Review: The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup

Title: The Chestnut Man Author: Soren Sveistrup Published: September 2019, Harper Format: ARC Paperback, 528 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  The heart-pounding debut from the creator of the hit Scandinavian television show The Killing. If you find one, he’s already found you. A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen. His calling card is a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts—which he leaves at each bloody crime scene. Examining the…

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Blog Tour & Review: Ribbons of Scarlet by Kate Quinn

Title: Ribbons of Scarlet Author: Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Sophie Perinot, Heather Webb & E. Knight Published: October 2019, William Morrow Paperbacks Format: Paperback, 560 pages Source: Publisher via TLC Booktours Summary:  Six bestselling and award-winning authors bring to life a breathtaking epic novel illuminating the hopes, desires, and destinies of princesses and peasants, harlots and wives, fanatics and philosophers—six unforgettable women whose paths cross during one of…

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Review: The Patient by Steena Holmes (audio)

Title: The Patient Author: Steena Holmes Narrator: Siiri Scott Published: October 2019, Brilliance Audio Length: 11 hours 28 minutes Source: Publisher Summary: A therapist must face her own worst fear—one of her patients is a serial killer. Danielle Rycroft suspects someone close to her has a dark secret. In the confidential setting of therapy, her patients share their anxieties and fears. Now, with a string of murders in town putting…

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Review: Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Title: Christmas Shopaholic Author: Sophie Kinsella Series: Shopaholic, #9 Published: October 2019, The Dial Press Format: ARC E-copy, 427 pages Source: Netgalley Summary:  ’Tis the season for change and Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) is embracing it, returning from the States to live in the charming village of Letherby and working with her best friend, Suze, in the gift shop of Suze’s stately home. Life is good, especially now that Becky…

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Short & Sweet Review: Princess by James Patterson

Title: Princess Author: James Patterson Series: Private, #14 Published: November 2018, Grand Central Publishing Format: Paperback, 368 pages Source: Personal copy Summary:  Jack Morgan receives an offer he cannot refuse… When the head of the world’s foremost investigation agency receives at invitation to meet Princess Caroline, third in line to the British throne, he boards his Gulfstream jet and flies straight to London. The Princess needs Morgan’s skills, and his…

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Review: Recursion by Blake Crouch

Title: Recursion Author: Blake Crouch Published: June 2019, Crown Publishing Group Format: Hardcover, 336 pages Source: Personal copy Summary:  Memory makes reality. That’s what New York City cop Barry Sutton is learning as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. That’s what neuroscientist Helena Smith believes. It’s why she’s dedicated…

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Review: One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski

Title: One Night Gone Author: Tara Laskowski Published: October 2019, Graydon House Format: Paperback, 352 pages Source: Publisher   Summary:  It was the perfect place to disappear… One sultry summer, Maureen Haddaway arrives in the wealthy town of Opal Beach to start her life anew—to achieve her destiny. There, she finds herself lured by the promise of friendship, love, starry skies, and wild parties. But Maureen’s new life just might…

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Review: What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand (audio)

Title: What Happens in Paradise Author: Elin Hilderbrand Series: Paradise, #2 Narrator: Erin Bennett Published: October 2019, Hachette Audio Length: 9 hours 47 minutes Source: Publisher via Libro.fm Summary: Secret lives and new loves emerge in the bright Caribbean sunlight, in the follow-up to national bestseller Winter in Paradise A year ago, Irene Steele had the shock of her life: her loving husband, father to their grown sons and successful…

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Book Spotlight: Dark Water by Robert Bryndza

Last week, Robert Bryndza’s 3rd book in his Erika Foster series, Dark Water, was released in the U.S. I have long been a fan of this series since the first book was published in the UK back in 2016 and I am thrilled that the series is finally being published here in the states. And I am thrilled to be able to offer two readers a copy of this book…But…

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Review: The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe

Title: The Daughters of Temperance Howe Author: Katherine Howe Series: The Physick Book, #2 Published: June 2019, Henry Holt & Company Format: ARC Paperback, 338 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  New York Times bestselling author Katherine Howe returns to the world of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane with a bewitching story of a New England history professor who must race against time to free her family from a curse Connie…

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Review: Hostage by Kristina Ohlsson

