and the investigation into Jade Eliot’s death and the disappearance of her toddler, Laurel. The author did a fantastic job of showing how the Garda deals with child abductions in Ireland. I also loved seeing how the police investigated a murder in Ireland. When Laurel was found (about halfway through the book), the author turned the storyline into Jade’s murder, which became this twisty-turny storyline that captivated me.

The characters in A Stolen Child were well-written and well-fleshed out. Even the secondary characters had a depth to them that I liked.

I liked Maggie. She was no-nonsense about her job and genuinely enjoyed it. I was thrilled with her when she was asked to be on the murder investigation. It made sense since she was a homicide detective in Long Island. She brought an American approach to Jade’s murder investigation that I felt helped it.

The main storyline, Laurel’s disappearance and Jade’s murder, was well written. I was genuinely afraid that they wouldn’t find Laurel alive. I also did guess who took her. It wasn’t a huge stretch to figure it out. But, on the other hand, Jade’s murder was this twisty turny mess. I spent the entire book trying to figure out who killed her. I was not expecting who it was or her storyline’s turn. Talk about a substantial unexpected twist for both.

I wasn’t too sure what to make of the ending. As I said above, there were a couple of massive twists that I didn’t see coming. I am hoping that there will be a book 5. I am curious if Maggie gets promoted to detective in the Garda.

I recommend A Stolen Child to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and nongraphic sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Sarah Stewart Taylor for allowing me to read and review A Stolen Child. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of A Stolen Child, then you will enjoy reading these books.

Other books by Sarah Stewart Taylor

You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam

Date of publication: June 13th, 2023

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Young Adult, Romance, Suspense, Contemporary, Adult, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Summer and Leo would do anything for each other. Inspired by the way each has had to carve her place in a hostile and unforgiving world, and united by the call of the open road, they travel around sunny California in Summer’s tricked-out Land Cruiser. It’s not a glamorous life, but it gives them the freedom they crave from the painful pasts they’ve left behind. But even free spirits have bills to pay. Luckily, Summer is a skilled pickpocket, a small-time thief, and a con artist–and Leo, determined to pay her own way, has learned a trick or two.

Eager for a big score, Leo catches in her crosshairs Michael Forrester, a self-made billionaire and philanthropist. When her charm wins him over, Leo is rewarded with an invitation to his private island off the California coastline for a night of fabulous excess. She eagerly anticipates returning with photos that can be sold to the paparazzi, jewelry that can be liquidated, and endless stories to share with Summer.

Instead, Leo disappears.

On her own for the first time in years, Summer decides to infiltrate Michael’s island and find out what really happened. But when she arrives, no one has seen Leo–she’s not on the island as far as they know. Plus, there was only one way on the island–and no way off–for the coming days. Trapped in a scheme she helped initiate, could Summer have met her match?

First Line:

I learned to pick a pocket when I was about eight.

You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard

Summer and Leo are best friends and would do anything for each other. Summer, abandoned by her free spirit mother as a teenager, took Leo in when she found her panhandling one day. From that day forward, they have survived by doing petty crimes and trying to con the rich together. So, it was no surprise when Leo, eager for a big score, latches on to the tech billionaire, Michael Forrester. It is also no surprise when Leo is swept away to Michael’s private island. But, when Leo doesn’t answer any of Summer’s texts and when she doesn’t return from the island, Summer gets worried. Summer’s plan: to infiltrate the island, look for Leo, and get out. While infiltrating the island is easy, finding Leo isn’t. Met with more questions than answers, Summer intensifies her search. What happened to Leo? Can Summer find her? Will Summer (and possibly Leo) be able to escape the island?

I am a big fan of psychological thrillers. They make up about 75% of what I read (the other 25% is split between romances, dystopia, mystery, and different genres). So, when I kept seeing You Can Trust Me floating around the blogosphere, I knew this book would be right up my alley. I am glad I read this book because it was a great read!!

You Can Trust Me is a fast-paced book set mainly in Los Angeles and an island off Catalina Island’s coast. The fast pace of this book suited the storyline. Why? Because You Can Trust Me takes place within a week of Leo disappearing. Any slower pace would have ruined the storyline.

