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No One Needs to Know
Author: Lindsay Cameron
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Bantam
Date Published: May 9, 2023I absolutely loved this book! It had all the consequences. The consequences of using social media unwisely – to spread rumors, to bully, or to share secrets. The consequences of having affairs, of competing for your child’s advancement in the cutthroat world of private school admissions, and most of all, the consequences of living a high-profile lifestyle as a one percenter.
While the idea of an anonymous site where you can bare your soul (and there are several real-life sites) has a heady draw for the moms on the UES (Upper East Side) of NYC, the backlash can be quick and vicious. So, when a picture taken at a private teen dance goes public, there is blood in the water!
Each of the families involved in the scandal that erupts has secrets and lies, and once the police get involved after one of them goes missing, it’s confession time. Not because they’ve decided to tell the truth; but because the UrbanMyth site has been hacked, releasing the so-called “anonymous” information.
This was a fast-paced read, filled with not-so-nice people, gray areas and ethical choices that will keep you mesmerized. This is my second 5 star read from Lindsay Cameron and I can’t wait for her next book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Bantam for an advance reader’s copy.
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The Bride to Be
Author: Daniel Hurst
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Date Published: May 7, 2023Soon to be married Kate sees a couple in the bridal shop and is immediately taken with the beautiful Tess, so much so that she is now obsessing over the dress Tess picked out…and her fiancé Tristan!
The more Kate fantasizes about being with Tristan, the more she realizes her fiancé, Mark, is not the one for her. There’s a twist you might see coming, but a couple more you won’t. Should we root for Kate to end up with Tristan? That’s the $6,000 question (you’ll get the pun when you read the book 😉
The story ended a little too quickly, I was hoping for a little more to tie it together. I also was thinking of the author’s recent nuptials and hoping the story wasn’t inspired by his own wedding preparations, lol!
Thanks to NetGalley, Inkubator and Booksprout for another great book from Daniel Hurst!
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For You and Only You
Author: Carolyn Kepnes
Publisher: Random House
Date Published: April 25, 2023So many dead bodies. RIP…RIP…RIP. And yet somehow, we knew that was coming because Joe is the serial killer we love to love!
But can we talk about Caroline Kepnes and her incredible word play? Songs, books, movies, cultural references, oh my! Throwbacks to the previous books and the TV series (“Everyone’s pissed in a copy of coffee at some point”). And some tongue in cheek jabs at the book business, publishing and Harvard, and yes that right jab at Goodreads girls got me where it hurts! But like Joe, I’m going to relentlessly pursue my loves (books) and pushing out reviews on Goodreads and socials.
This book veered a little off course from the first three in the series…. this time, the girl, Wonder, loves him. No, she doesn’t. But now she does. And he loves her. But now he doesn’t. So luckily, we still have the same Joe-lusional thinking – he’s right, and there’s something wrong with everyone else. The books beg the question, can you truly be happy for someone whose star is rising while yours might be on the downslide? But also, he’s got a nemesis, SB, and she “sees” him. Because maybe she’s just a little more warped than he is…
How can I ever thank YOU – NetGalley, Random House and Caroline Kepnes for bringing this bit of smart writing into my life!
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Where Are the Children Now?
Author: Mary Higgins Clark, Alafair Burke
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: April 18, 2023Can history repeat itself? How many coincidences are too many? That is the question the police are trying to figure out. Melissa is the daughter of Nancy Harmon who was featured in Mary Higgins Clark’s original “Where Are the Children”. In this standalone sequel co-authored by Alafair Burke, Melissa gains a stepdaughter through marriage…only to awake to find her missing. Just like her mother before her, Melissa is suspected of having a role in the kidnapping.
While her posts on social media are drawing out a troll, Melissa’s publicist thinks it’s good for business. But Melissa has her suspicions about who the lurker is. As a true crime podcaster, Melissa uses her research skills and the memory of her own kidnapping as she comes to the conclusion that not everyone around her is telling the truth.
The characters are so well developed you’ll feel like you know the whole family – Nancy, Mike (Melissa’s brother who was kidnapped along with her), Kate, Charlie and even Patrick, Melissa’s ex. The pacing is just tense enough to keep you reading and guessing along with Melissa. And the ending is just short of heartbreaking.
Kudos to Alafair for keeping MHC alive in our minds and hearts.
Background photo courtesy of quentinlagache on Unsplash.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this fascinating read.