Title: Hostage Author: Kristina Ohlsson Series: Fredrika Bergman & Alex Recht, #4 Published: November 2015, Atria/Emily Bestler Books Format: Paperback, 387 pages Source: Personal copy Summary:  Investigative analyst Fredrika Bergman tackles a new case—this time involving the US government—in the next pulse-pounding book in Kristina Ohlsson’s internationally acclaimed crime series. Shortly after a crowded New York-bound Boeing 747 takes off from Stockholm, a bomb threat is found in one of…

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Review: What Rose Forgot by Nevada Barr

Title: What Rose Forgot Author: Nevada Barr Published: September 2019, Minotaur Books Format: ARC Paperback, 291 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  In New York Times bestselling author Nevada Barr’s gripping standalone, a grandmother in her sixties emerges from a mental fog to find she’s trapped in her worst nightmare Rose Dennis wakes up in a hospital gown, her brain in a fog, only to discover that she’s been committed to an…

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Short & Sweet Review: Never Never by James Patterson

Title: Never Never Author: James Patterson Series: Detective Harriet Blue, #1 Published: January 2017, Little, Brown & Company Format: Hardcover, 363 pages Source: Personal copy Summary:  When Sydney police department sex crimes detective Harriet Blue is called into her boss’s office, she never imagined it would be to tell her that her brother is the prime suspect in the brutal murders of three women. Shocked and in denial, Harry is…

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29 Seconds by T.M. Logan

Title: 29 Seconds Author: T.M. Logan Published: September 2019, St. Martin’s Press Format: ARC Paperback, 368 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  From the bestselling author of LIES comes 29 SECONDS, a sensational new thriller that explores what happens when a split second thought of revenge takes on a life of its own. “Give me one name. One person. And I will make them disappear.” Sarah is a young professor struggling to…

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Short & Sweet Review: Black & Blue by James Patterson

Title: Black & Blue Author: James Patterson Series: Detective Harriet Blue, #0.5 Published: December 2016, BookShots Format: Paperback, 144 pages Source: Personal copy Summary:  Is Harriet Blue as great a detective as Lindsay Boxer? Harriet Blue, the most single-minded detective since Lindsay Boxer, won’t rest until she stops a savage killer targeting female university students. But new clues point to a more chilling predator than she ever could have imagined.…

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Review: Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky (print/aduio)

Title: Imaginary Friend Author: Stephen Chbosky Narrator: Christine Lakin Published: October 2019, Hachette Audio / Grand Central Publishing Length: 24 hours 32 minutes / 720 pages Source: Audio via Hachette Audio via Libro.fm / Print via Grand Central Publishing Summary:  Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. The epic work of literary horror from the #1 bestselling author of THE…

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Month in Review: September 2019

It’s hard to believe we are heading into the last quarter of the year. Where has this year gone? While it has been filled with amazing reads, it sure is flying by! Hopefully these next three months will continue to be just as productive reading-wise and the good books keep coming my way! At the end of this coming month, I am heading to Bouchercon for the first time and…

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Review: The Butterfly Girl by Rene Denfeld

Title: The Butterfly Girl Author: Rene Denfeld Series: Naomi Cottle, #2 Published: October 2019, Harper Format: ARC Paperback, 272 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  The Butterfly Girl is a riveting novel that ripples with truth, exploring the depths of love and sacrifice in the face of a past that cannot be left dead and buried. Margaret Atwood raved on twitter about this “heartbreaking, finger-gnawing, yet ultimately hopeful novel.”   A year…

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Review: Little Voices by Vanessa Lillie

Title: Little Voices Author: Vanessa Lillie Published: October 2019, Thomas & Mercer Format: Paperback, 336 pages  Source: Author / Little Bird Publicity Summary:  The voice in her head says he’s guilty. She knows he’s innocent. Devon Burges is in the throes of a high-risk birth when she learns of her dear friend’s murder. The police quickly name another friend as the chief suspect, but Devon doesn’t buy it—and despite her…

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Review: The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess

Title: The Last Book Party Author: Karen Dukess Published: July 2019, Henry Holt & Co Format: ARC Paperback, 256 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  A propulsive tale of ambition and romance, set in the publishing world of 1980’s New York and the timeless beaches of Cape Cod. In the summer of 1987, 25-year-old Eve Rosen is an aspiring writer languishing in a low-level assistant job, unable to shake the shadow of…