You Can Trust Me has dual 1st person POV storylines. The storylines break into Summer and Leo right from the beginning. But then the author does something interesting. She goes back a few days to detail what Leo was doing while keeping Summer’s POV in the present. I liked that. It upped the thriller aspect of the book and kept me guessing what would happen next.

You Can Trust Me has two major storylines and one significant secondary storyline introduced about halfway through. The two major storylines are centered around Summer and Leo. The author details their backgrounds and how they ended up together. Then the storyline splits between Summer’s search for Leo and Leo’s time on the island. The back and forth between the two storylines was almost exhausting in places, and I was on edge, wondering if Summer would find Leo.

The author introduced the secondary storyline halfway through the book. I didn’t think anything of this storyline until it exploded towards the end of the book. There was a point where I couldn’t believe what I was reading. It was absorbed when Summer and Leo’s storylines were merged back together.

I liked Summer, even if she did some questionable things. I did find her backstory very sad. She was born without a birth certificate, and her mother refused to tell Summer her last name or anything about her (the mother’s past). Summer was left to fend for herself when her mother abandoned her when she was sixteen. Without a birth certificate or a last name, Summer had limited choices of what she could do to support herself. Becoming a petty criminal was the most straightforward and obvious choice. So, I understood why she felt she needed to do something when Leo disappeared. Going to the police wasn’t even a thought. She was going to save her friend.

I liked Leo, too. Her backstory was even more tragic than Summer’s. Leo lived with an overwhelming sense of guilt. She was the last person to talk to her sister before her sister was found dead in a forest. She blamed herself, and it did seem like her parents blamed her too. Leo’s way of dealing with her trauma was to leave. I liked Leo’s enthusiasm for the crimes that she did with Summer. She was desperate to get a big score, so she took the chance with Michael.

I was very cautious about Michael. He seemed almost too good to be true. I am going to leave it there because, well, anything else about Michael will be a huge spoiler.

The psychological thriller angle of the book was well-written, and it kept my attention. I invested in both Summer’s and Leo’s stories.

The mystery angle of You Can Trust Me was terrific. Again, I can’t go into why but I will say that a couple of massive twists surprised me towards the end of the book. I was internally screeching when the author revealed everything; that is how explosive everything was.

The end of You Can Trust Me did disappoint me. After everything that happened, it was a letdown. I was expecting some closure with a couple of the storylines, but the only closure I got was with Summer’s. Again, I can’t go into details because of spoilers but arrrggggh!!!

I would recommend You Can Trust Me to anyone over 21. There is language, moderate violence, and moderate sexual situations (the actual sex scenes were fade to black).

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam, NetGalley, and Wendy Heard for allowing me to read and review You Can Trust Me. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of You Can Trust Me, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Wendy Heard:

Speak of the Devil by Rose Wilding

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: June 13th, 2023

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult, Crime, LGBT, Suspense

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

All of us knew him. One of us killed him…

Seven women stand in shock in a seedy hotel room; a man’s severed head sits in the centre of the floor. Each of the women – the wife, the teenager, the ex, the journalist, the colleague, the friend, and the woman who raised him – has a very good reason to have done it, yet each swears she did not. In order to protect each other, they must figure out who is responsible, all while staying one step ahead of the police.

Against the ticking clock of a murder investigation, each woman’s secret is brought to light as the connections between them converge to reveal a killer.

A dark and nuanced portrait of love, loyalty, and manipulation, Speak of the Devil explores the roles in which women are cast in the lives of terrible men…and the fallout when they refuse to stay silent for one moment longer.

First Line:

Fireworks pop and fizzle in the dark sky above the city, hours before the new millennium, and Maureen watches them for a seconda before she pushed the window open and closes the curtains.

Speak of the Devil by Rose Wilding

New Year’s Eve 1999—Seven women gather in a hotel room and stare in shock at a man’s head on the bed. Each woman has been involved with this man and hurt at one point in their life. And each woman denies killing him. To protect each other, they must figure out who in their group killed the man and stay one step ahead of the police. Is it the wife, the pregnant teenager, the ex-girlfriend, the journalist, the colleague, the friend, or the woman who raised him?

Speak of the Devil is a fast-paced, often confusing book. I don’t get confused while reading; I did with this. This book didn’t lag, even with all the jumping from past to present and back again. The author kept the flow going despite the plotline going back and forth in time.

