Always With a Book

k2reader February 17, 2025

The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop #bookreview #audiobook #backlistreview

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, #partner for the advanced copy of The Girls of Summer in exchange for my honest review. I borrowed the audiobook from the library. Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio Published: June 6, 2023 Summary: “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…

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k2reader February 17, 2025

Bonded in Death by J.D. Robb #bookreview #series

Thank you St. Martin’s Press #partner, for the finished copy of Bonded in Death in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Published: February 4, 2025 Summary: The #1 New York Times bestselling author spins an epic tale of loyalty, treachery, murder, and the long shadow of war… His passport read Giovanni Rossi. But decades ago, during the Urban Wars, he was part of a small, secret organization called…

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k2reader February 13, 2025

Blood Ties by Jo Nesbo #bookreview #audiobook #translatedbook #series

Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for the ALC and Knopf, #partner, for the finished copy of Blood Ties in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Knopf Published: February 11, 2025 Summary: FAMILY COMES FIRST. NO MATTER THE COST. Brothers Carl and Roy Opgard have succeeded in life. Or at least they’ve had as much success as is possible in a small town like Os, where they’ve killed their…

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k2reader February 11, 2025

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC of A Killing Cold in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Macmillan Audio Published: February 4, 2025 Summary: A woman invited to her wealthy fiance’s family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret—and that she’s been there before, by the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods. A whirlwind romance. When Theodora Scott met Connor—wealthy, charming, and a member of the powerful…

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k2reader February 11, 2025

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena #bookreview #audiobook

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I borrowed the audiobook from the library. Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books / Penguin Audio Published: July 27, 2021 Summary: In this family, everyone is keeping secrets–especially the dead. Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live. You have to be rich to have a house there. And they don’t come much richer than Fred and Sheila…

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k2reader February 10, 2025

The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez #bookreview #audiobook

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I borrowed the audiobook from the library. Publisher: Ecco / Harper Audio Published: March 5, 2024 Summary: An epic novel of the construction of the Panama Canal, casting light on the unsung people who lived, loved, and labored there. It is said that the canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built.…

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k2reader February 9, 2025

The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant #bookreview

Thank you Minotaur Books, #partner for the advanced copy of The Nature of Disappearing in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Minotaur Books Published: June 18, 2024 Summary: In this captivating novel of suspense, a wilderness guide must team up with the man who ruined her life years ago when the friend who introduced them goes missing. Emlyn doesn’t let herself think about the past. How she and her…

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k2reader February 8, 2025

After Life by Gayle Forman #bookreview #WRC2025

Thank you BookSparks #partner, for the finished copy of After Life in exchange for my honest review. I am thrilled to be a @booksparks ambassador for the Winter Reading Challenge! The theme this season is ‘The Art of Reading’ & the lineup of books is looking pretty good, if I do say so myself! Publisher: Quill Tree Books Published: January 7, 2025 Summary: “After Life is a masterful…

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k2reader February 8, 2025

Audio Book Roundup #Bookreviews #Audiobooks #Thrillers

Thank you PRH Audio, partner for the ALC of Trust Issues & Dead Money, in exchange for my honest reviews. I have been leaning heavily into audiobooks lately, especially for thrillers. There is something so exciting about listening to a story that’s fast-paced, thrilling & one that keeps you guessing…& both of these do just that.⁣ TRUST ISSUES by Elizabeth McCullough Keenan & Greg Wands Published: January…

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k2reader February 4, 2025

Into the Fall by Tamara L. Miller #bookreview

Thank you to the author/Netgalley for the advanced copy of Into the Fall in exchange for my honest opinion. Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Published: February 1, 2025 Summary: From debut author Tamara L. Miller comes a suspenseful psychological thriller tracking the mysteries of a seemingly mundane life as they come to light in the vast, unforgiving Canadian wilderness. For better or for worse, Sarah Anderson has it a thriving career,…

