Category: St. Martin’s Press

The Girl He Used To Know by Tracey Garvis Graves

The Girl He Used to Know

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: April 2nd, 2019

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Where you can find The Girl He Used To Know: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Annika (rhymes with Monica) Rose is an English major at the University of Illinois. Anxious in social situations where she finds most people’s behavior confusing, she’d rather be surrounded by the order and discipline of books or the quiet solitude of playing chess.

Jonathan Hoffman joined the chess club and lost his first game–and his heart–to the shy and awkward, yet brilliant and beautiful Annika. He admires her ability to be true to herself, quirks and all, and accepts the challenges involved in pursuing a relationship with her. Jonathan and Annika bring out the best in each other, finding the confidence and courage within themselves to plan a future together. What follows is a tumultuous yet tender love affair that withstands everything except the unforeseen tragedy that forces them apart, shattering their connection and leaving them to navigate their lives alone.

Now, a decade later, fate reunites Annika and Jonathan in Chicago. She’s living the life she wanted as a librarian. He’s a Wall Street whiz, recovering from a divorce and seeking a fresh start. The attraction and strong feelings they once shared are instantly rekindled, but until they confront the fears and anxieties that drove them apart, their second chance will end before it truly begins.

My review:

Annika was not expecting to fall in love when she met Jonathan. Shy and anxious in new situations, Annika keeps to herself. Annika has issues with personal relationships. She finds most people challenging to be around. But not Jonathan. He loves her for her quirks. Their relationship is perfect until a tragedy forces Annika and Jonathan apart.

Ten years later and ten years wiser, Jonathan reunites with Annika in Chicago. Jonathan realizes that his feelings for Annika never went away. Annika comes to the same realization, and they restart their relationship. Will their relationship be as strong as the first time? Or will another tragedy stop it before it can begin?

When I started reading The Girl He Used To Know, I didn’t know what to think about it. The book is told from two different 1st person perspectives. It is also told in two different time periods. In my experience, those two things do not go well together. I usually have issues following these types of storylines. I didn’t have those issues with The Girl He Used To Know.

I loved the storyline that revolved around Annika. I did guess that she had autism early in the story. I have a nephew who is non-verbal autistic, and he shares many of the earmarks that Annika did. What I also enjoyed was seeing how far Annika came from college. There was a point in the book where I thought she would give up.

I liked Jonathan. I did have my doubts about what his intentions were when he first started hanging out with Annika. But as their love story deepened, I could see that he cared about her. He never pushed her past her limits. By the end of their college romance, I was in tears. I didn’t want them to break up.

I do want to give some attention to Annika’s friendship with Janice. It was even more amazing that Janice chose to become Annika’s protector on campus. That scene where she saved Annika from a potential gang rape was short of amazing. Janice became my hero.

I thought that Annika and Jonathan’s romance was one of the sweetest romances that I have read. I couldn’t wait to see what the next step would bring. I was devastated when they broke up (and why they broke up too). When they reunited in Chicago, I did have my doubts if they would rekindle their relationship. And I was happy when they did.

The end of The Girl He Used to Know gave me chills. I am not going to get into what happened, but it was tragic. What Annika did and her determination to find Jonathan made me cry. I was a little confused by the last line of the book. It was the only thing that made zero sense to me. While I knew what it was referring to, I didn’t understand why it was at the end of the book.

I gave The Girl He Used to Know a 4-star rating. This was a well-written book that had me in tears. The characters were relatable. The plot-lines were well written. The only complaint I had about the book was the end. It made no sense to me.

I would give The Girl He Used to Know an Adult rating. There is sex (but not graphic). There is language. There is mild violence. There are triggers. They would be bullying, attempted rape and drug use. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Girl He Used to Know. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Girl He Used to Know.

All opinion stated in this review of The Girl He Used to Know are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read The Girl I Used to Know?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Between the Lies by Michelle Adams

Between the Lies by [Adams, Michelle]

3.5 Stars (rounded up)

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: March 5th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find Between the Lies: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Synopsis:

The truth is hiding between the lies.

A page-turning psychological thriller with twists that keep the reader guessing until last page, this addictive read will be loved by fans of Shari Lapena’s A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE and Liz Lawler’s DON’T WAKE UP.

What would you do if you woke up and didn’t know who you were?

Chloe Daniels regains consciousness in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. 
She doesn’t recognize the strangers who call themselves family. She can’t even remember her own name.

What if your past remained a mystery?

As she slowly recovers, her parents and sister begin to share details of her life. 
The successful career. The seaside home. The near-fatal car crash.
But Chloe senses they’re keeping dark secrets – and her determination to uncover the truth will have devastating consequences.

What if the people you should be able to trust are lying to you?