Speak of the Devil takes place in the Northumbria region of Scotland. The author did a great job of painting a picture of the towns portrayed from 1964 through 1999. I also liked that she weaved the local accents into the storyline. She did it so that it didn’t take away from the book. Instead, those accents added to it.

The main storyline in Speak of the Devil revolves around Jamie and the women he has bullied, abused, and treated like poo. I will warn you all that there are numerous POVs, eight in total, and each of these POVs travels back and forth in time. I am not a big fan of multiple POVs, but the author made it work in this book. But, I did have to take notes about the different relationships, which took away from my reading pleasure.

I didn’t like Jamie, but at the same time, I did feel bad for him. He was raised by a woman who couldn’t stand him. Those scenes, towards the end of the book, hurt my heart. He might have turned out differently if he had shown a little love and compassion. Each of the seven relationships showed a different side of Jamie. But, a common theme was running through them: He had an insane desire for control and wasn’t afraid to do whatever it took to get what he wanted. He did get what he deserved in the end.

The female characters, for the most part, were well-written. They weren’t as fleshed out as they should have been. I also felt some were written as cliche (Sarah comes to mind instantly). But overall, I enjoyed reading their stories and liked that the present-day storyline had a girl power theme running through it.

The mystery angle of the book was well written. I thought the killer was someone else and was very surprised when the author made the reveal. It was not who I thought it was, and it did surprise me. Looking back, the author was very clever with her red herrings and secondary storylines pointing at one person.

The book’s thriller angle didn’t jump out and scream at me as much as I wanted it to. It was understated and took some time to build. But, once it got going, it was full force.

There was some great LGBT representation going on in the book. Three of the women were lesbians (with two being in a relationship with each other). There was quite a bit of transphobia displayed in the book. I was beyond mad for this woman for 90% of the book, and I couldn’t understand why her job was acting the way it did. Then I remembered—-it was 1999. Understand people and jobs that didn’t discriminate were few and far between.

The end of Speak of the Devil didn’t gel with me. After the murderer was revealed, the author said nothing about what was done to the killer or what happened to the woman in jail for the murder. The only storyline that the author wrapped up well was the one with Nova. The others were left open with no ending other than Jamie’s death. It irritated me. I wouldn’t say I like it when books do that. I wanted at least an epilogue to explain what happens after.

I recommend Speak of the Devil to anyone over 16. There is language, violence, and very mild sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Rose Wilding for allowing me to read and review Speak of the Devil. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Speak of the Devil, then you will enjoy reading these books:

A Crown of Ivy and Glass (The Middlemist Trilogy: Book 1) by Claire Legrand

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Date of publication: June 13th, 2023

Series: The Middlemist Trilogy

A Crown of Ivy and Glass—Book 1

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adult, Fantasy Romance, High Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Adult Fiction, Magic, Young Adult Fantasy

Trigger warnings: Suicidal Ideation, Self-Harm, Panic Attacks, Chronic Illness, Emotional Abuse, Child Abuse, Death, Grief

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lady Gemma Ashbourne seemingly has it all. She’s young, gorgeous, and rich. Her family was Anointed by the gods, blessed with incredible abilities. But underneath her glittering façade, Gemma is deeply sad. Years ago, her sister Mara was taken to the Middlemist to guard against treacherous magic. Her mother abandoned the family. Her father and eldest sister, Farrin—embroiled in a deadly blood feud with the mysterious Bask family—often forget Gemma exists.

Worst of all, Gemma is the only Ashbourne to possess no magic. Instead, her body fights it like poison. Constantly ill, aching with loneliness, Gemma craves love and yearns to belong.

Then she meets the devastatingly handsome Talan d’Astier. His family destroyed themselves, seduced by a demon, and Talan, the only survivor, is determined to redeem their honor. Intrigued and enchanted, Gemma proposes a bargain: She’ll help Talan navigate high society if he helps her destroy the Basks. According to popular legend, a demon called The Man With the Three-Eyed Crown is behind the families’ blood feud—slay the demon, end the feud.

But attacks on the Middlemist are increasing. The plot against the Basks quickly spirals out of control. And something immense and terrifying is awakening in Gemma, drawing her inexorably toward Talan and an all-consuming passion that could destroy her—or show her the true strength of her power at last.