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k2reader February 4, 2025

River of Lies by James L’Etoile #bookreview #series

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of River of Lies in exchange for my honest opinion. Publisher: Oceanview Publishing Published: January 7, 2025 Summary: Detective Emily Hunter must be the voice for the voiceless The homeless camps spread throughout the city of Sacramento are a topic of heated debate among residents. They’ re considered undesirable— a nuisance— an eyesore. But when the camps fall victim to a…

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k2reader February 3, 2025

Carolina Moonset by Matt Goldman #bookreview #backlistreview

Thank you Forge Books #partner, for the finished copy of Carolina Moonset in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Forge Books Published: May 31, 2022 Summary: Both suspenseful and deeply moving, Carolina Moonset is an engrossing novel about family, memories both golden and terrible, and secrets too dangerous to stay hidden forever, from New York Times bestselling and Emmy Award-winning author, Matt Goldman. Joey Green has returned to Beaufort, South Carolina, with its…

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k2reader February 2, 2025

Month in Review: January 2025 #readingupdate #favoritereads

And finally, January is over! Was it not the longest month ever? At least it was a productive one…and I hope moving forward, every month is as productive! I have made a few goals for myself concerning the blog and my reading and so far, so good! Here they are: Keep up with reviews! Keep up-to-date with Goodreads tracking Balance new ARC reading with my own books and some…

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k2reader January 30, 2025

Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for the ALC and Berkley Books, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of Mask of the Deer Woman in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Berkley Books / PRH Audio Published: January 21, 2025 Summary: To find a missing young woman, the new tribal marshal must also find herself. At rock bottom following her daughter’s murder, ex-Chicago detective Carrie Starr has nowhere to go…

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k2reader January 29, 2025

Penitence by Kristin Koval #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Celadon Books #partner for the advanced copy of Penitence in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Celadon Books / Macmillan Audio Published: January 28, 2025 Summary: For readers of Ann Patchett and Celeste Ng, Penitence is a poignant exploration of love and forgiveness. It’s a suspenseful, addictive page-turner filled with literary insight that compels readers to consider whether each of us is…

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k2reader January 28, 2025

Head Cases by John McMahon #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm/ Macmillan Audio, partner for the ALC of Head Cases in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Macmillan Audio Published: January 28, 2025 Summary: Head Cases follows an enigmatic group of FBI agents as they hunt down a murderer seeking his own justice in this electrifying—and commercial—series debut. FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He also has a blind spot on…

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k2reader January 27, 2025

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie #bookreview #series #readingchallenge

I purchased this book for my own collection. Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks Published: August 27, 2024 (first published 1940) Summary: In Agatha Christie’s classic, Five Little Pigs, beloved detective Hercule Poirot races to solve a case from out of the past. Beautiful Caroline Crale was convicted of poisoning her husband, but just like the nursery rhyme, there were five other “little pigs” who could have done it: Philip Blake (the stockbroker), who…

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k2reader January 27, 2025

Cross Down by James Patterson, Brendan DuBois #bookreview #series

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Published: June 5, 2023 Summary: Alex Cross is gravely injured. Only his partner and friend John Sampson can keep him safe . . . and get justice. For the first time, John Sampson is on his own. The brilliant crime-solving duo of Washington, DC’s, Metro PD and the FBI has a proven Detective Alex Cross makes his…

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k2reader January 25, 2025

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and Minotaur Books, #partner for the advanced copy of The Lost House in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Minotaur Books / Macmillan Audio Published: January 14, 2025 Summary: In Melissa Larsen’s The Lost House comes the mesmerizing story of a young woman with a haunting past who returns to her ancestral home in Iceland to investigate a gruesome murder in her family. Forty years…

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k2reader January 25, 2025

The Kennedy Girl by Julia Bryan Thomas #bookreview

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark #partner, for the advanced e-copy of The Kennedy Girl in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark Published: January 14, 2025 Summary: From esteemed author Julia Bryan Thomas comes a novel for readers who loved the fashion and glamour of The Second Life of Mirielle West and the clandestine intrigue of The Secrets We Kept, showcasing a journey to France through the eyes of…

