Always With a Book

k2reader January 9, 2024

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and St. Martin’s Press/Netgalley, #partner for the advanced e-copy of The Heiress in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio Published: January 9, 2024 Summary: When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and…

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k2reader January 8, 2024

The Palace by Gareth Russell #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Atria Books #partner, for the finished copy of The Palace in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Atria Books / Simon & Schuster ALC Published: December 5, 2023 Summary: The popular and “scrupulous historian” (Daily Mail, London) Gareth Russell presents five hundred years of British history—from King Henry VIII to Queen Elizabeth II—as seen through the doorways of the…

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k2reader January 3, 2024

Us Against You by Fredrick Backman #bookreview #series

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. Publisher: Washington Square Press Published: March 5, 2019 Summary: The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and Beartown returns with an unforgettable novel. Have you ever seen a town fall? Ours did. Have you ever seen a town rise? Ours did that, too. A small community tucked deep in the forest, Beartown is home to tough, hardworking people who don’t expect life…

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k2reader December 31, 2023

Month in Review: December 2023

We made it to the end of another year! I don’t know about you, but it seems like these last few months have just flown by…but that’s ok. I’m ready for the new year to start. I had an ok reading month. I had hoped to get to a few more books, but I still enjoyed the ones I read. Looking ahead, there are some really good books coming…

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k2reader December 31, 2023

Top Debuts of 2023

Thank you to the following publishers for the gifted copies – Soho Press, St. Martin’s Press, Celadon Books, Knopf Publishing Group, Henry Holt Books, Atria Books. ⁣ ⁣ As I start putting my list of top reads together for 2023, I wanted to highlight some of the amazing debuts I read this year. These are authors that I will for sure be reading again. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ The books are…

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k2reader December 29, 2023

Lost Hours by Paige Shelton #bookreview #bookseries

Thank you Minotaur Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of Lost Hours in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Minotaur Books Published: December 5, 2023 Summary: The fifth installment in the gripping, atmospheric Alaska Wild series. A year after arriving in Benedict, Beth Rivers is feeling very at home in Alaska, even as outsiders are starting to return to enjoy the brief summer perfection. Beth feels like she’s finally…

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k2reader December 28, 2023

Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols #bookreview

Thank you Celadon Books, #partner for the advanced copy of Granite Harbor in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Celadon Books Published: April 30, 2024 Summary: A small town in coastal Maine is under threat from a serial killer in this crime novel from Peter Nichols – bestselling author of The Rocks In scenic Granite Harbor on the coast of Maine, life has continued on–quiet and serene–for decades. That…

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k2reader December 28, 2023

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby #bookreview

Thank you Flatiron Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of All the Sinners Bleed in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Flatiron Books Published: June 6, 2023 Summary: A Black sheriff. A serial killer. A small town ready to combust. Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia. In recent decades, Charon has had only two murders. After years of working as an…

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k2reader December 22, 2023

Since She’s Been Gone by Sagit Schwartz #bookreview

Thank you to ThrillerBookLovers Promotions, Crooked Lane Books, #partner, for an advanced e- copy of Since She’s Been Gone in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Crooked Lane Books Published: February 6, 2024 Summary: An emotionally charged, dual-timeline suspense set between L. A. and NYC, this debut novel is perfect for fans of The Last Thing He Told Me and Luckiest Girl Alive. A clinical psychologist is thrown into her dark past as…

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k2reader December 20, 2023

Under the Palms by Kaira Rouda #bookreview #series

Thank you to ThrillerBookLovers Promotions, Thomas & Mercer, #partner, for an advanced e- copy of Under the Palms in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Published: May 21, 2024 Summary: During a weekend retreat, a powerful family plays a dangerous game of dark secrets and cold-blooded ambition in a novel by Kaira Rouda, USA Today bestselling author of Beneath the Surface. Under the direction of the Kingsleys’…

