QUICK REVIEWS!

 Hello my lovely readers! 

I've finished four books since my last post, but life has been so hectic that I haven't had a chance to review them. Honestly, I don't feel like giving them all a dedicated post because I wasn't particularly moved by them, but I want to give these four books some kind of recognition. Let's get into it!

Medicine River by Mary Annette Pember

Part memoir, part history, Medicine River shares the legacy of Indian Boarding Schools from the mid-19th century to the late 1930s and how the affected the generations of Indigenous children placed in them.

*While it contained great history, this felt like two different books to me, which I wasn't expecting. I started to tune out when it ventured into the memoir territory. I'd give it a 3 out of 5 stars. 

What Never Happened by Rachel Howzell Hall

 Hello my lovely readers!

This was an audiobook exclusive. Let's get into it!

SYNOPSIS

Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, twenty years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to her craft—writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island.

But as Coco learns more about these deaths, she quickly realizes that the circumstances surrounding them are remarkably similar…and not natural. Then Coco receives a sinister threat in the mail: her own obituary.

As Coco begins to draw connections between a serial killer’s crimes and her own family tragedy, she fears that the secrets on Catalina Island might be too deep to survive. Because whoever is watching her is hell-bent on finally putting her past to rest.

When I Was You by Minka Kent

Hello my lovely readers!

This  is my second Minka Kent novel and I'm not mad about it! She's a solid writer and her novels are good enough to keep my interest. Let's get into it!

SYNOPSIS
After barely surviving a brutal attack, Brienne Dougray rarely leaves her house. Suffering from debilitating headaches and memory loss, she can rely only on her compassionate new tenant, Dr. Niall Emberlin, a welcome distraction from the discomfiting bubble that has become her existence.

But Brienne’s growing confidence in her new routine is shaken when she stumbles across unsettling evidence that someone else is living as…her. Same name. Same car. Same hair. Same clothes. She’s even friended her family on social media. To find out why, Brienne must leave the safety of her home to hunt a familiar stranger.

What she discovers is more disturbing than she could have ever imagined. With her fragile mind close to shattering, Brienne is prepared to do anything to reclaim her life. If it’s even hers to reclaim.

MY THOUGHTS
Like I said before, solid book. It was pretty predictable, but again, I didn't hate it nor did I love it. It was just OK. Kent writes good, quick reads.

You have to suspend belief for the majority of it, but it was an easy read and a nice, light thriller.

The Party by Robyn Harding

Hello my lovely readers!

Oh boy, this book was a disappointment. I had it on my shelf for a few years and was looking for a quick read. It certainly passed by quickly, but this book left me with more questions than answers and deeply unsatisfied. Let's get into it.

SYNOPSIS

Sweet sixteen. It's a coming of age, a milestone, a rite of passage. Of course Jeff and Kim Sanders will throw a party for their daughter, Hannah. She's a good kid with good grades and nice friends. And it isn't going to be a big, indulgent affair. Just four girls coming over for pizza and cake, movies and a sleepover. What could possibly go wrong?

But things do go wrong, horrifically wrong. After a tragic accident, Jeff and Kim's flawless life in a wealthy San Francisco suburb begins to unravel. The injured girl's mother, Lisa, files a lawsuit that turns friends into enemies, reveals dark secrets in the Sanders' marriage, and exposes the truth about their perfect daughter, Hannah. Lisa's determination to make the Sanders pay stems from a fierce love for her only child and Lisa's own dark and damaged past.

The Rose Petal Beach by Dorothy Koomson

Hello my lovely readers!

This was a re-read for me. I've always loved Dorothy Koomson and I hadn't read this in almost a decade, so I thought it'd be good to re-read and determine if I should keep or toss it. Let's get into it!

SYNOPSIS
Tamia Challey is horrified when her husband, Scott, is accused of something terrible – but when she discovers who his accuser is, everything goes into freefall. Backed into a corner and unsure what to think, Tamia is forced to choose who she instinctively believes. But this choice has dire consequences for all concerned, especially when matters take a tragic turn.

Then a stranger arrives in town to sprinkle rose petals in the sea in memory of her lost loved one. This stranger carries with her shocking truths that will change the lives of everyone she meets, and will once again force Tamia to make some devastating choices.

The Block Party by Jamie Day

Hello my lovely readers!

It's been a long time and I apologize!

I'm currently pregnant and was in my first trimester the months of August and September. As a first time mother, I had no idea how tired and nauseous I would be all the time! Needless to say, I didn't pick up nary a book or audiobook for weeks and I only managed to finish the three books I did read in August while in a first trimester haze.

Now that I'm safely into my second trimester, I've gained more energy and FINALLY got back into reading. I played it safe and decided to go with the thriller The Block Party by Jamie Day on audio.

