book reviews

1. One Italian Summer – I really wanted to love this book more than I did. I enjoyed it but I kept hoping for more. Katy’s mother recently passed away and Katy is devastated. Her mother is her best friend and the person she goes to for everything. Katy and her mom were planning a trip to Italy so Katy decided to do the trip alone hoping she could connect with her mom in some way still. Katy goes to the places that her mom used to frequent when she lived in Italy many years ago. Visiting these places, Katy begins to understand more of who her mother was and also the answers to questions in her own life that she is struggling with. Rating: 8

2. The Golden Couple – This was a captivating thriller and I absolutely loved all the twists and turns that it took! Avery Chambers is a couples therapist with very unconventional methods that had her lose her license. But that doesn’t stop the wealthy from seeking her out as a last chance option to save their crumbling marriages. Marissa and Matthew are one of those couples who are hoping Avery can fix their failing marriage after Marissa cheats on Matthew. However Avery quickly gathers that there is more to the story than what Marissa and Matthew are sharing and she must uncover these secrets in order to help them. Rating: 9

3. The Club – What am I missing with this book? It has so much buzz and was included in Reese Witherspoon’s book club, but I found it painfully tedious to get through! Ned and his brother Adam run a very exclusive and successful group of clubs throughout the world for the ultra rich and famous. At these clubs, privacy is of the utmost importance and celebs can feel comfortable to be themselves. However, the fees for these clubs are outrageous and there are more secrets being kept behind the walls of these exclusive clubs. Rating: 6

4. We Are All the Same In the Dark – This was a good read, but not a great one. It kept me somewhat entertained but my mind kept wandering throughout the book during the slow parts. Odette Tucker grew up in a small town and had to endure the tragic murder of her good friend Trumanell Branson. The community was convinced her brother, Wyatt had something to do with it but Odette isn’t convinced. Now that Odette is older and a detective for that same small town, she can finally do something about this event that has been haunting her her entire life. One evening, she responds to Wyatt’s home and finds a one-eyed girl that Wyatt found dumped in a field nearby. The little girl is unable to give any information as to why she is in the field and where she comes from. But for some reason, Odette feels that this girl and Trumanell’s death could be linked. Rating: 7

5. Magic Hour – Every single book by Kristin Hannah is a must read for me. I LOVE all of her stories and this book was no exception. Kristin Hannah’s books have so much emotion and I feel so much when reading them. Julia is a very successful child psychologist in Los Angeles until a very publicized scandal nearly ruins her life. Julia’s sister is the chief of police of their  town in the Pacific Northwest and is horrified when a 6 year old girl is found in the woods alone and seemingly without any family. The little girl seems traumatized beyond recognition and is unable to communicate. Julia’s sister asks Julia to return home to help rehabilitate this girl and possibly her own professional reputation. The bond that forms between Julia and this little girl is amazing and heartbreaking too. I cried so much during this book and felt every single emotion that each character had!! Rating: 9.5

6. Things We Do in the Dark – I LOVED Little Secrets from this author and went through it in 2 days! I had high hopes for this novel but it didn’t even come close sadly. Paris Peralta is the wife of a famous comedian and currently being arrested for his murder. She says she found him dead in his bathtub from an apparent suicide, but the police believe she is responsible. Paris must try and plead her innocence while trying to keep her true identity and past a secret. She has a connection to a known killer and doesn’t want the world to use this against her to find her guilty. Rating: 7.5

1. Big Summer – I was kind of hoping this was going to be a cutesy type beach read but I found it a bit too slow and boring for my taste. Daphne and Drue were friends in middle/high school though their friendship came to an abrupt end when Drue embarrassed Daphne publicly in a horribly mean way. It’s been six years and Drue reaches out to Daphne to apologize and ask for her to be in her wedding. Daphne agrees and hopes this wedding weekend will rekindle their friendship and bring them close again. But when a tragedy occurs at the wedding, it changes things for Drue and Daphne forever. It definitely has some heartwarming moments but overall this wasn’t a hit for me. Rating: 5

2. The Nickel Boys – Sadly I could not finish this and never got into it. I was hopeful as the book won a Pulitzer Prize but it wasn’t a hit for me. Rating: 3

3. Hour of the Witch – Another book I couldn’t finish even though it had such fantastic reviews. Womp womp. Rating: 3

4. The Younger Wife – This book helped bring me out of my bad reading mojo and got me excited about reading again! Tully and Rachel are sisters that recently had to put their elderly mother in a home because she has Alzheimer’s. Their devoted father seemed to struggle with this decision too but soon after met a much younger woman and proposed to her. Rachel and Tully are not a fan of the new fiance, Heather, though they really have no reason not to like her. They decide to give her a chance but her odd behavior surrounding their father begins to make them worried. Is Heather hiding something? Is their father? A great summer mystery to read! Rating: 8.5

5. Heart Bones – I am a HUGE Colleen Hoover fan and have read so many of her books. I always love them and this one was no exception. It’s not my favorite book by her but still a really great one! Beyah’s mother is an addict and has never been present for her. However, she unexpectedly overdoses so Beyah must go live with her father who has never known about Beyah’s life or what she has been through. Her father has remarried and Beyah soon has a new stepmother and stepsister that she must get to know while also keeping the secret of her mother’s death inside. She meets a local guy named Samson and they seem to have a connection over loss, though Samson won’t tell her exactly what has happened to him. Their connection grows quickly but is ripped apart in an instant when Samson must face the consequences of his past. Rating: 8.5

6. The Girl Who Lived – I just finished this yesterday and despite quite a few negative reviews, I really enjoyed it. Faith has lived through the unimaginable and is trying to rebuild her life. Her sister was murdered right in front of her along with family friends and authorities think it was her father who killed them and then took him own life. But Faith is convinced he did not and was a victim of a senseless killer. After many stints in psychiatric hospitals, Faith is finally out on her own and wants to find the men who she knows killed her family. The book takes a ton of twists and turns and there are so many possible suspects, but the ending is a real surprise. Rating: 8.5