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k2reader January 24, 2025

Desperate Deadly Widows by Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo, Cate Hollahan and Vanessa Lillie #bookreview #audiobook #series

I purchased this audiobook for my own personal collection. Publisher: Audible Originals Published: March 19, 2024 Summary: The widows are back! Big hair and bigger lies collide in the highly anticipated follow-up to Audible’s best-selling Young Rich Widows, where nothing’s more dangerous than a widow with nothing left to lose. Set in neon-drenched Providence, Rhode Island, circa 1987, just two years after a plane carrying four mafia-affiliated law-firm partners exploded…

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k2reader January 24, 2025

Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and Minotaur Books, #partner for the advanced copy of Something in the Walls in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Minotaur Books / Macmillan Audio Published: February 25, 2025 Summary: Newly minted child psychologist Mina has little experience. In a field where the first people called are experts, she’s been unable to get her feet wet. Instead she aimlessly spends her days…

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k2reader January 24, 2025

Backlist Review & Sneak Peak at Upcoming Read: Stolen & Punished by Ann-Helen Laestadius #bookreview #upcomingread #translatedbooks #series

Thank you Scribner Books #partner, for the finished copy of Stolen and the advanced copy of Punished in exchange for my honest reviews. One of my reading goals this year is to fit in some backlist books throughout the year & with the upcoming release of Punished by Ann Helen Laestadius, I figured it was the perfect time to finally read Stolen. STOLEN by Ann Helen Laestadius Published:…

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k2reader January 23, 2025

The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for the ALC and G. P. Putnam’s Sons, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of The Last Room on the Left in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons / PRH Audio Published: January 14, 2025 Summary: The caretaker at an isolated mountain hotel finds herself fighting for her life—and sanity—in this twisty, addictive thriller. Kerry’s life is in shambles: Her…

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k2reader January 23, 2025

The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Dart Frogg Communcations / Scribner Books #partner, for the finished copy of The Perfect Home in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Scribner Books / Simon & Schuster ALC Published: January 7, 2025 Summary: Fixer Upper meets Gone Girl in this suspenseful and witty domestic thriller set in the world of home renovation TV—featuring a woman who becomes public enemy #1 after a…

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k2reader January 21, 2025

Dark Pines by Will Dean #bookreview #audiobook #translatedbook #series

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I purchased the audiobook via my Audible subscription. Publisher: One World Publications / Audible Audio Published: Print – July 5, 2018 (Originally Published January 4, 2018) / Audio – February 18, 2018 Summary: An isolated Swedish town. A deaf reporter terrified of nature. A dense spruce forest overdue for harvest. A pair of eyeless hunters found murdered in the woods.…

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k2reader January 20, 2025

When She’s Gone by Rea Frey #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Brilliance Audio for the ALC and Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley, #partner, for the advanced copy of When She’s Gone in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Thomas & Mercer / Brilliance Audio Published: January 14, 2025 Summary: In this haunting story that spans three decades, a young gymnast escapes a kidnapping. Years later, she’s forced to face the past when her own daughter disappears. Cora Valentine has…

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k2reader January 20, 2025

The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Harper Audio for the ALC and HTP / Netgalley, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of The Paris Widow in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Park Row Books / Harper Audio Published: June 11, 2024 Summary: A dream vacation turns deadly when secrets from the past catch up to a married couple in Paris in this new edge-of-your-seat thriller from USA Today bestselling author, Kimberly Belle. When…

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k2reader January 15, 2025

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell #bookreview #upcomingthriller

Thank you Atria Books #partner, for the advanced copy of Don’t Let Him In in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Atria Books Published: June 24, 2025 Summary: From #1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Jewell—three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller. Restauranteur Paddy Swann was the life of the party until the day a man pushed him in the path of an oncoming train, leaving his…