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Review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris (print/audio)

Title: The Tattooist of Auschwitz Author: Heather Morris Series: The Tattooist of Auschwitz, #1 Narrator: Richard Armitage Published: September 2018, HarperAudio / Harper Paperbacks Length: 7 hours 25 minutes / 272 pages Source: Audio via the library / Print via personal copy Summary: This beautiful, illuminating tale of hope and courage is based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov—an unforgettable love story…

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Short & Sweet Review: Shattered Mirror by Iris Johansen

Title: Shattered Mirror Author: Iris Johansen Series: Eve Duncan, #23 Published: April 2018, St. Martin’s Press Format: Hardcover, 339 pages Source: Library Summary:  From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes Shattered Mirror, a new explosive thriller featuring forensic sculptor Eve Duncan. Iris Johansen returns with a thrilling novel of action and danger where fan favorite Eve Duncan is thrown once more into a deadly game of intrigue. It…

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Blog Tour & Review: The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig & Karen White

  Title: The Glass Ocean Author: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, & Karen White Published: September 2019, William Morrow Paperbacks (Reprint Edition) Format: Paperback, 432 pages Source: Publisher viaTLC Book Tours Summary:  The lives and loves of three remarkable women—two in the past, one in the present—and the tragic final voyage of the HMS Lusitania. From the New York Times bestselling authors of The Forgotten Room comes a captivating historical mystery,…

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Short & Sweet Review: Ambush by James Patterson

Title: Ambush Author: James Patterson Series: Michael Bennett, #11 Published: October 2018, Little, Brown & Company Format: Hardcover, 303 pages Source: Personal copy Summary:  Only Detective Michael Bennett stands in the way of two lethal cartels fighting for New York City’s multi-million-dollar opioid trade. And they know where Bennett, and his family, live. An anonymous tip about a crime in Upper Manhattan proves to be a setup. An officer is…

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Review: Cold Woods by Karen Katchur (audio)

Title: Cold Woods Author: Karen Katchur Series: Northampton County, #2 Narrator: Lauren Ezzo Published: August 2019, Brilliance Audio Length: 9 hours 1 minute Source: Publisher Summary: Buried bones of the past rise to the surface in this chilling mystery from the bestselling author of River Bodies.  When the long-buried bones of a man turn up in the middle of December, Pennsylvania homicide detective Parker Reed knows he’s in for a…

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

Earlier this year, I read The Light Over London by Julia Kelly when it was first released in hardcover, and I really enjoyed it! You can read my thoughts on the book here.  Today the book is being released in paperback and to celebrate, I am helping the publishers get the word out. I also have 1 copy of the book to giveaway – be sure to read all the…

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Review: A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell

Title: A Stranger on the Beach Author: Michele Campbell Published: July 2019, St. Martin’s Press Format: ARC E-copy, 352 pages Source: Netgalley via Publisher Summary:  There is a stranger outside Caroline’s house. Her spectacular new beach house, built for hosting expensive parties and vacationing with the family she thought she’d have. But her husband is lying to her and everything in her life is upside down, so when the stranger,…

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Book Feature: Amazon Original Stories: Forward

Amazon Original Stories, an imprint of Amazon Publishing, is pleased to present FORWARD, six stories exploring the nature of discovery. The authors imagine the future incarnations of everything from casino heists to fertility clinics to global politics, placing characters in the midst of world-altering technological changes and exploring the consequences. These stories are not available in print – only in digital or audio format. They are available on Amazon and…

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Short & Sweet Review: Manhunt by James Patterson

Title: Manhunt Author: James Patterson Series: Michael Bennet, #10.5 Published: November 2017, BookShots Format: Paperback, 144 pages Source: Personal copy Summary:  Michael Bennett, be grateful you’re alive. Someone attacked the Thanksgiving Day Parade directly in front of Michael Bennett and his family. The television news called it “holiday terror”–Michael Bennett calls it personal. The hunt is on…. ***Short & Sweet Reviews are short, quick reviews. These will mainly be used for…

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Review: The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox

Title: The Widow of Pale Harbor Author: Hester Fox Published: September 2019, Graydon House Format: ARC Paperback, 352 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  Maine, 1846. Gideon Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts after his wife’s death, so he moves to Pale Harbor, Maine, where there is a vacancy for a new minister. Gideon and his late wife had always dreamed of building their own church,…

