Review: You Were Never Here by Kathleen Peacock

 Title: You Were Never Here

Author: Kathleen Peacock

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

Published By: Harper Teen (October 20, 2020)

My Rating: 4 Stars!

Book Description:

Cat hasn’t been to Montgomery Falls, the town her family founded, since she was twelve years old. Since the summer she discovered she could do things that no normal twelve-year-old could do. Since she had her first kiss with Riley Fraser. Since she destroyed their friendship.

Now, five years later, she’s back and Riley has disappeared.

For the last three months no one has heard from or seen Riley. And while there are all sorts of conspiracy theories about where he went, neither the police nor his parents are any closer to finding him. When Noah, Riley’s brother, asks for help in discovering what happened, Cat is torn between wanting to learn the truth and protecting the secret that she’s been guarding ever since that summer she and Riley stopped speaking.

But then a girl is discovered floating in the river, barely alive with no knowledge of who attacked her or why. With the possibility that someone out there is hunting teens, Cat must make a choice: Use her unusual ability to discover the truth and find Riley or keep running away from a power she can’t control. Only one choice will put her in a killer’s sights… 

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I really enjoyed Peacock's Hemlock series years ago so when I saw she had written a new book, a thriller at that, I knew I had to read it.

This was everything I love in a good page turning mystery that keeps me on my toes and in a thriller that really knows how to get the heart pumping. 

I could not put this one down. It was everything I was looking for and then some. I loved the setting, the characters, the mystery and of course the touch of paranormal that I always crave in a good read. It kept me wondering, guessing, and most of all, turning the pages eagerly awaiting the next clue, the next thrill ride, the next puzzle to piece together. 

I can't recommend this enough. It reminded me all over again what a treat it is to read one of this author's books and how much I enjoy her writing. A perfect read to get out of my own head, from the worries of the world and be immersed in a good story that takes me away and into another place, into new characters, and into something that lets you let it all go, relax and enjoy the ride. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Review: In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

 Title: In A Holidaze

Author: Christina Lauren

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Contemporary

Published By: Gallery Books (October 6, 2020)

Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)

My Rating: 5 Stars!

Book Description:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but thirty-year-old Maelyn Jones is in the midst of a major crisis. She’s living with her mom, hates her boring job, and has yet to make any romantic progress with Andrew, the friend she’s been in love with for the last thirteen years.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born. Devastated as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple wish to the universe: show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows there’s a screech of tires and metal, followed by Mae gasping awake…on an airplane bound for Utah. Now Mae has the chance to live the holidays all over again but with one disaster after another sending her repeatedly back in time, she has to figure out how to end this strange holiday loop and get Andrew under the mistletoe. Otherwise, she’s going to need a miracle.

With Christina Lauren’s trademark “heartfelt and funny” (Kirkus Reviews) prose, this swoon-worthy romance will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays. 

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Is there anything better than a sweet, slow burn romance from Christina Lauren on a long lazy weekend? I think not! 

I always love their books, it isn't a secret how deliciously good they are but there was just something that really spoke to me with In A Holidaze. Something that moved me to tears, had me choked up, smiling ear to ear and never wanting the story to end. Something so endearing it weaseled it's way right into my very heart and mind and I'm a better person because of it. 

This was exactly what I needed when I needed it without me even knowing it. Maisie and Mandrew, were exactly who I needed. Their story, their history, the slow burn, that family, ever single one of them. It was all so magical, so real, so raw, and completely what I love about all their books. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Blog Tour Review: Behind the Red Door by Megan Collins

Title: Behind the Red Door

Author: Megan Collins

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Published By: Atria (August 4, 2020)

Source: ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Book Description:

The author of the “suspenseful, atmospheric, and completely riveting” (Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author) debut The Winter Sister returns with a darkly thrilling novel about a woman who comes to believe that she has a connection to a decades old kidnapping and now that the victim has gone missing again, begins a frantic search to learn what happened in the past.