First Line:

I never liked visting my sister, Mara, though I loved her so desperately that sometimes I found myself convinced the feeling was not love at all, but something much fouler: guilt, bone-crushing shame, a confused defensive reaction.

A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand

Gemma seemingly has it all: wealth, beauty, and no end in suitors (male and female). But, underneath it all, Gemma has a secret. She gets painfully ill by magic, so she is bedridden and suffers anxiety attacks. Her bright spots in her life are her visits to her sister, Mara, in the Middlemist and the parties Gemma plans. She is also bone numbingly lonely. Her father has avoided her since her mother left, and her older sister, Farrin, is embroiled in a blood feud with the Bask family. Then she meets Talan, a mysterious young man whose family has destroyed themselves in serving a demon, The Man With the Three-Eyed Crown. Gemma soon finds out that the same demon is behind her family’s blood feud and sets off to end it. As she gathers her allies and makes plans, she finds out some earth-shattering news. News that shakes her to the core and threatens to end everything. What does Gemma find out? How does it tie into her quest? Will she overcome her body’s objections to magic, or will it kill her?

A Crown of Ivy and Glass is the first book in the Middlemist series. It goes without saying that this book can be read as a standalone (it’s the first book in a series).

There are trigger warnings in A Crown of Ivy and Glass. There are a couple that I am going to list but not give an explanation because of spoilers. They are:

  1. Suicidal Ideation: Gemma tells her best friend that she thinks her family would be better off if she kills herself. There is a reason why she mentioned this, but because of spoilers, I will not say.
  2. Self-Harm: To deal with her panic attacks, Gemma cuts herself. She is ashamed when her best friend sees the marks and is dismayed over it.
  3. Panic Attacks: Gemma suffers from severe panic attacks throughout the book. There is a reason behind her suffering from them, but it is given later in the book and is a huge spoiler. So, sorry!!
  4. Chronic Illness: Gemma suffers from a chronic illness throughout the book. She cannot be around magic or magic users without getting significantly sick. She lives in pain daily.
  5. Emotional Abuse: Spoiler, I can’t write anything here!!
  6. Child Abuse: Talan details abuse from his parents and sisters growing up. There is another huge detail of abuse to a child, but it is a spoiler.
  7. Death: There are references to Roses being killed patrolling. The undead that Gemma encounters later in the book (and who save her) dies while protecting Gemma. Gemma’s mother is presumed dead. Tying into the child abuse trigger, a more metaphysical death also happens.
  8. Grief: Gemma’s father is overcome with grief when her mother leaves them. Gemma grieves over the deaths of her allies.

If any of these trigger you, then I suggest not reading this book.

The main storyline for A Crown of Ivy and Glass centers around Gemma, her illness to magic, her relationship with Talan, her family’s feud with the Basts, and Talan’s mysterious background. The author did a fantastic job of detailing how Gemma’s illness affected her life and how she lived each day in pain. It broke my heart to see how lonely she was also. Her father and Farrin were constantly pow-wowing over how to attack the Basts next, and they spent little to no time with Gemma. Actually, Farrin spent more time with Gemma than their father. It was easy to see why Gemma got so attached to Talan right from the beginning.

There were a few things that I wished the author had been more clear about right from the beginning. The first one is the blood feud with the Basts. Nothing got explained until almost the end of the book, and even then, I was a little confused about it. The other was Talan’s background. I wish, wish, wish that the author divulged his background sooner. I don’t like being strung along and thinking one thing about a character and then only finding out something different.

I was fascinated by the lore and how magic worked in this book. This book was full of lore, and I would have loved to have seen some guide at the beginning or end of the book. I also loved how the author explained how magic came to be in this universe. It was fascinating to me, and I couldn’t read enough about it.

There are several sub-storylines that added immensely to the main one. These sub-storylines filled in holes and gave explanations for things that were referenced earlier in the book.

I thought that Gemma was a very solid character. She did come across as vain and spoiled at the beginning of the book, but by the middle, the author made it clear that it wasn’t the case. She hadn’t been dealt the easiest hand in life. Her panic attacks along with her constant pain drained her. Also, her loneliness was very palpable at the beginning of the book. Her character’s growth was amazing, and I was in awe of what she did for Talan during the final battle. Actually, what they all did for him (it was a group effort).

