NetGalley – Page 3 – One Chapter

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris

This can’t be a B.A. Paris book, no way! What a huge letdown! I can’t believe I actually finished this book. I don’t think I liked a single one of these characters. I thought the main couple was childish and simple, Livia needs to realize that not everything is about her. I kept thinking there had to be a major twist or a huge reveal or something major coming up as I read, for I knew this book wasn’t like her other books but it couldn’t be like this, could it?

To compensate for the wedding that she never had, Livia sets her sights on having a 40th birthday party blow-out. The idea of this party consumes her, I mean totally consumes her. Every beautiful item that Livia sees, up to the day of her party, she ponders on whether she could use that item for her party. Every item! From food, to clothes, to furnishings, Livia has these thoughts running through her head for years. You know Livia, you are an adult now, act like one. Adam, her husband, is a yes man. He loves Livia dearly and would do anything to make his wife happy but I think he needs to learn to be adult also. Adam also has a very close bond with their daughter, Marnie. His relationship with their son, Josh is a different story. I felt sorry for Josh a few times as I read this story, it seems like he was trying and he did make some compromises. I thought the children played an interesting role in this book.

There are a few other individuals in the story but everyone comes together with Livia’s 40th birthday party which should be a five-star production, since she’s had years to plan it, but the secrets that individuals are holding put a damper on the festivities. It frustrated me that these secrets ballooned. They didn’t seem to amount to much, when compared to the drama the individuals who kept the secrets were making them out to be. It was that anticipation of their reveal, that energy and that mysterious reaction that was going to be brought out by the characters not sharing the information until the last possible moment, that keeps the pages moving forward. I’m a huge fan of B.A. Paris but this one is not my favorite B.A. Paris book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison

Love makes some individuals blind and stupid. Claire claims that she loves Jack and Jack feels that Claire is the one yet, let’s be real here. Do they think that they can hide parts of their lives from each other, when they’re days away from tying the knot? I wasn’t sure who was wearing the better disguise, Claire or Jack? I do know that I enjoyed discovering how they each thought that they had the upper hand.

I was in Claire’s corner as I learned how closed-lipped Jack was about parts of his life. Was he just wanting to move on or was he trying to hide something? She knew that she wasn’t Jack’s #1 but I wasn’t prepared for how this really affected her. The longer I read the book, I thought perhaps they might just be right for each another, as Claire’s secrets were disclosed.

Setting in motion the events leading up to their wedding ceremony, the parties arrive on the island and I was in awe. Talk about money! It’s an amazing place but dang, this wonderful day was turning into a nightmare. A nightmare that I enjoyed but the individuals on the island, weren’t having so much fun.

The author did a great job disclosing their secrets and I enjoyed the implications that these had on the individuals involved. A time for celebration, the main characters were on edge while many of the guests were enjoying themselves on the island, I liked how there was this mix as it provided an element of uncertainty in the book. This was a great mystery that I had a hard time putting down.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. #HerDarkLies #NetGalley

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

The year is 1939, WWII is on everyone’s mind as the war is moving closer to home. Impressed with the American’s Dewey Decimal System, Odile decides that an American library is where she wants to works and lands a position at the American Library in Paris. Odile loves her new position: being surrounded by individuals who care and enjoy reading. This truly becomes her second home and her refuge.

We move to the year 1983. Lily has heard that this woman in her neighborhood was a war bride yet to Lily, she didn’t match what Lily envisioned. For school, Lily interviews this neighbor and discovers what a treasure Odile really is. While Lily feels like her own life is crumbling apart, she finds a true friend in Odile and someone that she can confine in. Although they are generations apart, Odile finds that being with Lily, she’s able to share the story of her life and her talents, which brings her tremendous joy.

I enjoyed how the author alternated the stories throughout the book. As I read, I had to keep reminding myself that this was a true account, that this story actually took place. Although at times, I didn’t want one story to end, I was excited to get back into the lives of all the characters. I had a hard time in the beginning chapters getting settled into the book but after those few chapters, I enjoyed it. I loved how everyone who was a part of the library tried so desperately to make sure their subscribers had access to the materials that they wanted. It wasn’t just making sure that the books were safe during the war but getting them out and into the hands of the individuals who really needed them, during this difficult time. Doesn’t this sound like what we are going through now, to a point? Is your own library meeting the needs of the people that it serves during this uncertain period in our history?

By Plemasson – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36874402

Odile’s relationships had me up at 3:30 in the morning as I couldn’t sleep thinking how things were going to work out. Between her father, her brother, her girlfriends and her romance, it’s a wonder I slept at all the past couple nights. I appreciate the author’s research in putting this book together as it was a fantastic read and one that I highly enjoyed.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

What a terrific book by Tudor! This was my third book from this author and she never fails to amaze me. From the beginning pages, the story had my curiosity as Jack and her teenage daughter are relocated by Bishop Durkin. I didn’t know what to think as the reverend and her daughter were transferred to the small community of Chapel Croft. As the Bishop talks to Jack about this move and he mentions that Jack will be leaving behind the police observations, the crime scene and her angry congregation, whatever Jack did, it sounds pretty serious. The Bishop felt that this would-be Jack’s best option yet, as I read the book, this was supposed to a good option? I guess I wouldn’t want to know, what the Bishop thought were bad options.

