book reviews

All the Books I Read in April 2024

1. The Last Word

Meh. That’s all I can say about this book – it was just meh. I had read another book by this author and wasn’t totally into it either. Emma is living alone in a remote cabin on the Washington coast. She is trying to find solace after some recent trauma in her life. And hopes this time by herself and her golden retriever will help. She decides to read to pass the time and finishes a horror novel that was recommended to her by a local neighbor. Emma does not enjoy the book and decides to leave a one star review of the book detailing her thoughts. The author ends up seeing her comment and responding rather threateningly.

Emma doesn’t think much of it until strange events begin happening to her. And she wonders if this author tracked her down and is trying to scare her? Yes, I know the description of the book sounds quite cheesy. And sadly, the actual book isn’t much better than my recap. Rating: 5

2. Same Time Next Summer

Predictable but an easy and light hearted read. Sam’s life is right as she has envisioned it – she is engaged to a successful guy, she is at a job excels at and is planning her dream wedding. When Sam and her fiance visit Sam’s parents on Long Island to scout wedding venues, it seems like a nice break from their hectic life in NYC. But Sam’s teenage crush who lived next door is back in town and there are unresolved feelings that seem to still be lingering. Complicated events and life got in the way when they were younger and forced them into separate paths in life but is this chance encounter a sign? Sam isn’t sure and doesn’t know what to do. This wasn’t a page turner for me but kept my attention enough to finish it. Rating: 7.5

3. The Latecomer

This book is long and can be tedious at times but was an enjoyable read. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did I really enjoyed the complicated family dynamics of the story. The Oppenheimer triplets are part of a family art dynasty and grew up with all the opportunities in the world. Their parents struggled conceiving and after trying a relatively new procedure at the time called IVF, they were blessed with three babies. Their mother, Johanna, desperately wanted a close-knit family and did everything she could to foster that amongst her children but sadly that bond never formed. The triplets were never close and chose to follow very different paths in life that would purposefully keep them away from each other.

As a last attempt at having a close bond with a child, Johanna used their remaining embryo and had a fourth child nearly 18 years later. And as the last Oppenheimer came into her own, she became the glue that began to bring the family back together. My only complaint about the book is the ending left me feeling incomplete and without any closure. For such a rich and complicated book, the ending felt abrupt and confusing. But nonetheless, it was still a wonderful read. Rating: 8.5

4. The New Couple in 5B

An easy thriller to get through but nothing remarkable if I’m being honest. It kept my attention but wasn’t a favorite. Rosie and Chad are newly married, following their dreams in NYC and trying to survive as they do. When Chad’s uncle dies and leaves them his apartment in one of the most prestigious buildings in New York, they see this as their sign that good things are coming. But the rumors surrounding the iconic Windermere building claiming it’s haunted and that it’s cursed have Rosie a tad hesitant about keeping the apartment. Weird things begin happening almost immediately. And Rosie feels like she is being watched constantly. After two tragic deaths occur shortly after they move in, Rosie isn’t sure what to do next. Should they sell and escape the curse of the building? Or stay and figure out what is really going on? Rating: 7.5

5. Pretty As a Picture

Sorry but this month is full of books that were good but not great. But I guess that’s not always a bad thing – this was another enjoyable read but didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat.

Marissa is a young talented film editor that has been chosen to work on a major motion picture with an iconic yet demanding director. The film is about a murder that occurred on the exact island they are filming and the suspected killer is still a resident. Soon after Marissa arrives though, strange things begin happening on set and the crew is beginning to feel like something about this movie is not right. The lead actor becomes convinced that the actual killer is someone completely different than what is being portrayed in the film and wants Marissa’s help to find out the truth. Definitely some twists and turns and I always enjoy being surprised when reading a mystery. Rating: 7.5

6. Listen For the Lie

I really didn’t know where this book was going and really kept me guessing throughout the entire thing! Lucy has been running from her past the last few years. She grew up in a small Texas town and married her dream guy a few years after high school. Lucy and her best friend, Savvy were destined for great things. Until one night when it all changes. Lucy and Savvy attend a friend’s wedding and at the end of the evening, Savvy is dead and Lucy is found wandering aimlessly covered in Savvy’s blood. Did she kill Savvy? That is what everyone believed but no one could ever prove it.