My review:

The plot of Between the Lies was interesting. Chloe Daniels wakes up in the hospital with amnesia. She also has no memory of what happened the night she got into a horrific car crash that left her with a brain injury. Moving in with parents and younger sister, Chloe is mending. Her parents are providing details of her life but Chloe senses that something is missing. So begins her search to find out what secrets her parents are hiding. Also, she is determined to remember what happened the night of the accident. But there is danger with her remembering. Someone close to her doesn’t want that to happen. Can Chloe remember what happened that night? Will she find out the complete truth about who she is?

While I liked the plot of Between the Lines, I felt that it couldn’t keep my interest. There were several times during the course of the book where I couldn’t pay attention to the book. I had to force myself to read it. Also, I felt that there was a lag in the middle of the book.

Chloe: I felt awful for her but I admired her determination to get to the bottom of everything. There was a point in the book where I did think that she should slow down. I also felt that she was too trusting. There was a certain character in the book that made warning bells go off every time she was with that person.

Chloe’s father: Talk about disliking someone right off the bat. I knew that he was hiding something from Chloe right from the beginning. My dislike for him grew as I read the book. As a parent, I could understand his need for wanting to protect Chloe. But the way he went about it was all wrong. It was wrong. When everything was revealed at the end of the book, he came across as a controlling, weak man.

Chloe’s mother: Out of all the characters in the book (minor and major), she was the one who had my pity the most. Well, other than Chloe. She wanted to tell her daughter the truth. But she was forced to follow her husband. She was abused by Chloe’s father for the entire book. When she found her backbone, it was almost too late.

I did enjoy reading Between the Lies. I thought that the mystery/thriller angle was well written. I know I have said this before, but it isn’t often when a book keeps me guessing. I was surprised by the secrets. I didn’t figure out who was responsible for everything until I was 84% into the book.

There were parts of the book that I didn’t like. These did factor into my rating. Like I said in at the beginning of this review, the book couldn’t hold my attention. There were several times where I had to force myself to read it. I also felt that there was a lag in the middle of the book. I didn’t like Chloe’s father and I felt that her mother needed to grow a backbone sooner than later.

The end of the book was fantastic. The author was able to wrap up all the storylines in a way that satisfied me as a reader. There were no storylines left hanging. Everything was ended or explained. Which was wonderful!!

I would give Between the Lies an Adult rating. There is sex. There was language. There was violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Between the Lies. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Between the Lies.

All opinions stated in this review of Between the Lies are mine.

Have you read Between the Lies?

What were your thoughts on it?

Do you think it is ethical for Dr’s to treat their siblings/wives/children?

Why or why not?

Let me know!!

My Favorite Cowboy (Heart of Texas: Book 3) by Donna Grant

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: February 26th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: Heart of Texas

The Christmas Cowboy Hero—book 1

Cowboy, Cross My Heart—book 2 (review here)

My Favorite Cowboy—book 3

Where to find My Favorite Cowboy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Hot cowboy heroes in Texas abound in the third book of the Heart of Texas series by New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant.

New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant rounds up the hottest cowboys in Texas in her latest novel of no-holds-barred passion.

Audrey Martinez is a veterinarian who has devoted her whole life to the care and protection of horses—even if doing so leaves her little time for meeting a man. Who would have thought that a strange case of criminal horseplay would lead her to falling deeply, wildly in love? If only the man who makes her heart race faster than a wild mustang would let his guard down, that is. . .

Caleb Harper is no ordinary cowboy. Sure, he wears his hat, boots, and jeans like a second skin, and displays an easygoing charm that comes from years of working on the ranch. But with his military background, and Army buddies at his side, he is tried-and-true Texas tough. Audrey knows she can trust a man like Caleb to help her save horses. But can Caleb trust himself to resist his attraction to Audrey—or will the sparks of their desire end up getting them burned?

My review:

I have mentioned in other reviews that I love reading contemporary western romances. Something about cowboys makes me weak in the knees. They are my not so guilty pleasure. It was a no brainer that I was going to read and review My Favorite Cowboy when I was approached by the publisher.

I liked Audrey. She was a no-nonsense large equine veterinarian who genuinely cared about the animals. She worked for two large ranches and also helped a horse rescue out, free of charge. Her passion and love for horses were palpable. I loved that she was Hispanic. I have read very few books where Hispanic’s are the main female romantic lead. I thought it was wonderful and refreshing.

Caleb had some serious abandonment issues. He was the last person to see his mother before she took off. He asked her not to leave and she left. Her leaving affected everyone but Caleb was affected the most. That left some deep-rooted issues that manifested in Caleb having trust issues. He also couldn’t invest himself in relationships. I did like Caleb. Besides his issues, he was a great guy. It was interesting watching him fight himself as he was falling in love with Audrey. Interesting and sad.

The main plotline was excellent. It went from who was making the horses sick to who had a personal vendetta against Audrey. Usually, I guess who the person was early on in the book. But, in this case, I was kept on my toes. I was surprised at who that person turned out to be. I was also surprised at the lengths that person went through to cover their tracks. I thought it was going to be someone else and my mind was blown when that person’s identity was revealed.