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k2reader January 13, 2025

The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang #bookreview

Thank you HTP Books #partner, for the advanced copy of The Lotus Shoes in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Park Row Books Published: January 7, 2025 Summary: An empowering, uplifting tale of two women from opposite sides of society, and their extraordinary journey of sisterhood, betrayal, love and triumph. 1800s China. Tightly bound feet, or “golden lilies,” are the mark of an honorable woman, eclipsing beauty, a rich…

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k2reader January 12, 2025

Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Simon & Schuster #partner, for the advanced e-copy of Sweet Fury in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Simon & Schuster / Simon & Schuster ALC Published: January 7, 2025 Summary: When a beloved actress is cast in a feminist adaptation of a Fitzgerald classic, she finds herself the victim in a deadly game of revenge in which everyone,…

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k2reader January 10, 2025

Ghost Island by Max Seeck #bookreview #series #translatedbook

Thank you Berkley Books, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of Ghost Island in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Berkley Books Pub date: February 27, 2024 Summary: On a secluded island, homicide detective Jessica Niemi must investigate a drowning that is tied to a frightening ghostly legend in this riveting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE WITCH HUNTER. Jessica Niemi is put on leave after…

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k2reader January 3, 2025

Audio Book Roundup #bookreviews #audiobooks #thrillers

Thank you Macmillan Audio, partner for the ALC of The Business Trip and PRH Audio, partner for the ALC of The Note, in exchange for my honest reviews. There is nothing I love more than a fun, twisty popcorn thriller to listen to while out walking the dogs or getting some things done around the house and these two were perfect for just that! THE BUSINESS TRIP…

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k2reader December 31, 2024

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Penguin Random House Audio for the ALC and Random House, #partner, for the advanced copy of By Any Other Name in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Random House / PRH Audio Published: September 10, 2024 Summary: From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey comes an “inspiring” (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to…

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k2reader December 31, 2024

The Favorites by Layne Fargo #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC of The Favorites in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Random House Audio Published: January 14, 2025 Summary: To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession. An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating about a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice She might not have…

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k2reader December 31, 2024

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Celadon Books #partner for the advanced copy of What Happened to the McCrays? in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Celadon Books / Macmillan Audio Published: January 14, 2025 Summary: From New York Times bestselling author Tracey Lange, a poignant story about the resilience of family, the importance of community, and the magic of middle school hockey When Kyle McCray gets word his…

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k2reader December 30, 2024

Conclave by Robert Harris #bookreview #audiobook #moviethoughts

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I listened to this audiobook via my Spotify membership. Publisher: Vintage Books / Random House Audio Published: August 6, 2024 (Originally Published September 22, 2016) Summary: The Pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the world’s most secretive election. They are…

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k2reader December 29, 2024

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman #bookreview

I purchased this book for my own collection. Publisher: Atria Books Published: May 15, 2015 Summary: All you need is Ove. At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet, a curmudgeon with staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People think him bitter, and he thinks himself surrounded by idiots. Ove’s well-ordered, solitary world gets a shake-up one November morning…

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k2reader December 29, 2024

Mini Reviews – #NordicNoir Edition #bookreviews #audiobook #translatedbooks

Thank you to the author for the print copy of The Prey in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the audiobook of The Night Guest for my collection. Both these books were readalong picks for the #NordicNoir bookclub I’m part of and I am so glad we chose them! One was by a beloved author–Yrsa Sigurdardottir– and one was by a new-to-me to–Hildur Knutsdottir. ⁣ THE PREY…

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k2reader December 23, 2024

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Atria Books #partner, for the advanced copy of I Need You to Read This in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Atria Books / Simon & Schuster ALC Published: August 13, 2024 Summary: The author of the “clever, atmospheric, and creepy” (Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author) The Golden Spoon returns with a sly and addictive new mystery about an advice columnist searching…

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k2reader December 23, 2024

Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed #bookreview

Thank you HTP Books #partner, for the advanced copy of Why We Read in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Hanover Square Press Published: February 6, 2024 Summary: A hilarious and incisive exploration of the joys of reading from a teacher, bibliophile and Thurber Prize finalist We read to escape, to learn, to find love, to feel seen. We read to encounter new worlds, to discover new recipes, to…