When the mother and daughter arrived at their new community, it’s not all that promising. What happened that first day, should have told them something but I guess the reverend is used to drama. The pair was met by a pair of Burning Girls at their gate, Jack later find a gift that was left for her. Upon opening this gift, Jack finds she was gifted an exorcism kit and later, as their first visitor approached them, they realized that she was covered in blood. Welcome to Chapel Croft.

I liked how the book unraveled itself. I was interested in Jack’s past yet as the book progressed, there were other more intense issues at hand now. It felt as if Jack was trying to separate herself from her past and start anew, as she wasn’t saying much about what happened. As they arrived into Chapel Croft, they were pulled inside Chapel Croft and the events that surrounded this small community. Jack had seen the small church and she thought that it needed to be revived but she didn’t really know the church’s history nor the people who resided in the town. Jack was trying to distance herself from one horrible scene in her past and then, she ends up walking right into another one. As Jack tries to make sense of what has just been uncovered, she realizes that her past is never really gone. There were plenty of twists inside this book, and they were amazing as the stories unfolded.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you for my copy.

The Vanishing Season By Joanna Schaffhausen

It’s that time of the year again, Ellery’s birthday is right around the corner. For Ellery, unfortunately, she suspects that again, this birthday will not be a time for celebration. It always began with her mail. Opening the envelope, Ellery knew the minute her eyes landed on the colorful front what she was holding. The greeting inside was just the beginning, its deception was just a part of the mystery that Ellery was a part of. Would this year be any different?

Ellery is a female officer who has moved into a small town where she is the only female on the payroll. Ellery believes that some murders have been committed yet there haven’t been any bodies recovered. She has been connecting the “dots” in a few cases and she believes that she’s uncovered a pattern. Now, Ellery is predicting the next murder. However, no one is listening to her. The real story is, Ellery is not telling her colleagues everything she knows about these cases and the clock is ticking. What are you going to do Ellery? You can’t delay your birthday.

With twists and turns, I enjoyed this griping mystery as Ellery works to uncover the pieces and get everyone on board. I enjoyed the small town of Woodbury, the main characters with their flaws and the character’s history. This was an entertaining, exciting book and Joanna Schaffhausen is an author that I look forward to reading in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

4 stars Fiction

She’s dead. Diana was found dead and the authorities are treating it as a homicide but who would want to kill her? The folks in town speak highly of her yet when this question was asked amongst her family, they all turned their eyes to one family member. But, did they really kill Diana?

It was entertaining looking inside this family and seeing their “dirt.” All families have some type of “dirt” that they try to hide from the outside world and I enjoyed reading and seeing how this family dealt with it. To see, what others do not see and hear is powerful. The emotions and the drama that conflicts families can be seen in this family.

As I read, I wanted to hate a specific character but then, I wondered if I knew everything about that character yet. I wondered if whether my feelings were actually justified. Did I actually know this character or were they hiding something from me? It’s funny how I questioned this in this novel.

Some secrets are okay and some secrets can get you into trouble. This was an interesting novel that I really enjoyed. Looking into the private lives of others, you start to examine your own life and your own secrets.

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for this e-copy.

Say You’re Sorry by Karen Rose

4 stars Mystery

Well, I made it! I didn’t realize upon opening this novel how long it really was, over 600 pages! Did it feel like 600 pages? Unfortunately for me, it did. The novel started out strong and ended very strong but the middle dragged for me. That being said, I will read another Karen Rose novel, I will just stick with a shorter one.

What I really liked about this novel was that Karen wasn’t afraid to let her audience in on some disturbing scenes. Being a thriller, Karen’s killer is cruel and hard, and Karen doesn’t gloss these scenes over, she puts the reader right in on the action. I also enjoyed the storyline. I was captivated from the beginning and then the story just rolled along.

Besides the novel dragging some in the middle, there were a few other issues I had with the novel. The genre of romantic-suspense is new to me but I had to actually wonder if what went down between Daisy and Special Agent Gideon could actually happen? Daisy’s a victim and Gideon is an FBI agent and watching their relationship unfold during the investigation felt questionable, to me. Do they not realize they are in the middle of an investigation? Do they not realize what type of investigation it is? I felt that their link also changed her status and how she was seen by others. Also, what about Daisy’s “service dog?” I felt sorry for the dog and I think it was actually an emotional support dog for her.

This is a good, long story with a few slow parts. For me, the second half of the novel, whizzed by as I began to understand the killer and the motivation behind his madness. I would like to read more in this series to see what comes next for these characters.

I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.