Unfortunately....this book did NOTHING for me. At least I'm reading again, though, right? Let's get into it!

SYNOPSIS

The residents of the Alton Road cul-de-sac are entangled in a web of secrets and scandals that are unknown to the rest of the world and each other.

Then on the night of the annual summer block party, there's been a murder.

But who did it? Why? Those answers will take the reader back to a year earlier as rivalries and betrayals unfold and when everyone discovers that nothing and no one is ever as it seems.

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica

 

Hello my lovely readers!

This book was just...meh. Not much of a review to come, but let's get into it!

SYNOPSIS

Jake Hayes is missing. At first, his wife, Nina, thinks his blowing off steam after a their heated fight the night before. But then five days pass and Jake's nowhere to be found.

Lily is Nina's friend and coworker and thinks she may have been the last person to see Jake before he went missing. After she confesses what happened to her husband, Christian, the two decide that no one can ever find out what happened leading up to Jake's disappearance, especially Nina.

But Nina will stop at nothing to find her husband and the truth of what happened.

Nice Girls by Catherine Dang

 

Hello my lovely readers!

I saw this on Libby and thought I'd give it a try....but it didn't leave a lasting impression. Let's get into it.

SYNOPSIS
Mary used to be a nice girl. She was the quiet, chubby teen with the scholarship to an Ivy League school and the resident whiz kid of her hometown in Minnesota.

Three years after her high school graduation, she returns home as a thinner, cynical and restless failure who was kicked out of Cornell at the beginning of her senior year and won't tell anyone why. Now as she begins work at the local grocery store, Mary tries to make sense of her life's sharp downward spiral. 

But then her once best friend, Olivia goes missing. The town obsesses over her disappearance but Mary wonders if her disappearance is tied to another missing girl, DeMaria, whose case has been dismissed as a runaway.

Mary pries at the cracks of the tow missing girls and will force her to confront horrible truths. Maybe there are no nice girls, after all.

Cherish Farrah by Beverly Morrow

Hello my lovely readers!

Oh, I had such high hopes for this book given the summary. Yet again, I was let down. Let's get into it.

SUMMARY
Seventeen-year-old Farrah Turner is one of two Black girls in her country club community. Farrah and Cherish Whitman are best friends and would do anything for each other. Farrah is raised by Black parents and Cherish was adopted by a wealthy, white family.

Cherish's family take Farrah in when her family is unexpectedly confronted with foreclosure. The longer she stays, the more he own parents suggest that something is wrong in the Whitman house. But soon, debilitating illnesses, fever dreams and a slew of other mysterious things begin to happen to Farrah. And it's anyone's guess who's really in control in the Whitman house.

The Last Invitation by Darby Kane

 

Hello my lovely readers! 

HAPPY JUNE!

I sat on the waitlist at my library for this book. It was such a let down. Let's get into it.

SUMMARY
The Sophie Foundation meets on the second Tuesday of every month to vote....and then someone dies.

Call it a women's vigilante  group, if you will. Over the last few years, prominent men--a retired diplomat, beloved basketball coach, a CEO--have all died in a series of fluke accidents and shocking suicides.

Jessa Hall jumped at the chance to join this secret club, when she's in her most vulnerable state. But once you're in the group, there's not getting out. Soon she finds she's in over her head and reaches out to her frenemy Gabby, who also happens to be investigating the mysterious death of her ex-husband. The two don't trust each other, but they have to rely on each other to survive and tell the truth.

The Silent Woman by Minka Kent

 

Hello my lovely readers!

Another day, another book.

This was another audiobook exclusive thanks to a free credit on audiobooks.com. Let's get into it.

SUMMARY

Newlywed Jade Westmore is in newlywed heaven with her husband Wells. He's a charming, successful and recently divorced architect. But there's a catch. His first wife Sylvie still lives with him.

Three years ago, the original Mrs. Westmore suffered an accident and has been in a comatose-like state ever since. She sits in a caretaker's cottage behind the house saying nothing and doing nothing. 

But one day, while Wells is away, Jade visits Sylvie bearing a peace offering: a bouquet of white lilies. And Sylvie has something for Jade as well: a piece of paper that reads one word. Run.

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris

 

Hello my lovely readers!

I've been on a "thriller" fiction kick, but I've been sadly disappointed with the thrillers written by Black authors (save for When the Reckoning Comes). This is just another example of my disappointment. Let's get into it.

SUMMARY 

Ellice Littlejohn has it all: an Ivy League law degree, a well-paying job as a corporate attorney in midtown Atlanta, great friends and a relationship with her white, married boss Michael.

But one cold January morning, Michael is found dead in his office with a gunshot to his head. Ellice finds him and promptly leaves. Why? Well Ellice has her own secrets including a dark small-town past and a kid brother who has a rap sheet. She can't risk being thrust into the spotlight: again.