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k2reader December 19, 2023

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim #bookreview #audiobook

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I borrowed the audiobook from the library. Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books / Macmillan Audio Published: April 16, 2019 Summary: A literary courtroom thriller about an immigrant family and a young single mother accused of killing her autistic son, Miracle Creek is a powerhouse debut about how far we’ll go to protect our families, and our deepest secrets. In rural Miracle Creek, Virginia, Young…

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k2reader December 19, 2023

Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Simon & Schuster Audio, for the ALC of Little Monsters in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the print book for my own collection. Publisher: Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster Audio Published: June 27, 2023 Summary: From the author of the bestselling memoir Wild Game comes a riveting novel about Cape Cod, complicated families, and long-buried secrets—for fans of the New York…

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k2reader December 19, 2023

Shiver by Allie Reynolds #bookreview

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Published: January 19, 2021 Summary: In this propulsive locked-room thriller debut, a reunion weekend in the French Alps turns deadly when five friends discover that someone has deliberately stranded them at their remote mountaintop resort during a snowstorm. When Milla accepts an off-season invitation to Le Rocher, a cozy ski resort in the French Alps, she’s expecting…

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k2reader December 19, 2023

It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce #bookreview #audiobook

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I borrowed the audiobook from the library. Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark / Highbridge Audio Published: February 21, 2023 Summary: It’s New Year’s Eve, and the stage is set for a lavish party in one of Edinburgh’s best postcodes. It’s a moment for old friends to set the past to rights – and move on. And yet, the celebration fails to materialize. Because…

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k2reader December 18, 2023

Devils at the Door by Tessa Wegert #bookreview #series

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of Devils at the Door in exchange for my honest opinion. Publisher: Severn House Published: December 5, 2023 Summary: A suspicious drowning throws New York State senior investigator Shana Merchant’s life into turmoil in this taut, thrilling small-town mystery – perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Ruth Ware. Sixteen-year-old Henrietta used to be happy. But that was before her family…

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k2reader December 16, 2023

Five Bad Deeds by Caz Frear #bookreview

Thank you Harper Perennial, #partner, for the finished copy of Five Bad Deeds in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Harper Perennial Published: December 5, 2023 Summary: A gripping tale of revenge, loyalty, and the secrets hidden between the walls of the most beautiful home in town. Ellen Walsh has done something very, very bad. If only she knew what it was… Teacher, mother, wife, and all-around good citizen…

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k2reader December 16, 2023

The Beautiful and the Wild by Peggy Townsend #bookreview

Thank you Berkley, #partner, for the finished copy of The Beautiful and the Wild in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Berkley Published: November 7, 2023 Summary: The dangers of Alaska aren’t limited to storms, starvation, and grizzly bears. Sometimes the most dangerous thing is the person you love. It’s summer in Alaska and the light surrounding the shipping-container-turned-storage shed where Liv Russo is being held prisoner is fuzzy…

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k2reader December 15, 2023

The Fury by Alex Michaelides #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fom / Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and Celadon Books, #partner for the advanced copy of The Fury in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Celadon Books / Macmillan Audio Published: January 16, 2024 Summary: A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder ― from the #1 New York Times bestselling author…

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k2reader December 14, 2023

One Wrong Word by Hank Phillippi Ryan #bookreview

Thank you to ThrillerBookLovers Promotions, Forge Books, #partner, for an advanced e- copy of One Wrong Word in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Forge Books Published: February 6, 2024 Summary: A heart-racing new psychological thriller from USA Today bestselling and multiple award-winning author, Hank Phillippi Ryan. One wrong word can ruin your life. And no one knows that better than savvy crisis management expert Arden Ward. Problem is, she’s now forced…

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k2reader December 14, 2023

This Is How We End Things by R.J. Jacobs #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Highbridge Audio, for the ALC of This Is How We End Things in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Highbridge Audio Published: September 12, 2023 Summary: Riley Sager meets If We Were Villains in a compelling new psychological thriller by RJ Jacobs, following a tight-knit group of graduate students studying the psychology of lying. When one of them is discovered dead after an experiment, everything the group…

