Tag: Fiction

What’s on my NetGalley shelf? Day 3

Hi, hey friends! I’m baacckkkkk with what’s on my NetGalley shelf- highlighting 5 books in 5 days.

Today I want to talk about The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang. If you know me you know I’m a HUGE sucker for a strong female protagonist, and this book is IT! I love when I meet a cast of characters that I know I will never forget, and I have a feeling I’m going to find that in this book. Adventure, mystery, and magical realism with some sci-fi peppered in. LETS GO!

DAY 3

The Wilderwomen

Description

Ohioana Book Award finalist Ruth Emmie Lang returns with a new cast of ordinary characters with extraordinary abilities in The Wilderwomen.

Five years ago, Nora Wilder disappeared. The older of her two daughters, Zadie, should have seen it coming, because she can literally see things coming. But not even her psychic abilities were able to prevent their mother from vanishing one morning.

Zadie’s estranged younger sister, Finn, can’t see into the future, but she has an uncannily good memory, so good that she remembers not only her own memories, but the echoes of memories other people have left behind. On the afternoon of her graduation party, Finn is seized by an “echo” more powerful than anything she’s experienced before: a woman singing a song she recognizes, a song about a bird…

When Finn wakes up alone in an aviary with no idea of how she got there, she realizes who the memory belongs to: Nora.

Now, it’s up to Finn to convince her sister that not only is their mom still out there, but that she wants to be found. Against Zadie’s better judgement, she and Finn hit the highway, using Finn’s echoes to retrace Nora’s footsteps and uncover the answer to the question that has been haunting them for years: Why did she leave?

But the more time Finn spends in their mother’s past, the harder it is for her to return to the present, to return to herself. As Zadie feels her sister start to slip away, she will have to decide what lengths she is willing to go to find their mother, knowing that if she chooses wrong, she could lose them both for good.

First of all, I want to take a second to just appreciate that gorgeous COVER ART! I’ve loved the cover of every book I’ve shared so far- My toxic trait is that I choose my books by the cover, and my wine by the label!

The Wilderwomen is Ruth Emmie Lang’s second book, her first being “Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance” which was published in 2017 and was Target Book Club’s pick of December 2018!

The Wilderwomen comes out on November 15, 2022

You can pre-order it HERE

You can check out the early reviews HERE

You can order Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance HERE

Learn more about Ruth Emmie Lang HERE

I hope you consider picking this book up, and if you do, let’s talk about it! Happy Reading, Friends!

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The Younger Wife + Review

Happy PUB day to Sally Hepworth and The Younger Wife! Thank you Netgalley & MacMillan Audio for my audiobook ARC! This was a good listen, and I really enjoyed it!

The younger wife is a gripping tale of family drama and secrets. This book follows Stephen Aston, an esteemed heart surgeon at the top of his career, his two daughters Rachel and Tully, and his new fiancé Heather. The problem? Stephen is still married. The other problem? Stephens wife Pam has advanced dementia.
When Stephen and his fiancé Heather announce their engagement over lunch, the very FIRST time the girls meet her, they are understandably shocked!
As this story unfolds so does Stephen, he’s secrets, and who he really is.

This story is well written with relatable characters who we really get to know throughout the book. This was my first Sally Hepworth book, and I really enjoyed it. Throughout the book the reader is left questioning a lot about what’s really going on, and if what we think is happening is actually happening! This book is written in 3 POV- Rachel, Tully and Heather which made it interesting but I think it would have added a creepy layer if we were to also have seen it through Stephens eyes. I was left questioning a lot about him, his actions and motives. I mean a lot of times sociopaths don’t need motives BUT I wanted it!

This was a solid book for me, the only thing that I really felt took away from the story was the epilogue. It didn’t really go anywhere.

Overall I liked it and I will definitely pick up more books by this author! If you like family drama and juicy secrets, this is the one you will want to pick up!

Get your copy of The You her Wife by Sally Hepworth HERE

If you’re interested in all things Sally Hepworth Check out her WEBSITE

Happy reading, friends!

People we meet on vacation

“I’ve always felt like, when someone sees me deep down, that’s it. There’s something ugly in there, or unlovable, and you’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like I’m okay.”

SWOON! Poppy and Alex forever!