Now, things are changing. Ellice is promoted to replace Michael and the police are getting suspicious. People are gossiping and Ellice uncovers shady dealings inside the company. Now, her past and present lives are colliding and she must find a way to stop a conspiracy far more sinister than she could have ever imagined.

When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen

 

Hello my lovely readers!

My reading slump is no more and I've been reading, reading reading! Also, I finally put together two really great short story ideas that I want to start writing, so I'm excited! Stay tuned for The Wives and The Mommy Group. 

Until those are finished, let's get into a good thriller by a Black author....FINALLY.

SUMMARY 

Mira fled her small, segregated hometown in North Carolina to forget. A little over a decade later, it's time for her to return.

Her best friend Celine is getting married and she wants Mira and Jesse to be there on her special day. The three have a lot of history together. Celine was mocked by their town for being the only white girl with Black friends. Jesse--the boy Mira secretly loved--was almost arrested for murder on a terrible day when the two explored the eerie Woodsman plantation, rumored to be haunted by the spirits of slaves.

But now, Celine is having her wedding at that same plantation, which is now a lush vacation resort. Yet as the weekend unfolds, Mira, Jesse and Celine are forced to acknowledge their history together and save themselves from what is to come.

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

 

Hello my lovely readers!

This was another audiobook exclusive for me after finishing The Mother Next Door. I was looking for something in the same vein and the plot for this book seemed interesting. But woof. I was sorely disappointed. Let's just....get this over with.

SUMMARY
Maya was a senior in high school when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the man Frank whom they'd been spending time with all summers.

Then, seven years later, Maya, who now lives in Boston with her boyfriend, sees the same thing happen on Youtube. A young woman dies in a diner sitting across from Frank.

Plagued with a secret addiction, Maya is now plunged into the trauma that defined her life all over again. She returns to her hometown to relive that fateful summer. At her mother's house, she excavates fragments of her past, but all roads lead back to Frank's cabin.

The Mother Next Door by Tara Laskowski

 

Hello my lovely readers!

I was in a reading slump much of April, but audiobooks came to the rescue! I listened to this one exclusively on Libby. Let's get into it.

SUMMARY
Teresa has moved back to her college hometown because her husband got a job at the local high school as vice principal.

It's here on the cul-de-sac of Ivy Pines Drive that she encounters the Ivy Five...well the Ivy Four now. What happened to the last member? Why does no one talk about her?

The annual Halloween block party is the pinnacle of the year for this neighborhood and this year's party should be the best yet. But the women, including Teresa begin receiving anonymous messages that threatens to expose the quiet neighborhood's dark past--and the lengths they've gone to hide it.

Secrets begin to seep out and the women realize, Ivy Pines Drive will never be the same.

My Other Husband by Dorothy Koomson

Hello my lovely readers!

Another day, another Dorothy Koomson thriller.

Quick background story about how I came across this author, as I've been rocking with her for over a decade!

The year was 2010, I was a junior in college and I was in London on a study abroad program. We were getting ready to head to Dublin, Ireland via ferry. In the ferry terminal, a few of my friends and I went to the bookstore. I walked around and saw the pastel-colored cover of The Ice Cream Girls. I was immediately attracted to the cover because it had a Black arm on it. I know it sounds crazy, but there weren't many books with Black body parts or faces on them back during that time.

I picked it up and read the plot. "Wow, this sounds very interesting! I better write down the name of this book," I thought. It was about two teenagers who were accused of killing their teacher. One was Black and got off. The other was White and served time and now she's trying to clear her name. 

Since I didn't have the time or money to buy the book, I jotted it down and forgot about it...for about five years!

I went on a cruise to the Bahamas in 2015 and FINALLY read the book. It was amazing. It's one of my favorite books. However, what had an even deeper impact on me was the fact that it had a Black woman as the main character. In the early 2010s, I was starting to come into my own as a 20-something woman and I think part of that self-discovery was seeing women who looked like me in books, movies and travel. I'd recently discovered tons of travel blogs and travelogues by Black women and it really was life changing. I remember reading Taming it Down and Kinky Gazpacho and Go Girl! The Black Woman's Book of Travel and Adventure during this time frame and my heart was so full. 

I was starving for books about the average, everyday, middle-class Black woman and I didn't even know it. Reading those three books along with The Ice Cream Girls opened my eyes and taught me to look for myself in everything. 

Since then, I've read all of Dorothy Koomson's books.

Phew. That was a lot. Sorry! 

SUMMARY
Cleo Forsum is being framed for murder. The person who is hurting the people who she knows and loves is doing it in ways that are identical to the murders she writes about on her show The Baking Detective. She has to clear her name, but she can't, because if she does, that means she'd have to reveal her other husband.