I liked Talan, but I will admit, I was as suspicious as Gemma’s best friend. There was something about him that didn’t seem quite right. Also, there were too many deaths when he was around, and his magical ability (an empath) was almost too good to be true. I was a little grouchy when the author unveiled him, but at the same time, I got why she did it. I loved the turn she took with his character, though. I could never trust him enough to put him on the good guys’ side. It wasn’t until Gemma did what she did at the end that I finally was able to fully trust him.

There are several secondary characters that make an appearance in this book. I liked them all. As with the secondary storylines, they filled in gaps and added some extra oomph when needed. There were a couple that I would love to see more of and a couple that I could see having a relationship (Ryder and Farrin!!).

The romance angle in this book is spicy. If I hate to rate it on a scale, I would say that it is between a jalapeno and a cayenne pepper. Gemma and Talan had good sex if I am going to put it bluntly. I also liked that the author chose to have them do the dirty first and then fall in love. It messed with Gemma’s (and mine) head when it revealed Talan’s intentions. And as I stated above, I did have a hard time believing him when he finally told her his feelings.

I went through such a range of emotions during the last half of the book. I was enraged by what was revealed by Gemma’s father and Farrin’s reaction. But at the same time, everything that was revealed made sense. I wish I could say more but I can’t. There are major spoilers there, which would ruin the book if you haven’t read it.

The end of A Crown of Ivy and Glass was action-packed. There was a point where I was worried about Talan and Gemma. The author didn’t end the storyline but left it open with a hint of what to expect in book 2. I cannot wait to read book two because I hope it answers some questions that were brought up in the second half of the book.

I would recommend A Crown of Ivy and Glass to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and explicit sexual situations. Also, see my trigger warning list.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, NetGalley, and Claire LeGrand. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of A Crown of Ivy and Glass, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Claire Legrand:

The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: June 6th, 2023

Series: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Drama, Adult, Adult Fiction

Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assualt (on-page, non-graphic), Rape (on and off page, non-graphic), Drug use (on-page, semi-graphic), Suicide (off and on page, remembered, semi-graphic), Abortion (off-page, remembered, non-graphic), Infidelity (on-page, semi-graphic)

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

“That place has been my whole life. Everything I thought I knew about myself was constructed in those few months I spent within touching distance of the sea. Everything I am is because Alistair loved me.”

Rachel has been in love with Alistair for fifteen years. Even though she’s now married to someone else. Even though she was a teenager when they met. Even though he is twenty years older than her.

Rachel and Alistair’s summer love affair on a remote, sun-trapped Greek island has consumed her since she was seventeen, obliterating everything in its wake. But as Rachel becomes increasingly obsessed with reliving the events of so long ago, she reconnects with the other girls who were similarly drawn to life on the island, where the nights were long, the alcohol was free-flowing and everyone acted in ways they never would at home. And as she does so, dark and deeply suppressed secrets about her first love affair begin to rise to the surface, as well as the truth about her time working for an enigmatic and wealthy man, who controlled so much more than she could have ever realized.

Joining a post #MeToo discourse, The Girls of Summer grapples with themes of power, sex, and consent, as it explores the complicated nature of memory and trauma––and what it takes to reframe, and reclaim, your own story.

First Line:

It’s too hot to be outside for long. Sweat is starting to dampen my scalp, thickening in the roots of my hair and pooling in the crevices of my collarbone.

The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop

Rachel has always remembered her first love, Alistair. Having met him on a Greek island while on a summer holiday with her best friend, he took over her world. So much so that she decided to stay in Greece with him, working at a local bar and living with many other girls. But things aren’t what they seem on that island, and Rachel returns to England to pick up the pieces of her life. Fifteen years later, she is married and has returned to that Greek island with her husband to relive her past. But as Rachel reconnects with her former housemates and Alistair, she starts remembering things she suppressed. She also slowly realizes that her time in Greece wasn’t as carefree as she tells people. Can Rachel shake off her past? Will she do the right thing when asked? Or will she continue defending the man who consumed her during that Greek summer?