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k2reader December 13, 2023

A Stolen Child by Sarah Stewart Taylor #bookreview #series

Thank you Minotaur Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of A Stolen Child in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Minotaur Books Published: June 20, 2023 Summary: Sarah Stewart Taylor is known for her atmospheric portrayal of an American detective in Ireland, and her critically acclaimed series returns with A Stolen Child. After months of training, former Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy is now officially a Garda. She’s finally settling…

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k2reader December 12, 2023

The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer #bookreview

Thank you to Thoughts from a Page, Sourcebooks Landmark, #partner, for an advanced e-copy of The Lost Van Gogh in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark Published: January 2, 2024 Summary: From the author of the much-praised The Last Mona Lisa comes another thrilling story of masterpieces, masterminds, and mystery. For years, there have been whispers that, before his death, Van Gogh completed a final self-portrait. Curators…

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k2reader December 12, 2023

Fear No Evil by James Patterson #bookreview #series

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Published: November 22, 2021 Summary: Alex Cross enters the final showdown with the relentless killer who has stalked him and his family for years. Dr. Alex Cross and Detective John Sampson venture into the rugged Montana wilderness—where they will be the prey. They’re not on the job, but on a personal mission. Until they’re attacked by two rival…

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k2reader December 11, 2023

The Wonder of It All by Barbara Taylor Bradford #bookreview #audiobook #series

Thank you Netgalley / Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and St. Martin’s Press, #partner for the finished copy of The Wonders of It All in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio Published: December 5, 2023 Summary: From New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford comes the long-anticipated final novel in the House of Falconer trilogy. James Falconer–a tycoon and a self-made man–seems to…

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k2reader December 11, 2023

Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC and @NovelSuspects & Hachette Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of Trail of the Lost in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Hachette Books / Hachette Audio Published: August 22, 2023 Summary: From an award-winning former law enforcement park ranger and investigator, this female-driven true crime adventure follows the author’s quest to find missing hikers along the Pacific Crest Trail by pairing up…

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k2reader December 10, 2023

Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC and @NovelSuspects & Mulholland Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of Before She Finds Me in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Mulholland Books / Hachette Audio Published: June 27, 2023 Summary: In this shocking thriller, two unlikely mothers race to uncover the truth behind a horrific attack—even after it becomes clear that the truth will destroy one of their families. Julia…

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k2reader December 9, 2023

#CrimeTime by Jeneva Rose and Drew Pyne #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC of #CrimeTime in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Simon and Schuster Audio Published: December 12, 2023 Summary: The first audio original from Jeneva Rose, the author of blockbuster bestseller The Perfect Marriage, #CrimeTime is a full-cast mystery written with her husband, Drew Pyne, perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and Finley Donovan Is Killing It. Going viral has never been so dangerous. Nadiya loves…

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k2reader December 9, 2023

The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn #bookreview #audiobook #backlistreview

Thank you Libro.fm / Harper Audio, for the ALC and Bibliolifestyle, William Morrow, #partner, for a finished copy of The Anatomy of Desire in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: William Morrow / Harper Audio Published: May 11, 2021 Summary: A modern tale of American striving, social media stardom, a fatal love triangle, and a young woman on trial for murder—a mesmerizing reimagining of Theodore Dreiser’s classic novel of…

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k2reader December 4, 2023

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC and Doubleday #partner, for the advanced copy of The Frozen River in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Doubleday / Random House Audio Published: December 5, 2023 Summary: From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote…

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k2reader December 4, 2023

The Last Beekeeper by Julie Carrick Dalton #bookreview

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks Published: September 19, 2023 Summary: It’s been more than a decade since the world has come undone, and Sasha Severn has returned to her childhood home with one goal in mind―find the mythic research her father, the infamous Last Beekeeper, hid before he was incarcerated. There, Sasha is confronted with a group of squatters who have claimed the…