There were a few secondary plotlines. One involved Caleb, Brice and Abby’s mother, Helen. Another one was Brice and Naomi’s fertility issues. Another one involved Audrey and Maddy’s father. They were all wonderfully written.

I was mad with the storyline involving Brice and Naomi. Caleb shouldn’t have said ANYTHING. NADA. It wasn’t his place. I would have been so upset if someone else broke news like that to the family.

I also understood why Caleb was so against meeting Helen. I also understood why he did what he did at the end of that storyline. Forgiveness is a hard thing to do.

I will say that the storyline involving Audrey and Maddy’s father was the only one that didn’t make sense. From the beginning to the end, I was left going “He did what? Why turn up now?“.

The sex scenes were fog up my Kindle’s screen hot. I was a little disappointed that the author went the whole “I forgot to wear a condom, hope you are clean” route. I know these are fictional characters but I was mentally screaming at them “Diseases, people. DISEASES. Get tested ASAP.”

The end of My Favorite Cowboy was nail-biting. The bad guy was revealed as was the reasons why that person did what they did. I loved the epilogue. I was left wondering if there was going to be more books in the series. I am hoping so.

I would give My Favorite Cowboy an Adult rating. There is sex (not explicit). There is language. There is violence. There are triggers. They would be the abandonment of a child, death of a parent, death of a spouse, infertility and animal abuse. I would recommend no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread My Favorite Cowboy. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review My Favorite Cowboy.

All opinions stated in this review of My Favorite Cowboy are mine.

The Reckoning (Children’s House: Book 2) by Yrsa Siguroardottir

The Reckoning

3.5 Stars

Date of publication: February 12, 2019

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Series: Children’s House

DNA—Book 1

Throttling—Book 2 (I believe this is also The Reckoning. Google translate didn’t do a great job  translating from Icelandic to English on Goodreads)

Absolution—Book 3

Where you can find The Reckoning: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The Reckoning is the stunning follow-up to The Legacy, which was the start of a thrilling new series that Booklist (starred) recommends for fans of Tana French. 

Vaka sits, regretting her choice of coat, on the cold steps of her new school. Her father appears to have forgotten to pick her up, her mother has forgotten to give her this week’s pocket money, and the school is already locked for the day. Grownups, she decides, are useless.

With no way to call home, she resigns herself to waiting on the steps until her father remembers her. When a girl approaches, Vaka recognizes her immediately from class, and from her unusual appearance: two of her fingers are missing. The girl lives at the back of the school, on the other side of a high fence, and Vaka asks to call her father from the girl’s house. That afternoon is the last time anyone sees Vaka.

Detective Huldar and child psychologist Freyja are called in. Soon, they find themselves at the heart of another shocking case.

From the international number one-bestselling author of The Silence of the Sea, winner of the 2015 Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel Yrsa Sigurdardottir returns with the follow-up to The Legacy.

My review:

I have developed a liking for police thrillers. And I have an interest in these type of books set in other countries. So when I saw The Reckoning is set in Iceland, I needed to read it. I am glad that I did. I got insight into how the Icelandic criminal system worked as well as their version of CPS.

The Reckoning is book 2 in the Children’s House series. When I saw that, I was immediately put alert. In my experience, the second book in any series lacks. It is usually a filler between the 1st book and the 3rd book. But not in this case. The Reckoning is a stand-alone book. There were a few references to book 1 but they did not take over this book. That alone made me like the book.

I wasn’t sure if I liked Huldar or not, at first. He didn’t exactly fit into the image I had of an Icelandic police officer. His appearance, for one. Whenever I picture a police officer (especially ones in a foreign country) has clean cut and neat. Huldar was not that. I also had doubts about his professionalism. At one point in the book, he was sleeping with his boss. But, I did come to like him. He was a good police officer who was dedicated to tracking down the threats that were in the time capsule. He treated the suspects (and victims) with respect. 

I thought that Freyja was a mess in this book. She was in a codependent relationship with her incarcerated brother. She had suffered a demotion at work because of Huldar. And, to top it off, she was back to working with Huldar, who was also trying to pursue a relationship with him. I also did wonder why she was in the plot during the first half of the book. But, as the book went on and more of the main plotline was revealed, I started to understand why. She also played a pivotal role at the end of the book.

I thought that main plotline was heartbreaking. I loved how the author kept who the killers were until the end of the book. I loved how she tied everything together. I will say that the identity of the killers were surprising. I didn’t see it coming. As for the writer of the threat, I did call that one. But, the reason behind the threat, I didn’t. 

What did surprise me in this book was the twist that the author threw in at the end of the book. All I have to say about it is “Whoa“. I did not see that coming. I could understand why those people did what they did. 