I was drawn to the cover when I got invited to review The Girls of Summer. The white-bleached building with a view of the ocean was stunning. Then I read the blurb and knew I needed to read this book. I had followed the #MeToo movement with interest and also kinship. Because I, too, experienced sexual harassment at a job and, when reported, was told to keep my mouth shut (FYI: I told that HR person to shove it where the sun didn’t shine and immediately quit. My mother didn’t raise someone who dealt with that crap.) I figured that this book would be something like that. What I read, instead, was something that made me angry for those girls and what was done to them.

There are trigger warnings in The Girls of Summer. They are:

  1. Sexual Assault—Rachel is sexually assaulted by Harry, the wealthy man she works for. The sexual assault happens on a page (at his house) but is relatively nongraphic.
  2. Rape—Rachel is raped by an American in London (at a party thrown by Alistair at Harry’s London penthouse). Her rape is semi-graphic. Keira is raped off-page in Greece at a party in Harry’s house.
  3. Drug Use—There is recreational drug use displayed in The Girls of Summer. The girls and Rachel use pot and cocaine. Rachel and the girls are roofied while in Greece and London. They are raped while roofied. The drug use is semi-graphic.
  4. Suicide—Keira commits suicide in Greece. The actual act of her suicide is non-graphic, but the scene where Rachel and the girls find her body isn’t. Harry commits suicide towards the end of the book. That is nongraphic. Rachel is told by Helena when she visits her.
  5. Abortion—Rachel aborts Alistair’s child. The author doesn’t go into details, but Rachel suffers from guilt, regret, and sadness about the abortion throughout the book.
  6. Infidelity —Rachel cheats on her husband with Alistair throughout the “Now” parts of the book. As far as I know, her husband never finds out.

If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. I am not easily triggered and wish I had seen a trigger warning before reading.

The Girls of Summer is a medium to fast-paced book. The pacing of the book suited the storyline. There was some lag towards the end of the book. I didn’t mind it because it was the end of the book.

The Girls of Summer takes place on an unnamed island in Greece during the “Then” part of the book. The “Now” part of the book takes place in London. Both places (Greece and London) have been my personal places to visit bucket list. I have wanted to visit since forever.

The main storyline of The Girls of Summer is split into two parts, “Now” and “Then,” and both parts follow Rachel. The “Now” parts of the book follow Rachel and the downward spiral in her life. The “Then” parts of the book follow Rachel and what happened in Greece. Both parts of the book were well-written and could keep my attention. I will admit that I wasn’t initially a fan of the split storyline. But as I read the book and got to know the characters, it worked, and I liked it.

Rachel wasn’t the book’s most likable or reliable narrator. She was mean to her husband. Who leads their husband on when he wants to have a baby and thinks it’s a fertility issue (fun fact, it wasn’t)? And as soon as she got Alistair’s number, she was back in bed with him. Her husband didn’t deserve that. And when she got together with Helena, Priya, and Agnes to discuss what happened fifteen years ago? She was a colossal jerk. I have never wanted to smack an adult more than I wanted to hit Rachel in the “Now” section. Rachel, in the “Then” section, I liked her better. She was naive and thought the best of everyone. Rachel was also head over heels in love with Alistair (gag) and would do anything for him.

I wasn’t sure if I should count Alistair as a main character. But, seeing how his actions and lies influenced the Rachel of the future, I decided to include him. I hated him. He knew what was happening in Harry’s house. He helped procure the girls for him. He disgusted me, and I was stunned when he and Rachel hooked back up. I will say that he got what he deserved at the end of the book.

The secondary characters and storylines add extra depth to the main characters and storylines.

The drama angle of the book was well written. The author wrote it so well and kept it classy. It never descended into catfights. Instead, the author wrapped it in Rachel’s angst and let it fly.

The mystery angle of the book consumed me. While I knew what would happen (I guessed reasonably early in the book), it still surprised me. I was also kept on pins and needles, wondering when Rachel would get her head out of her butt and remember that things weren’t perfect in Greece.

The end of The Girls of Summer seemed rushed. The author was able to wrap everything up in a way that satisfied me as a reader. I still wasn’t a fan of Rachel, but I liked seeing where she was after the dust settled.