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Review: The Stranger Inside by Lisa Unger

Title: The Stranger Inside Author: Lisa Unger Published: September 2019, Park Row Format: ARC Paperback, 384 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  Even good people are drawn to do evil things… Twelve-year-old Rain Winter narrowly escaped an abduction while walking to a friend’s house. Her two best friends, Tess and Hank, were not as lucky. Tess never came home, and Hank was held in captivity before managing to escape. Their abductor was…

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Review: The Second Chance Supper Club by Nicole Meier

Title: The Second Chance Supper Club Author: Nicole Meier Published: September 2019, Lake Union Publishing Format: Paperback, 272 pages Source: Publisher via GetRed PR Summary:  Two estranged sisters reunite in an emotional novel of family, forgiveness, lost hope, and new beginnings. They had a forever bond, until a sudden tragedy thrust them apart. Now, each at a crossroad in her own life, two sisters’ paths are about to intersect. Broadcast…

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Review: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Title: Things You Save in a Fire Author: Katherine Center Published: August 2019, St. Martin’s Press Format: ARC Paperback, 320 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel about family, hope, and learning to love against all odds. Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she’s seen…

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Cover Reveal: Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey

I am so excited to help Kristy Woodsen Harvey spread the news today about her newest book – and share the cover!!! I have adored Kristy’s previous books and I am so excited to read this one…Kristy writes from the heart and that definitely comes across in her writing!  This book will be released April 28, 2020, but if you pre-order between now (September 13th) and September 20th, Kristy is…

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Short & Sweet Review: The 17th Suspect by James Patterson

Title: The 17th Suspect Author: James Patterson Series: Women’s Murder Club, #17 Published: April 2018, Little, Brown & Company Format: Hardcover, 351 pages Source: Personal copy Summary:  In this #1 NYT bestseller, Sergeant Lindsay Boxer puts her life on the line to protect San Francisco from a shrewd and unpredictable killer.   When a series of shootings exposes San Francisco to a mysterious killer, a reluctant woman decides to put…

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Short & Sweet Review: Mind Game by Iris Johansen

Title: Mind Game Author: Iris Johansen Series: Eve Duncan, #22 Published: October 2017, St. Martin’s Press Format: Hardcover, 384 pages Source: Library Summary:  With Iris Johansen’s trademark adventure, intrigue, and explosive energy, Mind Game is a propulsive thriller that’s impossible to put down. Scotland holds a treasure that Jane MacGuire has been hunting for years. But as she scours the Highlands in search of it, she’s plagued by dreams of…

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Review: The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan

Title: The Nanny Author: Gilly Macmillan Published: September 2019, William Morrow Format: ARC Paperback, 400 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  When her beloved nanny, Hannah, left without a trace in the summer of 1988, seven-year-old Jocelyn Holt was devastated. Haunted by the loss, Jo grew up bitter and distant, and eventually left her parents and Lake Hall, their faded aristocratic home, behind. Thirty years later, Jo returns to the house and…

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Review: Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner

Title: Mrs. Everything Author: Jennifer Weiner Published: June 2019, Atria Books Format: Hardcopy, 480 pages Source: Personal copy Summary:  From Jennifer Weiner, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Who Do You Love and In Her Shoes, comes a smart, thoughtful, and timely exploration of two sisters’ lives from the 1950s to the present as they struggle to find their places—and be true to themselves—in a rapidly evolving world.…

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Review: A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson

Title: A Nearly Normal Family Author: M.T. Edvardsson Published: June 2019, Celadon Books Format: ARC Paperback, 400 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  M.T. Edvardsson’s A Nearly Normal Family is a gripping legal thriller that forces the reader to consider: How far would you go to protect the ones you love? In this twisted narrative of love and murder, a horrific crime makes a seemingly normal family question everything they thought they…

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Short & Sweet Review: The Medical Examiner by James Patterson

Title: The Medical Examiner Author: James Patterson Series: The Women’s Murder Club, #16.5 Published: August 2017, BookShots Format: Paperback, 144 pages Source: Personal copy Summary:  Two bodies arrived at the morgue. One was still breathing. A woman checks into a hotel room and entertains a man who is not her husband. A shooter blows away the lover and wounds the millionairess, leaving her for dead. Is it the perfect case…