I gave The Reckoning a 3.5-star rating. This was a fast-moving mystery with an engaging plotline. The main characters were dysfunctional and did take a while to grow on me. The main plotline was heartbreaking. I liked how the author kept who the killers were under wraps until the end of the book. What I also liked was the twist that was thrown in at the end. I didn’t see that coming.

I would give The Reckoning an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic). There is violence. There is language. There are trigger warnings. They would be rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and physical abuse. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Reckoning. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Reckoning.

All opinions stated in this review of The Reckoning are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read The Reckoning?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Dark Alpha’s Awakening (Reaper: Book 7) by Donna Grant

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Swerve

Date of publication: February 5th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy

Series: Reaper

Dark Alpha’s Claim—Book 1

Dark Alpha’s Embrace—Book 2

Dark Alpha’s Demand—Book 3

Dark Alpha’s Lover—Book 4

Dark Alpha’s Night—Book 5

Dark Alpha’s Hunger—Book 6 (review here)

Dark Alpha’s Awakening—Book 7

Where you can find Dark Alpha’s Awakening: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I’m coming for you…

Serving Death and the Reapers has been my life for centuries. I’ve always put my duty before everything, even my yearning for Death. But now, she’s fading – our foe is bent on destroying her and he will stop at nothing until he does. Death holds the key to our survival. I will do everything in my power to stop her from disappearing. For her, I will ensure we have the best fighting chance. For her…I will cross the divide keeping us apart.

My review:

I was pretty stoked when I saw that there was going to be a book 7 in the Reapers series. I got even more excited when I started reading Dark Alpha’s Awakening. Why was I excited? Because it was Cael and Death (Erith’s) romance. The romance that I was waiting to read. It was also the romance that I didn’t think would happen. So, yes, I was thrilled.

I loved that I got to know more about Erith in this book. Her origins fascinated me. Her stint as Mistress of War and what started it fascinated me. As did why she stopped and formed the Reapers.

Erith brought it in this book. She was determined to find out what Bran was doing/using to drain her life essence. She was also going to end Bran, which was something that should have been done years ago. I loved it.

Cael was awesome in this book also. He was going to do whatever it took to save Erith from Bran. He was a great leader who was loyal to his Reapers. He was willing to do whatever it took to protect his Reapers, their women, and Erith. And oh boy, did he.

I liked how the author kept the sex scenes in Dark Alpha’s Awakening to a minimum. There were 2 or 3 scenes of Erith and Cael having sex. Those sex scenes were beyond hot. There was no build up of sexual tension in this book. But, Cael and Erith had 6 previous books to let it build and man, did it explode.

I enjoyed that the author had this world intertwined with The Dark Kings world. I didn’t quite catch on that they were in the same universe until the last Dark King book, Dragonfire. There was a certain point where Eoghan and Thea were mentioned. At that point, I was like “They are connected, WTH.”. That showed up even more so in this book. Bran, Balladyn, Rhi, Usaeil, and Xaneth were all featured in this book.

What surprised me the most about this book was the author was not afraid to let people die in this book. There were a couple of deaths that took me by surprise. One I was expecting but the other, well it blindsided me. That made me wonder who was going to be the next one to get killed. I have a good idea who but I am going to have to wait to see what happens in the next book.

I am also waiting to see if Erith takes the advice that was given to her and involve the Dragon Kings in the war that is going to happen. Guess I am going to need to keep reading the books to find out.

The end of the book was interesting. While some plotlines were tied up there were other ones that were left open. New plotlines were introduced near the end of the book. I am interested to see where the plotline with Xaneth is going to go. From what was written at the end of the book, it doesn’t look good.

I would give Dark Alpha’s Awakening an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is explicit violence. There are triggers. They are the death of a loved one and murder. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Dark Alpha’s Awakening. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Dark Alpha’s Awakening.

All opinions stated in this review of Dark Alpha’s Awakening are mine.

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib

The Girls at 17 Swann Street

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: February 5th, 2019

Genre: Women’s fiction

Where you can find The Girls at 17 Swann Street: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The chocolate went first, then the cheese, the fries, the ice cream. The bread was more difficult, but if she could just lose a little more weight, perhaps she would make the soloists’ list. Perhaps if she were lighter, danced better, tried harder, she would be good enough. Perhaps if she just ran for one more mile, lost just one more pound.

Anna Roux was a professional dancer who followed the man of her dreams from Paris to Missouri. There, alone with her biggest fears – imperfection, failure, loneliness – she spirals down anorexia and depression till she weighs a mere eighty-eight pounds. Forced to seek treatment, she is admitted as a patient at 17 Swann Street, a peach pink house where pale, fragile women with life-threatening eating disorders live. Women like Emm, the veteran; quiet Valerie; Julia, always hungry. Together, they must fight their diseases and face six meals a day.