I recommend The Girls of Summer to anyone over 21. There is language, sexual situations, and violence. Also, see my trigger warnings list.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Katie Bishop for allowing me to read and review The Girls of Summer. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of The Girls of Summer, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Identity by Nora Roberts

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: May 23rd, 2023

Genre: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Thriller, Suspense, Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Adult

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

A new thriller about one man’s ice-cold malice, and one woman’s fight to reclaim her life.

Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan’s job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party—attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy who’d been chatting her up at the bar—her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor.

Soon, a horrific truth emerges: It was Morgan who let the monster in. “Luke” is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder.

What the FBI tells Morgan is beyond chilling. Nina wasn’t his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan’s nightmare is just beginning. Soon she has no choice but to flee to her mother’s home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn’t flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn’t forgotten the one who got away.

First Line

Her dreams and goals were simple and few. As a former army brat, Morgan Albright spent her childhood moving across countries and continents.

Identity by Nora Roberts

A former Army brat, Morgan had always longed to put down roots. After college, she settled in a Baltimore neighborhood, and Morgan realized her dream of putting down roots. Next on her list is saving enough money to buy a bar and successfully run it. Then she meets Luke one night at her bartending job, and her life gets turned upside down. Luke is a serial killer named Gavin, and Gavin has just killed Morgan’s best friend/roommate, stolen her car, and stolen her identity. The FBI tells Morgan that her best friend wasn’t Gavin’s type; Gavin killed Nina because she was there. His type? Morgan. On the verge of losing her house and debts racking up in her name, Morgan leaves Maryland and moves back in with her mother and grandmother in Vermont. She hopes to start over. But Gavin hasn’t forgotten Morgan. With Gavin making his way to Vermont to tie up his loose end, Morgan must be ready. Will she be able to take Gavin on? Can she protect her mother and grandmother from the evil that has infiltrated her life?

I am a huge Nora Roberts fan, and I try to read her books as they are published. So I was surprised when St. Martin’s Press invited me to review. I was planning on waiting for Identity to publish before picking it up. It wasn’t even a thought for me to download the book. I am glad that I did because this book was fantastic.

Identity is a fast-paced book that takes place in Baltimore and Vermont. The pacing of this book fits the storyline. If the author had let up on the fast pace but even a little, it would have ruined the book for me. I also liked that the book was set in Maryland and Vermont. I rarely see those states get some rep in books.

The main storyline of Identity is centered around Morgan. This storyline was believable to me. I could see this happening in real life (actually, I am sure it has happened). I was horrified for Morgan when she found Nina dead and discovered that Luke/Gavin was a serial killer. I felt awful for her when her savings was drained, her car stolen, and a loan shark sent his minions to her house. That was the point where she hit rock bottom and moved to Vermont. Her healing didn’t begin until she moved to Vermont. There she acquired a phenomenal support system, which included her employers. Her growth during this storyline was terrific.

The storyline with Gavin was creepy. He was a true psychopath. He got off on killing the women and stealing their money and identities. I enjoyed that the author showed him spiraling. He couldn’t get over that he didn’t kill Morgan, which affected him for the rest of the book. He got sloppy and made mistakes that had the Feds on him. I did feel that his storyline got a bit repetitive towards the end, and I was pleased when the author decided to have the final confrontation between him and Morgan.

There was a romance angle to Identity involving Morgan and Miles. I was a little iffy, at first, when they first hooked up. I felt that she had too much baggage for him. Plus, she was his employee, raising all sorts of red flags. The author did address this, and I liked that she did. She had Morgan and Miles talk their relationship out between themselves.

Morgan and Miles’s sexual relationship did come on suddenly for me. It took one visit to deliver cookies, which led to a house tour (the turret comments had me dying laughing), which led to them having sex. The sex scenes were not graphic. They were more of a fade-to-black type of deal, which I enjoyed.

The end of Identity had me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I loved the girl power moment that Morgan had (thanks to Jen!!). But I was also terrified for her mother and grandmother. While Gavin’s fate was given, I wish the author had given some update on him. I also loved the last chapter. Talk about getting a tear in my eye and the book coming full circle.

I recommend Identity to anyone over 21. There is violence, sexual situations, and language.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Nora Roberts for allowing me to read and review Identity. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Identity, then you will enjoy reading these books:

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