When Fern Douglas sees the news about Astrid Sullivan, a thirty-four-year-old missing woman from Maine, she is positive that she knows her. Fern’s husband is sure it’s because of Astrid’s famous kidnapping—and equally famous return—twenty years ago, but Fern has no memory of that, even though it happened an hour outside her New Hampshire hometown. And when Astrid appears in Fern’s recurring nightmare, one in which a girl reaches out to her, pleading, Fern fears that it’s not a dream at all, but a memory.

Back home in New Hampshire, Fern purchases a copy of Astrid’s recently published memoir—which may have provoked her original kidnapper to abduct her again—and as she reads through its chapters and visits the people and places within it, she discovers more evidence that she has an unsettling connection to the missing woman. As Fern’s search becomes increasingly desperate, she hopes to remember her past so she can save Astrid in the present…before it’s too late.

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About the Author:

Megan Collins is the author of BEHIND THE RED DOOR and THE WINTER SISTER. She has taught creative writing at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and Central Connecticut State University, and she is the managing editor of 3Elements Review. A Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee, her work has appeared in many print and online journals, including Off the Coast, Spillway, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, and Rattle. She lives in Connecticut.

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There is nothing better than a story that will keep you on your toes and turning the pages. Thrillers have always been some of my most favorite stories to read which is why I had no issues picking this one up at all. 

It does have everything that makes a great thriller, intrigue, an unreliable narrator, mystery, crazy characters that you can't trust at all and of course that darkness that almost always lurks around every page. 

And while I truly enjoyed the unique story line of this, I did see so many aspects coming after only 20% in which was a tad bit disappointing but not knowing everything, that kept me turning the pages and reading on, which was a good thing because there were still twists and turns I didn't see coming.

Overall a good read that I think most fans of the genre will truly enjoy. 

Blog Tour Review: He Started It by Samantha Downing

Title: He Started It

Author: Samantha Downing

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Published By: Berkley (April 20, 2020)

Source: ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Book Description:

Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven't all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we'll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance.

But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.

It's even harder when you're all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory—a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won't stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there's a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.

But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.

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About the Author:

Samantha Downing is the author of the Edgar Award-nominated novel My Lovely Wife. Amazon Studios and Nicole Kidman's Blossom Films have partnered to produce a feature film based on the novel.

Her next book is called He Started It and will be released in April 2020. She currently lives in New Orleans, where she is furiously typing away on her next thrilling novel.

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I'm starting to think after reading two books of hers, Samantha Downing is a mastermind of evil genius. Her twisted, dark, thrillers are everything a person could ask for. Full of twists and turns no one sees coming with heroines and heroes that are anything but what their names proclaim. 

With a darker look at the human mind, her stories are fascinating, enthralling, thrilling, and oh so addicting. I can't get enough of them, what that says about him, I'm not ready to contemplate now but I will say, you need to try them. If you like stories that will mess with your head, be hard to put down, and have you thinking about them long after you have set them down, contemplating all the what ifs and leave you reeling thinking about it all over again, this is the author for you. 

Another outstanding read about the messed up mind and family dynamics that can follow,  that kept me rapidly turning the pages and entertained the whole way through. 

Review: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon

Title: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky
Author: Sandhya Menon
Series: Book Three in the Dimple and Rishi Series
Genre: YA Contemporary
Published By: Simon Pulse (July 21, 2020)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 4 Stars!


Book Description:
The follow-up to When Dimple Met Rishi and There’s Something about Sweetie follows Pinky and Samir as they pretend to date—with disastrous and hilarious results.

Pinky Kumar wears the social justice warrior badge with pride. From raccoon hospitals to persecuted rock stars, no cause is too esoteric for her to champion. But a teeny-tiny part of her also really enjoys making her conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer parents cringe.

Samir Jha might have a few . . . quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.


Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents’ Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she’s made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy, Samir—who is a total Harvard-bound Mama’s boy—to pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer. As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they'll never forget. 