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k2reader December 3, 2023

Month in Review: November 2023

Hello December! How is it that we are at the end of the year already, that Christmas is weeks away and the new year right behind that? At times this year dragged and then it seemed to fly by, especially these last few months! As publishing tends to slow down in December, I am focusing on this month on reading some books I didn’t get to yet, some books…

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k2reader November 30, 2023

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Recorded Books, for the ALC of The Berry Pickers in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the print book for my own collection. Publisher: Catapult / Recorded Books Published: October 31, 2023 Summary: A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a community, and remains unsolved for nearly fifty years. July…

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k2reader November 30, 2023

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter #bookreview

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks Published: September 19, 2023 Summary: A shocking thriller about a cold case, a fictional true crime series, and the family caught in the middle. SIX EPISODES. ONE KILLER. It was a case that gripped the nation. In December 2003, Luke Ryder, the stepfather of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Howard (then aged 10), was found dead in the garden…

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k2reader November 30, 2023

Kala by Colin Walsh #bookreview

I got this book through the Penguin Readers Rewards Program. Publisher: Doubleday Published: July 25, 2023 Summary: A gripping literary page-turner from a rising Irish talent in which former friends, estranged for twenty years, reckon with the terrifying events of the summer that changed their lives. In the seaside village of Kinlough, on Ireland’s west coast, three old friends meet for the first time in years. They—Helen, Joe and Mush—were…

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k2reader November 28, 2023

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose #bookreview #audiobook #series

Thank you Libro.fm / Penguin Random House Audio, for the ALC and Random House/Netgalley, #partner for the advanced e-copy of The Mystery Guest in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Ballantine Books / Penguin Random House Audio Published: November 28, 2023 Summary: When an acclaimed author dies at the Regency Grand Hotel, it’s up to a fastidious maid to uncover the truth, no matter how dirty—in a standalone novel…

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k2reader November 27, 2023

Beartown by Fredrik Backman #bookreview #series #backlistreview

Thank you Atria Books, #partner, for the finished copy of Beartown in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Washington Square Press Published: March 23, 2021 (Originally Published 2016) Summary: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anxious People, a dazzling and profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true. By the lake in Beartown is an old ice rink, and in…

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k2reader November 27, 2023

Strangers in the Night by Heather Webb #bookreview

Thank you to William Morrow, #partner, for an advanced copy of Strangers in the Night in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: William Morrow Published: March 21, 2023 Summary: It was the tumultuous romance that scandalized the world: Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner fought, loved, and lived life to the hilt. Now their unbridled story is brought vividly to life by Heather Webb, the bestselling author of Meet Me in Monaco and The…

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k2reader November 26, 2023

Lay Then to Rest by Laurah Norton #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC and @NovelSuspects & Hachette Books, #partner, for the finished copy of Lay Them to Rest in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Hachette Books / Hachette Audio Published: October 17, 2023 Summary: A fascinating deep dive into the dark world of forensic science as experts team up to solve the identity of an unknown woman named “Ina Jane Doe,” exploring the rapidly evolving…

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k2reader November 25, 2023

The Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg #bookreview #audiobook #series

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC of The Sanctuary in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Simon and Schuster Audio Published: February 7, 2023 Summary: From internationally bestselling author Katrine Engberg, the series that is a “gripping addition to the Scandinavian crime fiction pantheon” ( Oprah Daily ) comes to a stunning conclusion as Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner rush to untangle a long-simmering mystery before a brutal killer strikes…

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k2reader November 22, 2023

The Spider by Lars Kepler #bookreview #series

Thank you to Knopf Books, #partner, for a finished copy of The Spider in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group Published: July 25, 2023 Summary: A killer is spinning a sinister web and the police are caught dead center. Three years ago, Saga Bauer received a postcard with a threatening message. It mentioned a gun and nine white bullets–one of which was intended for Detective Joona Linna.…