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A Sorrow Called Sarah
Author: Charlotte Roddy
Publisher: BooksGoSocial
Date Published: April 18, 2023The unnamed narrator is the sister of Sarah, the popular, outgoing sister who the MC looked up to as a child. As an adult, the narrator/true crime reporter interviews Bradley Stanfield, a serial killer and the presumed murderer of her sister. In true Silence of the Lambs fashion, he toys with her, offering up information if she will visit him on consecutive days.
But there’s a twist (you knew that was coming !) With the serial killer in jail, bodies of women who look just like Sarah are surfacing in Golden State Park. Did the police get it wrong? Is Sarah’s killer still out there? And why is Stanfield intimating she should dig deeper, while her family says leave it alone? The final reveal will answer all of your questions.
Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this interesting debut novel from Charlotte Roddy.
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I Know Who You Are
Author: Mark Gillespie
Publisher: Inkubator
Date Published: April 23, 2023Rowan did a bad thing! She bullied someone on social media and the fallout was so bad, she and her family moved miles away. She quit college and changed her name and appearance. She thought she was safe. But she’s constantly looking over her shoulder.
And she would be right. Someone is following her. Making a plan. Waiting for the right moment.
While the book slowed in the middle it picks up again with tense nonstop action.
Background photo courtesy of Nick on Unsplash.
Thank you to NetGalley, Booksprout and Inkubator Books for an advance reader’s copy.
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The Only Survivors
Author: Megan Miranda
Publisher: Scribner
Date Published: April 11, 2023A group of survivors of a horrific van crash meet up every year on the anniversary of the event. This will be the tenth year, and what they did out there in the dark and rain all those years ago is finally catching up to them.
Told in alternating chapters between then and now, the story has a visceral feeling brought on by Megan Miranda’s atmospheric setting of a lumbering shore house, The Shallows, set back from the dunes and the ocean in its seemingly private location. But there are things out of place – a sighting on the beach, a found object, things that show up in the house….
The book climbs like the switchbacks that led to the accident, and we learn more about each person’s role in the accident’s aftermath, until it all comes to a crescendo.
Background photo courtesy of Jake Johnson on Unsplash.
Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this well told tale by Megan Miranda.
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The Lost Wife
Author: Georgina Lees
Publisher: HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter
Date Published: April 7, 2023Think about your worst-case scenario – you’re on the run with a small child, injured and almost out of gas, heading for a remote cabin in the woods, and you need to move from there quickly to stay ahead of the “bad guys”. But then there’s a snowstorm…
Yes, this book is just as tense as it sounds! It’s a quick read with the tension sustained throughout. As many reviewers have noted, the letter tying everything together at the end was unnecessary and even left some things unresolved. However, I would still recommend the book for it’s ability to set the tone and keep the reading feeling on the edge of terror!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the advance reader’s copy and blogger readalong.
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The Assistant
Author: Amanda Reynolds
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Date Published: April 5, 2023The Assistant is told through a series of interviews with the eccentric assistant of the title, Gail Frost, who has managed to wrangle her way into a position with social media influencer Larissa (Ris). As the story unfolds, the journalist is excited to pitch it as a great true crime episode for TV.
Although she’s only in her 50s, Gail reads to me like a fusty older woman, one who has lived a life of disappointment and regrets. With her downtrodden clothes, her moldy apartment, and her subservient manner, I was torn between feeling empathy for her, and outrage for her actions. Similarly, Ris is flawed, trying to overcome a failing marriage and inability to get pregnant through likes and comments on Instagram.
The book bogs down in the middle and is very slowwww, and we’re told that it’s Gail’s desire to tell the story at her own pace. I do wish she would have sped it up a bit, and the twists at the end almost make up for the bogged down middle.
It’s worth noting that the author’s first book, Close to You, is now a major TV series.
Background photo courtesy of Megan Bucknall on Unsplash.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader’s copy.
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The Soulmate
Author: Sally Hepworth
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Date Published: April 4, 2023This is Hepworth’s best novel to date!
Imagine living in a home with a spectacular cliffside view, only to find out it’s a popular spot for people who see no other option but to jump. But since Pippa and Gabe have moved in, so many lost souls have been saved by Gabe’s empathy and charm.
Except one. Pippa can’t believe what she thinks she’s seen. Is Gabe the hero people believe he is or has his fluctuating mental health brought him to his limit?
The character development builds authentically, and the suspense will keep you guessing about the price of loyalty and love.
Background photo courtesy of Taneli Lahtinen on Unsplash.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader’s copy.
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