Yara Zgheib’s poetic and poignant debut novel is a haunting, intimate journey of a young woman’s struggle to reclaim her life. Every bite causes anxiety. Every flavor induces guilt. And every step Anna takes toward recovery will require strength, endurance, and the support of the girls at 17 Swann Street.

My review

Anna is wasting away. Her husband has ignored that she is starving herself to death until he finds her passed out in the bathroom. When she goes to the Dr at his urging, Anna weighs only 88 lbs. At the Dr’s urging, Anna is sent to an inpatient rehabilitation center. Her time at 17 Swann Street is eye-opening. Can Anna let the staff and therapists, along with the other girls, help her reclaim her life? Or will Anna be destined to be a regular?

Anorexia has always been one of those disorders that people dislike talking about. It isn’t talked about enough. Anorexia and bulimia (as well as compulsive overeating and other food/exercise related disorders) need to be talked about. They shouldn’t be swept under the rug.  This disorder needs to be front and center. It needs to be talked about. 

I sat and read this book within 2 hours. I didn’t plan on sitting and reading it in one sitting. It just happened. The Girls at 17 Swann Street is a fast read. It is an emotional read too. At one point, I was mad at myself because I didn’t have a box of tissues on hand to wipe my eyes. What got me was how raw Anna’s emotions were. 

I will point out that the book is written in a way that might annoy some people. It would have annoyed me if I wasn’t so taken with how the book began. The book goes between past and present with little warning. I would normally moan and groan about that but not this time. It actually worked with this book. The author was able to flawlessly go between present and past. The only issue I had was reading the clinical observations. I want to say that they were supposed to be the beginning of chapters. But because the formatting of the book was off, they ended up being in the middle of the book.

I liked how Anna’s time in the program was realistic. She had her good days and her bad days. She made progress and she regressed. There were times in the book, mainly when the stuff happened with Valerie, that I thought she wasn’t going to make it. That she was going to be a regular.

The girls in the program touched my heart also. The background that was given on some of them was heartbreaking. I also felt for the staff. They had to counsel the girls. They had to force them to eat. They had to insert feeding tubes for the ones that refused. It must have been so draining for them. But they came back day after day to help those girls.

I liked the statistics that were sprinkled in throughout the book.  There were some that I didn’t know. There were some that made my heart hurt.

I also liked how the author showed how Anna’s progression into anorexia was. From the impossibly high standards that the ballerina world holds to the ex-boyfriend who was cruel about how much Anna ate to the anxiety and guilt over her brother’s death, it was all there. It also showed that Anna’s husband chose to ignore how skinny she was getting. Chose to overlook her only eating apples and lettuce. Chose to overlook her excessive exercising. Chose to overlook those things until it was almost too late. 

The ending was what kept this book from being a 5-star review. It seemed too perfect. I am not going to get into why it seemed too perfect. All I have to say is that I was kinda “meh” about it. It was not real life.

I gave The Girls at 17 Swann Street a 4-star rating. This was a fast, emotional read. While I didn’t mind the way the book was written, I do think that some people would have an issue. I would suggest reading with a box of tissues nearby. The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the ending. It was too perfect.

I would give The Girls at 17 Swann Street an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic but there). There is language. There is no violence. There are trigger warnings. They would be mental illness, eating disorders, talk of rape, the death of a sibling.

I would reread The Girls at 17 Swann Street. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Girls at 17 Swann Street.

All opinions stated in this review of The Girls at 17 Swann Street are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read The Girls at 17 Swann Street?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser

Forget You Know Me

3.5 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: February 5th, 2019

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Where you can find Forget You Know Me: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

In her engrossing new novel, Forget You Know Me, Jessica Strawser takes readers deep into an intimate friendship between two women. When one witnesses a shocking incident that should never have been caught on camera, the secrets and lies it exposes threaten to change their lives forever.

Molly and Liza have always been close in a way that people envy. Even after Molly married Daniel, both considered Liza an honorary member of their family. But after Liza moved away, things grew more strained than anyone wanted to admit—in the friendship and the marriage. 

When Daniel goes away on business, Molly and Liza plan to reconnect with a nice long video chat over wine after the kids are in bed. But when Molly leaves the room to check on a crying child, a man in a mask enters, throwing Liza into a panic—then her screen goes black. 

When Liza finally reaches Molly, her reply is icy and terse, insisting everything is fine. Liza is still convinced something is wrong, that her friend is in danger. But after an all-night drive to help her ends in a brutal confrontation, Liza is sure their friendship is over—completely unaware that she’s about to have a near miss of her own. And Molly, refusing to deal with what’s happened, won’t turn to Daniel, either. 

But none of them can go on pretending. Not after this.

Forget You Know Me exposes the wounds of people who’ve grown apart, against their will. Best friends, separated by miles. Spouses, hardened by neglect. A mother, isolated by pain. The man in the mask will change things for them all.

But who was he?