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k2reader November 21, 2023

A True Account by Katherine Howe #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and Henry Holt and Co, #partner for the advanced copy of A True Account in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Henry Holt and Co / Macmillan Audio Published: November 21, 2023 Summary: From New York Times bestselling author Katherine Howe comes a daring first-hand account of one young woman’s unbelievable adventure as one of the most terrifying sea rovers…

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k2reader November 21, 2023

Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal by Raquel V. Reyes #bookreview #audiobook #series

Thank you @GetRedPrBooks/Crooked Lane Books #partner, for the finished copy of Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal in exchange for my honest review. I borrowed the audiobook from the library. Publisher: Crooked Lane Books / Dreamscape Media Published: November 7, 2023 Summary: In the third installment of the Caribbean Kitchen mysteries, for fans of Mia P. Manansala , Miriam Quiñones, cooking show sensation and amateur sleuth, has sand between her toes…

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k2reader November 20, 2023

If You See Me by Audra McElyea #bookreview

Thank you to ThrillerBookLovers Promotions, #partner, for an advanced e- copy of If You See Me in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Counterplay Press Published: December 5, 2023 Summary: When Leighton Marx is taken at a festival in front of her loved ones, police are quick to label it a random trafficking incident, but Leighton’s husband, Owen, and her ex-best-friend, Marnie, suspect there’s more to the story. After Marnie…

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k2reader November 19, 2023

Inheritance by Nora Roberts #bookreview #series

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, #partner, for the advanced copy of Inheritance in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Published: November 21, 2023 Summary: Inheritance is the first in The Lost Bride Trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts―a tale of tragedies, loves found and lost, and a family haunted for generations. 1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage…

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k2reader November 19, 2023

Spare by Prince Harry #bookreview #audiobook

I borrowed this audiobook from the library. Publisher: Random House Audio Published: January 10, 2023 Summary: It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would…

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k2reader November 16, 2023

The Engagement Party by Darby Kane #bookreview

Thank you to ThrillerBookLovers Promotions, William Morrow, #partner, for an advanced e- copy of The Engagement Party in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: William Morrow Published: December 5, 2023 Summary: And Then There Were None meets I Know What You Did Last Summer in #1 international bestseller Darby Kane’s latest gripping and twisty thriller set on a private island in Maine where secrets piled upon secrets and lies…

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k2reader November 15, 2023

Love Betrayal Murder by Adam Mitzner #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Blackstone Publishing, #partner for the ALC of Love Betrayal Murder in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Blackstone Publishing Published: May 16, 2023 Summary: Love: Matthew Brooks and Vanessa Lyons are a perfect match, both attorneys at a powerful New York City law firm. But there’s a small hitch: Matt just made partner, and Vanessa is coming up for partner next year. Two hitches, actually,…

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k2reader November 14, 2023

The Professor by Lauren Nossett #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and Flatiron Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of The Professor in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Flatiron Books / Macmillan Audio Published: November 14, 2022 Summary: For fans of Tana French, The Professor investigates the darkest corners of academic ambition, lies, and obsession. On a spring afternoon in Athens, Georgia, Ethan Haddock is discovered in his apartment, dead, apparently…

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k2reader November 13, 2023

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann #bookreview

Thank you Doubleday #partner, for the finished copy of Killers of the Flower Moon in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Doubleday (Paperback movie tie-in version – Vintage) Published: October 10, 2023 (Originally Published April 2017) Summary: In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles,…

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k2reader November 12, 2023

Blood Betrayal by Ausma Zehanat Khan #bookreview #audiobook #series

Thank you Netgalley / Recorded Books, for the ALC and Minotaur Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of Blood Betrayal in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Minotaur Books / Recorded Books Published: November 7, 2023 Summary: A complex and timely mystery, Blood Betrayal proves once again that Ausma Zehanat Khan is a writer at the peak of her powers. In Blackwater Falls, Colorado, veteran police officer Harry Cooper is…

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