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Top Five Reasons to Read and Love 10 Things I Hate About Pinky

1. Lovable characters that are far from perfect and so darn relatable.

2. Swoon worthy romances that are always deliciously slow building.

3. Diverse group of characters that will steal your heart.

4. Great escape read that will leave you with a smile on your face and a warmth in your heart.

5. Outstanding writing that is every bit as memorizing as it is fun and entertaining. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Blog Tour: I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman

Title: I Was Told It Would Get Easier

Author: Abbi Waxman

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Women's Contemporary

Published By: Berkely (June 16, 2020)

Source: ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Book Description:

Squashed among a bus full of strangers, mother-daughter duo Jessica and Emily Burnstein watch their carefully mapped-out college tour devolve into a series of off-roading misadventures, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.

Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.

For Emily, it’s a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she’s sure she even wants to go to college, but let’s ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. . . . They have to, right?

For Jessica, it’s a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play-Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn’t even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn’t sure she likes herself.

Together with a dozen strangers–and two familiar enemies–Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever.

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About the Author:

Hi there. I'm a chocolate loving, dog loving writer living in Los Angeles. I sit down if I can, and lie down whenever possible. If you enjoy my book and would like a personalized, signed bookplate to go in it, email me your name and address and I'll send you one!

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A fun heart warming and sometimes funny story about the bonds between mothers and daughters. I loved the strong sense of girl power in this as well as what it takes to keep a family going in these times and also be a working women in a sometimes very much, male dominated world. 

Woman has a wonderful ability to dive into tough subject matters with quirky characters and very real feeling situations and events and still inject a fun loving sense of humor along with all the tough serious heart felt moments. 

Review: The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton

Title: The Last Train To Key West
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary/Historical
Published By: Berkley (June 16, 2020)
Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!


Book Description:
In 1935 three women are forever changed when one of the most powerful hurricanes in history barrels toward the Florida Keys in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton's captivating new novel.

Everyone journeys to Key West searching for something. For the tourists traveling on Henry Flagler's legendary Overseas Railroad, Labor Day weekend is an opportunity to forget the economic depression gripping the nation. But one person's paradise can be another's prison, and Key West-native Helen Berner yearns to escape.

The Cuban Revolution of 1933 left Mirta Perez's family in a precarious position. After an arranged wedding in Havana, Mirta arrives in the Keys on her honeymoon. While she can't deny the growing attraction to the stranger she's married, her new husband's illicit business interests may threaten not only her relationship, but her life.

Elizabeth Preston's trip from New York to Key West is a chance to save her once-wealthy family from their troubles as a result of the Wall Street crash. Her quest takes her to the camps occupied by veterans of the Great War and pairs her with an unlikely ally on a treacherous hunt of his own.


Over the course of the holiday weekend, the women's paths cross unexpectedly, and the danger swirling around them is matched only by the terrifying force of the deadly storm threatening the Keys.

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This author never ceases to blow me away with her amazing stories. Stories that transport you back in tome to another world, another place and another time. When women were still viewed as less than a world very much in turmoil. 

Her endearing characters are so real, so raw, and so darn relatable. You want to know them, you feel like  they are friends and most of all, you end up caring greatly for them by the time their story is over.

This time her story takes us to Key West in the lives of three very different woman and the story takes place over a long Labor Day weekend during a time in our history much of the world has forgotten about during a storm, many remember. A story about three woman who are even though they are different, are still very much the same. All struggling to make something of themselves and to be different, to be strong and independent and most of all, to be happy with their life and choices.

I adored all these women. Their heartache was my heartache and their joy, my joy. I became so invested in their future and I wanted only the best for them. I truly loved every single page of their stories and I couldn't of asked for a better ending for them all.  

I love this author and she has quickly become a favorite and for good reason. She truly is talented at all that she writes and knows how to make a story, to make characters, come to life. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*