People we meet on vacation is the first book I have read by Emily Henry, and all I have to say is YES to this slow burning atmospheric romance.
Poppy and Alex have been best friends for ten years. He is stoic, reserved, and slightly neurotic, while she is the complete opposite. Bright, loud, and hilarious. Every summer they take the most epic of vacations together, all the while falling deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole that is their complicated love.
I fell in love with the cast of characters in this book right away, and it had me laughing out loud before I finished the first chapter. I fell completely in love with Poppy, she is funny, charming, and the chemistry she shares with Alex is complete FIRE.
This book is a slow burn, which I have to admit, I am not used to when it comes to romance. I am used to the fast paced, falling in love happily ever after romance books, and I can tell you right now, this is not that. Okay, I digress, there IS happily ever after, just not how I predicted it, which I LOVED.
People we meet on vacation is written in a dual timeline, switching between each year’s epic summer vacation, to the current summer, which I thought gave the book and the characters evolving relationship a lot of depth. The reader really gets to know them, and the changing dynamics of their love story. We get taken on such amazing adventures with these two characters, Canada, Croatia, Nashville, Vail….honestly, the adventure and atmosphere of everywhere this book takes us one thousand percent makes up for the slow burn.
While I was sitting there thinking, OKAY LET’S GET TO IT, Y’ALL LOVE EACHOTHER LET’S MAKE OUT NOW, I was also swooning over every new place we would be swept off to, wondering where the author would take us next.

I loved this book. It’s the perfect book to read in the dead of winter, curled up with a cozy blanket and hot tea. It’s the perfect vacation!

Whispers

💀BOOK REVIEW💀

Stacey is the coolest aunt EVER hands-down!
When she organizes a trip for her two sisters and their kids to the happiest place on earth, none of them could have ever prepared for the nightmare that awaited them!

This debut thriller by Bonne Bartron is everything I never knew I needed! It was a perfect spooky season read, and although I’m not a gal that is easily creeped out, as a mom, this one did me in.
If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE a strong female protagonist, and this book has three soooooo-I was sold on the first chapter.
This book deals with subject matter that is SO RELEVANT RIGHT NOW and that is one of the things I absolutely loved about it. I like a good twisty mystery that feels relevant, fresh, and scary all the while delivering those twisty blows I live for! This book is a slow burn that I devoured happily-with the lights on, and definitely not before bed.
Without giving too much away because I really want y’all to read this book, I will say this- step aside Slenderman & Momo, Mr. Tasty Treats is here, and he’s coming for your babies. 💀

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


Pippa Fitz-Amobi is a BADASS! This is the strong, smart protagonist I have been craving and I👏AM👏HERE👏FOR👏IT!
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Pippa is a true crime junkie with aspirations to be a first-rate journalist. When it comes time for her final year project, she chooses her small towns most notorious unsolved crime-the murder of Andie Bell.
What starts innocently enough, her project soon turns into an unraveling of secrets and lies that leaves Pippa questioning everything she thought she knew about this case- and some of the people closest to her!
With the help of the alleged killers brother, the two of them take on this project with fearless grit, and won’t stop until they have found the REAL killer.

This is a brilliant debut that takes us straight into the investigation alongside Pippa and Ravi, unraveling clue after clue.

I felt like I was investigating right along with the main characters, each clue and new person of interest leaving me with more questions. I love a twisty mystery, and wasn’t at all expecting this one! I was with them until the very end. Each character is so well developed, and I found myself falling in love with fearless Pippa and her unwavering determination for justice. Honestly, I could talk all day about the things I loved about this cast of characters!
Holly Jackson knocked it our of the park with this debut novel, it’s a fantastic read for all ages whether you are 13, 30 or 100. Definitely my favorite read of 2020, and guys, there is a SEQUEL!😳 Good Girl, bad blood came out in April of this year, and-drumroll please- book 3 is set to come out next year! It just keeps getting better, and I can’t wait to get my hands on these books! Get them, read them, and let’s talk about them!

The Drowning Kind

First of all I want to say THANK YOU to Simon & Schuster Scout Press & NetGalley for my advanced copy of The Drowning Kind by Jennifer Mc Mahon. Without the wonderful publishers and Netgalley I wouldn’t have the opportunity to review so many fantastic books. I love what I do, and I couldn’t do it without them!

So, let’s talk about this delicious morsel- Not only is this book beautiful, it is a modern day ghost story and that is something I can NOT miss!
Jennifer McMahon is the author of one of my favorite books, The Winter People, and from the sound of it, this book is going to be just as good.


DESCRIPTION👇

Be careful what you wish for.
When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. And as she dives deeper into the research herself, she discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined.

In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.