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k2reader December 22, 2024

Every Fall by Angela Douglas #bookreview

Thank you to ThrillerBookLovers The Pulse, Rising Action, #partner, for an advanced e- copy of Every Fall in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Rising Action Published: January 28, 2025 Summary: A chilling thriller, perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter and Lisa Gardner, exploring the dark side of police culture and family trauma. Bree knew that life married to a beat cop would be tough, especially in the crime-infested…

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k2reader December 16, 2024

Brightly Shining by Ingvild Rishoi #bookreview #translatedread

Thank you Grove Atlantic #partner, for the finished copy of Brightly Shining in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Grove Press Published: November 19, 2024 Summary: Brightly Shining is a ‘heartbreaking, funny and philosophical tale about the reality of addiction, the power of dreams and the kindness of strangers’. Christmas is around the corner, and Ronja’s father is out of work again, but it seems that their luck has…

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k2reader December 16, 2024

The Mirror by Nora Roberts #bookreview #series

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, #partner, for the advanced copy of The Mirror in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Published: November 19, 2024 Summary: #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts continues the hauntingly spectacular Lost Bride Trilogy with book two, The Mirror. When Sonya MacTavish inherits the huge Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine, she has no idea that the house is haunted. The footsteps she hears at…

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k2reader December 15, 2024

Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala #bookreview #audiobook #bookseries

Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC of Guilt and Ginataan in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Penguin Audio Published: November 12, 2024 Summary: Autumn is in full swing for the town of Shady Palms—the perfect time for warm drinks, cozy cardigans, and…dead bodies? The annual Shady Palms Corn Festival is one of the town’s biggest moneymakers, drawing crowds from all over the Midwest looking to partake in…

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k2reader December 10, 2024

Sister Stardust by Jane Green #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you HTP Books/Netgalley, #partner, for the advanced copy of Sister Stardust in exchange for my honest review. I borrowed the audiobook from the library. Publisher: Hanover Square Press / Harlequin Audio Published: April 5, 2022 Summary: In her first novel inspired by a true story, Jane Green re-imagines the life of troubled icon Talitha Getty in this transporting story from a forgotten chapter of the Swinging ’60s …

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k2reader December 10, 2024

Broken Threads by Sagit Schwartz #bookreview

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of Broken Threads in exchange for my honest opinion. Publisher: Jagged Edge Press Published: December 10, 2024 Summary: When Clare loses her job as a technical writer at a pharmaceutical company due to AI, she has one month’s rent saved and a historical fiction novel she’s been unable to get published. Desperate, she turns to Amber, a young influencer in her…

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k2reader December 9, 2024

The Author’s Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig & Karen White #bookreview

Thank you Uplit Reads / William Morrow Books #partner, for the finished copy of The Author’s Guide to Murder in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: William Morrow Books Published: November 5, 2024 Summary: Agatha Christie meets Murder, She Wrote meets #MeToo in this witty locked room mystery and literary satire by New York Times bestselling team of Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. There’s been a sensational murder at historic Castle…

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k2reader December 8, 2024

The Coldest Case by Tessa Wegert #bookreview #bookseries

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of The Coldest Case in exchange for my honest opinion. Publisher: Severn House Published: November 5, 2024 Summary: News of a missing Instagram celebrity brings Senior Investigator Shana Merchant to a frozen island community of just eight people. When the visit turns deadly, her hunt for a killer collides with a cold case she’ll never forget . . . It’s February in…

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k2reader December 8, 2024

The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Park Row/Netgalley, #partner, for the advanced copy of The New Couple in 5B in exchange for my honest review. I borrowed the audiobook from the library. Publisher: Park Row / Harlequin Audio Published: March 5, 2024 Summary: A couple inherits an apartment with a spine-tingling past in this binge-worthy thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. Rosie and Chad Lowan are barely making ends…

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