And will he be back?

My review:

Molly and Liza were besties from way back and nothing could break their friendship. After Molly got married, Liza was considered part of their family. But Liza and Molly start to grow apart. One night, during a video chat, Liza witnesses a man, dressed all in black, breaking into her friend’s house. Then the screen goes black. Panicked, Liza drives all night to find a standoffish Molly. A confrontation follows and Liza goes home. But Liza finds out, that there is no home to go to.  Forced to move in with her brother, Liza realizes that her friendship with Molly might be over. Liza also realizes that there is more going on in Molly’s life than she is letting on. Everything is tied to the man who broke into the house. Who was he? What did he want? Will he be back?

I wasn’t expecting to like Forget You Know Me as much as I did. I enjoyed reading about people who had the same issues that I do. I also enjoyed reading about how the different relationships worked in this book. What I liked, even more, was that I “got” Molly. I “got” Molly and Daniel’s relationship. As a mother to 3 and in a relationship with their father for almost 15 years, I  got that they grew apart. Heck, it happened in my relationship. Even Molly’s pains I got.  It was nice to read a book where I  connected with at least one of the main characters.

I wasn’t too sure if I liked Liza in the book. She rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. It started when she got skeeved out when Max told her that he was bi. Then it was how she acted during the dinner that Daniel and Molly throw and followed by how she treated Henry. She did come back in my eyes at the end of the book. She was able to bridge the gap between Molly and Daniel. But it was almost too late.

I didn’t like that Molly was keeping such a huge secret from Daniel. I mean, she had people tracking her down and threatening her at her job. I would have thought that she would have mentioned something to him before that. I was kind of shaking my head during that. She put herself and her family in danger.

I thought the plotline with Daniel and Toby didn’t bring anything to the story. It did explain why Daniel was so preoccupied during 90% of the book. But still, I could have done without reading it.

Same goes for the storyline with Rick, Molly, and the girls. I, for one, was in the “there is something going on between them” boat. I also had the same suspicions that Liza and Molly did about Rick. So, I was surprised when that storyline turned out the way it did.

I was surprised at who the man in the mask (from the blurb) was. I was also surprised at why he did what he did. In hindsight, I understood why. In his own screwed up way, he wanted Molly to realize that she was the same person she was before kids.

The end of Forget You Know Me was emotional. I wasn’t expecting the tears to come. But they did. So, yes, the ending will need tissues. The author did a fantastic job at bringing all the storylines together. She also did a fantastic job at wrapping the book up. 

I gave Forget You Know Me a 3.5-star review. This book was a good read. I was able to connect to at least one of the characters in the book. I liked how the author gave a no holds bar look at motherhood and relationships. She gave the good, the bad, and the ugly. I didn’t like who the man in the mask ended up being or the reason why he broke into the house. I also thought that there was extra weight with some of the plotlines. I could have done without reading about Toby and Rick.

I would give Forget You Know Me an Adult rating. There is no sex (but there are mentions of it). There is violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be a home invasion, survivor’s guilt, threatened miscarriage, homophobia and emotional affair. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Forget You Know Me. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Forget You Know Me.

All opinions stated in this review of Forget You Know Me are mine

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read Forget You Know Me?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

One Tough Cowboy (Moving Violations: Book 1) by Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick

One Tough Cowboy (Moving Violations #1)

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperback

Date of publication: January 29th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Suspense

Series: Moving Violations

One Tough Cowboy—Book 1

Where you can find One Tough Cowboy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

First in a brand-new series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick about one man’s pursuit of justice—and unbridled desire. 

LAW AND ORDER. 
For as long as Samantha can remember, Hunter—a man as strong as steel, with a heart of gold—has been her hero. It came as no surprise to Samantha when she found out that the ranch-hardened cowboy who always protected her from bullies went on to become the town’s sheriff. What does surprise her is how incredibly hot he still is. And how much she still wants him…

PRIDE AND PASSION

And, lo and behold, Hunter still has feelings for Samantha. The long-smoldering heat of their innocent flirtation has grown into a full-raging fire. But when tragedy strikes and their small-town community is shattered, Hunter vows to do everything he can to keep his childhood sweetheart safe. But can Samantha trust that Hunter has her best interests at heart…and that, after all these years, his love is true?

My review:

I needed to read One Tough Cowboy. I had come off a string of books that had some heavy subjects in them. I needed a book that I could read, not worry about the plotline and enjoy. I got that in this book.

The plot of One Tough Cowboy was pretty simple. Samantha has come back to the town she grew up in for her beloved Aunt’s funeral. She is also there to investigate her aunt’s death. See, her aunt overdosed on pain medication. The only thing, she didn’t like to take it and that was a well-known fact. Which made her death very suspicious not only to Samantha but to Hunter, the sheriff for her hometown. The deeper Samantha and Hunter dig into her death, the more danger they both are in. Who killed Samantha’s aunt? And why?