Lucy knows she didn’t kill Savvy but has never been able to remember the events of that evening. Lucy returns home for her grandmother’s birthday and is approached by a very popular true crime podcast doing a story about her and Savvy. Is this Lucy’s turn to clear her name? Could she possibly remember what happened that awful night? Rating: 8.5

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Everything I Read in March 2024

1. What Lies Between Us

I am not quite sure if I liked this book or not if I’m being honest. It kept my attention and I really wanted to know how it ended but I was so frustrated throughout the entire story. Nina lives with her mother Maggie and seemingly have a normal mother/daughter relationship, until you realize that Maggie is chained to her bed and is Nina’s prisoner. Their story begins decades prior during Nina’s teenage years where Maggie has to make some horrific decisions to protect her daughter. Maggie never shares the real reason for her decisions which ultimately makes Nina hate her mother and blame her for the state of her life. Once you learn all the details of their life, my heart absolutely breaks for Maggie and I was so frustrated for her throughout the entire story. Rating: 7

2. First Lie Wins

The reviews I came across for this book were all over the place and I wasn’t sure I wanted to put it on my TBR (to be read) list but I did. I finally got around to it and really enjoyed it. It wasn’t an instant favorite but it did keep my attention.

Evie Porter is happy and in love with her boyfriend Ryan, and they have just decided to move in together. But what Ryan doesn’t know is Evie is not who she said she is. She is working for someone named Mr. Smith. And is tasked with getting close to Ryan in order to divulge as much information about him back to Mr. Smith. But something goes wrong and Evie comes face to face with her past and immediately feels her life could be in danger. I thought I had the entire plot figured out but there was a major twist that threw me off which I always love. Rating: 8

3. Ask For Andrea

I’ve read something from this author before and to be honest didn’t love it so I was a tad hesitant to jump into another book. But I’m a sucker for a good thriller so I gave it a go. It was mediocre at best which was a big disappointment. I also tend to love realistic stories and nothing supernatural which this had so that also made it not as enjoyable.

Three women go missing and are all murdered by the same sadistic man but all come back as ghosts to try and do whatever they can to get him caught. The man was such a horrible person and made me so angry that it often distracted me from the book because I hated him so much. Also, the story bounces around from different years and I found it hard to follow along. Overall, it wasn’t a hit for me. Rating: 6

4. Confess

I love Colleen Hoover books though they can be a bit repetitive. This book is no exception and follows her formulaic writing of boy and girl meet, circumstances keep them apart. But they try to find their way back to each other. I will say the story starts out with a devastating scene and it was really hard to move past that at first.

Auburn is 21, new to Texas and trying to build a life for herself. She has only had one true love in her life and he passed away when they were young teenagers. When Auburn finds herself in need of a second job, she stumbles upon a local art gallery hiring and meets the owner Owen. Owen is charming, mysterious and unbeknownst to Auburn has a connection to her that he can’t ever share. Auburn’s life is complicated and Owen’s is even more so which makes it hard for them to be together but that is ultimately what they want. You already know how the story will play out by the very beginning. But it’s still an easy enjoyable read. Rating: 8

5. The Heiress

Ugh, this story dragged on for me and there were so many characters that I began getting confused. Camden and Jules are happily married living far away from Camden’s family, which is exactly the way he prefers. But when a death in the family forces Camden to return to his family home, he must face the trauma from his past head on. He was adopted and his mother was one of the wealthiest women in North Carolina with a traumatic past of her own. All of her husbands died mysteriously and Camden is still unsure as to why he was adopted in the first place many years ago. There is so much more backstory to all of this. But frankly it was so hard to follow and I ended up being very confused at the end. Rating: 6

6. The Guest

This mystery was a slow burn and some of the reviews said it was too slow. But for me I actually loved it. It’s not super fast paced but it kept my attention to the very end. And the end was quite the SHOCKER!

Iris and Gabriel return from their vacation to find one of their best friends, Laure, staying at their home. Laure found out that her husband cheated on her and fathered a child. And she needed somewhere to escape so she came to see Iris and Gabriel. This is devastating news to everyone because Laure and her husband are best friends with Iris and Gabriel. Laure asks to stay while she sorts out her crumbling marriage. But soon Iris and Gabriel start to wonder what is really going on. Laure’s husband won’t answer any calls from anyone and won’t say whom he had a child with. Things become increasingly more tense over time. And Iris and Gabriel aren’t sure they can have Laure stay with them anymore. I can normally figure out the ending with my mysteries, but this one completely shocked me. Rating: 8.5

PS. Books I Read in February 2024