Do you like ghost stories? Paranormal thrillers that will keep you up at night, guessing and checking every noise you hear? If that is your jam, Jennifer McMahon is your girl! I was never really into the paranormal stuff until I read The Winter People, and I was hooked. Not only does she write a kickass ghost story, but the mystery had me reeling! I love a good twisty book.

What is your favorite ghost story?

The Drowning Kind will be published on April 06, 2021, so keep an eye out for it!

Find Her

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Flora Dane is a victim. Flora Dane is a survivor. Flora Dane is reckless.
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Lisa Gardner has an exquisite way of storytelling that puts you directly into the mind of Florence Dane, kidnapping victim. Florence has been a survivor for 472 days. She was the girl who fed the foxes, loved the sunshine on her face, the girl who grew up playing on her momma’s farm in Maine. Flora is the girl who was abducted from a Florida beach while on spring break from college. 472 days ago.


This is my first Lisa Gardner book, and I just have one question- where have these books been all my life? I have read a lot of mysteries and psychological thrillers and I tend to figure them out pretty early on. This book was anything but predictable, and even though I did figure out the culprit near the end of the book, it didn’t take away from the story for me at all. This book was a beautiful unraveling with so many symbolic references that complimented the story perfectly. If you like psychological thrillers, and a good, solid mystery you will love this book.
This is the 8th book in the Detective D.D. Warren series, who, by the way is a badass, strong female protagonist, which I can’t get enough of! I’m still wondering how I missed the first 7 books, but now I have something to catch up on, because I’m officially a Lisa Gardner fan girl, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
Get this book. Read this book- and let’s talk about this book! It’s a fantastic story that is relevant and beautifully told.

June’s Wild Flight

A super rad SOLO EPISODE!

The most recent addition to the Last Kids on Earth series follows June DelToro on a wild, monster slaying ride!

Everyone in my family loves this series, and it’s one of the few series that my son has completely devoured! These awesome graphic novels are quick reads packed with crazy monsters, awesome weapons, and cool kids!

If a zombie-monster apocalypse ever happened, I would definitely want these kids on my team!

You can find the series on amazon 👉 https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B01CQTVC3G

If you’re bored in the house and in the house bored, go buy these books!

The Stranger

Book title: The Stranger

Author: Harlan Coben

Pub date: March 12, 2015

Genre: Thriller, Suspense

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The Stranger was exactly what I needed to take my mind off being stuck inside my house for an indeterminate amount of time!
This was my first Harlan Coben novel, and I am officially a fangirl now.
I have read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, but this one….I didn’t see this one coming!
The stranger had me reeling from the first chapter, and the twists just kept coming, all the way to the end!
The story follows Adam Price, an attorney married to Corinne, a woman with an explosive secret!
When Corinne leaves town after being confronted by Adam, he is convinced something is wrong and he’s determined to find his wife.
I liked Adam, he was endearing and brave. I like a strong, brave, persistent protagonist, and Adam checked every box!
Although we learn of Corinne’s secret in the first chapter, the twists keep you guessing until The. Last. Chapter!
Fantastic, entertaining book with enough twists to keep your mind off of real life for a few!
Definitely recommend this book…now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to put my jammies on and binge the Netflix series really quick! Byeee👋🤣

Where’d you go, Bernadette?

Book title: Where’d you go, Bernadette?

Author: Maria Semple

Pub date: August, 2012

Genre: Fiction, Humorous fiction

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I can feel the irrationality and anxiety draining my store of energy like a battery-operated racecar grinding away in the corner. This is the energy I will need to get through the next day. But I just lie in bed and watch it burn, and with it any hope for a productive tomorrow. There go the dishes, there goes the grocery store, there goes exercise, there goes bringing in the garbage cans. There goes basic human kindness.”
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Bernadette Fox is a gem. I relate to this woman on so many levels. I, too, wear my sunglasses as a mask every single day at pickup so that I do NOT have to make eye contact with gnats, and it truly is a beautiful way to keep that tiny sliver of sanity when surrounded by the buzzing, but I digress.
Where’d you go Bernadette was a beautiful, poignant story that made me feel like a fly on the wall hearing the gossip from every angle and it was glorious and fun!
Bernadette is a strong, funny, and brave protagonist that exists to show us that we can overcome, we can keep going, we can start again, and we can kick the shit out of life! .
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Side note- I watched the movie after I finished the book, and it was just as good, if not better than the book! It was a fun Bernadette marathon!