I liked Samantha. She was going to back down when it came to investigating her aunt’s death. As a detective in the Detroit police force, she was tough. She wasn’t going to let anyone stand in her way. I was chanting, in my head, “You go girl” every time she did something that empowered herself. Loved it!!

I wasn’t as big of a fan of Hunter. I liked him at the beginning of the book. He knew something shady was going on. There was a string of suspicious deaths which included his uncle. But he lost his mind as soon as Samantha arrived. Strike that. As soon as he had sex with her. Then it went all downhill from there. He spent all his free time (which seemed to be a lot) in bed with her. People were starting to comment on it. I kinda wanted to shake him and say “Dude, it can’t be that good.” But since it is a book, I had to be satisfied with muttering to myself.

I will say that the sex scenes were scorching hot. The sparks between Hunter and Samantha were hard to ignore. I figured that they would have sex early in the book. But, they had hot sex every single time. Every single time. It was amazing that the author could keep that sexual attraction and tension up the entire book. I mean, with most books, they usually lost it after the first encounter. I also liked that there was a bit of voyeurism in this book. Hunter got caught watching his friend nail a chick outside his house. People kept walking in on Samantha and Hunter as they were messing around. That made the sex spicier and, dare I say, hotter?

The suspense angle was wonderfully written too. You knew who the major players were early in the book. But, what they were doing was kept under wraps until almost the end of the book. I was taken by surprise at what was going on. But, at the same time, I had no problem imagining what was going on actually happening in real life.

There are a few disturbing scenes that are later on in the book. There is an attempted rape (well, there was penetration with fingers. Is that considered rape?). It was graphic and disturbed me.

I didn’t like how the book ended. Not getting into it but I would be pissed if I was woken up and told that. Talk about rushing into something. Jeeze.

I would give One Tough Cowboy an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is violence. There is language. There are trigger warnings. They would be attempted rape, human trafficking, and domestic violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread One Tough Cowboy. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the publisher, the authors, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review One Tough Cowboy.

All opinions stated in this review of One Tough Cowboy are mine.

The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman

The Wartime Sisters

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: January 22nd, 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

 Where you can find The Wartime Sisters: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Synopsis:

Two estranged sisters, raised in Brooklyn and each burdened with her own shocking secret, are reunited at the Springfield Armory in the early days of WWII. While one sister lives in relative ease on the bucolic Armory campus as an officer’s wife, the other arrives as a war widow and takes a position in the Armory factories as a “soldier of production.” Resentment festers between the two, and secrets are shattered when a mysterious figure from the past reemerges in their lives.

My review:

I wasn’t sure about reading The Wartime Sisters when I got approached to review it. I am not a fan of historical fiction. I have been burnt by too many books that were dry and uninteresting to read. I was afraid that this was going to be the case with The Wartime Sisters. And I almost turned it down. But something about the blurb caught my attention. With that, I decided to accept the request.

The Wartime Sisters is the story of Ruth and Millie. Ruth and Millie have been estranged since their parents were killed in an automobile accident. Before the accident, Ruth resented Millie. Ruth blamed Millie for stealing her boyfriends, for being popular and for being the apple of their parents eye. Millie, however, doesn’t understand why Ruth is so cold and distant to her. When Millie’s husband dies overseas, she writes to Ruth, asking for help. Ruth agrees to let Millie and her son live with them. When Millie arrives in Springfield, she finds that Ruth hasn’t changed. Ruth grows more bitter the longer Millie stays with them. But Ruth and Millie have secrets. Secrets that could destroy their relationship if they came to light. Can Ruth get over the past to help Millie in the present? Or will she allow past resentments color what she thinks of Millie? Can Millie trust Ruth enough to tell her about her secret?

I didn’t like Ruth one bit. I didn’t like how she treated Millie. I thought it was disgusting that she held on to old resentments. She was afraid that Millie was going to one-up her. I wanted to shake her and say “Get over it!!“. What she did the night of her parents funeral was awful. The author did try to change her character by having her confront Grace Peabody. It didn’t matter. I didn’t like her.

I liked Millie and I felt bad for her. I liked how the author wrote her side of the story. I understood why she left out parts of her story when she moved in with Ruth. I do think that she was unfairly judged by people. They saw how good-looking she was and thought she wasn’t that bright. Which was far from the truth. She was also stronger than most of the women in this book.

I liked Lillian. But I didn’t understand why she was getting her own chapters until later in the book. She was an amazing woman. She had been through so much in her life and she still looked on the brighter side of things. She didn’t dwell on things she couldn’t change. What she did for Millie was nothing short of amazing.

Aria was brought in later in the book. Again, I didn’t understand why she was getting her own chapters but I soon realized why about the same time I understood why Lillian did. She brought an outside perspective to Ruth and Millie’s relationship. She was the only person in the book who dared to call Ruth out on her treatment of Millie. She also was the only one who stood up to Grace and her husband when things were going down. Aria was a true friend to Millie.