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Review: The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott

Title: The Secrets We Kept Author: Lara Prescott Published: September 2019, Knopf Publishing Group Format: ARC Paperback, 368 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  A thrilling tale of secretaries turned spies, of love and duty, and of sacrifice—inspired by the true story of the CIA plot to infiltrate the hearts and minds of Soviet Russia, not with propaganda, but with the greatest love story of the twentieth century: Doctor Zhivago. At the…

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Review: This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

Title: This Tender Land Author: William Kent Krueger Published: September 2019, Atria Books Format: ARC Paperback, 464 pages Source: Publisher   Summary:  For fans of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdads Sing, a magnificent novel about four orphans on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression, from the New York Times bestselling author of Ordinary Grace. 1932, Minnesota—the Lincoln School is a pitiless place where hundreds of Native…

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Month in Review: August 2019

Another month that has flown by…and as sad as I am to see summer winding down, I do love the fall! I love the crisp, cool days and breaking out my scarves and sweaters and sitting outside under a blanket with a warm cuppa tea while reading! I plan on reading on my porch or deck as long as I can…I love reading outside!!! Once again I had a rather…

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Review: Stolen Things by R.H. Herron

Title: Stolen Things Author: R.H. Herron Published: August 2019, Dutton Format: ARC E-copy, 368 pages Source: Netgalley via Publisher Summary:  A sensational crime, a missing teen, and a mother and daughter with no one to trust but themselves come together in this shocking debut thriller by R. H. Herron.   “Mama? Help me.” Laurie Ahmadi has worked as a 911 police dispatcher in her quiet Northern California town for nearly…

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Review: Forgotten Bones by Vivian Barz (audio)

Title: Forgotten Bones Author: Vivian Barz Series: Dead Remaining, #1 Narrator: Julie McKay Published: August 2019, Brilliance Audio Length: 9 hours 27 minutes Source: Publisher Summary: An unlikely pair teams up to investigate a brutal murder in a haunting thriller that walks the line between reality and impossibility. When small-town police officers discover the grave of a young boy, they’re quick to pin the crime on a convicted felon who…

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Review: The Birthday Girl by Melissa de la Cruz

Title: The Birthday Girl Author: Melissa de la Cruz Published: August 2019, Dutton Format: ARC Paperback, 352 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Alex & Eliza comes a return to adult fiction, centered around a mysterious woman’s birthday celebration—and what it reveals about her past. Ellie de Florent-Stinson is celebrating her fortieth birthday with a grand celebration in her fabulous house in Palm…

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Review: The Woman in the Park by Teresa Sorkin & Tullan Holmqvist

Title: The Woman in the Park Author: Teresa Sorkin & Tullan Holmqvist Published: August 2019, Beaufort Books Format: ARC Paperback, 224 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  When Manhattanite Sarah Rock meets a mysterious and handsome stranger in the park, she is drawn to him. Sarah wants to get away from her daily routine, her cheating husband and his crazy mistress, her frequent sessions with her heartless therapist, and her moody children.…

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Review: Whisper Network by Chandler Baker

Title: Whisper Network Author: Chandler Baker Published: July 2019, Flatiron Books Format: ARC E-copy, 320 pages Source: Netgalley Summary:  Four women learn their boss (a man who’s always been surrounded by rumors about how he treats women) is next in line to be CEO—what will happen when they decide enough is enough? Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita are four women who have worked at Truviv, Inc., for years. The sudden…

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Blog Tour & Review: The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah

Title: The Lost Vintage Author: Ann Mah Published: August 2019, William Morrow Paperbacks (Reprint – Paperback Release) Format: Paperback, 400 pages Source: Publisher via TLC Book Tours Summary:  “If you enjoyed Sarah’s Key and Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, then this wonderful book by Ann Mah is for you.”   — Tatiana de Rosnay Sweetbitter meets The Nightingale in this page-turning novel about a woman who returns to her family’s ancestral vineyard in Burgundy…

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Review: The Whisper Man by Alex North

Title: The Whisper Man Author: Alex North Published: August 2019, Celadon Books Format: ARC Paperback, 368 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  In this dark, suspenseful thriller, Alex North weaves a multi-generational tale of a father and son caught in the crosshairs of an investigation to catch a serial killer preying on a small town. After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and…

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