I liked how the author wrote Millie’s secret into the book. I also liked what she did to get rid of it. That was also a turning point in Ruth and Millie’s relationship.

I loathed Grace Peabody. She was a nasty woman who got everything that she deserved. I do wish that her husband got the same treatment.

I did like that I got a better understanding of what a woman did to support her soldier/country during World War II. I thought it was fascinating what Millie did. I also liked the location. Having grown up in the NE part of MA, I love it when any part is represented in a book. Double kudos if it is in a positive light.

The end of the book was sweet. I liked that Millie and Ruth were moving towards a better relationship. The author did a great job at ending all the storylines. I had a question about the Aria/Fitz one. Other than that, perfect!!

What I liked about The Wartime Sisters:

  1. The storyline
  2. Mille
  3. How Millie’s secret was written in and out of the book

What I disliked about The Wartime Sisters:

  1. Ruth
  2. Grace Peabody
  3. Aria/Fitz relationship left up in the air

I gave The Wartime Sisters a 4-star rating. I liked the storyline and Mille. I also liked how Millie’s secret was written in and out of the story. It was Ruth who killed the book for me. She was miserable the entire book.

I would give The Wartime Sisters an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is some mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Wartime Sisters. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Wartime Sisters.

All opinions expressed in this review of The Wartime Sisters are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The Perfect Liar by Thomas Christopher Greene

The Perfect Liar

2 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: January 15th, 2019

Genre: mystery, thriller

Where you can find The Perfect Liar: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

A seemingly perfect marriage is threatened by the deadly secrets husband and wife keep from each other, for fans of B.A. Paris and Paula Hawkins.

Susannah, a young widow, and single mother has remarried well: to Max, a charismatic artist and popular speaker whose career took her and her fifteen-year-old son out of New York City and to a quiet Vermont university town. Strong-willed and attractive, Susannah expects that her life is perfectly in place again. Then one quiet morning she finds a note on her door: I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. 

Max dismisses the note as a prank. But days after a neighborhood couple comes to dinner, the husband mysteriously dies in a tragic accident while on a run with Max. Soon thereafter, a second note appears on their door: DID YOU GET AWAY WITH IT?

Both Susannah and Max are keeping secrets from the world and from each other —secrets that could destroy their family and everything they have built. The Perfect Liar is a thrilling novel told through the alternating perspectives of Susannah and Max with a shocking climax that no one will expect, from the bestselling author of The Headmaster’s Wife.

My review

Susannah was a young widow living in New York City. Raising her son alone after her husband passed away, Susannah is not looking for love. Then she meets Max. Max, an up and coming artist, sweeps Susannah off her feet. They move from NYC to a quiet college town in Vermont. Life is good until Susannah finds a note. A not that says “I Know Who You Are“. That note starts off a series of events that will rock Susannah and Max’s lives. Secrets, long buried, will be revealed. Relationships will be changed.  Who is sending the notes? Why is that person sending them? 

I don’t like leaving negative reviews. I usually try to find something good to say about the book I am reviewing, even if I don’t like it. But there are some books that I have read that I can’t find anything nice to say about it. The Perfect Liar is such a book. Which is sad, because I was excited to read this book. It had all the earmarks of a book that I would enjoy.

I could not connect with either of the main characters. There were no endearing traits or quirks for me to focus on. Nothing that made me feel bad for the characters. They felt flat. They were also unlikeable. I couldn’t stand both Max and Susannah. They were both self-centered people who thought that they could get away with horrible things.

The plotlines dragged in The Perfect Liar also. The book started off fast enough but it started lagging by the middle of the book. There was almost a stall in the storyline towards the end of the book. I almost DNF’d the book at that point. But, I was so close to the end. So, I soldiered on.

The end of the book was anticlimactic. There were points where I was asking myself “When is the other shoe going to drop“. I was surprised at who was writing the notes. It was the last person I thought it was going to be. Why that person sent the notes was a surprise also. I was expecting what happened at the end of the book to happen. I was surprised by who. I was also surprised by who helped after the fact.

I want to end the review saying that I do think that this book has potential. I thought that the story was interesting (when stripped down to the bare bones).  I couldn’t move past the characters.

I gave The Perfect Liar a 2-star rating. I didn’t like this book. I could not connect with the characters. I thought the plotlines dragged. I thought the end of the book was anticlimactic and understated. What saved this book from being a 1-star review is that I thought the book had potential. I thought that the story was interesting.

I would give The Perfect Liar an Adult rating. There is sex. There is violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be abuse by an authority figure, mental illness and murder. I would reccomend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would not reread The Perfect Liar. I would not reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Perfect Liar.

All opinions stated in this review of The Perfect Liar are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read The Perfect Liar?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!